Melda tossed and turned in her bed. Even with the luxury of a real bed, she couldn't sleep. She was tired, but sleep evaded her like a plague. Opposed to her, on the lower bunk Eli slept like a baby, her snoring unapologetically loud. Melda was sure it could be heard in the whole building. She tried covering her ears, burying her head beneath the pillow, but it was no good. The noise was relentless.
It annoyed Melda. No, infuriated her.
This was the first time she heard her snore ever since they met. She even talked and fought in her sleep!! Maybe this was even the first time she saw her sleep, and not just lay down eyes closed and rigid limbs, with her guard up, ready to spring into action in case something happened. Vulnerable, as if nothing else mattered. It was almost...surreal.
Still, something gnawed at her.
The spell she had sensed earlier on Eli. That was no ordinary, simple spell. Melda's knowledge of high-tier magic was limited, but sharp enough to recognize a conditional spell when she sensed one. This was the first she encountered one. Dangerous and complex. Something she can't do. Conditional spells basically meant, a condition was set, and if it was met, something else would happen. That was all she knew, and she hoped that was all there was about it. And since Eli was immune to spells, it probably wouldn't affect her directly. Maybe, she'd offered up something important to her that would be destroyed if the condition wasn't met?
Melda didn't know what the condition was, only that it had been accepted.
Was it joining the military? And did Eli just agree to the spell without thinking it through? Yes. Of course she did. Hell, does she even know that the princess is special class and probably could be able to cast spells that could bypass her immunity? She obviously doesn't! She definitely doesn't know she's under a spell. The same way she can't cast spells, and neither do they affect her, she can't sense them.
Melda sighed. She hated this feeling. This...concern.
Why is she so worried about someone who clearly wasn't worried about anything??
.
.
.
The room was dark, as the torches cast dim, flickering shadows against the chamber walls.
The bed was soft, and maybe that was all she needed at the moment; a very comfortable uninterrupted sleep. Iris lay sprawled on the bed, eyes focused on nothing.
"You should not overthink it princess."
The voice came out of nowhere and Iris bolted upright, hear pounding. He had entered without a sound. Without...presence? Or was he here even before she came in? Was her guard down? Or was he just surprisingly good at concealing his presence?
"Elliot." she muttered, masking her unease. "How the hell did you do that?"
He stepped forward, the dim torchlight catching the sly curve of his lips. "Do what exactly?"
She narrowed her eyes, but let herself sink back into her bed. She was too tired for games. Besides, this was her only brother who she never talked to. Ever.
"I heard you got expelled." he said lightly, voice laced with mock sympathy.
"Heard?"
"Yes. And I am here to offer my deepest condolences."
Iris scoffed. What the hell was he up to?
"Elliot, you and I-"
"I know. We have never seen eye to eye. But we are still siblings, aren't we?"
"I prefer my siblings isolating me. Far way from me. Dead even. Not dropping by with wine and fake sympathy."
He laughed. "That is so rude. Your elder brother just wants to share a drink…" he said picking up royal wine. "…and have our first talk."
Iris sighed, as she watched him pour the wine in two glasses, and picked one, sipped it, and brought it to her. She was obviously suspicious. None of his brothers even ever came to her wing, leave alone her chambers. This was a first, and if she took the wine, could be the last.
"Poison?" She asked eyeing it.
He grinned. "You really are good."
Without breaking eye contact, she downed the wine in one go.
"There. I drank your poison. Now leave me alone."
He didn't move, but something colder settled into his gaze.
"Fine. Seems you are not the fun type. As I suspected. You and I have never talked, so, I wasn't sure."
"You, on the other hand are just as annoying as the rest of them. I ranked you the smartest. You bought cheap poison to kill me?"
"I don't want you dead…yet."
"Oh?"
"I, just like everyone in this kingdom, need you. Oh wait, that came out wrong. I need your power."
The words dropped like stone in water. Heavy. Deliberate. No disguise. Their gazes locked in silence. Like they were looking into each other's soul. For a second, Iris felt intimidated. What did he mean by that? I mean, why would he just walk up to her and tell her that?
"What do you mean.?"
"I hate you. Like I really do." he said softly. "In ways you would never understand, so I won't bother explaining. And I'm not just taking the hatred to the grave. I'm going to let this hatred be my motivation for what I'm going to do."
"Kill me?"
He scoffed. "You know that is impossible. Destroy you. Make you suffer. Go through hell. Or worse-"
"What are you planning to do?"
"It's a surprise. But, my first step, convincing your dear father to make me king."
She blinked. "Convincing your father to make you king? Bold move. Why do you think he would pick you?"
He gave a low, mirthless laugh.
"Let me paint you a picture, sister."
He took a slow sip of wine, his eyes never leaving hers.
"Let us say, you must pick a dress that you get to wear for the rest of your life. Your heart is set on your one and only exquisite red dress you treasure. Everyone, even the gods know you will pick that red dress that you always wear. You love it, because it's special. Not just special, it's special to you. Irreplaceable. You dismiss your other six options without a though, deciding that when the time comes you will pick the red one."
He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "But then...when the time comes, disaster strikes. A fire consumes your wardrobe. The red dress? Reduced to ash, utterly destroyed. All of them are. Except for one dress. Singed but salvageable. And tragically, you perish alongside your dresses in the fire."
A cold smile touches his lips. "Do they bury you in the cinders...or in the only garment left fit for a princess?"
She didn't answer. She went silent, thinking about what her brother had said. What he said was poetic, masterful and cruel.
He set his glass down with a soft clink. "You know what my worst color is? Red. Especially that shade of your eyes. It sickens me to think the red dress was ever the only choice."
She stood up and walked to him. "You are different. You and I never exchanged three civil words. I don't even care about you or what you do. Even if you died right now I would skip your funeral. What suddenly sparked up this raging hatred? ."
"Words alone can't describe it."
She nodded. "I get it now." She said pacing. "Crippling defense…could it be perhaps…Someone who hated the red dress soaked it in oil to make sure it burns faster and to ashes…and perhaps soaked the dress that didn't burn in water to make sure it doesn't burn?"
He took the last sip of the wine in his glass. "Mmh. You really are the great princess of Elzeria. I am, proud, I must say. Took you merely seconds to understand what is happening."
"All that for the crown?"
"This is just the beginning."
She scoffed. "This might be just as far as you can go. You can't do anything else other than expelling me or taking away my sword."
"We'll see." He turned to leave. " I can't conceal myself, by the way. You simply are...slipping. You just didn't see me. Just telling you to be careful, your highness."
He said as the double doors to her chamber opened and he strode out.
Iris stared at the door for a while. She took a deep sigh. She was intimidated. By him???? Him?? A nobody? She really is losing it. How did she let her guard down that he couldn't sense him?
That aside, her suspicions were on point. He did plan all of these. Stripping her down to make her defenseless. This quiet brother of his he barely knew? But as he said, this was only the beginning, how far could he go to become king? Kill her...how exactly?
Her head spun.
Why the hell would he just randomly decide he wanted the crown and decide to cripple all of them to get what he wanted? He meant he was going to...destroy their defenses, right? Burning the dresses could only mean that. So she was his first victim, and now he would target the rest.
No, this can't be random. He must have planned this for a really long time.
Ah. This was none of her business, whether he wants the crown or not, he can just take it. No need for all these extreme measures. She doesn't even want the crown. Only her brothers do. So why target her first?
Why was every bad thing just suddenly happening?
Why couldn't she just...live?
:((((