Blood In The Air
It was a bright, sunny morning. The sun was shining beautifully in the sky, the city was busting with activity and energy, and the people filled the streets as usual, their smiles and laughs flying in the air. Ladies with their umbrellas decorating their pretty dresses, gentlemen passing by and offering them their gallantries, and children playing around in joy; all sights frequently seen in that wonderful city.
You would immediately think it was just another normal happy day for those pleasant people. They all thought it just was, with nothing uneventful happening at all, with none but the joyful routines of everyday. They all thought it was, until they remembered what kind of day it was going to be.
And they all remembered at the same time, when their laughs and joys were interrupted with the harsh sounds of the coming tumbrel, moving slowly and heavily, but surely. The eyes of the ladies, gentlemen and even the children immediately turned to the sounds, slowly widening in fear and in worry over this new sight.
The tumbrel moved slowly through the streets, carrying none but three men, bound from their hands and their heads down in humiliation, dressed in their full soldier uniforms. Yes, indeed, they were former soldiers of the country, but they were also on their way to their doom, for they were condemned to death, and in a few hours were to be executed right in front of the whole crowds!
Surrounding that tumbrel as it went on its way were a few soldiers on their horses, whose eyes were firmly on the road and did not dare to do otherwise. But maybe as they walked straight on their way, they would steal a gaze at their former comrades, look for half a second with sympathy in their eyes before quickly turning back on the road again, with no look in their eyes but a look of firmness and strength.
But in that scary, heart-wrenching sight, there was also a strange thing. Behind the tumbrel, and surrounded by many more soldiers, there was the royal carriage, following closely behind, its curtains hiding who was inside. But people could already guess who was inside. And who else could ride the royal carriage?
The tumbrel continued to move through the crowds that were now forming, from the rich and poor alike, from the gentlemen and ladies, from the old and young, from the nobles and peasants. Everyone looked curiously at that tumbrel, some looked with frowns, and others had looks of fear. Occasionally, their gazes would go to the royal carriage with a look of curiosity in their eyes. Why was that here? Yes, they were quite well aware what kind of a day it was going to be, what kind of thing would happen. But why was that here? Was it there to watch its former soldiers fall in quite the humiliation and the dishonor? Was there pleasure inside the carriage and eagerness to see such a horrible sight?
Many questions ran through the heads of the crowds but none were answered. And those who could follow it followed the convoy as it went on its way through the streets in silence, but those who couldn’t simply passed on their wishes to the other passersby who gladly followed with curiosity.
The convoy’s journey eventually came to an end at the town center, where the tumbrel stopped and the royal carriage stopped soon after, surrounded by the numerous soldiers. There, it was all ready to welcome the scene-a huge stand had been prepared in the middle and it was well-surrounded by a group of soldiers who had been waiting. As soon as both carriages had stopped, the crowds of people had stopped as well and gathered around the scene, awaiting the action to take place.
The tumbrel opened its door first, and the three soldiers were led out. They all had their heads down, avoiding the many curious gazes, and they went up to the stand in complete humiliation. There was no attempt to escape, to run away. It was hopeless to them, and in a matter of a few minutes, they were to face a worst fate one could ever face.
They were led to the top of the stand, and soon after, a soldier opened the door to the royal carriage. All eyes were immediately headed towards it, and her majesty came out. The queen herself was there, dressed in nothing but a casual blouse and casual trousers-nothing royal at all. But her face-god, that face!
Her eyes looked narrower than usual and there was that frown on her face-that frown that almost looked...cruel, almost merciless. There was almost a look of pleasure, as though she were happy to see that sight before her. No sign of care for the people around here was shown, and her eyes simply remained on the soldiers as she walked up to the stand to join them.
“Well, well...” she finally spoke up, forcing silence all over the square as they listened, and she addressed the three soldiers mainly but the others secretly as well,
“Look at you. Pathetic. Humiliated. Dishonored, disgraced and shamed...Your sight disgusts me.”
Her words were harsh and clear that some of the people looked at the soldiers with hidden sympathy. What had these soldiers done that need this cruel, merciless treatment and punishment?
“But then,” the queen continued, looking down on the soldiers with an angry frown that was formed then, “Isn’t that what you deserve? Yes, the least you deserve for your horrible deed. To kill the king and queen of the devils’ world...To be a reason in the destruction of that world...Don’t you think that’s a horrible deed? Don’t you think it is, people?!”
She shouted the latter to the crowds beholding the sight, and they all took a step backwards in fear, but none replied. She turned back her attention to the soldiers and continued,
“So then...You have to pay. And like you killed them mercilessly, you will be killed mercilessly, right here, right in front of all of these people!”
The soldiers had had their heads remain down, but just then, they took a glance at the queen. Their eyes were full of hurt at her words, but none had weakness. They looked strong, ready to face their fate despite the atmosphere, convinced that they had done nothing wrong.
Just then, one of the nearby soldiers approached her majesty, and handed her a shiny gold sword-the sword of none but her majesty.
“Well then...any last words?”
She looked upon them cruelly, anger and revenge reflecting through her narrow eyes, looking more frightening by her cold eyebrows and nasty smile. She waved her sword at them, taking her steps nearer. No response came out.
It was silent, all silent, nothing heard but the sounds of the steps taken by the queen. Nearer, nearer...
But watching her as she approached the imprisoned trio, there between the crowds stood a woman, her belly large in front of her, indicating her pregnancy. She watched the queen as she took her steps nearer and nearer to her husband.
Yes, her husband was one of those soldiers.
The love of her life, the father of the baby in her tummy and her very own husband. He was one of those three, and she watched silently as the queen approached, bringing death closer to him with every step. In a matter of moments, he was going to be executed right in front of her, right in front of everyone.
Yet, she stood still, strong and steady, her hands on her tummy, power and might clear in her eyes.
“Now, who should I begin with first?” The queen asked, waving her sword as she looked upon the soldiers, and then continued,
“Very well. Who killed the king of you? You did. Now you’ll pay.”
She pointed to the soldier who had indeed, killed the king of the devils’ world, and the other soldiers immediately took him to the appropriate area.
Slash. One done.
Slash. Two.
Slash. Three.
And the third was the lover, the husband, and the father who couldn’t see his child. His wife didn’t even blink, and she watched silently as her husband met his fate.
“Behold, people of mighty Cephiron!” The queen exclaimed, rising her now blood-stained sword high in the air, “And there, the soldiers responsible for the killings of the devils’ rulers gone! And anyone else who dares to think of hurting another in this country or outside it would be punished the same, for we want peace and happiness, but we take no mercy on those who go outside it. And I, Lisianthus Ethan Fierswan, would punish those people myself if I had to, just like I did now!”
The people stared in disbelief; some stared in fear, others in sadness and very few in amazement. Yet one stood with strength, no tears coming out of her eyes, but a determined frown simply forming.
Yes, she’d get her revenge. For her husband, for herself, and for the little child in her tummy.
She’d get her revenge.
* * *
My apologies for the quality of this one. I haven't written anything for a while and I might have gotten rusty. XD Hopefully, I'll get back to my level soon enough. Enjoy~
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