Veiled Chaos

Damnable. Despicable. Disgusting. Elysia fell to the ground in a heap hands flat against the ground outside shivering and cowering at the terrible bestial rage of Queen Haedria. Darkmin inside was boiling at being handled so roughly by the Queen such uncouth treatment made his teeth clench and his eyes narrow darkly. A deep breath of air, and a silent expulsion of mist. Calm washed over him and he saw clearly, the Princess had defended him, perhaps not defended, rather worried about her sister instead, brute she was. Elysia continued to lye on the ground for she wished not to draw attention to herself. Secretly, Darkmin greatly anticipated, perhaps impatiently his plan to ruin the Queen's sanity. Elysia seemingly forgetting her early desire to stay unnoticed, rose up from her position, taking an unthought moment to brush herself off. Her eyes calmly watching the Queen and Princess, an unshakeably eerie aura exuded from them, crystal eyes filled with foreboding mystery.

Sera's words were soothing. She whispered into her sister's ear, never letting go to the slim shoulders that rose and fell with shuddering breaths. She kept speaking, trying with all her might to banish whatever demons buzzed around Haedria. But the queen had stopped listening. Her breathing slowed and her eyes became unfocused. Turning to Sera, she gripped her robe closer to her. "I have to go." she said curtly. She eyed the slave girl who had stood, staring at the two of them. There was utter hate in her gaze, but it was deeply buried. The queen only looked tired now. "Do not hurt Sera. Understand?" she said to Elysia before sweeping out the princess's chamber. Sera, still naked, stared at her sister as the queen left without further words.

The Queen left the room and with a sad look settling on Elysia expression she sighed, "Even if thou hadst ordered me to harm her I could not do so willingly." She knew the words would not reach Haedria, but they were never meant for her. Elysia turned towards Sera and went into a sweeping bow and light tears wetted the stone floor below them, her arm had become bruised and scuffed by the stone. "Mi'lady my heart is full of regret and pain for  I have done naught but cause trouble and grief wherever I step. I am not worthy to be a servant to the Queen, a servant to Sagna, nor a servant to you." her head raised from the bow eyes reaching out to wretched Sera's heart from its chest and squeeze tears from her eyes. "Mi'lady, I," A short intake of breath plagued by grief, "There is nothing I can do that will atone for the upheaval my arrival has caused, I fear not even my own death is enough." The gravity of sorrow pulled Elysia to her knees and her head hung in shame, "Why must I displease the Queen so?" The heart cord had been struck and Elysia wept for herself.

The princess's heart fell when she heard Elysia berate herself so. She gathered the girl in her arms and held her tightly. "The fault is mine, I'm afraid." she began, as she ran her hands soothingly down the girl's back. "You've done nothing but stay by my side when I needed it most. In that, you have proven your worth a hundred times over to Sagna, and myself. I have no idea what caused the queen to act like that, but know i will never allow her to lay a hand on you." Sera gingerly raised Elysia's hand to her lips, brushing kisses on the delicate skin.

Haedria had shut down. She found herself in her study, gathering books and paper into her arms automatically. Her hands moved as if on their own, sweeping across paper with a pen in hand, drafting orders for the advisers to carry out. She brought down the royal seal onto the paper, and stared at the mark of her family's heraldry. The royal family. Rulers of Sagna and its surrounding lands. Generations of strong leaders. Her hands curl on the table, her nails scratching at the wood. She would not let the kingdom fall simply because of the emotions of a petty young girl. Snatching her draft, she handed it to the guard outside her study, instructing him to give it to her courtiers. Then the door was shut with the click of locks.

A long robed sleeve brushed the tears away from Elysia's eyes. placing the unattended hand on Sera's chin she directed their eyes into one another. A deep woeful stare into Sera as Elysia's worded in whispers, "None in this Kingdom would harm me, so long as you breathed." Elysia placed her hand upon Sera's chest, feeling the slow rise and fall, "What would happen to me, if this heart stopped beating? The Queen's fury was earth-shattering, I fear for you." Elysia wrapped her arms around Sera and let her head rest upon her chest, listening to the pitter patter of her heart.

Sera gently stroked Elysia's soft hair. "Haedria would never hurt me. She's my sister. She would never hurt me." her voice was confident, but there was doubt there. Wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulders, Sera held Elysia closer. "She would never hurt me." she said again, almost whispering.

Duro rode back to the barbarian camp alone, with two bodies weighing his horse down. He rode into the camp, and fell off his horse in exhaustion. Several other warriors surrounded him and calmed his horse. Hamilcar arrived to greet his scout.
"Great Hamilcar!" the scrawny man scrambled to his knees before the king. "Lugo was foolish, he was seen! The sorcerer killed him on sight, but I-"
"Hold, calm yourself." Hamilcar said.
Duro took a breath and began again. "I've brought a mage. He has killed Lugo, but the mage himself still breathes."
Hamilcar stooped to inspect the unconscious sorcerer. There was a disc of silver stamped with a bird in flight upon his belt. Hamilcar smiled. "Fetch my horse. I am to deliver this to the queen."

Elysia looked up at Sera, a light smiled spreading, it was so easy to install doubt into the heart. Already it had taken root in that beating muscle. Uncertainly had crept into Sera's face and voice, was she telling Elysia that her sister would never hurt her, or herself? Delicately Elysia placed a hand on Sera's cheek, "Thank you for being so kind to me, this has never been how I've been treated. I've always been treated," the words caught in her throat and her eyes drifted to the door, "like that." she gave a small giggle to ash away the nerves, "Thank you Sera." Ever smiling she looked her over, "Mi'lady would you mind if I washed? The floor was a tad unpleasant you see." Dusting herself off absent mindedly.

"Oh, what? Oh yes, of course." Sera hastily stood and awkwardly helped Elysia dust off her dress. "If you wish, the guards can show you to the baths." the princess idly waved a hand to the door, but her gaze wandered to her window. Her eyes widened. A group of men on horseback raced through the town. "Apologies, but I may have to deal with a pressing concern. I will find you later." Sera didnt wait to see if Elysia would leave her room, as she began to dress in the leathers and armor of her guise as protector of the queen. Hamilcar was riding up towards the castle.

The queen stormed out of her study, her body tensed and focus as she walked. One of the guards fell into pace with the queen, saluting hastily. "Your Highness, the barbarian king approaches-" he began, but Haedria cut him off. "I have eyes, you fool. I will meet him in the throne room." she said curtly. When she turned to the young guard, her eyes were hard. "If he shows any sign of aggression, do not hesitate to banish him from the castle."
The guard nodded and scurried to gather other palace guards. The queen disappeared into her chambers.

Grim eyes stalked the princess as she fled to her disguise, the same eyes spotted Hamiclar riding up the courtyard carrying a prisoner with him, 'Silk Robe, Belt, Silver, Bird, Sorcerer' Elysia turned from the window and strode towards the courtyard with purpose. Darkmin desired a word with the sorcerer before he was inevitably murdered. The Beautiful women strode tall and proud, a primal glee filled her heart as guardsmen stood at attention instinctively as the red hair flowed down the hall and courtiers gave nervous glances, followed by confusion, then some form of desire, or envy. A spout of pain burst through Darkmin's chest, a furious blooming of thorns in his core. Elysia collapsed to the ground clutching her chest, 'Damn damn damn damn! not now not now!' Darkmin's mind raced hastily, guardsmen and courtiers rushed to the assistance of the Goddess as she gasped for breath.

Tultrin gave the Barbs a dirty look from the barracks window, he had been present at yesterdays meeting and been smug at not seeing One-Eye there thinking that he had perhaps fallen from favour with the royals due to his clever tactics. However, now he was filled with a disgust, the kind one feels when they see something they deem as inferior to them.

Sera burst from her quarters just as the queen was striding past. A servant cautiously bowed and handed the princess her swords. "Haedria, what would Hamilcar want?" she asked, falling into step behind the queen.
Haedria tucked a stray lock of her behind her ear. "Gods only know why he decides to stride into the castle uninvited." her tone was harsh. Sera delayed a step so as not to get too close. She spotted a crown of people, and a flash of red hair by the ground. Approaching them, she saw Elysia crouch on the courtyard ground with her hand clutching at her heart. "Get her to a healer! Now!" she barked at the guards, carefully lifting Elysia up. The courtiers hastily bowed at the princess and set off to follow the queen to the throne room. With a last glance to the guards carrying Elysia away, Sera redoubled her pace and found herself beside the queen.

"Great Hamilcar. What brings you to Sagna uninvited?" Haedria said. She sat upon her throne, legs crossed and visibly annoyed. Sera stood stoically at her side, both her swords in hand.
The barbarian king's bear fur swept the ground as he bowed. "Queen of Ash and Blood, my scouts have found something you may find interesting. He motioned for one of his men to bring forth the prisoner. The sorcerer fell to his knees before the queen. His mouth was gagged with a dirty piece of cloth, and his hands were bound behind him. Haedria strode towards the bound sorcerer and circled him slowly. The man's eyes were wide and pleading as he felt the enchantment of the dagger when the queen passed near him.
"Silk robes. And a silver token of a bird." Haedria said with a wicked smile. Sera's eyes were trained on the man and she knew. This was the man who cursed their fields.
"Fetch Kerza." the queen commanded and a servant scurried out of the room. She leaned down to look the man in the eye. "We have much to ask you."

Elysia's eyes darted wildly around her, attention was the worst possible thing for her right now, standing up attempting to block out the pain of being torn apart from the inside Elysia weakly scathed, "I'll be fine I just need ...to lye down and rest, someone bring me to the baths please." She spat if barely veiled pain. Even thinking was hard at this point Darkmin needed to rest and now. "NOW!" She spat out viciously as guardsmen recalling the royals in her tone immediately began to bring her to the favoured room of the royals. Elysia's pained eyes glazed over at the servants, "Would you kindly draw up a bath for me." She coughed trying not to spit venomously at them. Clutching her chest onces more her eyes widened, she could feel the cold hard surface of Darkmin's orb on the surface of her skin. 'Confound it!'

"She wants to be taken to the baths." one guard said to another. Both of them held Elysia between them.
"But the Princess said to take her to a healer." the other grunted.
"Yes, but this is the princess's favored servant. I saw them together last night."
"Exactly. So we should bring her to the healer, as Lady Sera had said."
"Should we not follow the wishes of the girl herself?"
The second guard groaned in frustration. "Fine! We take her to the baths. But if she dies, you're the one getting stabbed by the black dagger." the first guard paled, but soon Elysia was being escorted to the baths. Hot water was already prepared, so the two men left the slave girl to her own devices.

Sera spared a worried glance at the door. She wondered how Elysia was doing. Her eyes widened in surprise as the doors she was looking at opened, but instead of red hair and shimmering blue eyes, a dark vision swept through. Kerza, his lanky blank hair disappearing into his battered black robe, strode up to the queen and bowed respectfully. He held a rolled up length of sheepskin under his arm. "Your Majesty. How may I be of service today?" he asked. Haedria smiled as she straightened. Finally, something to do! She turned to Hamilcar, who in turn had his men step out of the throne room. The queen motioned for everyone, all the servants and guards, to leave, so that only the Red Sisters, the Royal Undertaker, and the Barbarian King remained. With the prisoner.

A servant hastily knocked on the door to the baracks. When it was opened, she thrust an envelope into the guards hands as if it were on fire, then retreated back to the castle kitchens. The guard, confused, looked down at the envelope and saw the royal seal. "Captain Tultrin? Its for you."

Slowly Elysia lowered herself into the water, it wasn't the warm that would cure her pain, but the solitude. Her form began to slough into a thick black mist that began to swirl itself inside of the dark core. Darkmin's pain subsided as he returned to his resting form, he had spent far too long disguised and changing between disguises. It was time for him to rest, it was unfortunate he felt, that he would miss so many opportunities whilst stuck in this state. The Pitch Black Orb sunk into the bath lying peacefully amidst the waters.

Captain Tultrin looked at the guard and snatched the paper from his hands, "Let me see that." He put on his gravest business face as he fumbled awkwardly with the wax seal of the royals.

The official orders fell open in Captain Tultrin's pudgy hands. The top of the page held the Sagna Royal Heraldry. The orders upon the page spoke of preparing the army for possible war. Equipment must be purchased and distributed, all new recruits must be trained, and the generals were to meet the queen for an inspection in two week's time.

"So. What is your name?" Queen Haedria spoke calmly as she circled the prisoner. Hamilcar had stepped back and was watching the queen with his jaw set. He was curious how the red bitches interrogated their prisoners, but if Kerza's bloodied tools were any indication, they didnt use kind words. The sorcerer shook his head from side to side. He was an older man, with much white in his hair. He moved his head away so as not to look at the queen, but Haedria grabbed his chin and forced him to look into her dark eyes. She held a hand out and Kerza placed a metal tool in it. Using the tool, the sorcerer's mouth was forced open.
"I will ask you one more time. What is your name?" she asked again. The sorcerer, eyes wide, shook his head.
Haedria nodded to Sera, who drew one of her swords and swiftly brought the blade down into the center of the man's foot. A loud screech of pain later, and the queen smiled.
"I see you can, in fact, speak. Now. What is your name?"

Captain Tultrin took a serious look upon his pudgy face, the order to prepare for war. This was not something even he could take lightly it was a grave situation that Sagna would mobilize, and against what enemy? Turning towards the guardsmen net to him he barked loudly, "I want a sweep of the town, all able bodied men are to be gathered to begin training as militia!" The Guardsmen snapped to attention, "Yes sir!" he turned to leave quickly as Tultrin's gaze loomed out the window. Grabbing his cloak he left the barracks to talk with the smithies.

"Tell me again." the queen said from her throne. Sera stood by a fire pit, heating one of her swords.
"My name is Aguias." the man said, breathless and bleeding. His legs from the knee down were reduced to hunks of meat battered beyond recognition, but his arms and torso were untouched. He lay on the cold stone floor of the throne room, his blood pooling and staining his robe. "I am a sorcerer in service to Theoleas the Great. He ordered me to curse the Sagnian fields so nothing will grow, the people will become demoralized and hungry, the army weak."
"Good. And what are his plans?"
"He intends to conquer your kingdom..." he trailed off. Haedria raised an eyebrow, suspicious.
"What else? Out with it, or Kerza tenderizes you for the hounds."
"...He intends to capture the queen and the princess to be used as slaves to his every need."
The man's words rung out in the suddenly silent chamber. Kerza became intent on scrubbing off a blood stain from a shackle, and Hamilcar averted his eyes. Sera looked up from her red-hot sword. Concern and fear was plain on her face, while rage and insult played in Haedria's eyes. The queen's hands shook as she rose from her throne, a hand flying to her dagger. Her sister was immediately by her side, stroking the queen's blood red hair and whispering soothing words.
"Haedria, calm yourself. We need the sorcerer to uncurse the fields. At least stay your blade till then." the princess said.
"Theoleas intends to conquer our people and bind both of us to slavery and you would have me calm?" Haedria's voice shook with rage, but the dagger stayed in its sheath.
"Yes. I do." Sera's gaze was steady. She grasped both sides of her sister's face and forced her to look into her eyes. "I would have you act with a level head, my queen. I would have you save this kingdom and both of us. I would have you be the cunning strategist I remember, instead of one who reacts rashly while blinded by anger."
Sera's words struck deep. Haedria blinked. Is that what I am to her now? she thought.
The queen lowered Sera's hands and looked back at the man bleeding on the floor of her throne room. She narrowed her eyes in distaste and sat back upon her throne. "Seal his wounds. He is to lift the enchantment from the fields."
Sera nodded and retrieved her heated sword. Pressing the red-hot steel against his wounds, the man screamed again.

Time wore on in the bathhouse, the silent little orb resting at the bottom on the bath. Spending time alone in solitude with nought but its own thoughts was a pleasing if a tad drool of a pastime. Slowly the orb began to rattle and twitch, 'Tis about time I re-began my true passion,' Slowly the body of Elysia began to form as a thick black mist poured from the rob and twisted into shape, the familliar blue eys looked around for the first time and a strange sense of nostalgia washed over her, 'this kingdom reminds me a tad of Nyklurn, at least the bathhouse does.' A small smile cracked through the facial mask as the fires conjured in her head, the last days of the kingdom of Nyklurn, the 'prophecy' of doom had been fulfilled and the entire kingdom had driven itself into panic and rioting. With a bit of spurring on the rioters had managed to destroy several important parts of town as well as burning down the old castle. A hand ran through thick red locks, "I wonder how this Kingdom will fare." Elysia chuckled quietly to herself as she exited the bath, feeling and looking refreshed.

Kerza busied himself with bandaging the sorcerer's wounds with what strips of cloth he had brought with him. When his supply ran out, he hacked apart the man's silk robe to bind the wounds. Sera's sword had seared the wounds shut, leaving ragged gashes rimmed with burnt flesh. The undertaker didnt think much of it. Aguias wasnt going to live for much longer anyway. Haedria took Hamilcar aside to discuss what to do.
"Bring the sorcerer to the fields and make sure he lifts the curse. If he doesnt, poke and prod him till pain finds him more agreeable." the queen instructed.
The large man looked down at Haedria with suspicion. "Why should I not let Sagna fall to famine instead?"
Haedria's jaw was set and her eyes were hard. "If honoring our agreement means anything to you, and I am aware it does, you will see the enchantment lifted. In return for your services, I've already arranged for supplies to be delivered to your camp."
"Supplies and nothing else? No surprises armed with swords?"
"Supplies. And nothing else."

Hamilcar soon left, carrying the sorcerer roughly over his shoulder. Haedria called for servants to enter and clean the throne room, while the queen herself sat in the throne, pinching the space between her eyes.

With invigorated spring to her step Elysia toured her way through the halls of the Palace a smile frozen on her face as her eyes wandered and marvelled at the sights. The smile devolved into a mischievous grin as the nasty little idea entered her head, she should scour Haedria's room. Twisting her way around she began walking back to Sera's, as she recalled that Haedria's was just across.

"Why? Why is this so hard?" Haedria said in frustration. One hand massaged Sera's scalp, occasionally scratching at the skin which made Sera close her eyes in delight. The princess looked up at her sister from the floor where she sat by the queen's feet. "What is?"
"Ruling a kingdom!" Haedria leaned back in the throne. The carved wood was cool against her back. "Bribing the barbarians, keeping those idiots happy and in line. And our own people! Those miscreants have to be fed, be protected." she made a noise of disgust. "They all deserve to die, if you ask me. Those peasants are a blight upon the land."
Sera leaned back against the seat of her sister's throne. She pursed her lips as she thought. In one sense, Haedria wasnt wrong. The people did tend to be needy at times. But surely they deserved a chance at life as well? The princess said nothing while Haedria ran her hand through her hair like a pet.

Hamilcar did as was promised. The sorcerer lifted the enchantment from the fields, and the parched earth quickly absorbed the water. The nearby farmers set to work on the ground, making sure their crops took hold this time.
"Please sir. Set me free." the sorcerer begged. His legs were useless now, but maybe if he was set upon a horse's back, he could run from this accursed kingdom. The barbarian hefted his large axe to his shoulder and grinned. "Set ye free, eh? That I can do."
The axe blade fell swiftly, severing the Aguias's head from his shoulder. Crimson blood seeped into the earth, but it was well used to it, Hamilcar thought.

Elysia entered the Queen's Chambers as quietly as a rodent, eyes skirting back and forth amoung the finely wrought furniture and the various objects of wealthy acclaim amongst them, and a large, dare she say Queen size, bed of similar quality to the Princess', which she imagined got much use. With a trained eye and a steady hand Elysia began to rummage through drawers and boxes and even the covers and under the pillows and inside the cases for anything and everything she could find. The room was dark but Elysia needed no light. Time passed as nothing startling appeared in the Queen's room. No incriminating letters, no secret passages, not even a sealed away Demon.

With a look of disappointment spreading across her eyes Elysia left the room. She stood up straight and made no visual indication that she did not belong where she had been and where she was going. In His experience Darkmin had noted how valuable confidence was when casting off suspicion, and if it wasn't suspicious it usually wasn't reported.

With a dignified grace Elysia made her way to the throne room, Haedria's violent treatment of her still run clear in her and a vile bubbling sludge of emotion would faintly surge as Elysia lingered upon it. She adjusted her dress before she entered the throne room. Hair flowed, eyes shimmered, and hips swayed as Elysia strutted into the throne room, head tilting in the direction of the royalty a small humble smile spread across her ruby lips.

When Elysia strode into the room, Sera's jaw dropped. The way the slave girl carried herself with grace and poise, and the slight sway in her hips, the shimmering red hair...she knew how to demand attention. The princess abruptly stood, causing Haedria's hand to fly off her head. She headed straight for Elysia, enveloping the girl in a tight embrace. "There you are! Are you well? What happened in the courtyard?" she asked. Behind her, Haedria rolled her eyes and slouched in the throne, leaning against her hand.

Elysia melted into the familiar arms of the Princess, leaning her head upon her shoulder she closed her eyes and breathed in her scent. The moment passed and Elysia's eyes open with worry in them, "Mi'lday," she whispered, a worried tone in her ear, "I do not know what happened to me, I was suddenly in such great pain that I could barely stay concious. I ... I think it began happening this morning, a pain in my chest had begun but I paid it little heed, I am sorry for worrying you." Elysia's eyes's trailed slightly, towards the Queen.

"This morning?" Sera thought back to the events of that morning while stroking the girl's hair in a soft, soothing rhythm. Haedria had burst into her room. Her brow creased with worry and she turned back to look at Haedria. The queen looked as bored as she had ever seen her, but Sera was well acquainted with her wrath and bloodlust. Could she have done something to Elysia in a fit of jealousy? "No, she wouldnt..." Sera muttered out loud, mostly to herself.

"Sera, why are you staring at me?" the queen asked in a bored drone. Quickly, her sister was up in her face, staring down at her. Dark eyes that matched her own blazed with anger. "Did you do something to Elysia?" she demanded.
"What? No, of course not. Nothing aside from threatening her." Haedria answered, unfazed. Then Sera did something that made the queen's eyes widen in surprise. "Did you hurt Elysia?" she asked again, grabbing fistfulls of the queen's lapels.

Elysia gasped in shock at Sera lunged at the Queen and grabbed her harshly, her heart swooned as this noble lady would defy country for her, and Darkmin smiled inwardly, he had the Princess wound in the strings of his ploys, she was a puppet with free will, when it suited, a few simple tugs of the heart was all it had taken for this once pet of a sister to raise up and bite the hand of her master Haedria. Darkmin thrived for this, the upheaval of the stiff social monotony, to toss it aside in place of unbridled chaos. Social order upturned, Darkmin's puppets were lining up waiting for their strings to be attached, and who was Darkmin to refuse them their enslavement? They would roam imagining themselves free until their actions no longer suited his purpose, then with a simple tug he could direct them to a new course. It warmed the blackest reaches of his core. He had tugged Sera's string so easily it was like breath, and only he could imagine the chaos that was to come, and smile for it.