《Crimson Snow》


 A note from Evil & Chapter 1

    A Note from Evil


    You¡¯ve heard the fairy tales, right? A servant meets a prince and becomes a queen; an evil stepmom tries to kill her step daughter with a poison apple because she¡¯s jealous; a witch curses an entire kingdom to a hundred years of sleep because she wasn¡¯t invited to a party. I could go on, but you probably get the picture. And what do those stories all have in common? And I¡¯m not talking about the disgustingly cheery happily ever afters. I mean the villains. Or rather, the villainesses. Now, I¡¯m not saying all fairy tale villains are female, just most. Think about it, Snow White, Rapunzel, Little Mermaid, heck even Beauty and the Beast wouldn¡¯t have happened if it wasn¡¯t for the Enchantress. I¡¯m a pretty big fan of all those evil girls. After all, I¡¯m the type of person who would totally punish an entire kingdom for the lack of a party invite. It¡¯s too bad that¡¯s not what happened. You¡¯re probably confused right about now. Before I explain I want to ask one more question: all those kick ass, bad girls I mentioned before, they all seem like different people, right? Well, what if I told you that those ladies, and several others I won¡¯t bother to mention, were all the same super powerful witch? Now, hold on to your panties. I¡¯m not done talking. Y¡¯all are probably saying that I¡¯m insane or lying because there¡¯s no way all those different villainesses from all those stories and worlds can possibly be the same person. To that I say, I¡¯m no liar and I¡¯m certainly not insane. Well, okay that might be a bit of a stretch, but I¡¯m not lying about this. You still don¡¯t believe me? Fine. Be stubborn. You guys, and gals, probably know that the stories with all the sweet endings and nothing bad happening in them aren¡¯t the originals, right? Well, while the originals might be closer to the truth, they still aren¡¯t the actual originals. You want to know how I know that. Well, I lived those stories. You might know me as Maleficent, or Queen Grimhilde, or Ursula or any number of different names. Heck, an entire kingdom once called me Evil Incarnate. Pretty cool name, huh? The point is, I¡¯ve been known as many things and I¡¯ll probably be known as many more before I die. The important thing you need to know is this: what follows, whether you believe it or not, is the true telling of the fairy tales you think you know so much about. What follows, is my story.


    Chapter 1


    777 years After


    Ugh, another kingdom, another face. This time, thick, dark brown hair brushed my mid back and my olive skin tone was set off by what I found were too bright green eyes. I¡¯d made myself a little bit plumper this time around and my curves were noticeable. I¡¯d taken the name of Grimhilde. It had a nice ring to it, don¡¯t you think? A little exotic, a little strange. Completely at odds with my pretty, but average face. Oh right, I¡¯ve been told I need to explain more so readers aren¡¯t completely lost.


    You may call me Grimhilde at this time, considering that¡¯s what the people of this world know me as. If you¡¯re wondering about the date seen above, well, I have a very long and overly complicated time line, so I made ways to simplify it. My life is broken up into the years Before, the Day, and the years After. As you can see, it is clearly seven hundred seventy-seven years After. It might help you to think of it as B.C. and A.D. That is what your world uses, yes? If you¡¯re wondering before and after what? Well, you¡¯re just going to have to wait. I don¡¯t know you well enough to tell you just yet.


    Any who, back to the story at hand. Summer was in full swing, though after spending a year here, I¡¯m pretty sure summer is always in full swing. I once asked someone if it ever snows, the quizzical look on their face was answer enough. Wood and some bamboo made most of the buildings in the small town. The only stone to be seen was at the smith¡¯s down by the lake or in the castle that sat on the hill overlooking the valley. As for whether it looked good, well the scenery was nice, even if the lake made it look like we were in a fishbowl that had lost most of its water and the abundance of trees gave the illusion that everything was much smaller than it was. The dull grey of the great three towers that made up what passed for a castle in this town was stark against the green and green and, guess what? More green of the landscape. Grey Towers, as I like to call it, was small for a castle but the towers remind me of another tower that I had been in many years ago. Though, that tower was much taller and had vines growing all over it and the most beautiful singing could be heard through the little window. Plus-


    Oh, never mind. That¡¯s another story. Let¡¯s get back to this one. I made my way through the winding streets that were laid out in the most annoying way, my long brown dress brushing lightly over the dirt coating them. The towns people were still weary of me, it wasn¡¯t often that new people came to a small, dirt poor kingdom like this one. Even after a year, I was still ¡°the new girl¡±. I think I¡¯m more insulted they call me ¡°girl¡±. I¡¯m older then they¡¯ll ever know, and I¡¯ve done more they¡¯ll ever dream of, but I couldn¡¯t exactly tell them that could I? Not if I wanted to keep my cover of a poor baker.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to pretend to be poor. Everyone was poor around here. The king, who lost his wife some five years ago, didn¡¯t do much of anything and ignored the town¡¯s existence, save to take taxes every month. Bamboo posts were falling off houses and the only pub in the whole town was a feeding ground for thieves and cut purses. Not to mention everyone went around wearing an extra layer made entirely of dirt.


    Though I didn¡¯t care about the poverty- I¡¯d had worse - I did care about what came with the poverty. When people became desperate, they became so much worse. Most of town-


    Oh, wait. I think there¡¯s a law or something that says I must give warnings for disturbing content. Right? Yeah, that¡¯s totally a law. Well, here¡¯s your warning. This story is full of dark and disturbing content.


    -was too poor to afford locks or any sort of protection. Lots of people died from hunger, and that includes the wives of most men. After losing a wife, they don¡¯t have a lot of places where they can¡­ sate their cravings. There¡¯s no brothel anywhere near here so they find other ways. Even if not all participants consent. I kind of wish I¡¯d taken an uglier form so I wouldn¡¯t be so much of a target, but it was too late for that now and, it isn¡¯t the faces the men are interested in. Besides, I am so amazing that I am capable of protecting myself.


    And I¡¯m not saying the girls weren¡¯t bad, it¡¯s just their bad was more of getting together with the guys who were better off before sucking them dry and moving on. Kind of like a gold-digging succubus. It was a bad cycle, but I¡¯ve found all human societies have bad cycles. I could probably save a few girls from rape, maybe save some guys from losing everything and being turned out onto the street, but what¡¯s the point? Other girls would still be raped, guys would still lose everything. And what have they ever done for me? Nothing. I¡¯m no hero.


    Ignoring the lingering stares from what I found were far too many men, I opened the door to my bakery. It wasn¡¯t often a woman owned something in this town but a witch, even a hidden witch, had ways of getting what she wanted. Wood was everywhere, the bamboo being too unstable for cooking, though the long counters were all dusted with flour. Bricks, don¡¯t even ask me how I managed to get those, made up the large oven and insured that the fire for baking didn¡¯t spread. It¡¯s small, and overly warm with the fire and the summer heat, but it was all I really care for.


    Bread rolls were fresh out of the oven and filling the space with their scent when I heard it. Trumpets and bells. It was an unusual sound in this small village. Wiping my hands on my apron, I poked my head out the pane-less window. It seemed as if everyone, some two hundred people, were all running to the center of town. My hand snaked down and grabbed a little boy running past my window.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± His body squirmed and kicked so I let go of his arm just long enough to get a hold of his collar. ¡°The faster you answer the faster I let you go.¡±


    ¡°T¡¯e king i¡¯ her¡¯!¡± In my surprise my grip loosened, and the kid managed to get free. Cursing me all the while, he sprinted down the street. The king never came to town. When it was time to pay taxes, a representative came. Was something happening? I hadn¡¯t heard about this before today and by the looks of it, no one else had either. Not bothering to remove my stained apron, I followed the path of people to what I could only assume was the king.


    I weaved my way through the throngs, coming to stand off to the side of a little wooden platform that had been erected in the center of town. A carriage, black and red and surrounded by at least a dozen royal guards, sat right next to the stairs to the platform. Right as I stopped moving the carriage doors opened. The king, maybe five-two and a weird balance of fat and muscled, stepped out and turned to help what appeared to be a five-year-old, dark haired girl.


    A herald announced, ¡°All hail King Frey and Princess Snow White!¡± I took a split second to decide whether I would suffer the embarrassment of kneeling but in the end my knee touched the dirt and my head bowed just like everyone else around me. I heard the royals walking up the platform and felt more than saw the stage sag in response to the king¡¯s weight. It took a minute before the king had us rise, a minute I spent remembering why I hate bowing down to others so much. Maybe it was because the memories we¡¯re too harsh, maybe it was because I¡¯m paranoid. But, with my dress getting even filthier and my sight limited to the ground in front of me, I really didn¡¯t want to continue it.


    I rose, finally, with the rest of the crowd. ¡°Hello, my subjects!¡± Despite his size, the king¡¯s voice was deep and traveled easily in the air. ¡°I have come to you today to announce that I have come to a decision.¡± His eyes traveled along the crowd, his nose curling up in a sneer. The king rarely came down from his ¡°castle¡± so I suppose it¡¯s acceptable that he was disgusted by our appearance. ¡°A decision that is long over-¡± His voice stopped abruptly when his eyes went over me, and then snapped straight up to my face.

 Chapter 2

    I¡¯ve seen that look before. King Frey¡¯s eyes widened a fraction before going up and down my body twice. Noticing his pause, the king cleared his throat before continuing whatever he was saying, but I wasn¡¯t paying attention. My focus was purely on the overly long, almost predatory, gaze that had lingered on me. Eyes from men like him didn¡¯t linger like that for curiosity¡¯s sake. No, they lingered for an entirely different purpose.  Yes, I most certainly wish I¡¯d taken an uglier form.


    King Frey¡¯s next words snapped my attention back to him. ¡°It is time for our kingdom to have a new queen!¡± Dirt moved as feet shuffled. A new queen. In theory, a good thing. In practice, not so much. I¡¯ve seen several kingdom¡¯s go into chaos all due to a new member of the ruling party. The king¡¯s next words did nothing to dispel the unease.


    ¡°And, I¡¯ve decided that to better unite the people I will take a commoner as a wife!¡± He smiled and waited, clearly waiting for something. I wondered who came up with this ridiculous idea. Off to the side, one of the king¡¯s advisors, a plump, bald man, was practically vibrating. Somewhere in the back of the crowd, a lone person gave a few hesitant claps. It was picked up by a few, and then some more people, all the way until everyone in the small village was clapping. The king, seemingly pleased with himself, lifted his hand in a signal for silence, which fell quickly.


    ¡°Thank you! Keeping with the whole uniting the kingdom theme,¡± he said this as if he was talking about a classroom project that the teacher had assigned, ¡°The wedding will take place a week from today, in this very town! As for the lucky bride,¡± I snorted, if she can even be called that, ¡°You will all get to meet her at the wedding, because you are all invited!¡± People clapped almost immediately at this, no doubt the pickpockets thinking they could make a few pretty pennies. Honestly, what kind of idiot thought having a wedding with a bunch of rich guests in a town full of desperate thieves was a good idea? I do mean besides the obviously oblivious king.


    King Frey made a few more comments about the arrangements and other such nonsense but I was no longer paying attention. As soon as the king¡¯s eyes, and the eyes of his guards, were elsewhere, I moved back into the crowd and quickly made my way back to my bakery. How ridiculous! This whole affair. The king already had an heir, though it was a girl so that may cause some problems, and the fact that this was the first time he came down to the village in years showed how much he cared about his citizens. Which meant that having a wife, and queen, was completely pointless. Well, unless the true goal was simply to have someone to have sex with, which was entirely possible.


    Giving another snort, sounding even less lady like then the previous one, I retied my apron and continued baking, pitying whatever poor girl the king decided to force to marry him. A bell jingled over the door and I looked up to see a man, perhaps in his third decade with hair already graying, step in to peruse the pastries set on the window frame.


    "Hello," I said, brushing my hands together, white powder floating in the air, "How may I help you?"


    The gentleman looked up from where he was, giving me a quick once over that lacked the usual heat I received. "Do you have a basket? I''d like to get my wife some of your pastries as a gift." A silver ring sitting on his middle finger- such odd marriage traditions in this realm- glittered in the dull light.


    "But of course!" I made my way over to the little wooden cabinet resting in the corner, insuring that my back was never fully to the stranger. Pulling out a bamboo basket, I asked "Is it your anniversary? I could add a few decorations if it is."


    "Hm." He paused looking at something out the window before turning to fully face where I was standing on a counter that I kept clean for dealing with customers. "Oh, it''s not our anniversary but go ahead and add the decorations. Use pink if you have it, that''s her favorite color." I nodded, humming a little tune as I pulled out a pink ribbon. Pausing, I tilted my head at the customer before continuing to wrap the pink bow over the handle.


    "I haven''t seen you around here much." I attempted to make small talk- ugh, how I detest social interactions- while he pointed out what he wanted to buy.


    "Oh, uh," he coughed into his hand, looking away from my face quickly. My eyes narrowed a bit and my lips thinned. "I, uh, don''t go out much." I nodded as if I understood, eyes sliding to the silver- could he be more suspicious? - ring on his finger.


    "Well," I handed him the basket, completed with a pink bow and a pink and white checkered cloth covering the food. He handed me a silver piece, nearly unseen in this kingdom, before grabbing the basket. The man stood at the counter, shifting from foot to foot with his eyes sliding to and from the door quickly. "Is there anything else I could help you with?"


    He opened and closed his mouth once or twice before blurting "Are you attached?"


    I blinked, wondering if my hearing had gone bad. I felt my lips turning up in what could pass for a smile- if my cold, dead eyes didn''t give away the danger, that is. "Would you care to tell me why you ask such a thing?"


    Before the man replied, the door opened and a short, fat man, one I recognized as the herald from earlier, entered. He cleared his throat before announcing the presence of the royal family. King Frey and his daughter entered.


    I dipped into a curtsy, not nearly as low as I should¡¯ve gone but what do I care? The king mumbled something that I took as permission to rise while his gaze scanned the room before returning to rest on me.


    ¡°King Frey,¡± I began, forcing my face into a soft smile, ¡°What brings one such as yourself to my poor bakery?¡±


    ¡°Ah my lovely,¡± the king took a few steps forward into my personal space, grabbing my slender hands in his meaty ones. ¡°Before we proceed with speaking of the wedding arrangements, tell me, what name someone as beautiful as yourself possesses?¡±


    Shocked into silence for a few moments, I simply stared at the king. From this distance, I could see the flecks of brown in his dull grey eyes. His face was pudgy, but I could see his arms muscles through his tight shirt.


    Noticing the awkward silence, I blurted the first thing that came to mind. ¡°I am not going to marry you.¡± Frey¡¯s eyes darkened, his hands tightening around mine. Okay, so maybe I should think before I open my stupid mouth but, come on! One doesn¡¯t simply announce one is going to marry another. Well, I suppose a king does.


    ¡°Of course you are!¡± Despite the rage filled eyes, the king¡¯s voice was still in the same jovial manner it had been. ¡°I need a queen. And she must be beautiful. And, my advisors,¡± he grumbled those two words like a snarky child, ¡°They tell me it must be a commoner so as to unity the people!¡±


    ¡°Unite, Sire.¡± The man that had come in to buy my pastries for his wife said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We advised you to marry a pea- urm I mean a commoner so as to unite the people. Not unity the people.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, yes.¡± With a gesture at the man the king said, ¡°What Marcane said.¡± Marcane gave a grumble that could have been words. I, however, was far too distracted by the who was, what I soon came to realize, an overgrown child. Had he really said the sentence ¡°unity the people¡±? I knew the king was incompetent at his duties as a monarch, but I had yet to realize how truly incompetent he was at, well, life.


    ¡°The point is you shall marry me, and you shall do it a week from today. Now, tell me your name.¡± Who knew an insolent child could have such a commanding voice. Mind whirling for a way out of this- I enjoy power but how I detest being given commands- I came to a quick conclusion to buy time.


    ¡°I am known as Grimhilde.¡± Not technically a lie. I simply hoped he didn¡¯t notice the lack of a formal title.


    ¡°Ah, what a beautiful name for such a beautiful woman!¡± Frey moved even closer, the scent of wine and cheap perfume- how does that even make sense? - invading the space. One of his hands slipped around to do a pass over my large butt before returning to my hand. He turned to Marcane, but before he could open his mouth to give what I assume to be orders on my care, I interjected.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°King Frey,¡± he returned his attention to me, smiling at the sound of my voice. ¡°While this is-,¡± a curse? Idiotic? ¡°-a surprise, I am unsure if I am willing to-,¡± oh wow did he look mad. To deny a king? Big no no. I certainly did not want to marry the imbecile, however angering him seemed unwise. There was always the option of killing him- magic has perks- but if I did that then I¡¯d have to flee the world and start over again. Which was something I wished to avoid at the moment. Fuck, but how best to get what I wanted? Well, when in doubt, follow the Sacred Rules of Evil. In this case, rule number three: the truth is more painful, but lies are better to get what you want.


    ¡°I am unsure if I am deserving of such a large responsibility. To be queen, means to have the entirety of this great-,¡± admittedly, I nearly chocked on this word, but it seems that the king didn¡¯t notice, ¡°-kingdom be dependent on me. I am unsure if I am good enough to rule.¡± Well, that part was a blatant lie, I make a great ruler. Though, it seems that the king accepted my words.


    ¡°I understand your reservations my lovely, but when I look at you, I see a beautiful queen who would inspire loyalty and love from the people. Not to mention, someone worthy of being my daughter¡¯s mother.¡± He gestured at the little girl that, so far, had been standing quietly by Marcane. Snow White, the princess, had black hair so dark it seemed to absorb the light, pale skin that made me wonder if she had ever left the castle before, and lips so red it seemed to me that she had just drank a glass of blood. Some may say she was beautiful, but to me it seemed as if she was just a very small vampire.


    ¡°Why would you choose me as your wife?¡± I asked instead of commenting on his daughter¡¯s vampirism.


    Frey¡¯s eyes roamed over my body for a few moments before answering, ¡°You are beautiful.¡± As if that¡¯s a good enough reason. Clearly, he was stupider then I thought. Though, that made it easier to use a compulsion spell on him without him fighting against it.


    ¡°Your Grace,¡± I purred, ¡°You honor me, but I ask to be given some time to consider whether I am truly up to the task of being your queen, and more importantly, raising your daughter.¡±


    King Frey¡¯s eyes glazed over for a few moments, during which he agreed, ¡°I will come for your answer on the morrow.¡± Gathering his train as he went, the king left my bakery before I could respond. Streams of light still filtered in my windows brightly, so I resolved myself to continue baking for a few more hours before calling it a night.


    Not even an hour later, a thud had me turning from dusting sugar across some bread. Legs going over her head as she rolled from the window to the floor, a small child made herself known with a loud grown and an even louder, ¡°Ow!¡±


    ¡°How many time do I have to tell you, Scar? Just use the front door like a normal child.¡± Scarlett scrambled to her feet, pulling the sleeves of her brown, baggy shirt until they covered well past her fingers.


    ¡°That boring!¡± She declared, thought I could tell she was trying really hard to speak properly without the lisp most of the inhabitants of the town used.


    ¡°That is boring.¡± At the child¡¯s blank expression, I clarified, ¡°When you are stating that something is something else, then you must use the word is as a transition.¡±


    ¡°That iz boring,¡± she repeated.


    With an inward sigh, I just gestured for her to take a seat on the little stool in the corner. After she complied, I handed her a piece of bread, one with the sugar dusting and fresh from the oven. Scarlett munched happily, a few moments in realizing she¡¯d been getting crumbs everywhere before trying to eat more carefully. I took the time to study her.


    At thirteen, she was barely four inches under five feet and the baggy shirt and pants she always wore concealed what I knew was a quickly developing body. Red hair she was named after shorn short, she looked like a decade old boy. Though, upon closer inspection of her face she was clearly a girl. After taking a second, I noticed her heart shaped face was put into a frown, dark circles under her eyes marring otherwise creamy skin. And on the side of her cheek, a pale-yellow ring was slowly fading.


    Narrowing my eyes, I began in what most would consider a casual voice, ¡°You haven¡¯t visited me in nearly a week. I was starting to get worried.¡±


    Rosy pink spread across her face and neck, her eyes going to some invisible speck on the floor. ¡°Um, well. I¡¯ve been busy is all.¡±


    I waited, the silence filling the small space as she began to fidget under my gaze. I am unsure how much time passed before she looked up again at my face. I tried to form myself into some semblance of understanding and motherly concern, though based on past experiences, I doubt I achieved it.


    ¡°¡¯m not hurt right now, promise.¡± She went back to nibbling at the piece of bread that was little more than my thumb by this point.


    ¡°But you were.¡± Shoving the remaining bread into her mouth, Scar didn¡¯t answer. I slid up to her, my movements soft and smooth as I guided onto her feet and pushed up the sleeves of her long shirt. Black, purple, and yellow overpowered the milky skin, little cuts intertwined with the bruises. Lifting the shirt, it showed her belly in the same state.


    ¡°Who did this to you?¡± I tried to control my voice, but my temper was hard to check at the image of this sweet little girl being attacked and having far worse things than punching done to her.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. What¡¯s done is done.¡± I dropped her shirt, letting her pull down her sleeves as I went and locked the door and shutters, placing the sign that announced that I was closed at the same time.


    I took Scarlett into the back room that served as storage, lighting the oil lamp and sitting her down on the cot I kept in the back for when I didn¡¯t feel like sleeping at the inn I lived in. Keeping my movements slow and giving me time to read her reactions, I removed her shirt and pants, leaving her naked on the bed for a moment while I grabbed some cloths and a bowl of clean water. Chanting a few words over the bowl, I dipped the cloth in and slowly began whipping down Scar¡¯s to still body. As the magic in the water lessened the swelling slowly, I let my mind wandered while keeping completely silent. It flashed to the red hair that was dull from the lack of a good washing.


    It had been a week after opening my bakery, a little over a month since coming into this town in total. I had gone into the back room to sort through my inventory while some bread baked, and something had triggered the protection ward I had put around the building. Coming back into the shop had shown a little girl thin enough to be blown over climbing in through the window and trying to steal some food. I had of course yelled at her, though I did it while giving her some milk and bread which may have diminished the effect. I still don¡¯t understand what brought me to the conclusion that I should help her, usually I left the weak to fend for themselves, especially in this town. But something about the small girl had moved me to help.


    When I had asked the girl¡¯s name, she had just shaken her head and said that she didn¡¯t have one. Startled at the fact someone could even lack a name, I¡¯d given one look at her hair and deemed her Scarlett. After giving her a bath, I saw that the nickname, Scar, fit her even better. Her otherwise perfect skin marred at everyone spot.


    Feeling pity for the girl- I know, emotion is so rare from me, especially pity- I¡¯d let her stay in my room with me for a week, insuring she ate and slept protected. After that, she kept coming back to me. At first, it was once a fortnight, but then as we spoke more, and she explained to me what her life had been like, we grew closer and she came to visit more. She didn¡¯t like sleeping inside for whatever reason, so I usually only saw her during the day to give her food and speak to her, quite like a lost kitten on the street.


    However, two months in, Scarlett stumbled into the bakery, forgoing entering through the window as usual due to her injuries. The girl had still been bleeding and when I¡¯d cleaned her off, she¡¯d been covered with fluids from more than just herself. Crying hysterically, she¡¯d told me of how she¡¯d been on her way to her usual spot when two boys jumped and forced her. When she¡¯d fought back, all she¡¯d earn was a beating for her troubles. That had been her first time.


    Fear had consumed me, rearing its all too familiar head. I¡¯d taken the risk of using magic to heal her wounds enough that I knew she wouldn¡¯t die from them, though I made sure to leave some mark that made it seem as if they healed naturally. Scar had been in awed silence, to young to be afraid of someone with my powers. I¡¯d explained that I was a witch and that she must never tell anyone of me, which she never bothered to question-why would she? I am just the sweet-tempered witch.


    After she was clean, I asked the young woman who had done it to her. I was given their descriptions as she didn¡¯t know their names. I left her in the bakery, a spell insuring no one would bother her in place. A few stops and questions around town later and I had learned the identity of the attackers. There wasn¡¯t anything left of them to be found after I was done, and as far as the villagers are concerned, they went missing. Not that anyone cared.


    Though, I believe Scarlett always had her suspicions. Word spread around town quickly and she heard of it. No one knew why they had disappeared, but the child wasn¡¯t completely stupid. Coincidences aren¡¯t usually coincidences. As she grew more in the following months, she was targeted more and more and came to me about it less and less as the attackers she told me about were either outright killed, or simply sported some broken limbs. I am honestly surprised all the men in the town didn¡¯t end up dead.


    When the injuries were to great or too obvious to hide, she simply stayed away. It caused us to grow apart, but I refused to let her pain go unavenged. The distance hurt me, but it didn¡¯t stop me from adoring the child and I always insured she was fed.


    In the present, I cleared the water and cloths away before pulling out another set of clothes for the girl. I sat as she dressed and she soon joined me. I handed her a glass of water, my hand smooth and unshaken in the air. Her own arms trembled when she took it. I asked if she wished to tell me what happened and, after a long gulp and a wide-eyed look at me, she consented. I cleared my mind and listened while she talked.

 Chapter 3

    ¡°It was a week ago. I¡¯d been walking over here when a boy stepped in front me. He couldn¡¯t have been much older than me, but he was big. He¡­ he asked about you. Said that you were his and that he needed to find you. He said he would hurt me if I didn¡¯t comply.¡± Scarlett paused here, and I considered what she was saying. Very few of my enemies could travel between worlds like I could. And of those few, none of them had ever tried to find me before. Well, except for one. But that was unlikely considering the situation. Perhaps it was someone from this world? That was just as unlikely though.


    ¡°I told him that I didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. He put a hand on my forehead, I was too scared to move. But, then he yelled. Well, it was more of a shrike- ¡°


    ¡°Do you mean a shriek?¡± She nodded after a moment, and I gave a little smile despite the conversation.


    ¡°He shrieked and started to rant. I couldn¡¯t understand everything he said but, I think at one point he said this was,¡± she scrunched up her face, her nose crinkling, ¡°the fault of someone named Kia. And I am sure that he was cursing at you. He had worse language then the smith.¡± I waited as she took another sip of water, letting her get her thoughts in order before continuing.


    ¡°I think he said something like, ¡®curse the bastard bitch¡¯s powers¡¯. He calmed down when I tried to run. Well, enough to trip me. After that he said something, but I didn¡¯t understand, I am not sure it was the same language. Then he¡­¡± Scarlett drained the rest of the glass, and by the time I returned to the cot with it refilled, she had her shaking hands wrapped around herself.


    ¡°He beat me. It hurt worse than usual,¡± which meant he had removed the ward I¡¯d put on her to numb the pain. He also clearly removed the spell I¡¯d put on her to protect her from malevolent magic. ¡°I-¡®m not sure how long it lasted. I think I passed out. I woke up again when he started screaming questions at me. I still don¡¯t know why no one else heard. Or maybe they just didn¡¯t care enough.¡± She shook her head, eyes blinking rapidly. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter I suppose.


    ¡°He kept asking me questions, he kept saying ¡®why can¡¯t I compel you?¡¯ After he was done, he just said that you would come out on your own. I stayed away because I was afraid I¡¯d lead him back to you.¡± She turned big eyes that were still watering on me, seeming to beg me for something. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything about you, promise!¡± I knew she didn¡¯t. Even if I hadn¡¯t had a spell stopping her from telling anyone about me in place, I still would¡¯ve believed those green orbs of hers.


    I asked for the description of the man and, after only a slight hesitation, she gave it. I let the silence settle over us as I only nodded. ¡°What made you finally decide to come back?¡±


    ¡°I heard,¡± she began, her voice incredibly small, ¡°That the king has chosen you to be his queen. I wanted to know if it was true.¡± I froze, my body going stiff where I sat on the cot. After a moment, I got up and fetched a glass of water, just so I¡¯d have something to do.


    ¡°Whatever gave you that idea?¡±


    ¡°All of the ladies of marriable age gathered in the town center after the king¡¯s speech to see if any of them were chosen. None of them were, and then one of the orphans mentioned that he¡¯d seen the king and his daughter walk out from your bakery. It was just assumed you were the bride-to-be. Is it true?¡±


    I didn¡¯t look at her, couldn¡¯t stand to see what expression was on her face. Betrayal? Hurt? I just nodded, and right as I opened my mouth to tell her that I would turn down the king, she spoke.


    ¡°Good! Now you won¡¯t have to live in this stupid town.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Turning to look at her, I saw she was practically bouncing in her seat, a huge smile plastered across her face.


    ¡°If you become Queen, then you won¡¯t have to live here. You¡¯ll live in the castle and have servants and all the food you could ever want! Plus, you¡¯re so nice, you¡¯d make a great queen.¡± I blinked as I returned to the cot, leaning against the wall. How I wish I could live life with all the hope and naivety of a child. Always optimistic, always blind to reality. Honestly, I was surprised she still had any hope left. She¡¯d been beaten, raped and left for dead. Yet she still thought that good existed in the world. A precious little light of good in a world filled with bad.


    ¡°Tell me Scarlett,¡± I said instead of commenting on being queen, ¡°What is it you want the most in the world?¡±


    Silence fell in the pause that followed, Scar¡¯s face scrunching up while she considered my question with a seriousness that her hope couldn¡¯t over power. ¡°I want, for there to be a good queen on the throne so that she could rule instead of the bad king. I want this town to prosper, and maybe then everyone will be a little nicer and happier and there won¡¯t be as many bad people.¡±


    I considered her words, and how to respond. I adored the girl, but I didn¡¯t want to lie to her. ¡°Scarlett, I am going to tell you the truth of the world. I have had years of experience, and there is something that I learned through them all.¡± She frowned but nodded, paying attention to everything I said.


    ¡°There are two types of people in the world,¡± I began, ¡°The strong, and the weak. Some are strong in body and weak in mind, others are weak emotionally but strong intellectually. But that¡¯s not what I am talking about. When I say strong and weak, I am talking about peoples¡¯ spirit. Some people have the will and the strength of spirit to continue living and even make a change in the world. Others are so weak that they let themselves be controlled, they let the strong win. It is a fact of life, that the strong will always prosper while the weak suffer.


    ¡°If you want a change in this town, you can¡¯t expect anyone else to do it for you. You¡¯ll have to do it yourself because there is no good and evil, there is only the strong and the weak. Everyone is worthless until they become strong. And you haven¡¯t done it yet. It¡¯s your choice. You can continue with your worthless life. Or you can become someone who matters. You can become strong.¡± Something inside me twisted when I said her life was worthless. But I thought that her living and knowing the truth of the world was better than dying na?ve.


    Silence fell once more, and it stayed this way, for not five minutes later Scarlett was asleep and breathing deeply. Laying her small form down, I joined Scarlett under the covers before casting a quick alarm spell over her and joining her in the land of dreams.


    `


    I woke to a sharp pain in my head. Opening my eyes, I noticed three things at once. The first, afternoon sunlight was filtering in, marking the late hour. The second, pain in my head kept flashing, accompanied with an obnoxious off-buzzing sound. And finally, and probably the most important thing; Scar wasn¡¯t in the bed and, as far as I could tell from a quick sweep of the bakery, wasn¡¯t in there anywhere.


    It took a full minute for my groggy brain to register that the buzzing sound was the alarm spell I¡¯d put on Scar going off. Snapping into full consciousness, I left the building in a few quick steps. Ignoring the strange looks that were sent my way, I made my way down the twisting streets. The alarm spell became louder and louder the closer I got to Scarlett, but due to the way the town was set up, it was nearly impossible to find streets that would lead me to her.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Taking a turn that led to yet another dead end- what I am convinced is the millionth- I restrained myself from screeching. Speeding up, I continued the search. By the time the sun began it¡¯s decent, I was ready to forgo all sense of self preservation and level the entire town. Of course, that could potentially hurt Scar, so it was out of the question. I cursed myself for caring for another, something I should know not to do.


    I barreled down another street cursing the wooden walls that created a narrow pathway with sharp turns. I thought it was going to get so narrow that¡¯d I¡¯d become stuck, but just before such a thing occurred it opened- into yet another dead end, empty save for a street urchin sleeping in a corner. Just before I gave in and screeched my rage, the constant buzzing sound went off, signaling I¡¯d come close enough to Scarlett.


    My lips pulled down, eyes scanning the area once more, but again it was void of everything save for one person that was too small to be Scar. I paused, noticing the lack of trash, dirt, and feces that tended to mark most dead ends like this one, usually used as places to sleep by the homeless.


    With another glance, I took my time walking over to the hunched form in the corner. As I came closer, I noticed a dark stain on the dirt ground just as a metallic scent hit me. I gagged for a moment but didn¡¯t pause as I reached down and removed a dark brown piece of fabric from over the top of the form. The child shifted and fell limply over. I stared dumbly at it for a few beats, eyes refusing to except what I was seeing.


    Her arms and hands were mangled pieces of flesh that had little form left, and, while most of her legs were in the same shape, her left foot was gone completely. Her face was swollen and cut, barely recognizable as a person. I shook my head, reasons that this couldn¡¯t be her flitting through my head. She knew someone was after her, she would¡¯ve been careful. She¡¯s always okay. This can¡¯t be her because that means that I¡­ And yet, there was her red head, dyed even darker from all the blood. There was the birthmark just under her neck, nearly completely covered in blood. There was Scarlett, the sweet, little, na?ve girl that had just been sleeping in my arms last night.


    Numbly, I kneeled next to her, fingers going for her neck even though I knew, I just knew that I would find no pulse. When I first touched her, she was cold as ice and before I could scream my rage a pendent fell and hit the ground with a dull thud. A mist spread up as I dimly thought, a memory spell. An enchanted item that released the sealed memory when the item was moved.


    ~


    The sun rose slowly, bringing the morning smells of the market with it. I felt disconnected and light, like I was floating through the sky. It took a moment for the soft grey mist that had been entrapping me to shift into forms. I recognized the dead end, though it was currently empty and unnaturally still. The sky began clouding over as it slowly became colder, sunlight peaking through rarely.


    A pebble rolled, signaling Scarlett¡¯s arrival as she came and sat down in the empty corner, munching on a fried fish she must have stollen. As soon as the fish was finished, nothing but crumbs left, a boy dropped off the roof, landing with a loud thud that sent Scar to her feet. She turned pale at the sight of the man, her head shaking from side to side as if to prove to herself that he wasn¡¯t really there.


    I felt my stomach drop when I got a good look at him. He was tall and muscular, with dark black hair and golden skin. Based on his looks, all sharp angles in his smooth face, he couldn¡¯t have reached his second decade. Yet, I recognized the cruelty in his bright silver eyes and the intelligence born from an endless life. His stride was all swagger as he neared Scarlett, shaking where she stood but not trying to run away. When he got a few feet away Scar seemed to finally break out of her trance, lunging for the opening that led to the rest of the town, but it was already too late.


    Grabbing the collar of her tunic, the man used her momentum against her, pulling her body around before sending her flying only to stop, arm first, against the far wall with a sickening crunch. Somewhere in me a voice was raging to be let out, but I suppressed it as Scarlett got up, cradling her arm against herself, yelling in pain when the bone protruding from her elbow scrapped against the wall.


    ¡°Tell me where she is.¡± His voice, unlike his demeanor, was light and peaceful as if they were simply discussing local gossip.


    Scar just whimpered, not able to talk as tears streamed down her face. I was surprised she hadn¡¯t passed out from the pain. Giving an exasperated sigh, the man caught her easily by her injured arm. Ignoring her cry of pain, he pulled the arm behind her back, twisting her against him in a smooth motion and trapping her between the wall and him. Scar managed to turn her head as she screamed. He said a few words under his breath, a silver sheen covering them with what was no doubt a sound barrier.


    ¡°Just tell me,¡± Scar screamed again as his grip tightened on her arm and his other hand went to her neck, ¡°Where she is.¡± In what is possibly the most brave and idiotic thing I have ever scene, Scarlett turned her head just enough to spit right in his face. I considered ending the memory there, I knew whatever happened wasn¡¯t going to be pretty. But that was the cowards¡¯ way out, and I¡¯d caused this. No, not directly. Scarlett was killed by this asshole, but he would never have gone after her if it wasn¡¯t for me. I was responsible, and I owed it to this sweet little girl to watch her torture, even if it pained me.


    Too fast to see, he turned her back around and held her up by her arm. Her feet not even touching the ground, she managed to keep in another scream by biting her lip. ¡°You little bitch,¡± he ripped her shirt off of her, using it to wipe his face clean. After throwing the shirt to the side, he pulled the fist that wasn¡¯t holding her up back only to bring it forward again to hit her in the gut. She kept gasping as he continued to hit her over her bare stomach and chest, and her gaps soon turned to bloody coughs as she tried to catch her breath.


    When he finally stopped he cursed and let her weak form slump on the ground. He crouched down so he was eye to eye with her. In a display of sickening, twisted affection he ran the back of his hand lightly over her small breasts as he spoke. ¡°You may be stupid but you¡¯re certainly special. I get why she became attached to you.¡± He tilted his head lightly to the side as his eyes¡¯ roamed over her. ¡°Clearly beating you isn¡¯t working. But, would you tell me what I wanted to know if I took your innocence by force?¡± When her only answer was a glare full of challenge he smiled. ¡°It¡¯s worked in the past. Shall we try it?¡±


    As his hands reached for her pants, she kicked him before raising her hand to scratch him across the face. Before her nails made contact, he took Scar¡¯s uninjured arm and twisted it while he stepped on her legs until everything was drowned out by snaps and her screams of agony. As she squirmed to try and get away, he held her down with a hand as the other one went into her pants. Using his legs to pin her legs open, he continued his assault until he paused. Scar yelled as he pushed his fingers in a little harder only to retract his hand and give her a kick that sent her rolling away.


    ¡°You fucking whore, you¡¯ve already been used. Damn, it¡¯s no fun when you let guys fuck you all the time.¡± He paused, watching as she tried in vain to rise. ¡°You clearly aren¡¯t going to give me what I want, but you¡¯ve already pissed me off.¡± He tilted his head again, looking like a cat watching its prey.


    ¡°You have nice hair.¡± He took the few strides to close the distance and yanked her up by her short waves. ¡°Can I have a piece?¡± Scarlett¡¯s scream was far too familiar as he pulled a lock of her hair off, bits of blood splattering the end. She crumbled to the ground as he opened a pouch that was attached to his hip just wide enough to shove Scar¡¯s hair into it, while giving me a look at the wide array of different coloured locks.


    What followed was one of the worst torture sessions I have ever witnessed. I don¡¯t know for how long I watched him beat and break her. At one point, he twisted and pulled her ankle so bad that the tendons started snapping and he just pulled the entire thing off. Scarlett¡¯s screams echoed in my head, over powering the voice that was fighting to be let out, to make him pay. Every time it seemed she would pass out she would just wake with another scream and the voice would renew its efforts.


    Scarlett reached a point where she finally gave up. I don¡¯t think she even noticed him anymore. Her eyes stared blankly at the sky or ground and she didn¡¯t even flinch when he pushed his knee into her chest. All life was gone from her. This man had broken her, he¡¯d broken this little piece of light in this shit-hole of a town. It was then that he took and snapped her neck. He put her in a corner, forcing her body in an odd contortion that shouldn¡¯t be possible. so she¡¯d seem smaller before putting the remainder of her shirt over her head.


    ¡°You should never have left me, Kitty-Cat.¡± A chill went down my spine at that cursed nickname. I only saw him tuck a pendent under the shirt before the mist began swirling and disappeared.


    ~


    I blinked my eyes clear and looked down at the destroyed form in front of me. Gently picking her up, I left the dead-end alley with only the crunch of the pendent under my foot, and the lifeless body in my arms to keep me company.

 Chapter 4

    I buried her on the edge of the lake, one of the tallest trees in the area marking her grave. I carved her name at the base. I took a moment, just staring at that name. I didn¡¯t know what to do. I just needed it to stop. Grave after grave after grave. Scarlett wasn¡¯t the first of those I cared about to be put under ground. Time and time again. Be them princesses, warriors, or servants. They all died. I got tired of burying my friends.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I replayed the events that led me there, what ifs running through my head before a voice inside of me put a strict stop on those. The same voice as before fought to be let out. I didn¡¯t know what I would do. I didn¡¯t even know if I could find him. Not that I cared what happened. I just wanted to see blood. So, I listened to the voice fighting inside of me. And I welcomed it gladly.

 Note from the author

    Okay, wow. It has been way longer than the two weeks I promised. This isn''t an actual chapter, it''s more just a note from me explaining a little of what''s going on, and what is coming.


    Right now, I am currently a resident of the Unite States and if you are in this country, or if you follow our news, than you may have heard of some of the things going on in this country. Due to some events at my school (no one died, luckily), I am finishing this semester in online school. I am also planning on starting University in January of 2019. As well as the fact that some family issues have popped up, I haven''t really been posting much and for that I apologize. For right now, I am going to put this story on hiatus until I can pull my life together a little and be fully prepared to update regulary. This doesn''t mean I am completely abandoning this story because I still have so much planned for it, but I can''t fully dedicate myself to this right now and I want to be able to do that for all of you readers. Hopefully I''ll come back to it soon, but until then I must ask you to be patient with me. Thank you all for reading and your support. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    K. Drake