Sorry, this one is kinda... something. I was exploring new things okay??? Anyways enjoy!46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0fq8sxc9UQ
46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8voi3WTCoA
Why don't men think I can lead? It’s been like that since my coronation. Every single day, I’m reminded that I’m supposedly “Less.”
Everyone I meet is always saying “Women can’t lead. They can’t win. They just create death and destruction. It's just how it goes. There are tokens to marry off to other empires, so our empire can form alliances.” and “There for doing what men don’t want to do. They take care of the children and cook. ”
No. While I’m queen it's not how I’ll let it be. Talk like that and you can say bye to your head. And there is nothing your sorry ass can do because I am the queen and there is no king to tell me no.
Oh, you want me to find an eligible bachelor? No, I’ll adopt a little orphan girl, and declare her the princess. I don’t want a king, because he’ll take my spot, and I will just sit on my throne. Forgotten.
“Calypso, you have to find a prince. You have to find someone to be your king.” Says my head Knight, Cirris Wildoak, snapping me out of the daze I was in.
“Augh,” I scream. I’m pacing in my throne room, Cirris following me with his honey-brown eyes. By the time I turn 18, I am legally allowed to marry. And 18 is only a month away.
“Cirris, you just turned 18. You can’t have madins throwing themselves on you already, now do you? I can’t have that right now. We’re at war. The last thing I need is a King to tell me what to do. We’ve been fine with me as the queen.” I come across as aggressive, and that's what I need. The Seba dynasty and the Nulam empire joined forces, starting a wave of chaos across the Continent. Combined, their intentions were clear. They had enough troops to wipe out most of the Continent and had set sight on the Vrithia empire. My empire. It was all I could do to keep the Hellfire Legion from surrounding the Capital because when they overthrow us, there is no stopping them.
“I understand you don’t want a king, but he could help our kingdom. He could stop the war, if you would just listen to his advice.” Cirris suggested—a hint of anger in his voice like whenever he mentioned his “smart idea”. And not that I don’t take what he says to think about- I do, but it's so stupid, it makes me want to scream again.
“Not this again,” I mutter. He had been suggesting for weeks now that I marry him, or his brother. “Cirris, we’re at war with your brother, so he’s off the table. I told you I would not marry to align forces or whatever you think it would do. And you're better at head knight than King. The people would eat you alive, and I need you alive. No one will end this war, so until this war is over, I’m not marrying. Now what is the latest news on the battle in the Allernear summit? ” I command
“We lost, and we never stood a chance against their troops. Soldiers retreated 12 hours ago. As my decision, all people around the state are being escorted to the Capital and the people in the Capital are being asked to let people into their homes.” He said, sighing. “We’re checking verification at the border. We have all men who can fight training, and being placed on the border of the capitol. Oh, and I need to ask, is there any news on Althea? Should we announce her death?”
“There is no new news. Thank you. Now leave me.” I request. As he turns to go I add, “ I trust you, Sir Wildoak. Don’t mess it up.”
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In my room, I study my reflection. I knew my old friend Althea had missed the gentle me, but this war forced me to see that I didn’t have a gentle side, and neither did she. It was all part of my daily act. Something I did every day so people wouldn’t see me still grieving my parent's death in The Riot. I had just barely escaped that day. I still have the scar from my heart to my hip to prove it. I had been fourteen at the time. The next day was my coronation day.
Sometimes, at night when I forget to take sleeping pills, I can see the villagers storming through the castle. The villagers were planning on overthrowing the King, and the heirs. One had charged into my room, pick-ax in hand. The doctor said it was a miracle anyone survives a stab like the one I have.
I tend to look in the mirror. I look in the mirror to find something about me. Something I don't fake, something that means me. But my eyes always go to the crown on my head. I felt like it weighed me down. It was silver, lined with sapphire crowns, and in the very middle, is a large obsion stone. Plus, what else was there to look at? Some would say my features were plain. I liked them though. The pale skin with dark brown hair and light blue eyes.
The crown just represented how out of place I was. I didn’t like being queen. It was silver, lined with sapphire jewels, bringing out the blue in my eyes. I had always wanted to be a poet or painter. I would go out to the ocean and paint the scene. Or sit on a public bench and write a poem about a market vendor. Maybe I could go do that to clear my head? Yes, that could help the stress on my mind. I would have to go somewhere private though, so no one can find me. I could bring Cirris and…
I pause, looking into the mirror. I could bring Cirris. I quickly jot down my thoughts and form them into a long plan. A plan to save my empire.
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I invited Cirris to come to the beach with me. He doesn’t know, but the two of us are there. I doubt he’ll expect what I’m about to tell him.
“Calypso, back away from that edge, you might fall,” Cirris shouts over the wind. Of course, he’s asking me to back away from the edge, he reminds me of my father.
I turn around and head towards Cirris. He isn’t wearing armor, so I can see his face for once.
“Cirris, I have to tell you something. No one followed you here, right?” I knew someone was following him. I had tasked an assassin, Ghostbeat, to follow him wherever he goes.
“No one is following me, I checked. Now, why did you have to drag me from the castle.” He says a bit of mocking in his voice.
“Sit down Cirris,” I say, and sit on a stump, he follows. “Cirris, I’ve been thinking about what you’ve been saying, and I do like you. I want to get married to you. I just can’t till this war is over.”
He just looks at me, his jaw dropped like a fish. He tries to get some words out, but nothing gets through. Finally, he says “Yes, yes. But why can’t we get married soon? Why not now?”
“I… can’t,” I say. He stands up and grabs my hand, pulling me back to the palace. “Where are we going?” I ask tentatively
“Let me show you how much you mean to me.” He says eagerly. I gasp, grasping what he means. “Oh. Do you not want to?”
“No, I do. I just wasn’t sure you liked me.” I squeak. And then his lips were on mine.
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At dinner, I have Cirris come eat with me. Ghostbeat had followed him all day and he had managed to avoid contacting his brother. Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe he was actually on my side. When he had come begging at my throne, I had allowed him to stay, he worked his way up and proved himself. But when the time comes, will he fight with his brother, or me? Family, or friends.
“You’re quiet,” Cirris provokes. “Why is that? Am I that bad at kissing?”
“You’re the worst kiss I’ve ever had,” I say jokingly. Neither of us had kissed before thanks to a law my dad created.
“I just have to know, you wouldn’t… you won’t leave me for your brother?” Shit. I didn’t mean to let that slip through my lips.
“Why would I leave you for my brother? Do you not trust me?”Cirris asks, truly sounding offended. He looked at me, and when I didn’t respond, he just stood up and left.
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It was just before midnight when the assassin shook me awake. Because I wasn’t expecting her, I grabbed the dagger from under my pillow and swung it in a large arc. As if expecting it, Ghostbeat was near my door, so I couldn’t stab her.
“You know assassins don’t shake you awake,” Ghostbeat said, smirking. I hadn’t seen her in a while. She had her black hair in a long braid. Her eyes looked like she had seen death, and I know she had.
“What is it, Althea? When did Cirris go see his brother.” I say shaking the sleep from my head.
“Cirris didn’t have to meet him. The King went to him.”Althea grumbles. “Oh, and did you know that they pay way more for a simple job like, hey kidnapping?” I wish the words had clicked faster because she pounced on me before I even what was happening.
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My first thoughts were that I had hit my head. But when I tried to reach for my head, I found my hands tied to a post. I also had a gag in my mouth so all the sounds I made were extremely muffled. My eyes fluttered open, and I found Cirris, and Vito Wildoak, his brother.
“Look who’s awake. How's your head.” Says Vito, with a fake pout. I just stare. I quickly make eye contact with Cirris, but he looks away. He seems sad like he didn’t want this. When I look back at Vito, he grabs the gag and rips it from my mouth.
“Fuck you,” I say. I can’t believe Cirris did this. I can’t believe Althea would do this. I look around trying to figure out where I am. From the way the walls look, I know exactly where I am. Where exactly in my castle I was.
“Look who has an attitude. Even when she's about to die. It’s nice that you try, but I know you're just as fake as your parents. It is a real shame you couldn’t die with them.” Vito mentions. He’s trying to make me mad, and as much as I hate it, he struck a nerve.
“What like you any different? We didn’t even have to try to assassinate your parents. So much for the most ruthless state. Oh, and your brother is a slut.” I say, having it be my last hurrah. If Cirris was helping his brother, I doubt our kiss had meant anything to him.
Vito kneels and grabs my chin, looking into my eyes. “Say that again about my brother.”
“He’s a slut, and you probably are too,” I say, finally allowing the smirk to form on my lips. He looks at me, and just before I decide to add something else, he lets go of my chin and slaps me.
When I was younger, I watched my dad slap my mom once. My mom had dropped a plate and cut herself on accident. She started freaking out and sobbing. My dad, as the man he was slapped her for dropping the plate. Later my mom went down to the infirmary for ice, and I followed her down. When I watched, I didn’t think it could hurt, and even if it hadn’t hurt, it took me by surprise.
While I was blinking away the tears from the slap, he pulled out a hidden dagger I hadn’t seen before. He pulled down the top of my nightgown, so he could see just below my right collarbone, and quickly tied the gag in my mouth. He threw the dagger into my chest and dragged it along like he was writing. The pain went on for what seemed like hours but was only mere minutes. When he was done he looked proud of his work. He watched a tear of blood slide down to my nightgown, probably staining it. He started walking towards the door. Cirris was rooted in place looking at my chest in horror.
“What?” Vito asked. “She was just branded what she is. Come on, we have a war to win.” With that, Cirris scurried out of the room, following his brother.
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I thought I would die there. I went through the day, six times. Finally, when I was deciding to shut my eyes, someone burst through the doors. I never saw their face. Maybe it was Cirris and Vito coming to put me out of my misery. I shut my eyes before they made it across the room to me.
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It would be I lie to say I wasn’t surprised that I woke up. For the second time this week, the doctor was next to me, examining my chest.
“Hello, Dr…” I start, realizing I hadn’t needed to learn his name before.
“Dr. Egan. Hello Calypso. Are you feeling well enough to stand? I need to do a full inspection if you don’t mind.” He didn’t seem surprised I didn’t know his name.
I stood, letting him examine me, and then sat down. Dr. Egan concluded that I was fine, besides the bruise on my wrist, and face. And then there was the scar on my chest. The doctor seemed disgusted by it. He left me to look at it in the mirror.
I pulled down the rim of my dress to where my chest, and nearly screamed. In all capital letters, it read SLUT. He had branded me, that part was for sure. I guess I had struck one of his nerves.
A knock came at the door. I yanked up the top of my dress, making sure none of my scars was visible, and went towards my door. When I opened it, I nearly screamed again.
“Cirris, why aren’t you rotting in jail? Why isn’t your corps rotting at the depths of the ocean?” I say, then spit at his shoes. I debate closing the door, but before I decide he responds:
“ Calypso, I went back for you. I betrayed Vito and turned him in. I was always going to, but then you were there, and you pissed off Vito. I still love you, please… please love me.” He concluded.
“ I do still love you, but how can I even trust you? You lied to your brother, what makes me know you won’t lie to me? To my face.” I mean it. He could just as easily lie to me. I try shutting the door, but he puts his hand on it, stopping me from closing the door.
“But I won't. I…love you more than my brother, and I understand you mad, but I went back for you. I turned him in. How can I show you?46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUV6mN0bHFL
