HOW TO LIVE AGAIN (girlxgirlxgirl)

Kaksikymmentäkuusi; Tonight's last dance

"The last dance, for tonight"
26

🦚

⚠️ gruesome death, murder, war, dead bodies, blood, weapons, violence, scars, bruises, wounds, drugs ⚠️

"It took you awhile, little sister"

A chill spreads over the room. A man sits on the throne, and it feels so wrong.

His black eyes stare down, far down, at the group of now nineteen women standing on the throne room floor. He smiles, tilts his head and stares almost mockingly at the embarrassingly small group of people. They are no match for him. He straightens with pride, broad shoulders standing out behind the golden gown he is wearing. Although he almost looses his smile, and snarls, upon seeing the same golden traditional gown on his sister. Then he laughs again, because that's what narcissists and manipulators do.

"I assume you're back to beg for my mercy?"

His smirk is wide, showing his blindingly white and perfect teeth. Dangerously playful eyes shine despite the darkness of the room. Obviously Aryan knows that she isn't here to admit defeat, but it's the emotional manipulation that counts for him. To have the upper hand.

"Honestly you've caused me much embarrassment, running around causing trouble when you should stay silent and obedient like the woman you are... but fear not, I may forgive you"

Andra almost looses her temper and falls for his tricks, but she gathers herself. The other women among her don't seem to have the same walls of defense for their emotions though, because they grow visibly angry and frustrated. Andra calms them down with a simple look. Only Thyra and Fei stood as unaffected by it as Andra. The princess only smiles, because she's as much of a half decent narcissist and manipulator as he is.

"If you're done hiding behind your soldiers, prove yourself to be worthy of the emperorship, as you claim to be"

Andra drags out her sword in front of her. The other women back away, according to plan, and form a sort of half circle around the princess. Andra needs to win the respect of her people, and therefore she must fight her brother alone. But if anyone tries to attack her from the side, that's not fair, so her own soldiers will have to stop them before they can get close enough.

Aryan rolls his eyes and sighs like an annoyed teenager, sitting up from his throne. A terrified man by his side hands him his sword, and he quite literally pushes the man down the stairs for showing weakness. Andra doesn't even flinch, but she feels nauseous at how power crazy and narcissistic her brother has gotten. They used to be close once, of course, before they grew old.

The memories come flooding back before she can stop them.

The way he used to let her sneak into his room at night whenever she had nightmares...

Andra watches him walk down the stairs of his throne with a cocky look on his face and a crazy expression. He holds the sword with much ease.

The way he used to get her food whenever she was training.

Aryan stops right in front of her, only a few steps away, and tilts his head. He wants her to know that she is no match for him. Andra glares right into his eyes and takes a protective stance.

The way he used to get in trouble for fighting with her trainers after they overworked her or said too many mean things.

He attacks first, because of course he does. Andra can't stop thinking about the past. She avoids his first attack easily because it was sloppy and filled with too much force, just to make a sickening crack on the throne room floor when he lands. Aryan smiles like a crazy person. Thyra frowns from the side. She thinks that the two siblings look nothing alike.