Broken Queen

Chapter 16: Love is a silly thing𖤛-𝚅𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚊/𝙰𝚕𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚊-𖤛

"Quiet."
Silas whispers as he puts his finger to his lips and silently shushes me.
I scoff and grab a branch from the ground, hoping that it'll work as a weapon.
The forest chatters around us.
We lean against a large tree, hiding from a man that is crying on a tree stump nearby.
Pathetic.
I watch Silas tip-toe around the stump without the man knowing.
The man is oblivious to the world around him.
What a shame.
Silas grabs a knife from his pocket and twists the man around till the knife is barely skimming the edges of his throat,
"Who are you?"
Silas demands.
The now, panicking man, attempts to escape Silas's grasp, but is instead met with the cold sting of metal on his skin.
"I- I was sent by the Queen."
His words stumble out and the man's eyes widen at the realization of what he had just admitted."
I take one step forward.
Silas smiles.
"Why?"
The man shudders at his question.
"I can't-,"
Silas starts to push the knife into the man's neck and a scream of agony escapes his throat.
I want to laugh out loud, to assist Silas, but it's too dangerous.
Someone can see me.
What if the man isn't alone?
I need my veil.
"I was sent to find the princess."
I smile.
She wants to find me, kill me, make me suffer.
Don't worry sister, you'll get your chance soon.
"Not anymore."
Silas whispers and the knife slices through the man's neck, splattering blood everywhere.
I closed my eyes tightly, but Silas didn't even seem to flinch.
Of course not, he's done this multiple times.
Silence follows after a few seconds, and I open my eyes to see Silas shuffling around the tree stump, cleaning his knife and dropping the man onto the stump.
I feel nauseous.
This man had a home, a family-
No. He's the one that decided to cry like a child in the woods, why should I care?
Silas moves toward me with a blank expression on his face.
I get a flash-back to the room at Unrefined Joe's.
The body of Camila, being chopped up to bits and served for dinner.
That night, we had to jump out of the window in our room and wander around the sewers for an hour before finally finding the exit into the forest.
Now here we are, walking around the forest with a bag with 50 silvers inside of it.
"Let's go."
Silas heaves the hag onto his shoulder and motions me to follow him.
My thoughts dissipate.
All I can focus on now is Silas, death, my sister.
...
Silas and I walk for a couple of hours after the... sidetrack.
He whistles the tune of birds and snakes.
I hum the song of ravens and ballrooms.
The two notes intertwine, dancing along the forest floor.
Leaves fall around us, signaling the coming of fall.
Squirrels and charcoal black birds swirl around us.
Among the wildlife around me, I spot a small baby rabbit and smile.
As a small child, I once liked to believe that animals would come if I began to sing.
Instead, they ran away.
The baby bunny scampers out of sight and I frown.
"We're almost there."
Silas absentmindedly tells me.
"Where are we going, anyway?"
I ask, stopping him.
He ignores the question and looks into my eyes for a slight moment.
The sun seeps through a spot in the trees above, gleaming onto his eyes.
I see the black pool in his eyes turn to gold.
It's beautiful, really, but all I can think is about how my ugly eyes must appear in the sunlight.
Distorted and the ugliest shade of green...
Muddy- Saige! Tears well in my eyes. Margret claps with joy.
"I- I'm only 10 years old! It'll look better when I'm older-."
I burst, but my sister laughed.
She's 14 years old, and always takes advantage of the few years she has added ahead of mine.
"When you're older, you'll be ugly."
She laughs out loud.
I see Margrets hair bounce around and I Solemnly look into her perfect green eyes.
They're enough to slice the sun in half if she wanted too.
"But... Mom said that I was prettier than you..."
Oh no.
Oh no, Oh no, Oh no.
I wasn't supposed to say that.
My hand finds its way to my mouth.
A sort of blankness crosses her face, but hatred soon replaces the glossed over expression.
I messed up.
"Of course she did! You have pretty curls and freckles and- and you're... nice!"
Rage Sears through her eyes.
I take a step back.
"Mom and Dad always talk about you, about how they favor your looks over mine."
I take another step backward.
"They tell me how your heart is pure and kind.
Even Dad, with the ugly heart he has, always manages to bring you up in our conversations."
Another step backward.
We're on my balcony now.
"You. Are. The. Favorite."
I try to take another step backward, but the railing of the balcony meets me instead.
"You will be ugly when you're older. You will be as deformed as a block of coal.
You will burn in hell as the monster you are."
I want my parents.
I want my parents.
Fear washes over my whole being as Margret takes a few steps in front of me.
"I will be Queen. You will be dead."
She takes another step forward, now a few inches away from me.
"Margret please."
I plead and plead, but nothing works.
It only helps the flame of fury spread across her face.
I can't die.
I can't.
She's going to kill me.
I don't want to die.
Margaret's hands come up to my chest.
I look up to her.
"MARGRET PLEASE, NO!"
Her eyes are blank and burning.
I can't die.
My hands shake, as well as my legs.
I tremble.
"I hate you."
The last words sting.
She brings her foot up in a swift movement and kicks my heart.
The sudden movement causes my top half to tumble over the railing.
There is nothing but silence for a second.
A scream escapes Margerts mouth and a high-pitched scream comes out of my own.
Pain pangs from my chest.
I'm going to die.
My surroundings blur by, and I feel air rush around my arms and legs.
Hair swirls around me.
I'm flying.
Panic sets in when I see the floor coming closer.
The distant sounds of sobbing and guards voices come from upstairs.
"She jumped!"
Margret screams.
I close my eyes.
The ground comes in contact with my body.
Darkness.