Utopia - The Great Desert

Heartbeats

Later...

"Show me to ... her."

The guards nodded briskly before diving into the sand dune. Moments later, they reemerged with Gold. 

She looked better than the last time I'd seen her. 

Like I'd ordered, she'd been permitted to wash in the Oasis and been given the finest cloth to warm her shoulders. Her scales glittered in the light of the moon as she bowed low. 

Today, she had a piece of blue silk wrapped around her neck. It flapped in a light breeze. I gave her a charming smile before turning to walk along the dunes, gesturing for her to follow.

"May I ask, Your Highness?" Gold hurried after me, "What makes you call upon me? Has Aqua been given permission to talk to me?"

I paused, sitting down and curling my tail around myself. She quickly copied me, just a step behind. I let us sit in silence for a few moments, admiring the shining stars. 

Then, I sneered coldly, "You know my answer, Gold. I do not want you and Aqua to communicate."

Gold squinted at me, "Does Your Majesty fear our disobedience?"

"Heavens, no!" I laughed.

She really was such a comedian. I looked at her, admiring her beauty for a moment before looking away quickly. 

I would've made her my Queen if she wasn't Aqua's sister. Sadly, she had to die. I couldn't bear to think that she had only less than five minutes of heartbeats left. Her death had been a difficult decision. 

I sighed, "Don't call me 'Your Majesty'. It sounds so very fancy-scales! Call me by my name."

Gold smiled at me, "Okay, Copper."

I turned to look at her again and a shiver went down my spine. 

There was something so wrong about that smile; sad, determined and furious at the same time.

I only saw it for a heartbeat before she pounced at me, bringing her tail-tip to my neck. 

My heart pounded like never before as if it suddenly wanted to live at this moment of certain death. 

I gasped, "Guards!"

But they didn't respond. 

No one came to my rescue.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the guards watching expressionlessly. 

No! 

I had been set up! 

I growled; this wasn't supposed to happen! Gold was supposed to die, not me! 

I lied, "I was going to make you my queen!"

Something flickered in her eyes. Pity? Surprise? Guilt? Somehow I knew it was not one of those three. 

She pressed her tail in harder, "I guess I'll be Queen. Just without the King."

I struggled, trying to raise my tail as well. 

But she had it pinned firmly to the ground. 

I met her eyes, glaring, "You may be Queen. But you will never be able to forget how you murdered me. You will be no better of a leader than me."

I lowered my voice, "Think of it. You have entered the world of murder and trickery. You are a good actor and fighter. You could do so much more than just be Queen. When you have come across real power, you will only want more. You will never be content."

I could tell she had listened to me. 

Had heard everything. 

Had considered my words. 

So I pressed on, "If you let me live, I can guide you along this treacherous world. I can be your helping hand. I can be your ONLY true friend."

Gold smirked, "That's where you're wrong. I already have someone who loves me. She is my true friend. YOU... are not."

With that, she finally slashed my throat with her tail. For a moment, pain coursed through me from the poison and I screeched. Then everything was numb. I curled into a ball as she jumped off me. 

Reaching out a talon, I grabbed hers. 

Gold stared at me as I gazed into her eyes, "Think about it..."

I slipped into a world of never-ending darkness.