Every Rose has a Thorn

A Performance and a Meeting

Carmen walks down the marble staircase as all eyes turn to her. Her dress bushes against the stairs as she smiles a bright smile. Her heels click as they hit the floor. She gracefully walks towards the head table where the King sits. She curtsies and turns to where the Prince is supposed to sit.

These filthy people....... I cant wait to see their bloodline end!

Carmen's eyes widen though as she sees the blonde boy from the garden. He gives her the most innocent smile.

Just....like.....Prim's.....No! He is the son of a tyrant he can't be any different!

Carmen smiles back and curtsies once more before climbing the steps to the stage. Carmen look to the arranged band and nods. They begin to play the intro as the lights dim.

Murder lives forever
And so does war
It's survival of the fittest
Rich against the poor
At the end of the day
It's a human trait
Hidden deep down inside of our DNA

One man can build a bomb
Another run a race
To save somebody's life
And have it blow up in his face
I'm not the only one who
Finds it hard to understand
I'm not afraid of God
I am afraid of Man

Is it running in our blood
Is it running in our veins
Is it running in our genes
Is it in our DNA
Humans aren't gonna behave
As we think we always should
Yeah, we can be bad as we can be good

Underneath it all, we're just savages
Hidden behind shirts, ties and marriages
How could we expect anything at all
We're just animals, still learning how to crawl

We live, we die
We steal, we kill, we lie
Just like animals
But with far less grace
We laugh, we cry
Like babies in the night
Forever running wild
In the human race

Another day, another tale of rape
Another ticking bomb to bury deep and detonate
I'm not the only one who finds it hard to understand
I'm not afraid of God
I'm afraid of Man

You can see it on the news
You can watch it on TV
You can read it on your phone
You can say it's troubling
Humans aren't gonna behave
As we think we always should
Yeah, we can be bad as we can be good

Underneath it all, we're just savages
Hidden behind shirts, ties and marriages
How could we expect anything at all
We're just animals, still learning how to crawl
Underneath it all, we're just savages
Hidden behind shirts, ties and marriages
Truth is in us all, cradle to the grave
We're just animals still learning to behave

All the hate coming out from a generation
Who got everything, and nothing guided by temptation
Were we born to abuse, shoot a gun and run
Or has something deep inside of us come undone?
Is it a human trait, or is it learned behavior
Are you killing for yourself, or killing for your savior?

Underneath it all, we're just savages
Hidden behind shirts, ties and marriages
How could we expect anything at all?
We're just animals still learning how to crawl
Underneath it all, we're just savages
Hidden behind shirts, ties & marriages
Truth is in us all, cradle to the grave
We're just animals still learning to behave

Carmen's voice rings out in the quiet of the room, she puts all her sorrow and pain into the song. The memory of her sister's screams as she's beat to death for a trivial thing such as a robe strengthens her voice and her resolve. Her body moves in time with the music. Her sharp moves showing the anger in the song and within her. She clacks her heels together and spins in a perfect circle. She slides along the floor and stomp with her foot. She continues with angered dance that lets her forget, for a moment, all her troubles. All the bullying and neglect, all the whispered rumors, she forgets it all. It's only her in the spotlight with the music. Dancing away her pain.

This song..... lets them feel exactly how I feel...

Her voice grows in power before the band quiets. She then begins to sing once more. She vocalizes in a way that leaves the entire room entranced. She stops with her head lowered in the middle of the stage as the lights fade back in. The crowd erupts in applause and she smiles and bows. Her bright smile continues to shine as she raises a hand for silence.

"I would just like to say what an honor it is to be able to perform at such a milestone in our young Majesty's life," she smiles at the Prince, who blushes, and she curtsies once more before leaving the stage. The audience begins to clap once more but soon the noise is left behind. Carmen's smile drops as she approaches her room.

Time to get ready. Carmen's face stretches into an evil smile as she takes off her dress and slips on her black full body suit. She grabs a dark green cloak and clips it on. She goes over to her balcony knowing that her door would be guarded now. She jumps off the balcony and onto the narrow ledge. She jumps from ledge to the next balcony and continues on. She looks up at one balcony and reaches up. She cant reach the bottom of the ledge.

Ha! Like I'm gonna come this far and turn back now. Carmen goes to her hip and pulls out a rope and takes one of her daggers from her sheathe on her thigh, that she had moved to the outside of her clothes. She tosses one end of the rope up and throws her dagger with minimal effort. The dagger pierces the rope and hits the bottom of the balcony. Carmen smirks and climbs up. When she hits the bottom of the balcony her hands let go of the rope. She reaches behind her head and grabs onto the rim of the balcony.

Good...

One of her hands comes back and takes the dagger out of the balcony bottom and grabs the rope leaving her dangling from one arm. She puts the dagger between her teeth and coils the rope up again. Carmen uses her arm to swing, building momentum. As she swings backwards she releases her hand and flips. She lands on the railing of the balcony and smiles. She jumps down and pushes open the door before closing it once more. She sighs.

It's coming Prim.... I wont let him hurt anymore people like how he hurt you.....

Carmen takes the dagger out of her mouth and sits in the dark of the room in a chair in the corner.

Ha... I know its dramatic but with him being how drunk he'll be and his sixteen year old metabolism this alone will scare him.

She waits for a few minutes before the door finally is pushed open and the King stumbles in. He closes the door and begins to stumble over to his bed. Carmen rolls her eyes and pushes herself up. She flips her dagger creating a foreign noise in the stillness of the room. The King turns to her in alarm and raises a wavering finger at her, fear in his eyes.

"Whooooo....are youuuuuu," he slurs questioningly.

"Someone who has had to live without the most important person to her because of you," Carmen begins," do you know how many people you've hurt? And you know what they all have in common? They aren't strong enough to fight back. Because you're too weak to beat anyone that is strong enough. And now it's time for you to pay for your sins." Before he can even scream the dagger impales itself in his throat. But then the door begins to open and as light spills into the room from the hallway a voice calls out:

"Sir? I have brought the water you requested."