The Deathly Scream - 𝟙

༒ Ten ༒

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'A selection? That is madness, father!'

'Could you for once except my decision?', he defends himself.

'Ethura never had a Selection, we all married out of love and not by an entertainment show!' My anger hadn't eased after dinner, I had barely eaten something when everyone was celebrating our new event. My father gave up talking to me, he had made clear that tonight the news would be spread all over the kingdom. I couldn't do anything to stop it.

'You don't want me to be happy', Valentina says after a long moment of silence, placing a thick book back in father's bookshelf. 'Don't you want to marry out of love?' I ask confused which makes her laugh a little.

'What is love, Rosa?' She asks coldly. I shake my head desperate, not wanting anything of this to happen. I felt like falling down a cliff, no option to be saved before smashing into the ground.

'There will be cameras around the castle for months?' I ask calmer to change the subject.

'Yes', my father agrees. My heart sinks in my shoes, I couldn't hunt anymore, I couldn't fight. I had to be the perfect princess they always wanted me to be. I nod a little and bow for him before I leave his office, holding up my heavy dress while walking through our corridors. I hold still by the painting of my mother for a moment.

'Please, help her', I whisper as if she is an angel who flies down and solves all our problems. Even though the register forms hadn't been send already, the castle was even more hectic than yesterday. Kitchen staff run around in places they shouldn't even be in, only to help the other staff to clean the castle perfectly. Of course the cameras wouldn't film this, that wouldn't be amusing.

I walk up the stairs to the west wing, where our bedrooms are located and stop at the door next to mine. I quietly knock on it when a soft-hearted voice tells me to come in.

I open the door to walk into my brother's bedroom, it looks a lot like mine, only not that girly. His red carpet reached all over the floor, just like in the rest of the castle, his golden detailed bed stands in the centre against a wall with above it a painting of our founder during the war with his brother.

As usual he sits at his desk by the window, studying or whatever he's always doing. Sometimes I am worried about him, but he seems fine in his own world. Only this day, I feel like I have to talk to him, because I had seen his expression when he heard that Val would be queen soon. Luckily, I wasn't the only one who seemed worried.

'Can we talk?' I ask soft before taking place in one of his leather seats. He turns around and stands up to walk over to the seat in front of me, his attention fully aware. I look up at his giant book shelf and realise how smart my brother actually is. It was filled with all different history books, even in different languages. He would be a great king, I realise.

He stares at me uncomfortably while I take his room in me, asking myself why I didn't came here more often.

'How do you feel about this situation?' I ask careful. 'I don't like it', he simply answers, a soft smile appearing on his face.

'Valentina will be a great queen', I assure him and try to convince myself. 'She wants to do weird things, she has all these new rules. I heard her talking to dad', he almost whispers.

'Rules?'

'Yes, a lot but I can't remember them all. I know that she wants to make the rent of the commercial properties higher'.

'But then traders have to raise their prices, no one can effort that'.

'And no one would like her that much', Elliott adds which makes me laugh a little.

Sometimes when you talk to him it seems like talking to a grown up, only he is a fourteen year old boy. I keep quiet, enjoying our time together. I don't even know what to say to him, my own brother.

'You would be better', he says after a while. I look up at him in confusion, his cheeks turning red.

'I mean as a queen. I heard that our mother was brave and a warrior, that is the kind of queen Ethura wants, isn't it?'

'I guess', I say, still surprised.

'You don't want to be queen?' It's scary how he notices the smallest details, but he was right. I nod and stare out of the window, soon the news would start and every boy in Ethura would get a chance to become Royalty.

'I can't remember her ... mom I mean', Elliott admits. His face a little upset by that thought. 'You can't remember anything?' I ask shocked. He shakes his head and sighs almost noiseless.

'She loved you', I tell with tears in my eyes and see that it pleases him. 'I was only six years old'.

'You didn't deserve this to happen', I whisper, laying my hand on his knee. Out of nowhere his door flies open, Valentina standing in the doorway, expressionless. 'The news is starting, but I guess you don't care', she says sarcastically looking only at me.

'I was talking with Elliott about ...'

'About me? Of course you would, making my brother mad at me that is typical for you', she says loud. Elliott shrinks in his seat without saying a word. 'Val, please stop ...' I beg but she won't listen.

'Your brother has to know who you are. I mean, the only thing that you want is the throne, ruling over Ethura. Guess what? It won't happen little sister', she walks in the room standing behind the seat Elliott is hiding in.

'Val, you are so wrong about this, I don't want ...' I stand up but she turns around laughing sarcastically.

'You can't be happy for me, that is the problem', she says before walking out of the room with her pride. I sit down again in shock, seeing Elliott relax a little more now she is gone. Where did that rage of anger come from?

'She is the problem, not you', Elliott says soft, still looking at the open door as if she might appear again. I can't react, my stomach hurts.

'Could you stay here tonight? We can watch the news together', he asks and I nod without even thinking. All I wanted was to not be alone now.