13. Single Drops

An intruder has sneaked into the palace with the sole aim of killing the youngest princess. Brooke is there and she will protect the royal family with her life, but will that be enough?

Brooke sniffled, her body shaking. She lifted her head and she scanned her surroundings. Lanterns glowed and made the red walls appear violet. Brooke saw portraits of the royal family, all of which were elfin blood. She looked forwards and backwards, but found only the stretch of velvet carpet and armor statues holding swords pointed to their feet. Where was she? Brooke sighed. Why had she done that? How was she to get back? Brooke rubbed her eyes and dried them of any more tears. She decided to follow the portraits. There was nothing else to go by, so she began walking. The royal family was long and went so far to the present King Victor and Queen Shahana. The queen had died of the same disease that affected Princess Catalina. Brooke saw the beautiful queen and went down to the princesses. Princess Catalina had long golden hair with lime green eyes and fair skin. She was frail and skinny. Her arms looked like twigs and the dress she wore barely fit the girl.

            After the line of portraits ended and a mile of walls, she stopped and groaned. She didn’t know where she was going, and her feet were killing her. Brooke took the heels off and held them by their straps. The carpet relaxed her feet and she treaded onward. Brooke arrived at a corner where she started to hear footprints softened by the carpet’s velvet plush. They sounded like footprints of someone who wore boots. Maybe it was a royal attendant, or one of the servants, someone to escort her back to the ballroom, and perhaps apologize to her father. Did he even deserve an apology? Brooke knew in her heart that he did though she felt reluctant to do it.

She hurried her pace and turned the corner, but found the hall empty. Brooke noticed a helical staircase right in front of her. She saw the tip of a figure’s coat disappear behind the rounded walls. Brooke decided to follow the figure. She heard the thud of the boots climb the stairs with the sound of her silent feet behind him. Suddenly, the footprints stopped. Brooke paused for a moment before continuing up the stairs. She arrived at an open door. Where did the figure go? Brooke entered the room and darkness fell on her. Where was she? She found herself in someone’s bedroom. Had she trespassed into one of the princess’s room, or maybe the king’s domain? The moon was like a lamp pouring into the only window beside a television and an armor statue, next to a desk with a computer atop of it.

Brooke turned her attention to the resting girl on the bed in the corner of the room. She approached it and discovered the girl to be Princess Catalina. Brooke backed away; she had to leave quickly. Her ears twitched, and she heard the door swing. She stepped to the side and a sword landed in her place. Brooke dropped her heels, and tried to observe her attacker. It was too dark to see him clearly. Her attacker raised his sword to catch her on her side, but she dodged and punched her attacker in the stomach. She tried to go for the jaw, but he leaned back. He swung his sword and Brooke dodged him, backing up onto the wall. The attacker brought his sword down again, and ripped a part of Brooke’s dress as she rolled out of the way. The moonlight made it easier for her to see his blade. Who was this person attacking her? And why was he attacking her? Why had he come here? Was it possible that he was here to kill the princess? She wouldn’t let that happen. She wanted to be a master guardian, well, now was her chance to prove herself by protecting the youngest princess of Alagracia.

Brooke waited. She had fought at night before when the snow blinded her on some occasions; she could handle darkness. She tried to keep the blade in the light, keeping in direction of the window. The attacker moved swiftly towards Princess Catalina. Brooke searched for the ripped strip of her dress, found it, and grabbed it. She wrapped the bottom part of the strip around her hand and used the other part to grasp the attacker’s blade. She hooked it and pulled him towards her. The attacker followed the motion, and he started to charge at Brooke. She stepped to the side, and dodged the sideways blow, ripping the stomach part of her bodice.

Brooke then reached to the armor statue and used its sword against her attacker meeting him blade to blade. Her attacker’s strong energy collided against her energy in each deflect. Brooke was careful to make sure she didn’t have to move much. The dress made it hard for her. She tightened the grip on her sword and stopped his blade from cutting her face. She pushed him back as their weapons clashed. Brooke deflected his blade coming down on her head. Then her attacker elbowed her in the stomach, knocking her hard against the wall again. Brooke rubbed the back of her throbbing head. She searched the room for the glimmer of his blade. She rose to her feet, despite the sharp pain in her stomach. She had to be nimble and endure. It was then that Brooke saw his figure, standing before the princess. Brooke moved hastily and stopped the blade from coming down on the princess, their blades creating a cross above the sleeping girl.

Everything was still for a moment, and Brooke was afraid to breathe. Brooke lifted her sword, lifting his as well, and the clash of metal interrupted the brisk silence. She brought her blade close to his face, and a few strands of hair fluttered on her bare feet. The attacker punched her in the jaw and jabbed her in the throat with the hilt of his sword. She gasped, dropped her sword, kneeled down, and crouched uncontrollably. She clutched her throat in pain, but tried to stand on her feet. She didn’t want to lose focus. The attacker sauntered over to Princess Catalina, chuckling as if Brooke had amused him. He raised his sword and thrust it into the heart of the princess.

She failed. Again. Failed to protect the princess. No wonder the academy rejected her. The death of a member of the royal family, all because she couldn’t protect her. What good was she? He stabbed Princess Catalina’s heart, yet it was her heart that broke as Princess Catalina let out a muffled gasp.

Brooke bit her lip, and it nearly bled. She grabbed the sword, gripping its handle. She gritted her teeth and rushed towards the attacker. He cut the princess open by her stomach, running his blade in her blood as if dipping it in there. He stuck his two fingers into her blood and he met Brooke’s throat by his two bloodied fingers, choking her again. She backed away and swung her sword. He met her blade with his and Brooke stepped back, swallowing to catch her breath. She didn’t want to slow down. She was angry. Angry at him. Angry at herself. She wanted to kill him. She never felt the intense need to kill anyone so much.

            Her attacker cut more of the skirt of her dress as she moved to dodge his blows. Then he backed up towards the dead princess and for some reason squatted. Brooke wasn’t thinking and forgot all her wisdom of combat. Her emotions flared. She raised her sword ready to cut him in half. Suddenly, the lights to the room flashed on and Brooke stood with the sword tipped to the dead princess. Brooke blinked. The attacker was gone. The king and his servants leaned in the arch of the princess’s room. And finally, Brooke stood covered in the princess’s blood.

 

Author's Note

Dear Reader,

I like this chapter, mainly because it's so action based. There's no real drama, just suspense and no talking ha ha. I wanted to create that sense because I hate it when there's too much talking in a fight (Inuyasha). I still love that show, though. Anyways, I know things keep spiraling down for Brooke, but things will pick up for her soon. Keep reading.

Thank you for reading.

Sincerely JazzSoulKeke,

God bless