The Other Me: Chapter Four

WRITTEN: 6 June 2012
==PART TWO: LILLIAN==
==Chapter Four: Lillian's New Playpen==
Lillian’s eyes snapped open as she was awoken by a dog growling and barking, and a young man’s voice saying, ‘Quiet, Titian! What’s gotten into you?’
Titian? Lillian thought, before remembering that was the name of her older brother’s dog. She now knew who was in her room, though she couldn’t understand why he’d be in her room. She would have to find out before she killed him.
In one swift movement, she was out of bed with electricity blazing around her hands.
Logan had his back to her as he opened her curtains. The daylight blinded her. She hated the sun, which is why the castle was always so dark.
‘What are you doing here?’ Lillian demanded as her dark eyes adjusted to the light.
‘I know I said that Kalin and I would be gone by now, but we decided to hold off for a few days,’ Logan replied, still fiddling with the curtains. Lillian momentarily wondered who Kalin was. ‘I didn’t feel right about leaving you yet.’
Logan turned around, smiling, to look at her. His smile soon vanished when he noticed how different she looked.
‘Are you wearing a wig?’ he asked, taking in her long, black hair, before moving onto her black eyes and pale skin. ‘And what happened to your eyes and skin.’ He looked at the electricity in her hands. ‘Are you using Will without gauntlets?’
Lillian blinked. She had no idea what he was babbling on about.
‘What are you on about?’ she asked. ‘No, scratch that. What are you doing here? I thought I made it clear that if I ever saw you again, I would kill you.’
Now it was Logan’s turn to be confused.
‘What are you on about, Lily?’
‘How many times do I have to tell you not to call me Lily?’ Lillian snapped.
‘You’ve never told me that! You’re always telling me not to call you Lillian.’
Logan’s eyes were becoming worried and suspicious.
‘This is getting us nowhere,’ Lillian said coldly, then throwing a charge of electricity at Logan. He only just managed to dodge it in time.
‘What the hell are you doing?’ Logan yelled, picking himself off the floor.
‘I thought it was obvious.’ Lillian’s voice was colder than ice as she sent another charge at him. It narrowly missed him.
Again and again Logan dodged Lillian’s attacks, and for the first time in his life, he feared his sister. Usually he feared for her safety, but now he feared for his own. He had no idea how he warranted such hatred.
While Logan had been dodging Lillian’s attacks, Titian was in the background growling at the intruder who was in his mistress’ chambers and attacking his mistress’ brother. When he saw Logan fall painfully to the ground and Lillian advancing on the Prince, Titian ran forward, jumped at Lillian and bit her arm.
‘ARGH! You stupid mutt!’ she screamed as he let go and followed Logan quickly out of the room. Lillian did not follow. She was too busy trying to stop the bleeding.
Logan ran towards the castle’s kitchen as fast as he could, regardless of the fact that his last fall had injured his right ankle. Many guards, servants and nobles alike gave Logan surprised looks as he ran past.
Moments later, Logan came to a halt in the castle’s kitchens, startling its staff, but he didn’t care. He had more important matters to deal with, and startled staff wasn’t on the list.  His eyes sort one person in particular, Lily’s husband, Elliot. He soon found him working over a stove. Logan hurried over to him, while trying to even out his breath.
‘Morning, Logan,’ Elliot greeted, not looking up from what he was cooking. ‘What brings you here?’
‘Elliot, was Lily acting strangely before she went to bed last night?’ Logan asked urgently.
‘No, she seemed alright to me,’ Elliot replied, now giving his brother-in-law his full attention. He could hear a note of worry and pain in Logan’s voice. ‘What happened to your ankle? And why do you look like you’ve been attacked?’
‘I was attacked,’ replied Logan, sitting on a nearby working bench to take the pressure off his ankle.
‘By who? Do the guards know? Is Lily alright?’
‘She’s the one who tried to kill me,’ Logan answered quietly so the staff would not hear.
‘Why would Lily try to kill you? She loves you dearly!’
‘I know. That’s what makes me wonder if it’s really her.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well she kept talking about conversations I cannot recall ever having, such as a warning she supposedly gave me about killing me painfully if she ever saw me again.’
‘Yeah, one would think you’d remember her saying something like that. Has anyone else ever said that to you?’
‘Not to me directly, but she looks just like Lily, minus the hair, eyes and skin colour. Not to mention that her name is Lillian and apparently she has told me countless times not to call her Lily.’
‘What’s different about those features?’
‘She has long black hair and black eyes, Elliot. Not to mention her skin looking as though it hasn’t seen the light of day for years.’
‘That’s not the same girl I woke up with this morning. How can you get a girl with those detail mixed up with your own sister?’ he suddenly demanded. ‘Did Reaver taking you out drinking last night?’
‘Trust me, I sober, and I’m telling you, apart from those three features, she looks and sounds just like your wife!’
Elliot was just about to reply when a loud and angry, ‘Logan!’ was heard in the distance. The staff members looked nervously at their Prince. None of them had ever heard their beloved queen so angry before.
‘That sure did sound like Lily…’ Elliot said uncertainly.
Next minute, an angry Lillian stood in the kitchen, shaking with rage. She had a handkerchief wrapped around her arm where Titian had injured her.
‘I see what you mean,’ Elliot breathed to Logan as Lillian’s black eyes found Logan. Her eyes then fell upon Elliot and narrowed.
‘Well, well, well, if it isn’t my old, childhood friend,’ Lillian said contemptuously. ‘What are you doing back here? Have you finally given up on the life of a commoner? Have you finally seen them for the filth they are?’
Elliot gapped at her. The King couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Lillian’s eyes travelled between the two men.
‘Let me guess; my brother and ex-friend have decided to gang up on me and kick me off my throne. Where are your rebel friends, Brother?’
‘Rebel friends?’ Logan repeated blankly.
‘Page and her followers.’
‘Since when have Page and I been friends?’ Logan asked Elliot. ‘I thought she still hated me.’
‘So did I, unless she forgave you on one of your outing with Reaver –‘
‘Why is it that when I don’t remember something, you automatically think the Uncle Reaver has gotten me drunk? When have I ever been drunk?’
‘Your eighteenth and twenty-first birthdays.’
 ‘Other than those times!’
‘Why would Uncle Reaver do anything with him?’ Lillian inquired. ‘He can’t stand the sight of Logan.’
Logan and Elliot exchanged a look. After all, Reaver was here yesterday trying to convince Logan to go out drinking with him.
‘Listen, I think you’ve gotten us mixed up with someone else,’ Elliot said finally.
‘I don’t think so,’ she replied, before muttering a strange language under her breath. When she had finished, a group of dead balverine souls stood around her.
‘H-how did she do that?’ Elliot stammered. ‘How did she use her Will without her gauntlets, and dark magic at that?’
‘I don’t know, but what I do know is that you should get to Page. Take Titian with you,’ Logan said loud enough for only Elliot to hear and barely moving his lips.
‘What are you going to do?’ Elliot breathed.
‘I’ll distract her. I’ll give you as much time as I can.’
‘You can’t! She’ll kill you!’
‘She’ll kill us both if we don’t and then who will warn Page?’
‘Good point,’ Elliot said, reluctantly agreeing.
‘Hey, Lily, you what to kill me? Then you have to catch me first,’ Logan said before throwing some porridge at her and running away.
‘Ew!’ Lillian screamed, trying to get it out of her hair. ‘You got it in my beautiful hair! You’ll pay for that, brother! Get him!’ she ordered to the dead balverines.
They immediately went after Logan.
‘I’ll deal with you later,’ the Queen added to Elliot as she went after Logan.
-----THE OTHER ME-----
Logan was beginning to tire. He had no idea how long he had been running around the castle or how much time he had given Elliot. What he did know, however, was that he was bound to get in the dead balverines’ path very soon. So far he had been lucky enough not to come anywhere near them. He was right, though. As he ran down a deserted corridor, he heard them howling behind him and before he knew it, one of them caught him and soon the entire pack was upon him. He cried out in pain as their sharp claws sliced the skin on his arms, stomach, chest, face and legs… but then it just stopped. They just backed away from him. At first Logan merely laid there, covered in his own blood, confused. However, everything became clear when Lillian bent down next to him.
At first she just stared emotionlessly at Logan.
‘Why are you doing this?’ Logan gasped as a few tears slid down his cheeks from the pain of all the deep cuts covering his body.
Lillian’s eyes narrowed and sunk her long, sharp nails into one of Logan’s deep wounds, making his scream out in pain.
‘You know very well why I want you dead, bother,’ she said coldly. ‘You want the throne. You want me out of the way. I know about your plan to overthrow me with your rebel girlfriend and Walter. I also want to revenge Father.’
‘I honestly don’t know what you are talking about!’ Logan growled.
Lillian smiled at him coldly.
‘After several nights in the dungeons and several days of torture… you’ll tell me everything,’ she whispered as several guards appeared. They had heard Logan’s cries of pain.
When they saw the dead souls of balverines, they automatically drew their swords and went to attack, but Lillian stopped them.
‘Stop you fools!’ she snapped.
‘But, your majesty,’ began a guard.
‘Silence! Take Logan to the dungeon!’ she ordered. 'He’s to be given no food, no water and no aid! However, he is to be whipped ten times every hour.’
‘Your majesty!’ a shocked guard exclaimed, unable to believe what he was hearing.
‘Just do as she says,’ Logan muttered, not wanting the guards to lose their lives on his account.
The guards hesitated, before gently helping Logan to his feet and taking him to the dungeons while Lillian dismissed her dead slaves and went to get ready for the day.
-----THE OTHER ME-----
Elliot watched Lillian leave the kitchen before he and Titian snuck out of the castle to find Page. After searching Bowerstone Industrial, the sewers and Old Quarter, Elliot ended up finding Page at the Bowerstone pawnbroker.
‘Page,’ Elliot said walking over to her as the pawnbroker looked up how much he could buy some old jewellery for off her.
‘Elliot,’ Page said in recognition. ‘Is Lily still asleep?’
‘No, she’s currently trying to kill Logan.’
‘What did he do this time? Swap her Pixie Tears perfume with ‘Eau D’Hobbe’ perfume again?’
‘Page, she’s literally trying to kill him!’ Elliot said seriously. ‘He might already be dead for all I know.’
‘What? Why?’ Page asked. Her eyes were full of concern.
Elliot quickly told her what Lillian had done and everything Logan had told him.
‘She even wants to kill me,’ Elliot concluded.
‘I don’t believe it,’ said Page, not wanting to believe it.
‘Then how do you explain that?’ Elliot asked when he saw Lillian walking to Bower Threads, Bowerstone Market’s clothing store.
Page looked out the pawnbroker’s shop window and when she saw Lillian her eyes widened dramatically. They then watched in horror as Lillian stole something from Bower Threads and killed the guards who tried to stop her with magic blades. They then watched as she lectured the guards about who ruled Albion and she was entitled to do whatever she wanted. They then watched her walk back towards the castle saying that she had a torture date with Logan.
‘This is bad,’ muttered Page, ‘but at least we know Logan is still alive. I’ll send word to Kalin and Sabine.’
‘Didn’t Kalin go back to Aurora?’
‘No. When Logan decided that he wasn’t ready to leave Lily, Kalin decided to visit Sabine in Mistpeak Valley to see if what he said about the Valley was true.’ She then sighed. ‘I guess it’s back to the old Bowerstone Sewers Rebel hideout. I never thought I’d have to use it again.’
‘I don’t think any of us did,’ Elliot replied sadly. ‘I hope Logan will be alright.’
‘He’s stronger than most people give him credit for,’ Page said softly. ‘He’ll be alright. Besides, I’m sure he’s got some unawakened Hero blood in him too. That should help him.’
‘I hope you’re right,’ Elliot sighed.
-----THE OTHER ME-----
Lillian began to realise that something was wrong on her return from Bowerstone Market. Everyone was too happy. There were hardly any beggars on the street and everyone greeted her cheerfully. Something had to be wrong. Usually the people would coward away from her while the gamer ones yelled and insulted her before she killed them. She even made children cry, but no, they were now coming over to her trying to give her flowers, gifts or trying to get an autograph. This made her uneasy. People didn’t just change their feelings of someone overnight.
And then there was Logan. He looked different, less buff, neater, and organised, whereas when she last saw him he looked like a scruff.
There was also the situation she woke up in. Every night she with fell asleep naked with Reaver or some prostitute, but it was mostly Reaver. And speaking of Reaver…
He was heading towards the castle entrance and he looked exactly as she remembered him. Maybe he could shed some light on Albion’s sudden change.
Knowing that he would be going to the War Room to discuss business with her, Lillian quickly went back to her destroyed room to change into her new dress. She would not allow the man she loved to see her looking like a scruffy commoner.
When she was dressed, she made her way to the War Room, scaring servants and guards as she went. Inside the War Room, she found Reaver sitting in his usual seat gazing out the window.
‘Morning, Uncle Reaver,’ Lillian said sweetly, entering the room.
‘Good morning - whoa!’ Reaver cut off when he saw Lillian and took in what she was wearing.
‘Do you like it?’ Lillian asked, giving a little twirl in her new black, silken, elegant, tight-fitting and revealing dress. ‘I just got it this morning. For some reason, all my dresses have disappeared and were replaced with commoner clothes.
‘You look beautiful, as always, my dear,’ Reaver replied, still staring at her as though he had never seen her before. ‘Has Logan seen what you are wearing?’ he added suspiciously. There is no way Logan would allow his little sister to prance around dressed like that. Even Reaver thought it was inappropriate for his goddaughter to be wearing.
‘No – why?’ Lillian asked, sitting on Reaver’s lap, making him move awkwardly. The last time Reaver could remember Sparrow’s daughter sitting on his lap was when she was a little girl.
‘He’s not going to like it.’
‘Why should what he thinks matter?’ Lillian asked while wondering why Reaver cared about Logan though all of a sudden. ‘Besides, it’s not like he can do much from behind bars.’
‘Logan’s in jail?’ Reaver could not believe what he was hearing.
‘Yes, and I’ll happily throw away the key,’ Lillian replied, now growing tired of talking about her brother.
Then, without warning, she took Reaver’s lips in her own, startling her godfather. His dead friend’s daughter was kissing him. He jerked away.
‘What’s wrong?’ Lillian asked worriedly. Reaver had never pulled away from one of her kisses before.
‘You kissed me,’ Reaver replied stating the obvious.
‘So?’ Lillian didn’t see the problem, but she was becoming apprehensive. She was starting to believe that Reaver was under some sort of spell like the rest of Albion.
‘What about your husband?’ he asked.
‘I don’t have one.’
‘You divorced him?’
‘How can I divorce someone if I’ve never been married?’
‘Right,’ Reaver said uncertainly, taking in Lillian’s appearance. ‘What’s with the new look?’
‘Oh, Uncle Reaver, how could you have been enchanted too?’ Lillian asked sadly. ‘I’ve always looked like this.’
Reaver looked at the Queen as though she had gone mad, while she absently ran her fingers through his hair.
‘Sweetie, have you ever considered that it might be you who has been – er – enchanted?’ he asked hesitantly. She was beginning to make him uncomfortable, something he had never experienced… except when he was a teenager.
He had watched her grow up and never once had she acted his way.
‘What do you mean?’ she asked.
‘Well, you’re saying everyone is acting differently, so maybe it’s you who have been enchanted into perceiving us wrongly.’
‘Or I’m dreaming,’ Lillian said with a slight laugh. ‘That explains everything.’
She suddenly got off Reaver’s lap and headed for the exit.
‘Where are you going?’ Reaver demanded. He was worried about her.
‘I’m going back to bed and when I wake-up, everything will be as it should be,’ she replied quite maddeningly, before leaving the room.
‘I hope so for everyone’s sake,’ Reaver said as he too left the room. He was going to find Logan to see what was going on.
Figuring that Lillian was telling the truth about Logan being locked away, Reaver headed for the dungeons below the castle and sure enough, he found a beaten Logan inside one of the cells with two worried guards outside. Logan was asleep so Reaver spoke to the guards instead.
‘What happen?’ he inquired sharply.
‘We don’t know, sir,’ one of them replied. ‘Queen Lily just decided that she wanted Prince Logan dead. She used dark magic and sent dead balverines after him. She then decided she wanted information about his girlfriend, Page, and ordered us to lock him up without food or water. What’s worse is that we are supposed to give him ten lashes every hour.’
‘Have you been complying?’
‘Of course not, sir!’ the other exclaimed. ‘Regardless of everything Logan did, we still care for our Prince. After all, he was only harsh to try and protect us. What kind of subjects would we be if we didn’t help him in his hour of need?’
‘Open the door,’ Reaver ordered, looking in on Logan.
The guard complied. He knew who Reaver was and knew that he outranked him.
With the door unlocked, Reaver went inside. When he first saw Logan, he thought that the Prince’s wounds weren’t that bad, but when he saw him up close, lying there covered in blood and looking very vulnerable, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He couldn’t even understand why Lily would do something like this to her beloved brother.
Reaver had watched them grow up together and after Sparrow died, Logan raised her, taking over Sparrow’s duty. He had never expected this to happen.
As though he was aware of Reaver’s presence, Logan groaned and opened his eyes.
‘Uncle Reaver?’
‘Do you really like being behind bars that much?’ Reaver asked, thinking back to when Logan had been arrested for Sparrow’s death, and then once more when Lily took the throne.
‘Very funny,’ Logan groaned as he attempted to sit up.
‘Lie down,’ Reaver said firmly, pushing Logan down gently. ‘Care to explain why your sister wants your blood?’
‘I wish I could, but I don’t know why myself. I have no idea where this sudden hatred has come from. Nor do I understand what she is on about half the time.’
‘You and me both, kiddo.’
‘You’ve spoken with her?’
‘Yes, and if she keeps it up, I’ll be the one locking her away.’
‘What did she do?’
‘Do you want me to sugar coat it or do you just would it bluntly?’
‘Give it to me bluntly.’
‘She looks like a slut and has somehow gotten it into her head that I enjoy kissing her.’
‘She tried to kiss you?’ Logan looked horrified.
Reaver nodded.
‘Can you watch her, please?’ Logan begged through a yawn.
‘I always watch out for my goddaughter, even if I don’t show it,’ Reaver admitted. ‘I just hope whatever she’s going through is over quickly.’
Meanwhile…
Lillian walked back to her room totally and utter convinced that she was dreaming. However, that theory was thrown out the window when she entered her room and was about to undress.
‘Hello, Lillian.’
Lillian immediately summoned her dead balverine minions and jumped out from behind the changing screen to attack the intruder.
The intruder was a woman in a red and white dress with a matching hood. She was also blind, judging by her eyes. Lillian immediately knew who the intruder was. How many times had Sparrow spoken of Theresa, the blind Seer of the Spire, who had raised him, cared for him and guided him?
‘Theresa,’ Lillian said stiffly. ‘What are you doing in my dream?’
‘This is not a dream, Lillian,’ Theresa replied seriously. ‘Your actions will have dire consequences and will ruin people’s lives.’
‘If this isn’t a dream, then why is everyone acting differently?’ Lillian demanded. ‘Or why my surroundings have changed.’
‘You are in a different world.’ Theresa’s reply made Lillian snort at the very idea. ‘You have switched places with the Lillian who lives here. That is why everything is different. In this world, Lillian is a fair and beloved ruler, who does everything in her power to make her people happy. She is the opposite of you.’
‘How is this possible?’
‘After Sparrow’s passing, a new world was created due to a choice,’ Theresa explained. ‘I choice made by you. In this world, Lillian understood why Logan took Sparrow’s life, compared to you who are still blinded by grief and hatred.’
‘As interesting as that might be, I wasn’t talking about different worlds,’ Lillian huffed, wondering how stupid her other self was to have fallen for Logan’s lies. ‘I was talking about me being in this goody-two-shoes world. Where is the other me, anyway?’
‘She is in your world. Some sort of magical force has taken you to each other’s world in order to help each other.’
‘I don’t need any help with anything,’ Lillian snapped, ‘unless it includes those rebels and my brother, but I can see why this other me needs my help. I went to the treasury this morning and saw that it was empty! What kind of relationship does Lillian have with Uncle Reaver here, anyway?’
‘She respects and loves her godfather, but they don’t always see eye to eye. I am yet to know of her agreeing to one of his business proposals.’
‘I can see now that she needs my help more than I first realised,’ Lillian said thoughtfully. ‘Her style is horrible, just like the company see keeps, save for Uncle Reaver. Her management of the kingdom is dreadful – what kind of ruler allows their kingdom to go broke? I’ll also have to improve her relationship with Uncle Reaver, seeing as there are a lot of benefits being close to him, and remove Logan from her life. She’s better off without him.’
‘Lily doesn’t need help,’ Theresa said firmly, knowing that Lily would flip if Lillian made even the slightest change.
‘So you say, but believe me when I say that she needs my help. In the end, who should know better than me? I am her, after all. Now leave before I stick my balverines on you!’
Shaking her head sadly, Theresa disappeared in shimmering blue light back to the Spire.