The Assassin's Daughter

I think I'll be more active here
== Warning ==
This story contains death, violence, and other subjects such as that. If you are not comfortable with any of those, then this story isn't for you.
== The Assassin's Daughter ==
Two girls. One death. One event that will change their life forever. 
Kailee Everest and her father live a peaceful life in the halls of the royal family's palace, serving as their official hunters. But all of that changes when Kailee's father is murdered, just before her sixteenth birthday. 
No one believes that her father was purposely killed. Everyone thinks that one of their knives must have slipped or something equally ridiculous, but Kailee is determined to uncover the truth - and take care of her father's murderer once and for all. 
Laralese Avery's parents were killed seven and a half years ago by a man - by Kailee's father. Since then, Lara's dreamed of avenging her parents. But when she kills the royal hunter, she doesn't feel triumph. Instead, she feels strangely...blank. 
Then Kailee starts to hunt her, and Lara is forced to flee the only life she's ever known. But the girls have more in common than they realize - and a common enemy as well. 
This is just an original story that I'm (CirrusCat) making in my free time. Probably (definitely) not going to be very short. 
Also: This is NOT FINISHED. Please do not edit. 
== PART ONE - The Murder ==
== Chapter 1 - Kailee ==
I crouch, my eyes trained on the deer in front of me. The deer flicks its cotton-tipped tail, and I can tell it's a male - large brown antlers rise a few feet above him. 
I shift my weight and ready an arrow. My father, standing next to me, keeps his eyes on the deer, but his mouth moves. 
"Get ready," he murmurs, his lips barely moving. 
I give him the barest nod and aim my next shot. 
The arrow whistles quietly through the air and pierces the deer's pelt. It slices through cleanly, and I see the moment of shock before the deer falls to its side, its eyes glassy.
Father strides over and inspects the deer. He nods at me. "Good and clean," he says. "This will do. The king will be ever so pleased."
I shoulder my quiver tighter. "It was all in a day's work." 
Father nods again - he knows the burden of being the royal hunter more than anyone else. 
I tie my quiver tighter around my body and help Father lift the deer. The tip of my arrow snaps off with a quick twang when Father removes it. I sigh - I'd been hoping to use it later. 
We haul the deer onto a canvas-covered wagon with the other animals we've caught. Father drives the wagon, and I practice silently stepping on a moving vehicle as it rattles along. 
Finally, we reach the castle. The guards grunt in recognition and lower the drawbridge. We wheel through gold-engraved wooden doors and enter into a long marble hallway. 
A few servants take the body of the deer to the kitchen for the cooks to prepare. I tilt my head at Father, and he leads us through the winding halls of the castle. 
We finally reach a back exit and Father opens the doors. We go past the gardens, past the gardeners, and get to our training ring: a rectangular space surrounding by wooden bars, the floor covered in sand. 
I step inside, my knives at the ready. Father unsheathes his sword. We've blunted the edges today so we won't hurt each other, but my stomach still twists at the thought of fighting my father. 
I stand in a readying stance: my knees apart, eyes trained on my target, feet light and tensed at the ready. But Father comes at me first. 
I spring lightly out of the way and whirl around, my knives flashing, and soon I have my father on the ground. "Yield," I say. 
He arches an eyebrow. "Never be fooled by false injuries."
Father leaps up, a blur of motion so fast I can't track his movements. His sword jabs at my chest, and I barely am able to get out of the way. 
I kick sand up into his vision, and in the space of that moment, I hold him still so that he can't run with my knives.
"Yield," I repeat. 
He smiles. "That was quick." 
I help him up, and we head back to the castle. I sheathe my knives, and Father rubs the grit from his eyes. 
But then silver flashes at the edge of my vision. I glance over, sure I saw something, but it's nothing. 
And then it happens again, and then I can only stare in horror as crimson bleeds from my father's chest. A girl stands over him, gray eyes fierce. There's a dagger in her hand, and another buried in Father's heart. 
Then I blink, and she's gone.
== Chapter 2 - Lara ==
I reappear in the forest, my face blank. The man is a killer. He took the lives of my parents. He deserved to die. 
I sheathe my daggers. My long, chestnut-colored braid swings in my face, but I push it out of my way. I bend down and press my fist against the trunk of a tree. 
A door clicks into sight and swings open silently, without a sound. I step into a long hall inside of the tree, hollowed out for someone to live in. 
There are several jugs of water stationed on a splintered wooden table, and an apple poses nonchalantly in a bowl. I reach for it and take a bite, swiping at the juice running down my chin. 
I set the apple down on the table and take a map, which is pinned up on the wall behind me. I unpin it and smooth it out, spreading it onto the table. 
It shows a map of the entire kingdom, and I've marked all of the spots where I've been and where my parents had relations or friends in. I brush a dark-veined leaf across the paper and squeeze carefully stored red ink onto the edges, then press it to the map to mark the castle. Where I went today. 
I still can't believe I snuck in. I've always wanted to take my revenge on the man who murdered my parents, and I've finally accomplished my greatest dream. 
But then what should I do now? 
I place my daggers on the table and study the map intently. Red dots line the kingdom. Most of them aren't mine - my parents, when they were alive, they really got around. 
I was eight years old when they died. We were in the airport, just about to board a plane to visit Dad's brother. All throughout, my parents kept glancing nervously over their shoulders like someone was following them. 
"Mom, Dad," I remember saying, "can we have lunch? I'm hungry." 
Mom smiled down at me. Even in my memory, she's beautiful, with her blond hair and bright blue eyes. "Laralese, it's only ten in the morning. You have to wait two more hours." 
I pouted. "But I'm hungry," I repeated. 
Dad looked tense. "We'll eat soon, sweetheart," he said, but I noticed he kept his eyes trained on the space behind him. Like he was looking for someone invisible.
I shouldered my bag. "Okay!"
Mom, also, was looking over her shoulder with a tense expression. "Lara, let's move," she said anxiously. 
"W-what is it?" I asked nervously, but my parents just tightened their grip on my hands and led me forward. 
Strange. My parents almost never got worried, but I let them lead me along like we were in an aisle in a child's toy store nonetheless. 
And then it happened. A dagger flew out of nowhere and pierced my mother's chest. My father shouted angrily and grabbed at her arm, his face a mask of fury, then blood spurted from his chest and a dagger protruded from his heart. I screamed and crouched by their lifeless bodies. 
“Lara,” my father managed, “r-run.” Then he closed his eyes for the last time, and I gently touched his chest before executing his last order: run. 
I’ll never forget you, I promise, I thought fiercely. 
But I did look back once, and I saw a man. He had dark salt-and-pepper hair, robin's egg blue eyes, and next to him was a girl my age. She nodded coolly at the man, whose hand was still outstretched. Then they disappeared into the crowd. 
I remember throwing back my head and wailing, a note of pure pain. 
== Chapter 3 - Kailee ==
The service is quiet. 
The priest says a few words, then the king and queen talk reverently of my father's work. All across the room, I see sympathetic looks and whispers, but I ignore them, slouching lower in my seat.
My entire body feels numb. I still haven't fully processed what just happened - but it's clear that it was real. 
I still remember the dagger sticking out of his chest. The shocked look in his eyes, the final breath that he'd heaved in the medic's tent. I remember clutching his hand, my eyes slick with tears, begging him over and over, "Stay alive. Stay alive. You have to." 
Throughout it all, I could still feel his heartbeat. The pulse in the thrum of his wrist. But then his chest fell for the last time, and I collapsed on the floor, letting the tears come. 
The next few days were a blur. 
I dimly remember all of the flowers and condolences people sent. I accepted them with a smile on my face to cover the pain, but curving my lips for so long seems to have made a permanent mark on my mouth. 
I don't remember my sixteenth birthday. No one did. 
Father and I were supposed to celebrate it by killing my first White Deer - a rare animal only the best hunters can take down. But that didn't happen, because Father is dead now. 
The funeral is finishing up. People start to trail to the reception, but I don't stay. I've lost my appetite anyway.
I tie my white-blond hair back in a messy braid and head for the training. When I reach the spot where Father died, my entire body shakes. Someone's already cleaned up all of the blood, but I can still feel the wetness. I can almost feel his presence. Like he's still here. 
The well-worn tracks of tears fall down my cheeks. I scrub furiously at my eyes, determined not to waste any more time on sadness. 
I step into the ring. Sand dusts the edge of my vision. I take another step forward, unsheathe my knives, and start my training. 
Silver flashes. I whirl at invisible enemies so fast that I nearly lift into the air. I spin and dive, ducking and dodging, but I don't stop until my hunger is sated. 
I twist my ankle badly and nearly fall more than once, but I continue, my anger driving me further and further. Finally I collapse onto the sand, unable to take much more. 
"Don't be too hard on yourself," a voice says. 
I look over. Leaning against the wooden bars is a young man a year or two older than me, flashing a quick smirk. His dark hair is carefully mussed, and he has strange eyes - one light gold, the other dark green. 
"Praveen," he says, offering me a hand. "My ma's the new seamstress. Queen Ana just hired her."
So that's why I haven't seen him before. I study him warily. 
"Kailee," my lips force out, and I immediately want to clamp a hand over my mouth. 
Praveen smiles. "Nice to meet you, Kailee." 
I rise to my feet to properly greet him, then a sharp stab of pain rushes up my ankle. I yelp and remember my left foot, which is twisted at an odd angle.
Praveen steps over the wooden bars and rushes to help me, slinging one arm over my shoulder. "Here," he urges. "One step at a time." 
My instinctive reaction is to push him away - no one's really touched me like this since my mother died of an unknown sickness. But I gradually find myself pulled to his warmth, and I can't look away from his kind face. 
It's actually kind of nice to have a friend. 
So I don't pull away. Instead, I let him guide me on every step, closer and closer to the castle. 
== Chapter 4 - Lara ==
You're such a fool, my mind mutters as I grab my bow. Reminiscing on old memories when you could be doing better things. 
I don't contradict myself. It's true, and I know it. Getting lost in a trip down my past isn't going to help anyone, much less me. 
I fill my quiver with arrows and shoulder the strap. Today, I'm not hunting to kill - my arrows are actually small darts, equipped with a small tube of sleeping poison. 
I open my door into a beautiful outside world. Leaves sparkle with fresh dew, and various cute forest animals decorate the treetops. Birds flutter from branch to branch, chittering about their random bird things. 
I clasp my quiver and bow tighter and take another step forward. My braid automatically swings around my face, but I push it back like it's an annoying insect. 
I venture deeper into woods, my steps growing softer and more confident as I go. Finally, after about thirty minutes of walking, I find a rabbit. 
It seems to have fled from civilization, and was treated horribly. A large patch of fur is missing from its side, and one of it's ears is nearly bitten all the way off. It stares at me with emaciated dark eyes, like it doesn't care if I kill it or not. 
I unsling my bow and shoot a dart. It lands perfectly, suctioning to the rabbit's pelt. It freezes for a moment, then falls over. 
I casually walk forward and oh-so-carefully remove the dart. Then I cradle the rabbit in my arms and start back to my home. I don't encounter any other hurt animals, but I don't mind. I'm fine with only one today. 
I rap sharply against the tree, careful not to jostle the sleeping rabbit. I lay it on a small blanket with surprising gentleness, and start to tend to its injuries. 
If only I could heal my heart, too.
== Chapter 5 - Kailee ==
I kneel at the edge of the grave, my head bent and my hands clasped in a simple prayer. 
I've come to Father's final resting spot ever since the funeral, leaving rose petals scattered across the gloom. I pray, I ramble on, I look for some sort of sign. Something that tells me what to do. 
But nothing comes. 
I know Father was murdered. I know some killed him with a purpose. But no one believes me - they laugh at my suspicions and dismiss my evidence with a wave of their hands. Even my best friend since my childhood, Percy, doesn't think that Father's murder is a valid answer. 
So I've decided to seek the truth myself. Then, perhaps, could everyone believe me at last?
I feel a twinge of pain and wince. My ankle is wrapped in white bandages, and I've been given fierce orders to stay in bed until it heals, but I've never been good at following orders. So I snuck out.
I rise to my feet and place a rose at the end of the grave. "Sleep well, Father," I whisper, then I turn around and head into the woods. 
I don't know why I went there, but there's something that tells me to. So I do. 
I weave through trees, occasionally glancing up at the sky to make sure it's not getting too dark. But then, I see her. 
Gray eyes. Dark hair. It's my father's killer, and she'll pay for every bit of the blood that dripped from his final wound. 
I clench my fists and follow her deeper into the undergrowth.
== Chapter 6 - Lara ==
A flash of gray and white at the edge of my vision, the barest hint of a blond braid disappearing into the foliage. I barely glance over and continue on gathering herbs for my slowly recovering rabbit. 
The girl can stalk me all she wants. I don't care. 
I rip up a sprig by its roots and inspect the pale green plant. Dirt clings to its stem, and I shake it off. 
I methodically start to strip the leaves off of the plant, then I place the final result into a basket on my arm. I feel ridiculous - Little Lara Riding Hood. What a dumb way to go - but I ignore the prickling feeling at the base of my spine and start for my tree home. 
I knock on the bark. The door swings open. I dump the basket on the table, and there it is - gray and white, moving so fast she's a blur. 
I find myself on the ground before I know it. There's a long, curved knife pointed at my throat, and my breath catches in my chest. 
A viceknive. Only the best can master it, and this girl is no exception. 
"Tell me why," she snarls. 
I'm completely paralyzed, even though my body wants to move. "Why what?" 
She frowns. "Why you killed him. Why you murdered my father."
She lets out a long exhale after this, like she's been waiting to say those words for a long time. 
I hesitate. "I - I don't know what you're talking about." 
"Don't play dumb with me! I know what you did!" The blade digs deeper into my throat, and it takes all of my willpower not to leap away and cry out. 
So. Denial won't work, either. 
"Because," I say, my voice like falling petals in the sudden silence, " he took the only world I've ever known away from me."
My voice grows husky. The girl blinks, and her hold on the viceknive becomes looser. 
"He killed my parents." My voice sharpens. "And since that day, I promised that he would play for their deaths. And that happened." 
I look her straight in her liquid amber eyes to let her know I'm not afraid of her. 
She hisses. "My father was a good man. Kind. He didn't deserve death. He didn't deserve this." 
"Well," I say softly, "neither did my parents, did they?" 
The girl retracts her knife from my throat and stalks away.
== Chapter 7 - Kailee ==
Dr. Landis clucks her tongue. "Miss Everest, why did you leave?" 
"I saw her! My father's killer!" Desperation rises in my voice, and I shift. 
Dr. Landis frowns. "That's very nice, dear, but you must stay still. It's not an easy process to replace the bandages." She wraps another around my ankle, and it's all I can do not to cry out in pain. It's as if she's already forgotten about my father.
"Now, no walking for at least a week or two," Dr. Landis says sternly. "You injured it badly before, but going in the forest? That was tough on your reflexes. I imagine you are still very sore. Miss Everest - I insist you rest for the day, doctor's orders." She smiles kindly at me. "Now, go get some sleep." 
She gently helps me to the nearest cot and adjusts my leg in a good position, but I barely remember anything. I drift off to sleep as soon as my head hits my pillow, but my dreams are anything but sweet. 
Father reaches for me, his hands stained red with blood. "Help!" he cries, but I can't, because I'm stuck in a block of ice, crying and screaming as I watch Father's death over and over stuck inside ice. 
The girl stares at me and her gray eyes harden. "Kailee. You should have stayed away. There's no reason for you to be trifling with adult matters. Never look at me again, girl. Or else you'll pay the price."
Her knives flash red.
I wake up screaming. 
Dr. Landis swoops in and places my tangled blankets around my torso and down again. "There, there. It was all just a dream." 
I feel embarrassed by being treated like a child, but her soothing touch relaxes me. I sit up unsteadily - after the events of today, there's absolutely no way I'm just going to be lying around the entire week resting. 
"I know it's hard, dear," Dr. Landis says, like she's seen my thoughts. "But you'll get used to it. I promise. Now let's get you back home." 
She personally calls a wagon, and the male driver in front just grunts and reaches his hand towards the doctor for cash, which she gives. Then she helps me pile onto the bag of the wagon in a comfortable position, and I settle quite nicely as we start towards home. 
The wagon creaks and rattles as it bumps over potholes and small rocks. Dr. Landis is staying behind - she has other patients to take care of, of course - but I can't help feeling a twinge of sadness when she finally disappears from view. 
I suppose Dr. Landis told everyone of my arrival, because two servants instantly bring me a seat. My first instinct is to wave it off - comfort is not a luxury I'm used to - but they insist. Even the queen herself comes down to see me. 
"I heard you hurt yourself, dear," she says sweetly. "I'm sorry, Miss Everest. I know these few days have been hard on you. But in the meantime, Dr. Landis has ordered you many comforts." She smiles, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. But I'm too tired to reflect on that.
The queen seems to notice. "Poor girl, you must be exhausted," she sympathizes. "Come, now. We'll set you up a nice room for recovery in no time." 
She snaps her fingers, and the two servants immediately scurry back to the castle. I lean back against my chair, ready to dream again. 
The last thing I remember is the queen brushing my hair away from my face and whispering, "This will be over soon. Don't worry." 
And then I fall into a deep, dreamless sleep. 
== Chapter 8 - Lara ==
I press pulped leaves onto the rabbit's seared-away fur, my hands still trembling. 
My encounter with the girl still runs through my head. I wonder if she remembers - but I doubt it. Palace folk forget things so easily it's ridiculous. 
I stroke the rabbit's velvety ears, murmuring words of comfort as it gently hops around the room. My job done, I place the plants in a small bowl of water and splash some onto my face, then I return to the rabbit. 
I cautiously pick it up with two hands and place it back in the little home I've made for it. It stares at me with pitiful dark eyes, and I smile. 
I tug lightly on its good ear, then start for the little room I hollowed out at the back of the tree. I follow a short hallway to a wooden door, unmarked, but I know it's mine - I'm the only one who's ever permanently lived here. 
I sit down on my bed and run my hands over the quilt. It was a gift from my mother on my eight birthday - she said it was practically a family heirloom, so I treated it with great care. 
I caress the quilt's warmth, then shake it off. What am I doing, acting like a fool like this? The hunter's daughter's visit must have rattled me more than I can admit. I leave my room as silently as I came in, shame burning an apology through my veins. 
I fix myself a small dinner, and eat by the light of the slowly setting sun. I slip a leaf to the rabbit then bring its little cage over to my room for safekeeping. 
I pat the rabbit's head. Soft fur runs through my fingertips, and I fold myself back into my bed. 
Exhaustion nearly overwhelms me, but at one point I wake up. The rabbit is slumbering, but if I look carefully I can see a shadowed figure slipping through the trees. 
What's going on?
Every fiber in my body warns me not to go, but curiosity wins over my fear. I slip out my bed and follow the woman through the trees. 
== Chapter 9 - the Queen ==
I slip through the shadows, my face hidden by a dark cloak. Branches and leaves seem to loom out at me, but I push past them and keep going. 
The world could be against me if they knew what I'm doing. My very kingdom could rebel on my rule. But this is for the best - and it's why I sent my Hunter to attack Sierra and Henri Avery all those years ago.
I step lightly through a patch of dead leaves and hop over a log, but it's only before I see the barest flash of a figure, running through the trees. But then it's gone. 
I blink, frown, then keep going. No one could be up at this hour. 
Twigs crackle underneath my feet. I hurry through the woods, so fast that it almost looks like I'm just a fluttering shape on the breeze. And then I see him. 
An older man, with dark hair and pale scars lining his face. He would be handsome if it weren't for the burn scars puckering his face into a vaguely humanoid lemon.
"You're late," he says in his raspy voice.
I bow my head slightly. "I am sorry. It was quite hard getting past the servants." 
"Then abolish them." 
This time, I can't help rolling my eyes slightly. "Sir, with all due respect, we do not need to resort to such...extremities."
He scowls, then lifts his head. "I assume we both know what we're here for?" 
I raise my chin and look him in the eye. "Quite right, sir."
He arches an eyebrow but doesn't say anything else. 
Finally, just as the night is interrupted by a swarm of sudden birds in the dark, a woman walks up to us. 
Her face is hidden, deep in shadow under the hood of her cape. But I can still see her obsidian-like eyes, dark as a moonless sky. 
Her hair tumbles down in long white-blond braid. Somehow, the dark blue cloak she's wearing makes her look more regal. And when she takes off her hood, she reveals inhumanly beautiful features. There's a cold smile fixed onto her lips, but she greets us with a thin smirk when she sees us. "And I suppose you're here for me?"
Her voice is dreamy, melodic. Enchanting. I have to resist the urge to grovel at her feet and tell her all about myself.
"Yes, ma'am," the man replies. He tilts his head slightly in a confused manner, like he's seen me before but doesn't quite remember where. "And you...Your Majesty." 
His mocking tone makes it clear that he respects me as much as a grain of sand likes people trampling all over it.
The woman smiles faintly. "The deal is sealed, I'm assuming as well. One for my magic?" 
I hesitate. I'm not sure if I want to take a deal as steep as that. Still...giving up a child for a wish? You've been scammed, my mind points out. 
But my kingdom has been through so many hard things these past years. A wish would make things...so much easier. 
Besides, we have plenty of children to spare.
So I nod, sealing our agreement. There's no looking back.
( i know this is messed up on so many levels, but i did warn you :))
== Chapter 10 - Kailee ==
I bolt upright. My hair is tangled back with my sheets, and I slowly exhale. 
Breathe. 
My nightmares have grown more frequent. I watch my father, slowly suffocating as I helplessly drown in an endless sea. My father, stabbed with a sword while I fall in down a seemingly unending mountain. But every time, those gray eyes stare right back at me with hatred in their dark depths. 
"This was all your fault," she hisses. And in the light, her knives flash red.
My mind seriously has no imagination. 
I take another breath before I slip out of my bed and open the door. I've never been good in confined spaces, and this is no exception. 
It's been exactly one week since my encounter with the girl who killed my father. I'm allowed to get up by myself, but Dr. Landis was strict about what I can and can't do. There are, of course, many other weeks of recovery and such, but I'm really, really tired of having a silly injury weigh me down. 
I open the door and peek out into the hallway. There's a lone servant, but she quickly scurries into a different room. Satisfied, I step out. 
I find my way through the castle's winding halls, but feel a twinge of sadness. Father was the one who used to lead us through the castle. He was the one who knew it best. 
I rub the sleep from my eyes and throw open a pair of glass doors into a beautiful night. An ice-pale moon and ghostly clouds drift across the sky. When I find the flowers and exotic plants sneaking up from the ground at my feet, I realize I'm in the garden. 
A small terrace is placed next to a wide river. I start toward it and climb onto a small wicker chair at the end, closest to the river. Moonlight ripples across the water, and I trail my fingers across the liquid. When I do, I can feel tiny minnows nibbling at my fingertips. 
I glance up and my heart falters. Across the night, I see a pale, antlered shape leap onto two feet. And then, at that moment, it has my father's face. He nods regally down at me, then he's gone. 
I unsheathe the viceknives, placed next to me. Slipped easily out of their well-worn leather sheath, they glisten rust-red in the light. 
I trace my finger among the serrated edge. Blood sinks from my gashed hand, but I barely notice it.
"I will avenge you, Father," I murmur, staring up at the dark night sky. "This I promise." 
== PART TWO - The Hunt ==
== Chapter 11 - Praveen ==
My pulse speeds up as I catch Kailee's eye from across the room. 
The Queen's summoned the entire castle for an important announcement. I haven't seen Kailee in two weeks, but every waking moment I spend is thinking about her. 
After I helped her exactly one month ago, we really sat down and talked. Though we can't interact that much - now that her father is dead, Kailee shoulders the burden of Royal Hunter alone, and Ma always makes me help her with her sewing - but the few moments we have are precious. We've become good friends over the course of the weeks. 
Does she know how much I like her? Can she tell?
My heart beats faster. 
I love Kailee's smile. I love her laughter, rare but wonderful and amazing all the same. I love the way her white-blond hair catches the sunlight just right when it tumbles down her back, and even when her face is twisted with pain she's beautiful. 
It seems so obvious to me. 
Ma found out two days ago. "Praveen," she'd said, "she's the Hunter. I'm just a lowly seamstress. Don't mess with politics or that girl - nothing can come out of it." Her tone made it clear how she feels about Kailee. 
But my feelings haven't changed, not one bit. 
She gives me a small, nervous smile now. She's braided back her hair with elegant golden filigree as a mark of her high status. She's wearing a long velvet evening gown, hemmed with white and gold. Her legs are hidden under her dress, but I can see the tight crease of pain in her face every time she moves. When her dress rustles, I can sometimes see the white bandages peeking out from it. 
We're cluttered among other people from the palace, servants and princes alike. I feel alone, the walls pressing in on me. 
Kailee slips through the mass of people to my side. She squeezes my hand, her braid swinging. "This must be really important," she says in a low voice. "I've never seen Queen Ana so worried." 
I tamp down my own anxiety. "I'm sure we'll be fine. It can't be that bad, can it?"
Queen Ana steps gracefully onto the podium, waiting until all of our chatter has died down. Her fingers tremble at her sides. 
Then she tells us, and I find out that things can really be that bad.
== Chapter 12 - Lara ==
I open the door of my tree home and carry the rabbit gently with two hands. 
It's been about a month since I killed the Hunter, and a little less than that since I found the rabbit. It should be okay by now, but I still feel nostalgic when I have to let go of it. It was my only companion, and now my home will be a tad lonelier without it. 
"Go on," I urge it, pushing it forward. "You've deserved it."
The rabbit turns and cocks it's head to the side, like it's asking me a question. 
I stroke its soft brown fur and look it into its dark eyes. "You're ready now, I promise." 
It takes one step, then leaps across the entire clearing. My smile could split my face in two...until it bounds out of my view and into the woods. 
My smile disappears. 
I don't want to go back into the tree and be reminded that the rabbit is gone - and, along with it, my only friend. I tilt my head back and breathe in the sunlight streaming through the trees. I like it better outside anyway. 
I have just enough time to dive in and grab my daggers in case of danger before I'm outside.
I'm just looking around now, sort of enjoying the scenery but also tense. On alert for any sign of a dangerous occurrence. 
I still remember that night when I followed the queen through the forest, meeting with a man and a strange woman. The queen had said she was going to exchange two children in exchange for a wish. 
And what would that wish be? I think angrily. A new necklace or a jewelry box?
I clench my hands into fists, but then quickly loosen when I realize by this time I've walked so far I've nearly reached the palace. But it isn't as immaculate as before - in fact, it's in a state of great disarray. Servants are packing up everywhere. 
I find one and tap her on the shoulder, and she whirls around in surprise. Her eyes narrow when she notices my knives, but she keeps quiet. 
"What is everyone doing? Why are you all packing up?" I ask. 
The servant bites her lip. "The...Her Majesty Queen Anneliese is in need of two children. She...she comes around the palace, asking us for children. I've - I've never seen her like this. And her eyes..." 
She points in the direction of the castle. Queen Ana sweeps down the steps, an eerie smile fixed on her face. Her eyes are pure black - no irises at all. 
I inhale sharply. 
The maid nods. "And that isn't even the worst of it. She says that we must give her two children by next week, and if we don't, she'll wish the kingdom into ruin. It sounds ludicrous, but she's deadly serious. And...I'm sorry, but I must go before she notices me!" The servant spins around and flees down the path. 
And, because I have no good luck at all, Queen Ana glides down to me. Her face is an icy mask, and her obsidian-like eyes whirl in hypnotizing depths. 
"Well, hello," she purrs. "Are you too bring me two children, as well?" 
I edge away. "Um...sorry, Your Majesty, but I must get going." I back farther and farther, but she keeps coming. 
Her face creases into a frown. "Why, you're that girl who killed my Hunter. He had such talent. What a waste, waste." She gives me her creepy smile. "Well, Laralese Avery, I hope we meet again." 
"How do you - " I start, then remember the maid's words. 
Just run before she gets you, Lara, I tell myself fiercely. 
So I do. 
I whirl around and run back into the forest as if my life depends on it, my knives a blur of silver in the sunlight. 
== Chapter 13 - Kailee ==
I smile politely, desperate to get out of the room. 
Queen Ana has become even more paranoid since she delivered her announcement. She's hired private bodyguards who are absolutely loyal to her first, and keeps an eye out for assassins everywhere. She's started acting more strangely, too - she didn't even care when all of the servants packed up and ran away. And she barely pays attention to the kingdom's needs, leaving her husband, King Elijah, to be the sole ruler. 
"We must increase taxes," Ana says with a strange buzz in her voice, desperation rising. Her black eyes bore into my skin, and I get the feeling that she's assessing my worth. "Otherwise the kingdom will never improve." 
"Dear," King Elijah interrupts, his voice tinged with exhaustion, "kindly explain how that will improve the kingdom. If we do not please the people, they may turn against us, and our kingdom will never survive that way." 
Ana closes her eyes. "And now are we suppose to attend to their every need? When they need dinner we'll make it for them? When the babies get a little boo-boo we should give them Band-Aids and hugs? No. if we raise taxes, we'll get more people to give up their - " 
"Wife, we have gone down this road before," King Elijah interrupts, rubbing his forehead like he's exasperated. "We are not forcing our people to give us their children." 
"But it is the only way to wish the kingdom into prosperity! I will be revered as the best ruler in history!"
Jeez, she sounds like a whiny kid. I don't say that out loud, though, occasionally glancing at the exit. 
Dr. Landis pokes her head into the room. She clears her throat to get our attention and says, "May I borrow Miss Everest, Your Majesties?" 
"Absolutely, go forward," King Elijah says. "Me and my wife need to have a talk." He turns to Queen Ana, unaware of the vulnerability he shows in every line of his face. 
Dr. Landis beckons to me and I hurry out as best as my injured ankle will allow, glad for an excuse to get out of there. Her face is creased with worry, and as we rush down the hallway, she whispers, "Mrs. Greenwood is ill."
I cover my mouth in shock. Oh, no. That's Praveen's mother - he must be devastated. 
"Are they okay?" I ask worriedly. 
"Your friend is fine, just very persistent. He hasn't moved from his mother's side, but she may not survive." Dr. Landis shoots me a look that seems to tell me not to report this bit of information to Praveen. 
I'll understand. "Is there anything that can help her?" 
Dr. Landis hesitates. "There's an apothecary I can recommend - they've dealt with this before. They could work miracles, but the Greenwoods just...don't have enough money." 
A fiery rage runs through my veins. "Can't we give them any?" 
Dr. Landis shakes her head. "You know the queen has forbidden that sort of thing." She mutters under her breath, "Ana's become even more insufferable since she met with the Huntress." 
This catches my ear. "What?" 
"Nothing. Just talk." Dr. Landis, hesitates, then says, "Now, you didn't get this from me, but a servant told me that she saw the queen sneaking away to meet a goddess-like woman in the woods. At the time, I dismissed it for just nonsense, since she was delirious from a sickness, but I found...evidence of a possible meeting since then. So I asked her to confirm it once she was well. She brought me with her, and I saw it with my own eyes. The woman she meets with matches exactly with the depictions of the Huntress in the temples, but it's impossible." 
"I won't tell." I make a zipping motion with my hands, and Dr. Landis attempts a faint smile. 
By now we've reached her medical tents, and I look inside to see Praveen. His mismatched eyes are filled with sadness, and at his side is his mother. She appears to be sleeping, but every so often she cries out, and Praveen flinches. 
Dr. Landis gives me a slight nod. Her job is to take care of the patient, but I'm Praveen's friend. I can reassure him better than she could. 
I beckon for him to come to me. "Want to take a walk?" I ask. 
He doesn't return my smile. "Sure." 
"Come on. I know a great place." I try to fill my eyes with as much excitement as possible, but some of my worry and fear must've showed up in them, because Praveen immediately follows me with only one hesitant look back at his mother. 
"She'll be fine," I tell him softly. 
He barks a laugh. "In the past, maybe. But now? No chance. This is the same illness that killed my aunt and her children. Once they're inflicted, they can't be healed."
"Dr. Landis was telling me about an apothecary that could help." 
"That's just stuff and nonsense. No one escapes this sickness alive. And besides, we don't have the money." 
I squeeze his hand. "I'm sorry." 
He shrugs. "Don't be. It would've happened anyway." Praveen acts casual, but I can see the tears brimming at the edge of his eyes. 
"I - I'm sorry." I gasp abruptly. 
He blinks back his tears. "What is it?" 
"She's here." I spit out the words. "My father's killer." 
Praveen is instantly alert. "What? Where?" 
He's the only one who's ever believed that Father was murdered. I laid out the evidence and pointed out what I'd witnessed, and that I would never lose my grip on my knives anyway. He agreed, especially after seeing me dual-wielding viceknives. 
"There." I point. Behind us, a blur of gray and black heads for the forest. 
Praveen hisses something that I'm glad I can't hear through his teeth. 
"Praveen, I - I have to find out what happened. I need to learn why. Last time I followed her, it was a disaster, but - "
"I'll help you," he says. 
I can't believe my ears. "What?" 
"I'll help you," he repeats. "If I'm the only one who believes you, then I'm the only one who can help. Besides, I kind of need a distraction right now." 
I can relate. "Okay. But don't say I didn't warn you if it's dangerous." 
He smiles, and I can see a familiar glint in his eye. "Let's do it." 
== Chapter 14 - Lara ==
I walk briskly back to the tree, determined not to draw the eye of curious onlookers. 
By that, I mean the squirrels and chipmunks perched all among the forest floor, staring at me with appraising eyes. I ignore them and knock on the bark once. 
The door swings open and I stroll inside. I hear a slight banging sound like someone's come after me, but when I whirl around, no one's there. 
I frown, sure that I saw something. But it must've just been the wind - 
And then I see it. Gray and white, blurring with the form of a boy wearing dark green and brown. The girl's viceknives are out before I know it, but my reflexes move quicker than my mind and block the strike with my daggers. 
"Why can't you just leave me alone?" I snarl at her wide eyes. 
She narrows them. "Maybe if you hadn't killed my father, we wouldn't be having this talk!" 
She pushes her blades harder towards mine, and I spin around before I lose my balance so that now I have the upper hand. 
"I hope you've realized by now that he killed me first!" My memories of my parents' death come rushing back, and sudden tears spark to my eyes. Which is why, I, foolishly stab my dagger at her chest, leaving my throat and torso free for her attack.
She could've ended me, there and then. But she lowers her viceknives and stares at the space where my heart should be. 
And then she stalks out of the doorway, the boy following her in a similar position. She only looks back once to say, "We're not going to fight now. But the next time we see each other will be on the opposite sides." 
I understand immediately. 
"I know," I whisper as I watch her leave, my eyes still damp with tears. "And I hate that."
== Chapter 15 - Kailee ==
I sink to my knees, my knives clattering to the ground. Praveen tries to hand them to me, but I wave him off. 
"Why?" I whisper. "Why did she do it? Why did Father kill her family? Why is everything a lie?" 
Praveen gently takes my hand. "Not everything's a lie," he says. "I'm here." 
I squeeze my eyes shut. "But she said...she said...Father assassinated her parents. Her mother, her father. The 'only world she knew.' I wish I knew why he'd done that." 
"Remember this," Praveen says suddenly. I crack one eye open to see him staring at me with an odd expression. "Your father was the queen's Royal Hunter before he was your father. He was a noble man, but he always put his duties before him. When he had time for you...it was only to train you, chide you, or bring you to a royal office." 
I'm about to argue for my father, but when I think back on everything we ever did Praveen is right. 
"One more thing, though." I open both eyes and stare at the ground. "He took me with him on his assassinations." 
Praveen snickers. "Did he have a problem, or what?" 
I glare at him. "He was my father! And he was the Hunter, but he's gone now, so show him some respect!"
Praveen blinks. "I - I'm sorry. I won't." 
"No, you won't." I step away before he can answer. 
I know our conversation has escalated to something that seems to be less important. But I'm so worn out, between the days of conferring with the queen and checking in with Dr. Landis, and the sleepless nights of unrest, I would've poured my frustration out on anyone. Even my friend. 
The last thing I see before I leave the woods is Praveen's face, twisted in hurt. Category:Literature
Category:Fiction
Category:Fantasy
Category:Original Stories
Category:Original Stories (Unfinished)