Skarlet
1111 Words
Freya
"Have you had dinner yet?" Galen asked. I was lying on the bed with my back turned from him. I didn't answer him. Galen walked over and sat on the bed next to me. "Here." I turned around and saw him holding a plate full of food.
"What is this?" I asked.
"What does it look like?"
"It's for me?"
"Duh, now go on eat," I looked into Galen's eyes and saw warmth. It was the same warmth I had seen long ago. The kindness in his eyes when we first met.
"Thank you," I said as I sat up. I took the plate from him and began eating. Galen simply watched me. "How was your trip?"
"It was interesting," he said. "I acquired more land."
"Not by force, I would hope," I smirked. He smiled. It was as if I was seeing something rare. Something mythical that no one else had ever seen.
"What?" he questioned.
"Nothing, you just seem, different," I wanted to say happy but I don't think that was the right word.
"I am enjoying spending time with you," he said.
"Galen," I touched his hand. He jumped out of his skin. Perhaps shocked at my actions. He leaned in closer but I moved back. His eyes shifted. He threw the plate on the ground and pushed me back on the bed. Galen hovered over me and looked deep into my eyes. His eyes looked wild and dark. Tears began to form in my eyes. His hands came to wrap around my throat. My eyes closed and opened. His smirk turned monstrous. One hand left my throat and tore open my top.
"Don't. Do. This," I said stumbling on every word because of his chokehold. He began to take off his clothes. "Earth mother, please help me," I thought to myself. Galen forced himself on me. There was not much the Earth mother could do but make me numb. I didn't feel any pain. My mind thought of meadows and butterflies. I was in a trance until it ended. He left me there. When I escaped my trance I cried myself to sleep but not before I vowed to myself that I would stop him. I wasn't interested in saving him like Revan was, not anymore. I wanted to kill him.
The next day, Galen was preoccupied with king business. I told Liz to tell me how to sneak into the cells. I wanted to meet this mage she told me about. I headed down to the holding cells. There were many people down here but I didn't see the mage. At the end of the corridor, there was a red door. There were markings on the door.
"Are you looking for me?" a voice said from behind the door. "Erase the markings and you may enter."
"I'd be a fool to do so," I said.
"Perhaps but you need me, don't you?" she said. I took a deep breath and erased the markings. I entered the darkroom and noticed there were more markings. They were on the floor and on the ceiling. They were everywhere.
"Hello, who might you be?" she asked.
"My name is Freya," I told her.
"Oh, you're the queen," she said.
"I am not a queen," I said firmly.
"Not yet," she smirked.
"So, who are you? And why are you locked in here?"
"My name is Skarlet," she said. "My brother and I came to this village just to pass the time. The old king grew suspicious of us and asked us for a favor."
"Yeah, I know what that's like," I said.
"So, we granted him that favor but it came with a cost," she explained. "We got to stay and were given a high status here in the castle but Galen took it away the moment his father was killed."
"Why doesn't Galen want your help?" I asked. "It seems he could gain so much from it."
"He already has all the help he needs," Skarlet said.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked.
"Humans are vulnerable and stupid. When they mess with the supernatural realms, they are put in more danger than they can imagine," she said. "Galen and his father decided to use our magic, our power for their own selfish reasons. They didn't realize they were drawing attention to themselves."
"Like Aizen," I said.
"Yes, the Lycan king didn't like that very much but he still meddled and used them for his own purposes but he wasn't the only one," Skarlet said. "The fiend also grew curious of these two men who decided to play king."
"The fiend," I said. "The demons."
"Yes, one, in particular, took a liking to Galen and struck a deal with him," Skarlet said. "Tell me you didn't notice the change in him. The cruelty in his eyes."
"Do you know the deal?" I asked.
"Power, I presume," Skarlet replied. "I am not sure of the details but isn't it always about power. All I know for sure is that Galen is turning darker and darker by the minute. He will grow mad with time."
"Is there a way to save him?" I asked just to be sure.
"There is always a way but does he want to be saved?" she countered. "Galen asked for this of his own free will. He knows this was going to happen and yet he didn't care."
"Just answer me clearly, what can I do to save him?" I asked. As much as I was sure I wouldn't, maybe I should consider it. Galen was a puppet in all this. I knew the fiend and what they do to humans who are weak. I would try once. Just once to see if I could save him. If I can't then I will find a way to kill him.
"I can help you," Skarlet said.
"You are locked up here because you tried to kill him but you failed," I said. Skarlet smirked.
"You are a smart one, I'll give you that," she said. "Galen killed my brother and he tried to keep me as a trophy. He forced himself on me and tried to break me but I won't be broken. I will kill him for all he has put me through." My own memories of last night surfaced in my mind.
"You couldn't stop him alone," I said. "I will help you but I don't intend on killing him just yet and I don't think I can trust you just yet."
"Freya," Skarlet called. "If you hesitate and he finds out about your plan. He will kill you first."
"Let him try,"
- Writer
