Deepest Betrayal

Through the Eyes of The Past

               Blair blinked and looked around, she felt weak, and unbearably hot. She looked around. She lay on the bed in the room she was just in but things were different. The blankets were no longer dusty and old. They were new and freshly laundered. The mirror was no longer cracked, and the wood aged and rotting. Then she remembered, she was inside the ghost's memory. She had promised to show her this great enemy that she would soon have to face if she hoped to not suffer the same fate as her many unknown ancestors, and her beloved mother. She took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves and waited. The door to her room opened and in walked an elderly man in a long black robe, carrying a bag. He walked up beside the bed and placed his hand on Blair/the ghost forehead. Trailing behind him stood a very handsome king. He had eyes of the deepest emerald and flaming red hair. A neatly trimmed bread accented his strong jaw and a crown of delicate silver leaves set upon his head. He walked over to the other side of the bed and took Blair's hand. 

       "Cora, do not fret my love. I have found a way to save you. I won't let you die!! I can't let you die."

       Cora/Blair shook her head weakly and licked her lips. She tried to utter a few words, but she was so very weak they died in her throat. She looked at the old doctor and silently begged him to tell him to not go down this path. That she was perfectly fine with her passing. She had come to terms with it. She had born a fine heir for the king. A bouncing beautiful boy who was the exact image of his father. The lineage would continue just fine without her. The doctor shook his head and leaned across the bed to whisper into the king's ear. The king frowned and fervently hugged Cora. 

       "Then we shall perform the ritual tonight. I refuse to accept what you say. There is hope yet!"

   With that the king turned and stormed the castle. The old man took a cloth wet it in the basin by the bed and laid it on Cora's head and gave a pitiful look. His eyes swam with tears. Blair could tell he blamed himself for the queen's illness. 

     Don't blame yourself, you did all you could. Blair heard Cora think. 

      "If only you had not chosen to become human, dear sister. You wouldn't be laying here suffering. Tell me was love truly worth all this? I learned my lesson years ago." 

       Oh shut your mouth, your three month infatuation with Donna is hardly anything to compare our love to. You barely even considered shirking your immortality for her, and yes brother, yes it was perfectly worth it. It was worth every second, Colin. Cora thought to herself. 

    Colin? Immortality? What is she talking about? Blair looked closer at the elderly man sitting at the bedside applying the cooling cloth to Cora's head. No he didn't look like the Colin she knew. Cora turned her head to look at the man sitting at her side. 

      " Brother, I fear my king is dabbling in things he knows not. We must find a way to stop him. The sun will be setting in an hour, help me to my feet, dearest brother. Surely, together we can get him to listen to reason."

      The old man reached a frail and trembling hand towards Cora and gently helped her to her feet. Blair inwardly groaned, she could feel the absolute agony every movement was causing Cora. She felt as if she was standing on shards of glass and someone was jabbing red hot pokers into her from every angle. A strong metallic taste formed in her mouth as Cora began to cough vehemently. The Colin that now held Cora up held up a handkerchief to Cora's mouth and it came away stained with blood. Worry filled his eyes and tears glistened, but he took a step forward, helping her shuffle forward slowly, agonizingly to the vanity., and helped her to sit onto the seat. Blair mentally gasped when her/ Cora's eyes went to the mirror and suddenly Blair knew, knew exactly what had befallen Cora. she had the tell tale red rash across her face and in spots the rash had become raised bumps. This was no strange malady that had befallen this queen. Poor Cora had been the unfortunate victim of the plague. Blair blanched, how long could smallpox live on a surface? She was now laying on the very bed Cora had lied on, what if she herself was now infected. Cora sighed. 

     " I suppose there is no time for me to be vain, we must hurry to him."

     " Dearest sister," Colin said, " you are too weak to even stand, there is no way you can make it to the catacombs."

     "I must try."

   Colin shook his head and muttered a few words. He placed his arm around Cora and Blair felt a gentle breeze blow across her face and a cooling sensation fill Cora's body, the pain though still present subsided and Cora was able to stand unassisted. She stood trembling as if doused in ice water. 

     " Why Colin? Why have you given me your strength? I needed you by my side now more than ever!"

     Hurry Cora, this won't last long, go find your king and get him to stop,  A breathy raspy voice came to Cora's ears. She gathered her skirts and turned to run. She knew she had little time, the moon was beginning to shine in the night's sky. Her heart pounded faster with each step she trod. She reached the long winding, damp staircase leading down to the depths of the catacombs. The torches were lit and the strong smell of incense came to her nostrils. She could hear the king ordering someone around. 

  " Draw the lines straight you dolt, the slightest waver and you anger the spirit! You secure the sacrifice and keep it quiet!!" 

    Cora crept quietly forward, what in the hell was he doing? She peeked around the corner and her hand flew to her mouth. on the floor was, drawn in ashes mixed with what she could only assume was some type of animals blood, was some kind of odd symbol, with black candles positioned at six of it's points. A  naked woman, bound and gagged, was brought forth and forced to her knees in the middle of this odd circle. Her king strode forward and faced the woman.

    " Oh cry not darling, you did jump at the chance to service the king, did you not? You foolish, vile woman. Did you REALLY think I would so heartlessly shirk my once flawlessly beautiful queen to the side to lay with you? A woman of mediocre beauty and only one talent whom I heard from a vast amount of men is in itself lacking? No, today you shall serve an even greater purpose. A purpose maybe too great for the likes of you."

   The woman struggled and Cora could hear her muffled protests. The king back handed her hard across the face and Cora could see the bloody indention of the great silver falcon signet ring he always wore on her cheek. Cora grimaced. 

    "Be quiet you harlot," the king roared, " You bring forth the blade!"

  A trembling servant stumbled forward and carefully unwrapped a wickedly curved dagger, it had been anointed in a foul smelling liquid. The fragrance of which made Cora gag. 

   " Beautiful isn't it? Now my dear, I must thank you for so selfishly providing the final ingredient. Soon our queen shall be back to her beautiful self and you, well you shall be dead as all sluts should be." 

   Oh dear god, no, he intends to kill this woman, Blair thought, this was the fabled human sacrifice that she was told happened here. Oh god, Cora stop him!!, but Cora was completely petrified in place, utterly frozen in place by the scene unfolding before her very eyes. The king gave a signal and six men Cora had never seen in the castle before strode forward dressed in a long black cloak with the hood shadowing their faces. They each picked up a candle and began circling the woman, chanting in a strange monotone, something both Cora and Blair vaguely recognized as Latin. As they finished each line they held the candles out and dripped the hot wax on her face. Muffled cries of pain reached Cora's ears but she remained rooted in place. she recognized some of those words. The king was unwittingly summoning a demon, one who was believed to reign over the nine levels of hell itself. She had to stop him she went to move forth and she found that the strength Colin had loaned dissipated. She crumbled to the floor, shaking and panting from sheer agony. The king stepped in front of the woman and raised the blade high over his head, it glinted wickedly in the candle light. 

     " Accipe sacificium placet ducem et procedent!," he screamed and plunged the dagger down, thrusting it deep into the woman's chest. Blood sputtered from under the rage and her eyes became glossy and blank, she slumped forward and the king pulled the blade from her chest and let her fall face down. 

       "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!," Cora screamed, but it was too late.

    A sudden cold gust of air filled the room extinguishing all light within. The very stones shook and a horrible growling was heard coming from the floor below the dead woman. Hands materialized from the ground and drug the woman down through the very stone she laid upon. A sickening crunching and slurping was heard as if someone or something was consuming the body. Cora felt bile rise in their throat.

    "It's working!!," the king shouted, and Cora blanched even more. 

   He sounded completely deranged. She pushed herself to crawl forward with the last little bit of strength of strength remaining in her already extremely body. The short distance to her king might as well have been miles. She knew she could not make it to him. She laid upon the stone floor, tears flowing down her cheeks, silently cursing herself for being so fragile. Heavy smoke burped forth from the floor and a strong smell of sulfur filled the room. slowly a black figure rose from the floor. The smoke cleared and before them stood a rakishly handsome male THING. Sweat glistened off of skin that had a slight reddish hue to it. His eyes were entirely black and flashed with malicious intent. He had long flowing black hair, that came to a stop just above his ankles, his feet however were not in any way human. They appeared as if someone had combined them with that of an eagles, long sharp claws protruded from every toe. He had long strong muscular legs and a pair of what appeared to be tattered bat wings flapped keeping him alight  slightly above the floor. He smiled and a row of perfectly white pointed teeth was revealed. his opened his mouth slightly and a forked tongue flicked out and struck the air. Cora had no doubt she was looking at the very incarnation of pure evil. 

     " You are the one who summoned me here, what purpose do you wish me to serve?" he questioned the king as he landed and strode forward, stopping mere centimeters in front of him.

       " Blessed prince of the deepest despaired, my queen is in falling health, we know not what malady has befallen, I beg of you to grant my most desperate of wishes and give me the hidden knowledge to save my beloved's life that only you possess," the king begged. 

     " I can give you this knowledge, mortal, if you so choose, but you must enter my embrace willingly and know that once you have done so your soul will never be allowed entrance into heaven. Are you truly willing to make such a sacrifice?," the demon asked placing a hand under the king's chin and gently licking his face with its forked tongue. 

     "For her, I would gladly let the devil himself ram me up the arse, if it meant her life would be spared," the king answered.

    " Mmmm, such devotion... I find it very refreshing, so be it."

   The demon encircled the king in his arms and bit down on his neck, causing blood to flow down his neck. Cora looked on in horror. He had summoned this thing in a desperate bid to save her and it looked like he had been betrayed. The servants in attendance rushed forward in an attempt to free and save the king and upon laying their hands onto the demon instantly burst into flames. When the king had become limp he tossed him to the floor and bit into his wrist with his very sharp and pointed teeth, and held the bleeding wrist to the king's mouth.

  " Fulgor consurget tibi ad servitutem nisi per novam a me,"  the demon roared and the king's eyes flew upon and he grasped the demon's wrist and sucked deeply. The demon moaned and fell to his knees stroking the kings hair. 

    " Yes, yes, that's enough." the demon said and pulled the king back away from his wrist.

   The king fought and snarled at the demon his eyes now wild and as deeply black as the demon, his feet kicked out as he tried to grab the demon's wrist to drink even more blood unknowingly sending the dagger skittering across the floor to rest beside Cora. She wrapped her cold and pale fingers around the hilt and prayed to God to give her the strength to do what must be done. More tears streamed down her face, and she felt her heart break into. Her loving king was no more. He had been tricked to selling his soul this devil and entered himself into an eternity of mindless servitude to it. 

     " Oh, still hungry? Oh, darling you do daddy so proud. Now, now we mustn't forget your beloved little queen now should we and what a surprise she brought her lovely self here. Now darling kindly go do what I did to you to her. Don't worry she doesn't have to be quit so willing as you were."

   The king stood and strode forward to Cora. He reached out to take her in his arms. 

    Never, never, I won't become what you are. I love you but I'd much rather die. Cora thought and thrust the blade into her chest. Blair felt the very minute the blade pierced her heart. An indescribable pain filled her body then everything went black. She only barely heard the demon screaming about how the king dared betray his pact before her eyes fluttered open and she was once again in the decaying chambers of the long forgotten queen grasping her chest, and gasping for air. So that's what she had to defeat? Dear god in heaven above. How in the world was she ever going to?

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