FORBIDDEN BLOOM

22 — THE BEGINNING OF THE END

VANESSA

Something slammed into me hard enough to send me tumbling to the ground. It was followed by a sharp sound of agony before it faded off.

I waited one second. Two. The sting of claws never came.

My eyes flew open only to be greeted by the sight of the empty pavilion still littered with bodies of the dead guards.

Leonidas was…gone. Vanished into thin air.

“No. Leo…”

Forcing air into my lungs, I tried to stand up but some invisible weight kept me from moving.

Just then, warm liquid seeped into my dress bringing me back to the reality I almost detached from.

It was from a man’s body draped over mine. A scream of terror died in my throat when I found four deep gashes on his back.

The man had tried to save my life.

Just then, he moaned weakly, stirring.

Thank God, he was still alive.

“Vanessa…” It was no more than a whisper but I knew that voice anywhere.

“Lysandros?” I cradled him gently into a sitting position. “Have you lost your mind?! Why would you do that?!” I cried, watching his eyelids flutter weakly.

“It…doesn’t matter. I-I don’t care…if you...pick Leo o…over me.”

“Stop talking, just…stop talking.” I threw my gaze around me, lucky to find guards approaching. “Help us, please. He’s badly injured.”

Shock gave way to the tears would not stop falling down my face like I was some pathetic child.

I was badly shaken up, I couldn’t even control my emotions as they danced all over the place.

People lost their lives tonight because of me.

Lysandros might have been a self-absorbed prick, but he did not deserve to be on the receiving end of a fight that was never his fault.

It was all me. I should never have listened to Rose.

The guards had lifted him off my thighs and rushed him out to safety while I stood to my feet, fighting off the chill I felt.

“Did you see where he went?” I asked one of the guards who remained by my side. “Your King...did you see him?”

“That was no King of mine. That was a beast and he shall be brought to dust.” It was more of a promise than mere words.

I found myself rising to Leonidas’s defense. “You have served your king for years and you don’t know what he is capable of? He will never hurt anyone intentionally.”

The guard looked me over, not bothering to mask the disgust he felt.

“That is the royal decree and it’s what it shall be.”

“Whose decree? Lysandros is still alive–”

“Barely,” he interrupts. “Depsite whatever happened tonight, the kingdom needs to rely on someone more trustworthy. The brother of a beast? No.”

I felt my heart go up in flames as I realized that Rose’s wishes were moving according to plan and nothing was going to stop it.

Even if Lysandros made it out alive, the council no longer trusted him.

“There she is.” A voice shouted. “The witch!”

Lo and behold, it was Rose with a few guards trailing behind her.

My hands shook with barely contained fury. “You,” I spat with so much venom. “You’re the reason why this Kingdom is falling apart. Why don’t you tell them what you did to Leonidas?”

“Nonsense!” She sneered with a dirty look. “I have lived and served in the royal council for years. Why would I suddenly decide to harm my own King?”

She turned to the guards, pointing a long finger at me.

“Ever since she set foot in this place, it’s been cursed. Your King intended to make this witch your Queen and now she has ruined your lives forever. Seize her!”

The guard closest to me grabs my arm but I dodge out of the way and seize his sword, striking him down in a heartbeat.

Let that serve as a warning to the others.

“He’s merely unconscious. I don’t want to harm anyone tonight.”

“Do not let her rope you in with her charms. Strike her down!” Rose piped up like diesel to fire, egging the men who continued to approach me.

I wrapped both hands firmly around the hilt of the sword, determined to kill anyone to get out of the mess I was in.

There was nothing here left for me anyway.

As tension climbed to a high and adrenaline flooded my veins, someone’s timely intervention stopped the bloody m******e that was about to happen.

“That’s a lie! Rose is the one you should be wary of.”

We all turned to see a man approach us. I recalled meeting him on the night of the ball as well, the one supporting Rose during the dinner.

Rose’s face had a sickly pallor when she set her eyes on the newcomer.

She sneered. “And why should we listen to you, old man? You abandoned your duties and ran away.”

His eyes found the witch now glaring at him.

“She is a vengeful witch who has plans to put her son into power and demote the true heirs of the throne.” The man spoke slowly, as though he was counting his words. “Hold her responsible for His Majesty’s life.”

I felt my shoulders sag in relief.

“She is the one who incited Lysandros against Leonidas after placing a curse on him to drive him crazy,” I added, determined to expose her.

Finding the courage to.

“Such wicked lies to stop the truth,” she snapped, fighting to be heard. “Are we going to listen to a defaulter and a killer over a faithful council member?”

The guards looked between us with conflicting thoughts. I could sense the divide between them as some looked doubtful of Rose.

Others? They remained behind the witch, willing to put their lives down for what they felt was the truth.

“Mom, is that true?” A familiar voice echoed behind me.

I looked behind me, shock nearly throwing me off balance when I found out who it was.

The Duke…Noel. Of all the people.

“She is your mom?” I quizzed, looking between both of them, then gripping my sword tighter. “But how?”

He didn’t even spare me a single glance. His gaze remained fixed on her, different emotions warring on his features.

“The former Duke…” he murmured to himself like he was piecing together a puzzle. “He…he also went rabid before I was put into power.”

Some of the guards defending Rose slightly lowered their weapons as though they could see it.

The truth.

Rose let out a nervous laugh. “What are you talking about, Noel? He had insanity in his blood. That had nothing to do with me.”

“But I overheard you.” Noel looked at the older man, firmly. “I overheard both of you the other night. Or are you going to deny it?”

The man cast a weary look at Rose first, then at Noel, before lowering his head in shame.

“Sadly, I won’t. You’re right. It was your mother’s idea to get rid of the former Duke when he became too much of a nuisance.”

“And now what has the King done?” Noel asked with barely a whisper. “I saw the way he loved his people, the way he gave his all for them, the way he—”

“That’s enough!” Rose snapped, suddenly incensed as the ugliest scowl marred her face.

The guards around her turned on her with their weapons drawn ready to strike.

She paid none of them any mind. “I should have killed you when I had the chance. But I listened to your useless father.”

Noel dragged in one shaky breath and ordered, “Seize her!”

Before they could do anything, she vanished like a puff of smoke into the air.

Gone.