Dance of the Damned

Alive

Britton felt tears cloud his one working eye as they streamed down his face upon seeing the brown-haired woman in front of him.

"You are alive." He said, voice cracking because of the burn on his neck.

"I am." She sobbed, holding his hand as gently as she could. "I am. But you should be more worried about yourself, I found you buried under a heap of burning wood!"

"How did you get out?" The man asked, slightly frantic though he could not move his body as freely as he would have liked.

"A boy helped me," was all she said, she couldn't bear to think of what might have happened to the boy while she is in his hospital room with her father.

"Ah." The man relaxed immediately. "So he kept his promise. I am so glad."

"He? Promise?" She asked, looking at the man as his eyes closed. "What are you talking about, Father? Father?!"

"Madam, please move away from the man." A doctor burst into the room with several nurses, gently getting her out of the room before closing the door behind them.

"What happened?" Oscar asked, running to her. "I saw the nurses and doctors running here."

"He woke up," Elizabeth said, chewing at her lower lip. "Sir Oscar?"

"Yes?"

"Did my father ever talk anything about a young boy or a promise?" She asked, not paying attention to his expression.

"A young boy? Promise?" The man asked. "What do you mean? Did he say something?"

"He asked how I was alive and I told him that a boy saved us, which was true." She began pacing back and forth, trying to make sense of what is happening. "He then relaxed and said, 'so he kept his promise', what does that even mean?"

"I do-" Before Oscar could say anything a woman walked up to him, her red hair moving with every step she took until she stopped in front of the man.

"Hello, Oscar." She said pleasantly. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Morgan." He said giving her hand a peck. "I did not expect to see you here at all either."

"I do like to move from hospital to hospital." She said, turning to the other woman. "Oh, how rude of me. Hello, I am Morgan and you are?"

"Elizabeth Otto." The woman said as the two exchanged nods. "Are you well acquainted with Sir Oscar?"

"He is a dear friend of mine." She said, smiling at him with a glint in her eyes as she turned to the man. "Do you know that Oscar is a lawyer? A brilliant one at that."

"Really?" Elizabeth asked, looking at the man with surprise. "I had no idea."

"I do not state my profession often." The man said, shrugging slightly. "Is there something you need with me, Morgan?"

"Right, you remember the fire that broke out in the neighbouring kingdom?" She said, holding her finger up at the man.

"I do. Why?"

"People don't understand where the royal family disappeared to all of a sudden." Morgan turned from Oscar to Elizabeth, keeping her voice down as people passed them. "Some of the maids have said that, as the fire broke out, they ran to their chambers to find them missing.

"Some think they have escaped but the people that know the royal family have said that the fire is a cover-up to kill off the royal family.

"What do you think?" She asked with a glint in her eyes.

"I don't know yet. I will need to see fir-"

"And that is why I am here. I have to take you to see the king." She said, holding her hand to Oscar who looked at her sceptically.

"I still have work h-"

"No. No." Elizabeth said quickly. "You have been a great help, Sir Oscar. I will be fine here. Please go."

"Are you sure?" he asked, concern written all over his voice.

"Yes." She said, giving him a bright smile.

Thinking for a second, Oscar agreed, "I will be right back."

"And I will be here," Elizabeth said waving as the two walked away.

____________________

“So she is that man’s daughter.” Morgan said, sitting in the carriage with Oscar, “She seems like a nice girl.”

“Why did you come to get me?” Oscar asked, looking at her slightly annoyed. “Roshi told me to make sure everything is well taken care of.”

“And he told me to make sure this series of doubts continue,” Morgan said, smiling at the man. “You know what really happened to the royal family, don’t you? Roshi tells you everything.”

“He does not,” Oscar said, staring out the window. “I wish he did though. He trusts everyone but in different ways.”

“Well, it seems like a heavy burden for one person alone to take.” Morgan shrugged. “To carry all those memories, to know what is to happen before it even does, along with the consequences of every choice made. From what I know about Roshi, it appears as though he is trying to not overwhelm us.”

“That is what he is doing, without a doubt. But I don’t like it.” Oscar began fiddling with his coat, turning to Morgan. “And no, he did not tell me a thing about them. He told you, I’m sure.”

“He just told me, ‘Increase this doubt. Make the people wonder what really happened but never reveal the truth’.” Morgan mimicked Micah’s voice and expression, holding her hand up. “I was confused, because it sounded like he believe that I knew what happened to them. Before I could ask, he said, ‘Ask the girl you sent’.”

“Juliet?” Oscar asked, frowning slightly. “What would she know about this?”

“I don’t know.” She said, shaking her head. “I haven’t had the time to check on her because I was busy looking after the injured as best as I could.

“Then, the king came to me asking, ‘Do you know someone that could help find the missing royals?’”

“He just came up to you and asked that?” Oscar leaned back against his couch, trying to process that was happening. “What did Roshi tell him?”

“I don’t know, but I immediately told him that I knew someone and he sent me off, whispering, ‘Take your time’.” She smiled at Oscar. “So we are off to see Juliet, back at my home.”

“Am I really needed then?” Oscar asked, tilting his head to the side, annoyed.

“Yes, I don’t know what she saw for Roshi to tell me to ask her directly, and the king mentioning you subtly is a good enough reason for me to come looking for you.” Morgan furrowed her brows at Oscar, hand on his lap. “You are still my partner.”

“That was back at the old Lions.” He said, looking at her with a steely gaze. “We haven’t talked or met each other until the night you came back.”

“As Madam Lottie.” Morgan chuckled, leaning back on the couch. “I thought you would miss me, Carvill.”

“Don’t call me by that name here.” He said, crossing his arms over his chest. “And you can wipe that smile off your face. Why not be a little honest with me?”

“You always could see through me, Carvill.” Morgan sighed in defeat, smile disappearing and being replaced with a deep frown. “Why were you the one that got chosen to stay by Roshi’s side?”

“There it is.” Oscar grinned, leaning in closer to the woman, a smug look appearing on his face. “Maybe Roshi has not entirely forgiven you, despite what he said.”

The woman gritted her teeth, turning away from the man, unable to say a word because he was right.

“I was a fool then.” She said, staring out the window, calming down almost instantly. “And I was greedy. I made so many mistakes I want to take back. But right now, I have a chance to change things.”

“All that is only possible because Roshi gave you that opportunity,” Oscar said, looking at the woman coldly. “I won’t allow you to forget that, ever.”

“My, you have a way with talking to women.” Morgan laughed, pulling a fan out from the pocket in her dress and began fanning herself with it. “It is good to know that you have not changed in the slightest.”

“You have not changed either,” Oscar said, voice turning soft. “Well, not in terms of your speech.”

“I’m just glad we were able to continue being together for a little longer.” Morgan stretched as the carriage began to slow down. “By the way, what happened to … him?”

“I don’t know,” Oscar said, frowning slightly. “He might be dead, for all I care.”

“You didn’t know where I was until I appeared, does that mean you believe I died?” Morgan asked, gasping at Oscar.

“I completely forgot you existed.” The man said, pulling out his mask from his inner coat pocket and wore it before getting off the carriage, putting his hood over his head. “We are here.”

“Charming as always,” Morgan mumbled, rolling her eyes at the man, before getting off as well.