Page 121 of Once Upon a Crown
He almost managed to grab my wrist but I was quicker, cutting his hand. As he pulled back, I aimed for his arm, and more blood seeped out from his skin.
“You’re a fool if you think this is going to end well for you,” he said.
I made to stab him again, but Aries grabbed my arm, and I struggled against him until we fell to the ground. With his weight, he could easily overpower me, pinning me down. Our hands fought over the dagger, but I refused to let go. Aries’ hands covered mine over the hilt, and with brute strength he managed to turn the blade around so that it was facing down at me. It wouldn’t take too much for him to plunge the knife into my heart.
Fear spiked in my chest. There was a horrid smile on Aries’ face, like I was already dead. We both knew I didn’t have the strength to keep him from using the knife to kill me. The need for survival overtook every thought and instinct. I couldn’t prevent him from stabbing me. I could only direct his aim. Knowing there was no other way out, I moved our hands, no longer resisting.
Maybe I was a fool trying to take on the King of Argon. But I was also many other things. I was a thief. I was a girl raised among bandits in the forest, who pretended to be a princess inorder to steal from a prince. I was the girl bound to the King of Norrandale by a force stronger than any ancient magic. I was the daughter of King Magnus and Queen Estella, and I was the Queen of Everness. The Myrgonite dagger sank into my left shoulder and I let out a scream. But the movement was enough for Aries to lose his balance.
My right arm found a rock on the ground next to me, and I used the remainder of my strength to hit Aries on the side of his head. I managed to hit him hard enough that he fell to the side, bleeding now from his forehead and his temple. While he was disoriented, I scurried out from under him and braced myself before pulling the dagger from my shoulder. Immediately more pain shot through my body, and I clenched my teeth to hold back a cry of pain. I forced myself not to look at the blood that trickled down my left arm.
“I told you I would kill you,” I shouted over the battle happening around us. “You have taken enough from this world, Aries.” Aries tried to grab me again, but I cut the dagger straight across his stomach. He let out a cry of both anger and pain. It was no longer me who was fighting. It was a force beyond me, stronger and more powerful than anything I’d ever experienced.
“And it’s time to pay up.”
I finally understood Cai’s anger in that moment. The hatred he felt for Thatcher after he took everything from him. I understood because I felt it too. I buried the dagger deep into his chest, twisting as I thought about every life that had ended because of him.
I stepped back, blood dripping from the dagger onto my dress. Blood filled Aries’ mouth, and he fell to his knees.
I don’t know why I expected him to look more fearful as he lay at death’s door. Instead, he was smiling.
“Even if you kill me, your army will never survive this. Nor will anyone stop coming after the Myrgonite objects.”
Before I could reply, a sword cut through Aries’ neck, beheading him.
I looked up to see Cai standing behind him, out of breath and tired but alive. He looked like he was in shock, not quite believing what he’d just done.
Aries was gone, his head now separated from his body, both on the ground before me.
But the battle was still going on at full force, the Argonians trained never to surrender even if their king was dead.
Cai was by my side. “You’re bleeding.”
“It’s just my shoulder.” I didn’t know who I was trying to make feel better because I was in a lot of pain.
Cai used his sword to cut a piece of my dress and pressed the material to my wound.
“We need to get out of here.”
I nodded, but I spotted something on the hill in the distance, a large group of people who wore no uniform or official armour. They were not Argonian or Norrandish.
“Look.” I pointed to them. “It’s Uncle Arthur’s men and the Baruk clan.”
“There’s more,” Cai said, and slowly more and more men trickled in after Donald and Olwin’s men. Not only had they managed to gather all the bandits, but they’d made it in time.
“They came.” Cai sounded just as surprised as I was. The merged group of bandits stormed down the hill and into the fight. We were still outnumbered, but if we were to go down, it would not be without trying.
Cai took my hand, leading as we tried to fight our way through the mass of soldiers. I tried to hold on to him with all my might, but we got separated, and I lost sight of him in the crowd.
One of the Argonians came at me with a sword, which I dodged in the nick of time. But he struck again, and I only had the dagger to hold off the blow. My shoulder was still bleeding,and if it had been any other dagger, I wouldn’t have stood a chance. But the Myrgonite glowed when it hit the steel of the sword, nearly denting the blade.
The soldier didn’t hesitate to come at me again. I grabbed the hilt of the dagger with both hands and forced the sword away from me, before turning quickly enough that I landed the dagger in the soldier’s neck.
Blood spattered as I pulled away and he grasped at the flowing blood. Another life gone by my hands. I didn’t have time to consider it. This was about survival.
I looked around, trying to find Cai once more.
Where are you?
