#250words

Lies grow bolder in the dark

Kara stared at the night sky from the balcony. Tomorrow night, she would be under the same sky but a different roof. If any roof at all. There was nothing quite like the beauty of the stars in the dark blue sky, and yet her eyes were constantly drawn down to the courtyard where only that afternoon she had fought the guards protecting the keep. The courtyard where their previous ruler had hidden himself like a coward and where his usurper had entered and claimed the throne.

King Luca Henni, first of his name, twelfth king to take the throne by force in less than three years.

The courtyard had already been scrubbed clean of the blood of the dead. Blood Kara had helped spill. Luca had sent those who had surrendered home - 'a ruler needs to know when to show mercy,' he had said - and had started to implement his own rule within the hour following his victory. It had been a busy day during which Kara had often thought about her earlier observation. He would make a good king; fair and inspiring. He would be a new wind their kingdom could definitely use.

At the same time, there were much darker thoughts at the edge of her mind. They demanded to be acknowledged even though she might not want to. Kara had helped put the previous three kings on the throne as well. When the next man thinking himself capable of ruling raised an army, odds were that she would accept the offer of gold once again. As a sell-sword, it was what she did. She could not imagine herself putting her knife at Luca Henni's throat but could not dismiss the thought of fighting against his own army one day in the future either.

It left her with quite a dilemma.

Armies were massing at their borders, others had already crossed into their lands. This new king would be required to make difficult choices that would not be ideal for the beginning of his rule. He would make them because he had too though. He might try to negotiate for peace. It was what he ultimately wanted; peace for their people, a people that did not want peace. How long before the next revolt?

"Won't you come back to bed? You promised you would not leave until dawn."

She turned to the origin of the husky voice. Luca lay on his stomach on the bed, his hair tousled and his eyes barely open. He patted the space she had left behind when she had gotten up. The temptation to return to bed was as big as the one to leave right now. She should have left as soon as she had been paid her gold. She should not have stuck around any longer. Yet, this was the first time she had fought for a man she had thought might be worth fighting for.

"You need your sleep far more than me," she replied softly. She slid back to the bed nevertheless.

Luca didn't say anything more but pulled her close against him. Her mind had been telling her this was a bad idea for days now. She knew it was true. She wondered what would happen once she had to leave. No, she wondered what would happen once she would be part of the army raised to remove him from the throne she had helped him win. She kept telling herself any history with him wouldn't matter. Business as usual. He would not even remember her.

Or you could stay, whispered a hopeful voice. One that had steadily grown stronger and stronger over the last days.

And then what?

Fight for a king you believe in.

She didn't argue with that. There was no point in arguing with herself, she decided sleepily. Come dawn, she would have to make up her mind. Until then, she might as well enjoy the warm bed and the strong body against hers.

***

The attack was over in seconds.

Kara was disappointed it was so short. But it had been bloody so it hadn't been a complete waste of time. She watched as the new ruler entered the courtyard, surrounded by his personal guards. He looked all high and mighty. Kara had heard him speak; she had seen him pass his judgment. He would make a good ruler. For as long as he would rule. She gave him two years at most.

Their people didn't live for peaceful times - that was only a lie they told themselves to sleep at night. They craved the bloodshed and chaos. Peace and prosperity were foreign concepts to them. They belonged to their enemies. Kara had decided to be honest with herself a long time ago. Now, she earned her goal by selling her sword, rather than pretending to be an honest businesswoman.

She wiped her bloodied blade clean on the shirt of the last peasant she had killed and watched the light catch the metal. It was a fine sword, though the edge would need sharpening before she found the next rich man who thought bloodshed was the best solution to his problem.

Kara glanced at the new ruler again, just in time for their eyes to meet. He had a long road ahead of him; Kara wouldn't stick around to see him try his best. She would be there just long enough to collect her bag of gold. Meager compensation for such a disappointing battle.

***

Ripped from her dream version of that day, her eyes flew open at a sound. It hadn't been more than a whisper but it had been one that didn't belong to the quietness of the night. Her ears strained to pick it up again. it didn't take long for her to hear the call of what might have been an owl. Of course, she had slept under the starry skies of this region often enough to know there were no owls. For the second time that night, she threw off the sheets and went to the balcony.

She watched the darkness and listened intensely. She heard a shuffling of feet, then the faintest whistle. Then her eyes caught a movement by the main gate. It opened slowly, which didn't make any sense. Where were the guards? Who could possibly need entry to the castle at this time of night? As the first shadows entered, she realized that there were far too many of them. All her instincts screamed at her; this wasn't good. It wasn't good at all.

Kara went back into the room where she woke Luca. He mumbled half asleep so she decided to slap him in the face. That opened his eyes.

"Get up," she hissed, dressing quickly. "It would appear the rebellion against you has come early."

She grabbed her bow and arrow - not her weapon of choice but one she always kept at hand. She returned to the window, fully aware of Luca stumbling out of bed and joining her. The shadows had gathered in the courtyard; they were a large group, one that might very well have succeeded in whatever they were planning had Kara not woken up and didn't intend to make sure everyone was awake. What struck her as odd was how they had gathered there but had not moved on with their attack.

"Look, it's Micheal," Luca whispered, pointing at the tall figure that strode out to meet the assembled. "He probably called for reinforcements."

"Did you know about this?" she asked, knowing very well that he didn't. He shook his head. "I hate to break it to you, but when a large group of armed men comes into your castle at night without you inviting them, it usually isn't for a social call. It would appear your trusted adviser has turned on you."

"Michael wouldn't." He stammered, sounding confused. "We have been friends since we were boys."

Kara could hear the hurt in his voice; she could not imagine what he must feel now. To be betrayed by one's oldest friend was a blow. He might never trust anyone ever again. Yet she couldn't say she was entirely surprised by the betrayal. As much as she had watched Luca during his speeches, she had also watched the man who stood to his right. They had been the unlikely pair; like day and night. The sun and the moon. She had never had good reason to mistrust him but her instincts rarely led her astray.

"Do you want to kill him yourself?" she asked, not knowing what else to say. What comfort could she give him?

"What?"

Kara let out a sigh. "He is not your friend; he is about to lead a group of heavily armed men into your new castle to kill all your men and you. I could shoot him now and call out; alert everyone of the enemy’s presence. Or I could climb out this window and disappear into the night; we would never meet again, and, in a few months’ time, I will march on this castle as another man thinks he can rule better than Michael. It is entirely your choice."

Kara meant every word. She would fight for him now, even if there was no sack of gold at the end of the night for her hard work. If he did not want her to, she would willingly step down and leave. She would have to leave; she couldn't stick around to find out Luca's fate or her own. She would never look back, never think back until she returned to depose Michael.

She knew it was a lot to ask of this new King. He was new to everything; to the castle and to the title, to the harsh decisions and the painful truths. To the betrayals and the hand offering help without anything in return. How his mind must race to consider all options; to make the right decision. A decision that would be right for his people, not a selfish one. He would consider everything; if they had the time, he would no doubt ponder the question for hours if not days.

They didn't have that kind of luxury.

Kara nocked the arrow and drew back the drawstring. "I need to know." They had already wasted too much time; Michael would soon be out of shot and in the castle. The slaughter would begin and it wouldn't matter what Luca decided. Another noise caught her attention, drawing it away from the traitor. It had sounded like a stone hitting the opposite wall. It drew the attention of the group as well.

"Come on," Luca urged as he grabbed her hand and drew her back inside. It took her a moment to realize he had been the one to throw something to distract their assailants.

In the bedroom, they paused long enough for them to buckle their weapon belts around their hips before leaving the room altogether. The guard outside the door looked surprised to find them sneaking out fully dressed and armed. He rushed to straighten out his slouched frame and hold his spear a little tighter. Luca didn't care.

"We are under attack. We have been betrayed." Luca’s voice was cold and hard. It was scary. Kara had only heard that voice once before when he had condemned the actions of the previous king. "Michael has betrayed us. They don't know we know. Go wake the others, but tell them to be quiet. We will fight for this castle and we will fight these traitors from the shadows, as they would have fought us."

The guard nodded and rushed down the stairs. Then he stopped and turned back around. "What about Sir Michael, my lord? Do we capture him?"

Kara met Luca’s questioning gaze. She shook her head. He swallowed but nodded. "No, kill him if you get the chance." Shocked, the guard cast a quick glance at the woman who could influence the new king so but hurried off without another word.

"It's best to kill him now rather than risk him escaping and coming back on a later date. Or him playing on your emotions."

"You are quite ruthless, are you not?"

She shrugged. "There are times for mercy. There are people who deserve you to be merciful. Tonight is neither the time nor are they those people." She unsheathed her sword and passed him, following the guard down the stairs. "What is your plan exactly?"

"Ambush them the way they had planned to ambush us."

She nodded. It was a plan. She was unsure whether it was good or bad though; come dawn they would know.

***

"Go check it out," Michael barked before pointing at two of the men. "You two, follow me."

He led them into the castle and while they had only arrived the same day, he had made it his mission to learn the layout as well as he could. The last thing he wanted was to be stumbling around in the dark, offering Luca a chance to potentially escape. The castle was quiet, the torches burning low in their holders. There would be only a few guards about; no one would ever suspect anyone to attack the castle after it had been taken by the most recent victor in the fight for the throne only hours before.

No one would expect anyone to come for the new King barely hours after he took the crown.

Michael had not considered it until a few weeks ago. Until then he had thought Luca might have a good chance at conquering the castle and taking the throne. Once he had seen the possibilities, Michael had started to wonder why his friend should get the throne. What would make him a before king than Michael? Why should Michael accept to be the second man rather than first?

He would not accept it, and at that point, he had started to plan a coup of his own.

He and the two men behind him climbed the stairs of the royal tower as silently as possible. They did not come across another soul; Luca, the idiot, had not even thought to post a guard at his door. Michael didn't care; it would only make it easier to get to this man he had once considered his best friend but was only an obstacle to what he truly wanted. He nodded at one of the men, who promptly threw himself against the door. It flew open, the man stumbling after it.

Michael stepped into the room and surveyed it. It was a sumptuous room, fit for a king. Two velvet armchairs faced the fireplace where the dying embers glowed softly. Between the two chairs stood a table with a carafe and two glasses. A wardrobe stood against a far wall, a chest rested at the foot of the bed. He recognized the chest as Luca's; it was the one item he had taken with him wherever they traveled.

The double doors to the balcony stood open. From there, he would be able to look out onto the courtyard below. His attention finally drifted to the canopy bed. The noise of the door would have awoken Luca; he would have shouted and demanded to know what was going on. There should have been noise.

There should have been but there was only silence. The bed was empty.

The covers on both sides had been thrown back and Michael's eye was immediately drawn back to the two glasses by the fire. Luca had had company. He had lied to Michael when he said he would retire alone for the night. Michael knew why Luca had lied; since the beginning, he had warned his friend after the black-haired beauty that had caught his eye. There was something about her that Michael didn't trust; Luca hadn't listened. He would have brought her up here.

"Fuck," he swore as he kicked at the chest. "That bitch!" She was used to a life where one learned to sleep lightly. Any noise would have pulled her from her slumber. It wouldn't have taken much to alert her. He swore again, kicking the chest a few more times. He was aware of the two men watching him. "Don't just stand there!" he spat at them. "Find him, and find that bitch. Bring them to me. Alive."

The anger that burned in him was already planning to get revenge. This should have been simple. Quick and easy. Yet one woman was enough to mess up all his plans. He wouldn't let her. He would get to Luca and he would get his throne. The girl should have left when she had the chance; now she would forever regret that she hadn't.

***

Kara was silent as a shadow. The man she followed hadn't heard her. It was how she was able to sneak up on him and reach around him. With a hand pressed to his mouth, she used the other to slit his throat. Luca was right next to her to help her catch the deadweight before it hit the floor and could alert anyone. Together, they carried him out of sight.

He was the third one they had gotten that way.

"It would seem they don't know their way around," Luca commented.

"And they also aren't smart enough to stick together. Better for us."

He nodded. "Only it will take all night to get them all at this pace."

"You don't know how your men are doing."

And that was the problem. After they had sent the guard to wake up the others, they had seen no one in the corridors who actually belonged there. Kara was worried he might have been intercepted and killed. She refused to let that stop her. If it was true and the enemy had gotten to Luca's men, she would do everything her in power to get him out of their alive. 

They went down the hallways silently, keeping an eye on all openings. Luca suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her back against him. She heard the footsteps then. Right around the corner, she saw two men coming down the stairs - stairs that led up to the royal chambers. It would appear they had known where they had needed to go for their main target. Luca didn't release her once they had gone and she didn't move. There were more footsteps.

It was Michael who appeared next. His face was red and his hair a mess. He was angry. Furious even. Clearly, he hadn't found what he had been looking for. Luca and Kara exchanged a look. Once Michael had disappeared, they slowly set off again. Neither of them knew the castle very well, which made it quite difficult to find a good place for an ambush. Hunting them one at a time worked relatively well, though it was too slow. The risk of someone getting to them did not decrease fast enough.

What they needed to do was find some allies. In the meantime, Kara pushed her sword through the back of a man's neck, causing a gurgling sound to echo softly through the corridor. She caught Luca's grimace right before he caught the dead man and dragged him out of sight. Killing was a messy business; one that Kara had become quite skilled in.

It wasn't long before they turned the corner and walked into the throne room of the castle. There, they were very nearly killed by Luca's men, who only just managed to hold back their blades. Luca was about to give them a stern warning about whom they wanted and did not want to kill when more footsteps approached. Kara grabbed his hand and pulled him to the side, out of sight from the door opening. The others did the same.

As they waited, Kara didn't dare breathe. Two close calls too many in her opinion. As she listened and hoped the people outside would move, her eyes adjusted to the darkness in the throne room. Against one of the walls was a sight she wasn't sure delighted or disturbed her. It would appear the guards had had some luck with their own fighting. Sitting against the wall as though they were resting were seven men. They sat propped up against the wall, shoulder to shoulder. Except, focusing on them a little more closely, their eyes were all unseeingly staring ahead, their heads rolled forward with their chin resting on their chest, or staring up at the ceiling.

She pointed them out to Luca, who stared at them with a blank face.

The footsteps had only grown closer and it would appear whoever was out there was willing to take a peek into the throne room, risking their lives as they did so. Kara and the guard on the other side of the door opening exchanged a look and a nod. She gripped her blade tighter and waited for them to appear. It was a group of five men. Immediately Kara wished that there was a place for them to hide. There was no way they could all take them out without attracting more attention to themselves. There would be noise.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She counted down from three and once she hit zero, she opened her eyes and jumped onto the first guy, driving her sword through his side. The others had joined her in her attack but were not all successful in their initial attack. One of the men had managed to block Luca's blade and immediately went onto the offensive. One of the guards had wounded his target but hadn't moved fast enough to finish him off. The man attacked the guard just enough to throw him off balance. Then he hobbled back out of the room.

For a wounded man, he moved rather quickly. Kara took off after him and tackled him to the floor as she saw him inhale to call out no doubt. She had hoped the fall would have knocked the breath out of his lungs. No such luck.

"They're in the throne room. They're in the throne room. They're in..."

The rest of the sentence was lost in a gurgle as blood welled up there where Kara's blade had pierced his throat. She gave herself a moment to twist the blade before pulling it out and rising to her feet. She listened. The sound of fighting could clearly be heard in the throne room. Nothing else caught her attention. For a moment - however brief and fleeting - she hoped no one had heard the man before he drowned in his own blood.

No such luck.

She rushed back to the throne room where she witnessed Luca pulling his sword out of the last man. "There are more coming. I think this might be it for tonight." Luca nodded, using the bad of his hand to push a lock of hair out of his eyes. The gesture left a bloody smear across his forehead. "We are still killing them all, right?"

"Yes. Every one of them. No need to save Michael for me; if you can take him out, do it."

Kara was glad to hear him say the words. If she could, she would like to go after him herself. It wasn't that she had a strong moral compass and hated traitors - as a sell-sword, as she herself not a kind of traitor - but betraying a friend was something she could not understand. It would be a kindness if Luca didn't have to take out Michael himself. She would do it herself and let him know that Luca didn't care whether he lived or died, who killed him. A last betrayal for him to take to his grave.

With no more time to think about it, Kara threw herself into the fight as more enemies rushed into the throne room. While they might have outnumbered them at first, their mad dash into the room allowed the King's men to take down quite a few. They were organized the way these new assailants were not. The opponents Kara had faced that morning had not been organized either. It might make a difference in the long run for Luca.

She swung her blade, gripping the hilt tight as it clashed against another sword. The fight that morning had not lasted long enough for her tastes. Kara liked a good and deadly fight as much as the next sell-sword; the rush of the moment, the risks of an opponent's sharp edge. She threw herself from opponent to opponent, not allowing a blocked blade to block her attack entirely. Most were surprised when a short dagger appeared in her hand and she twirled into their defenses. Her movements were quick and precise; she did not stick around long enough to watch the light in their eyes fade.

As the blade was pulled free from another man's neck, she allowed herself a moment to take a deep breath and a look around the throne room. In her fury of movements, she had not noticed Michael had stalked into the room and surveyed the room as she was. Except, he was searching for his target. She knew the exact moment he spotted Luca in the crowd. His body stiffened, straightened. His hand went to the hilt of his sword and he pulled it free from its scabbard. Then he strode passed the fighting to his friend, ready to drive his blade through his back.

Kara was running before she fully understood what she was doing. He did not hear her over the noise in the room; he did not see her coming. He could do nothing but stumble and fall to the floor when she tackled him. He rolled in his fall and finished the movement so as to easily rise to his feet. His eyes locked onto her and she could read the hatred for her in them. She was unfazed. It was not as though he was the first to stare at her that way.

"You are a thorn in my side," he spat, rising to his feet and slicing at her.

She jumped evading the blow and coming in for a hit of her own with her danger. "You mean like that?" she teased when she got him in the side. "You are a traitor; not sure that's much better." She avoided another attack only to have the tip of his blade nick her arm. She hissed, bringing her own blade back up. He wasn't playing. She was though; she could see everything she said and did get to him. It was no secret that someone blinded by rage made for a terrible opponent. All anger, no finesse.

He sliced again and she blocked his hit this time, bringing her dagger around to slide at his fingers. He hissed, then roared as he threw himself into another attack. Kara did not expect the quick succession of blow and was caught off guard. She barely blocked the first few and stumbled. She regained her footing but her block was sloppy; he knocked her off balance. His next attack was a back-handed slap across her face. It sent her to the floor. The room spun; she took a deep breath to regain her bearings. By then he stood over her with his sword pointed at her throat.

"You were more trouble than you are worth. A sell-sword should do what they are paid for and move on."

"And not be around to watch your plans fail? Now wouldn't that be a shame?" She spat out the blood filling her mouth, hoping to distract Michael. She needed him to focus on her only a few more seconds. A few more seconds and it would be over.

"Fail? They would have succeeded if it hadn't been for you. No one would have even known we entered the castle; it would have been quick and painless. Now, look at how they suffer."

"Your very betrayal will make Luca suffer. What do you know of suffering; you are a liar and a traitor."

"I-"

The rest of the sentence was lost as Luca drove his sword through his friend's back. He pushed it through until it came out of his chest covered in blood. Michael gasped, glancing down at the blade. He tried to look back. Kara grabbed her own sword where it had fallen onto the floor and stabbed him in the stomach with it. He gasped as blood ran down his chin, throat and soaked his shirt.

"There are times for mercy. There are people who deserve me to be merciful. You are not one of those people," Luca told him. His voice was cold and emotionless. Then he and Kara pulled their swords free simultaneously and Michael's legs could not hold him up. His eyes were on Kara as he tried to inhale. Finally, she saw the light go out and knew he had gone.

Luca held out his hand to her. She grabbed it. "I would have liked to spare you this, but he threw a spanner in the works."

"It's okay. I think it is good that I did it. A king can't be soft."