Keela sat on a rampart of the castle, gazing at the night sky. The day had been long but uneventful, as per her request. She stretched her shoulders and looked down at the illuminated streets, snickering at the irony of her situation. A girl who started from having everything, went to nothing and climbed her way up through pain and suffering, just for others to live without going through the same experiences. The people she had loved so much, she now felt jaded towards, a feeling reciprocated by the most skeptic ones among the crowds. Stretching her aching muscles, she didn’t notice Velka coming up behind her, putting her arms around Keela’s shoulders, leaning onto one side, planting a kiss on her cheek. Keela replied by turning and planting one on her lips, smiling smugly. Instead of the embarrassment she expected to see on Velka’s face, she noticed a worried gaze scanning her face.

“Something wrong?” asked Keela, dropping the attitude.

“Your fangs got longer”, replied Velka, pulling down Keela’s lower lip with her thumb.

Turning back towards the city, Keela sighed, hoping to have hidden this fact longer.

“I think the demon blood is taking over, not that I didn’t try to stop it”, she said, looking up at the sky.

“Is that a problem? Apart from the fact that you’re turning into a full-fledged demon”, replied Velka, sitting next to her.

“I don’t know yet. Don’t think the gambit with the army helped either.”

“I think you need to dial back how much you break your back for your country.”

“So do I. But I think I don’t have a choice anymore. It’s expected that I’ll do as much work.”

“I did notice you looked tired these days.”

Resting her chin on her hand, she avoided Velka’s gaze, feeling like the horizon was less difficult to look at.

“Like a horse in a mud pool; I think it’s too late to try to escape”, she said in a monotone voice, not noticing how cynic her comment was.

“Did you notice any changes other than… the fangs?” asked Velka, changing the subject.

“My muscles are a lot more defined by channeling electricity to them is extremely painful.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

Shrugging, Keela hopped off the wall, hugging Velka tightly.

“I am a lot stronger, maybe it’s not needed anymore”, she said, trying to put attention away from her physical wellbeing by lifting up Velka.

With a yelp, Velka fought against it, freeing herself in a few seconds, pouting comically.

“I know I don’t say it enough but… I love you”, said Keela, looking to the ground bashfully.

“I… I love you too…” replied Velka, the redness of her embarrassment climbing all over her face.

“Funny to see my bodyguard feel so tiny”, said Keela, nudging Velka slightly with a smirk.

“How… do you think this’ll affect you?” said Velka, completely cutting off the sappy moment with a worrisome glare.

“Who knows? Maybe I’ll just appreciate what I have more.”

Following her comment, Keela slid a hand around Velka’s collar and pulled her down by the fabric into a gentle but firm kiss, tugging on Velka’s lower lip with her teeth.

“We oughta do this more”, said Keela, pulling away and winking.

Velka’s blood rushed to her face, causing her to cover it with her hands and let out a muffled scream. Pulling the hands away, Keela leaned in an inch from her face.

“Come on, don’t tell me there isn’t a fire in there that needs to be fueled”, she said, her eyes narrowing into a glare she didn’t use often.

Before Velka could reply, an owl landed on the stone wall next to them, a small piece of paper attached to its leg. Cursing the circumstances, Keela got back up from her flirtatious position and grabbed the message unceremoniously, shooing the owl away. Her gaze went over the text in the message swiftly before her face twisted in anger, mana going to her hand as she subconsciously opened a rift to the sender’s location. It was not a controlled rift; her anger rushing the usually streamlined spell to its origins, cracking reality like frail glass. Shattering an opening, she jumped in, closing it immediately behind her, leaving Velka alone on the ramparts, a million questions in her mind.

Keela arrived in the king’s waiting room, the room where she had met him. Seeing he wasn’t present, she kicked open the door, walking through the corridor with rage in her eyes, magic running amok around her, untethered and wild. This alone caused most guards to recoil and avoid interacting with her who looked more beast than elf. Anger distorting her face, her eyes went about the rooms, looking for any hint of the king. A grand door stood at the end of the hallway, flanked by two guards. Grinning, she walked towards it, scaring the two guards into defensive positions. The two poor sods lasted under a second, their blood painting the marble floors, dripping off Keela’s nails. Pushing open the door, she was met with a bedroom. A massive bed stood at the center, the king soundly asleep in it. Walking over, she climbed in the bed slowly, waiting on top of the king for a second, taking in a sharp breath before her hand emerged on the other side of his stomach, Harold’s eyes shooting open as a stream of blood went out of his mouth with a cough.

“I thought I told you to sleep with one eye open Harold. Surely you know why I’m doing this”, she said, almost in a whisper, an inch away from his face.

The king couldn’t answer, only managing to cough out more blood in heavy spurts.

“I let you go, I give you a second fucking chance and you dare to not only attack those dear to me but also fucking taunt me? Are you a fool?” she continued, twisting her hand in his stomach, causing a silent scream to escape his blood filled lungs.

The panic was visible in his eyes, the realization of his impending doom reading on his face, distorted by pain.

“You call that a fucking gift Harold? You send me a message, telling me killing two of my adoptive children is a fucking gift?”

Her voice had risen to a crazed shriek, the pain of holding Bea’s lifeless corpse coming back to her. She took her hand out of the king’s stomach, flinging off most of the blood as one would off the blade of a sword, splattering it against the curtains and tapestries garnering the luxurious bedroom. Grabbing a box of firestarters, she emptied the oil lamp that sat on the bedside table straight into the half dead king’s clothes. The glare of the man shot towards Keela as he realized what she planned to do, weakly raising an arm to try and stop her; too slowly so. The flint struck the metal, the sparks flying and igniting the clothes, getting a cry of agony as the flesh charred off the bones. Standing next to the bed, Keela watched the fire rage, staring blankly and composing herself as the king of Dagia let out his last tortuous wail. Cracking a rift as soon as life escaped the king’s body, she landed back on the rampart, next to Velka who had been waiting for her return, gazing upon the city, only the recoil at the sight of the blood covered queen.

“W-what did you do?” she asked, taking a step back.

“Let’s talk about this tomorrow. Please. I need a bath and a hug. Preferably in that order.”