The Queen Of Eternity

Clever as the devil and twice as pretty

Azrael is on his knees, his hands tied behind his back. Head dropped down, chin on the middle of his two colar bones.

It physically hurts me to see the cloud of pain in his eyes when he looks at me, one single tear making it's way down his cheek.

I finally notice the shooter.

My father.

Yes folks, you heard it right. This man is shooting at his own daughter. How incredibly loving.

I didn't notice when he or his trucks came in.

"Oh shit."

My father thrusts his arm down, his fist envelopes Azrael's neck.

I look away the minute I hear choking noises.

No, no, no.

"Stop it, you maniac," I snap through a breaking voice.

"How about a wager? You stop all of this nonsense and come back home and I let your precious boy go."

"You're powers are dangerous, Esmeray," He says. "Like a gun given to a child."

I am not a child.

"Shut this nonsense down," He orders my army.

"No," I counter.

My hands shake beside me but I will not move this time.

If I can kill people a hundred times more dangerous than him without any remorse then I should be able to hurt him too.

"Did you just say no to me?"

And for that one moment, I am not an adult leader in a battlefield, wounds adorning every inch of me and a bloody sword in my hand.

I am a ten year old, hiding in my closet, trying to protect my sister and myself from our father's rage downstairs.

I am a sixteen year old pushing myself so much that I am left with zero energy and zero life. Just to stay in my father's good books unlike my sister.

I am a terrified, exhausted child.

"Yes," I say, summoning up every bit of strength in me.

He frowns, scaring me even more. Azrael now lays on my father's feet, coughing.

My father walks towards me.

A stinging, hot pain is inflicted on my cheek. My knee caps shake and fear takes utter and complete control over me.

The next few seconds are a blur.

The lashing sound of a whip, screams, more bullets, a blinding pain in my hand and then darkness.

»»-----　♔　-----««

"Essie? Essie, wake up."

I jump up on what seems my bed with a breathless gasp.

"Wha- what happened?" I question, desperately looking around.

The war. The rebellion. Azrael. Guns. Sword. Blood. Screams. Trucks.

"We lost."

I feel like the sky falls on top of me as the memories flood back in waves of guilt.

Three years. Three years of insomniac habits, training and planning, blood, sweat tears only for me to freeze in front of my stupid father and let it all go down the drain.

"No," I breath out.

Luke opens up his arms and envelops them around me like he always did when we were younger.

"How?" I question.

"Well, he slapped you. Then, someone shot your arm."

That's when I notice that the skin above my elbow is wrapped in a white bandage.

"After that, even I am not sure. I was trying to defend you but I got shot too," he points towards his leg, "Everyone was locked up and-"

"And Dad brought me back to my room."

Lucas hums in response.

"Where's Azrael?"

"I don't know. All I know is I untied him and told him to run." He responds with a shrug.

Silence. Then, the door opens.

"Good morning."

I turn my head towards the his voice.

The face I am greeted with makes my blood boil in desperate anger and passionate hatred.

I have to do everything in my power to not pounce on him right now and kill him.

"You monster," the words escape me through gritted teeth.

"Get ready. We have a kingdom to conquer."

Tears sting my eyes. Tears of incomparable rage.

"You shot her. Give her a break," Lucas says, his arm still around my shoulder.

"Oh, she's fine. She was shot in the hand not the legs," He says, walking away.

I can't believe that man. So casually ruins my work of three years, shoots his own daughter and just walks off.

"Kill him in his sleep," Lucas says.

"He doesn't sleep. It's a wizard thing."

A thud on the window reaches my ears.

Azrael.

I crawl out of bed as quickly as humanly possible and yank open the window, pulling him in.

"Are you okay? What happened? Where were you? Are you hurt? Do you need medicine? Ohhhh my god, you're bleeding." I blurt out.

"Uh...I am fine, I don't know, I escaped to a bunker my parents owned, yes, yes and yes."

A sigh of relief escapes my lips. Atleast he's alive. That's something.

He nods a greeting to Lucas.

"Hey," Luke greets back.

"So, uh... Esmeray. There is no easy way to say this so I am just gonna get it over with, our headquarters were demolished, half of our men and women died and the remaining half hates your guts," Luke says.

"Figured as much," I reply, numb or...well, forcing myself to be numb.

It's only right for them to hate me. I got their friends, their families, their children killed.

"You'll gain back their trust just like you earned it. Don't worry," Azrael says, finger-walking across my shoulder.

"Gaining someone's trust is hard but gaining it back after violating it is close to impossible."

"You're not gonna win that kingdom for your Dad, right? I am really tired." Luke asks, already knowing the answer.

No.

That's for sure.

He doesn't need any more power than he already has. What he does need is a taste of his own medicine.

I have been following my morals for far too long. Been his angel longer.

When the game is being played dirty, you get in the dirt too.

And sometimes the only way to get a devil to listen, is for the angel to burn the world.

Earn trust, stab in the back, kill, conquer.

"I have a better idea."