The Guardians

Chapter 7

He didn't want to do this. He was a knight of Veloce. He thought she was only a damsel in distress. Instead, she turned out to be a distressing damsel. One that just happened to be a sorceress. By the time he realized who she was, it was too late. Alora was casting her spell before he could draw his sword. He felt his whole body convulse before he fell to his knees and felt the heaviness around his neck. She'd bound him to her and was now a disgraced knight enslaved to the vilest woman in the entire kingdom. Alora had commanded him to kill the entire royal family and the spell compelled him to obey, no matter how hard he fought against both the order and the pain that came with it. His mind was numb as he walked the familiar halls towards the royals' quarters. King Mael and Queen Aisha would be sleeping in their bed. Jareth, their eldest son and heir to the throne, along with his wife, Bríghid, and infant son, Paidin, would be in their room. Their teenage daughter, Isolde, and youngest son, Drystan, would be down the hall from each other. He wanted to spare them. Tears stung his eyes as he was forced to carry out Alora's bidding. The knight found himself in Drystan's room.

"Gods forgive me. I am not in control of my deeds." He closed his eyes as his dagger ended the boy's life. Isolde was next. Her beauty made her highly sought by suitors. He shoved the pillow over her face. Tears fell on the pillow as it muffled her screams.

"Forgive me," he said when she finally stopped struggling.

With a heavy heart, his feet carried him to Jareth and his family's room. The dagger cut deep into the throats of Jareth and Bríghid before they even knew he was there. He treated Paidin to the same death as his aunt. He cursed Alora for binding him to her. He cursed the collar. He cursed the pain his body was being subjected to. Aisha had awakened, knowing her children and grandson were gone. Mael was trying to reassure her it was only a dream. They didn't see him enter their chamber. The knight tried his hardest, despite the increase in pain, to resist the compulsion to carry out Alora's command. Mael saw him and immediately knew something was amiss. He knew his wife's fears were true when he saw the glowing collar around his knight's neck, his obvious pain, and the tears in his eyes.

"What have you done?"

"Nothing within my control, my liege."

"My children? My grandson?" Aisha asked, distress showing in her voice. The knight said nothing. With a scream of rage, she launched at him. The dagger passed through her abdomen.

"No!" Mael cradled his wife as she died.

"I thought... I thought that she was in need of aid," the knight said, tears rolling down his face and the pain showing in his voice. "I didn't know she was Alora. She bound me and ordered me to carry out this assassination. Forgive me, my king." He clutched the collar with his free hand. "I can't fight it. The pain that comes with it is too much for me to bear."

Mael didn't move as his knight closed the gap between them. He held Aisha's lifeless body close to him. He couldn't bear to live without her. Without his children. Without his innocent grandson. Everyone he loved and cherished was dead.

"Please, forgive me," the knight begged, gritting his teeth against the pain he'd tried to resist for so long before coming here.

"It is Alora that will not have my forgiveness, my knight. Make it quick. I cannot bear to live with my grief."

The knight did as his king commanded. He stood and wept at his betrayal. The pain vanished just then and he staggered, gasping for breath. The other knights, having been alerted by Aisha's scream of rage, arrived and saw the scene with their staggering and collared fellow knight holding the blood-covered dagger.

"Give them justice," he breathed when he saw the other knights. "Find a way to kill Alora." Before they could stop him, the knight plunged his dagger into his own heart.