by Al K. Line
"I think I should go and find her first, give her the good news."
Whip's knees creaked as he pushed up from his chair. He grabbed his coat and left once he knew he wouldn't have to walk with the twins.
Arcene emerged from the shadows, or rather, a small dormouse emerged and Arcene retreated to her own body with a grateful thank you to the tiny creature. It scampered over to Whip's seat and busied itself eating the crumbs on the floor where he had been munching absentmindedly on an oat cake before the twins came to his quarters.
Arcene rose from her seat in the gravel courtyard and admired the mountains in miniature once again. "So, that's his game. I knew it was him all along causing trouble. He wants to get his own way and will do anything to make me do his dirty work for him. Well, we'll see about that. Come on Leel, we have wedding plans to make."
Woof.
"Don't get too excited, you're not going to be a bridesmaid or anything. Haha. Can you imagine me walking down the aisle and you behind me in a pink dog dress? Haha."
Arcene headed back to the castle to meet the twins. If they wanted a wedding them she's show them a wedding they'd never forget.
How Wonderful
"Be nice. Smile." Arcene plastered on a fake smile until her cheeks ached. She felt so ridiculous that she saw the funny side of it and a more natural smile slowly took over. "Hi," she said, and waved like an excited child at the twins as they emerged from the castle into the plaza. A moment of confusion passed between them before they continued to walk. They didn't even take the time to chastise the guard for not ensuring Arcene was watched at all times.
Look at them, they're trying to act all regal when all they want to do is run and get to me first. Ugh.
"Arcene, we have wonderful news for you," said Fionn.
"Yes, we do," said Flynn.
"Oh, really? And what might that be? Have you decided? Which one is to be the lucky husband then?"
The twins were taken aback, they certainly weren't expecting Arcene to be so nice; they didn't know how to handle it. "We have decided," said Flynn, chin up high, trying to stare down at Arcene as if she were a servant he could dominate, "that we shall go ahead with our original plan. We shall both marry you. Today." They waited for Arcene to explode, or to shout maybe. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction, her plans were still in place, she knew what she had to do.
Arcene made a sudden movement, lifting her right arm up to her shoulder; the twins jumped back. She casually scratched, then lowered her arm. "A little jumpy aren't we? What's the matter?"
"Oh, haha, nothing."
"You aren't mad?" asked Flynn, taking a tentative step forward.
"Mad? Me? Why? Because you have decided that you will both marry me even though I said you had to choose?"
"Well, er, yes."
Arcene remained silent. There was no avoiding the future, she knew it would come to this, had seen the timeline, understood that there was no escaping the twins and their madness, not yet. A whole afternoon stretched out in front of her though, plenty of time for her and Leel to be on their way. Finally, only so she could escape the twins, she said, "Good."
"Um, good? No, great! Oh, Arcene, it shall be glorious. We will marry this afternoon, just as soon as everything is ready. You shall be queen and the three of us will bring Castle Kenyon back to its former glory. We will thrive and the people will adore you."
"What about all the plans? Can we really be married today?" Arcene wasn't sure how much longer she could keep up the pretense, but she had to. Already a crowd had gathered to see what was happening — the buzz was building from the evening before, word of the huge idol had spread, everyone was waiting for the announcement, wondering when they would have a queen and who would take her as his wife.
"Of course! We shall announce it now, then this afternoon we shall be married and the offering will be made. Then we shall be together, always."
"Great," muttered Arcene. "Um, I mean, great! So, what now?"
"Well, you are supposed to be with your guards," admonished Fionn. "We can't have you wandering around like this, it's very unladylike. You are to have an escort at all times, and you are to prepare for the wedding." Fionn lectured her like she was already his property.
Arcene felt her arm twitch but resisted the urge to slice their heads off right there and then in the plaza. "Aw, can't I have one last little walk around the beautiful castle? You give your speech, I'm not really one for all the attention, and then I'll go back to my room, I promise. I hope you have a pretty dress for me?"
The twins stared at each other accusingly. "The dress!"
"That's your job Fionn."
"Why? You always said you were the best at organizing things."
"I never said anything about—"
"My husbands-to-be, no bickering please." Arcene smiled until she felt sick. "Now, why don't you go tell everyone about the wedding and I'll have a little walk? I'm sure you can arrange everything perfectly." Arcene held out a hand; the twins each kissed it in turn. Arcene smiled again, turned and skipped away before they had the chance to stop her.
As she walked to the plaza's edge a hundred pairs of eyes watched her every move. People whispered about their new queen, talked about her hair and how pretty she was, like she was already somebody's property. Arcene moved as fast as she could without running, and as she rounded the corner into a part of the castle grounds she hadn't been in before, and heard the grating voices of Fionn and Flynn announcing the wedding later that afternoon, she realized that she was holding her breath. She gulped down air greedily — it was past time to leave if they could get to her like this.
"What a nightmare Leel, can you imagine if we got stuck here? Ugh. Come on, I want to see as much as I can, there's more to this place than anyone is letting on. We need to know exactly what we're dealing with."
Woof.
"Yeah, I know. Total head-cases."
Arcene let her feet take her where they wanted. She had found over the years that she had a sixth sense for finding answers, and often trouble, if she switched off and let her instincts take over. Something nagged at the back of her mind but she couldn't figure it out. The best thing to do was let her mind go blank — the answer always revealed itself eventually.
Babies
After five minutes of walking with no direction in mind and no thoughts apart from the rumbling in her belly, Arcene found herself in the strangest place she had yet seen at Castle Kenyon. Noisy too. Odd noises, eerie noises, as if there was something missing.
She stood outside a large door made entirely of scrap metal, badly hammered sheets of ancient steel and rivets held the patchwork material together. Inside was the sound of machinery and shouting. There was nobody around, the large makeshift building seemed to occupy all available space, more a covered courtyard than a traditional building.
Arcene pushed open the door; her nerves tingled. All her senses sprang to life, hyper-alert and screaming at her to turn around and go chop off heads.
Leel whined and stayed close.
This will not be good.
She walked inside and any doubts she'd had about the twins' future were well and truly wiped away.
Row after row of makeshift benches and trestles ran up and down the room — a factory, she supposed — placed haphazardly, each occupied by workers of various ages. As the door swung closed behind her the clattering vibrated in her brain like a thousand tiny hammers and the sight before her sent her mind reeling.
It was a dream, not real. Nothing had prepared her for this. Nothing.
They were kids. Lots and lots of young ones only four or five, up to teenage years. Adults too, just a few, wandering around, shouting at the terrified children, slapping the back of their heads, pushing, shoving, barking orders, and above everything else the din. It was impossible to think straight, take it all in.
Woof! Woof, woof, woof.
All eyes turned to Arcene and Leel. Tired eyes, haunted and exhausted eyes. Angry eyes too �
�� of adults who stopped and stared accusingly at Arcene as if she were the one in the wrong.
Arcene was in a dream, this wasn't real, this wasn't part of the deal when you entered the world, no matter where it was. Everyone deserved dignity, some respect. Humanity.
Reality wobbled, time slowed and Arcene was but one thing: Death.
Emotions shut down in an instant, Arcene's Awoken body turning off anything that would interfere with what was to come. Chemicals surged through her brain and bloodstream, shuttling chemical cocktails she had perfected over the years to make her reflexes lightning fast, her actions quick and perfect.
Death. No mercy — it no longer existed. Not for those that would abuse children.
She reached her hand behind her back and ever-so-slowly unsheathed her sword, steel reflecting her impassive features back at her as the blade glided in front. It was a slow and fluid motion, no need to hurry.
"Out, now!" said Arcene, her words little more than a whisper.
"Hey, you can't go telling us what to do," shouted a fat woman with a face full of hairy moles.
"Ssh" said a man, arm motionless where he'd been about to deliver a slap across the cheek of a little pale girl of maybe six. "It's Lady Arcene, she's to be our queen."
The woman scowled at him. "I don't care, we've got work to do and—"
Schlock.
Arcene was across the floor and slicing before anyone could move. The woman dropped dead to the floor like a lumpy sack of rotten potatoes. Nobody made a sound.
"Anyone else want to say anything?" Arcene stared at each adult in turn, none of them said a word. "I said out, everyone out." Terrified children got awkwardly to their feet if they could, others grabbed makeshift crutches and hobbled toward the exit. "No, wait. Sorry, got some more unfinished business to attend to. Kids, you stay here. This is over, okay?" The children stared at Arcene like she was a goddess, eyes full of hope and fear, hardly understanding what was happening.
"You, you, you and you. Out." Arcene pointed at each of the adults with the tip of her bloodstained sword, then nodded at the door, still swinging and creaking. Terrified, glancing nervously at the dead woman on the floor, the smell overpowering as her bowels emptied and a dark stain appeared on her skirt, they shuffled to the door. "Wait!" barked Arcene, and moved quickly to stand in front of them, blocking their way.
She leaned in close to Leel and whispered in her ear. Leel cocked her head to the side then pushed through the door with her snout and was gone.
Arcene ignored the adults and spoke to the children. "You will never have to do this again, I promise. These grown-ups are bad people, you won't see them again. Wait here, do not come out." She turned back to the adults. "Outside, right now." She kicked open the door and held her sword by her side as the men and women moved past her in single file.
A man stopped and opened his mouth to speak. Arcene stared at him, a look that told him all he needed to know. He closed his mouth and kept on walking, head hung low like a man on his way to the gallows.
The sun mocked Arcene, the warmth of the day and the beautiful blue sky telling her everything was all right with the world when it was far from the truth. Arcene nodded at the adults for them to line up against the wall; they moved slowly but obeyed.
"Now, what the hell were you doing in there? You think little children deserve to be treated like that?"
"They're the runts, the orphans or no good, they gotta work."
"Is that right?" Arcene stepped up to the man as he nodded, eyes darting left and right for backup from the others.
"Oh my god! What did you do?" Whip stared at the corpses, the blood splatters on the crumbling brick wall and the spreading pools of red on the flagstones — it was carnage.
"You said you wanted change, well here you go. This is the start of it Whip, and today will be the end of it too."
"I don't understand. What happened?"
Arcene ignored the question. "Did you know about this? Did you?" Arcene felt like screaming but her voice was little more than a whisper.
Whip nodded. "Arcene, this is what I have been trying to tell you. The castle can't go on like it has, the twins are out of control, others too. They need a new leader, they need you, me too."
"No, I will not stay in this place. I know you Whip, I have been watching you as you have been watching me. I know of your plans and your devious mind—"
"But..."
"Don't interrupt me Whip, don't you dare. Ever." Arcene was losing control, she felt it building, the detachment fading. She was ready to go berserk, rain down bloody vengeance the likes of which would leave nothing left alive. She had to control herself. Arcene took a deep breath and flipped her pigtails to rest down her back. "I see your devious mind, your games and your inability to act. Well, you have your wish. You wanted change, now you have it. If I find out you agree with what those people were involved in then I shall make you pay. Did you? Did you approve of what went on here?" Arcene pointed with her blood-caked sword at the factory.
"No, of course not. I keep telling you I want to stop this madness, so much is wrong Arcene. I need help."
"And yet all you do is plot and try to manipulate me, manipulate others, but you don't actually do anything."
"I don't know how," pleaded Whip. "I don't know where to start."
"Now you do. Send somebody to care for the children, and make it fast, we have a wedding to plan."
"Wait here." Whip hurried away, glancing back at Arcene before he disappeared.
Arcene stared at her sword arm — the blade was covered in gore, her arm was stained red up to the shoulder and her grip was so tight she wondered if she could ever let the sword go.
She stood motionless, mind empty, the only escape. She had no concept of time, no knowledge of how long she stood. Not even Leel's whining penetrated her defense.
"Eh? What?"
"Arcene, it's me, Whip. I've returned."
"Oh."
"Come 'ere love, lets get you cleaned up. Whip says you done a right good thing and no mistake."
Arcene let the woman dip her cloth into the bucket of water she carried and clean away the worst of the blood from her body, even wiping down the sword so it gleamed — she still held it tight in her hand.
"Come on, let's get you back to your room," said Whip.
Arcene stared at him, stared at the woman, and said, "Who's this?"
"My sister," said Whip.
"Hello love, nice to meet you, I'm sure." The plump woman, opposite to Whip in every way, smiled at Arcene then looked anxiously to her brother.
"Nice to meet you," said Arcene, slowly coming back to herself.
"Look after the children," said Whip to his sister. "Keep them well away from anyone and get rid of those bodies."
"Will do," said the woman happily, before grabbing hold of a pair of bloodied boots and dragging a man with numerous slices across his head toward a small door built into the wall.
"Come on, let's go," said Whip. He guided Arcene away from the scene of her anger.
Arcene allowed herself to be led; Leel nudged her hand repeatedly until she draped her free arm over her friend's neck and tried not to cry.
Why is there always so much pain? I want to see my boy, I want a cuddle.
Sometimes Arcene felt like a little girl, sometimes she felt a thousand years old.
Ooh, Lovely
"I'm not a bad man, Arcene," said Whip as he nodded at the guard then closed the door to Arcene's room with a gentle snick.
"Just maybe not a very nice one either," said Arcene.
"Maybe."
"How could you Whip? How could you let little children be treated like that? They're skeletal, bits missing, made to work in that place, doing what? All those ancient machines, it's the stuff of nightmares."
"Just one of many things that need to change." Whip sounded even older than his years and sank into a chair with a groan. Arcene stood and stared at him.
"I don't think I want to
know what else goes on in this place, but you let it happen."
"It's not that simple. How do you think I felt watching everything fall apart for so long? But I was stuck, unable to do anything, then it was too late."
"You hid! Hid away and fooled yourself that you were clever and would do something, but you never did. You played games! You smug old coward."
"I know, I know all right? I've been a fool, but no more."
"No more," agreed Arcene. She stared down at her body, kilt stained dark, the blood drying in patchwork brown, her arms smeared with the blood she had spilled. She regretted nothing, apart from that the children had seen. "Today, today it all changes. You will have your wish. But if I ever find out that children are set to work like that, or anything else where people are made to do things against their will, I shall return Whip, and I will burn this place to the ground with you in it and anyone else that deserves it. Do you understand me?"
Whip nodded.
"Answer me!" Arcene towered over Whip, veins popping on her arms like her fury was about to burst free as she clenched her fists. She let her anger build, not even trying to control it.
"I promise. I will change it all Arcene, I promise."
"You better. Now, go get Margaret and tell her I want a bath and I suppose then I better get ready for my 'wedding,' hadn't I?"
Whip left without speaking.
Arcene sat and cried. The warm tears emptied her, left her a shell, but slowly she filled back up. With death.
A Wedding
Arcene wore red, apparently a tradition for brides at Castle Kenyon — she couldn't have asked for a better color, it suited the event to perfection.
She walked through the plaza as a mob of people shouted their good wishes. Men fixed their eyes on her slender body in admiration, the women did the same. Her figure was clearly visible, the dress hugging her tight, yet as comfortable as her regular clothes. The long train of the dress trailed along the floor behind her like a stream of blood. Leel walked close by her side, whining occasionally, hating the cloying sensation of unknown bodies, the gawping and the noise — both preferred the company of small groups, or each other. Crowds always made them nervous — too many unknowns.