Chapter Twenty-Five: Bradley Endless
1250 Words
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
BRADLEY ENDLESS
If I were completely honest, at any given moment in faerie, there were a number of people who wanted to kill me. Which was why, the moment we stepped through the gate, I was unsurprised to be greeted by the point of a bow and arrow. The point of a bow and arrow, attached to a beautiful faerie, with light, brown skin, green eyes, and curly, brown hair that had flowers woven into it.
The arrow was mere inches from me. With her, were several other, female archers, all looking directly at me with a murderous gaze.
“Bradley,” said Clark warily, who stood by my side with his hands up, ever the rule follower, “what did you do?”
“Excuse me!” I said. “I’ve done nothing. We just got here.”
“Alright, let me rephrase that, brother. Within the last twenty-five years.”
I sighed. “Theft, destruction of property, murder, seduction of an innocent, well, more than a few innocents, public intoxication…”
“Murder!” Clark looked at me with wide, angry, eyes. “Who on earth did you kill?”
I grinned. “That’s for me to know, and you never to find out. Besides, if it makes you feel better, he was a very, very, bad man.” I turned to look at the woman before me. Green eyes and ebony skin. I’d remember her anywhere. “Isn’t that right, Nia?”
Nia’s green eyes flickered with irritation. It was a look that I was used to from her. I also knew that when she pointed a bow and arrow at someone, she didn’t miss, which was how if I didn’t talk my way out of this situation, I’d be dead.
Very, very, dead.
“That’s right,” said Nia, “you can relax, dragon. I’m not here to kill you. The Queen requires your assistance.”
“But Tatiana-----”
She shook her head. “Not Tatiana. Your sister.”
I looked to Clark, who appeared as though he were going to be sick.
He’d paled considerably. “Emma, is she….”
“She’s fine,” Nia told him, “she had an issue with her pelvis. She fell while flying with the King. But the King has gone mad and has decided that he wishes to make her fae in order to restore her. Emma’s refused. The Godmother saw their fight. He threatened to turn her to stone or throw her in the dungeons if she did not comply. She called on us.”
“Who, exactly, are you by the way?” Clark asked.
I coughed, realizing I hadn’t introduced the girls yet. Clark hadn’t spent as much time in faerie as me, and he knew less about it. “The Ladies-In-Waiting.”
Clark raised an eyebrow. “I…I thought Ladies-in-waiting were demure, young women who were supposed to help entertain the Queen or take care of her.”
Nia snorted. “That is a ridiculous assumption. No, and you’d do well to know this, Clark Prince, we protect the Queen. We stay, hidden in the shadows, watching her enemies every move to keep her alive. Because men are cruel, in every world, and a crown does not guarantee happily ever after. In fact, more often than not, it leads to misery and mistrust.”
Clark stepped back, and examined the five, female archers. They all wore royal blue robes, with hoods, held together by a golden pin with a crown that had the initials EE engraved on it.
“Where’s Emma now?” he demanded.
“He’s locked her in the tower, until she agrees to comply,” Nia explained, “she’s unharmed, he can’t hurt her anymore than she’s already been hurt. But she has limited mobility, and because its bone that’s been broken, not flesh, we haven’t a way to heal her. You do know…Prince…. that she’s not yours, don’t you? She’s a married woman.”
Clark raised an eyebrow. “How do you all know who I am, and I hadn’t a clue for years?”
“Easy,” said Nia, “we can smell it on you. Royal blood has a certain tang to it. Whatever you command, we’re at your assistance, should you request it.”
“Help me save the Queen,” Clark said, “help me get her out of there.”
I looked at him, with wide, horrified eyes. “Clark, you can’t possibly be serious. We have one mission already. Get past dragon, save mystical sword, slice and dice Oberon. You can’t add a mission to the mission.”
Clark glared at me. I think it was the first time I had ever seen the goody-two-shoes glare at me. Or anyone, for that matter. I wasn’t certain that he had it in him. “I’m the Prince, the future King of faerie. I say, we’re going to save the Queen.”
“Bloody hell,” I muttered, “I’m going to f*****g die, aren’t I?”
“Only if you don’t come,” Clark said, smiling at me.
“I hate my siblings,” I groused, “truly hate them. Why can’t I come from a normal family? Nope, everyone has got to have f*****g quests and destinies. Alright. Let’s go commit treason and theft. Not like we’re adding to my list of crimes here, or anything.”
Clark grinned. “You were the one who said you wanted to help with the fairy tale ending.”
“Yes, well, never going to help with anything happy after this ever. It’s going to be doom and gloom all the way.” I looked to Nia. “Alright. You’ve heard your Prince. We’re going to go save the Queen.”
“Lovely,” said Nia with a smile, “just so you know, this doesn’t absolve you of anything.”
“Perfect,” I said.
“And I’m not sleeping with you again,” she noted.
Clark glared at me once more. “Have you no self-control?”
I grinned. “Self-control was made for those who wish to torture themselves. The only torture I indulge in is the kind that gives you pleasure.”
“Nia, was it?” Clark said.
Nia nodded.
“If I tell you to shoot my brother, will you?”
It was her turn to grin. “As I said, my Prince, I am at your service.”
“Excellent,” said Clark, “I’ll keep that in mind. Now, let’s go save a Queen.”
He started walking, with Nia following alongside. The other ladies-in-waiting gave me dirty looks, before following. Reluctantly, I followed on after them, regretting every single, step forward that I took. But it was for Emma, and for her I would go anywhere. Even if it was to my untimely death.
- Writer
