Dance of the Damned

Honest Work

As the four entered the kingdom with many of the other similar carriages that followed them, they took off their masks and cloaks with the symbol of the Lion on them.

The sun had only begun to shine and the preparations on the surroundings were even more than the night they saw it from the hill.

Everyone except Juliet, who was still looking at her trembling hands.

"You did a wonderful job, Juliet," Teri said taking her trembling hands in hers. "What you did was just to bring the man to be judged by his deity."

"That does not change the fact that she killed someone." Madam Lottie said, frowning slightly.

"Madam-"

"The world is not black and white, Juliet." Madam Lottie said looking at her intently. "I do not wish to put this false idea in your head that murder is ok because they were bad people.

"You still killed a person, there is still blood in your hands and you will have to be ok with that."

"I understand what you are trying to say, Madam Lottie," Teri said, sighing. "But she need not think about that yet."

"I think she needs to. A life is not something cheap." Madam Lottie said sternly. "I am glad that you killed him, Juliet. I am proud of you for choosing that. But I need you to know that killing a bad person does not immediately make you better than other 'murderers.

"I have killed many, many people before." Madam Lottie said, staring out the window at the people happily running around and talking to one another. "I am a doctor now and have saved more lives than I can count.

"But that did not take away from the fact that I took many other people's lives. Their blood will forever remain in my hands."

"Do you regret it then?" Juliet asked, looking up at her.

"Killing them? Sure." Madam Lottie chuckled. "Many times, I wished that I had a better reason to kill them. If I could justify myself, like 'it was for self-defence or 'they were horrible people from the start' then I may not have as much guilt as I do.

"But I need to accept the truth for what it is." She sighed, pulling at her red hair falling in front of her face. "I killed them because I was ordered to. And, even though I knew it was wrong, I did it anyway.

"So I do not believe I have the right to complain about anything. And, for the lives I took, I will spend the rest of my life trying to atone for it."

"You are so strong," Juliet said, looking at her hands. "I don't think I could ever think like that."

"I am not strong." Madam Lottie scoffed. "In fact, I don't believe I would be alive today if not for Roshi."

She stared at her hands, "I learned that I could not complain about anything in my life as long as he is alive and I am by his side."

"Aren’t you being a little too hard on yourself?" Teri asked, turning to the woman. "People can change and I am sure that you have changed so much. You are not the same person you were."

"That is true. I am not the same person. But that did not mean I did not try to take the easy way out." She sighed, looking out the window again. "Nothing I do will ever atone for my sins."

"I agree with, Teri. You are being too hard on yourself Madam Lottie." Juliet said, "I've seen your work. I've seen how you take care of people all around you. You are selfless.

"The circumstances are to blame the most but you have changed so much from who you were. I think it is ok to walk away from the guilt."

"You don't understand, neither of you do." She looked at the two with a deep frown on her face. "First. I have not wronged either of you, so this talk of forgiveness from you is not relevant.

"Second. It did not change the fact that I destroyed lives. If someone came to your family one day and killed your loved one, what would you feel like? Even if they were justified, which I wasn't."

Juliet and Teri kept quiet, both in their own minds, trying to find a counterargument to her statement but they couldn't.

Everything she said was true and they hated to admit it.

“I feel I said more than I needed to.” Madam Lottie said, sighing. “I just hope you understand what I am intending to tell you.”

“I do, Madam Lottie,” Juliet said with a smile on her face. “I understand.”

“Good.”

_____________________

“Do you all remember the plan?” Carvill asked, looking at the three as they climbed out of the carriage at the back of a small inn they booked to stay.

“We will need to be here until nightfall.” Madam Lottie said, looking at Carvill.

“We also need to remain inconspicuous as possible,” Teri said, looking at Juliet who seemed a little out of it. “Are you alright?”

“I am.” She nodded, looking at Carvill. “What about the … items?”

“They are at the back of the carriage.” He pointed to the back. “I will be putting them in place with Madam Lottie. You and Teri can rest here for the time being. Just remember to be in position at the exact time.”

“Thank you, Carvill,” Teri said, smiling kindly to the man before putting on a hat with the brim that came to the half of her face to cover her eyes.

“I will leave the rest to you, so stay alert.” He said, nodding at them while still wearing his mask and clicking the reigns as the carriage began to move away from behind the inn to the main road once again.

“Shall we go inside then, Juliet?” Teri asked, turning to the girl who had a dazed look on her face. “Juliet?”

“Ah, apologies.” She said, snapping back to reality. “Let’s go inside.”

Teri watched as she walked into the inn from the back door, doubt raising in her head. Will she even be able to do this? To be stealthy is one thing, but to be able to set an entire kingdom on fire, that too … this is not normal fire.

What is Roshi thinking? I wish I could know.

_______________________

The two entered their modest rooms, as the shouts of cheers filled the outside world. Stalls were set up, and people, children especially, with balloons and streamers were running everywhere.

Teri stared outside through the window, watching the fun happen in front of her.

I hope they enjoy this as best as possible, this entire kingdom is going to turn into a blood bath by tonight.

Turning from them, she looked at Juliet, sitting on her bed with that same blank stare while fiddling with her fingers.

“Is everything alright?” Teri asked, sitting beside her. “And don’t say that everything is fine. I will not accept that.”

Juliet sighed, “It’s just … I hadn’t realised this, but many people are going to die today, aren’t they? Because of me.”

“I wouldn’t necessarily say because of you,” Teri said, looking at the girl’s shaky hands. “The work we do … it is not something simple or easy.”

“I never sai-“

“I know,” Teri said, softly. “I am just bringing that to your attention. We are not known for our mercy, because we cannot have any. One mistake and that could mean the death of everyone we know and love.”

“Is that the reason why you are all so dedicated to Roshi?”

“He gave us hope when we felt like we had nothing else in the world.” She explained. “The night he found me was supposed to be the last night of my life. I was ready to die because there was no point in living anymore.

“The people around me want me dead and I have only barely escaped assassins attacking me. There was no point anymore, but he came and I could finally see my life amounting to something.

“The only reason I joined with him also is because he told me what would happen if I died, to me, my family and the people we were in charge of.” She shook her head sadly. “It was not a pretty image.

"I had to live, if not for me, at least for my people." She looked at the girl. "You are here because you wish to know more about Roshi, yes?"

Juliet nodded.

"You were chosen for a reason. And ... as bad as this sounds ... some things have to be sacrificed to be able to get that future."

"But to sacrifice some people of a neighbouring kingdom." Juliet began "Is that not the easy way out? Instead of people from his kingdom or something like that."

"Don't speak like he does not know what sacrifice is." Teri's expression became sad, turning her gaze to the ground, shaking her head. "Of everyone I know, Roshi has sacrificed the most. If you really look at him, you will know what I mean."