Marisa felt both the ease and uncertainty of her venture on this night, her feet making the scarcest sound as she walked along the narrow hallways of Frelia Castle. Security had been tight, but it was never enough to even deter the myrmidon from walking these stone floors. The guards weren't of the simple ilk, either: they were trained to know when even assassins dare they intrude this floor, where Her Majesty resided. Luckily, Marisa wasn't one to come unprepared, her sword in hand along with a few bottles of Vulneraries brewed by L'arachel at her waist. A battle in this place would not be so decisive.
It was when she was meddling about the deeper corridors when she found herself in strife. A pair of these assassin killing guards were chatting amongst themselves, and while Marisa's keen senses allowed her to recognise they were nearby, it was evident that there was something in place to make sure intruders couldn't use their mere human senses to detect where the guards were. There they were, standing, chatting, right in front of her, when she had heard them walk off in another corridor behind her. Now with a slight twinge of panic, she clung to the wall nearby, the slightest indent allowing her to hide, at least for now.
The guards soon walked right past her, and she muttered the slightest praise for the situation, before proceeding along these stone hallways. Marisa soon realised the mistake which she had made once she had stepped forward, as the call from the guards who she had just seen walk past alerted all of those she had passed previously. Now with a battle on her hands, she charged at the guards she swore had already walked past, and her speed was still as great as it was when she took on all of those poor souls within the arena. Her Killing Edge slid into the chest of the guard, his armour surprisingly weak, though before she could react to the other guard, there was a stiff crunch followed by a sharp pain pulsating through her abdomen, the blood evident, her injury to be fatal should she not receive attention soon. Her sword was abnormally stuck in the guard, and she used all of her available strength to try and get it free.
Flinging herself to the left somewhat, her blade cleaved through the right shoulder of the other guard, until she was hit in the back of the head with a pommel, causing her to fall unconscious. Her last thoughts at the moment were of Tana, and how she might have failed to save her.
Innes had been tending to his frail father, Hayden, who had grown rather old after the fall of the Demon King. It seemed to be a curse, this ageing, made for the rulers of countries who held Sacred Stones. Perhaps the darkness would claim lives yet. The King-to-be was distraught, never seeing his father so weak and miserable, and while he was persistent, it was hardly his forte to heal others. It was unlikely that Hayden would live to see another birthday.
"Father, please, you have to take this medicine..." The prince was holding back his emotions, his feelings, as he tried to get his old man to take the revolutionary pills which had been made in Rausten. Regardless of his pleas, the king shook his head.
"Innes, my son... Can you not see? I've grown old, decrepit, why, I'd hardly have another week left in me... I want you to take this Kingdom from me, if I don't die, then you won't be able to. Please, do the honour of ending my life for me, for these hands will never hold anything more..." Hayden hacked and coughed, as Innes frowned, his watery eyes evident, and he turned his back to his father. If this was the only way, and it was the wish of his near death father, then so be it. His usually cold demeanour had been broken, his teeth grinding, his fists curled ever tightly. He held a sense of confusion, and felt so 'wrong'.
"Father, I can't just let you die! Just... Please..." The sniper then walked over to the wall, as though automatically, and tore the long ornamental sword from the wall, a blade which had belonged to his grandfather. Walking back to his father, Innes saw him smile, perhaps his last, and he mouthed a thank you before closing his eyes, ready for the inevitable. The prince rose the sword up high, before he thrust it into Hayden's chest, not a sound coming from his now dead form.
Tears fell from his eyes, as he slumped down to the ground, his pride lost and his longing for his late parent, immense. Wiping the blade of the sword on the end of his father's robes, Innes walked out of his chambers, taking the blade and sheathe with him. If there was one thing he wasn't losing, it wasn't this sword.
Marisa woke up some time later, her arms bound tightly and her feet chained together with the heavy iron ball. She wasn't going anywhere soon, but perhaps this would be for the best, as she noticed the heavy bandaging around her abdomen. Still adorning her sneaking attire, a choice of darker garments with minimal loose bits, she looked as though she really was going to kill Tana, though her mind was still strong with regret. Within Frelia's prison, below the castle, she groaned with pain as she moved even an inch, her wound automatically aggravated, and the wet feeling of warm blood caused her to grind her teeth together.
"Nnngh... Damn it..." She muttered under her breath, as the pain ceased around her abdomen. For some reason, they were keeping her alive, and now she might not ever complete her mission to save Tana from a fate worse than being the ruler of a country. Perhaps they intend to murder me in front of the masses... She thought grimly, her eyes narrowing somewhat in despair.
Well, she thought to herself, perhaps this will be my last few days alive. I'm sorry, Tana, I've failed you. I just want you to know, that no matter what, you've a place in my heart. You... I love you...
Marisa shook her head, knowing that these kinds of thoughts would ultimately cause her more anguish than would make sense, and thus, she went back to her overly cold, emotionless demeanour.
Suddenly, the cast iron door rattled as the key unlocked it, a rather large guard in the way of her potential escape. Even with the pain of having this injury, she knew that if her form wasn't restrained, she could take him bare handed. Regardless, she gazed up at him, her eyes still holding the tempered rage of her soul.
"Oi! You! Get up!" The guard called, and with painstaking difficulty, she hauled herself up to her feet, her guts burning with a pain unknown to even her, and she was forced to the ground again, doubled over in agony. No matter how perfect a swordsman was, injuries like these would cripple them. Coughing blood onto the floor, Marisa felt her throat sear with her life force, and almost immediately she was hauled to her feet forcefully, her teeth grinding once more.
... Drat. There was no way out of this, for now, and she would either live her last days in misery, or die even sooner than the public eye would see. Maybe this would be the end, of a once legendary warrior who fought against the odds constantly, defeated by the kingdom which housed her beloved.
"As of yesterday, King Hayden, my beloved father, asked me to end his life. I am truly sorry, but I cannot dent what my father wished for, and what is done, is done. Until I am able to be crowned king, the Council will have to take charge. I am simply not in the frame of mind to erupting a kingdom yet, but I assure you, people of Frelia, that under my rule there will be an everlasting peace. Thank you."
After his speech, Innes sighed while sighting the form of his younger sister. He knew when he saw Tana's face, her devastation was evident, and anger flashed through her many features.
"Brother, why..?!" She whined, as she threw her arms around him for comfort. Having not been used to this level of affection for a long time, Innes merely stood there, his eyes hard with grief and regret. Tana began crying, clutching her brother's tunic while trying to come to terms with the death of their father.
After a short while, the children of Hayden gathered themselves up to attend his funeral, a day after his death. It was a sad occasion, and even Marisa had attended, yet she was half asleep due to the hard labour she was forced to do, despite her cripplingly agonising injury. She couldn't see Tana anyways, she was too far away, which brought further despair to her features, of course, when no one could see her face.
After the funeral service, Marisa was sent back to her cell underneath Frelia Castle, each step being an ache to parts of her body. She realised her hands were unbound, but, she held not the energy to do anything heroic. Soon, after laying down on the cold stone floor, she fell into a deep, dark sleep...
The next day, Tana woke without a problem, as she sat up in her bed and stretched, soon realising that Innes was sitting at her bedside, and a few more robed people stood near the far doorway. With a frown, she rubbed her eyes, looking to her brother as if to ask what these people were doing here, himself included.
"Tana, we had an intrusion the night Father died. The intruder... was Marisa of Jehanna. We be,Evie she had been sent here to murder you for the good of-" Innes was interrupted, rather loudly.
"LIES!" Frelia's princess practically roared, as her eyes widened in disbelief. Marisa, she thought, wanting to kill me?! Madness!
"Tana, please, she had a blade and killed two of our guards as she was subdued. We have enough reason to suspect she was sent here to kill you, else, why would she head toward your chambers? She was only a corridor away, you know... I fear my life is in danger, but I will deal with that." Tana couldn't believe her ears, shaking her head while thinking about it. Her friend, Marisa, wanting to end her? She would not believe it, not for a single second.
"Innes, please, just give me a minute. And why the hell are all of these people in here?! This is my room!" Tana glared at each of the Council members, before they all began to leave, except the king-to-be.
"Now that they're gone, I can tell you the truth..."
Innes had visited Marisa earlier on, which wasn't the best idea he had made up himself, but he did want some answers. Just why would the myrmidon come to Frelia, wishing to reach Tana? There were way too many questions, and not enough answers to answer them. With a sound mind, the prince soon entered Marisa's cell.
"Marisa, it's been a long time since I've seen your desert parched face."
"..."
"Ah, as silent as usual. I've a few questions to ask, if you'd answer them."
"... Go ahead. It's not like I can do anything about it."
"Why are you here, leagues from your home, Crimson Flash?"
"I came here for Tana, to take her away and confess my love to her."
"How... Intriguing. Although, why did you not simply make an audience?"
"There wasn't any time, she is going to be married due to her father's wishes."
"What?! Where did you hear such a thing?!"
"From King Ephraim himself. He has allies in this Kingdom, as he does with all kingdoms. It's a matter of life and death, that those people snoop about."
"Well, who sent you here?"
"I came here of my own accord, obviously."
"Alright, I'll take your word for it, for now. If you've been lying to me, I will be forced to shoot you down. Don't hold it against me, though, this is my sister we speak of here. Although I'm not buying your 'love' for her, you'll have to convince me of that."
"I love her. I don't care about convincing you, or anyone for that matter."
"I don't care if you're alive or dead, but anyways... I'm not in charge, in fact, the Council who backed my father are. I won't be able to do this legally, but I will get you out. You are to be hanged tomorrow, and I assure you, you will get away. But, do anything against the will of Tana, and you'll be dead before you know it. Deal?" Innes sighed, extending his hand toward the rose haired woman, hoping to make his offer seem more genuine to her. The injured myrmidon looked at his hand for a second, before clasping it with her own, her eyes with a fierce gaze toward the prince.
"Deal."