Remember the Enemy - Chapter 2
by Mara S. S.
"Shizuru onee-sama..." Mashiro sobbed, "Why don't they like meee..."
Shizuru held her younger cousin in her arms and tried to comfort her. "You just need to be nicer, that's all."
The child in Shizuru's arms scowled ferociously but the effect was somewhat ruined by the tearstains on her cheeks. "I don't have to be nice to them. I'm the Queen." Mashiro sniffed. "They're just peasants."
Shizuru sighed and shook her head. "Mashiro-chan, even peasants need to eat."
"Then let them eat candy!" The girl replied forcefully. Then she began to giggle. Then her face suddenly contorted into a horrible grin.
Shizuru gasped as Mashiro jumped away. In the blink of an eye, Mashiro was dressed in her formal gown. The crown on her head sparkled from the light of an unseen sun. Still giggling like crazy, Mashiro lifted her arm and pointed towards Shizuru's head.
"Shizuru onee-sama..." Mashiro said in a singsong voice.
Shizuru's hands flew to her head and she found a golden crown identical to Mashiro's on top of it. She removed it and held it up to the light. "Mashiro-chan, what...?"
When she looked back at her cousin and queen, Mashiro's body was crumpled on the ground. Then right before her eyes, Mashiro's head floated up in front of her. The severed head was at eye level and there was blood dripping from the queen's neck.
"Run onee-sama! Run!" Mashiro's head screamed. A sudden terror gripped Shizuru's heart and without knowing why or what she feared, she turned and ran.
When she turned, she found herself running in a dark forest. She could dimly hear the ringing of a bell. Still held captive by that terrible fear, she stumbled forward towards the sound of the bell.
She heard dogs barking and she ran faster and faster, almost tripping over fallen branches in her path. Then the sound of pistols firing and men shouting. The sound of the bell grew louder and louder.
Then she spied a clearing up ahead and she almost cried in relief. But when she reached the edge of the trees, she found herself standing on a wooden platform with a rope dangling in front of her.
There was a crowd of peasants before the platform. They were jeering and pointing at her. The crowd seemed to be in an ugly sort of mood. Someone screamed, "Down with the Queen!" Something was thrown at her and she ducked.
When she stood, there was cold metal pressed into her back. She whirled around and found Chie, the head of the Queen's guard, right behind her.
"Where's Mashiro?" Chie demanded. Chie looked bedraggled, her uniform was dirty and torn in several places. But her arm was steady as she pointed a pistol at Shizuru. "Where's Mashiro?!" Chie yelled again.
"She.. She was right there..." Shizuru replied weakly.
"Where's Mashiro?!?!" Chie yelled.
"I don't know..." Shizuru protested.
Then suddenly Chie lifted a lantern up and it shone so brightly that Shizuru had to throw up her arms to shield her face.
But she couldn't move her arms. Shizuru opened her eyes to find a redhead sitting on top of her, pinning her arms to her sides.
"Who...?" Shizuru asked, still blinking and trying to make sense of her surroundings.
"You're awake now I see..." The girl on top of her snorted. "Took your own sweet time about it. Lazy aristocrats.." The girl grumbled.
"Who are you?" The weight of the girl was beginning to make it difficult for Shizuru to breathe.
A hand cupped her cheek. "I ask the questions here sweetie, not you." The hand lifted and moved to stroke her hair. "And I hope you understand that things can get very..." The hand lightly passed over her cheek once more, then down her throat, until Shizuru could feel a very sharp nail digging into the hollow of her throat. "Very unpleasant." The girl finished. "Understand?"
Slowly, ever so slowly, Shizuru's memory of recent events began to return. Still shocked by her current situation, Shizuru could only stare back at the redhead that straddled her.
"Good." The girl smiled as if pleased. "So tell me. Where's Mashiro?"
"Mashiro?" Shizuru echoed, trying to reconcile the question with what her memories told her.
"Violet haired girl about this tall. Gets bitchy when things don't go her way. Wears a crown, likes to be called queen. You know."
"She..." Sorrow for her cousin threatened to bring Shizuru to tears. "She's dead..."
A hand, moving so fast, too fast for Shizuru to avoid. Her cheek stung and she struggled to get away but the girl held her down.
"Liar." The redhead said flatly. "And you know what?" The girl bent and placed her head next to Shizuru's ear. "I don't like liars..." The whisper tickled Shizuru and made her shiver.
The girl straightened once more and her tone was implacable. "Let's try again. Where. Is. Mashiro?" The last word was punctuated by a sharp fingernail digging into Shizuru's arm, leaving a bright red mark.
"She's dead. She's dead! I saw her..." Shizuru took a shuddering breath. "I saw her head being chopped off..."
Shizuru gritted her cheek as another slap followed.
"Liar." Her captor said once more. The girl withdrew a blade from her sleeve and used it to caress the reddened side of Shizuru's face. "Let's see if I can be more convincing..."
"Nao, stop it!"
The redhead pouted and her head turned towards the source of the voice. "I was just beginning to have fun..."
"Move it..."
The girl, Nao, stooped and brushed a kiss against Shizuru's cheek. Shizuru winced and try to draw back as much as she could.
Nao got up and left the room. Shizuru flexed her arms and legs trying to return the feeling to them as her gaze turned to the woman standing beside the bed.
"Sorry about that. Need help? Ah, I'm Natsuki by the way." The woman - Natsuki - reached a hand down to Shizuru.
Shizuru shook her head, refusing the help. She pushed herself up to a sitting position on the bed.
-o-
Natsuki watched silently as the prisoner sat up. It amused her how the princess still moved gracefully like, well, a princess.
Natsuki dragged a nearby stool closer to the bed and sat on it. "Are you warm enough?"
The prisoner nodded. "Though you might want to tell your friend to go on a diet." She put her right arm protectively around her stomach. "She must have cracked a rib or two."
Natsuki laughed but inside she was wincing. If the princess could still make jokes after being threatened by Nao, it seemed she would really be a tough nut to crack.
Natsuki's laughter and outwardly pleasant attitude coaxed a small smile from the princess.
"Can I know your name?"
"Don't you know it already?"
Natsuki didn't respond and instead looked expectantly at the older woman. She'd be a tough nut indeed.
"Shizuru Viola." Shizuru said with a sigh. At Natsuki's still expectant look, she added, "Princess Shizuru Viola if that makes you happier."
"Nice to meet you Shizuru. Now I know you must be confused..."
"Let me guess." Shizuru interrupted. "I'm the prisoner, you're the torturer. If I don't cooperate, I face death or worse. Right?"
"Partly." Natsuki agreed. "But Shizuru," Natsuki leaned forward earnestly then gently took Shizuru's hands into her own. "I just want to help you. They," Natsuki jerked a thumb to point behind her, "want to know some of the things you know but I'll try to make this as easy for you as possible, okay?"
Shizuru's expression was skeptical.
Unfazed, Natsuki continued, making sure to keep her tone light and cheerful. "So... are you hungry?"
Shizuru shook her head.
Natsuki's face fell but she stood up anyway. "You have to eat something. I'll see what I can get for you." Natsuki bent closer and gently put two fingers on Shizuru's reddened cheek. "I'll find something to sooth that too. I'll be right back."