Anniya paused outside the great throne room. It had taken her a great deal of time to get where she was. After detouring and lurking in corners, she was surprised she hadn't died of fright.
Well, it was down to her. It made sense. It had started out that way, and would end the same.
She touched the glistening sword at her side. It was itching to 'sing' again. It was odd, but it felt almost as if the sword had been made for her at this point. It had gone through Robert, West, and now it was down to her.
This was a battle that she wasn't going to fight with her sword though. She had enough of that. This was one she was going to win through skill and truth, for the sake of Kyrria. Enough people had died wrong deaths today, and she wasn't going to kill the Count cold blooded. Although he did deserve it.
Odd enough, Anniya felt calm again. Maybe it was because she was so eager to get it over, for better or for worse. She was tired of dodging around the Count's underlings. It was time to face the man himself.
Feeling strong, Anniya stepped in the throne room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The Count overlooked a scene similar to Anniya's earlier. The only difference was that he relished the sight, and took in it all; the day he became King of Kyrria, breaking the blood line for the first time in over two hundred years.
He smiled and stroked his mustache. Even the dragons had proved to be of some use; true, it had wiped out a good number of the ogres, but he didn't need the piddling creatures after tonight. But the dragons had created more hysteria then ogres would of, and all of the guards and knights that weren't in the dungeons were out fighting in Frell. TSSal was taking care of Eirene's girl. The Count knew that they would be a fair match. The girl had terrifying magical capabilities, but TSSal was capable of sorcery and defending himself against it.
The Count knew who would win.
That was exactly why he called his captain of his guards to him in the throne room.
" Yes, my lord," the man said, bowing as one would bow to a monarch.
" That is treason!," Princess Cecilia shouted, her eyes flashing.
She stood up and took a step forward before her guards retained their grip on her. The captain looked nervous at the sight of the angry princess, but the Count kept the pleasant smile on his face. He didn't believe that she was any threat at this point.
The Count placed a piece of paper in the captain's hand. " You are to place this in my study, in a book called 'The Tale of a Man', in the farthest, most concealed book shelf. Do you understand?"
" Yes, my lord."
The captain left, and the Count turned back to the Princess. She was quiet, but her anger was still evident. It was indeed a blessing her parents lacked the spirit she seemed to have; the girl seemed unmanageable.
" Come with me, my dear," he called to her, and walked over to the balcony. The princess remained rooted to her seat, until her two guards rose and dragged her over.
A fantastic thunder storm was brewing over the castle. The magnificent black clouds gathered angrily over the balcony, and the gathering winds rocked the trees back and forth nervously. The entire land was dark. The Count smiled once again, and deeply sucked in the smoke that floated in the air. It was truly a beautiful sight. The screams, the fire, the beauty of it all.
" your majesty," a rough, scratchy voice called from behind. The Count turned and saw Eirene's girl, perfectly calm.
It seemed as if the girl had someone watching over her. She had survived every possible obstacle the Count had put in her path. Ah, but it would not matter in the end.
She looked so much like Eirene, it was painful.
" She just walked into the throne room. It may be a trap. She's given up her sword," the ogre warned him hastily.
The Count glanced at the chains on her feet and hands. " No, leave her. She's fine. I'll take care of her myself."
The ogres left, bowing without a word. The Count turned to study the Elfin girl. Her serene emerald eyes met his gray ones. He had always been good at reading people, and registered the passionate anger in her eyes.
" You killed him," she said simply. The Count smiled lazily, not bothering to deny it.
Her anger flared up in her eyes, and the Count himself felt magic trickle in his veins. For a moment, he felt the calling deep inside him.
Eirene's daughter. Eirene had loved her with all her heart. She could of been his daughter. Anniya Fredericka.
But the more powerful side of him took over, and the Count threw Anniya against the back wall with his magic. Time to kill the girl once and for all. He would have to do it himself.
There was a satisfying crack, and the girl cried out in pain. The Count smirked, and held her there. His own magic would begin draining hers.
There was an Emerald green flash, and suddenly the girl fell to the ground. Before the Count could do anything, she leapt up and sent him crashing down onto the floor himself.
And then his entire body began shaking. The Count, for once in his life, felt the beginnings of fear. The convulsions grew greater, more painful each time. He felt his magic and his lifeblood coming out of him at an unbelievable pace. She would kill him within seconds! With a powerful kick, he knocked the girl down with his feet. Her head slammed against the tile, and she lay still for a moment.
" No!," the increasingly annoying Princess called out. The Count turned on her and froze her temporarily. She wouldn't be able to move for at least an hour.
He turned back, and threw Anniya into a marble statue with levitation. The girl crumpled against it, but managed to dodge the next throw of magic.
The Count knew now that girl had by far the stronger magic; it was an ancient magic, and he could not describe it. She had drained him almost within moments; he could of been dead if not for physical strength. If she had been trained just a bit better, he would be dead.
He reached out with his magic, and slammed her against the wall once again. This time the Count concentrated, keep his magic smooth and keeping his back to the balcony. He had her now.
" You've cost me a lot of trouble girl. I thought by hanging you, I would get rid of you. I had used potions to drain your magic, and still you could call the damn dragons. You are indeed more powerful then I believed, and that means as long as you are alive you are a danger to me."
" What about Cecilia? What about the other rebels," Anniya shot back angrily, her voice cracking in the pain. She was close to death.
The thunder clouds at last released rain. It tumbled down like tears, kissing the balcony and quickly soaking the Count. His connection to her magic didn't break.
The Count smiled, and laughed.
" What rebels? I killed Arien, my thanks to you; he was by far the greatest threat next to you. My ogres caught the bastard prince, whipped him to death. Our dear King Jerrold and Queen Daria are being held in the tower, awaiting execution. The sniveling Kyrrian prince is off on a journey that will take months. As for Princess Cecilia, I trust that you've seen all that she can do. And of course, there is the prize: you. I have you at last. The last one I had to take care of delivered herself into my hands! And now, I am sad to say that is time to say good bye."
The Count raised his hand, prepared to cut the connection that was keeping her alive. He couldn't resist saying one more phrase. " I will rule the most powerful country in the lands with my gratitude to you, my dear. With your death, I will signify the beginning of a new King! The death of the last of my enemies!," the Count cried out, as if he were a mad man. Lightning illuminated the sky. He rose his hand to break the connection. Then he paused. Anniya was smiling......?
" I would count again," a cool voice said from behind him. The Count turned his head.
In that instant before he died, he knew at last where he had seen those blue green eyes and that dark hair. The gypsy girl whose family he had ordered the slaughtering of. Standing with Char, Robert, and the other knights, Esperanza smiled and nodded to something behind him. His undoing had been a gypsy girl.
The Count turned to see Anniya's great emerald green dragon gave a shriek of glory as it swooped down from the sky, and close it jaws on him.
And at that moment, it was later said that the skies cleared and the fires died out and the sun came to make it's daily trip through the sky once again.
For all, Esperanza's family, Anniya's parents, West and John, and all of the other innocents the Count had killed mercilessly over the years were avenged.
And surprisingly, the storm turned into a sun shower.
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Down the Lucarno, in a town far, far away from Frell, a girl named Elizabeth walked down to the river to fetch some more water for her younger brother's baths. No one in her small town had any idea of the Count's attempt to usurp the throne, and Elizabeth was enjoying her small adventure.
As she scooped up the water into her pail, her eyes caught a glimmer of gold. She swished out the glimmer, and discovered a ring.
Elizabeth marveled at it, and could hardly believe her luck! It was worth a great deal, she saw that immediately. It was the ring of a high noble. But never mind that; it would pay taxes for a year. She wondered where it had came from.
She gazed down across the water and the rest of the river shore, and got another glimpse of something. Elizabeth's vision had never been good, so she squinted her muddy brown eyes as another object slowly came into focus.
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Author's note-- it's not over yet!!! please review.