High above the glowing marble chambers where the vows of Alliance had been sworn, was a small, dark, attic; its thick oaken door locked and bolted on the outside, its tiny windows barred. It was dark because its only inhabitant could not be trusted with a lamp or candle, and small because even though it was occupied by royalty, for its tennant had long since ceased to care about the trappings of rank.
A woman was there, standing alone by the window, looking down at the armored men and revelers in the courtyard below. Princess Zyprexa was not old, yet she was so strange and disheveled that at first sight many thought her so. Perhaps it was her pale, flying hair, perhaps it was the terrible distance in her eyes, perhaps it was the way she moved. She did not move with the grace of a young woman, but with the stiffness of age; she slowly shuffled flat-footed when she walked, her mouth and tongue worked constantly and silently, and her hands shook even when at rest. But she did not rest, she never rested save when sleep called her, but constantly stumbled from one part of her cell to another.
"Mine enemies have imprisoned me!" She cried to the silent walls, no-one in the courtyard below heard her cries amidst the uproar of celebration. "Curse you, thou Lords of Luvox and Tegretol, damn thee Lord Levo of Dopa, Lady Selegiline ye whore who stole my beloved, damn you all! May all the spirits and demons that torment me visit thee and thy children unto the hundredth generation!"
"Thou couldst not bear to see a new generation take power, for thou art enamoured of the old ways and could not bear to be supplanted – least of all as by one so atypical as my kindred!" Suddenly, she wept. "Where art thou, my dear ones, Clozapine my sister, Risperidol my cousin, Seroquel my servant, where art thou? Why hast thou left me to this lonely torment?"
In the courtyard below, music was heard, and shouts of laughter. Her face darkened with anger.
"I curse thee, Haldol of Stelazine, and thy vile jealousy! Thou could not bear to be supplanted, so in your wickedness you put a curse on me and now I am tormented by demons…" Her face grew vague and wild, and then showed terrible, sudden, pain and fear.
"Ai!" She cried, and clutched desperately at her stiff, painful back. "The final curse is come to me, I fall ill and there is no-one here to help!" She began to breathe rapidly, within her chest her heart pounded. "I burn with fever, please, someone, help me! Oh, I am lost for the demons, they have come for me! They torment my body, my back my legs, they seize on me and I cannot walk… the room spins, I am lost… oh, the pain… I am cursed, I am weak and cannot fight this disease… mine enemies have the victory…"
But for all she cried out, no-one came to help, for the servants who normally looked after her had joined in the celebration below. For a while she yet called, but not for long, for the sudden fever overcame her before the night was halfway through. Finally, her breathing slowed, and her heart ceased to pound… and Zyprexa, the Princess cursed with madness… had died.
Please review, or not.
