TW: Death, a lot of death. Violence. And really bad pacing. The pacing is horrendous. But yeah, if you can't read, as always, the summary is at the bottom!

The cheers turned to screams almost instantly.

People with swords ran into the room, yelling something along the lines of: "Death to the King!" Usually, Annalisa wouldn't mind, as people with swords were usually soldiers under the control of Julia's dad. But these were definitely not soldiers.

She stepped back, but morbid curiosity kept her from running. What was going on? Was this some kind of show? Why were people screaming?

A woman right in front of her door collapsed to the floor. Annalisa blinked, confused, before dark red liquid appeared next to her head, seeping over the doorway and stopping right at Annalisa's foot.

Oh. That was why they were screaming.

She turned to the stage, her heart racing just as it did a few minutes ago, but this time for a wildly different reason. Where was Alex? Where was Elaina? Surely they had gotten to safety?

No one seemed to see her through the door. She watched in horror as more and more people streamed in, and more and more people slumped to the ground.

She could see actual soldiers running in, but the sheer amount of people that had arrived overwhelmed them quickly.

Where were her parents? They were nowhere in sight. Maybe they had escaped? On that thought, she should probably escape while no one saw her, or else-

… Luke?

A boy appeared on the stage, looking over the chaos. His eyes were narrowed in concentration as he took down any soldiers who dared approach him.

Luke. Why was Luke here? There was no way…

Don't go to the throne room when Prince Alexander announces his wife.

Suddenly, it all made sense.

Luke knew. He was one of them. He was killing all of these people.

He was a rebel.

She closed the door so that no one saw her, peering in through the keyhole.

So many people were dead. Gone. Annalisa couldn't wrap her head around that fact. They would never laugh again. They would never see again. They were gone.

How could Luke do this? Tears welled in her eyes. Why would he approve of such cruelty?

"Listen, all of you!" Luke's voice rang through the room. Everyone stared up at the boy who stood tall on the stage. "We have suffered through the royals' cruelty for long enough! They have abused us, killed us, and forgotten about us! Tonight we free ourselves from their tyranny!"

"Aye-aye!"

"Yes!"

"Death to the crown!"

Annalisa bit her lip. Was what Luke was saying true? Why didn't he just tell her, then? Maybe she could have fixed whatever problems there were instead of resorting to… this…

"All of you remaining," Luke said, pointing to the nobles that were still alive, tied down to the floor, their faces covered in blood. "Have been spared because your philanthropy has not gone unnoticed. Unless some of us made a mistake." He frowned, pointing to a random noble laying on the floor. "Lord Iris isn't supposed to be dead."

"Sorry!" a person yelled. "I killed the wrong guy!"

Luke sighed and shook his head. "Whatever. It's over now. Thank you, Gysterf, for helping us accomplish this great feat. We couldn't have done this without you."

"Freedom for Ethica!" someone with a Sterfish accent shouted from the corner of the room.

"And Lady Domanshee," Luke smirked. "For meddling with the royals' for our sake. She was responsible for sending most of the royal soldiers away. By doing this, we suffered little to no casualties on our side."

Annalisa's mouth dropped open as Lady Domanshee emerged from the bodies, her smile wide with glee.

"Yes, yes, all of these people helped us a lot!" Paliz shoved Luke away from the center of the stage, walking over to the thrones, now matted with blood. He sat on the largest, the King's, and laughed. "Now bring in the disgraced little royals!"

Rebels pulled several people up to the stage, and Annalisa had to take a second to realize that it was her family. A rebel pushed her father to the floor, placing a shoe on his back.

"Let's kill the King first." Paliz whipped out a knife and swung it towards his throat. "Any last words, Your Majesty?"

If he had said anything, Annalisa couldn't hear, as she looked away, flinching as she heard a body thump to the floor.

She had to go. Before she got caught. Maybe she could get help and save them.

But… Luke was here. Luke couldn't let this happen, right? He… he wouldn't.

Next was her mother. Annalisa closed her eyes. This couldn't be happening. This was a dream, a nightmare, and she would wake up safe in her bed and hug her maids…

"Alexei, come here!"

Alexei?

Alexei, Julia's brother and Alexander's bodyguard, ran up to them, bowing his head in respect. "Hello, Paliz."

"Watch, you ignorant nobles!" Paliz shouted. "Even Prince Alexander's Ares has turned on him! This is more proof that the royals were corrupt, even personally!"

Alexander's eyes widened and he seemed like he wanted to say something, but the cloth in his mouth muffled his words.

Alexei glanced at his best friend, emotionless, the epitome of a soldier.

"I didn't do it for you," Alexei said sharply. "I did it for Ethica. The Aetux and the Ares were corrupt. As an Ares, I had an obligation to do what was best for Ethica. Even if it meant betraying my family."

"Of course, of course…" Paliz said dismissively. "Now kill him."

Alexei froze. "What?"

"Kill the Prince," Paliz said again.

"NO!" Mary's voice rang out in the crowd, and Annalisa realized that she, too, was bound up, a rebel keeping her from running to her fiance. A sock was quickly stuffed in her mouth.

Alexei glanced at Mary, then at Alexander.

"Very well."

Alexei approached him, kneeling so that he was on his level. He plucked out the gag from her brother's mouth. "Alex-"

"YOU!" Alexander spat. His eyes flared with anger. "YOU IDIOT-"

"Alex," Alexei said quietly. "Alex, please-"

"YOU SERVE ME!" Alexander yelled. Annalisa grimaced. She wanted to run to them, help them escape, maybe glare at Alexei and Lady Domanshee. But she was stuck here. "KILL THAT PALIZ GUY! KILL THEM ALL! I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SAY, YOU WEAK-MINDED-"

"I don't serve you, Alex," Alexei said, still keeping his face emotionless.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! ALL OF YOU SERVE ME! I AM YOUR KING!"

"I'm sorry," Alexei said, unsheathing his sword. "I really am."

Alexander laughed bitterly. "You wouldn't dare! I am your Cro- King! You can't hurt me!"

Alexei took a breath and pressed the edge to Alexander's throat. His eyes widened.

"Alexei, let me go!"

"... Please." Alexei's voice was pleading, desperate for his best friend to accept it. "... Your Majesty."

"That's better," Alexander spat. "Now untie me!"

Alexei pressed the sword further into his throat. Blood trickled from the incision.

"Learn to follow orders, you insolent brat!" It was funny how Alexander kept speaking, even though the vibrations of his voice only pushed the sword deeper.

"Hurry up, Alexei," Paliz said. "His life was already too long, anyway. He's the worst person I've ever seen."

Alexei gulped again.

"Goodbye, Alex."

Crunch

The sound of Alexander's blood vessels and trachea snapping under the blade was sickening. He screamed without noise, blood quickly filling the wound, and collapsed, his eyes wide open with shock, then an epiphany. An epiphany that he wasn't invincible. That he was mortal, like anyone else. That even though he was the Crown Prince (now technically king) he was still vulnerable. That he was dying.

"ALEX!" Mary tore from her captor's grasp and ran forward, covering impossible distance in mere seconds, kneeling at his side. Alexei turned away, bringing his eyes to stare at Paliz as Mary sobbed.

"Why… what… Alex, please… please, just stay…"

"Good, Alexei. If you'd like, I might offer a job for you," Paliz said.

Alexei continued to stare at him.

"If you want," Paliz continued, grinning. "You can become my Ares. You're already on the winning side—why not go for the glory of being the rebellion leader's guard?"

Alexei frowned. "I'll be taking my leave, now."

"Suit yourself. Alright," Paliz said, standing up and spinning his sword lazily around his hand. "Let's get rid of the girl."

"What?" Luke perked up suddenly, his eyes widening. "Mercedes? What did she do? She's just a commoner!"

Immediately, another rebel grabbed Mary's wrist and forced her away from Alexander's side. She screamed, her head slamming to the floor.

Annalisa flinched, wiping a few tears from her face, though they kept coming and soaking into her pink dress.

"Yes, but wasn't she his fiance?" Paliz walked over to Mary and a sinister smirk emerged on his face. He examined her closely, poking her cheek. Mary glared at him. "Who knows if the Prince's child is already… conceived? We can't have a wannabe king ruining our plans in twenty years."

Luke sighed. "We have no way of knowing that, Paliz-"

"It's better to be safe than sorry!" Paliz chirped happily, raising his sword.

"I didn't-" Mary started to say, but Paliz kicked her with his left boot and she yelped, whimpering in pain.

Anger flared in Luke's eyes. "Paliz! I'm not going to let you kill an innocent girl just because of some suspicion!"

Paliz stopped, his sword hanging in midair, and the world was still for a moment. Everyone in the room held their breath as Paliz turned to Luke, his expression emotionless.

"Let her go. Let all of the Selected go. They don't need to be part of this."

"Oh, ordering me around, are you?" Paliz challenged, swinging his sword to point at Luke. "Playing king, hm?"

Luke's face fell. "That's not what I meant."

Paliz opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, a woman's voice yelled from the audience.

"SHE DID!"

Annalisa could recognize that voice anywhere. She could recognize any of the Selected's voices with ease, after listening to them at every single event there was.

"What?" Luke stopped.

"She did sleep with him!" Giavanna yelled. The rebel that was holding her let her go, and she stormed onto the stage, glaring at Luke. "She told us herself! Right, Eva?"

They all turned to Eva, whose eyes widened. She bit her lip. "There's no point in doing this, Giavanna. The Prince is dead. There's nothing to compete for."

Giavanna scoffed. "Well, I just want justice! Mercedes and Alex had the best relationship, and if that's going to help Ethica in the long run, I don't see why I have to hide it."

Mary glared at her. "You bi-"

"Very well," Paliz said, grinning, and raised his sword once more.

Annalisa couldn't force herself to watch anymore. She turned, her heart pounding and tears running down her cheek. She was about to make a run for it before Paliz's voice caught her attention.

"Now that we're done with that… wait," Paliz finally said, his sword dripping with blood. His eyebrows furrowed. "There's only one princess here."

Luke examined Elaina, who was bound tightly by ropes and gagged with a cloth. There was relief in his eyes for a split second before he regained his posture. "Alexandra was exiled, remember?"

"Yes, I know, I know… what about the youngest? We can't have a wannabe queen upending our hard work."

"I don't know," he said. "She might have been accidentally killed. We could check the piles of bodies if you want."

Paliz glanced at the bodies and sighed. "Fine. Let's just search for her later."

"Wait!"

A noble caught their attention. Paliz raised his eyebrows. "Yes?"

"Princess Annalisa didn't attend the event!" the noble yelled. "I saw it!"

"Hm. Gat, Esen, search the palace. We can't let her escape."

"Yes, Sir!" Who Annalisa presumed were Gat and Esen rushed off.

Luke's eyes widened. "No!"

Gat and Esen stopped.

"Do you have a problem, Luke?" Paliz turned to him.

Annalisa smiled, despite the situation at hand. Luke still cared. He… He had been protecting her, hadn't he? He had saved her by telling her not to go to the throne room.

"I… uh…" Luke looked around wildly, and Annalisa took the chance, opening the door again and poking her head out, staring directly at him, hoping that he'd look at her. He looked at Paliz, then the noble, then Alexander, then… he met her eyes.

His eyes widened in… fear. Absolute terror. Was he scared of her? What had she done to make him so scared? What was… Oh.

"Run," he said as Annalisa closed the door again, her back against the door.

"What?" Paliz frowned.

"I mean," Luke chuckled nervously, looking back at him. "Run, quickly. She might be escaping by now."

"Yes, Mister Luke!" Gat and Esen yelled, running out of the throne room.

Anna turned, running in the opposite direction of her room. What could she do now? There was no way…

She whizzed through hallway after hallway, all so empty, so dead, because everyone was gone and Julia was right and she would never see them again-

The reality of the situation hit her like a truck and she stumbled, collapsing to the floor, leaning against the wall, tears running down her eyes. She sobbed into her dress, waiting for anyone to come, anyone, no matter rebel or sympathetic servant or… or…

She just wanted Luke, didn't she?

There was nothing she could do but run. And then what could she do then? She had no idea where to go, or who to approach. All she had ever known was the palace, and now…

"Anna!"

Someone grabbed her and hugged her tight, and Annalisa didn't have to think to know who it was. She cried into his chest, her entire body shaking with sobs and fear and pain and-

"It's going to be alright. You're going to be alright," Luke said. "Listen. You know that secret passageway that everyone knows? Go down that one. I've made sure no one else would be there. Go down the passageway and out to the village, and find the restaurant I brought you to before."

"Luke-"

"Shh…" He stroked her hair gently. "You're safe. Just go there, okay? Tell them Luke sent you. Don't tell them who you are, obviously. They'll give you directions on what to do next."

He fell into silence, probably expecting her to leave, but Annalisa didn't want to leave. She wanted to be here, with him, with his shirt for her tears to soak into, with his soothing words, with his gentle arms.

"Anna…" Luke didn't seem to want to leave either, but he shook the thoughts away. "You have to go. Before anyone else comes. Okay?"

She nodded, pulling away from him and sniffing, wiping another tear from her eye.

His gaze softened. "I'm so sorry. I really am. I just… I should have told you sooner-"

"It's okay," Annalisa croaked, taking his hand to stand up. She wobbled a bit. "You had a job. You had duties to fulfill."

A long sigh escaped his lips. His eyes watered. "I… I just killed your family, Anna. You're not mad?"

Annalisa looked away. "I need to go."

"Right." He stared at her as she turned in the direction of the hidden passageway. "Stay safe."

"You too."

She ran, faster than she had ever run before, and jumped into the depths of the tunnel, plunging into pitch-black darkness.

Navigating the bustling streets was as hard as last time, but Anna made sure not to draw attention to herself this time. She dirtied her dress, making sure to hide the jewels under at least two layers of mud, and walked amongst the people, who were overflowing with rumors.

"I've heard that the rebel leader has taken the crown for himself!" whispered a merchant as she passed.

"Isn't he a teenager? I doubt that he's the real leader. Probably just a figurehead," replied their friend.

She ducked out of their sight, her heart pounding. She couldn't shake what she had seen. There had been so much blood… so many bodies… and her parents…

She took a deep breath. No. She couldn't break now. She had to get to safety.

But why did it feel like she was a sheet of thin, fragile glass just waiting to be shattered?

She entered the restaurant. It hadn't changed since she had been here with Luke before—still cozy, wooden, and warm. Her heartbeat slowed just a bit. At least this hadn't changed.

The old lady who worked here didn't seem to recognize her. She looked up, bags under her eyes, and forced a welcoming smile. "Table for one?"

"Actually…" Annalisa trailed off. What was she supposed to say? "Luke sent me?"

The lady frowned, hobbling over to her and leaning on an old wooden table that looked like it had been chipped apart for years. "Luke? Are you…" She frowned, squinting at her. "You look familiar."

"I was here a few weeks before," Annalisa said quickly. She gave her a warm smile. "I'm the noble girl he was hosting? I… uh… just need directions on what to do next."

The woman scoffed, wagging a wrinkled finger at her. "Well, how am I supposed to know? Directions for what?"

Annalisa grimaced. Luke hadn't exactly specified. "To… safety?"

"Depends on what your definition of 'safety' is, girl." She grabbed a broom and started sweeping the floors.

She resisted the temptation to crack a joke. She looked around at the empty restaurant. "Bad day today?"

"Everyone's worried about the little coup a few blocks away," she complained, her broom syncing almost perfectly with her words. Annalisa's jaw clenched. "No one bothers to eat out when they're terrified that the whole city will blow up."

"I'm sorry," Annalisa said gently. "Perhaps I can be your customer? I don't have money, but…"

She plucked a random jewel from her dress and rubbed the mud off of it, though a layer of grime still covered most of the edges.

The woman leaned forward, squinting at the jewel, and shrugged. "Oh, alright. What would you like?"

She led her to an empty table and Annalisa sat, trying not to get a splinter. "Salad, please."

"You hear that Jim?" the woman yelled. "Salad!"

A guy with red hair poked his head out of a door. "Got it, auntie!"

The woman started to turn away, but Annalisa spoke.

"You can join me!"

She stopped, then chuckled. "I work here. I don't need to."

"I mean," Annalisa said. "I just wanted to treat you to a meal."

The woman stopped, then shrugged. "If you insist."

She sat in the seat in front of hers.

"What's your name?" Annalisa asked.

"Gerda Clarke," she said. "Call me Mrs. C."

"You seem to know a lot of people around here."

Mrs. C chuckled. "Only the ones who come to my little eatery. I've never been much of a social person."

Annalisa smiled. "You seem very social to me."

"Ha! You flatter me."

Jim walked out and handed Annalisa a bowl of fruit salad.

"A plate, please?" Annalisa asked. Jim nodded and ran back.

"This is a lovely place," Annalisa remarked, looking back at her. "You've done a good job."

"You're quite skilled at blandishment," Mrs. C said. "Now tell me, what exactly do you want?"

Annalisa paused. She hadn't expected Mrs. C to catch on so quickly. Well, she hadn't expected her entire family to… disappear, but that was different. "Do you know Julia Ares, by any chance?"

"Julia Ares? Well, she's an Ares." Mrs. C laughed. "No. What do you need from her?"

"I need to send a message to her," Annalisa lied. "Luke sent me here to ask for directions."

"Hm…" Mrs. C murmured while Jim ran back in, handing his aunt a plate. Annalisa piled a few pieces of lettuce onto her plate. "Jim?"

"Yes, auntie?" Jim said nervously, surprised that Mrs. C had called him.

"Do you know a certain… Juliette Ares?"

"Julia," Annalisa corrected. "Her name is Julia."

"Julia Ares?" He frowned. "The one that was disowned?"

Annalisa grimaced. Right. She knew that Julia had been… removed, but Annalisa hadn't heard what had happened so bluntly before."Yeah, that's the one."

"I think I've heard a few rumors," Jim said. He inclined his head, raising an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Do you know where she is, by any chance?" Annalisa asked, munching on a piece of apple.

"She just passed the apothecary yesterday, actually," Jim said, his eyebrows furrowed. "I've heard that she's been out adventuring, but comes back to the city now and then."

Annalisa's eyes lit up. "Do you know where she is right now?"

"No." Jim seemed to catch on to what she meant. "I think you could ask the apothecary owner, though. He may have some information."

Annalisa smiled. "And how do you get to the apothecary?"

Jim gave her a wide smile. "I'll show you there after your meal."

Mrs. C looked at her, then at Jim, her eyes wide with confusion. Annalisa stifled a laugh.

She finished the salad quickly, handed Mrs. C a jewel, and rushed out of the door, Jim following closely behind her.

"The apothecary's right over there," he said, pointing towards yet another street. It was strangely empty. "If you take a left, it should be the second building."

"Okay," Annalisa said, turning to him. "Thank you!"

His face went red. "Y-your welcome!"

Annalisa skipped away, trying not to think about how tired she was.

She turned the corner and knocked on the second house to the left.

A beat.

Another beat.

And another.

She knocked again.

The door slammed open and a grumpy old man appeared, thrusting a chiseled old broom into her face. "Who's there?!

Annalisa grimaced, staring into the broom. She pushed it down from her face with a single finger. "Uh… I just wanted to ask if you've seen Julia Ares around here lately?"

"Why'd ya ask?" the man huffed, standing the broom like it was some kind of staff. "You a thief?"

"No!" Annalisa cried. What was with commoners and their tendency to think that everyone was a thief? "She's a friend of mine. I just wanted to see her!"

"I have no time for games, missy," he said, closing the door.

It clicked closed, leaving Annalisa alone standing on the doorstep.

She sighed, knocking again.

The door swung open again, and the man glared at her. "What?"

"I need your help," Annalisa said, giving him the best puppy dog eyes she could muster. "Please?"

He stared at her, then sighed, shaking his head. "Patient info is strictly confidential."

"I don't need any information!" Annalisa said, taking a step forward. The man raised an eyebrow. "I just need to know if she came here recently."

"That would be in our logs," he said, his voice as sharp as the wind. "Visitors may not have access to them."

"I don't need the exact time-"

"Sorry, miss," he said, shutting the door again. "Find someone else, aye?"

The door closed again, and Annalisa's lip quivered.

What could she do now?

She was alone, with people trying to find and kill her, just like they did to… so many people. To everyone she knew. Her only chance at finding help was gone, and she had no idea what to do next.

Why did it have to be her? Why did they have to come and ruin everything?

Tears burned in her eyes and she fell to her side, leaning against the wall, sobbing. How many times has she broken down already? It felt so wrong to be crying out here, with the wind in her brown hair that brought a shiver down her spine, but she didn't exactly have a place to go to. It was all gone. Her old life was gone, and she was alone.

Alone.

Alone…

Alone…

"Annalisa?"

Annalisa lifted her head, her heart pounding against her chest. No. No way. She knew that voice better than anyone.

Her best friend stood at the bottom of the staircase, her eyes wide in shock.

Annalisa mustered a weak smile.

"Julia."

And she collapsed.

SUMMARY:

Rebels come and kill everyone in the room, including the entire royal family and Mercedes. Annalisa survives because of Luke's warning. They start questioning Annalisa's whereabouts, so Annalisa escapes with Luke's help. She navigates the city to find Julia.