A/N
Hi everyone! At this point I bet you're both happy to see so much more content, and also reallyyyyyyyyyy tired of these news updates. Don't worry! There's not much more news to tell if you checked my last updates (Daughter of the Flame and Pirate's Daughter).
If you read those, you know pretty much everything you need to know on whats coming up to be posted for current and new stories. So you just need to know whats going on with this story.
I am going to be completely honest. Plot continuity has never existed in this story XD. the first chapter slash prologue had different names for Pemica and Lodora, and I don't believe I ever named her brother, which I did in the next chapter, completely forgetting I had already named things and so wheeeeeeee plot continuity go help. Also, Cara became Lilith so her name is now Lilith Cara Smith because I need to salvage this mess somehow ;;
But yes, I'm trying to be better with plot continuity and with editing. Send me a dm if you'd like to be a beta reader/editor and get access to new chapters before they're ever posted. Please don't dm me about it ingenuinely, because I plan to have applicants pass a test on English, spelling, grammar, and the history of my fics. The last part won't count for as much, but it would be a benefit for you!
In other news, I am not the best at writing action scenes. In my head, it looks like a full on action movie and very cool, but it doesn't translate very well into writing. So I apologize in advance if the battle section seems a bit off. I'll do my best to make it work, but I can't make any promises.
Other other news, things are going to come to a head in this chapter, and kick start Sigyn's journey to becoming The Dark One. So expect things to get very spicy in future chapters, both in more epic speeches, and literal spice. There is going to be smut in the future. You have been warned. Except a massive time jump between he end of this chapter and the start of the next 3
Okay thats it from me, please proceed to the trigger warnings, and read at your own discretion and enjoyment! Love you all! 3333
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Battle, Death, Body Horror, Genocide, Beheading, Non-Doctoral Castration, Familial Abuse, Beatings, Literal Murder, Very brutal death in space
PLEASE READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION. SKIP THIS CHAPTER IF YOU BELIEVE THIS COULD BE TRIGGERING OR HARMFUL TO YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
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Chapter 7
Time seemed to slow down in Sigyn's eyes as the armies rode for each other. The hooves of the horses were thundering, but it was almost muffled.
Was this what it was like when you expected to die? When it was all so bare in front of you, exactly what was going to happen, start to finish.
There was only one way this was going to end, no matter what. In death. It only depended on whether she fought to the end, or die by her own hand. Death would be preferable to what would be in store for her after this loss.
The princess of a conquered kingdom never fared well. They were abused, all but tortured, and usually used as baby makers until they died of sickness, died in labor, or were just flat out killed when they weren't wanted anymore.
Time started to speed up again as the armies got close and suddenly time was going normally, and it was announced with the reverberating thunderous clash of steel.
It was chaos. The sound of steel and yelling and the horses filled the air. The soldiers all blended with each other, and in the dust and the shining of the sun off the metal, it quickly became impossible to tell who was fighting for who.
Sigyn had stopped swinging her sword at some point, ducking down against Veronica's neck to avoid all the swinging swords and spears and stray arrows. This battle was pointless, needless, and messy.
It would have been so much easier to just assassinate the royal family…
But what was stopping her now? The ship was just a little ways away from the battlefield, and she had seen the ranks of the soldiers. It was just the common men.
Those cowards were hiding while they let their people die for them. The path her father would have them follow as he sat up high in his castle and waited for the end. It would be so easy to sneak away and kill them now…
But what if the army wouldn't stop when their leader died? And if she left, her people would die. They were outnumbered.
But would staying do anything? They were already outnumbered, and it was nothing more than a blood bath already with all the bodies the horses were starting to trip over. The only reason they hadn't been swarmed yet was the people had hope.
Hope that they could win. That things would be better. Hope that help was coming. That after generations of unrest and hatred, peace might come about.
And sheer desperation and rage from having no other options, and being cornered for so long.
If she left her people now, she would be no better than the tyrants pushing the two armies together. Yes she might be able to kill the royals, but at what cost? Her people? Her family? Her kingdom?
Yes, Pemica would be thrown into chaos at the loss of its leader, and things might change for the people, but another worse ruler might take over and start the cycle all over.
If she stayed here, she would die with the countless faceless people already on the ground. If she left, she would still die, but she could make a drop in the lake, and maybe the ripples would cause waves of change.
There was only speculation and the certainty of death. No hope left. Only a miracle would save them now. But this was real life, not some fairy tale. No miracle was going to happen.
A sword went swinging above her head, so close she felt the wind of its wake. Veronica whinnied in alarm, stumbling over a body, almost throwing her off. Sigyn went into a coughing fit, covering her nose as dust started filling her lungs, the smell of blood overpowering everything.
It was impossible to tell what was happening, and all the noise was pounding into her head. She looked up and someone with a sword was coming right for her, a helmet covering their face.
They raised their sword to swing. There was no way to avoid it, and she didn't have enough knowledge with swords to disarm them. She was going to die.
Time seemed to slow again and she started to close her eyes when a horn split the air. It was loud, and clear, cutting over the noise of the battle. Everyone stopped fighting slowly at the sound, looking around to try and find the source.
With no one fighting anymore, the only sounds were the sounds of the stomping and huffing of the horses, and the sounds of…. An approaching army.
Her breath caught in her throat. No. No way this was what she was praying it was. They wouldn't be that lucky. They wouldn't get a miracle like that. Right?
The dust started to clear, and the sounds were getting louder. It was just behind the hill.
The sounds got louder and the horn sounded again as an army crested the hill. It was the people of the forests. Her breath trembled. They had come after all. Miracles could happen apparently.
The armies on the field were frozen for a minute, but then it became clear who was on each side as the people of Lodora started cheering. The forest armies started charging with equal cheers, and the Pemican horses started to panic and flee, but there was nowhere to go as they were quickly surrounded.
Sigyn smirked as her army started to rally with the new forces. This was turning out better than she had ever thought. So good in fact…
She spurred Veronica and started racing away from the battle, and towards the flagship. Now that Pemica was outnumbered, it was time to cut the head off the snake. Literally in fact.
Everyone was so distracted with the battle no one noticed her slipping away and off Veronica to sneak into the ship.
It was dark inside, and cold. Every breath made her breath puff around her. She could only just barely see by dim lights built into the floor.
How could anyone stand these kinds of conditions? It was like they didn't care about their troops at all, but of course, was that even a question at this point?
A loud clanging sound like metal being thrown against a wall, and muffled shouting suddenly started echoing towards her.
She smirked. Bingo. She ran as quietly as she could, her soft footfalls still echoing in the halls, but not nearly as much as they would have if she didn't pay attention to them.
There was an open door full of light down one of the hallways, and three angry voices.
"Where did this army come from?!"
"Lodora had the same policies as we did, so why do they fight alongside those disgusting beasts like they were equals?!"
The third voice, she knew that voice. It was that crown prince bastard her father had just let go.
"It's the princess. She rallied them. Probably promised some sort of law to protect those savages if they fought for her." he chuckled, "Or perhaps my little dove just meant for us to kill them all. After all, how could those savages know how to fight? Their magic is for growing flowers and causing the wind. They're meaningless, pathetic even."
She tried to stifle the growl inside her throat. That one… oh that one she was going to take her time with. She was going to make him hurt for everything he had said and done, and all he had tried to do.
"Oh please, she's just a little girl brother. A child at best. A girl at worst. Women don't have the minds for strategy. They don't have minds at all."
"Both of you, enough!" There was some tapping, like someone drumming their fingers on a table, "We fire the guns at them all, wipe them out."
The younger prince cleared his throat, "Father, that would decimate our troops as well."
"And?"
"Won't we need our troops to storm the castle and take the realm?"
"Why storm the castle when we can just raze it to the ground?"
"That wasn't the plan-"
"Plans change."
Sigyn knocked on the wall, stepping into the room, leaning on the door frame, "You're right, they do change."
The king and his sons whirled to face her.
The crown prince smirked and started strutting towards her, "Well hello there-"
He was cut off as she flung a dagger so hard it pinned his shoulder to the wall. He froze in shock before he screamed in shock and pain, looking at his shoulder in horror, arm hanging limp, tendons having been cut.
The younger prince stumbled back into the table as the king lunged forward, grabbing at his sword. She grabbed another dagger from her side, and met his sword, flicking her wrist so his sword went flying.
As the king of Pemica turned to try and grab his sword, she grabbed her own and within seconds, his head was rolling on the ground at her feet.
It felt like a stone settled in her heart, dragging it down to her stomach, then dragging both down to her feet as his blood dripped off her hands. She was a murderer…
No, it needed to be done. To protect her people, her kingdom, her family.
The younger prince launched himself at her with an ax, distracting her from her musings. She ducked out of the way, and plunged her sword into his back. He fell to his knees, choking, then fell to the ground dead.
She looked down at the two dead bodies at her feet silently. But yet again she was distracted from her musings by the crown prince freeing himself from the wall, falling to his knees, gasping for air.
"You don't know when to quit, do you?"
He clung to his shoulder, glaring at her, "You will pay for this."
She knelt down to face him, smirking, "Actually, you're the one who has to pay. You came to my home, invaded my kingdom, terrorized my people. You threatened my family, and me. Did you really think you would get out of this unscathed?"
His eyes were glittering with tears, and a healthy dose of fear. Good.
"How foolish on your part. Allow me to relieve you of the notion. Since you decided this realm and my family was more important than your life, I am going to take your realm, and your family, but leave you with your life."
He looked confused, moth opening slightly, "Wha-"
"Oh no, I'm not quite done. You came here on this ship, so I'm going to send you away on it. Far far away. Somewhere you can spend the rest of your life."
She stood up and walked to the control panel, pressing a few buttons. The controls were remarkably unconvoluted, and it was quite easy to send him out to an uncharted section of the universe, far away from any known civilizations, leaving him stranded.
"In fact, somewhere you might even be able to claim as your own. A pure, untouched world."
"What are you going to do?"
"I am taking your fathers crown, both of them, and I'm leaving you on this ship. I am going to send you far away from everything and leave you there. No way to contact anyone. Alone with the bodies of your family and your crushed dreams. Limited food, limited power, and unlimited time to think."
She smirked over her shoulder at him, the crowned head of his father in her hand.
"Think of me while you're out there, won't you? Think about how coming after me was the worst decision of your sorry little life."
She left, closing the door behind her as he tried to stand up, shouting obscenities after her. She left the ship, the gangplank raising after her, the engines firing up. The last few soldiers of Pemica, captured by her troops, watched as their ship took off, then saw her as she held up the head of their leader.
She grinned as everyone cheered. This was perfect. Only one thing left to finish this. Possibly the hardest part.
It was time to go see Father.
—
Some time later
Her footsteps echoed eerily on the castle walls. It shouldn't have been this empty. There should have been at least a hundred people, even if most of them had fled.
But there was nothing. Not one speck of life. It was even like the castle itself was holding its breath. Something was wrong.
It was far too late to turn back now, a severed head in a bag at her side, the doors to the throne room in front of her.
There should have been guards at the doors. The Royal Guard was separate from the army, so even if every soldier was on the field, the castle would still be protected. It was a centuries old tradition to protect the royal family in case of emergency.
Her hand wavered in front of the door. Of all the times to second guess her actions, why now? Why would it happen when there was no turning back? Why not when she planned it all, when she stood before the generals, or even on the battlefield?
She took a breath in. Whatever would happen would happen. She couldn't change her actions now.
And she sure as the stars didn't regret any of it.
She pushed open the door, the lights from the hallway making a lit path into the room. It went all the way to the bottom of the throne, on a pair of feet.
The King.
She cleared her throat, "Your majesty, I-"
"Where have you been?"
His voice was too calm. She needed to tread carefully, or this was going to go very south very quickly.
"I- I uhm- I was at the Tower."
"Why?"
Sigyn took a shaky breath in, "I was with the army. Pemica broke through the barrier, and we went to stop them."
He didn't react, but something shiny in his hand twirled. He had his staff. He never carried his staff anymore.
"We managed to defeat the army, and the crown prince escaped, leaving the king and younger prince to die."
He did nothing but stare at her, and at this angle and lighting it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
She fingered the flap of her bag, "I brought you the king's crown. Pemica belongs to you now."
She pulled out the crown, leaving the head in the bag for the time being. Probably best if she didn't reveal that information just yet. It might not exactly work in her favor.
Her father stood up and slowly started walking towards her, snatching the crown from her silently. He held it up into the light and turned it over slowly in his hand, the light refracting on his stony face.
"So you defied my orders yet again."
Her throat started to close up, "I- I was doing it for you, for our people, the kingdom- I-"
He voice suddenly boomed through the empty halls as he threw the crown at her feet, "I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR DEFIANCE GIRL! Enough of your lies, sass, enough of the trickery and deceit."
She flinched away from him, "Father, please-"
"ENOUGH! I HAVE NO DAUGHTER. YOU ARE A DEMON COME TO DESTROY THIS KINGDOM" he raised his staff above his head, "I will not let you destroy us."
She took a step back, her eyes closing. There was no way she could move out of the way before the staff fell on her. After everything she had just survived, this was really how it was going to end?
She heard a muffled shout, and then someone grabbed her arm and threw her across the room, and there was a horrid thwack sound, and a dull flop.
Sigyn sat up, looking over, her blood running cold as her father raised his staff and kept striking the figure again and again.
Lilith.
The sound of his staff hitting her sounded again and again, echoing through the room as a dark red color started staining her clothes and the white floors.
The girl raised her head, one eye swollen and puffy, smiled at her, and mouthed something before the staff fell a final time with a vicious crack.
Sigyn stumbled up, heartbeat pounding in her ears, everything around her muffled, turned, and started running.
I love you.
She kept running into people, their hands trying to stop her, but nothing could.
I love you.
She stumbled over something, pushing a door open with labored breaths, going back to running.
I love you.
Her cape caught on something, or maybe someone was trying to grab it, but it just pulled loose from her body and she kept running.
I love you.
She tripped over something and tumbled down a hill, her armor coming undone and falling behind her, pain suddenly slashing through her palm.
I love you.
She stood up, shaking, a cold wind ripping through her very soul, and went running again.
I love you.
She stumbled over another thing, and crashed into a body of water, hitting her head against something hard.
The last thing she saw was Lilith's face again, smiling, and mouthing her final words ever.
I love you. Run you clever girl.
Everything faded to black as hands wrapped around her.