Rosalis sat in her throne, drumming her fingers on the armrest, deep in thought. After a small while, she got up and went over to a window, looked out at the kingdom. “How did you manage to do it, Edmund?” She asked quietly. She sighed deeply and closed her eyes, hanging her head.

  Rosalis waited at one of the meeting places that they had agreed, but her secret herald did not arrive. Making her way back to the palace, she looked around everywhere, searching for him. Suddenly, something caught her eye. She crept over to a storage cupboard and looked down at it. Underneath the gap in the door was a dried, dark red substance. She grabbed the handle and pulled open the door. Suddenly, a corpse collapsed right in front of her feet. She looked down at her dead custodian and herald. Immediately, she left the scene.

  Rosalis sat in her throne, her metal fingers drumming away at the armrest. Her eyes dashed about all around the throne room, looking from one knight to the other, paranoia grabbing her. Someone knew about her secret custodian and herald. Someone knew. She stood up from her throne and proceeded to pace up and down the throne room nervously, her mind slowly tearing itself apart from the paranoia and then suspicion of everyone in the palace. She poured herself some wine and drank it all down in two gulps. She looked down at the table, hunched over it, her palms placed flat onto it. She then sighed and hung her head.

  A knight walked out of the front gates of the kingdom and made his way towards the forest. He then rested against a tree and looked around. Suddenly, he heard footsteps. He turned and saw three people in front of him. “You are the mercenaries?” He asked them.

  “At your service.” One of them replied.

  “I need you to kill Queen Rosalis.”

  “Consider it done.”

  The knight nodded and then made his way back to the kingdom. The mercenaries picked another path and went the same way.

  Rosalis walked along the corridors of the palace and entered a large hall. At the back of it, hung up high, was a large portrait of Edmund II. She walked up to it and looked up at her late king. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t protect you better.” She said to the painting. “It is because of me that you are dead. But I promise you, that I will make this kingdom great once more.” Suddenly, something caught her attention and she immediately spun round, drawing her sword out. Three people stood in front of her, swords drawn. Without saying a word, two of them immediately swung at her and she deflected their attacks. The third thrust his sword out at her and pierced through her plackart. Rosalis looked down at the sword stuck into her armour and used the window of opportunity that had opened up for her. She slashed her attacker’s throat open and dislodged the sword from her chest. Now armed with two swords, she proceeded to dodge two simultaneous attacks and then thrust out both swords, stabbing her attackers both in the chests. She released both of the swords and let the corpse fall to the floor. She collapsed to her knees and gasped. Taking off one gauntlet, she stuck her hand beneath her armour and drew it out, saw that her fingers were covered in blood. She groaned and slipped her gauntlet back on, leaving the scene.

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  Rosalis stood in front of the division of knights. “This order will go into effect immediately.” She announced. “I want every door, gate and corridor guarded. No one moves from their posts unless I say so. If you see anyone acting suspicious, kill them. No questions asked. Do I make myself clear?”

  All fifteen thousand knights suddenly clicked their heels together simultaneously and gave a shout of, “My queen!”. Without waiting, they all parted ways, protecting every inch of the kingdom. It was then that Rosalis realised that she needed all of the protection that she could get.

  Rosalis stood hunched over the map once more and grabbed her goblet, drinking some of the wine. She put it down, not letting go of it and looked down at the map. “Bastards, the lot of them.” She mumbled to herself angrily. “What? Do they really think that they know what they are doing? No, of course not. Bloody idiots. This kingdom is doomed. Maybe I — No, why are you thinking of such a thing? That's absurd. But — I said, no.” She mumbled some other incoherent ramblings to herself and her hand tightened on the goblet. Suddenly, it crackled like thin aluminium underneath her fist, deformed into something that looked like dried paper. She released the flattened goblet and walked down a corridor of the castle when suddenly, she heard footsteps. She looked out of the corner of her eye but kept walking forward nonetheless. She stepped into a room and then turned around, facing her enemy. Two knights of Frinnor stood in front of her, their swords drawn. “What are you two doing?” She asked them. Suddenly, they proceeded to walk up to her. Rosalis drew her sword out, stepped back. “Stand down.” She warned them, but still, they continued forward. “Stand down!” She shouted. “That’s an order!”

  Suddenly, one of them swung at her and she had no choice but to fight back. Swords clashed and she fought her two enemies, being doubly outnumbered. She slashed one of their throats open and then went for her remaining traitor. He swung at her and she parried the attack, thrust her sword out at him, stabbing him through the throat. She drew her sword out and let him collapse to the floor. Sighing angrily, she strode out of the room, her bloody sword still in her hand. She walked up to two knights, posted at a doorway.

  “Do you both have stones in your ears?!” She suddenly shouted, proceeding to berate them. “How is it that you both did not notice two knights with their swords drawn had left their posts and were just sneaking around the castle?!”

  They looked at her but said nothing. Rosalis sighed and then left them.

  Rosalis laid in her bed at night, her mind racking away. But then, some moments later, she succumbed to the stress, and went to sleep.