Armageddon

Kazimir stood upright and saluted the air. “Mistakes are to happen, good knight!” Before he relaxed his stance, he gave the Gargoyle a meaningful look. Tia couldn’t help but feel this man was a bit all over the place. “She is the first Human to experience our wonders. Her frail mind and body might just wither away.” His gaze slowly returned to her own and her breath caught in her throat. “Tiana, my lady. I will be upfront with you. I am actually a Zombie, and your sour smell is most pleasurable to my nose.” Alex reacted instantly, stepping into the close space between the two with his hand on his sword. Kazimir laughed while backing up, his hands stretched out in defeat. “Oh, great Alex. You know I don’t stand a chance against you! Besides, I wouldn’t lift a finger to the poor little Human. Not with the scary Prince headed this way.” He waved happily at something behind them and Tia turned her head to see an angry Vladimir walking through the crowd.

“I will ask of your leave,” Alex growled, refusing to take his eyes off the colorful boy.

He did a swooping bow before skipping off down the engraved stone porch. Tia watched him with fascination, longing for the colors to come back. He paused and looked back at her, offering her a wink and a kiss which he blew in her direction. Vladimir was standing with them now, looking irritable.

“Kill him,” he ordered.

Alex responded, instantly, “Nope,”

Tia sighed and looked back at the drink in her hand. Gently she swirled the liquid inside before lifting the cold glass to her mouth. Almost instantly she found herself feeling better; her vision cleared, and her head felt pounds lighter. She surveyed the cup before looking inside it, watching as the pink glitter coating the inside of the glass faded. A black creature floated next to her hand, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw a long tongue snake out of its mouth to touch the inside of the glass. She smacked it as hard as she could and leaped away from where she had been sitting, startling both the males.

“What is wrong?” Vladimir asked, alarmed.

Alex laughed heartily while bending down to scoop up the small black Imp. “Your Majesty, I believe Malone gave her a start.”

The creature sat up in Alex’s hands as the Gargoyle stood to face Vlad once more, holding its head while its eyes spun in circles. ”

“That was uncalled for,” it said in its defense.

“You probably called for it,” Vladimir growled, picking up the creature by its tail.

“What is that?” Tia gasped; her eyes fixated on its large teeth.

“A Tooth Fairy.” Vladimir dropped it into the fur around his neck where it scurried about.

“Your majesty, Duke Kazimir drugged the lady.” It chittered.

“What?” Both men asked forcefully.

The creature continued scurrying from shoulder to shoulder, its large head bobbing to and from. “Drugged indeed, but probably not something worth dwelling on. He did it to ease her suffering; the Human is enchanted.” Vladimir quickly looked at Tia, his eyes traveling over her. With a look of resignation about him, he softened and stepped lightly towards her.

“You do seem to be paler than normal, and if I didn’t know about better, I’d say there’s a shimmer to your skin. I didn’t even think of the possibilities. Enchanting a Human can be dangerous. It takes some time for you to build up a tolerance to it,”

“What does, ‘enchanted’ mean?”

“You’re spellbound, to put it simply,” Alex spoke in turn. “You’ve had contact with a powerful substance that can have a few reactions. High, drunk, ill. It depends on the Human. This specific enchantment wasn’t all that dangerous, but extremely powerful. No one has ever tried to put a harmless enchantment on a Human before. We didn’t think there’d be any negative side effects.”

Tia frowned. “Well, it’s a learning experience for all of us then.”

Vlad hugged her before stepping back and rubbing her shoulders. Her startled gaze met Malone’s as they came face to face. The blackened Fairy seemed to grin at her, though the lack of lips just made it look horrifying. “Let’s get some food in you, you’ll start feeling better soon.”

Alex examined a pocket watch in his position. “It’s just about time anyway. The party will continue, but the royals all gather for a private dinner before going their own ways.”

Together the four of them mingled their way through the Great Hall. A few others wished to meet the Human; however, the conversation was kept short until they finally found themselves in a large dining room. The food was still being brought out and set on the table, and never once before had Tia ever seen so much food.

The royals entered the room one by one and the mingling continued until Cleo entered the room and laid her eyes on Tia. She had been chatting with a blonde she had met earlier in the evening, lightly touching the topic of what it was like living with the Humans.

“Human,” she declared in a booming voice as she made her way towards her seat. “You will sit next to me; Vlad has been on you like a plague all night and I can see his poorly planned evening has made you enchanted. Come over here, I will see to your health.” She instructed a maid to pull out a chair and Tia hesitated. She glanced at the blonde who smiled warmly, and they bowed to each other, ending their conversation. Tia effortlessly spun around Vladimir, catching the attention of a few other members of the royal family.

Vladimir glared at his sister before deciding to sit across from them. “I’ll have you know that you planned tonight’s festivities,” he said defensively. She waved him off before holding a platter of fruit for Tia.

“Thank you,” she whispered while she picked a few berries off the plate.

Diaval appeared out of nowhere and took the opportunity to lean over Tia, inhaling the scent in her hair. Caught off guard, their reactions were a bit delayed. Tia only managed to freeze and quickly looked up into the eyes of her once-captor, while Vlad dropped the utensil he had been holding to stand up with a start, his eyes wide and blazing. Diaval laughed and quickly retreated, deciding it was best to take his seat on the other side of Cleo. “Oh, what fun it is to make my little cousin angry.”

Cleo eyed him as she sipped her glass. “Your definition of fun is asking for a tombstone while you lay six feet under,” she mused.

“I will have your head the next time you try something,” Vladimir snarled.

Diaval ignored the man and turned his attention back to Tia. “Tia my dear, can I say you looked a lot better while in my care. I see this is how Vlad treats you - why don’t you come back to my place? I’ll treat you in a manner worthy of a Princess,”

Tia stiffened and Cleo put more food on her plate. “Ignore the boys, this is how they always are. Eat! You will feel better, trust me.”

“Diaval, I swear to god, learn to hold your tongue in my presence.”

An older woman with black, thick, curly hair and certain plumpness about her sat beside Vladimir, her gaze lingering for a moment on the Human before chiming into the two Princes’ conversation. “Diaval, you should do well to mind your manners in the presence of the future King.” Her voice was husky like she had smoked her entire life. Tia was caught off guard with a strawberry halfway in her mouth and considered Vladimir curiously. The topic had instantly made him slightly uncomfortable and his gaze only flickered back towards Tia for a moment.

“Aunty, there are things we do not discuss while at dinner. My father is still in decent health, his only ailment is age.”

She waved her hand at him before gulping red wine. “Vladimir, you must come to terms with these things. Your father is one of the first of our kind, over a thousand years old. We cannot live forever; we are not elves.”

“Duchess, elves do not live forever. Just because one has yet to age doesn’t mean they won’t start growing old eventually,” Cleo put her cup down, her grip tightening over the glass stem while darkness clouded her expression. “I will see to it that they do age.”

“Princess Cleo, immortality should only offer itself up to one as beautiful as yourself.” Diaval chimed in.

The chair on Tia’s other side moved, and she looked up into the familiar eyes of another redhead. He greeted her with the same overjoyed, charismatic grin as the first time before sitting down rather quickly and resting his chin on his hand.

“I’m glad you are looking better, Lady Tia,” Kazimir commented.

“No.” Vladimir was defensive again. He snapped his fingers and pointed to the far end of the table. “You, relocate. Diaval, too. In fact, why don’t you both eat on the floor, in the other room.”

Kazimir laughed and Diaval became defensive. And just like that, the evening became a little more fun. The commentary continued as the two Princes argued, Kazimir taking everything as a joke while Cleo continued to feed Tia, all-the-while adding in her own dark remarks. Tia continued to munch away, and as the evening progressed, she began to feel more and more like herself. Thankful Diaval sat on the other side of Cleo, she found her other companion to be a whirlwind of entertainment. He talked a lot with his hands while trying and failing to mimic the princes’ in turn. Vladimir grew tired of the conversation and sat back while eating his food, his eyes focusing on and off Tia throughout the night.

Each royal ate their share before filtering out of the room in time. Diaval returned to his mansion and Cleo became more and more intoxicated. The dining hall had a certain darkness to it and Tia could only assume it was well past midnight. Cleo flung herself across the table and grabbed her brothers’ cloak, yanking him so they could look eye to eye.

“You will take me to my room, little Prince. There is something I wish to discuss with you.” It wasn’t a request.

Torn between what to say, Vlad opened and closed his mouth when Alex; literally, appeared out of nowhere. He held a hand to his heart and bowed low so that he too could see eye to eye. “I will escort Lady Tia back to her bedchambers, your Majesty. Please see to your sister’s health.”

Cloe regarded him before releasing her brother and sitting upright. “I will never understand your foolishness, Alexander.” A soft smile played at her mouth. “But please continue to serve my brother well.”

“Of course, Princess.” He stood upright and walked around the table. Tia rose out of her seat as he came behind her to pull it out for her. “Please follow me, I trust you’ve had an exhausting night.”

Tia smiled. “Thank you, Alex.” She turned to Vlad, who appeared to be sulking, and waved at him. “Good night, Vlad.” Together they exited the dining hall.

Kazimir jumped to his feet suddenly and made sure to shout, “I’ll accompany you!” before chasing after them.

Vladimir jerked upright, his expression alarmed and his eyes trailing after the Duke. Cleo was swiftly kneeling on the table, holding him tightly, all manner of intoxication abruptly missing from her dark gaze. “Brother of mine let them be. She is safe with Alex,”

“Even so,” he protested, gripping her wrists.

“Vladimir.” Her word was final. They stared into each other’s eyes as an internal battle raged between them.

“Making a Human your Queen?” She finally said, her voice disapproving. “When I heard the rumors, I denied them. I stood up for you, but you insist on making a mockery of the crown. I’m all for saving them just as much as you, but this is too far. Surely you understand?”

His grip tightened and his eyes darkened. “This will be for the better of all our kind. She is an object to obtain the throne and keep our family in good graces with the populace. You know it had to be done! Should Diaval obtain the throne, he would eat them one by one. Should Kazimir become the next King, he would open the gates and watch the massacre with glee. This is a game and I will win.”

“Bringing the Humans here is the same!” She argued. “They will be picked off one by one. They’re addictive. Like wild boars, they would run straight into the open mouths of those they fear while attempting to flee.” She released him and folded her arms. “Or even worse, they would attack. They destroy that which they fear!” Unyielding, the siblings continued their argument.

Kazimir skipped ahead of Tia and Alex before turning around. He folded his hands behind his back and leaned to the side, giving her a curious look with his head cocked. Alex and Tia came to a stop and instinctively Alex put his hand on the hilt of his sword. Kazimir didn’t care to notice the threat and smiled. It was darker and more disturbing than earlier in the evening. “Little Human, you seem to be smart. For a Human of course. Have you figured out why you’re here yet? Why it is that you’re alive?”

Tia opened her mouth and closed it. To be honest, she had been wondering it all night. Alex stepped forward dangerously. “This conversation is between Lady Tia and Prince Vladimir only; you are to hold your tongue.”

“I can only assume it is some political movement to save the Humans,” Tia responded, her curiosity ignoring Alex’s warning.

Kazimir’s expression swelled with delight and he clapped his hands together, smiling so wide his eyes closed. “I knew you were smart! Clever girl.” He opened his eyes, holding his fingers against his lips. “I wonder what kind of revolution we will have should the lonely Prince make a certain Human his Queen.” Bits of his skin began to fall off and blood streaked down from his right eye. Grinning to himself, he turned and skipped away, the skin on his hands rotting to the bone before her very eyes. Yet not a lump of skin or a single drop of blood fell to the golden carpet below.

Alex clenched his jaw and looked down at the frozen Human. Her eyes were wide with a certain terror while the rest of her body remained almost perfectly calm. He gently reached an arm to her shoulder but was surprised when she pulled away. Those shaking eyes met his own and she swallowed nervously. “Please take me to my room, I want to be alone.”

He hesitated only a fraction of a moment before nodding and holding out his hand for her to continue. Silently, they went on their way.