One True Queen

Isla and Elliot embrace each other tightly and I stand here watching them, waiting for them to let go. Seconds tick by and they still cling on to each other. Elliot sighs in relief and whispers,

“Isla...” The word makes me flinch.

“Bekka, they haven’t seen each other in ages. Stop being prickly, Elliot isn’t yours.” I hear Rachel chuckling in her head.

“Stop getting in my head.”

“You know I can’t help it.” Isla pulls away from Elliot, finally, but her hand remains in his.

“Bekka, you escaped from the war.” She whispers.

“Much more than that.” Isla’s expression shows surprise.

“What?”

“She’s the one true queen Isla.” Elliot whispers and Isla’s face lights up.

“She’s the one we’ve been waiting for? My own best friend?!” She runs over to me, giving me a tight squeeze of joy. She steps back quickly and offer another smile.

“Your majesty, my friend. This is my team. We are the Red...” She trails off, with an uncertain glance to Elliot who nods.

“They know.” He confirms.

“We are the Red Witches who have escaped Harnesk.”

“How did you escape? I thought they killed you.” Elliot asks and Isla nods.

“They were going to. They caught me, just as you saw. But someone saved me. Someone who never should’ve been there. She helped me, and dropped me off in the woods of the Silver Witches. She left quickly, and a witch named Angelica came out. She dropped me off in the village, where Rachel and Bekka found me.” Isla says.

“But... Who was the girl?” I ask and Isla looks away.

“I can’t say... I don’t think she’d want that. She was much older than we are now so I guess she’s really a young woman.”

“When?” Elizabeth asks. Isla raises her eyebrow.

“Young member? Seven or six?”

“I’m six.” She replies.

“She’s pretty advanced...” Isla points out.

“Isla. Who. Was. She?”

“I can’t...”

“She couldn’t be over there. Was she a Silver? Lizzy asks.

“I can’t say!” Isla yells. Even Elliot leaps away from Isla as her hands spark.

“Isla!” The girls and guys behind her run up to her, surrounding her and trying to calm her, but they fail. She starts to walk towards us.

“If that’s what you want, you won’t get it. If that’s what you want, then I don’t care if you’re some fancy queen, you’re a Silver now and Silver blood is something we don’t have here.” She snarls at me, and Lizzy runs forward to block her from me. Isla scratches at Lizzy in attempt to get to me and the group behind her try to restrain her but Isla’s expression changes as she sees the blood pouring down Lizzy’s face, the Silver blood. She hisses and lunges for the poor six-year-old girl in front of me.

“Silver!”

“Isla.” A girl growls, slapping her across the cheek and the sound echoes.

“Lucy, what the Silver was that for?!” She snaps at the witch.

“Get a hold of yourself! She’s our only chance. She’s your best friend. Tell her what she wants to know.”

“I won’t say anything-”

“She’s dead now Isla! She paid for our freedom. A name won’t hurt.” Lucy replies, cutting her off and Isla nods.

“Sorry Bekka. The lady who saved me was the future Princess of Camaran. She was meant to create an alliance between our two countries, but Camaran didn’t want that. They wanted her to be the key to our country. She didn’t want to be used. She saw what was being done to her people, the Reds. And she cared. The only Silver I ever knew who cared. Apart from you. So on the evening that I covered for Elliot, he bolted. But he triggered the alarm and they worked out my lie. They yelled, and prepared for my execution. My immediate execution. She was in charge of making sure I stayed whilst the Prince was fetched. But she released me, grabbed these guys on our way out and led us to the forest. That’s where we met young Angelica and another woman, who was addressed as the Princess’s sister. She called her Izzy. She said to take us to a safe village, away from Harnesk. She said to take care. And then she was shot. It was a distant shot, but one made from the same Camanian Silvers who tried to kill me. Princess Jasmine.” Isla hesitates before finally adding, “Princess Jasmine Barslow.”

“Barslow?!”