Chapter Twenty-Seven

 

 

 

Laura

 

We shouldn’t have to make coffins small enough to fit Mira’s tiny, lifeless body. There are so many things that she will never get the chance to experience now, her precious life robbed from her in a heinous act of revenge.

My father is the reason I am attending this early morning funeral. Maybe if I keep that fresh in my mind, it will make today easier. After we pay our respects to my niece, Ryan and Shane are going to drive me to the forest behind the palace. I’ll climb the wall, just like I used to when I snuck out for a late night traipse around the city. Then I’ll kill my father.

I’ve gotten used to saying the words. I repeated them until I fell asleep last night, so that the knowledge of what I have to do today would sink in. So far, it hasn’t worked. I’m still not prepared to end his life. How am I supposed to take the life of someone I love?

It’s ironic that the one time I finally do as my father has always taught me and push love aside to do what needs to be done, I will be taking his life. At least I’ll finally obey him.

“You ready?” Ryan asks when Shane and I meander toward the back of the packed room.

No, I’m not.

I can’t say that aloud, or Ryan won’t let me go through with this. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”

Ryan nods, and Shane and I follow him out of the door.

It’s a short trip to the car that will drive me to the palace, and to be honest, I don’t notice most of it. My feet step in the places they should and take me to where I’m supposed to go, but in my head, I’m oceans away.

I remember when my father gave me the heirloom knife that’s so precious to our family, the one that’s on our flag and that’s tattooed on my back. It’s not a very useful weapon, but it’s a beautiful keepsake—a black knife with a red rose and golden snake wrapped around the dark blade. The handle is serpentine too—a deep purple that contrasts nicely with the blood-red of the rose.

I was only twelve when he passed it down to me. By then, Alicia had begun her diplomatic training and Eight had proven himself unfit to rule. In giving me the heirloom, he promised me royalty. I’ll never forget what he told me when he put the knife in my hands. It was one of his rarer displays of affection, one of the moments when he was most like the father that I remembered from my younger years.

“I love you, Laura. And I know that one day you will be the greatest empress that Karkonia has ever seen. You always think of Karkonia, and I know that you always will. You have a good heart. Promise me that you won’t lose it,” he had said.

“I promise,” I replied, back then sure that I could follow that one simple instruction.

As I grew older, I broke that promise several times. My heart is far from good, but I want it to get better. I’m trying.

“Laura?” Shane says, drawing me away from my memory.

“Yeah?” I say, shaking my thoughts away.

“We’re here,” he says, giving me a sympathetic smile.

The time passed faster than I could’ve imagined. I’m not prepared for this. I can’t do it. I can’t, but I have to. I have to, so I nod and throw my arms around Shane.

“I love you, Laura,” he says, kissing me on the cheek.

I love you too, Shane. I just can’t say it yet.

Instead of speaking the words in return, I smile at him as I close the car door. Ryan rolls down the window, and reaches a hand out to give me a reassuring pat on the shoulder. I am not reassured.

“You can do this, Laura. You’re very strong. Don’t forget that,” he says.

Then they drive away, leaving me alone to complete the most difficult mission I’ve ever embarked on.

It isn’t a long walk to get to the palace, and in just a few moments I am greeted by the familiar stone wall that I have climbed more often than I can count. I stay in the cover of the trees for a moment, planning what I will do next.

There aren’t any guards near my usual group of climbing trees, so I hurry toward them, trying to blend into the shadows. Quietly and quickly, I climb the branches and scale the wall, and within moments, I am on the other side.

Guards litter the palace grounds, but I hide behind a nearby tree so well that none of them see me. Most of them are stationed by the gate, and I’m quite a way away from there. Eight’s room is closest to my current spot, so that is where I will head.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen my brother, and I will need some of his strength to finish the task that I’ve set out to accomplish.

In a quiet flash, I dart to the trees near Eight’s room. No guards notice me, so I climb from branch to branch until I am on my brother’s balcony. Unsurprisingly, his windows are open, and I walk in as if today were any other day.

When I enter his room, he’s playing his guitar, but the music abruptly stops when he sees me.

“Laura,” he exclaims, and I put my fingers to my lips.

Without another word, he runs to me, throwing his arms around me tightly and spinning me around.

“I have missed you so much.” He smiles. “You don’t know how lonely this place has been without you. It’s like a ghost house. You kept the place alive.”

“I mean, half the guards probably lost their jobs when I left. There wasn’t anybody else to chase around and yell at.” I smile sadly. “I’ve missed you too.”

“I’m going to assume that you’re not just here for a friendly visit,” Eight says, sitting down on his couch. I take a seat next to him, and tears fill my eyes again. There has been a flood of them today.

“No. Eight, don’t try to stop me—” I say, voice wavering.

“Stop you from what?” he asks, eyebrows furrowed.

Now he’s worried. Good. He should be.

“I’m going to kill him,” I whisper. “You can’t get in my way. You can’t. I have to do this.”

“What? Why? Why do you have to do this?” Eight says, tears welling in his golden eyes. He disagrees with our father, but he loves him. And he’s never believed violence was the answer to anything. That’s why I was chosen over him. I know to kill when it’s necessary. And it’s necessary now.

“Because he killed Alicia’s daughter and put Alicia into a coma. Because he’s sending troops to die in a war that we can’t win. Someone was going to kill him, regardless. I figured that it should be me.”

“Alicia had a daughter?” Eight asks, his voice an astonished whisper.

“Yes.” I sigh, barely audible. “She was one.”

“Are you sure it was Dad’s idea? Trenton was probably behind it, not Dad. Please don’t do this, Laura. There has to be another way.”

“There isn’t another way. I promise. He left a voicemail telling us that Alicia was only the first target. He’s putting nearly everyone I care about in danger, Eight. I’ve thought of every other option. There’s nothing else I can do but end his life. Several of us voted on it last night. Shane is the only person who voted no.”

“Did you get a vote?”

“Yes. And I agree with them. I don’t want to do it, Eight, but this has to end. I have to do what’s right for Karkonia, and this is it.”

Eight is silent for a long time before he answers me. “I don’t think you should do this. I don’t think it’s right. I’m not going to try to stop you, but I’m not going to help you either. I don’t think you realize what you’re doing, and what it’s going to do to you.”

“I can’t worry about me. I have to protect our country. They need peace, Eight. They’ll never get it if Dad is alive.”

“Do what you have to,” Eight says softly.

I throw my arms around him, holding on to my brother tightly. Despite our disagreement, he embraces me in return.

“I’m so sorry, Eight. There’s truly no other way.”

Eight looks at his feet. “He’s in his office.”

This information surprises me. “Thank you, Eight.”

“Trenton is out of the city for the week. You shouldn’t have any trouble.”

“You don’t have to help me, Eight. I’ll take care of this.”

“You’re right, Laura. It has to end. This war will destroy Karkonia if we don’t stop it, and I don’t want that.”

“No one wants that, Eight. No one wants that.”

“It’s such a shame that Karkonia has come to this,” Eight says.

“I know. I’m so sorry, Eight. I wish I didn’t have to do this,” I say, my voice cracking as my eyes fill with tears.

They flow in a steady stream now, and I wipe them away quickly. I can’t be red and puffy-faced when I confront my dad. It’ll give everything away.

“But you have to. I know that. It’s okay, Laura. It’s okay,” he says, embracing me again.

His words are a lie. We both know that nothing is okay anymore. My heart is breaking. When I kill my father, I will lose a piece of it that I will never get back.

“I’m… I have to go now,” I say somberly, exiting Eight’s bedroom.

I walk down the hallway toward the elevator, quietly and sadly. Is this the last time that I will ever walk these halls? It is certainly the last time that I will walk these halls while my father is still alive.

Before I know it, I find myself standing in front of my father’s office door. I could just barge in like I normally would, but for some reason, I knock. I guess it’s better to be polite when you’ve come to take someone’s life.

“Just come in, Eight. I’ve told you a thousand times you don’t have to knock,” I hear my father say, irritation edging into his voice.

I open the door, and close it behind me. “Dad, it’s not Eight.”

Immediately, my father looks up. A look of worry and confusion cover his face, and he stands behind his office chair. I have a knife in a sheath at my side in case he tries to kill me, but I don’t take it out. Not yet. I can’t do this yet.

Then he hugs me, sobbing as he pulls me close to his chest.

This is not the reaction that I was expecting.

I return his embrace, tears stinging my eyes.

Couldn’t he have been cruel and made this easier for me?

“You’re home,” he says, sighing with relief.

“Yeah,” I say. “I am. I’m home.”

For a brief moment, I consider abandoning my mission. If Father is willing to accept me back into his home, there’s no reason to kill him. I can have my old life back.

But what good would that life be without Ryan or Taeler or Shane to fill it with joy? I love my father, but I’m not here for myself. I’m here for them. For Mira and Alicia and Izzy and everyone who has been hurt by his actions.

“I was angry when you first announced your identity to the world, Laura. I was so angry. Trenton told me to immediately counter your move then he arranged the broadcast that I gave. I’m sure you saw it. But, Laura, I swear…I didn’t want you to be killed. I have missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too, Daddy,” I say, holding back my sobs. I have to stay strong. I have to stay strong, or I’ll never be able to kill him. And I have to kill him. I have to.

“I know that you left home to save your friend. I should have trusted you. Maybe if I had, you never would have gone away in the first place.”

“Maybe, but we can’t go back,” I whisper.

“I wish we could. I wish I could undo the past fifteen years of my reign. I’ve been so obsessed with war, with the idea of an Empire. I didn’t realize how much it would cost my family and my people. I didn’t realize how much it would cost me.”

“You can be a good emperor now. You could if you wanted to,” I say, tears falling down my face.

My father doesn’t reprimand me for my tears. He’s crying too.

“I can’t, Laura. This is the path I’ve chosen. War is. And that’s the path I’ll stay on until my death.”

“But you don’t have to. You can change—”

“We both know that I won’t. That’s why you’re here. I knew you would come for me sooner or later,” he says, smiling. “That’s the girl I raised, always putting Karkonia first. I realize that I was hard on you the past few years, and I’m sorry for that. I was wrong. You should keep your good heart. Promise me you’ll never lose it.”

“I promise,” I cry, drawing my knife from its sheath. “I can’t do this, Daddy. I can’t. I can’t.”

“I can help,” he says, putting his hands around my shaking ones. He brings the knife to his own chest, and the point pierces his shirt.

“Wait!” I shout. “Wait! I have so much that I have to say. For starters, I’m sorry. Oh, Dad, I’m so sorry. I never wanted to have to do this. And… I love you. I love you with my whole heart, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that more. I love you. I love you.”

“I forgive you, Laura. You’re going to be a wonderful empress, Laura. I’m glad that I’m leaving Karkonia in your hands. I wrote a letter for you. I hid it in your room. You’ll find it. It’ll help you,” he whispers, kissing the top of my head like he used to whenever I was afraid or struggling. “More than anything, I want you to know that I love you too. I love you so much. More than you’ll ever know.”

And I know it’s true. For all that my father said about love being a weakness, I know that he feels it fully in his last moments. He knows that what he’s been saying is a lie. Love is not a weakness. It’s a strength—the greatest strength of all. We both know this now.

It is love that is giving him the strength to sacrifice his life for Karkonia, and it is love that will give me the strength to take it.

Together we push the blade into his chest, and together we cry as his blood spills onto my hands.