Beginning of the end

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No one can recall dates any longer. Help was coming, they had promised. Who wouldn't believe the promise made to by the brightest minds of the time to the richest families of the time? It had been long enough now that the original citizens of Rapture now had young adult grandchildren. The city had been built just for them. Their lavish playground, or so they liked to believe. It was many years now since anything had been truly 'lavish', it was only as the joy now made them see it; glorious and delightfully decadent.

Some families considered themselves better than others, and rightly so. Few had the money and the power, while the many lived in squalor. One of these families were the Jansen's. The eldest son had two beautiful daughters, who in the society they had left would no doubt have been attendees of many parties and balls, all for the purpose of finding a husband. As it stood, the youngest girl seemed the most adept at wearing her mask. By day she was the spoiled little princess she was supposed to be, making fun of the lower classes and generally being a horrible person. But as night fell and her joy pill began to wear off... She often thought of life outside her parent's massive apartment, of life in the 'workers' levels of the city. Anika Jansen would fall asleep troubled by the things her imagination thought up. It was this particular night that she had finally plucked up the courage to slip out of her parent's home, though of course she would stand out a mile in her expensive clothing and perfect make up.

Anika was quickly blushing when she realised these men must have seen more than her simply sleeping beside Elliott. "He was not eating me!" She huffed. "Where is he?! Where is my husband?!" She demanded regally, her hands on her hips now.

The king chuckled quietly and nodded his head. "Did she tell you why she ran?"

"Oh no..." the man gave her a horrified look and shook his head. He'd misunderstood her completely. "Miss...your husband...the goblin ate him first. He's gone. Bit not to worry. We got the beast. He won't eat anything ever again." He told her, pointing to where Elliot was gagged and chained to a horse.

"She told us of a great war. One where our father was forced to fight along side the king. But our father was afraid and begged grandmother to find a way to free him so she...turned him human. When the king...you discovered what she'd done you demanded payment in the form of his first born for his betrayal. They agreed but ran instead." Victoria said softly.

Anika had seen enough. The small woman surged forward, her arms outstretched for her lover. "Elliott! This is all my fault... I'm so sorry!"

The king was shaking his head in disbelief. "That's her... always the victim." He snorted. "I demanded payment, that much is true, but from her. Her first born daughter, the damn woman had only one son, so the payment passed to him." He was actually smiling as he thought back on what had happened now. "She was one of my mystics. But the damn woman fell in love, something mystics are forbidden to do, never mind produce offspring without their own coven being involved. She begged me to help her flee to the human world, which I did. She then cast powerful magic keeping me from ever setting foot there myself, from collecting my payment. I had merely assumed any child of a mystic would be useful to me, I had no idea you would be part of the prophecy."

"Get away from that monster!" The largest of the men shouted, pulling Anika away moments before she could reach the goblin. "Look at her, sick with grief. Come. Give her rest, Robin. We will take her to the king and he will fix this." A slender cloaked figure came to stand in front of Anika, whispering words in an ancient tongue that Elliot often used. Before she knew it, the dark haired girl would be asleep again. 

"I'm not. Anika is. Remember?" Victoria said softly, crossing the room to search for her dress. The king's shirt began to feel strange to her, far too comfortable. "So all those wonderful stories my grandmother told me about my father...about magic...about you...all of them are lies?"

Anika would be suffering horrible nightmares as she slumbered, causing her muscles to twitch somewhat. The young woman was already so very attached to her goblin lover. She knew nothing of this world, or what she should be afraid of.

"Not ll of them." The king assured Victoria. "Every story is hatched from a truth of some kind." He added. "But you told me your grandmother changed Anika's eyes from green to violet, did you never wonder why? Or where she got the colour from?"

The young woman named Robin was watching Anika as she slept, wondering why she twitched. Being an elf she didn't know what it was like to dream. Her people gave the dreams not the other way around. 

"I know that Anika is my half sister. Born from my father's second wife. My mother was...from here...I remember more the longer I am away from those pills. My mother's skin was... and her eyes were violet...like mine. Grandmother hid them when I first...met you..." she stopped her search and turned back to him. "You killed my mother for betraying your father to...I can't remember his name. You found me hiding under the cupboard. Do you remember? Grandmother lied. She said I was an elf. She changed my eyes when you weren't looking..."

Anika called Elliott's name several times in her sleep, apparently she was searching for him even in her dream.

"Your grandmother had changed a great many things, little one." The king replied. "She twisted fate to make your very ordinary sister think she was worth more than what she was. All so she could keep you from me."

Robin began poking the young woman when she called out for the goblin. She was impatient and could hardly wait to know the answers to all the questions she had. Her father was going to kill her for being there but at the moment she didn't really care.

"And yet you seem to want her very desperately." Victoria said, reminded that she was looking for a dress. She settled on the king's pants and yanked them over her lean hips. The moment she let go they would fall off again. "Well...you're not going to win. You'll find that I am not weak like my mother."

Anika suddenly sat up when she felt the third poke. The dark haired woman's violet eyes flicked around the room like a startled kitten.

"It isn't her I want." The king reiterated. "How many times must I tell you I am glad you switched with her?" He added, getting to his feet and effortlessly fishing a red and black dress from the heavy looking wardrobe for Victoria.

"She's a Fae!" Robin squealed, nearly tumbling off the edge of her bed. "Oh my goodness! We've let evil into the kingdom! We're all going to die!"

Victoria nearly melted at his feet at the sight of the dress. It took her a full minute to recover and shake her head. She held tight to the belt loops and turned away from the dress. "You may ply my sister with such horrid things but I won't be swayed."

Anika had no idea what a fae was, but she was certain it didn't sound good and so hopped off the ebd and put it between herself and the shrieking woman. "Who's a fae?!"

The king bowed his head as his shoulders shook with quiet laughter. "Ah yes, that was the face of a woman plied by something she thinks horrid."

Robin pulled out her crossbow, not about to believe the lies of a Fae. She'd been fooled before and in the process lost her entire family. "My uncle is a fool to want you here. You're no bargaining chip! You're our downfall!" She hissed. "It's no wonder that goblin was trying to eat you. He was trying save himself!"

"Don't you laugh at me." Victoria growled. For a moment her eyes flashed violet all on their own. "I don't want that dress and I meant it. I'm happy with what I'm wearing right now. Step aside, sir. I'm leaving." She demanded in a regal tone.

"Bargaining? For what?" Anika squeaked, having never seen a crossbow this close before; it was terrifying. "I am not a fae! I was brought here by the goblin king against my will!"

The king waved an arm dramatically at the door and stepped aside. "Very well, whatever my queen feels she must do... in men's clothing."

"Exactly what uncle thought. You are his bargaining chip!" Robin hissed, taking aim at Anika and closing one eye. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't kill you on the spot." She hissed. 

"Thank you." To her credit Victoria held her head high and made royal exit. She held the pants to the underside of her breasts and marched into the hall. Where she was going from there didn't matter at the moment.

"I can't." Anika replied simply. "I don't know anything about this world, or the fae... or really goblins. All I know is your people pounced on me and my husband in the forest, and now I am here."

The king was whispering to one of his men as Victoria marched ahead. What he said wouldn't please her very much; he had just issued a bounty for Anika's eyes.

"Your husband is dead. My uncle told you that. That goblin ate him." Robin said, baring her teeth at Anika. "He saved your life though I don't know why. Fae are worse than goblins. They are the real monsters. Evil in every way. Don't you feel it? Don't you feel how evil you are?" 

Victoria was lost and feeling rather exposed. Though like a queen she did very well not to let anyone know this. She passed through the castle, wondering why she'd never seen any of these strange creatures the last time she'd been here. Even the walls seemed alive. Her grandmother had never told her any of this.

"Yes." Anika replied simply as a fat tear ran down her cheek. She wasn't to know she was in fact utterly ordinary in comparison to her sister. "And the goblin didn't eat my husband, the goblin is my husband!"

"Those are the kings pants!" A strange looking child suddenly screeched, pointing a finger and hopping from one foot to the other. "The strange girl stole the kings pants!" He insisted, not knowing was in fact his queen.

Robin spluttered for several long moments before she turned and ran. In her haste to escape she left the bedroom door wide open, potentially leaving the king open for attack. If Anika were, in fact, that kind of monster. 

Victoria was tempted to mirror the child's movements at the mere site of him but she knew better. Her grandmother would have slapped her in the back of the head for even the idea. "It's good of you to take such notice of things. I'm willing to bet you will make a good soldier for his highness." She said softly, giving the boy a gentle nod. "Could I trouble you to lower your voice? I have a terrible headache and I'm afraid I'm also terribly lost..."

Akina stood there for a long few moments, wondering if the other girl were going to come back any moment. When she didn't, the violet eyed 'fae' bolted through the door, tears still spilling down her cheeks.

"You're lost 'cause you ain't s'posed ta be here!" The small child insisted. "I'm tellin'!"

"Going somewhere?" The large male who had been the one to "help" her last time was the one to catch up with her now. He pulled her to a stop and turned her to face him, towering over her. 

"Good. Tell someone. Then maybe I can get out of here and go home." Victoria said almost too softly.

Anika almost squeaked as she was spun around. "I just want to go home!" She wailed.

"Where's home?" The child asked curiously. "And why don't you have any clothes of your own?"

"Where is your home, Fae? I cannot contact anyone who knows you!" The large man shook her violently. "What do you want with us?!"

"I don't know anymore." Victoria sighed, sliding to the floor. "My clothes are with the king...I married him last night."

"I didn't want anything! You're the one who snatched me up!" Anika sobbed. "I was happy! For the first time ever... I wasn't hurting anyone and I was HAPPY!"

The small child seemed to drain of all colour and took a few frightened steps back. "Y-Your highness..." He stammered, looking around to see if anyone else had heard him speak so shamefully to the Queen.

"So you admit you were the one hurting people." The large man muttered, pushing back his hood to reveal ice colored eyes and black hair that nearly covered them. "It's to be expected. You are Fae after all."

"No. Don't call me that. I'm not staying married to him.I'm going home. I have family there and besides. Your king doesn't even like me." Victoria insisted.

"I didn't mean to hurt her!" Anika insisted. "But our family made her care for me, how could she ever be happy like that?" She whispered, though she was somewhat startled by the icy eyes staring down at her. "You all keep calling me a Fae, I'm not!I'm a nobody, and you stole the only friend I had from me!"

The small boy smiled and shook his head. "The king planted those strange flowers for you... They didn't bloom until you arrived."

"Don't be a fool. No one makes friends with a goblin." The man boomed. "When you say her...who are you referring to?"

"Not for me." Victoria said bitterly, turning her face away. "They were for her and...he planted the wrong ones. He knows that now. "

"N-no one..." Anika stammered, wisely wishing to keep her relationship to the new queen secret.

The little boy giggled quietly. "He didn't exactly plant those flowers, he used magic. He put seeds in the ground, but he didn't know what they were. They would only make themselves known when his Queen arrived."

"Liar. It's just like a Fae to lie." He hissed, giving Anika a shake. "We'll see I'd the king knows. How does that sound?"

Victoria shook her head, not believing him
 She wasn't sure what she belived  anymore. She began to sniff softly at first  and then louder and louder. Horrified she realized she was going to cry.

"Fine!" Anika replied, her chin jutting out defiantly as she met her captors gaze. "I have had enough of being accused of being something I'm not!"

The little boy glanced around, seemingly just as horrified by what was happening as Victoria was. "P-please stop, your highness... The king will have my guts if he finds out I made you cry!"

"I killed your goblin." The man hissed at her. "I threw him to my dogs. What do you say to that?" He was mocking her, clearly wanting to see if it broke her.

Victoria buried her face in her hands and her shoulders began to shake. It was too late now. She'd been strong for too long. She'd fought it as hard as she could.