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.

"Eli! I am not ashamed!" Anika chastised firmly. "You should be the one to feel shame... They told me to contact my grandmother, or they would kill everyone I know. I thought you were dead... I refused to give them what they wanted." The young woman hung her head sadly, feeling she had let everyone down. "I should have fought them harder."

"I have many creatures at my disposal, no matter how many of them it takes... They will find away to claim those eyes." The king replied confidently. He was still oblivious to the simple fact that his most trusted man was in love and on the run with the very creature he had placed the bounty on. "Why don't you leave me alone now, Victoria is quite capable of deciding her own feelings without your magic getting involved. Besides, how do you know she isn't already with child?" He finished with a dark smile.

"Why does Arthurian believe you are your sister? The man is insane. I've hated him since the clan wars. He tried then to wipe us out. It makes little sense considering he is the biggest goblin I've ever seen." Elliot sighed.

"You mean from when you raped her in the dark?" Amelia snorted. "Hardly. The poor girl was biting her lip in pain and burying her face in the pillow."

"You know more than I do." Anika whispered. "He probably thinks I'm her, because according to your prophecy, the king married the one the mystics chose for him; a girl named Anika." The younger sister sighed heavily, though she actually smiled rather sadly. "Everyone is so concerned with identity, but do you know I've never liked my name? Anika... It makes me sound like some Swedish milk maid." She remarked, not pausing to think that Elliot would have no idea where, or what Sweden was.

Those words did indeed wound the king, not that he showed it. If it had been truly Anika whom Amelia had just described to him, he wouldn't have cared even a little. But knowing Victoria had suffered what she considered a violation... It made him feel a true monster. "Just as you did, if I recall." He sneered.

Elliot cocked his head to the side and frowned deeply. "What is Swedish?" He asked her. He'd met a milk maid before but not a Swedish one. "It sounds like food. Can I eat it?" 

"I suppose you will make her suffer a great deal before you realize she will never love you. How much worse can you get, Deacon?" Amelia hissed.

Anika laughed, glad that even now Elliot could make her smile. "You already ate, apparently... You devoured my husband, or so they tell me."

"You have no idea." The king replied, his crimson eyes dancing as they met Amelia's.

Elliot forgot his pain completely, throwing his head back as he laughed. "He must have been a terrible bore. I'm still starving to death, my love." His stomach gave a turn at calling her his love. It was true. How long had he known it? How long had he been watching her?

Amelia's image faded from the mirror as Victoria sat up behind Deacon, gasping for breath. "Don't!" She shouted, tossing the pillow aside.

Anika's own stomach backflipped when Elliot called her his own. There had always been an ache in her chest she never understood and had simply learned to live with, the young woman finally decided it was simply because she was waiting for her 'someone' to make her heart beat faster. Slender fingers reached through the bars for Elliot's face again, bringing him closer so she could very gently brush her lips to his own.

"I'm sorry, do I smell that bad?" The king teased, pretending he had simply been sat there reading all this time. "It was just a dream, lovely." He assured her, smoothing Victoria's hair down and kissing her forehead lightly.

Elliot's arm ached. He'd spent so long dreaming of having her in them it was tearing him apart not to be able to act on that now that she knew how he felt. 
Beside them, in the darkness, Arthurian was smiling wickedly. This was going to be easier than he thought. The goblin king would have no chance against his own people. Least of all his own best friend.

"I know." Victoria whispered, closing eyes that were not so grey any more. There was a softer hue to them, as if another color was fighting for control. "I hate that dream. I haven't had it since I was a kid. The pills my grandmother gave me helped." She went on. Not about to tell him the dream was of him killing her mother.

A fat tear rolled down Anika's cheek as she simply rested her head against the bars keeping her from the only thing she had ever desired. War was coming, and of course that scared her, but not as much as it would do. Once it was discovered what she actually was, every kingdom would fight for control of her.

"Those pills were fogging your mind, lovely." The king whispered. "You're home now, no one will ever make you bury your memories every again."

"Are you ready to contact your grandmother?" Arthurian stepped out of the shadow, his eyes on Anika. "Or am I going to ha e to do this the hard way?"

"That's what I'm afraid of." Victoria confessed. "Listen...I really need to find my sister and go home. We don't belong here. We aren't what you're thinking we are."

Anika quickly wiped at her eyes, then turned her violet gaze on Arthurian. "I told you, I will not contact that woman!" She told him firmly.

"Victoria, my love, you were born here. Here is exactly where you belong." Deacon breathed, tipping her chin up to touch his lips lightly to hers.

Without looking away from her, Arthurian grabed the front of Elliot's tunic and slammed him against the bars. The younger goblin could do nothing but groan in pain.
"Are you sure?" The king hissed, his eyes never leaving hers.

Victoria gave a shaky sigh and closed her eyes. "Something has happened to my sister.  I just know it. Besides, she's my responsibility. I should never have left her alone."

Anika faltered, her fingers reaching out for Elliot. "Please...I'll do it!" She insisted, ashamed of how weak she truly was.

"She is no longer yours to concern yourself with." Deacon assured his queen gently. "Worry not, if she were in trouble I'm sure we would hear of it." He breathed, sicking words from a man who had ordered the younger sister parted from her eyes by any means.

"Let's see what you can do, your majesty." The king hissed, whistling to a slave so that a mirror was brought to her cell. 

"Your majesty." The timing was terrible but the guards didn't seem to understand that. "King Arthurian sent word that he haa something if interest for you. He demands a meeting."

Aniak tried to swallow the dry lump in her throat. She knew how this was going to go; her grandmother would never appear for her, only every the grandchild she actually loved.

"Demands?" The king asked rather thinly. "Just who does he think he is?!" He huffed.

In the opposite cell Eli was watching closely. He knew the story of what had happened to her grandmother and just how long it had been since Amelia had walked on land of any sort. He also knew why. What he didn't know was how desperate her eldest son was to return her to her true form. He didn't know how dark and deadly the true story was. 

"He has my sister." Victoria hissed, already off the other side of the bed and yanking on the dress she saw laying on the chair. She piled her hair into a messy bun and marched into the hall ahead of the king, her lips set in a thin line. 
She was surprised when the entire company met her and all but fell to their knees. "Your highness." The Captain breathed reverently, reaching out to kiss her hand. She was having a far different experience than her sister.

Anika called for her grandmother, begging her to show herself. Nothing. There wasn't even a ripple in the reflection. "Amelia, please! It's Victoria!" To anyone else it looked like she was telling the other woman it was her favourite grandchild, what she was really doing was trying to tell the elder woman that Victoria may well need her.

The king didn't approve any of this, and would make it known much later. For now he was simply there behind his queen. the last thing he needed was for his army to find that wretched sister of hers before a bounty hunter did.

"What? Tell the wretched goblin king your problems. They are not mine anymore." The mirror snapped for a moment offering her the ripple she so desired. 
Behind her Elliot's head hit the bars again. "Not good enough." The king hissed. "I want to see the old bat. Tell her to stop hiding like a coward!"

The Captain was doing a poor job of taking his eyes off the queen. He was finding it hard to look at anything else. He swallowed hard as she looked at him expectantly. "Uhm...The neighboring king claims to have something our king very much desires and wants to speak only to him. Please forgive me for this, miss..."

"Please..." Anika was near sobbing now when she heard the king hurt Elliot again. "He's going to start a war if you don't show yourself! Don't you love your favourite grandchild, Victoria, enough to at least do that?"

The king didn't like the way the Captain was looking at his Queen, and intervened to take her hand in his own. "Then I shall have to simply take back what it is he thinks I am missing."

"After what he did, let him. He's won. There is nothing left. I tried to hide her. I used all of my magic, wrapped it in a tiny child and...he took what was left. I have nothing to give you, girl." Amelia appeared at last. "He raped your sister, thinking she was you. What do you have to say for yourself now?" 

"Their king is claiming that he has our Queen. It is the reason I have our entire battalion here. I am prepared to go to war if I must. But...she is here. I'm confused. The messenger...is lying...I think..."

Anika looked genuinely horrified with this news. "NO!" She shouted. "No, he would never hurt her!" The younger girl insisted, unable to see that her violet eyes burned brighter when she was angry.

"Their king is trying to confuse you." Deacon corrected. "He thinks he is wise, when he is simply the wisest in a kingdom of fools."

"He would if he thought it was you. For whatever reason he doesn't like you." the elder woman snorted. 
"Wait a minute. You're not Victoria?" Arthurian hissed. "Why the hell do you have violet eyes then? What the hell is going on here? Damn it!" Elliot would be on the receiving end of his anger as he began slamming the younger man against the bars. 

"As you say, sire." The Captain said, bowing to his king. "I still think I should take you to speak with the messenger."

"Stoppit! I did what you asked!" Anika shouted. "Stop hurting him!" Her grandmother would clearly be able to see how her youngest 'grandchild' felt about the goblin currently being punished. "I told you she wouldn't help me!"

"Oh, you'll be taking me to the messenger." The king assured his captain. "I will certainly not be passing up the opportunity to make Arthurian look like the fool he is."

"That voice..." Amelia was trying to peer around the girl, desperate to see the angry king. "Let me see him. Oh my sweet boy..." Her fingers were pressed to the glass and her shoulders were shaking. "It's been so very long..."

"I'm going with you." Victoria said firmly, making it clear that she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Amelia didn't move, she didn't want to offer her grandmother nay kind of comfort after the way the elder woman treated her. "I hope he gets what's coming to him! Victoria and her king wont stand for this, you old hag!"

Deacon sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. He hadn't slept that night, and was already beginning to feel it. "Very well. I'll have the horses prepared while you change, unless... He smiled gently as he looked her over. "You wish to travel in such finery?"

"That man is not her king! He is nothing but a bastard! And if Arthurian is the war you ate worried about, let his armies decimate the goblin lands. Until he falls for your sister, he is weak as a kitten he will die. You will get your daughter back, Arthur!" She shouted, glaring at Anika. 

Victoria looked down at the dress and then back up at her new husband. "You tricked me." She muttered. "I want the dress I was wearing when I got here. Where is it?"

Anika felt even more useless than before she had summoned her grandmother. "You are condemning thousands to death... All because you can't find it in your heart to love me, even a little." She whispered sadly.

"That thing?" Deacon scoffed. "It is most likely being used as dishrags in the kitchen." He remarked.

"You aren't even alive. You betrayed me by letting the king have Victoria. It should have been you he took last night. When he did he would have died. You ruined everything. Whatever happens in between these men from this point on is your fault." Ameila hissed. "You've helped him take everything from me. Now suffer with the rest of them." That said the mirror shattered all over the cell, leaving Anika alone. 

"Why?" Victoria demanded, making it clear this didn't make her very happy at all. "That was my favorite dress. Who gave you permission to do that?" She growled at him. Neither of them had any idea they were being watched very closely by every member of the goblin army. "I have no other clothing."

The mirror shards had sliced Anika's skin in several places, though she barely even noticed. You aren't even alive. The words haunted, even if many things made sense now.

"You are queen, you have hundreds of dresses." Deacon replied thinly, looking down at his new wife with a cool crimson gaze.

"Ani..." Elliot was gasping for every breath. 
Arthurian tossed him aside and stalked toward her cell, his eyes glittering with hate. "What did she say to you?" He demanded. His lips were curled in a hateful sneer and the look of his skin was oddly changing. "What did she say!" 

For a moment, Victoria's expression softened as she looked at his eyes. When they'd first met they hadn't been that color. They'd stopped changing over night. Never the less...
"You do not know my size. They are not my clothes. I will not wear them." She hissed, deciding it best to continue the fight. "I'd rather wear your pants again." 
At this several of the men behind her broke out in applause.