“Column Left, March.” The officer gave another command and the line started turning left ahead of me. I followed, but without the snappy movements of the soldiers around me. I glanced to the left, and I could see the street we were on was lined with soldiers. To my right was the line of musket men marching next to us. Beyond them was a line of what looked like more soldiers. Good I had all their eyes on me.
The street turned toward the center of the center of the city, and the commanding officer gave another turn order, “Column Right, March.” The first soldier in line made their turn, and each one made the turn when hitting that spot. I tried to copy what I saw them doing, but I was sure I was off step and looked like some random person tagging along.
It didn’t matter how bad I was at this marching thing though. I just had to do well enough to not get killed before the castle came down.
We were getting close to the giant door that led into the castle.
“Pla -” He paused for a moment and we marched closer to the door. “Units, Halt.”
I immediately stopped, but everyone else took another step before halting. The front of the line was quite close to the castle door, close enough to knock and ask for an invite.
“When we enter, you are expected to bow toward the far end of the room where the King is sitting. No one is to look at the King unless the King orders you to. Anyone who disobeys orders at any point in time while in the King’s reception hall will be immediately shot by the musket man who will be across the hall from you.”
I looked at the line paralleling our own. They all had their long barreled pistols held close at their side and were staring straight ahead. There were about two of them for each one of us.
“- only one with permission to speak inside the hall is your leader, who calls herself the Exile.” He was still speaking, and he was looking at me again. “You, miss Exile, can only speak when the King gives permission. He has ordered that if you speak out of turn negotiations are over and you will be immediately executed by one of the musket men. Does everyone understand the rules of the palace?”
“Yes, Sir!” My men yelled, clearly drilled in military responses.
“Miss Exile? I didn’t hear you with the others.” His loud voice carries a chilling softness that sinks in under my skin.
“Yes, Sir!” I yelled, the same way my men had a moment ago.
“Good.” He turned toward the castle door. “Open the gates! The rebel leader is here.”
The large wooden doors swung away from us into the castle.
He didn’t give us even a moment to see the inside of the castle before yelling, “Forward, March.”
Forward we went. I felt like my heart was trying to race into my mouth to escape this. I should be used to walking to my death now.
Into the dark opening we marched forward. In the dim light I could see columns on either side, and more space to the hall beyond the columns. Beyond the men in front of me I could see a raised area with a chair, a person in it, and a person standing behind the chair.
I knew that person. That posture. Those dark brown curls that she kept even as the rest of us had our hair shaved off. That person standing behind the throne that I was marching toward was Casia. What was my sister doing standing in front of me?
“Units, Halt!” The commander yelled out to us. I stopped, and this time I thought my halt sort of lined up with theirs.
“Musket Men, Left, Face!” The men across from us turned toward us. They were staring vaguely toward us with their long pistols still diagonally across their bodies.
“Musket Men, Order, Arms!” The pistols came down to the ground held near the barrel and were next to their bodies.
“Parade, Rest!” The men pushed their hand holding the barrel forward and widened their stance, still staring sightlessly ahead.
The hall was silent. From ahead, I could hear the indistinct pattering of people whispering, and in the dim light I could vaguely see people near the raised area where my sister stood behind a blond man sitting in the chair. He was leaning back in the chair, his legs crossed at the knees, and a crown resting on his long blond hair. His hair glowed more than most women’s hair.
“Is this little rag tag band the group that’s been wreaking havoc across my city?” The man’s deep voice rumbled across the silence.
“It is only a small group, your Majesty, but it contains the leader who was demanding to meet you.” The man who shouted marching orders yelled to the King with his eyes giving the same blank look as the other soldiers.
“Ah, the supposed Exil girl that caused such a stir when she escaped execution,” His voice sounded so carefree and uncaring, but he looked up at my sister with a smile that showed he knew who exactly we both were.
“Yes, your Majesty.” The officer responded.
“Come forward, exile girl. You wanted to speak to me. Let’s speak.” His deep voice punctuated the words like the booming of a pistol shot.
Was I supposed to move? No one said anything. No one moved. I couldn’t ask.
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“NOW!” His voice shot the room and made me jump out of line. I gulped and forced my feet to walk forward to this man whose smile and carefree attitude were gone. He leaned forward in his chair, his eyes looking me over as I slowly stepped forward.
“Someone dressed you up quite fancy for today. I guess the Wall wanted their puppet to look nice for its execution.” His voice was softer now. Almost gentle and kind with the deadly words it contained. I continued stepping forward, not sure how far I was supposed to advance. Afraid to walk forward and afraid to stop.
Behind him Casia leaned forward over the chair, her brown curls brushing his shoulder as she whispered in his ear. Both their eyes were on me like cats watching their prey.
“I hear you go by the name Liv now, Dishonored Exile. Though maybe it's more proper to call you Elizabeth Devenar, daughter of the traitor.” An audible gasp ran through the hall at his words, and a tizzy of whispering broke out. I took another step forward. I could see his blue eyes now. When would he tell me to stop?
“Stop there Elizabeth.” I stopped, grateful to not have to be any closer.
“And look how well she responds to that name. This is why the Dishonored exist. Dishonorable behavior breeds more of the same.” His words were so hollow and false with Casia standing up there behind him. I couldn’t let him get to me. I couldn’t let my purpose waiver. I forced my eyes to meet his.
“My beloved has begged we hear your terms before executing you. As a merciful ruler, I shall listen to her pleas.”
Was I supposed to speak now? I took a deep breath. Well, if I messed up and misspoke, it was only my death that waited for me. “I - I have two terms.” My voice sounded so shaky and ragged in this grand hall compared to when I was speaking to the whole city.
No one said anything. No one shot me. I continued, “First, anyone should be allowed to leave. Allow people to choose exile again.”
He nodded, “That’s a simple request, but a troublesome one. I can’t allow people to flock to exile where they will just go join the population of leeches in the Wall-”
“They would not be joining the people of the Wall!” I yelled at him.
“SILENCE!” He roared. “You shall only speak when I grant you a moment. Shoot her first soldier.”
BANG.
I turned to see a smoking long pistol from one of the musket men and the first of my squad crumpling to the ground. The face of the man behind him was quite pale, and his brown eyes were wide and staring at the corpse spilling blood out of its head.
“Now, let’s be civil here.” This man was a monster. He sounded so calm right after ordering death. “As I was saying, I don’t want to let unhappy citizens become leeches. We already work hard to provide food, and if our laborers left to become consumers, then who would work the stacks? This request messes with the balance of our kingdom. Let’s hear your second request.”
I had planned for the first to be something easy and non-negotiable. I had thought the King would accept it. I had said two. We would all die today anyway. I opened my mouth and words tumbled out, “The second term to cease hostilities is that the King and most Honored families step down to be replaced by elected-”
“HOW DARE YOU EVEN SUGGEST THAT!” The King yelled, his blue eyes disappearing to thin slivers peering at me in anger. “Traitorous Dishonored scum. Just like your father. Kill all her soldiers so that she can see what happens to traitors!”
A pounding of weapons shooting death fired behind me. I turned to see all of my squad lying on the ground where they had stood. None of them had tried to run. I looked at the line of long pistols, and one was trained on me.
I turned back toward the King, my ears ringing with the death of my men.
The King was leaning back in his chair, and Casia was standing proudly behind him glaring down at me.
“We will just have to kill all of your followers until no one dares fight back. Once we have this City back in order, maybe I will allow exiles again, but until order is restored, your points would cause the collapse of society. Today, you will be executed before the court, and your body will be hung on the castle walls!”
A door creaked open. Shots fired behind me. I turned. I could see the grand entry door cracked open. A figure stood in the purple glow coming through the door and the musket men crumpled to the ground.
Pain sliced through my lower back, and the floor came rushing up toward me. Screams wailed up into the grand ceilings of the hall, and in front of me a man’s silhouette walked forward firing a long back thing that looked like some extended version of the repeating pistol. He kept firing. Never stopping. Never reloading.
I knew his figure. Was I dreaming? Was I dying? The fire in my lower back ended there. My legs were like lumps of sod.
The ringing in my ears drowned out the other sounds. He lowered his weapon and walked toward me in a choppy gait that was not his own, but his scarred face was one I knew well.
“Dan,” I whispered.
He turned toward me, and strode toward me. Brown eyes met my own. “All threats have been neutralized.” His voice was his, but it's intonation and tone were gone.
“You are injured.” His words poked the coals in my back causing tears to spring from my eyes.
“Dan, it's you.” I knew his face so well. I could never forget him.
He scooped me up, and I could see the devastation he had caused. Bodies were everywhere. Only a few stunned people remained in the wings of the hall. On the throne was a slumped over corpse, a pistol on the ground at its feet, and my sister holding it. Her scream sliced through the quiet wimpers of the people left in the hall.
“YOU KILLED HIM!” She screamed and grabbed the pistol. Her fingers fumbled over it and dropped it.
“Should I kill that one?” Dan’s voice asked next to my ear.
“What?” I looked up to see a blank emotionless face staring at Casia’s fumbling hands.
“She would like to cause you harm. Should I kill her now?” He repeated.
I stared at her, the tears falling onto her simple, but soft looking purple floor length dress.
“No. I can’t kill her. She’s my sister.” I should tell him to turn and leave. The castle would explode any minute now, but I couldn’t leave her.
“We need to bring her with us.”
“Understood.”
He slung me around and the fire consumed me. The world faded in and out of view. One of his hands was holding one of mine. Did he have me wrapped across his shoulders?
Next to me was Casia. He seemed to be dragging her along with us. Purple light shone ahead of us. Behind us the boom of explosions echoed. Light disappeared, but I could hear and feel Da’s hand holding mine. The sound of rock scraping, tumbling. The booming of big objects hitting the ground. Were we inside with it, or had we escaped? The sound dimmed. I couldn’t feel Dan’s warm hand holding mine anymore.