Chess Pieces

"I am not lying. I already mentioned this," Bel said stubbornly.

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean you wouldn't fight for me. You've always been a fighter, no matter whose battles they were, you would take them on effortlessly."

"That's not true," Bel replied.

"Well, maybe that's your perspective, but I certainly have proof."

Bel frowned and looked at her sister, "What proof?" she asked.

"Did you forget how you attacked the Yellow Witch and almost got cursed too?"

"How dare she put a hex on you? You were in so much pain, and blood was pouring out of all your facial orifices. That evil witch! I can't believe Father and Mother welcomed her into the Royal castle with open hands."

Bel's eyes darkened as she recalled the memory; she had feared she would lose her sister. It had been a scary moment, and she remembered rushing at the witch ready to claw out her face. Maybe she was a violent person.

"The guards and everyone were scared of her. You were the only one whose first thought was to attack," Hazel laughed.

"I'm glad you can laugh at it now. You were in so much pain then that even after I healed you, you needed a few days to recover from the trauma." Bel's eyes stared daggers at nothing in particular.

"Yeah," Hazel's voice sounded distant. "It was the worst pain of my life. It felt as though I was internally crushed."

Bel glanced at her sister, and Hazel's expression gave away just how much pain she must have been in. The scars were something that would never fade.

"I am sorry," Bel mumbled, annoyed that she couldn't heal Hazel's mental wounds.

"What are you talking about? I owe you my life. I truly would have died." She grinned, all traces of her pain expression completely wiped.

"My magic is all I have," she mumbled. "If I can't heal you, then what else is there?" 

"Don't be like that," Hazel scolded. "You're more than your powers."

Bel scoffed, "Yeah right. Definitely makes sense why vampires would want to get their hands on me."

"Bel! We already concluded that that's not the case. Vampires don't need magic to heal."

"But it sure helps," she responded and stood to her feet. "Thank you for bringing lunch to me, but I would like to be alone now. If I can't change my fate, I can at least mourn my situation."

"Bel, don't sound like they sold you to the devil," Hazel stated.

"I sincerely don't see the difference." She dragged her feet to her bed.

"Remember when I said you wouldn't like what I have to say?" Hazel asked, slowly standing to her feet.

Bel paused but didn't turn around then she picked up the walk to her bed. "Remember when I said I don't want to hear it?"

Bel heard her sister's footsteps behind her, and she walked faster to her bed and threw herself on it.

"It's bad to lie down just after eating."

"I am hoping I will regurgitate my food and it will choke me to death."

"Bel, don't speak about death so casually," Hazel scolded. She dropped to the bed right next to where Bel lay with her head on the pillow.

"You should go," Bel said.

"I heard Father was here," Hazel whispered. It was clear she knew she was stepping on treacherous grounds.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Bel asked.

"I was thinking it would be good if you apologized to our parents," Hazel murmured. "It would certainly relieve the tension and make you feel better too. I know you don't enjoy fighting with them."

"What makes you so sure? I might enjoy the conflict for all you know," she replied and turned away from Hazel.

"Bel, you can't say that."

"Leave me alone, Hazel. If Mother put you up to this, you should both know it is a waste of time."

"Mother didn't put me up to anything."

"Then you're wasting your time alone," Bel whispered.

"Bel, I will go with you. You won't have to tender an apology by yourself. I did say I want you to have some choice in this matter. You won't be able to make any demands if you're at loggerheads with our parents."

"Choice!" Bel yelled out in horror, sitting upright. "You keep throwing that word around as if it means anything."

"It does," Hazel insisted. "You might not have a choice about marrying Prince Davien, but you can decide how everything else goes. You can make demands both to our parents and the vampires. You're only missing one chess piece, not the whole."

"Yeah, except the missing piece is the King. I've lost even before I started."

"Would you not be so negative?"

"I am logical."

"What if the missing piece was the Queen? Wouldn't that change your loss to a chance?" Hazel asked. "Also, if you move your pieces just right, you'll get your Queen back."

"Only you would look at this situation and see a bright side. Besides, that doesn't even relate to anything," Bel said.

"Maybe, but I am just saying you should try to look at the bright side sometimes, and we can make this right and even brighter if you just apologize to Father and Mother."

Bel laid back on the bed and turned away from Hazel. "That's also a waste of time."

"Don't write things out without trying."

"I know you have little faith in me about certain things, but I didn't come to this conclusion without trying," Bel spat out.

"You apologized?" Hazel asked, unable to hide her shock.

Bel grimaced. "Yes."

"Who? Father?"

"Yes."

"How did it go?" She asked, trying to get more information out of Bel.

"As you would expect," Bel muttered.

"He accepted?" She asked.

"What? No! He said my apology was insincere and if I truly felt bad, I would have never done that in the first place."

Hazel closed her eyes and went quiet. Bel closed her eyes; there was no doubt that Hazel agreed with their Father. She wanted to be left alone.