a single soul

The girls when they were younger were always curious about the night their parents had died. Not out of a sense of wanting closure, but of just wanting to know the truth. Sitala believed it was better for all the girls to know less about their opponent and about the night that unfolded. The less they knew, the less they'd be in the path of danger. After a couple of months of pestering with no answers, the girls eventually stopped inquiring.

Even though sometimes hiding the truth is beneficial, Winema is now a 20-year-old woman, well into the stage of young adulthood. She is of the age when most find out about hidden family secrets. She felt she deserved to know the man who slain the two most important people in her life.

Sitala debated back and forth on whether to indulge her eldest niece in this crucial piece of information. She knew that Win was old enough to deal with this news. Hell, she had to deal with both of her parents being brutally murdered at the age of 12, surely she can handle most unpleasantries. Telling her this would heighten the risk of her knowing too much. It also imposes the risk of her telling all four other girls.

As if Win could read minds as her power, she said, "I won't tell a single soul, my sisters included." She didn't know why she felt the need to say it like that. It wasn't like she talked to anyone besides her sisters. Small gossip with her staff was the most they would go.

"I trust you enough to not tell your sisters, but-" she was interrupted by a frustrated Win.

"But what??" Win was exasperated. "Knowing this won't put me in any danger! I can clearly fight for myself, and it's not like anyone can find me anyways right now." She was practically begging at this point. Being the eldest at the time of the event, she was the most aware of her surroundings and the people who had taken her and her sisters to the underground dungeons. She knew the men had a purple emblem stitched onto their jackets, and inked on their forearms if they weren't wearing a jacket.

The emblem contained a butterfly, but it wasn't a normal beautiful butterfly, but one made of bones like a skeleton. It frightened her to this day. She never knew her parents had direct enemies, and neither did her parents. It happened all so quickly.

Sitala took a deep breath. Win deserved to know, and she was right. Not knowing at this point wouldn't help her in any way. If anything, keeping her away would put her in even more danger. She couldn't have that.

She looked directly in her eyes, asserting the most intimidating stare she could, as to get the importance of this story to settle in Win's eyes, "You mustn't tell your sisters about any of this." She spoke as if it was a threat. There was no actual threat attached to the sentence, but Winema knew to not cross her.

"Of course Madam." She said so quickly. She needed to know the identity of this man, and why he needed to have her kingdom so badly.

Sitala took a deep breath to calm herself, as this would be emotionally taxing, "This grudge began over 25 years ago. Your mother had just married your father." Winema was listening intently.

For years she never understood why anyone would want to hurt her family. The king and queen were the most generous rulers alive. The crop was prosperous, education was a right for all, and jobs were plenty. Everyone lived a jovial life under Whybella's rule. With constant celebration and festivities, it was hard to see how anyone could lay a finger on them.

The young princesses themselves were also truly loved by the people. They weren't afraid to meet and befriend those of lower status, and often had friends with those in human households. They also had always been beautiful from a young age. When all five of them stood in a row, each one more stunning than the next, it was a display indeed. The kingdom was ready for the five kind girls to step up and become rulers when it was time to pass the crown down.

After the horror that was the siege of the castle, all hell broke loose. From what she had heard from all the gossip that was going around the castle, a war broke out amongst all species, with humans being forced into slavery and indentured servitude. She cringed thinking about her people being forced into a life they never wanted.

"A Duke who lived all the way south in Puatoro named Vernon Teranu was not happy with the way the new king and queen were ruling the nation. Even though your grandfather at the time had no problem with humans and other species of magical beings coexisting with one another, Duke Vernon was not."

Winema was puzzled by this. Ever since she was born, she had heard nothing except for the harmony her people held. All types of species lived together, ate together, and worked together. The late king and queen had opted to put the girls in public schools instead of private tutors. While the schools were luxurious and full of knowledge usually reserved for those of the highest nobility, education was highly funded, hence everyone from every rank could go to the school. She made friends of all ranks and all species. She could never understand why someone would not want to embrace those differences.

"Your grandfather did not want to lose a powerful ally, so he let Duke Vernon govern his city, including keeping the laws that separated species and their rights intact," Sitala said with grit in her voice. Her father and herself had always fought on this issue. She had always disagreed with letting the cities self-govern themselves, especially on matters this major. She knew this level of power in all the city heads would lead to destruction one day. Who knew this decision would lead to the deaths of his son and daughter-in-law?

"For decades, he kept humans in slavery, forcing them into the harshest labor anyone could dream of. While he kept this city in a place of horror, your father was working desperately to overturn this. Eventually, when your father became king and married your mother, they made it a mission to make all the species and classes equal. Most cities that had laws separating species and class obliged, as new dukes and duchesses became the new head of their respective regions. Vernon was not happy with this, but he regretfully agreed to maintain peace with the kingdom." Winema's face started to scowl in a way no noble woman should. She knew where this story was going.

"For 17 years, Vernon had plotted to take revenge on your parents. He kept it so small and under the radar, no one could have known of it, not even your parents. While the people were rejoicing their freedom, he had another plan up his sleeve to make sure things would stay his way." She knew how this would end. She connected the lines together and knew what had happened to seal her parent's fate. The thoughts started to make her well up, but she wouldn't show signs of weakness, especially in front of her aunt.

"When his plan was almost complete, he forced all of his civilians to battle for him, going into combat with their own people. It was a massacre that can't be matched." Winema began to shake. This should not have been the reason why her parents had to die. All for being wonderful people.

She began to slowly ask a question, wanting to get to the point, "And what happened next?" She said with a sad sigh.

"They stormed the castle."