[Sarah]

* * *

“You haven’t produced an heir?” her underling gasped in shock.

“Haven’t… Won’t,” Annabelle replied with a shrug.

“Why not?” her underling asked.

Annabelle glared at him, but decided she might allow him his questions. “Because children would complicate our situation,” she answered.

“How so?” her underling asked.

“Because children with royal blood tend to kill each other off once they become anything useful,” Annabelle replied.

[Sarah]

“What of the girl you were given?” her underling asked.

Annabelle snarled and twitched her wrist. Her underling disappeared and Annabelle stormed off in a silent rage. “How do they know?” Annabelle shouted as she appeared in front of Venna.

“I’m sorry?” Venna said. His face was a fragile mask of calmness.

[Sarah]

Annabelle got in his face and grabbed the neck of his shirt. “Tell me how they know,” she demanded in a low voice.

Venna smirked cruelly. There are no secrets here, wife, you would do well to learn that,” he said seizing her hand in a way that threatened in breaking.

“This is a disaster,” Annabelle growled. She looked at her hand with faint worry.

“No its not. We knew what we were getting into when we adopted that girl,” Venna reminded her.

[Sarah]

Annabelle was still raging when he let go of her hand and pushed her away.

“What is your problem?” he asked her harshly.

“We need an heir,” she told him.

Venna raised an eyebrow. This was an incredibly curious situation and he hoped to make the most of it. “Why is that?” he asked her calmly.

[Sarah]

“We need a solid hold on this throne,” she told him.

“So suddenly?” he shook his head sadly. “This isn’t like you Annabelle,” he said. “Besides, isn’t your heir already taken care of?” he asked referencing her son who sat not even a few feet away. He had so far been silent and studious just as he had been taught.

Annabelle gave the boy a sideways glance. “A real heir. One who shares your blood,” she clarified.

[Sarah]

Venna tilted his head like a curious bird. “That’ll never happen,” he told her cruelly. “I will not create life within you. Not now not ever,” he swore.

Annabelle clenched her fists but didn’t go towards him. She knew what he was capable of, and she never wanted to experience it again.

“You’ll have your heirs, and I’ll have mine, and we will let the laws of the land decide who takes our place,” he said looking at her son now.

[Sarah]

“You need me to solidify your place as king. I’ll leave if you won’t give me an heir,” Annabelle countered.

“No you won’t,” Venna sneered. “You’re a well-practiced queen. You’ll do your duty as ruler of this place,” he told her.

“My duty is to produce an heir,” Annabelle snarled.

[Sarah]

“Your duty is to obey,” Venna clarified. “That was part of the deal, and you’ve done good to keep it,” he reminded her. “You certainly don’t want to squander all of the hard work now,” he said. Venna straightened suddenly. “Relic leave us,” he commanded. “I need to teach the queen her place,” he snarled.

[Sarah]

Relic disappeared as he heard his mother begin screaming… and reappeared somewhere on the coast. He shook his head in disgust and looked for a bar. He needed to get absolutely obliterated right in that moment. It wasn’t hard to find what he was looking for, and before long he had begun his descent. Relic took himself to a place so dark it would take years before light shined on him again.

[Sarah]

“Would you collect your son?” Venna asked. He grew tired of the boys escapades.

“He’ll come home when he is ready,” Annabelle reminded him. She felt it was important for him to experience life outside of the red castle.

“His games no longer amuse me. He needs to remember who he is now,” Venna told her.

Annabelle sighed, “Very well.” She went to find her son.

[Sarah]

“Having a one night stand with every male serial killer in Evelon was very childish,” Annabelle said once she found her son.

“I was a child when I left,” Relic reminded her.

“You are still a child,” Annabelle replied.

Relic shrugged. He had been away from his home for so long it felt strange to see the queen again. When he had left he hadn’t cared about ever seeing them again. Over the years he had just begun seeing them as dead things. To see them now brought a bad taste to his mouth.

[Sarah]

“You will do your duty as my first born heir,” Annabelle told him.

Relic snorted a laugh. “Just as you do your ‘duty’ as queen?” he sneered.

Annabelle grabbed him by his neck and lifted him enough to make him hurt. “Listen here boy,” she spat. “You are the only one worthy to take the throne when we are gone, and it takes a lot more than you think to keep the damn thing,” she informed him. “You will return to your kingdom and do as you are told,” she said.

[Sarah]

“Like mother like son,” he choked out and winked. Annabelle flung him to the ground, glared and contemplated killing him and then left. Relic rubbed his neck and smirked. “Anything for you mother,” he said adopting the voice of a child. Relic followed behind her, he would do his duty to his kingdom just as he had always planned. Unfortunately he had thought he would have a little more time to himself before he would have to go back.

[Sarah]

“Brother!” Austriel shouted when she saw Relic. He’d been gone so long she barely remembered what he looked like. She recognized him, but only barely. He had certainly changed a lot since she had last seen him.

Relic winced, and then offered her a half smile. “Hey little sis,” he said. He’d forgotten all about her. Actually she had been the first person he had erased, it made him hurt too much to remember. Leaving her to Venna and Annabelle had always been his regret. It looked like she had made it through those years just fine. They had more respect for Austriel’s mother than they had for any of the children.

[Sarah]

“Anyone knew?” he whispered pulling her in for a hug.

“Two,” she whispered back. She knew the game well.

“Who’s?” Relic asked.

“Venna’s. Twins,” she replied.

“Can I see them?” Relic asked. He had heard the royal family had grown. Unlike his own birth, which had been completely hidden, the rumors twins of Venna’s were public.