Innocence

Rose leaned against the stained glass window, peering out into the far hills. "I wonder how far away he is," she said to herself, her voice no more than a whisper. Dust motes floated about the room, glowing from the rainbow light streaming in. She was all alone, the servants hustling and bustling below in preparation for all the casualties and wounds that war brought. She sighed, her mind drifting into thoughts of killing and blood.

Her reverie broke at the squeak of rusted hinges. She turned around, expecting to see her butler, or at least a maid offering her afternoon tea. However, the one who stood at the door was not either of these people.

"Hello, my darling Queen."

Sophia's lilac hair was covered by her snowy hood, as was the rest of her. Her pale face showed no more emotion than a slight smile, her eyes seemingly brimming with tears that threatened to spill over. Rose felt sympathy starting to swell within her.
"Little Sophia!" she whispered, opening her arms for an embrace. But she continued to stand in the doorway, tearily gazing at her.
"Little Sophia, what is the matter? I thought you had left with your brother." Her hands returned to her lap, clasped nervously. Sophia's smile widened at this.

"My brother is alone. He is all alone, out there on the far green fields." She lowered her head, hood completely obliterating any view of her face that Rose could get.

"What do you mean, alone? He has a whole army of well-trained soldiers at his side, who will fight for him no matter what." Rose's voice was full of sadness, knowing that Eric could be killed as well. Sophia chuckled, a sound that made the hairs on Rose's arms stand on end.

"My brother is alone. He will surely perish. His blood will stain the green grass on the hills, spill onto the bodies of his fallen soldiers. And it is all because of YOU." Her head shot up as she said this, her eyes now devoid of any tears and her pupils so small that the whites seemed to overtake them. Rose was taken aback, and began to break out in a cold sweat. She remained perfectly still, her voice trembling as she said, "I have no idea what you mean."

"Don't you dare act like you don't know. I know why Mother was killed. I know why your Eric snuck out at night, and why he cried into your bosom." A questioning look appeared on Rose's face.

"What are you saying?" she asked, beginning to be truly afraid. How could Sophia know of those nights when Eric was bent with tears, sobbing into her until he finally fell asleep from exhaustion? "How do you know of this?"

She chuckled again. "Oh, Sweet, Innocent Rose. How little you know." She began to take short, shaky steps toward her, and Rose drew herself up sharply. "How little you see. Did you not wonder where he was when you awoke to an empty bed? Did you never stop to question his loyalty to you?" Sophia was now only a few feet from her, and Rose could smell the sweet perfume of flowers that always seemed to appear when she was near. Out of her cloak she began to withdraw an object, and a sinking feeling bubbled up in the pit of Rose's stomach.

"Little Sophia, you say. Nay, I would say it is you who is little, my dear Rose. For you have the innocence of an a
ngel, now matter how the red stains your image. I know of the man who defiled you. And yet you have such INNOCENCE." Her hand withdrew from the trailing sleeves of her garment, and with it the sharpest and thinnest of daggers, shining a deep purple in the multicolored light. Rose gasped audibly, hands gripping the sides of her chair. Sophia's smile widened into a crazed grin, her voice taking on a sing-song tone. "And with that innocence you shall die, my Rose, and my precious brother shall be revenged."

She screamed then, a crazed yell that sent her reeling towards Rose, dagger braced to stab at the heart of the Queen.