3 The game

On my way, I noticed a rose scent all over the place. Beautiful decorations like flowers, candlesticks, statues, and paintings with historical meaning were displayed in the hallway. The castle had finally looked alive for once. Gifts from other empires were displayed, showing that even after the war, the financial situation in our kingdom was great.

As I walked around admiring the painting I had never seen before. I noticed the hallway was awfully empty. Not a noise, not one person around. It was one of the rarest sights. Every day, dozens of maids and servants would be walking around, or at least a bunch of guards.

"Did they all go downstairs to the ball?" I thought. I knew that we had hired a lot of workers, especially for this event. So, I wasn't really sure about how they just magically disappeared.

It felt wrong to see that. In my 25 years of living in the castle, this had never happened before.

I didn't even have time on my hands to doubt these things.

Assuming they were on shift swapping, I kept walking deeper into the castle walls.

"What if they were ambushed?" the thought popped up again.

"Nope, not happening today." I tried shrugging all my negative feelings out. Even for the enemy, today would be an enormous gamble. I hoped that they wouldn't take the risk, especially because the treaty had just been formed.

I reached the big 9ft door that had our first wizard carved into the golden door. My eyes softened at the sight. It kept reminding me that even if we had the same ability, I couldn't be strong like that.

How could I live like a shadow when I knew I was worth more than that?

Forest witches, the witches were favored by nature itself; they were the most powerful of them all, whether it be magic, poison or healing, they did it the best. I was one of the rare witches that appeared into the imperial family once a few centuries.

It was supposed to be me who should have taken care of the public like they were my own children.

The world wasn't fair. It took more than talent to make a person great; money, support and luck, which I didn't have. The circumstances forced me to live like a shadow with my powers hidden forever. For good.

My fate was sealed; either I exposed myself as a forest witch, got little recognition and then got brutally killed, or I had to exist in a powerless state among great powers.

I chose to live. That was my greatest wish; to survive. That was what I was taught and that was what I went by, never giving up on life.

After seeing all my siblings die one by one for the throne, I refused to walk the same path as them. I preferred living like a shadow, hoping maybe one day I would get the freedom I always wanted.

I hit the door knocker twice. "Father it's me, Princess Zelda."

No answer.

"Father, are you in?" I asked again, hitting the door knocker a few more times.

I received no answer. I looked at the pendulum clock beside the door, there wasn't any time left.

Although this would be disrespectful, I didn't have other choices left. Time was running out. "I am coming in," I said and slowly creaked the door open, glancing inside the room first.

The vase and glasses were shattered on the floor, covering all directions. I crept inside, making sure my heels won't step on any of those broken pieces. I made sure to leave the door open, just in case anything bad might happen.

"Father," I said again, this time a little louder. I tried my best to make my voice firm, yet the atmosphere made it crack and tremble a little. The room didn't feel right for some reason.

I walked in more only to see the absolute horror.

The room looked like the century war had happened in here. The furniture was smashed into pieces. The wallpaper was completely torn down, and the curtains were shredded. The window and mirror had blood smudged on it.

My eyes widened more and more as they wandered around the room, my family painting was torn down, the chandler was on his bed, and his bed was broken into two.

My mouth got really dry. "What the hell did I just witness?!" I thought as my lips trembled unsure if it should make any more sound. I clenched my dress debating what I should do next? Look for father? He might be hurt, run? I could get killed.

My hands started hysterically sweating. I had to choose, quick.

"I have to survive," the thoughts escaped before my legs chose to flee.

I turned around to leave, but the door got shut right in my face.

I flinched at the loud thud, "H-Hello," I trembled and started banging on the large door. "Open the door!"

I hoped this was all a dream. I wished I could rewind time so I would never come in this room again. This was a trap. What I thought outside was correct, I should have trusted my guts. "Time is such a bitch," I thought again, it was too late, the next thing that came across me would be anything but my father.

Whatever it was, it was reaching close to me. I could feel my instinct going off. Goosebumps appeared all around my body. I knew this was about to turn into a game of cat and mouse, and this time, I was the mouse. Whether I moved or not, the outcome would be the same. Whatever it was, it would kill me.

Deep down, I was hoping this wasn't Athena's doing. After all those years of hard work, I didn't want to be killed ruthlessly like the rest of my siblings, I didn't work in mud for this pathetic end. The war for the throne was brutal. I didn't want to be a part of it, and I made sure Athena knew it.

"Athena! I hope this isn't you!!" I screamed as I continued to bang on the door.

I started panicking more and more thinking about the situation I was in. My limbs were about to give out with fear.

As I was trying to break the door I suddenly remembered that my father had a balcony. 'How could I have forgotten?' I mumbled, sprinting there as fast as I could. I tried pushing the door but it didn't budge at all, as if they had it sealed with magic.

It felt like death was getting close to me, suddenly a wave of past memories hit me, grandmothers words.

I closed my eyes and started chanting the spell. One of the few spells my grandmother had taught me before being banished into the cold castle.

A long black sword soon appeared in the air with a green aura around it. Without wasting a second, I caught it. This was probably the second time I had summoned it.

"I hope no one ever sees the sword I just summoned," I mumbled as I glanced at my fazed eyes in the reflection of the sword. I had to be quick.

Drop**

My soul almost left my body. I knew I was paler than ghost right now, a drop of blood fell from the ceiling. I gulped at the sight, hesitating to look up. Someone was above me, no, something was above me.

With a trembling body and eyes that refused to see, I forced myself to glance up. A pair of red eyes greeted me, it was the eyes of a hunter looking at its prey.

A creepy smile was carved into his face, his smile reached his ears, and he was drooling at my sight. He licked his lips and smiled even wider when another drop of blood fell into my cheeks.

"What have they done to you, father...?"