"Levana, I really don't think that this is the best idea..." Saito declared as his fiancée pulled him along by the arm down the winding palace hallways.

"Oh, hush! We need to tell Channary! After we get her blessing, we can go back to Earth together! I just can't wait!" Levana's face was aglow with joy and excitement, a big smile making
her look even more angelic.

"Yes, but-" he cut himself off as soon as he realized that his attempts to argue with her were in vain. She was way too excited and elated about the whole thing to see reason.

"What were you saying?" She turned to him and gave him a questioning look, before dismissing him and turning to the big double doors of the ballroom. "Oh look, we're here!"

She hooked her arm around his and pushed the ballroom door open, where they were met with the joyous and regal aura of the royal party. She led him through the crowd of dancing nobles, both making sure not to fall or bump into anyone, before they made it into the middle of the ballroom, where Channary was standing. At that moment, she was greeting two nobles, a couple, in the way she always did everything-perfectly dignified and proper. She kept her hands folded in front of her and bowed her head to them.

However, Levana didn't really mind that right now.

"Channary!"

The queen turned her head to her sister on hearing her call. The two nobles excused themselves, moving to one side to rejoin the party. As Channary, albeit grudgingly, fully turned to face Levana, the princess finished dragging Saito right up to her and to a halt.

"Your Majesty." Saito bowed.

Channary nodded her head ever so slightly in response, forcing a pleasant smile. She then turned her gaze to Levana, her brow furrowing slightly in irritation. "What is it that you want, Levana?"

"I..." Levana gazed up at Saito, "No, we, would like your blessing..." she let out a barely restrained squeal, "for our marriage!"

Channary's forced smile faded and turned immediately into confusion. "What...'marriage'?"

"Well..." Levana bit her lip, "Saito asked me to marry him...and I said yes!" She grinned from ear to ear, holding onto the emperor's arm and nearly bouncing up and down. A moment later, she rolled her eyes a bit and gestured. "Well, there is one thing, though..."

Now, the confusion and incredulousness began to be mixed with another emotion in Channary-a surge of fury. She glowered internally, her blood boiling. "And what is that?"

"Well, I'd live on Earth with Saito, of course, and I'd be leaving tonight. I hope that doesn't bother you, does it? Because, I mean, I'm pretty sure that you'd love to get me out of your hair-"

Channary cut her off by clearing her throat and clasping her hands together. "That is enough." Her stern tone made Levana fall silent, and a feeling of dread started to brew in her stomach.

"May I speak to the both of you," Channary looked around the ballroom, "alone?" she said, much softer this time.

Both Saito and Levana looked at each other, their gazes flooding with fear and concern. Channary sensed this, slipping into their minds and planting feelings of relief and security, making them relax and stare eagerly at the queen. She smiled with false sweetness. "Follow me," she beckoned, her voice soft and saccharine.

They nodded lazily and followed Channary to the back entrance of the ballroom, and as they walked, the queen called over her head thaumaturge, who joined them in an instant, as well as the captain of the royal guard. He saluted his comrades before walking out of the ballroom at Sybil's side, the both of them staring straight ahead, their faces a blank slate.

The five of them continued to walk down a long dark hallway before making it to one of the many sitting rooms that made up that floor of the palace. The guard opened the door and held it wide, allowing the others into the room before entering and closing the door behind him, standing tall with his arms behind his back, blocking the exit so that no one could leave.

The room's light came on and everyone stayed silent for a moment, before Channary erased the artificial feelings glamoured into Levana and Saito's minds, and both began to panic a bit, although they hid their fear and discomfort behind stoic faces. Channary faced them, and in an instant her calm and gentle demeanour vanished, an aura of hatred and malice contorting her perfect face in odd ways, making her look more like a demon than a human being.

Her burning, smouldering gaze turned to Saito and seemed to pierce gaping holes through his very soul. "Why?" she said slowly, carefully enunciating each syllable.

"I do beg your pardon?"

She sneered. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Why have you gotten into such an," her lips curled in disgust at the ring on Levana's finger, "intimate affair with my sister?"

"Your Majesty, if I may-"

She cut him off by taking a step closer and putting a hand on his shoulder, her sharp nails digging into his skin despite the jacket he was wearing, making him wince in pain. "And what about our alliance?"

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, we have never agreed on nuptials between ourselves at any point in time." He glared at her, gripping her wrist hard and tearing her hand away from his shoulder. "However, I do still seek to have your name on the treaty of Bremen, and to have a suitable alliance come to fruition, but I cannot-no-I will not marry you."

She wrenched her hand away from his grip, her brown eyes darkening with fury. "You cannot be serious." She let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Are you honestly telling me that you cannot marry me because of Levana?!"

"That is precisely what I'm saying." He took a deep, shaking breath, his hands clenched into fists. "I love her, and I can't see why you are so opposed to our relationship. After all, both Earth and Luna would still accept a marriage alliance between us, even if Levana is not the reigning monarch, so you shouldn't concern yourself over this."

Channary scoffed. "You love her."

Saito took one of Levana's hands in his own and squeezed it reassuringly. She looked up at him with wide eyes. "Yes, I do. And I will do anything to protect her."

"Absolutely disgusting." Channary took her sister by the arm and shoved her aside, and had she not regained her footing in the nick of time, Levana would've probably fallen over. "How could you love such a hideous creature?! Don't you know how worthless and pathetic she is?!"

"No, but I do know how much of a cruel, tyrannical witch you are."

Channary's hands balled into fists, trembling with fury. She heard a soft snickering sound behind her and turned to see Levana with a hand over her mouth, trying to fight back laughter fuelled by shock and fear. She sneered and made Levana drop to her knees, and the princess stopped laughing.

"Enough of this nonsense." She got all up in Saito's face like bad breath. "Here is my proposal-you marry me and make me your empress, and I'll let your precious Levana go," Channary smirked at her next words, "unharmed."

"No, Saito, don't! I'm not worth it, you know that. Please, just get out of here!"

Channary glared at Levana, her gaze seething. "Silence."

Levana felt her tongue ice over, her jaw going limp.

Saito sneered in disgust, hatred for the wicked queen filling every single inch of his being. "You're despicable," he spat.

Channary stared down at her manicured nails. "That is my only offer. If you choose to deny it, I promise that both you and Levana with suffer greatly for your defiance."

The emperor glanced back nervously at Levana, whose eyes were wide and pleading.

Don't do it.

Discreetly so that no one noticed his move, he put an arm behind his back, lifting up his jacket with his hand, grasping the small, metal blade that he had strapped on the inside of the material.

Channary crossed her arms over her chest. "So? What's it going to be?"

"Go to hell," he spat before stabbing her square in the shoulder with the pocketknife. Channary shrieked, doubling over in pain. The guard and the thaumaturge rushed to her aid, but they never got the chance to do anything, as Channary pulled a gleaming, silver weapon from underneath her skirt and pulled the trigger.

BANG!

Everyone in the room froze, and time seemed to stop for a moment. Saito dropped to the floor, his head oozing blood, his skull half smashed in from where a bullet broke into the bone.

He was most definitely dead the minute he hit the ground.

Levana looked at his corpse and let out a shrill scream.

Channary's arm was held up, smoke still coming from the barrel of the gun that she was holding in her hand. Her lips were twisted in a pained sneer as blood continued to pour from the wound on her shoulder, tears streaming down her face. Levana dropped to her knees and cradled Saito's head in her lap, his blood staining both her gloves and ballgown, waves of sudden grief and despair crashing over her like a tidal wave as she began to sob, hiccuping and choking on her own air.

(no don't leave me alone my love please no what about me don't leave me here come and save me I love you)

"Saito, no! Please, wake up!" Levana held up one of his dead hands in her own, her entire body shaking with desperation. "Wake up, WAKE UP! You can't leave me like this! You CAN'T!" she screamed. "Channary..." She lifted her head up, tears running down her pale cheeks, her chest heaving from shock and sadness. "How could you?"

Channary's eyes smouldered, her face still contorted in pain, holding a bloody rag to her injured shoulder. "I warned you," she hissed, "that you would pay dearly should you defy me. Now," her lips curled into a pained grin, "you shall suffer the consequences."

(come crybaby I shall teach you permanent lesson)

Channary seized Levana's mind and willed her stand up and back away from the emperor's body, but she could feel Levana's resistance, her resolve not to move a muscle, and it irritated her to death. She twisted her brainwaves even more, and she felt the fight weakening.

Stop resisting me.

Levana let out a choked sob and rose to her feet, backing away like a soulless machine.

Channary let out a hiss as the pain in her shoulder flared out once again. "Sybil."

The black-haired woman stepped forward. "My Queen?"

"Remove the body and dispose of it. I do not care how you should do so."

Sybil nodded, her hands folded demurely in front of her. "Of course, Your Majesty."

"Also, see to it that the emperor's annoying brother and advisor do not find out about his death, at least until they return to Earth," Channary flashed an evil grin, "we wouldn't need them to cause an unnecessary scene."

Sybil grinned back and lifted the limp corpse over her shoulder, somehow managing to avoid staining her coat with blood, leaving the room silently, the clicking of her heels fading down the hallway.

Channary took a deep breath, and despite the searing pain that was shooting across her shoulder, she crossed her arms over her chest. "Levana, I think an apology is in order."

The princess' eyes widened, appalled. "What?"

"You owe me an apology for being such an insolent twit," Channary said in a playful, girlish voice, only slightly rasped with pain, as if she hadn't just killed an innocent man in cold blood.

(what are you gonna do about it Levana how are you gonna get even oh wait you can't)

At that single, tilting moment, for the first time in her life, Levana felt a rush of murderous bloodlust, a sudden urge to just kill her sister, to put an end to her wicked existence once and for all. She snarled, a primal and guttural sound filled with pure hatred, and spat in Channary's face.

The guard let out a barely audible gasp at Levana's audacity.

Channary wiped the saliva away with her sleeve, a look of disgust smeared across her face. She looked over to the guard, still as emotionless and unfeeling. "Evret, she's all yours."

A dark grin spread across Evret's face, and a chill shook Levana from the inside out.

(he's the predator you're the prey wait what)

Channary smirked, sauntering to the room's doorway. "Don't worry, Levana. It only hurts the first time." She closed the door behind her, locking it. Levana's eyes widened, trying to make sense of what her sister meant.

No.

She wouldn't, she couldn't. Even Channary could never do that to her. Could she?

Who was Levana fooling, of course she would.

The guard was looking at her in way that made her uncomfortable, his eyes hungrily devouring her slender form. He had a lustful look in his eyes as he stared at her in places she preferred not to be stared at, making her quake with fear. It terrified her, the way he looked at her like she was a piece of meat. She couldn't even bear to think about what he was going to do. She had to get out of there.

(no this can't be happening please sir get away I don't want this I don't want trouble just no)

He reached out to grab her, but she reacted first, sending her knee up to his groin, making him double over in pain. She jumped over him and raced to the door, her mind going rampid, terror and panic depriving her of her logic.

Levana beat against the door, pulling at the knob, trying desperately to wrench the thing open. "Channary, PLEASE! I beg of you, anything but this!" she screamed, pounding and pounding until her human fist was surely bruised. She let out a squeak as she felt a strong hand grab her arm and pull her back. She was twirled around and met with the guard's sneering face.

"Get away from me!" Levana shrieked, squirming and writhing, trying evade his grasp.

Evret's frown turned into a playful pout. "Now, Levana, don't be that way. You know that this will be a lot less painful for you if you would stop struggling."

The princess gasped as she felt his hand slither down her waist, getting way too close to her hips, to her legs. To what was between them. She raised a clenched fist, preparing to deliver a blow to his face, but Evret caught it, holding her arm forcefully behind her.

He grinned at her pained expression. "Oh, I always do enjoy a fight, little princess. It's just so much more fun that way," he said.

(I'm not little let me go I hate you)

The guard then backed her against a wall, his nose nearly touching hers. His big hands held her down, trapping her, rendering her helpless, powerless. In her dazed state, the only thing she could do was kick at him, claw at him, shove at him. But he was so strong and she was so feeble-she was outmatched. Rigid with fear and her mind too panicked to even try to glamour him, his lips descended on hers, covering her mouth in a sloppy joining of mouths that could only be an assault, not a kiss. She tried to bite him, but that only excited him more.

"Did you know," he whispered breathlessly in her ear between kisses, "that I've always been watching you? Ever since the day I arrived at the palace, when I was six years old, I've been infatuated with you."

A shiver shook down Levana's spine.

"And now," he swiped her hair from her neck-an intimate gesture that made her feel sick, "I get to have you."

"Don't," she whimpered, trying to pry him off of her. "Please. Don't."

He didn't listen, nor did he care. The monster just continued.

(gah his touch burns I can feel his hardness it's awful god please no someone save me)

He bent down, placing his lips on her neck. A primal moan tore its way from his throat as he nibbled her fair skin playfully at first, then harder bites-that if they had come from Saito, she would have liked. The violet sleeves of her gown were slipping off her freckled shoulders, exposing even more skin, the bodice slowly coming off with it.

(embarrassing so embarrassing I can't stand embarrassing)

She screamed so loud, like the whole palace was burning down around her, like the world itself was ending. Quick as a viper, Evret's fist connected with her throat, effectively cutting off her airway. Levana gasped and spluttered, her cheeks glistening with tears. A small whimper escaped her lips as his hands ran down her body, gripping her back, her waist, her butt.

Levana closed her eyes to shut out his face and the darkness and her mind removed itself from the present, going to memories of Saito holding her through the night, Saito touching her skin with tenderness, Saito loving her so much that he would escape all the wealth and privilege in the world just to be with her, to liberate her.

Please let this not be happening.

But it didn't matter how much she prayed, because even if there was a God was out there, he wouldn't have listened. He wouldn't have had mercy on her. No one would.

It happened.

A scream echoed throughout the palace, drowned out by the bright and cheerful music from the ballroom.

That's when the night of horrors began.

She was a prisoner in her own kingdom.