Royal Pains

Chapter 2: Bitter Endings

Making their way around the streets, Making sure they kept well hidden, they looked around for Cassandra. While they were looking, Malon Looked up at the building she saw Cassandra sit outside of earlier, hoping to find just a glimpse of her in the windows as they would be able to quickly find her without wondering the streets all day. Ash could feel Malon was starting to get tired from searching and decided to venture into the building which turned out to be  where the guards and knights stayed.

"We'll be sure to find her room somewhere here; all we have to do is pretend we're servants and say we had to clean her room as she asked". Feeling proud of his plan, he gently nudged Malon to follow him as he made his way into the far side of the castle with Malon behind him.

Looking around the rooms for what felt like hours of searching, they heard a familiar voice in one of the rooms across the hall.

"Now that I have everything planned out, all I have to do is ask the Princess for an afternoon tea out in the garden and slip in the poison I've crafted into her tea and right before she dies in my waiting hooves, she'll make me the new princess. When the guards came to find what happened, I'll just say she had a heart attack and she entrusted me with her crown and kingdom...perfect". Smiling smugly, she made her way out of her room, not noticing two pairs of eyes watching on her every move and made her way out towards the gardens to set out her plan.

Malon and Ash looked at each other nervously at what they heard and quickly ran into her room and closing the door.

"OK...we need to look for notes, pictures or anything that has to do with this assassination, got it?" Malon asked Ash quietly, which he nodded his head and went straight to looking.

Within minutes Malon found a scroll in one of the draws in Cassandras desk, reading what was on there she excitedly turned to Ash "I found it! Now we need to quickly find the Princess Before she..."

"Ahem" Cassandra interrupted, standing at the door " ...I don't think so kiddies, no one will be going anywhere!"

Both Malon and Ash gasped in shock as they turned to find an angry Royal guard with her horn blazing. Quickly Malon grabbed the scroll in her mouth and looked over at Ash silently pleading for help, thinking quickly Ash sadly looked at Malon, possibly for the last time and roughly shoved her towards the door, Knocking a surprised Cassandra out of the way.

"Malon I'll keep her distracted, you need to get the scroll to the Queen immediately! I don't know how long I'll be able to hold her off" Yelled Ash as he kept his eyes on Cassandra as she started to angrily walk towards them. Malon looked sadly at Ash, feeling it'll be their last time and swiftly lent up to kiss him on the cheek and made a run for it down the hall without looking back with tears in her eyes.

For only a few seconds Ash stood there in shock, blushing slightly but quickly shook his head and fully faced Cassandra. Looking for a weapon Cassandra tackled him by surprise and raised her head with her horn blazing, forming a sword shaped light. Looking up at her, he knew there wasn't any hope for him. Smiling sadly to himself thinking of his short but wonderful time with the beautiful Earth mare, his eyes widened as he suddenly felt a jolt of pain run through his body gasping for air before everything went black.

"One down, one to go".