Ibrahim stood in the corner watching everything. He knew about Astucia and her legendary fighting skill. He had wanted to approach her decades ago but he had known that she was tenacious and would find his part in the capture of Brigitte.
Being part of the Assassin Guild was always an honour and he had led it for the last 3 centuries. People didn’t realize he was from one great house.
House Al-Damawi was the evoking of blood. They were special as the Arabic vampires had their own special groups that weren’t known by those outside.
He was seeing how violent she was and how close to losing control she was. Attacking the son of the Emperor was shocking. When he recounted the tale he was about ready to act but she was patient.
He had a goblet and it was full of blood that was warmed just right. He knew that he was good and his magic was strong and he was sure he could take out Astucia if need be.
“So you fought against Brigitte, it took over 15 people to take her down.”
Aristarco nodded “She fought like a woman possessed. We had no idea that she was that quick or strong. She could have easily killed my guards. “
“Why did the story never spread about the battle wages?”
Rabiria “I would love to know that as well as a fighter that great and the battle that epic would have definitely made its rounds of the court”
He shook his head “All of the guards were put to death as soon as we returned home. The nobles involved were out under blood geas so they couldn’t speak of it.”
Astucia glared “That’s why they wouldn’t give me information. You abused your power Aristarco by eliminating your own guard who helped you, as well as forcing the nobles to not be able to speak of this. How dare you use the great houses in this way.”
He nodded “She was a danger not just to herself but to everyone around her. I had to do this for our safety, she was about to break her silence and we would have been discovered by the world.”
Ibrahim moved a bit but kept quiet. Being an Assassin he was used to cover-ups, this one was beginning to not make any sense. Killing his guards so they couldn’t talk while putting a geas on the nobles was more dangerous. Many of the guards came from the nobles.
The Emperor kept lying, finally he couldn’t take it any longer “My Lord, as a long standing guild member of the Assassins Guild I beg you to tell the truth. Yes Brigitte was a danger to the rule of order and as such we were protecting all including the great houses. “
He glared “You assassin, are here as a guest of mine and you dare speak to me like this. I can have you killed.”
Ibrahim laughed “As a guild member we aren’t subject to your rule and are granted full access just like a visiting dignitary from any of the other courts. You have very limited say in what we do unless you pay. You paid the guild to assist and that is what I did.”
Astucia advanced “Lady Astucia, I beg of you not to do anything rash. The guilds have been watching you for years and your talents would fit like a hand in a glove.”
“Who are you and what business do you have with me?”. she growled
He tilted his head a bit “I am Ibrahim, I am guild master of the assassin’s Guild. The fact you bested 4 of the Barons of the French cadres plus their retainers is very impressive.”
She growled but Rabiria spoke “What happened to Brigitte to make her as people have said go crazy?”
“My master said it was the Curse of Crawford.”
Crawford was a clan that was vampire clerics. They were more scholarly but tended to function mostly as those who heard prophecies but they also were mystics who used curses.
“I know them well as I spent many years with the sisters of Crawford. I will need to examine her but I can assist her I believe. Would this appease the great houses and allow us to go back to the norm?’
Astucia nodded. “Take us there now.”.
Aristarco shook his head “No she is a wild animal that is not controllable.”
The rest of the court came back in at that moment and watched the scene unfold.
The great hall had gone silent.
Astucia stood in the center of the chamber, blood still staining the sleeve of her dark coat. Around her, nobles, guards, and members of the ancient houses watched without daring to move. They had already seen enough to understand that the woman standing before them was not interested in courtly games.
She wanted Brigitte.
And she wanted her now.
The Emperor’s son stood several paces away. He had inherited his father’s proud features and, unfortunately for him, his father’s certainty that imperial blood made him untouchable.
Astucia slowly approached him.
“Where is she?”
He lifted his chin. “I have already answered you.”
“No.” Astucia stopped directly in front of him. “You told me that you would not take me to her. That was not the question.”
Several guards tightened their grips on their weapons.
Astucia noticed.
She didn’t care.
The Emperor’s son glanced toward Aristarco before returning his attention to her.
“Brigitte is a prisoner of the Empire. What happens to her is not your concern.”
Astucia’s expression changed.
Not anger.
Something much worse.
Calm.
“She is my concern.”
“You have no authority here.”
Astucia smiled faintly.
“I didn’t ask whether I had authority.”
The young vampire’s confidence flickered.
Astucia stepped closer.
“I asked where Brigitte is being held.”
“I will never tell you.”
Astucia stared into his eyes.
“You misunderstand what is happening.”
“I understand perfectly.”
“No,” she whispered. “You believe this is a negotiation.”
He laughed nervously.
“You cannot threaten the son of the Emperor.”
Astucia tilted her head.
“Why?”
The question caught him completely off guard.
His mouth opened, but no answer came.
Astucia looked around the chamber.
Dozens of vampires were watching.
Some were centuries old. Others belonged to houses whose names had terrified entire kingdoms. Yet not one stepped forward.
She looked back at him.
“Your father gave you a title. Your blood gave you privilege. This palace gave you guards. Somewhere along the way, you confused those things with immortality.”
His face hardened.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
Astucia’s eyes became cold.
“Take me to Brigitte.”
“No.”
It was the last word he ever spoke.
Astucia moved.
The Emperor’s son barely saw her hand before it wrapped around his throat.
He was lifted from the floor.
The guards surged forward.
“STOP!”
Aristarco’s voice thundered through the chamber.
Everyone froze.
The Emperor’s son clawed at Astucia’s wrist.
She didn’t even look at him.
Instead, she looked toward Aristarco.
“You fought Brigitte.”
Aristarco slowly nodded.
Astucia tightened her grip.
“You know what was done to her.”
“Yes.”
“You know who participated.”
Another pause.
“Yes.”
“And you know where she is.”
Aristarco’s expression became guarded.
Astucia finally looked at the struggling vampire in her hand.
“Then everyone in this room should understand what happens when someone stands between me and her.”
The Emperor’s son desperately kicked at her.
Astucia threw him onto the stone floor.
He landed hard.
Before he could rise, her boot came down against his chest.
“Last chance.”
He stared up at her with hatred.
“My father will destroy you.”
Astucia crouched beside him.
“Then he can try.”
She grabbed him by the hair and forced him to look toward the assembled nobles.
“I want all of you to remember this.”
Nobody spoke.
“I did not come here seeking your throne. I did not come for your territories. I did not come to challenge your Emperor.”
Her eyes moved across the room.
“I came for Brigitte.”
She looked down at the Emperor’s son.
“And this fool decided his pride was worth more than his life.”
His expression finally changed.
The arrogance disappeared.
Fear replaced it.
“Wait—”
Astucia struck.
The movement was brutally fast.
A sickening crack echoed through the chamber as she broke his neck with enough force to leave no question of survival. Before his body could collapse completely, Astucia drove her hand through his chest and tore out his heart.
The Emperor’s son went still.
Astucia stood.
His heart remained in her hand.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Astucia dropped it onto the marble floor.
It landed with a wet slap.
She stepped over the body and looked at the nearest guard.
The vampire immediately lowered his weapon.
Astucia looked toward the next.
He did the same.
One after another, weapons lowered throughout the chamber.
Finally, Astucia turned toward Aristarco.
He stared at the dead son of the Emperor and then at the woman responsible.
For the first time, he understood something about Astucia that the stories had failed to explain.
Her reputation had never been built upon uncontrolled violence.
She was perfectly capable of controlling herself.
That was what made her terrifying.
Every action had purpose.
Every death was a message.
Astucia wiped the blood from her hand onto the dead prince’s clothing.
Then she looked directly at Aristarco.
“Fifteen people to capture Brigitte, you said.”
Aristarco nodded slowly.
Astucia stepped toward him.
“Now there are fourteen.”
She stopped directly before him.
“Take me to her.”
Aristarco glanced at the corpse.
Then toward the nobles.
Nobody volunteered to become the next example.
He looked back at Astucia.
“I’ll take you.”
Astucia gave a single nod.
“Good.”
She walked toward the doors.
Behind her, the Emperor’s son remained sprawled across the marble floor.
Astucia never looked back.
But everyone else did.
Because every vampire in that chamber now understood the same thing.
Brigitte was no longer merely a prisoner.
She was the reason Astucia had come.
And anyone who stood between them had just been given a demonstration of what that would cost.
Ibrahim also accompanied them. He had never seen how cold and calculated Astucia was and it made him even more intrigued. She had forced the Emperor’s hand and it was a thing of beauty and the violence was the chef’s kiss.
They walked in and saw a huge caged suite of rooms. It had a great amount of comfortable furniture, as well as huge amounts of space for Brigitte.
The chamber door opened.
Brigitte’s head snapped toward it.
For several seconds she simply stared at Astucia. Then her cracked lips curled into an enormous smile.
“You came.”
A laugh escaped her.
“You came, you came, you came. I told them you would. They said no. The stones said yes. Stones are better listeners than people.”
She rattled her chains excitedly.
“Don’t step there!”
Brigitte suddenly screamed.
Then she giggled.
“Sorry. Hasn’t happened yet.”
Her eyes wandered toward the ceiling.
“Blood on the marble. Crowns without heads. Heads without crowns. An Emperor crying over a son who should have listened.”
She looked back at Astucia.
“Ohhh, but you’ve been busy.”
Brigitte leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially.
“They think you came to rescue me.”
She shook her head violently.
“No, no, no. That isn’t what the prophecy says. Or maybe it does. I forget which prophecy we’re in.”
She began laughing again.
“The wolf eats the serpent. The serpent eats the crown. The crown eats Rome.”
Brigitte suddenly stopped.
Her eyes locked onto Astucia’s.
“And then you kill them all.”
Silence.
Brigitte smiled.
“Hello, Astucia.”
Her chains rattled as she spread her arms as far as they would allow.
“Took you long enough.”
Astucia looked but the speech continued.
Brigitte’s laughter suddenly stopped.
“Alexandre…”
She whispered the name as though it belonged to a ghost.
“He’s coming back. Can’t you hear him? Scratch, scratch, scratching at the doors of the world.”
Her eyes widened as she grinned at Astucia.
“They thought he was gone. Silly little fools. Alexandre doesn’t die. He waits.”
She tugged excitedly against her chains.
“The son returns to his sire. Blood remembers blood.”
Then Brigitte began to laugh.
“And when Alexandre comes home… oh, Astucia…”
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
“Everyone is going to remember why they were afraid of him.”
Astucia looked around. “What is wrong with her?”
Rabiria stepped forward “Now that I know it’s the Curse of the Crawford it is something that is linked closely to my own power to cause insanity. She is deep in the throes of paranoia as well as her visions are another form of insanity. They are called visual hallucinations.”
So what was happening before the battle was still deep inside her only had decades to strengthen and resolve into something even more dastardly. If she was released in this state she would easily cause a catastrophic event that would mean thousands might need to be mind wiped or potentially the towns would need to be purged.
Astucia stepped forward and put her hand out. She knew if she were to touch she would be able to get something from her power of touch reading. The Empress put her hand out “Don’t touch her she is very strong and can break your body.”
She laughed “My Grandsire won’t do anything to me. I can get more if I touch her”. she did reach out and touch her.
Astucia was pulled into the maelstrom that was Brigitte. Her mind was full and as she allowed herself to be pulled into the memory.
She pulled out of the memory and was shocked.
Brigitte remembered the fight.
Or perhaps she dreamed it.
“There were so many of them,” she whispered, smiling. “Fifteen? Twenty? A hundred? They kept multiplying.”
She remembered blood on her hands. Someone screaming. Maybe it had been her.
“One came from the left. Stupid man. I broke him. Another had a sword. Pretty sword. Shame about his arm.”
Brigitte giggled.
Then she remembered the Barons surrounding her.
“They thought they caught me.”
Her smile vanished.
“No. No, no, no. I was still winning.”
She remembered chains. Magic burning through her body. Knees striking the floor.
Then darkness.
Brigitte stared at Astucia.
“They needed an army to put me in this cage.”
A crooked smile returned.
“And now you’ve opened the door.”
Rabiria went around and grabbed herbs and then she began to mix the herbs together and then she slit her hard allowing her blood to the mixture and then a single drop of Holy Water.
She put it into a potion and shook it 333 times. She then put her magic behind and threw the potion at the feet of Brigitte. The potion bubbled and the smoke came up surrounding the lady. As she inhaled she screamed as the Holy water also enveloped her with the herbs and blood.
Brigitte was still laughing.
“They needed an army! An army and chains and pretty little spells and—”
She stopped.
Her head tilted slightly.
For the first time since Astucia had entered the chamber, Brigitte became completely still.
“Astucia?”
The madness in her eyes flickered.
Brigitte blinked several times as if awakening from a nightmare. She looked down at her hands, turning them slowly before staring at the chains around her wrists.
“No…”
Her breathing quickened.
“No, these aren’t—”
She squeezed her eyes shut.
For several seconds, she trembled. Her lips moved silently as fragmented memories fought inside her mind.
Then Brigitte inhaled deeply.
Once.
Twice.
When her eyes opened again, something had changed.
The wildness was gone.
She straightened despite the chains, pushing the tangled hair away from her face. Her eyes moved around the chamber, no longer darting at imaginary shadows but studying everything—the door, the guards, Astucia, the distance between them.
Calculating.
Remembering.
Brigitte looked down at herself with visible disgust.
“How long?”
Astucia stared at her.
Brigitte’s eyes hardened.
“How long have I been imprisoned?”
There was no laughter now.
No prophecies.
No voices in the walls.
Astucia stepped closer.
“Brigitte?”
Brigitte slowly raised her head.
That familiar confidence returned to her face, followed by the faintest hint of the arrogant smile Astucia remembered.
“Yes.”
She pulled once against the chains, testing their strength.
Then she looked directly into Astucia’s eyes.
“Now tell me who did this to me.”
Astucia smiled.
Brigitte was back.
—–
The return of Brigitte should have been a thing of great rejoicing but it will be far from that. The great house Vauclaire was not reunited and there will be war soon.
Brigitte would have her vengeance and it would be glorious. The French would pay especially those who had helped with her dishonourment. Selene would become her trusted aide and she would be the one who would speak to the council on the houses behalf.
Crazy Canadian Writing 