Page 4 of Death Cap

Agaric pierced the ground with his sword. “Oh, little brother.” He rubbed his eyes, “You shall never see your bride again.” His arm motioned to his side, his men raising her limp body from his shoulder as they began to carry her away.

Adrenaline flowed through my veins as I forced myself to my feet, clutching my bleeding heart. “Hesper!” Nothing would keep me from her.Nothing.

I stumbled in the direction of his men, quickly fading into the battle with her body and disappearing from view. “A true king,” Agaric kicked my back, forcing me to my knees, “kneels for no one.” He spat on my body.

“My king!” One of my men called. “The king is injured!” My forces began to gather around, various soldiers grabbing my arms as they tried to pull me back.

“No!” I roared, shoving them from me.

“My king, you are injured. We must retreat!”

I glared at the exhausted soldier. I could choose to stay and fight, avenging Hesper’s death, or save my men, gifting them a second chance at defeating Dryade. “Listen to your men, Morel.” Agaric’s men gathered to him, preparing to strike. “Run back to your godforsaken kingdom in defeat, or you and your men will die here today. Choose quickly, brother. I offer this mercy to you only once.”

“Please, my king.” The soldier yanked my collar as I stopped resisting.

I stood, straining as my men flocked to my aid, helping me as we turned. “Out of the kindness of my heart, I shall make sure no one forgets your love. She shall always be remembered as the traitorous queen she was.”

I whipped around, lunging towards Agaric. My emotions made me weak, allowing Agaric to avoid me as he raised his boot and slammed it into my face, the sound of the impact rippling through my mind followed by pain and darkness.

My body raised from the bed, panting hysterically as I glanced around the moonlight-filled room. The doors of my chambers burst open as a servant entered with a single, dim candle, rushing to my bed. “My king?” My eyes were wide, sweat soaking my bare skin as my heart ached both from my brother’s sword and the memory of my love’s death. My hand clutched my chest, the raised scar finally healed. “My king?” The servant persisted, his eyes examining me for any sign of alarm.

My head fell into my hands at the realization that what I had just experienced was another painful memory of the nightmare of my life, playing for me once again as it had done every nightsince that fateful day. Torturing me endlessly. I inhaled deeply, calming my shattered heart as I slowly regained control and composure. “I am alright, thank you.” The servant waited, as if expecting me to say something more. “Leave!” I roared, startling the man as he bowed, apologizing before he rushed from my chamber.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead, brushing my dark hair aside as I stepped onto the cold floor with bare feet. I wandered around the room, reaching the large stained glass window. The moon was high, shining its pale beams into the room, casting shades of blue. I closed my eyes, my lungs inhaling deeply as the memory of my wife appeared in my mind’s eye. She was standing in this exact spot, admiring the stars. She turned to look at me, smiling, her beauty unmatched by any. She always stared out into the night, bathing in the light of the moon. Her eyes would twinkle like the night sky as it reflected in her metallic irises. My cheeks hurt as I realized I had been smiling. The painful memory made my heart ache, my chest caving in on itself as I opened my eyes and stumbled back in agony, my smile completely gone.Wolfsbane.

Hatred and anger masked my pain as I grabbed a nearby chair and flung it across the room in a fit of rage, screaming. The chain slammed into the floor-length mirror, shattering it to pieces. The mirror was not mine, but Hesper’s. I blinked, remaining still, realizing what I had done. Tears burned my eyes as I rushed to the shattered reflective glass, frantically gathering the pieces into my hands, ignoring the sharp edges as they sliced my skin.

“Hesper,” I cried quietly to myself, “forgive me.” Unlike other women, my queen did not treasure trinkets and fine things. Instead, she preferred to occupy her time with the study of the geography of our world. She read books, enjoyed music and dancing. She was enamored by specific plants, thoughshe despised flowers, finding them childish and grotesque. She preferred hunting, fighting, having strength and drive unmatched by any man. Despite being a queen, she had the simplest taste. Truthfully, she did not care for her appearance, despite her enchanting beauty. She never saw her own beauty, purposely avoiding mirrors most of her life. This mirror, the very one I destroyed, was a gift, one that I had given her on our wedding night so that she may always see herself as I did. A queen, my goddess.

I stared into my reflection, my amber eyes glaring back into themselves as I held the shattered pieces of the mirror in my hands. “You may have murdered my queen, dear brother,” I squeezed the glass as it pierced the palm of my hand, “but you made the mistake of letting me live, one I shall not grant you. I will destroy you for everything you have taken from me.” The glass crumbled in my hand. “Prepare, older brother.” I rose, holding the rest of the mirror in my hands, staring up at the moonlight. “Darkness is coming.”

SIX

AMANITA

“I don’t careif you need to up the dosage!” Agaric’s angered voice stopped me in my tracks, the foreign tone startling me.

“My prince, if we continue to use the ingredients as we have, our current supply will run out in a matter of days. We must be vigilant. The long-term effects are unknown and could permanently—”

“I do not care!” Glass shattered, followed by his raised voice. The commotion was coming from the same storage room we had passed before, the one that was to remain locked at all times according to what Agaric had said before. I peeked into the cracked doorway and watched as Agaric scolded the old man. “You will find a solution, quickly. We are running out of time. If Morel indeed survived his injuries, it is only a matter of time before he wreaks havoc on Dryade.” The old man cowered, cleaning the mess Agaric had made with his outburst. “I shall accelerate things on my end. Once the ritual is complete, I shall have no further need for your medicine.”

“Ah, there you are!”Agaric, returning to usual beaming self, rushed to me as I sat beneath the weeping willow, forcing a smile, pretending to not have heard his secret conversation. “I have been searching all over for you. Whatever are you doing here?” He asked, glancing at the small patch of darkness.

“Just enjoying the fresh air.” I lied through my teeth, beginning to stand and offer him a courtesy of formality.

“Oh no, please.” He stopped me. “Do not exert yourself. I only came to tell you that tonight, I am to host a ball. A masquerade ball, in fact. One thrown in honor of my recent victory against Morel. As it has already been a month, it is only fitting that the ball should take place tonight, here, in the royal gardens beneath the full moon. Would you care to join me, Lady Amanita?”

The question surprised me, distracting me from the mystery of the storage closet. I hadn’t attended a ball before, at least not to my knowledge. I almost felt unworthy of his company, the idea of the perfect prince hand in hand with the scarred stranger, but the idea of dancing beneath the moon excited me. “I’d be honored,” I smiled. Maybe a ball was just the thing I needed to feel more at home here.

“Perfect. I shall send a costume to your chamber for tonight. Something befitting a beauty such as yourself.” I blushed at the compliment. “Now, my lady, youmustpromise me a dance beneath the moonlight.” I nodded. “Marvelous. I shall notdisturb you any longer.” He bowed, glancing at the dark earth aside me before quickly exiting the garden.

A masquerade ball. How intriguing. I unclenched my hand, revealing the blue mushrooms I had hidden as I placed them back into the earth, my nails scraping tiny holes into the dirt, replanting them in the hopes of their resurrection. After recovering, I snuck back into the royal gardens the same night Agaric had the tiny fungi torn from the earth, salvaging what few I could. Regardless of his feelings towards his brother, the prince’s late mother’s garden of shadows deserved to prosper and thrive. There was plenty of proof of the king blooming all around. The queen deserved even the smallest recognition. “Grow, little night caps. Absorb the darkness and bring forth your light. Grow and be free.”

The costumeAgaric had chosen was a shock. It was beyond beautiful, flattering my body and features in every way possible, the opposite color palette of any of the dresses I had been provided since my recovery. The cool, pastel tones were opposite the warm, vibrant colors of Dryade, of Agaric himself. I hesitated before glancing into the tall, floor-length mirror, examining my reflection. Part of me wanted to look away, as if it were some strange habit my body remembered, but I continued to gaze forward, staring at my costume, examining each detail closely.

The tight corset and flared skirts were covered with hand-stitched golden filigree along a silky ivory material. Gold and silver flakes were sewn within the thread that looped through athin, dusky periwinkle layer of tulle. The tulle gathered loosely around my arms, flowing freely onto the floor and gathering into a thin line of ruffles at the hem. Despite my genuine dislike of dresses, I much enjoyed the style of this particular gown. It felt as if Agaric had picked something that truly fit me.

My hair was elegantly gathered back, painted with crushed gold and silver flakes, diamond hair pins placed strategically throughout the pulled curls, catching the light like stars against my dark inky hair. It was as if the night sky itself perched atop my head. My pale skin was dusted in a crushed moonstone shimmer, glistening in the light. The mask chosen for me was that of an ivory crescent moon. The hand-carved planet was also dusted in the same crushed shimmer as my flesh, the two matching in color. The moon was painted with an angelic, smiling face, flowers in all shades of blue adorning the gold and silver mask, reaching across to create a blue bouquet. It was exquisite—fit for a queen.

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