Will of a Prince

Squabee and Maria walked up the palace stairs to reach the guards at the front door. Maria’s armor was dirtied but still in pristine condition. The guards noticed she didn’t have a weapon and eased their shoulders slightly.

"Stop where you are, citizens. What brings you to the palace?"

"We came to look for my mom. Her name is Lidia Rose. Does that ring any bells?"

"What does she look like?"

"She’s tall, has tan skin, brown hair, she has a very... vibrant personality. She was probably walking around with a tall handsome guy with dark hair and blue eyes."

The guard studied Squabee, who was still being carried comfortably on Maria’s back.

"What about you?"

"Same thing. We’re a package deal!"

The guard grabbed a dagger that was sheathed in by Squabee’s waist.

"No weapons allowed in the palace from citizens. I’m sure you understand."

Both Squabee and Maria checked themselves for any weapons around them, but the guard had taken the only one they had.

"I think we’re clean. Can we pass?"

"You may enter. That Lidia person you were talking about was given an assignment by the queen herself. It’s possible she may not even be in the palace currently."

Maria slouched.

"You could’ve started with that..."

She looked back at Squabee.

"What do you think?"

"Might as well check the palace first."

"Good point. We’ll be on our way then."

The guard allowed them to pass.

"No funny business, or you both must reap the consequences."

Maria and Squabee continued down a long hallway. Everything about the palace screamed luxury. Maria was baffled by the condition of the place. It looked as if it was being cleaned ten times a day minimum. As her and Squabee rounded the first corner, they both gasped.

Laying on the floor were two massive piles of flesh and crushed bone. There were small pieces of sharp gold littered across the floor, all painted dark red with dried blood. Sitting next to them with her eyes closed, was none other than Lidia. She was unconscious but visibly breathing. Her fists looked torn and mangled. Even though she was asleep, her eyes were slightly open.

Maria rushed over to her and started shaking her.

"Mom? Are you okay? Hello?"

Lidia groaned and coughed into her hands. She slowly looked up and met Maria’s distraught gaze with a desperate look of her own.

"Maria? Is it really you?"

Looking past Maria, she saw Sqaubee, who also looked terrified at the scene in front of her.

"How long has it been? How many days have passed since I was gone?"

Maria looked at her confused.

"What do you mean? You never went anywhere. Weren’t you supposed to be here with Slimo?"

Hearing his name, Lidia’s eyes widened and she tried to sit up.

"Where is he?! Is he with that homewrecker?!"

Maria pushed Lidia back down softly.

"Well... I need to talk to you about that in a moment. Can you tell us what happened here first?"

Lidia looked around at the bloody scene in front of her, as if she was recognizing it for the first time.

"...I happened."

Maria looked at her confused.

"You mean, you did this? What even are those creatures? Why is there random gold shards everywhere with dried blood?"

"Those were elite palace guards. Whatever you see is all that’s left of them."

Maria’s stomach dropped.

"You mean, you did this?"

Lidia looked emotionlessly at the scene once more.

"They got what they deserved. This place... we need to leave this place. It’s not safe for us here. It’s not safe for anyone."

Maria slapped Lidia in the face. Lidia held her cheek and looked at Maria in shock.

"Shut the hell up and tell me what happened already!! Why are you acting so... creepy?! Snap out of it, mom!"

Lidia’s eyes widened for a moment before taking a deep breath.

"I got stuck in a time loop. The queen put me in charge of looking for broken enchantments around the walls, but I got stuck here instead. It felt like every ten seconds the loop would be reset, and I would be brought back to the start of the hallway. However, my memories persisted through every loop I did... but so did the guards. They ruthlessly killed me hundreds of thousands of times, but every time they did, I was brought back at the start of the loop."

Maria held her stomach, trying not to vomit.

"I killed them thousands of times too, but it was difficult each and every time. The only way I was able to escape was to destroy a strange shimmering crystal I found in the room at the end of the hall. I could’ve escaped earlier, but I wanted the guards to die as gruesomely as possible before I left. I lost count of how many loops I did, but it felt like I was in there for dozens of days. I..."

Lidia looked at her bloodied hands.

"... don’t know who I am anymore. It’s strange. I should feel regret; I should feel guilt for wanting to kill those two guards so badly in such a horrid manner. Yet, I am happy. In fact, I am ecstatic that they are gone and their bodies are beyond recognizable. Those hours of anguish, those days of torment, being killed thousands of times... can someone really be the same person after going through that? Wouldn’t anyone be happy to see their captors in such a state? Part of me hopes so...But I am not your mom anymore. I am... a monster."

Maria looked at her mom with a bitter smile.

"All that matters is that you’re free. I don’t know how to feel hearing my mom being killed thousands of times, but for being dead, you sure do seem pretty alive to me."

A small chuckle escaped Lidia’s lips. She looked at the gruesome bodies of the guards one last time.

"Monster... maybe all of us have something like that residing in us, waiting to come out at the perfect moment. But if being a monster meant seeing you one last time, I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. I am not sorry for what I’ve done."

Maria embraced her mom. Squabee got on the other side of her to join the hug.

After three moments, Maria let her go and offered a hand up.

"I’m sorry to make move some more, but there’s one last thing I need you to do for me today. Do you think you’ll be up for it?"

Lidia grasped Maria’s hand and stood tall. Her hand stung with pain as Maria pulled her up.

"What is it?"

"It’s Slimo. His hair turned white and he ran off somewhere. We need you to bring him back."

Lidia sighed.

"Tell me where he went."