{ inklings writing contests } NEW CONTEST

[Tesalong]

Prompt
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2X43XF8247E

The Yellow Mask

Alexandria was exhausted, feeling a familiar kind of weariness seeping straight into the core of her twenty two year old bones. The purple colored dress bit into the skin and sat heavily on her shoulders. Her stiff orange curls smelled like hairspray. The morning light was too bright, the shadows too dark, the arched walls too ominous. She kept a gentle smile plastered onto her face, pretending that she didn't notice the dullness of the world.

Her cheeks hurt.

The soldiers who escorted her family came to a halt, the four men in front going forward to tug at the heavy double doors that separated the hallway from the dining room. The doors were tall, enough so that it would have taken three men standing each other's shoulders to touch the top. Roses, swords, and random designs were carefully carved its dark wood. The horses near the middle, short haired and pretty, seemed to glower down at her. She ignored their stares, holding no curiosity for them. She was too old to be intimidated by sculptures. There were more important things to worry about, other things to fear.

The doors split apart, soft light spilling through, and she stiffened her shoulders. She could feel her mother's chilled hands reach out for her own, her fingers slipping into hers. Alexandria suddenly felt a sharp stab of sadness, taking a steadying breath, mentally preparing for company, flashing a true pained smile for a split second. Her mother was aged, in her fifties and getting weaker and weaker, unable to shake the illness. There seemed to be a bottomless emptiness where her father had once been in their lives, an emptiness which hadn't dissipated after the short year. Alexandria wasn't about to let it show, though. Everything would be okay. Everything was okay. Her country depended on the act. The large golden crown weighed down heavily on her head.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Alexia?" The previous queen's voice quietly rasped. Alexandria could only nod against the small lump in her throat, steady determination rising.

She moved into the room, out of the hallway, faked smile in place, mother at her side, soldiers following behind and filing in. She took in the scene, the rows and rows of lords and ladies in expensive clothing standing at their chairs. Crystal glasses and shiny plates were lined up on the red tablecloth. The room stayed deathly silent as her family of two took their positions at the end of the long table. She could feel the animosity from everyone in the dining hall.

Something didn't feel quite right. But then again, nothing did anymore.

She didn't recognize any of the men or women in the room, other than the royal family of Threll. Who were the other people? Not that it mattered in the slightest. It wouldn't change anything, not truly.

Yesterday she had been given the crown, the title of queen, and her first act would be surrendering the war. The Yellow war, which had been in full swing for twenty five long years. The country would be forfeit, given to the mercy of the enemy, if that was what they actually were. How could countries hate each other? It suddenly seemed like such a foreign concept. One piece of land couldn't dislike another. But she supposed that the Yellow war wasn't about land. It was about people, about humans. An age old trauma and tension that ran deep now between blood. One that everyone thought could only be healed through an age of spilled blood and revenge.

"Good evening, your majesty Eleanor and queen Alexandria." A deep voice said. Alexandria turned her head, meeting the hazel eyes of the King of Threll. "To what do I owe the... pleasure of your company?" He asked, tone laced with sarcasm. It was petty.

She didn't rise to the bait, keeping her voice even and face straight, "You know why I'm here, King Elijah." She replied. He wouldn't have allowed her past the borders if he didn't, let alone into his castle. It appeared he just wanted to feel empowered, to feel like a big man, for once.

"Do I, now?"

"Let's not play games, your majesty."

"Do not start another war, King of Threll." Eleanor advised, tone threatening. Alexandria took a quick glance over. Her mother stood to her left. She was sickly, and her voice quaked a little whenever she spoke, but she still bore her regal dignity, as always. Traces of beauty. Her grey hair was long and braided, her dress the color of a cloudless sky. Her back was straight, pose commanding attention. Alexandria didn't know how she did it. Still, the woman had an unmatched temper.

The king of Threll's expression darkened. He stood from his chair, light eyes dancing with hatred and anger. "Me start a war?! It was your people who began it all!" He declared, nearly shouting the words.

There it was. The true argument, the debate, the single death. Twenty five years ago, King Reginald the fourth of Threll was murdered in her own country of Enerris, assassinated by a man in a yellow mask. Those in Threll became convinced that it had been an act plotted by the royal families of Enerris. It hadn't been, those in Enerris proclaimed. There wasn't even DNA evidence. Just a blurry video of a masked man in a Enerris soldier uniform. Battles were waged regardless.

Nobody could bring up the man in the yellow mask without starting a fist fight.

Alexandria could see her mother move to speak, to shout, but halted her with a motion of the hand. She tried to keep her own voice calm, "It doesn't matter who started it. We'll never get anywhere like this. What matters is that we're ending this." She replied, watching the king's expression closely. The king was a fool, but was he too much a fool to listen? She felt a stab of hot anger, "We're surrendering, your majesty." She spat out.

There was a moment's pause before Elijah responded, "Tck. No spine in you, huh, girl? Must have lost it when we made your moron of a father kick the bucket." He said, and the words felt like a slap to the face. She bit down on her tongue, tasting a tang of blood. Her anger won out, pain and outrage making the edges of her vision soft with unshed tears.

"Fu-!"

Then there were gunshots echoing through the room, interrupting her words, a pain of a different kind biting into her shoulder.

She yelled out in agony, hand flying to her wound as she dived onto the floor. She forced her eyes open again, watching people running, blood spilling on the red tablecloth, the dead men and women who now laid expressionless on the floor. "Mother!" She cried out, words downed out by the noise of everyone else's screaming, the sight of the limp body burning into her mind. The king of Threll was dead as well, but she ignored him.

She was shaken to her core, her limbs struggling to take her to the lifeless form of her mother.

That was when she noticed the yellow masks. The soldiers, or at least the men who had been, were each wearing identical ones. They had planned this. They were traitors, the starters of war. They had killed their king. They weren't Enerris, either. They had killed her mother. What were they? Terrorists? Anarchists?

They were murders.

She felt suddenly ill, stomach churning, bile rising in the back of her throat. The crown fell off of her head, and she stared at the shimmering gold. She couldn't think. Panic and numbing shock consumed her mind.

A hand gently took a hold of it, "I believe this is yours, your majesty." The voice of the hand said. She looked up into an expressionless yellow mask. She could almost hear the woman's grin, "You're going to need it for what we're going to be doing next." She said, giving a mocking bow.

The woman's hand suddenly swung, the butt of her gun colliding with the side of her head. Then the darkness came.

[TheSongOfTheStars]

Cool! What does it have to do with the contest? And what is coming next?

[watermelon.]

Cool! What does it have to do with the contest? And what is coming next?

*there is a seperate contest that started before, so they are the finalists*

As for, what's next- I am not sure yet! If you have any ideas, PM me!!

[shade.]

Cool! What does it have to do with the contest? And what is coming next?

*there is a seperate contest that started before, so they are the finalists*

As for, what's next- I am not sure yet! If you have any ideas, PM me!!

How are we gonna be judged? Or, who is judging our entries? You mentioned a poll?

[watermelon.]

Cool! What does it have to do with the contest? And what is coming next?

*there is a seperate contest that started before, so they are the finalists*

As for, what's next- I am not sure yet! If you have any ideas, PM me!!

How are we gonna be judged? Or, who is judging our entries? You mentioned a poll?

First, I will read and critique them (unless you don't want me to), then I'll let the people vote with a poll!

[TheSongOfTheStars]

Um... Wait I posted my magazine story... BC I thought we had started that....

[watermelon.]

Um... Wait I posted my magazine story... BC I thought we had started that....

It has started, we just have two contests going

[TheSongOfTheStars]

Oh, ok good I thought I had messed up once again

[watermelon.]

Okay, I decided I won't critique them, because I'm really bad at it:p
I have read them all..
VOTE FOR A WINNER!!

[watermelon.]

Vote vote vote