The Atonement of a Writer

30. All the World's a Stage

"Do you really think you succeeded in pulling wool over my eyes?" What should've sounded angry was, instead, sad. Clovis attempted to be angry at her, to hate her--but he couldn't do it. Even now, with all the facts laid out before him, he still loved his sister--or at least, the version of her that she'd displayed to him. He refused to believe that none of it was real.

Arielle and Killian stood right behind Clovis as he finally confronted his sister. Her heart ached for him. They were standing in the ruins of the palace--Colette had staged an attack from another country while they were gone and had used the opportunity to murder her parents in cold blood.

"What do you mean?" Colette's eyes were wide and innocent.

"What else could I mean?" Clovis's voice shook. "I knew about this plan of yours from the start. I gave you chance after chance--but you still went ahead with it. I had hoped against hope you were exactly who I thought you were all these years, not...this." He gestured to Colette's prone form.

Clovis slammed his sword to the ground in grief. "I..was wrong."

"You're right." Colette's stony voice washed over them. She seemed to have given up all pretense. Instead of the cute, innocent look she usually wore around her brother, her eyes were narrowed and too icy for someone with fire powers. Everything from the way she spoke to the way she held herself changed--it was not little Colette who was standing in front of them. It was regal, proud and cold Colette, looking every bit the beautiful sorceress she was. "You were wrong. You are weak, brother. You let your heart make your decisions...and that resulted in your beloved Father and Mother's deaths."

~*~

Colette came across Killian just as he was exiting the room. He looked haggard, like he hadn't slept for days--which was probably true.

"How is she?" She asked quietly, making sure to keep her tone appropriately somber.

"...The same." He paused, and then continued in a low tone. "Father thinks it's all we can do for her for now."

Colette made an appropriately sympathetic noise, and then asked, "...Do you think she'll make it?"

Killian remained silent. Colette took that as a no--which surprised her. She had fully expected him to start insisting naively that she would live no matter what.

She leaned against the wall. "You know, sometimes...I feel sorry for you."

He stiffened. "Why's that?" He asked carefully.

"Even a blind fool can see through your feelings." Colette scrutinized his blank face. "What makes me sad is that even you know--you will not be the person she looks for when she wakes up."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, Your Highness," he said coldly. "If you'll excuse me, I--"

"Why are you running?" Colette kept her tone light, like she was talking about the weather. "No matter how much you run, the truth remains the truth. Unless...you change the truth."

Killian remained silent and stiff so she continued talking. "I know exactly the kind of person you are. Don't worry, though--I won't tell anyone. I promise."

She reached out and touched a strand of his hair. He jerked back as though her mere touch repelled him. She ignored it, and leaned in until their faces were only inches away from each other's. "You can't tell me you've never wondered what it would be like if the others were just...gone. There's no one but you she could turn to...she'd have no choice but to fall in love with you."

Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Even now, he's in there alone with her, isn't he? Who knows...a true love's kiss just might wake her up. And you know what will happen then? The prince and his lover will live happily ever after. That's how the story goes."