When the party was over, everyone returned to their homes--- except the princess, who'd followed me all the way to my quarters in the extended wing of the palace.

“Just one more time! Please?”

“I've already done it twice this week, your highness...”

“Well, now, I'm asking you to do it a third time! But it'll be the last time, on all the royal cards I swear!” I stepped into a room of orange, a crystal chandelier dangling above. The curtains draping gracefully over my soft bed, where Mallory sat without worry.

“My goodness...fine, give me your card.” I followed in suit, though my posture and demeanor were far more formal than hers. As she held out her card, the queen of hearts, I pulled out the watch from my pocket to reveal a silver pocket watch with stained glass in the front, opening it I saw a mirror and at the bottom, a tiny clock, pressing down onto it I looked at Mallory’s card before facing back down, the hands on the clock began turning rapidly, stopping when the hour and minute hand hit twelve, then twisting again to land on two and six.

 It always ended the same, although it was abnormally short, to complete a civilian life cycle according to the watch, both hands must reach 12:00, completing a full round; the lives of royalty complete two- sometimes 3 rounds past 12:00. Mallory didn’t even finish one. I admit I have grown curious about it; perhaps it was why I humored her, as if repeating the process would help me understand why her life ended so abruptly. It hasn’t, but I tell her the same thing I always do.

“4 rounds past twelve, it stops at 3:30.” Four rounds was impossible; I just told her that to feel better about myself, for as sinister as she was, she was terribly gullible. She hummed before falling silent.

“Has anyone ever told you that you have a very melancholy face?” My eyes narrowed at her words.

“Get out.”

“Alright, Alright...but don’t forget we have school tomorrow.” She walked out the door, leaving me in my own deafening silence.

I didn’t move for about 30 minutes; I couldn’t. I started to rethink my decision to send Mallory away. I didn’t like her all that much, but on nights like this, I couldn’t stand to be alone and stuck in this room. 

A thought settled its way into my head, although it was forbidden to leave the palace after the night of dealing, I was going to do it anyway; it wasn’t hard. I traced a circle on the marble floor and fell through it instantly. My feet hit grass and leaves as I landed in a foggy forest. I stood still for a moment, taking in the sound of the bellows and hoots of the animals around me, which helped to clear my mind.

I went to where I usually was, a purple river flowed calmly, and although it was purple, it was clear. Dipping my hands in it, I sipped the sweet liquid slowly. The peace only lasted a moment; however, as the events of tonight invaded my mind, I gulped back bile as the sight of that man’s broken body haunted my mind. 

My hands dipped greedily back into the water wishing to splash it on me to wake myself up but a hand emerged from the water, pale and cold, it gripped my wrist firmly, I instantly attempted to tear my hand away but it was no use, the fingers only tighten as if they were trying to pull themselves out of the river, a head peaked out and I recognized it as the man from the dealing celebration, his groans of pain came before all of his face rose from the river which had turned murky brown, soon other groans followed, tortured sobs and screams echoed until the noises of animals were drowned out.

I tugged and tugged, but nothing worked, my white hair being yanked by another hand into the water headfirst, and only a brief shriek was heard until it became muffled. I opened my eyes to pitch black, no sounds of water sloshing or even the tormenting noises from before, but I couldn’t move, and something cut off my air supply; it was terribly cold. Fatigue came faster than usual, and I couldn’t feel my limbs, only heaviness.

Hopelessness.