By: RedReality

She never understood why she hated them.

Why she hated her.

She couldn't understand what was so hard to understand. They were all the same.

Apparently not.

Raliyel watched as she left the room with her lapdog, not turning to look back.

"I'm content with the pickings of the Rhenans," Said Liretta, as they walked, "Are you?"

"Satisfied, yes. I mean, I'm always in second place, anyways. Nobody beats the Queen."

"What I'm not satisfied with, Liretta," She continued, "Is that Raliyel Novisty is still running

amok. She should be dead."

"It's complicated, you know that, Chief Selaeyah."

"I still want her dead. That Rhenan causes too much trouble."

***

The assembly meeting was held as it ordinarily would be. All the assembly members sat in

their seats, discussing - or debating - topics and issues.

"I think I should hold the public Science convention," Announced Selaeyah, "After all, I am

the Chief of the Scientist clan."

"No, you have to continue work on planning Tara's wedding. You're my right hand girl."

Denied the Queen.

Selaeyah grumbled, "But, who will host the convention? It's an annual legacy! I must hold it!"

"No problem," Smiled her highness, "Raliyel can do it."

The girl seemed taken back, but answered, "Uh, yeah. I guess so. I mean, I've seen

Selaeyah do it enough times, I know how it works and what to do."

"Perfect! I knew I could count on you, Raliyel," Saralee cheered, "Now, you all best be off.

Start preparing!"

Selaeyah was not pleased. How could Saralee even think about letting a Rhenan run one of

the most important conventions in the empire!?

It was about time this Rhenan got what she deserved...

***

Raliyel was nervous, she wasn't sure what she was supposed to be like. Being Rhenan, she

knew wasn't exactly liked by the crowd. She just hoped that the crowd was decent enough to

respect her.

Who was she kidding? These were Lessaenites.

She stood at the stage, behind the curtains.

"Relax," Said Saralee, "You'll be fine. If not, they'll have me to deal with."

That was only slightly reassuring.

Her highness was only here for the opening ceremony. Then, Raliyel would have to give a

speech about the latest aurascreen models, and the new Science facilities at the IAYN. After

that, she would have to talk about the attractions at the convention. She'd even have to

introduce some guests. She wasn't sure if she'd keep to that order, but it didn't really matter.

How did Selaeyah manage!?

Raliyel made her way to the audience at a gingerly pace. The crowd clapped at her

appearance, they didn't seem to care very much about the fact that she was Rhenan. Some

seemed confused as to why Selaeyah wasn't here.

"Hello, and welcome to the annual Science Convention of Lessaenes!" She announced, and

the audience once again cheered.

"Unfortunately, Chief Selaeyah is unable to attend this year, as she is occupied

with...preparing for Princess Tara's royal wedding." Raliyel spoke with a hint of unoticable

spite.

She didn't want Tara to marry a rat.

A rat.

"Now, please, welcome her majesty. The Ice Queen Of Lessaenes!"

The audience shrieked joyously, as Saralee elegantly made her way over to Raliyel.

"Thank you, Miss Novisty," Said Saralee, "As Queen of this empire, I want to encourage our

youth to flourish in the field of Science, and public things like this convention are perfect for

this day and age. So, I hereby declare that this convention has began!"

The large crowd yelled, once again. She left, leaving Raliyel to begin her next

announcements.

"Thank you, Queen Saralee. Now, I would like to proudly state that all members of the IAYN

are now entitled to free passes to the national Science institute on the campus grounds.

Education can be further developed, and students can fulfil their true potential!"

A lot of the younger people - who Raliyel assumed were students - shouted in glee at this

news.

"Also, we have Anglos Tarv, the man behind all things Aurascreen! He'll be explaining the

latest models and what they can do."

She felt like some sort of radio or news host. Was she doing okay? She despised public

speaking.

Another applaud as he entered the eye's sight.

"Thank you, Miss Novisty," He repeated the Queen's earlier words, "The new Aurascreen is

roughly thirteen times better than the current model. The new device's camera has been

enhanced. You can zoom better, use more effects and even edit better. The audio quality

has increased, and can also be modified. There are many more features on inbuilt apps and

this aurascreen can even turn into a tablet, laptop, or pocket sized aurascreen!"

The crowd went, "Oooh."

"You can test it out, at the aurascreen stand near the main entrance.

Raliyel sighed in relief, it was coming to an end for her, "That was incredible, Mr Tarv. Be

sure to check it out, people! That's all from me, enjoy your time here, thank you!"

The audience once again applauded, as she left.

They didn't hate her?

***

"She ruined it!" Spat Selaeyah, "She barely even tried to engage the audience! And, one of

the simulators broke! I can't bare to think about the inconvenience. It was the worst year,

ever!"

"Worse than the Science Convention of 2006?" Liretta raised her eyebrows.

"Much worse."

"It was a pathetic attempt," Liretta then agreed, "The Queen made a mistake by choosing

her. The princess' future husband could have done better."

Selaeyah chuckled, "You've just given me an idea..."

"What?"

Selaeyah sat down, "We all know that the peasant doesn't agree with Tara marrying that rat.

She even likes Tara! The Queen would be extremely displeased if she found out that her

dear friend had sabotaged the wedding preparations."

"Oh, I see where you're going..." Nodded Liretta.

"She would be even angrier if she found out that the Rhenan was a part of the dreaded,

disgusting, rebellious Flame."

She continued, "C'mon, we must get to work. It's time to get rid of this unworthy freak."

***

Liretta unlocked the pen that Prince Gray was staying in, and took him out.

"You're about to meet your doom, little rodent."

She placed the rat in her handbag, and trudged out, sassily. She hugged the bag close to

the side of her waist, so that you couldn't notice Prince Gray rattling about.

She made her way back to Selaeyah, to carry out the plan.

"Got it?" Asked the Chief, reading her evil 'to do' list.

Liretta nodded, "What next?"

"We kill it...in her room."

***

"You're killing it, and leaving the evidence in her room?" Questioned Liretta, giving Prince

Gray to a revolted Selaeyah.

She was surprised he didn't have a pungent stench about him.

"That's about right." She told Liretta.

She placed Gray on the floor, as Liretta held him down.

She aurally created an icicle, ready to stab him. With one sharp breath, she aggressively

impaled the poor creature, slicing his skin and savagely digging into his body.

Selaeyah grinned, menacingly.

Psychotically.

The rat shrivelled in its own pool of red wine blood. Gray's eyes lost colour in his sight. Time

slowing, colours turning to grey... Just like his name. The air became black glitter, popping

on his bloody skin. Yet his last few moments felt golden.

Liretta giggled, as Selaeyah pulled out the frozen weapon.

"Filth bleeding filth." Muttered Selaeyah.

"Now, for the finishing touch. Painting with the filth."

Using the icicle, she painted thick lines of blood on Raliyel's bedroom floor.

She painted the Flame signature.

Liretta then grabbed a typical black bin bag, and shoved Gray in, his tail tossing side to side

as she slowly stood up.

"C'mon, our work is almost done."

"Wait." Selaeyah forged Raliyel's signature, and wrote it in Gray's blood on the floor next to

the Flame sign.

She then aurally created a diary. It was in red and black and purple, as those were Raliyel's

favourite colours. It would seem more believable. In it, were statements about life at the

Flame base, and how she was being a double agent.

"Done." She said, leaving the icicle weapon next to the signature, on the floor.

"Wow, you put a lot of effort into all of this!" Chuckled Liretta.

"Well, I do things with efficiency." Replied Selaeyah.

They hurriedly left, and Liretta dropped the bag outside of Raliyel's room. The aroma of dead

rat stained the royal air. They hid behind a corner, patiently waiting for their innocent enemy.

Almost at the same time, Raliyel arrived at her room. She noticed the rotting bag, instantly.

None of the servants were there to take it away, so she would just do it herself.

The target was taking the bait.

Raliyel unsuspectingly walked down towards the public bins.

"What's that smell!?" Asked Saralee, when she passed her.

"I don't know. This was outside of my room, I'm throwing it in the bin." Answered the girl.

"Your majesty!" Screamed Selaeyah, running over, "We have a traitor in the midsts of this

empire!"

"What are you talking about?" Inquired the Queen.

"The Rhenan!" Accused Selaeyah, "I saw her murder the prince!"

"What? When?" Asked Raliyel, eyebrows raised, "How!?"

"I saw you stuff Prince Gray into that bag! You stabbed him, and drained his blood to not

leak in the bag!"

"That's not true!" Denied Raliyel, opening the bin bag to reveal a dead rat.

She screamed, throwing the bag on the floor.

The rat tumbled out of his grave bag, blood seeped through his skin.

"My future son-in-law!" Shrieked Saralee, fuming, "Who did this!?"

"It was Novisty!" Pointed Selaeyah.

"No, it wasn't!" Freaked the Rhenan.

"I can prove it!" Said Selaeyah, showing Saralee something on her aurascreen.

It was security footage of Raliyel forcing Gray's bloody corpse into the bin bag. Then, she

just walked off with it, to dispose of the evidence.

"That's doctored." Raliyel said, bluntly.

"Don't lie." Demanded Selaeyah, although she was the one who was lying.

She had gotten Liretta to disguise herself as Raliyel and aurally recreated the scene, whilst

she changed the footage on the security cameras.

"I'm not!" Replied Raliyel, as Liretta came bounding over.

"I need more proof, Selaeyah." Ordered the Queen.

"Flame! She's a Flame!" Liretta shouted, "I'll prove it. Follow me!"

Raliyel wasn't sure what to think. There was no proof of anything like that. Was there?

Saralee followed Liretta, along with the Rhenan and Selaeyah.

Within a few minutes, they reached Raliyel's quarters. The girl did have her own house, but

sometimes she stayed in the palace to get work done more productively.

Liretta almost broke the door off of its hinges when she aggressively pushed it open,

revealing the crime scene.

Saralee gasped at the sight. The artwork of blood was amazing, but a bit unlike Raliyel. So,

she was skeptic about this.

But her doubts were eliminated when Liretta handed her the diary book and Selaeyah picked

up the murder weapon with a tissue.

"I'll get this analysed, to see if her fingerprints are on it." She said, rudely.

Her highness read the book, eyes welling up more and more as she turned each delicate

page. Raliyel tapped her foot, impatiently.

"This is ridiculous. I'd never join the Flame!"

"Silence, you filthy traitor!" Hushed Selaeyah.

"You're diary has a full confession written in it." Saralee stated, bluntly.

"It's a fake! I don't even have a diary! I'm too busy to write!"

"Raliyel," Sighed the royal, "There's even a poem in here, and you've told me, and only me,

how much you love poems, and that you write them whenever you can."

The poem read:

Like a candlelight,

A burning flare,

Burns at the end,

A streak of hair.

Fragile, cunning,

Silent and stunning,

There is no suspicion,

There will be no submission.

A war on two fronts,

A Flame's heart is always true,

Winning both ways,

An Iceheart's heart is ice and see-through.

To gain trust and to mislead,

To make friends and to deceive,

A cause that is close to me,

An Iceheart I am, but a Flame I will always be.

Pain and suffering,

Fear and dark spells,

The end is coming,

Evil retreat to hell.

Waves crash along the coast,

Ships attacking little boats,

Drowning and alone,

I'm not your friend nor foe.

"I write poems about more heart-warming stuff than that!"

"Because apparently, a flame's heart is always warm!" Selaeyah attempted to quote the

tenth line.

Selaeyah was just lucky that Raliyel liked poetry. She just wrote that in for effect.

"Raliyel, I never thought you'd do this to me." Whispered Saralee.

"What did Prince Gray even ever do to you!?" Cried Liretta.

"Do you seriously believe Selaeyah and her lapdog over me!?" Inquired Raliyel, before

sighing.

"I should've known. You would never trust me."

"If I didn't trust you, you'd be dead already," Replied Saralee, "But, I don't know what to do

with you, anymore. You've always had the Flame flare inside of you, I knew this day would

come. I just didn't expect...this...or for it to be so soon."

"What's the punishment for a Flame, and a traitor?" Questioned Liretta.

"Death." Cackled Selaeyah.

"I'll always remember you, Raliyel Novisty, for what good you have done. But this was

inevitable. We all knew that." Saralee spoke.

The venom in her voice was as icy as her heart...if she had one.

"I have a better idea..." Sneered Selaeyah, "Why don't we put her as part of the Warmatch

games? It'll be fun!"

"That's a marvellous idea, Selaeyah," Smiled Saralee, "That's settled, then!"

Raliyel was sobbing silently, she had been framed. Today was meant to be a normal day,

not the day that introduced her sinister fate.

***

"Happy, now? You finally got what you wanted."

Raliyel was being chucked in prison, waiting for the match, and she was being escorted by

her "favourite" person in the entire empire.

Selaeyah Valior.

"I'm ecstatic!" The woman cheered, "I've been waiting for this day for ages! I went to so

much effort to do this, and it paid off."

Raliyel knew her doom was coming, and she knew couldn't fight back. She'd just have to

fight for her survival. She was probably going to be one of the best fighters out of the

Rhenan bunch. The best fighters would be picked as Saralee's team.

But Raliyel wasn't the best fighting contestant.

She was the best fighting betrayer.

Saralee would never pick her, now. She awlays won. Your fate was sealed if you weren't on

her team.

***

All stood in the arena, awaiting the verdict that would set the course of their unfortunate

lives.

Raliyel squinted upwards at the crowd, all booing at her.

"We have a special contestant, this year!" Announced Lasydra Kay, the host, "Raliyel

Novisty, second in command of the Scientist Clan! She murdered our Prince Gray, like the

Flame she is. Now, she's going to be punished for it..."

Screams of encouragement - not towards Raliyel - filled the air, and people started chanting.

"Punish her! Punish her!"

"As usual, our magnificent Queen gets the first pick." Explained Lasydra.

Saralee gently paced one end to another as she eyed each contestant, only once glancing

over at Raliyel. Would she really pick Raliyel because of her experience, or would she let her

suffer and risk losing?

She pointed to five different Rhenans, and their names were announced.

Those lucky things. Some of these Rhenans were as bad as Selaeyah.

Saralee slowly walked towards where Raliyel stood, but she didn't get her hopes up.

"You." She pointed her finger.

But, it wasn't aimed at Raliyel.

"Ivellast Dweud is the last member of Team Arystenn!" Yelled Lasydra, talking about the girl next to Raliyel.

Raliyel sighed, bowing her head in sadness. Thoughts raced through her, faster than her heart could pump blood.

It wouldn't be pumping anything, soon.

Cassie, Cady, Cascadia... She got lucky.

Raliyel knew that luck was not on her side.

"I'm going to be with mum and dad, soon." She CT'd her brother and sister, Ervyn and Eira.

"I know, I love you." Answered Eira.

"We love you." Added Ervyn.

"Don't forget us, because we won't forget you." Promised Cascadia, and her mother - Raliyel's aunt - joined in,

"You'll always be our hero. The perfect vision of a new world has always shined in your chocolate brown eyes."

A tear slipped down Raliyel's cheek, as Selaeyah chose her team next.

"I choose Raliyel." She told Lasydra, immediately.

Raliyel slowly closed her eyes shut, tightly. Even if she survived, there were no mercy tickets for her, and she knew it.

"There's a heaven somewhere in this vast universe, Selaeyah!" Raliyel screamed, "And none of the people on this planet are going to it!"

Nobody spoke after her outburst. She'd been broken, and she couldn't be mended. But, she was going to be okay, she knew that for sure.

At least Raliyel would be somewhere where evil certainly didn't prevail.

"Long live the Flame..." She whispered, as Selaeyah moved onto choosing the rest of her team.

Saralee stared intensely at Raliyel, "Good luck, Raliyel. Not that you're going to be lucky."

Raliyel ignored her, and yelled her previous message, "Long live the Flame!"

The end