Tears rolled down her cheeks.
The night started off just as any night before. The shifting changes of season breaking through as the once cool air slowly began to warm up. Suddenly leaving the resting forms raising in heat in the night, uncomfortably pushing off fabric. Under the moon where one slept and the number of curious eyes and ears dwindle, lie lovers freedom. Free of judgement, and envy. A silent piece of heaven for just two.
It was sharp, the heavy click of metal as it slid across handles of wood. The carved openings shining under the weight of the heavy metal slab but after a few moments... what was once a blockade now opened for him wide. 'Come in' it beckoned and like a good man... he listened. The deep brown of his hues meeting sparkling blues quivering in excitement and fear.
A young French girl with long braided brown hair and a petite frame met him. Her eyes as blue as the sea with small freckles of green, he'd noted on one occasion. His touch to her arm given warmly to calm the girls nerves as he stepped in and closed the door behind him.
As he moved through the blackened hallway, her tiny footsteps briskly in pursuit to keep up with his own, he admired the craftsmanship of the stone walls around him. The occasional designed chiseled into its pieces and the use of foreign styling, but too obvious when it came to hiding the servants passageways. A turn given down one such route behind a large English tapestry as he took the winding path and followed some stairs up. Moving confidently despite the threat of losing oneself in this labyrinth.
Finally as 30 minutes seemed to fly by in tension ridden silence, he approached a room. Its entry way guarded by two heavily armored men he supposed would be drearily passing the time until shift change.
"Stay" he'd command as he took of towards the door. Those steps barely giving way to his approach despite the size of his figure as he charged down the hall. The men realizing a fast approaching figure and quickly reaching for the iron hilts of their blades. The archaic one sped up, he couldn't risk alerting the castle just yet, a quick raise of his hand and a yank earning him the head of one man. His other hand diving into the iron plated chest of the other. Trying to ignore the wet squishy feeling of the man's innards or the slowing beat of the heart in his hands. A quick turn given as he caught the bodies before they fell, looking around for the closest closet to hid them in for now.
Though his nostrils flared at the heavy scent of blood, his stomach tightening and those gums aching, Shin stayed focus. Returning to the door and as quietly as possible opening it.
A woman lie in bed, her chest slowly rising and falling, lashes gently fluttering from dreams. Her arms loosely cradling a young boy, and a large older man to the end. If t weren't for the beating in his ear or the sound of breathing, he'd assume them dead with their stiff unmoving frames. How comfortable in their spoiled naivety could they be to not sense his approach or gaze. How sweet a family... but this family this... man, wrong him.
Shin tapped the male, stirring him from his sleep as gently as he supposed his wife would. Waiting patiently for those eyes to flutter open and blink away sleep. A smile sitting on his lips as he watched the other begin to focus, see him and realize. Those features knotting in confusion and then stretching in fear and before sounds could escape, Shin took his voice box. Those fingers wiggling deeper and deeper into the man's throat as he coughed and choked, grasping Shins arms weakly but still trying something. Anything. In this man's eyes Shin could see a pleasing, one he might have allowed... but in his ear a blood curling scream began to echo. The woman scrambling to get away from him, frantically stretching her arms out for the son who was beginning to come too, and exercising the strength of her voice by screaming again.
In the distance others began to wake, that hand withdrawing from the now deceased. Loudly a bell in the distance began to rang and the sounds of clattering iron grew louder... the castle was awake and alerted to his intrusion... and now they all had to die. Because of this woman. Happily he feasted on her neck and that of her little one. After all if they were all going to die why waste such a well prepared dinner?
Like a hot knife cutting through butter, he made his way room by room. Killing nobles, aristocrats, soldiers. Littering the ground with blood, bodies and filth. Herding the little sheep out into the courtyard and letting nature take its course...
As he stood there like some painting from a deranged mind, high on bliss and with a full belly, words were spoken behind him. Words full of pain and regret.
His little French girl looking upon the scene in fear, and with tears rolling down her cheeks.
He turned to face her, drenched in blood, with blood coating his lips and sighed. Moving towards her despite the harsh flinch and couple steps she took backwards. Catching her before she could tumble over a corpse and peering down at her trembling frame.
"You can't blame me, can you? It was your mistake.."
The kiss he offered was tender, and as the sun rolled up into the sky and passed through the night in a bittersweet goodbye, the ancient left as well. A castle of only one.
