Emilia comes to the wall, but the beasts are already in line waiting to attack. Borden paces in front of the group howling. Emilia would give anything to understand the sounds beasts make again, but all she can hear are growls and grunts.
Emilia weaves her way through the trees keeping hidden. Surely the beasts have already picked up Emilia’s scent, but hopefully they’ll assume that Emilia is still a beast. She makes her way around the circular wall until she can no longer see the beasts then comes to a ladder built into the wall. She climbs.
Emilia drops down to the other side of the wall. The houses and apartment buildings surrounding her are run down. She runs through the street of her old neighborhood. The trash rolls towards her feet, but she runs with determination.
At the entry gate, Emilia waits until the guard turns his back to her then slips to the other side behind an elderly woman. She rushes past the crowd of people late for work and walks onto the grounds with the other servants.
Everyone runs around spraying the garden with water and making all the flowers look extra pretty. Emilia slips through the kitchen where the cooks knock into each other. Flour sprays the air when two young women run into each other falling to the floor.
“Get food to the table. Everything must be ready before the King wakes.” The head cook shouts. Emilia rushes up the stairs and to the throne room.
The King’s voice greets Emilia instilling fear in her heart, but she was a beast and survived. Emilia survived two challenges and a massacre; she can do this. She was her own monster, and the king is nothing compared to that. Emilia pushes open the servant’s door to the throne room as the king orders the servants around.
“The beasts are lining up at my walls. Why are the archers not shooting them down?” The king asks condescendingly.
“The archers were put in place as soon as possible.” The general says.
“We should’ve known before the beasts showed up. One small error can end us all. Is the army ready?”
“Your majesty!” Emilia forces out a scratchy voice. The king looks to Emilia who bows shakily unsure of where to place her foot without moving it too far from her body. She bows one, two, three, four, times.
“What is it, girl?” The king interrupts her sloppy bows.
“We are treating the beasts like destructive animals.”
“Because they are.”
“Forgive me your—Kingliness—but the beasts are just humans turning into beasts because they are in a bad head space.”
“You’re an idiot! Get out!” The King waves Emilia off turning his back to her as a couple of royal guards grab her arms attempting to drag her out. Though Emilia’s muscles are sore, she uses her strength to slow down the guards.
“I was a beast. I was the one your son tried to save.” Emilia’s words stop the king. He slowly turns around with rage in his eyes.
“You’re the one he tried to save? The one who tried to kill him?” The king asks through clenched teeth. “Take her to the dungeons. Find out where my son is.”
“He’s a beast! He’s planning to attack the city!” Emilia yells, “Your majesty, the beasts are still human. They’re just depressed. Your son—” Whack! The king’s hand stings Emilia’s cheek. She cups her cheek looking up at the king with teary eyes.
“Take her to the dungeons!” The king says with a not-another-question-me tone of voice. One guard tosses Emilia over his shoulder and carries her out.
“The beasts just need hugs from someone who loves them!” Emilia yells behind her, “Do you even know how to love? How to be kind? Soft? Perhaps that’s why Victor was easily changed!”
Emilia fights the guard, but he has a strong grip on her. Emilia takes in air then bits the guard’s shoulder. He screams falling to the floor releasing her.