Prologue

Selfish.

That was what she was now.

It had not always been this way but this was the way it would always be. Nothing would ever change that part of her anymore, could ever rip out that dark side and melt the ice in her veins.

She was not born this way. She had been different. Her soul had been kind, almost pure but then she had came along. Her sister. The one that encased her heart in ice and left her in the shadows, such that no one would ever see her, when she was around. 

In the beginning, she would tell herself to accept it and to open her heart. She tried as hard as she could.

She could not do it. It was not just not in her nature, she who had been a pampered, spoilt, single child for 6 moons of her life. So she locked her heart away and poisoned it with hatred and envy. She told herself not to care for anything or anyone. There was only one in her heart and that was herself.

Sometimes, she thought of killing her sister. Slitting the throat of that beautiful, vulnerable creature would be as easy as finding cobwebs in the old rumble of a castle she dwelled in. Bringing an end to the perfect one, the clever, lovelier, kinder, sweeter and better one was always a tantalizing thought. Maybe then, her parents would pay more attention to her. But it was only just a thought. She could not ever bring herself to do it. Each time she gazed into those large blue eyes with their childish innocence, she would feel the ice melt a little. 

It would never have worked anyway.  She would be found out and executed like any other murderer.

But as the ice melted, it thickened too, by day, as more scars were inflicted on her wounded heart by cruel, thoughtless words. She pushed through only by the thought that one day, one day she would surpass her sister. She was the elder one after all. She would be Queen. Her sister would be nothing. 

Then one day, she overheard those fateful words that should never have been uttered and the last of the ice closed over forever.

She will not be the heir. She will not be the Queen. I will choose Andromeda. I know it is tradition that the eldest kit would get the throne but I believe Andromeda would be a better choice.

She knew in that moment that she had been betrayed. Andromeda was not the one she had to kill. The traitors were the very ones she had loved the most. The King and the Queen whom she had always hoped and failed to gain the affections of.

Her parents.

Such cruelty. 

Such brutality. 

But her heart was unable to feel pain anymore. Only hatred. Resentment of the traitors swallowed her. She could do it now. She could kill anyone she wanted. The only thing that mattered to her anymore was the throne. She was the rightful Queen! And she would fight for that right.

She dreaded the day the decision that would institute her sister as the Queen would be announced. However, it never was. Perhaps they were buying time, until Andromeda came of age. The traditional date of her coronation ceremony as the official heir was to come soon though so she knew that she had to act fast before anyone could find out the real will of her parents.

She made her plans. 

It was a simple matter to start a small rift in the North Wing of the palace to summon all the guards away from the Royal Corridor. She just had to bribe a guard to provoke the hot-tempered Cook. With all the guards gone, she went up to her parents' room in the Royal Corridor unbeknownst to anyone. They had not expected her but were pleased to see her. Before, she had almost faltered but their fake glee sickened her. Her selfish desires deepened and she got to work. She excused herself for a moment then spiked their drinks with death berries. 

The toast to their good health proved to be deadly. Within a minute, the King and Queen were writhing on the floor, white foam spilling out of there gaping jaws. There was horror in their eyes and they gazed at their changed daughter.

She only smiled for a brieft moment then narrowed her dark green eyes, snarling, "I was wrong to have hated Sister. Because you're the ones truly responsible for destroying my life! Why couldn't you have loved me as much as Andromeda? In what way was she better than me? And now, you want to take away my throne? You think Andromeda will be a better ruler? I'm every bit as good as Andromeda! And I'll prove it too you! Right now! I'll show you what I will do to anyone who dares stand in my way!"

She ripped out their throats.

She stepped back, blood streaming from her jaws as she stared at the ravaged bodies of her parents. 

She had to leave quickly before the guards could return. She would then go back to her bedroom and pretend  to be asleep.

She swiped her tongue over her muzzle, savouring the blood. She was not cannibalistic but the thick red liquid tasted sweet on her tongue. Maybe that was what they meant by revenge is sweet. She cleansed herself, lapping up every last drop on her. 

She then made her way to the door. Tomorrow, she would do the same. She would kill the guard who she had bribed in case he leaked something and someone may put one and one together. And the day after would be her coronation. She would be pronounced Queen, of course, according to tradition and then it would not matter whether others knew what she did or not. She could do anything she wanted as the Queen.  

Before she left, she turned back and glanced over her gory accomplishment for the last time. Her parents' eyes seemed to bore straight into her accusingly. 

She felt nothing. 

Selfish. That was what she was now.

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Hidden in the the curtains of a window by the Royal Chamber, a pair of blue eyes glimmered in fear as a dark red she-cat watched her sister pad away.