Oneida
Established Nation
14 July, 1885
Palacio del Sol, Solis
Perlita clenched her mouth and her eyes widened as she looked over the Bay of Solis. The usual calm and darkness of night was obscured by flumes of smoke and the sounds a screaming city. The water bounced with the reflections of fire along the docks. The screaming was interrupted sporadically by firing of cannons and rifles. A great force grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back into her bedroom.
“Come, my lady!” Cande, one of the palace keepers, yelled “It is not safe for you out there.”
Cande rushed her through the halls. Even the calm of the palace was replaced by the sounds of multiple leather boots stomping on the wooden ground in formation. Then, she heard a loud bang followed by a synchronized row of gunfire – and then screams.
“Your highness,” a soldier appeared “Come with me immediately.”
The three of them ran to a room and locked the door behind them. In the room was three soldiers and Perlita’s sister, Rosenda. The two embraced one another. The happiness of their reunion was short lived as the sounds of breaking glass, gunfire, screams, and running grew louder and closer. Perlita and Rosenda closed their eyes and held one another. They moved behind a desk that soldiers have flipped so it formed a barrier.
It was hard to tell how much time went by, but a large bang came to the wooden doors protecting them from the chaos outside. The soldiers took defensive positions as the bangs grew fiercer. The wood began to break and eventually the doors broke open. Almost instantaneously, the soldiers fired. After a short exchange, Perlita heard a body hit the ground, then another. She couldn’t resist the temptation to open her eyes. She heard three desperate screams of “No!” followed by a slice, then a gargle. Finally, the third body hit the floor.
Perlita heard heavy boots walking closer to the desk. They kept getting closer and closer, until they stopped. In tears, Perlita closed her eyes once more, trying to remain as quiet as possible. A great force kicked the desk away from her and it was met by a scream from Rosenda. Before Perlita could see who stood before her, the butt of a gun hit her.
When Perlita came back to consciousness, she noticed she her hands were bound. She was sitting up against a wall with her siblings. Next to her was her second eldest brother, Arturo. There was a trail of blood running from his hair down his face. Despite that, he had a smile on his face and his blue eyes were as prestine as they ever were. He noticed she was awake and quietly whispered “It’ll be okay, my Perlita.”
Perlita looked in front of her to see a gun pointed at her mother’s face. Without a second thought, she screamed. The scream caught the attention of the man holding the gun. He looked like a middle class man, he had on a long brown coat and a red sash. She had seen the sashes before, but had never really cared to know what they meant. The man put away his gun and walked towards her.
“Ah, Princess Perlita, the bell of Auraria, my how you’ve grown,” he said “My name is Edelmiro Travieso.”
“Don’t you go near her!” Arturo yelled.
Without any hesitation, Travieso raised his pistol and shot the Prince. Perlita would have screamed if it was not for the shock of her brother’s blood having been splattered onto her. Trvieso knelt in front her, pushing the corpse that now leaned on her, to the side. The cries of the Aurarine Queen were heard in the background.
“The rumors say that one of the Calderón sluts has within them a child,” Travieso explained “I see it as high time that new baby princes and princesses became a thing of the past. I’d like you to help me with my dream. Who among you has this child?”
Perlita was silent. For several years the Royal Family was quiet on births as the revolutionaries became more persistent and violent.
“No answer?” Travieso asked, Perlita remained silent “A pity. Kill them all.”
Gunfire rang through as Perlita watched her relatives having their necks cut or shot. She noticed that she remained, and then heard the cocking of a pistol. She looked up to Travieso. He pulled the trigger without remorse. Revolutionaries gathered around him. He turned to face them all.
“Burn the palace. The Free State shall be built upon the ashes of the Crown,” he commanded.
---
The buggy stopped and an elderly man stepped out holding a bundle of cloth in his arms. He stood atop a hill which overlooked Solis. General Urbina stepped out next to the old man and looked back to the city.
“The City burns,” the old man spoke.
The General pointed to the palace, the fires so large they could see it. The old man said no words, only nodded. He looked down at his arms, moving the cloth to reveal a child’s face.
“Without a doubt, the King has been captured,” the General said.
“Yes,” the old man answered “This child is ordained by God. He carries the blood of King Arturo II of House Calderón. He is our future.”
Palacio del Sol, Solis
Perlita clenched her mouth and her eyes widened as she looked over the Bay of Solis. The usual calm and darkness of night was obscured by flumes of smoke and the sounds a screaming city. The water bounced with the reflections of fire along the docks. The screaming was interrupted sporadically by firing of cannons and rifles. A great force grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back into her bedroom.
“Come, my lady!” Cande, one of the palace keepers, yelled “It is not safe for you out there.”
Cande rushed her through the halls. Even the calm of the palace was replaced by the sounds of multiple leather boots stomping on the wooden ground in formation. Then, she heard a loud bang followed by a synchronized row of gunfire – and then screams.
“Your highness,” a soldier appeared “Come with me immediately.”
The three of them ran to a room and locked the door behind them. In the room was three soldiers and Perlita’s sister, Rosenda. The two embraced one another. The happiness of their reunion was short lived as the sounds of breaking glass, gunfire, screams, and running grew louder and closer. Perlita and Rosenda closed their eyes and held one another. They moved behind a desk that soldiers have flipped so it formed a barrier.
It was hard to tell how much time went by, but a large bang came to the wooden doors protecting them from the chaos outside. The soldiers took defensive positions as the bangs grew fiercer. The wood began to break and eventually the doors broke open. Almost instantaneously, the soldiers fired. After a short exchange, Perlita heard a body hit the ground, then another. She couldn’t resist the temptation to open her eyes. She heard three desperate screams of “No!” followed by a slice, then a gargle. Finally, the third body hit the floor.
Perlita heard heavy boots walking closer to the desk. They kept getting closer and closer, until they stopped. In tears, Perlita closed her eyes once more, trying to remain as quiet as possible. A great force kicked the desk away from her and it was met by a scream from Rosenda. Before Perlita could see who stood before her, the butt of a gun hit her.
When Perlita came back to consciousness, she noticed she her hands were bound. She was sitting up against a wall with her siblings. Next to her was her second eldest brother, Arturo. There was a trail of blood running from his hair down his face. Despite that, he had a smile on his face and his blue eyes were as prestine as they ever were. He noticed she was awake and quietly whispered “It’ll be okay, my Perlita.”
Perlita looked in front of her to see a gun pointed at her mother’s face. Without a second thought, she screamed. The scream caught the attention of the man holding the gun. He looked like a middle class man, he had on a long brown coat and a red sash. She had seen the sashes before, but had never really cared to know what they meant. The man put away his gun and walked towards her.
“Ah, Princess Perlita, the bell of Auraria, my how you’ve grown,” he said “My name is Edelmiro Travieso.”
“Don’t you go near her!” Arturo yelled.
Without any hesitation, Travieso raised his pistol and shot the Prince. Perlita would have screamed if it was not for the shock of her brother’s blood having been splattered onto her. Trvieso knelt in front her, pushing the corpse that now leaned on her, to the side. The cries of the Aurarine Queen were heard in the background.
“The rumors say that one of the Calderón sluts has within them a child,” Travieso explained “I see it as high time that new baby princes and princesses became a thing of the past. I’d like you to help me with my dream. Who among you has this child?”
Perlita was silent. For several years the Royal Family was quiet on births as the revolutionaries became more persistent and violent.
“No answer?” Travieso asked, Perlita remained silent “A pity. Kill them all.”
Gunfire rang through as Perlita watched her relatives having their necks cut or shot. She noticed that she remained, and then heard the cocking of a pistol. She looked up to Travieso. He pulled the trigger without remorse. Revolutionaries gathered around him. He turned to face them all.
“Burn the palace. The Free State shall be built upon the ashes of the Crown,” he commanded.
---
The buggy stopped and an elderly man stepped out holding a bundle of cloth in his arms. He stood atop a hill which overlooked Solis. General Urbina stepped out next to the old man and looked back to the city.
“The City burns,” the old man spoke.
The General pointed to the palace, the fires so large they could see it. The old man said no words, only nodded. He looked down at his arms, moving the cloth to reveal a child’s face.
“Without a doubt, the King has been captured,” the General said.
“Yes,” the old man answered “This child is ordained by God. He carries the blood of King Arturo II of House Calderón. He is our future.”