Tie It With a Ribbon
The Sadist
“Where is he?” Zanzibar screamed, slamming Alexandros against the wall.
“I don’t know what you mean,” he spat, grunting in pain as his head slammed against the cement.
“You know damn well what I mean! What did you do with William?” He did not give Alex a chance to speak before he punched him in the jaw, sending him crashing to the ground.
Alexandros started laughing then, a hysterical, cynical tone in his voice as his body trembled with the sound. He pushed himself into a sitting position, allowing the blood to trickle from his lip. He pushed the back of his hand across his lip, examining the blood.
“Why would I know? I am trapped here, am I not? Or does the little prince not believe in his own army?”
Zanzibar jerked him back up onto his feet, the absolute murderous look in his eyes yet again. He did not dare look to me, and I stood shaking in the corner, trying not to break.
There had been so much blood! I could still see the blood on Zanzibar’s hand as he stared through such horror-struck eyes, and I could still see the blood on the doorknob, in the carpet, on the bed, and all over the walls.
And I could still see the message placed so neatly on his bed:
“What is it like to lose two fathers?”
I looked down at my own hands, which trembled violently under my scrutiny.
“May the gods have so much pleasure condemning you to a fate worse than any pain I could ever bring you!” Zanzibar snapped, shoving him against the wall even still, just begging his nerve to crack before his head did. “Tell me what the fuck you did with him!”
“Alena, look how your lion shakes,” Alexandros mocked, glancing to me with indifference in his gaze. “He is not a good King to let such weakness show to the enemy.”
I did not answer him, because I was still staring at my hands.
“Then again, I suppose you are not a good Queen either; too much of a daddy's girl.”
“Shut your damn mouth!” Zanzibar hissed, and I heard the sickening sound of bones breaking, though I dared not look.
“Make up your mind! Do you want me to speak or not?” he mocked, coughing harshly out of pain.
“You don’t want to toy with me right now,” Zanzibar warned, death filling every inch of his voice. “He had better be alright, or I swear I’ll—!”
“You’ll what, exactly? I’m already on death row! What can you do to me? As far as I care, I’m invincible!” He laughed suddenly, the harsh sound cutting through my trance. “Everyone else, on the other hand, is fair game.”
“Where is my mother, Alex?” I whispered, watching from the other side of the cell. I’m sure desperation was scrawled on my face, but I did not care.
The sadistic amusement vanished. “Poor, sweet Alena,” he murmured, almost sounding genuinely sorry. “You’ve single-handedly caused the destruction of two kingdoms. If you had just announced me, as planned, well… This wouldn’t have happened.”
“Alena, don’t listen to him,” Zanzibar demanded, pushing him aside as he looked to me. “He’s lying.”
“You’re only saying that because your kingdom would have perished! What a selfless soul you are, hmm?” He pulled himself to his feet, not even attempting to strike back at Zanzibar as he stared at me. “Your name will come to be as much of a curse as mine.”
Zanzibar tried to curse at him more, but I shook my head. “If you aren’t going to tell me where my mother is or where William is, you are not worth my time. Zanzibar, I want to find them. He isn’t worth anything.”
I stepped towards the staircase, waiting for him. He glanced to the revolting man, growling at him once last time before following me.
“If you want to find William, you’d better start in the graveyard!” Alexandros called suddenly, fearing losing his audience.
Zanzibar pushed me up the stairs, refusing to let me listen.
“You missed the chance to save him, but Nadia must still have a chance!” he panicked, trying desperately to stop us. “But if you leave now, she’s as good as dead!”
I faltered, trying to look at him, but Zanzibar kept pushing me.
“He is a dead man, Alena. He only wants an audience. We’ll find them,” he promised, glancing one last look to the scum.
“She’ll only blame you later for killing her mother and father!”
“I don’t know what you mean,” he spat, grunting in pain as his head slammed against the cement.
“You know damn well what I mean! What did you do with William?” He did not give Alex a chance to speak before he punched him in the jaw, sending him crashing to the ground.
Alexandros started laughing then, a hysterical, cynical tone in his voice as his body trembled with the sound. He pushed himself into a sitting position, allowing the blood to trickle from his lip. He pushed the back of his hand across his lip, examining the blood.
“Why would I know? I am trapped here, am I not? Or does the little prince not believe in his own army?”
Zanzibar jerked him back up onto his feet, the absolute murderous look in his eyes yet again. He did not dare look to me, and I stood shaking in the corner, trying not to break.
There had been so much blood! I could still see the blood on Zanzibar’s hand as he stared through such horror-struck eyes, and I could still see the blood on the doorknob, in the carpet, on the bed, and all over the walls.
And I could still see the message placed so neatly on his bed:
“What is it like to lose two fathers?”
I looked down at my own hands, which trembled violently under my scrutiny.
“May the gods have so much pleasure condemning you to a fate worse than any pain I could ever bring you!” Zanzibar snapped, shoving him against the wall even still, just begging his nerve to crack before his head did. “Tell me what the fuck you did with him!”
“Alena, look how your lion shakes,” Alexandros mocked, glancing to me with indifference in his gaze. “He is not a good King to let such weakness show to the enemy.”
I did not answer him, because I was still staring at my hands.
“Then again, I suppose you are not a good Queen either; too much of a daddy's girl.”
“Shut your damn mouth!” Zanzibar hissed, and I heard the sickening sound of bones breaking, though I dared not look.
“Make up your mind! Do you want me to speak or not?” he mocked, coughing harshly out of pain.
“You don’t want to toy with me right now,” Zanzibar warned, death filling every inch of his voice. “He had better be alright, or I swear I’ll—!”
“You’ll what, exactly? I’m already on death row! What can you do to me? As far as I care, I’m invincible!” He laughed suddenly, the harsh sound cutting through my trance. “Everyone else, on the other hand, is fair game.”
“Where is my mother, Alex?” I whispered, watching from the other side of the cell. I’m sure desperation was scrawled on my face, but I did not care.
The sadistic amusement vanished. “Poor, sweet Alena,” he murmured, almost sounding genuinely sorry. “You’ve single-handedly caused the destruction of two kingdoms. If you had just announced me, as planned, well… This wouldn’t have happened.”
“Alena, don’t listen to him,” Zanzibar demanded, pushing him aside as he looked to me. “He’s lying.”
“You’re only saying that because your kingdom would have perished! What a selfless soul you are, hmm?” He pulled himself to his feet, not even attempting to strike back at Zanzibar as he stared at me. “Your name will come to be as much of a curse as mine.”
Zanzibar tried to curse at him more, but I shook my head. “If you aren’t going to tell me where my mother is or where William is, you are not worth my time. Zanzibar, I want to find them. He isn’t worth anything.”
I stepped towards the staircase, waiting for him. He glanced to the revolting man, growling at him once last time before following me.
“If you want to find William, you’d better start in the graveyard!” Alexandros called suddenly, fearing losing his audience.
Zanzibar pushed me up the stairs, refusing to let me listen.
“You missed the chance to save him, but Nadia must still have a chance!” he panicked, trying desperately to stop us. “But if you leave now, she’s as good as dead!”
I faltered, trying to look at him, but Zanzibar kept pushing me.
“He is a dead man, Alena. He only wants an audience. We’ll find them,” he promised, glancing one last look to the scum.
“She’ll only blame you later for killing her mother and father!”