“Sick? Probably. We all are, though, in one way or another.”

She straightened, her face close to Sable’s. Titania was aware of the hotness of her breath and the purple circles signalling fatigue. She was aware of the other girl’s smell and saw the intricacies of her strange eyes. The princess had always had a child-like fascination about the world around her, and found other people particularly fascinating. Especially cadavers. From a young age, her favorite color had always been red and she’d never been squeamish. Originally people though it was just because she was a natural-born medic, but as the years passed, they noticed that nothing could have been farther from the truth. Indeed, her drug was inflicting pain, not alleviating it.

“You know, it’s really rather funny that you would say that. I mean, with a profession like yours, you really must find some solace in some morbid thing too. Otherwise...well… I just don’t understand you. How could such a capable girl such as you,” she turned and stalked away, seeming caught up in her line of rhetorics, “turn to such a depraved lifestyle. Me? Sure. You know how politics is. And politicians. We’re all horrible, horrible people. Some are greedy. Some are adulterers. And some are sadists. But we only do it to survive. Otherwise, who could lead? Saints aren’t shrewd enough. Sages are too shrewd.
“Anyway, I just don’t understand why someone who could have easily escaped unscathed from this life would choose it over a better one. What happened to you? Did you hit your head? Mother drop you perhaps..?”

Her thoughts were interrupted by a small, mouse-like man bursting through the door, looking a mix of confused and afraid, but not due to the princess’ interrogation.

“Pardon me, Your Highness!”

“Get on with it, swine!” Just like that, Titania’s tone switched from affectionate, gentle prodding to aggressive, angry sneering.

“I have just received word that your father died last night in bed. His last will was to make you his successor. Your coronation should take place soon.”

“I see. Well it’s about time the old prune croaked. Go on now. That’s all you had to say, isn’t it?” she growled animalistically.

“Y-yes, Majesty.”

With a bow and a scurry, the man was gone and Titania’s posture changed as she was overtaken with sinister laughter.

“That old man. You would have liked him, I think. You two were similar. Both naive fools, but with good intentions. Well now you know where that gets you, right? Dead. What a pity.”

The soon-to-be-queen turned back to Sable, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.

“Don’t you think it’s a pity that I’m in power and you’re not? Don’t you think it’s a pity that the world isn’t fair? Don’t you think it’s a pity that people like me live and people like you die?”