Tears of the moon

Reina breathed deeply. Her vision came into focus when the light from the torch hit her face. She whinced and wrinkled her nose.

Rena reached up a hand to sweep the bangs away from her sweaty forehead. She leaned back in her heavy wooden chair. "Not again." She then leaned forward wrapping her hands into fists and slamming them into her desk multiple times. "No, no, no." Her eyes wide and sinister. A humorless laugh fell from her lips. "I always come back when I die."

"No more," she swore. Reina stood, her long red dress sweep against the floor. Her feet moved rapidly toward the door. She yanked it open and ran down the hall. 

A female knight noticed the empress's strange actions. "Her Majesty, is there an issue?" The knight checked in the empress's office only to find nothing. She darted after the empress. 

Reina ran to a set of spiral stone steps. she rushed knowing that the highest point in the castle was the tower overlooking the ocean. 

"Your majesty!" The female knight exclaimed. 

Reina turned around. She studied the knight, unimpressed, she crossed her arms. "What is so urgent you have to stop me from my doom, Lillian?"

"You- You know my name," the female knight stuttered.

Reina leaned against a grey stone wall. "You are the emperor's future bride. Rather you believe me or not, really is not my concern. Now, leave me alone," She shouted sternly.

Lillian's eyes widened. Her jaw loosened." I would never dare think of such a thing. "

Reina huffed, "Rather or not you think it, you naive child, it happens in every future, I get tossed aside for you." She studied Lillian's face and frame. Reina left the stone wall and wandered over to the other woman. She reached out her hand and tugged gently on Lillian's long lilac-colored hair. " I have always liked your hair and your beautiful pink eyes. It's a shame you get caught in his web. For a time I was envious of you for having his love." Reina's eyes grew soft and her voice became hollow. She kissed the ends of Lillian's hair. "Then one day I realized there was nothing to love, but a cruel shell." Reina tucked Lillian's hair behind her ear. 

"Empress if you don't mind me saying you are the only reason I became a knight. When you were younger, I saw you take on a group of men without breaking a sweat. It was then that I realized I wanted to be like you." Lillian shyly looked down. Her left arm moved around her right elbow crease. 

Reina Turned around to face the tower stairs once more. She snorted, "No you do not want to be me. I am the weakest of them all." She then ran up the stairs leaving behind a very confused Lillian.

Lillian felt a sudden on set pain in her head. She trembled raising a hand to clench her head. An etheral female voice echoed in her mind in a commanding. "Remember, Remember." Lillian collapsed to her knees and time around her froze. Her vision returned to normal. Her breathing escalated into short puffs.

Pocket watches appeared in thin air surrounding the area, all of them ticking. Amid the watches, a woman appeared dressed in black silk with leather straps going down the flowing dress.

"Who are you," Lillian choked out.

The being tilted her head. "You know my heed. I am Lordia, the Goddess of this place." The voice had a deep strength to it.

"What do you want?" Lillian questioned as she got to her knees.

"For you and them to remember. What you do is your choice, I can only hope for your mercy." Lordia turned and vanished.

"What does that mean!" Lillian yelled. As she screamed a heard of clocks slammed into her knocking her out. When she awoke, time had started again. Lillian groaned. Her eyes narrowed, as she struggled to stand. Once she was up. A sudden thought intruded her mind. The empress planned to harm herself. Lillian despite her struggles, bounded up the stairs at her fastest pace.

As she reached the top, the wind ripped around momentarily blinding her, until she adjusted. When she regained her senses. The empress was standing in the window and jumped. Lillian ran without thinking with one of her arms outstretched. "No," she whispered into the wind.

A quick crackle with a loud pop came before a large blue orb appearing the room. 

Lillian's eyes comically widened and her breathing stilled. The orb popped revealing the empress and a tall thin man cloaked in black and purple. 

Reina pushed the man away and stood screaming. She roared with anger while her hands dug her face creating lines of blood. 

The droplets ran creating a horrifying image. Reina's eyes were wide and untethered. "Why Won't you let me die, "She howled

Lillian's eyes returned to normal upon witnessing the scene. "your majesty, forgive my rudeness, I served the Wrong Person." She rushed over pulling Reina's bloody fingers from her face. 

Reina fought viciously against her. 

Lillian held on tight enough to prohibit action but not enough to harm her. "It's alright my empress. You are no longer alone." 

Reina fell to her knees out of breath. She then collapsed to the ground crying. 

Lillian shot the mage a hard look. "Why did you not intervene?" She quickly looked over to the empress. Who seemed to have calmed down. 

Reina felt blank, the world too much too handle. Her mind aimless. The soul in her body felt shattered. Her heart an empty cracking shell. Reina felt a heaviness overtake. Her eyelids drooped.

The mage sighed. " I was thinking of a way to erase her mind. There is no way I could erase all three hundred and twenty times. One is bound to slip through, or I might even erase this timeline." He folded his arms and gave her a dull look. "I was being indecisive."

Suddenly deep red rose petals pelted their vision and surrounded the empress. A Jester hung from the ceiling. His feet firmly planted on the stone. "Why not transference?"

The mage blinked and glanced up annoyed. "Do you realize how much work that would be? What that would entail?" He sighed and looked downcast. "It might be the only way. What do we do with the mad empress?"

The Jester's white mask with the hollow smile became sinister. He held up a red vile with a golden top. "Why not just pluck her finger on a spindle," he chuckled.

Lillian drew her blade. "I refuse," She snarled. "You will not touch her."

"Tsk, tsk you, poor child." The Jester's voice seemed light and airy but quickly became sinister. The eyes of the mask glowed red. He shoved the vile into a pocket.

"Both of you knock it off," The mage accentuated every word. He pinched the bridge of his nose while glaring at them. 

Lillian sighed heavily, but she put away her blade.

The jester jumped from the ceiling and landed on the petal-covered ground. He gave them a sweeping bow taking off his purple and gold hat. The jester stood replacing his hat. "You may call me Madness, you are Lillian," He pointed toward her. "And that is Cole," He pointed toward the mage. He spread his legs and arms, and then fell backward. "Wee," He shrieked. The petals multiplied around around him.

Lillian twitched Staring at Madness. 

Madness on the other hand decided it was time to continue his angel making.

"Ignore him, he is made of nonsense, bribery, societal displeasures, corruption, and a need for physical affection," Cole stated calmly.

Lillian gave them both a look of distraint. "So this is normal!"

Cole hesitated for a moment, but then replied. "Afraid so."

Lillian sighed as she glanced toward the Empress.

Cole folded his arms and gave her a full look. "He already has her asleep, knowing him." 

"Madness," said Cole.

Madness perked up. "Yeesss," he hissed out. 

Cole gave him a menacing look while shaking his head. "Take Reina to her chambers."

"... I was going to say no, but happy wife is a happy life." He jumped up doing Jazz hands. 

Cole held up the palm of his hand, a small fire ball formed burning a bright orange and red. "Do you care to repeat?" 

Madness darted up scrambling toward the empress. He picked her up like a sack of potatoes and slung her over his shoulder. Madness spoke before leaving, "Yeah, we're accidentally married don't get cocky.." 

Lillian's eyes grew large. She drew her blade. "I'm going to kill him."

Cole blew out air. "Trust me you are not the first. he's a conniving punk. Also, she is not as delicate as she seems. The guards are probably going to assume those two went off on a less destructive bender."

Lillian gave him a confused look. She tilted her head. "How do you get accidentally married?"

Cole looked to the ceiling as if he were praying. He rolled his eyes. "It is purely his fault."

Lillian tilted her head. "It's your life."

Cole's face dropped and his mind wondered about the most pressing issue. The amount of memories in three hundred and twenty tries has to be massive. His eyes flickered to the petals. "Is he telling me to use petals?" He bent down to pick one up. Cole brought the petal close to face. A light blue aura surrounded it. "We need all of these petals."

Lillian glanced around. "All of them," She cried in alarm. 

Cole glanced around and with a shrugged he spoke. "If we miss one or two it's okay."

Lillian sighed, "We better collect them then."

Cole stood up, "Not me I have a meeting. "You by yourself. Do not damage them." Cole disappeared the same way he appeared in the orb that crackles.

 Lillian huffed but started her daunting task.