Dusk 'til dawn
What was once a great city had been turned to rubble and ash over night. A chain of bombardements from all directions, burning with the intent of ruin were launched at the stone buildings, crushing its inhabitants. Some were fortunate to sleep as their souls left. An entire city was caught off-guard, and until the bombardements first landed, mercy decided to leave and woke the citizens to their fate.
The attack was relentless for quite some time. After every building in sight was flattened men swarmed the place sniffing out those who escaped their graves of stone. And while hundreds of men roamed the streets hundreds more flocked into the palace which sat in the city's centre. The palace who's walls had been torn down and was filled with craters still stood. It was conveniently out of range of many of the trebuchets but it didn't appear very gallant as the house of those who were now trapped.
The men entered the King's abode but didn't climb to the man's chambers. The floor became coated in oil, but not before the King's men themselves plucked their provider from his nest and into the arms of their friends on the ground. The guards had conspired and already taken shelter within the palace to ensure the King's demise, selling their homes and family to death.
And whilst the men's actions laced the air with venom, a youthful woman had left the palace and sat outside the city. She watched as the men lit the palace ablaze in festivity, and spread their joy to the rest of the houses and streets. She didn't witness anyone leave the city, including those who were indulging themselves in victory. She walked along towards the unmanned trebuchets and climbed on a stone to large for a man to carry. She stretched out her arms, gave a soft yawn and laid there, asleep.
Once the fires could no longer quench their thirst with oil, and anything burnable had become ash, she allowed light to enter her eyes once more. A morning breeze brushed over her body carrying the smell of charcoal, but another from below her carried a sweet scent into her nose. She climbed off the rock after a stretch and next to her feet on the barren ground blossomed a flower. She plucked it from the soil and pinned it into her hair.
The princess then stared at her old kingdom, and it angered her that its final breath had been the joy of another. She ventured into the city knowing that not even the local rat's would be scurrying anymore.
