Conflict of Interest

Prompt: I need you to understand something before I kill you.

Source: adammaxwell.com/writers-tools/writing-prompts-generator

Response: Conflict of Interest

I looked at the man at the end of my sword. He was as good as dead already - I could not spare him now, it was too late.

I chewed the inside of my cheek. He looked up at me with his snake eyes and his lightly scaled flesh. He was so beautiful for one of the serpent people, but his beauty could not save him. Nor could our history together.

I hoped he understood - he had to understand. He knew, just like I did, that this battle had to be won by one of our peoples. We had spoken of it on more than one occasion, aknowleging that one day either of us could be killed by each other's subjects. I hoped he remembered those conversations.

I bit my cheek again, so hard it bled. Of course he remembered the conversations, I chastised myself, he knew how important this was just as I did. I opened my mouth - I felt a trickle of blood leave the corner of my lips. "I love you," I whispered.

Then I beheaded him.