Heir to the Throne by Eric Richer
from Seven Deadly Sins: a PUNK NOIR Magazine series
I watch them gear up.
They’ve just shaved their entire bodies, not to leave any trace of DNA in the bank. Their clothes have been sterilized. That’s my role. But I want more. Sometimes you just have to turn fate on its head.
They look like five ninjas now. Time to make my move.
When my father sees me without hair, his eyes radiate anger. My bastard half-brother laughs under his balaclava.
– What the hell, Jenny?!
– I’m coming.
– We won’t go through this again. You are…
– … destined to be forced into marriage with a Reinhartt boy, to strengthen our bond with them. See? I know your schemes, but I’ll never be your docile princess! Take me with you instead!
– No way. Now get…
My blade finds the bastard’s carotid before he has time to defend himself. Three strokes are enough to sever his artery.
– So I’m going to take his place, cause it’s rightfully mine, I say, as my half-brother collapses at my feet. I’m a Bronswoord, Dad, and I’ll stay one!
Then I retrieve the blade and scarify my face, making me the Forever Unmarriable, I, Jenny Emily Bronswoord, the Scarred Queen.
This story appears as part of Seven Deadly Sins, a PUNK NOIR Magazine series, originally published July 2025.
Bio
Eric Richer was born in France in 1971. He grew up with 7 dogs, read a lot, studied cinema, worked in movie theaters as a projectionist and went to Japan. There he made a documentary (Kamo River), came back, returned in the darkness of the projection booths and started writing. His first two novels, La Rouille (The Rust, 2018) and Tiger (2021) were published by L’Ogre Editions. He is currently working hard on the next ones.
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I enjoyed the scarred queen