Sun Queen

♛ Thirty-Six ♛

The derealization hits me quicker than it should have. Once the deliriousness of the fever wears off, I try to capture any feeling warmth to remind me of the fever. I never thought I would be begging to be filled with that awful fever, but it made me feel closer to Mal.

Soon enough though, I let my mind wander so I can think. It won't be too long until we've arrived at the Fjerdan border. And I need a plan for when I see Nikolai. Perhaps he can help me escape the Darkling.

As I think, I suddenly feel a stabbing sensation in my chest. The blood pumping to my heart grows slow and thick, and I can hear each pump each in my head. I realize what is happening a second after I slump to the floor. My eyes stayed glued at the door seam as I listen to my heartbeats slow.

The Darkling sent a Coprakali to put me to sleep.

༶•┈┈ ♛ ┈┈•༶

Much time has passed, I'm sure of it. The way I can tell is that every two days I'm pulled out of sleep so someone trickle soup and water down my throat so I don't starve to death. Today though, they didn't put me back to sleep after. They leave me to lie on the bed in the cold darkness, heart hammering.

It means we have arrived at the border.

Through my sleep and forced fed haze, I've been able to put aside my rash anger. It won't get me anywhere. I need to be cunning and in control of my emotions if I am to win the Darkling's game.

I listen to the silence in between my breaths, trying to hear for any sound of docking. But down here is where sound goes to die. I breath in and out, my wrists clinking as my back rises and falls.

Click.

Click.

Click.

Click.

Woosh.

I crane my head over my right shoulder to see a very small sphere of light standing beyond the open door. My heart leaps into my chest and I rise quickly into a kneeling position on the bed. The light enters to room, forming into a young maid girl holding a lamp. She looks terrified, staring at me in the dark, her white, boxy-cut dress shaking with her shoulders.

I hear someone whisper something harshly and an older woman wearing a Tailor's kefta steps inside, followed by two more maids. They all carry a lamp, setting them on the floor to lighten up the room. My eyes widen at the lamps and I soak in the tingly feeling in my hands as my fingers wake up to the presence of light.

The girls' arms are full of bundles and baskets, and I'm not surprised to see brushes, ribbons, and Tailor's paints inside. The Tailor woman approaches me, her spindly, spider-like hands holding a key.

I realize it's for my cuffs and I stay frozen as she comes around behind me to unlock them. Once the shackles pop off, I bring my arms to cradle at my chest. My shoulders are creaking in stiff pain and the circles around my wrists look deeper than expected.

"Follow me." The Tailor motions to me and I do as she says, glad to walk out of the prison.

We follow back up the stairs, but branch off to a deck one below the surface. The maids flock around my sides like ducklings as we follow the Tailor. I try to catch their eyes, but the girls' gazes are like rabbits, constantly sprinting away. I'm aware of how I must look and smell, my hair sticking up where it shouldn't and the stench of sweat, shadows, and tears clinging to me.

It's why I'm relieved to find a bathing room behind the door the Tailor opens for me. It's unlike the Darkling's. Simple, lighter stone and wood, holding three oval baths, and the whole room adorned in white, thin curtains. The maid girls set their bundles to the floor and start to unbutton my kefta. I have to mentally restrain myself. I will never be used to people undressing, dressing, and bathing me.

I let them peel away my clothing and accept their hands to step into the closest tub. The scents inside are very spring like, vanilla, sugar, and blue violets all swirling around. The girls start to wash me, my hair turning from a dull grey to a fresh, clean white. When I step out, there is a noticeable amount of grime left at the bottom of the tub.

I'm wrapped in a thick bathrobe and turned to face the Tailor, her baskets of paint at the ready. As the girls pick through piles of dark clothes, the Tailor sets to work. First she freshens up my eyes, removing the eye bags and blowing something into my eyes that make them almost hazel like. She dots freckles across my tan skin, filling in my dark eyebrows, and spraying my hair with the sweet scents from the bath.

As pleasant as it feels to be scrubbed free, I can't help feeling a little impatient. I even wave away the maids after they dress me in a flowy black tunic and pants and I take the kefta they offer. It a light gold and has stars of black thread all over.

Gold and black, he never does change does he.

Suddenly there's a knock at the door, I can have no doubt who it is. A mask of calm falls over my face and I start to button my kefta as one of the maids opens the door.

The Darkling shares the same nonchalant mask. But with one look, the Tailor and maids are scurrying out. I raise an eyebrow as he closes the door and steps in, my heart fluttering at the sight of his ungloved hands.

"You look lovely." His tone is soft enough that I know he means it.

"Thank you." I respond stiffly, finishing up the last button.

He reaches for a wavy lock of my hair and I freeze as he pulls it up to his nose. "Did you know I picked out the scents?"

I shake my head slightly to remove my hair from his grasp and stare up at him coldly, voice alight with sarcasm. "No, excellent choice."

"Don't be like that." He blinks, remembering what he did to me. "I was only trying to protect you."

"Are we at the border yet? I assumed so." I try not to sound too venomous.

The Darkling doesn't tense from my curt change of conversation. "Yes, we are. It's what I'm here to talk to you about. We dock in ten minutes. King Nikolai has drawn a crowd to the docks to watch the Second Army arrive. I thought that along with our stunning presence, we could give him a little show."

I was staring intently at my kefta, but I look back at the word show. "What do you mean?"

The Darkling moves around me, his hands waving dramatically in the air. "I create some shadows, you break them. I create some nichevo'ya, you destroy them with the Cut. All simple stuff really."

I swivel on my feet so I can face him. "Nichevo'ya? Can you even create anymore?"

The Darkling looks back at me sharply.

"I've heard about your army." I drive the word in. "You should be dead from all that."

"But I'm not." He says infuriatingly calm.

"And how did you survive?" The words just start coming out of my mouth. When the Darkling looks almost scoffing at me, I add. "If you want a compliant Sun Summoner to do your little show, you will answer my questions."

The Darkling looks down at his feet, then at one of the baskets to his left. "Alright, Alina, you have yourself a deal."

"But," he adds and I twitch with nervousness at that word. I watch him bend down to the basket and pull out what might have made me slap him if I didn't have a deal to uphold.

It was supposed to be headdress, but it looked more like a crown. Made with twisting spires of gold, the head piece held a light quartz and black quartz bejeweled eclipse at its center, shooting out rays of light, sheeny gold. And in his other hand held a necklace depicting a rather twisted and sharp gold sun.

The Darkling leers back at me, tauntingly holding the jewelry. He wants to see if I'll accept his offer and let him dress me up like his little doll.

I smile as wickedly as I can, "Lovely. I'm in."