Living in a Fairytale (Completed)

chapter 23

"Vahar, guard the mortal. Do not let her see you, hear you, feel your very breathing. Never make your presence be known. Watch over her but do not make any attempt to blow your cover. Kill anyone that wants her in harm's way."

The solider nodded and went off after bobbing a short curtsy. I can't keep an eye on the mortal every single time, so I deployed ten of my best rangers to watch over her. Everyday, the queen holds her court and even if the mortal does nothing but to wander off the castle grounds, there is danger with the chiefs so close to her.

I train and assemble the troops in the break of dawn, and drown myself in gambling and rum in the fall of the evening. I have seen less and less of Kaisen, heard so little from him. Nina told me that he was acting differently, that he stopped speaking with his queen mother and spends most of his time training his little sister.

And then the Adairs have finally taken back Hermanie, causing another havoc between the two families. He's slipping away, I knew that. But the thought brings so much pain that I'd rather loose myself in the comfort of alcohol and coins than brood over it.

I was sparring with the newly recruits when the queen asked for my presence at court. I followed the handmaiden, never bothering to change into a much fitting garb. Wearing a brown loose tunic, leather pants and my usual combat boots, it seemed rather well-fit for an extravagant chair. The sun glared down at the world and basked us with all its warmth. Sweat trickled down my forehead, down to my cheeks and I wiped it in haste, taking two steps at a time.

The throne room was empty, except for the queen and her two little killers, Freya and Fawn Farris. This is why Night seemed more uptight and lost lately, his two sisters are under the queen's mercy. The twins stood in attention, the bright colors of their hair gleaming in the darkness. If they knew me, they gave no sign of it. They just stared deadly ahead, never meeting my gaze.

The queen examined my being with her blue cores, her stare fixed and cold. She sat on the stone throne with much ease, with her fingers tapping on the rigged armrest comfortably. I tired to keep a straight face when I saw the wrinkles on her skin, as if it belonged to an old woman. It was then that I realized that she was not leaning back because she wanted to, but in a effort to rest her body even above the hard pressed stone of the throne. She is getting weaker.

"The time has come. Vengeance, for your kingdom, for your family." Even though she looked frail, her eyes shone with conviction, and her voice boomed through the throne room.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my throat dry and my voice broken.

"When the night envelopes La Belleza, the Adair twins will march towards El Suelo. By noon I will have the mist taken down. I want you to lead our entire strength before they reach El Suelo. I want it in ruins before the Adair troops arrive. By the time they do, they will be facing you, with all our strength behind you. I want you to end this, once and for all."

"What about Hermanie?" The sound of her name sent a chill even to my very ears. The queen looked at me, her eyes cold as ever, never giving away her emotions.

"I suppose that Lennox and Emery will leave her in El He Chizo, she is much important than both of them combined. What happens to the princesa will be none of your concern, for she will be guarded inside their castle walls." She glanced at the twins, nodding once when one caught her gaze.

The one with her hair dyed in green stepped back and retrieved a quiver of arrows, its feathers dipped in red. She gave it to me, and when her hand grazed over mine, a shiver went up to my spine when I felt the coldness of her skin. It looked almost translucent, pale and white.

Madness, I thought, thinking about the things that the queen have done to the both of them. Once, they took Aiken's side by helping their Prince hide his mortal lover in the queen's kingdom. And they paid for their treachery, they are paying still.

"It will not be a short battle. I do not want you to exhaust yourself by using too much of your blood. Freya enchanted the quiver, so that it may never be empty." The queen said, a smile now creeping up her lips. I looked down on the quiver, placing a fingertip on the feather, red and soft. Just like blood.

"Red is not my color." I say, looking up to meet her gaze. My arrows are dyed in black, since my blood arrows are always red. I do not want it to be the same.

Her smile turned into a grin, lips parting to show her full white teeth. "It will be. Red is the colour of the highest royalty. In El Malefico, a queen. When you marry my son, you shall be queen."

I clenched my jaw, my emotions almost overriding my rational thought. I don't need your son for me to be queen. I am the last Thindrel, I am queen. I would have said, if only I had not stopped myself. There is no point in arguing.

I looked at the quiver filled with arrows. My family died because of these humans. How will I ever avenge them if I keep on holding back? How will I begin when I am still chained in the depths of my past? This, this is the only way. The only choice that I will ever have. I cannot disappoint.