This Is What It's Like To Be Lovers [ON HOLD]

4: Tread The Water, Child

• rises the moon by Liana Flores •

Jade quietly led the Princess and her Maester through the dark and eerily silent corridors of the Eiran palace. In front of the master quarters, they parted ways. Jade took Larimar towards the courtyard, to her Aunt Sillia, and Carnel promised to get the Empress and explain everything to her.

Soon, Larimar would regret not waiting to see her mother.

"Can I ask you something, Queen Jade?" Lari spoke as they halted at a corner. Although it was only the Queen's second time walking through the castle, she had already memorized the routes and was only being wary of getting ambushed.

"Jade," she replied, breathy. "Just Jade's fine."

Lari nodded. "Jade, umm... are you sure you trust Aunt Sillia?"

"She's the Chief of my army. I trust her with my life. Why?"

"She is a werewolf in pup's clothing. I don't know about you, but I'd find someone who betrayed their family, hard to trust."

Jade stopped again, at another corner before she spoke.

"I'm sure betraying that asshole did not feel like anything at all. Pardon my harsh words, but the fact that you agreed to come with me tells that you and I hold similar opinions about the Emperor. And that you'd rather side with a stranger than your father any day."

Larimar spoke no more. They were close to the gate now, and she felt her lungs almost collapse in on themselves. Not from running. From the anticipation of what she might see in the courtyard.

She had no love for her father; she knew she'd feel no remorse if he was gone. But for it to be so sudden, for it to be Queen Jade leading her to the scene.

The calico tore Larimar out of her thoughts. Purring and thrashing in her arms, trying to escape. Or warn.

"Something's wrong," Lari translated for her. "Missy is not one to cause a ruckus. Come this way, please."

She let her cat down and pulled away from the direction of the main entrance and towards a balcony that faced the courtyard. Jade followed.

There were dozens of people in the courtyard, not one dead. The Queen could tell them apart by face, by voice. She had picked them out before they set out for Eira, and had watched most of them die at the hands of foreign troopers in that very courtyard.

But their cheers were very much alive now. And they weren't cheering for her.

The environment seemed rather gleeful. Not even the nostalgia of war remained.

Jade heard two people talking, giving a coordinated speech. Larimar was quick to find an opening and pulled her towards it to be able to better observe the ongoings.

"What the fuck?" That was all that came out of the Queen's mouth when she realized the trap she had set her feet in.

Sillia and Laz were shoulder to shoulder, one arm around each other as if neither had ever betrayed or held a blade at the other's throat. The onlookers were roaring with cheers, their blades back in their sheaths, spears set aside, fists in the air. When the holler died, Laz resumed his speech.

"My sister has avenged my pride," he bellowed and Jade gasped.

"And Jahima is yours again, brother." Sillia echoed.

"And I'll make you the warden now."

"You humble me, brother," Sillia replied, pulling away from his embrace, and bending her knee. "I vow my sword to you."