A Hymn of Snakes

THIRTY ONE

     I scheduled a meeting with the Queen the hour after, but she refused my request. So instead I stormed my way into her office, yelling for her attention as I looked down to her desk. Where a marriage license sat on the wood, my brow rose as I asked her what it was for. The Queen set her pen did, I wished I never asked. "I want you to marry my son." I was stuck, we were going to have this conversation right now.

I was at a loss for words as I stumbled over them, "What?" I asked in regards.

She looked me directly in my eye, the door closed between us and everyone else. The Queen's gaze could burn me up if she wanted it too, it was hard to catch onto my breathing. "Isn't this what the both of you have always wanted, I know about your little moments." She started, my mind running a thousand miles per house as I grew worried. She knew Alex and I have kissed, but it was clear she didn't know about his treatment towards me now. "I know you love him." The Queen insisted, I was frozen- my blood running cold as I imagined myself in a white dress walking to my funeral.

My voice stuttered, "I am sorry your majesty but you must be mistaken, I don't love the Prince." I said and there was no lie between my teeth, I no longer loved the Prince and I didn't feel guilty for it.

She stopped me in my tracks, lifting her hand to control the room. I was pissing her off now, "Why do you think I have set you up in my court Delia?" She asked me as I swallowed down my pride, she had given me her last name and I knew it was so then she could use me- but this. This was completely different, "I have given you the power you desire because I have always intended on you marrying my son." She told me.

"You used me." Was all I could say.

The Queen didn't deny it, "It's what is needed to unite and protect my people." She needed to make sure her people were safe but that didn't need to harm me in the mix of it all. Then what she told me after helped me understand everything, "It was Alex's idea, I thought you'd be happier."

That fucking bastard.

Ithe began to slip out of my mind as my shadow flickered against the floor, my entire body was warm with rage. I no longer seemed to care who this woman was, I was never going to be bound to another person again. I wanted to be free, I wanted to have my right to choose. "Your son wants to feed from me. He doesn't love me he lusts over me. Alex wants to drain me, he's obsessed with it." I yelled from the tops of my lungs, rage and all enticing me. Imagines fluttering to my mind as I considered tearing off the Queen's head. "He will kill me." I told her but she didn't seem convinced.

She kept her calm, "I will see to it that he doesn't." Was all she told me, but I didn't believe her. I wasn't safe here, I wasn't safe anywhere.

I was going to die. "You won't be able to stop him if you bind me to him." I explained, but the Queen was just as stubborn than Alex- maybe even more. It reminded me that all of them were the same; Night Court and the Keepers. Using people as chess pieces to bring them to power.

Since I wasn't going to convince the Queen, I needed to convince someone else. I held onto my breath as I turned on my heel, storming form the room as I heard the Queen announce her fixation before the door closed. "This will be for the best." She told me but I was already echoing a spell of death between my teeth, because if any of them stood in my way Ithe and I would cut them down.

So I took my rage to the source and went to find Alex.

Jean and his other guard stood at the door of his rooms, they didn't even attempt to stop me in the moment of my anger. My hand slamming the door back as I saw him sitting in a chair next to the window. He was waiting for me, I laughed as I spoke. "Are you seriously going to marry me?" I asked as his head slowly turned to face me, there was an ounce of amusement on his face that I knew I would slap from his mouth if it grew.