The Queen Must Remember

Part 12: The Queen is confused, the skull is dying

Orpheus woke up with a splitting headache.
His shoulder and side were bandaged well enough... He felt so tired... He was parched and starving.

He sat up against the cave wall, groaning. The female was awake, tending to the fire,

"Good morning." She said.

He winced, blinking slowly.
The female sighed, clicking her tongue, "Silent then... I don't blame you, you had quite a day yesterday didn't you?"

He blinked again, letting his weary eyes adjust to his environment. They were in Silence a while before the female sat beside him with a huff,

"I'm Neeve, the big lad over there is Alastair and the blond bastard is Luca."

Orpheus groaned, looking at the sleeping faerie. Neeve helped him sit up properly, "What happened to you? What happened to the queen?"

He winced, blinking slowly again, "She's safe... She regained her throne..."

Neeve smiled, but it didn't live long as she analysed his bandages, "And you? What happened to you?"

Orpheus fought to keep his eyes from welling up, "They wanted... They wanted to put me back--I can't go back, I can't..."

She shushed him slowly, calming him, "It's alright, you're with us now, the castle's far away!"

Orpheus nodded faintly, bleary eyes darting across the cave.
Neeve sighed, "Without better treatment, you're not going to last... We're taking you somewhere, you'll be safe."

He grunted, pain rocketing through his side and shoulder. "Where?"

She gave him a smile, "You'll see."

**

Arryn had stayed with her as she cried in a lavish bedroom. She had sobbed so heavily, guilt and anger grieving her. Why had she agreed to trapping him back in Eos...

Arryn stroked her head tenderly, "It's not your fault, he should trust you, you're our queen, our saviour."

She nodded, "He was scared--"

Arryn shushed her, "He forced us to the point of violence, we could have treated him for his wounds if he'd stayed; but he didn't. He practically killed himself. Selfish to leave you."

Rhae sniffled sadly, "Selfish?"

The forest Fae nodded, "This is about you, not him, you're thinking too much about a measly Ionos-fae! They're worthless! You are a white-haired Faerie Queen! Tell me, who's more important."

Rhae looked up at him, hesitating, "Me?"

"Precisely, now...get used to the castle, this is your deserving home."

Hesitantly, she gave him a weak smile, Arryn brushed her cheek with his clever fingers before rising, "get settled, I'll fix everything in the ballroom."
Her smile felt more relieved as the Fae slipped away, releasing stress from her by taking the blows of diminishing chores. She was scared, of course, utterly petrified. She was queen.
A Queen.

**

The heavy cloak weighed him down in their trek. Orpheus's arm was hooked over Luca's shoulder as they walked, his skull-like face hidden by the droopy hood. His feet ached and his wounds screamed silently, his head was limp and eyes closed to rest as Luca guided him as a crutch. They were to pass through a village soon, so they kept his outlawed face hidden. Orpheus's condition forced them to take many rests, and they were too close to the village to stop now.
The female, Neeve, stopped to ask Luca, "How is he?"
Luca raised the hood a little to reveal Orpheus's weary face, he grimaced at the touch. Luca sighed, "He's hanging on by a few threads, aren't ya, Orpheus?"
Orpheus groaned in answer, dizzy. They continued walking, fatigue trailing Orpheus faster than his magic.