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― a queen's duty
AGONIZING SILENCE. It's an unfortunate thing Elodie has gotten used to; the air thick with unsaid words and the flipping of papers an unwelcome intruder. The woman does not dare to shake her right leg which has been subject to numbness from the tight heels she must wear nor does she swallow to rid herself of the dryness plaguing her mouth. Instead, her dark eyes watch the man before her read tiny letters and write down orders — her husband. That's also something she has grown used to. The sharp word she once spits like it was venom on her tongue has settled to an ever-sizzling resentment she tip-toes around. Looking at him, you would not know that behind his murky green eyes holds a mind filled with a thousand vile thoughts, of the nights Elodie was forced to wash his rough hands of the blood he has shed while his brutal mouth spills out a heartless laugh of what mistake an unfortunate victim committed to deserve being maimed or cut down, and that on his black head of hair sat an extravagant silver crown that displayed his power over everyone else in the land. Husband, Elodie thinks with an expressionless face, dutifully awaiting for him to speak, how you have ensnared me so. The quill in his hand drops as he pushes away from the desk, the wooden chair sliding across the tile with an annoying grate that makes the woman cringe. His fingers drum on the smooth surface with a rhythm that can't help but feel like a warning. "My wife," the forceful yet silvery voice of the Unseelie King rings out, causing Elodie to straighten her stance, "I have called upon you to reminisce."
"I would be delighted to, dear," the woman says with a pleasant smile, clasping her hands behind her to hide the tightening of them at how unnatural she sounds.
The man maneuvers around the desk, his piercing eyes never leaving her as he does so, "When we wed those many moons ago and I took you in — a Wild born girl thinly masked as a princess — I was promised that it would be beneficial to me, was I not?" Elodie begins to respond but is cut off. Uncertain eyes watch as the man moves forward, his purposeful steps making the heavy boots on his feet thud with each step. "Yet, I can't help but feel that all that stands in front of me is a worthless Queen." His large hand grabs Elodie's face and roughly pulls, making her stumble toward him unwittingly. His face stands inches away as he whispers menacingly, "Am I to believe I have wasted my precious time on nothing but a deceitful woman unable to bear me an heir?"
Elodie's brown eyes widen as his fingers dig into her smooth skin. She can do nothing but grip his arm firmly and stare into the hate swirling in his pupils. "P-Please! You know as well as I do that it is not an easy task," she swallows, hoping his hold does not lower to her neck, "especially when your obligations have held you away from the marriage bed."
The king pauses in his actions. A tense moment of indecision passes that allows Elodie to conjure another possible excuse that wouldn't anger him even more. Suddenly his fingers uncurl from her person and rest gently on her cheek. His eyes wander her face as he hums in thought, "Yes, perhaps you are right." Her husband abruptly snatches his hand back and turns to hunch over the desk, staring at the pile of papers he has yet to read and sign. Eloide takes the moment to release a quiet sigh of relief. She smooths down her light pink dress and makes sure that not a strand of her curly hair has fallen out of her usual high updo. When the male in front of her sends the contents of his desk flying off in a flutter of papers, she watches him curiously. He turns, a glee-filled grin now etched into his cheeks that makes Elodie swallow nervously. "As of now, I am putting a hold on everything. My time will be devoted to you only, so we may engage in producing a future for this Kingdom!" He glides towards her now, cradling the same face he once thought of harming, and murmurs into his wife's ear, "Prepare yourself, my wife, for these days we spend together will be nothing like you've ever experienced."
