The Skeleton Queen

Truth

Bumva approaches the gate that's supposed to have a flaring black insignia. Nothing happened though which makes her emerald eyes squint. She takes in a whiff and not even a foul stench entered her nostrils.

A thought races into her mind. She stops the corners of her mouth from curling up. What if Garth, William, and the Skeleton Queen all died during their fight?

She tries to shake that thought out of her head as she enters the kingdom. The open doors and windows make her grip the hilt of her weapon. Her ears try to pick up any strange sounds that would alert her. Her heart races and pounds louder than a drum.

She takes a deep breath in. A deep breath out. The thought of seeing that handsome bard alive and well keeps her steady.

Craters, cracks, and burn marks disturb her thought process. No bodies of the undead are present. She hurries along as she decides to go to the castle. She keeps her heavy breathing down in case she has to fight.

The emerald warrior comes across the burnt corpse of the knight laid against the wall in the throne room. A large crater is near the middle of the spacious room with broken pieces of metal armor nearby. She inspects a hole in the floor to find hair. She smells it and stops herself from gasping out loud. She fights her eyes from flooding her face.

He's alive. His body isn't here, she argues with the fear building up inside her. She holds her dual bladed axe above her head. If she has to kill, she can end it with one swing. Veins strike against her forearms and biceps as she walks into an open corridor to the side.

She finds a wooden door in the corner. She silences her heart from giving away her presence. She slowly opens the door...Nobody is in the room. Just a made bed and a chest in the corner. She exhales through her nostrils.

Be calm. He should be alive. If he is, I will kidnap him into marriage, she thinks with optimism.

"Ewww, this is so gross!"

That voice echoes down the corridor to the orc's location. She knows that wasn't William's voice. But it can't be the queen based on what she had heard. There's no ounce of malice in that voice.

Who is she? while she sneaks down the hallway.

"Don't be such a baby. Dark chocolate is amazing."

"Good thing that you like caramel."

"Oh, I absolutely do."

Her heart leaps with joy that William is alive. She smiles from ear to ear in relief. She goes to sheathe her weapon, but a tip from her father stops her.

"A mage can use illusion magic as a trap. So will the necromancer you will face."

She holds the axe to her side for a quick thrust if needed. She hopes that it isn't an illusion. More laughter and sounds come from the room.

"I love you, Will."

"I love-"

The abrupt silence makes Bumva stop in her tracks.

"Bumva, is that you?"

"W-William? Are you alive?"

"I am. I will be right out."

His voice settles her nerves, but she senses something was off. "Who is that with you?"

The door opens slowly and Bumva sees a hand resting on the frame. William groggily exits the room. Her jaw drops from seeing him alive and well. He hears her exhale and looks in her direction.

"Hello, Bumva the Beau-"

She cuts him off as she rushes in to embrace him tightly. She places him back down on the floor with hands covering his cheeks. He moves his hands to keep her hands in that spot.