She May be Evil

Chapter 22 Queen

"So what's it like?" Cela asks mounted on her horse beside me.

I cock my head as I grab the reigns to pick up the pace. "What's, what like?"

Today is a hot day, I can feel sweat drip down my back and the smell of animals in the air. This whole trip revolves around us on a dirt path and it gets increasingly worse and dark as we head back to my Queendom. I didn't realize how dead my land was until I came to Beluson.

"Asthlim of course." She flips her braid to her back as she keeps pace with my horse.

I sigh. "Why ruin the surprise?" I say to hopefully drop the conversation. I don't really like small talk.

I can tell she's hot too from the way she keeps swiping her forehead periodically and how she has a long sleeve on. Even though it's white and loose. I guess she's used to her hunting trips, packing light and only what you need. She does have a small bag and a pretty cosy looking coat on the side of the horse. I chose not to wear any armor because it was such a hot day, and I don't need it to keep me safe, my combat skills do that. But I keep making the mistake of wearing all black, even if it's just a short sleeve.

Cela is also very earthy. I guess everyone in Kamau's Kingdom like natural colored clothing. She even has a laurel wreath on her head, a bit dramatic for my taste but who am I to talk?

She glances at me before speaking again. "Well yeah but I just want to know what I'm getting into, you know?" She looks at me like she wants me to agree with her.

I don't really hate anybody who doesn't deserve it. And I don't hate Cela, I just want her to stop talking. "Nothing to worry about if that's what you mean. You're a guest, and riding with me nonetheless. So your fine."

She seems to get my hint that I wanna stop talking and we ride the rest of the way in silence.

Well that is until we hear this obnoxious screeching above us. I immediately steel my spine and look up just in time to see a note dropping in my direction and a bird flying away.

"What the fuck is that." Cela says just as the note drops in my open palm. I glance at her to see she has her bow and arrow ready. Good she has reflexes.

The first thing I see is blood on the note. Blood? Why the fuck is there blood on it. My heartbeat begins to quicken and I feel dread crawling in my stomach. I quickly take off the string and unroll it.

The city was attacked.

Come back.

-Kamau

What the fuck.

Is everyone okay?

Is Kamau hurt?

what about the kids.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I can't react like this I need to stay composed and alert.

But Seri. I didn't even comfort her the last time I saw her. I just put her down and made it someone else's problem.

Fuck.

I open my eyes.

"What does it say?" Cela questions while she tried to lean over her horse and my own to read it.

"Dismount your horse." I say to her as I do exactly that.

She looks down at me from her horse confused.

"Did you not hear me? I said get down." I say impatiently.

She slowly gets down from her horse while looking at me weirdly. "Why are we stopping? We're only three hours away from Beluson."

I look down at her and hand her the note.

Her eyes skim the contents then her eyes widen, before she repeats herself but in different tone. "We're three hours away!"

I rub my temples. "I know."

"And there's blood on it!"

"I know." I say a little louder.

I start to grumble and look up to the sky. The list of people knowing my secret just keeps growing.

Cela starts pacing back and fourth frantically scratching her head and talking to herself, mumbling on how we're gonna get there fast enough. Then she stops pacing and looks at me wide eyed before quickly trying to get back on her horse, "we have to leave right now! What are we waiting for."

I walk over to her and pull her off the horse.

"W-what are you doing Queen Circe, we have to go back!" Cela splutters as she falls to the dirt road.

I put my hands on my hips and look at her. "I know. But we're not going on horse and I need you to calm down. We can't go back there to help if your not level headed. Do you understand?" I ask as i give her a hand up.

She hesitantly takes it as she slowly nods. "Yea I can calm down." She tells me but I think she's talking to herself.

I dust her off and then grab her shoulders and slightly bend down so she can look at me.

"Look, I don't know if I can trust you but in this situation I have to. It's ether that or I kill you but I don't want to kill you because you haven't wronged me, yet. There still might be time for that. But I'm going to show you something, it's a way for us to get back to Beluson faster, but you cannot tell anyone, not in your kingdom anyway. Okay?"

She looks at me confused, like she's still processing what I'm saying but she nods her head and gives me a verbal answer, "okay, I got it. I won't tell anyone."

I let go of her but I'm still looking at her, trying to spot any tics she might do when she lies but I don't see any.

I nod again, mostly for myself then I grab the reigns to our horses and tie them to a nearby tree, knowing I'll be back once I check that everything is okay.

I take out what was going to be our food for todays trip and give it to the horses instead.

Cela quirks a brow. "Why are you feeding them our food?"

I pet my horse before glancing at her as I move to her own. "They'll need it more then us."

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Words- 1091

Short chapter but hey I posted.

(Next one will also be a short chapter.)