The Tyrant's Queen

14: the tales of the twins

The two who had been talking were twins, maybe in their early twenties, or late teens.

As soon as Thalia opened the door, a pair of identical faces stared back at her.

Approximately five seconds of silence, followed a profuse amount of tearful apologies, as the sisters fell to their knees.

Thalia closed the door behind them.

"We know nothing, Your Majesty. We are nothing but ignorant two maids in the palace who heard these terrible rumors, but mean nothing... If you could grant us your mercy..."

The longer Thalia wordlessly watched them, their imploring grew louder and more tear-stricken.

They looked so awfully young. Maybe eighteen, nineteen.

The way they quivered like leaves on nearly barren winter branches, reminded her of how she felt in Lucien's presence. Like she was at complete mercy.

With a single gesture from him, her head could quite literally be removed from her shoulders any moment.

She was tempted to raise them to their feet, to swiftly end their terror- but did not. The longer their fear, the greater their relief would be when it ceased.

There was only little guilt as she watched them take in her silence, faces drained of color.

So this must be getting accustomed to the way of the palace.

Prioritizing one's agenda over another's feelings- and gradually, becoming desensitized to such a process.

Would she survive in the palace long enough to reach the stage Lucien seemed to have- with thoroughly no regard for anything but his own objectives and desires?

"You're right. I have the king wrapped around my finger- or as you put it, around my skirt. There is only one way you can prevent me from returning to the king's chambers and telling him what I heard. No doubt, he will demand to know from whom I've heard such terrible rumors."

"We will do anything, Your Majesty!" One of the twins, with the higher-pitched voice and a longer braid, cried out. "Anything to make up for our great wrongdoing."

"You will become my sources of information in the palace." Such was the wretchedness that dug through one's chest, threatening someone.

Did Lucien feel something for her, ordering for her food to be spiked? "What are your names?"

"Viva here- and Ulla is my sister, Your Majesty. We will do it, Your Majesty. We will find out everything you want to know-"

"First, I want to know what you already know."

Thalia looked around the room. It was a storage room- dimly lit with a weak candle light, packed with cleaning apparels.

The twins had been sitting in the storage room, pieces of bread- those which were cooked from the day's breakfast- in their hands.

A mere few days ago, she'd also been sitting around in storage rooms of inns and kitchens, her meal the leftovers of customers that workers fought tooth and nail over.

With a sigh, Thalia sat on the floor by their sides. The two looked at her, at then the floor with as much horror as Matia would.

"I first want to know about His Majesty before I married him. From birth, up to now."

That was all the prompt Thalia needed to give. Information she'd wanted to know for the past few days, streamed from the sisters eagerly.

The previous king fell in love with a palace maid who'd been in charge of cleaning his chambers.