The War Of Crowns | #ONC2023

Chapter 15

The duvet weighed heavy on Leia, much like her racing thoughts. Tears trailed itself over the reddened marks of her slightly swollen cheek.

She had said no. It was the bravest thing she had ever done. Somewhere deep down inside, she found a way to tell her mother no. The slap was sudden and she felt it burn all the way to her heart as she had stared open mouthed at her mother.

"You will listen to me young lady," she had said. The rest was as though her mother were speaking underwater.

Threats.

Her mother had spewed a number of threats. Promising to keep her away from her brothers, whom she had practically raised while her mother was off in the Land of Faeries doing gods know what.

Anger had blazed in Leia then and she was sure her mother had seen it and she braced for another slap.

"It's the only way to truly end this. The faeries will always come looking for trouble." Her mother had warned.

Dakath could control his people. It was what Leia kept telling herself. Yet the faeries at the lake and the creatures she fought in the tavern spurned in her mind. He had had to fight his own people to get her out of the tavern alive. Could his reign be enough to keep the hatred of the faeries who remember the war away from their land?

She tossed in bed, trying her best to drift off to sleep. The room was dark, the moon hidden behind the rainy clouds that matched her mood. She kept waiting for Dakath to slip into her room. She left the window open for him, but nothing came in except the cold wind that chilled the room and left her with ice in her heart as she drowned in fear and loneliness.

Birds chirped periodically but the sound was more like an alarm that made it difficult to sleep. She could run to him. Take another boat from the fishermen on the coast, but that would take too long and the war would remain ongoing and so will her people's suffering.

There was no wrong or right road to travel. She had to choose, but both routes lead to suffering for her. People will win and lose with either choice. How could she secure the health and happiness of her people with her mother on the throne? The question dug its tendrils into her mind, drawing pure darkness. Pure pain.

She felt utterly helpless as she threw the duvet off and slammed the window shut. She started a fire in the hearth, letting the heat warm her face so that her tears would stop feeling like ice daggers scraping at her cheeks.

The small couch in the room was comfortable enough as she settled into it, watching the flames rise, fall and lash at itself in its flickering movement.

It was there that she settled in a restless sleep, clutching her chest as if that would ease the ache of what pained her most.

***

"Oh dear." Ava murmured, causing her to stir and wake. Leia was glad to see her here and unglamoured. 

The light from her open drapes immediately caused a piercing pain through Leia's head as she opened her eyes. She groaned, covering them with her hands. Her fingers lightly touched her swollen eyelids and she groaned again.

"Oh dear." Leia confirmed. "I must look like the living dead."

Ava tisked as she took the blanket from Leia, folding it and setting it aside on the couch. "You have slept through breakfast, Your Highness. I must get you ready for the meeting at the border."

"And mother?" Leia asked, letting Ava lead her to the adjoining bath chamber. The water was already filled and delightfully warm.

"Is in a meeting with the General Hankins," Ava said, passing Leia the soap and taking her leave to fix the room.