a few days earlier
A loud banging on the door disturbs the pleasing silence that reigns in the room. The room is large, and almost completely empty. There is a beat-up wooden doll in the corner, and a large bed in the center of the room. The girl lying in it turns around at lightning speed, grabbing her sword. With quick steps, she walks toward the door and pulls it open. A servant stands in front of her room, with big eyes and a white face. Drops of sweat run down his forehead and he looks around fearfully. 'Speak. What is it?' He seems to gather himself, and gestures to the end of the corridor. 'The queen, she wants to see you immediately.'
An unfamiliar light shines under the queen's door, and the girl walks silently behind the servant. The sword swings loosely in her hands, and with each step she takes it taps rhythmically against her thigh. The man remains standing in front of the room where the light flows under the door. The light shines cold and distant. The girl slowly pushes open the door, clutching the sword in her hands. All her senses are on edge.
'Mother?' Her voice rings loudly in the silent room. The door falls shut behind her with a bang. She cannot find the cause of the unfamiliar light, yet it illuminates the entire room. 'Dyses, come forward.' A strange voice sounds from the farthest corner of the room, where the light shines brightest. With large strides, Dyses walks across the room, until she faces the back of her mother's chair. The light is dazzling, and she has to suppress the urge to squeeze her eyes shut. Her mother's chair slowly spins around. Goosebumps jump on Dyses' arms, and she clasps the sword tightly.
'Who are you'? The unknown woman sitting in her mother's chair looks at her thoughtfully. She is the cause of the strange light, it flows from every movement she makes. Dyses refuses to give in to the fear swirling through her body, and walks closer to the woman. 'And where is my mother?' The room seems completely deserted next to the strange woman, but the servant said the queen had been looking for her, so she must be here somewhere.
The woman stands up slowly, walking toward Dyses. Her icy fingers stroke along the girl's cheek. 'You look like your mother.' Every time Dyses tries to get a better look at the woman, the light becomes too bright. It is impossible to see her clearly. The better you try to look at her, the more her face fades. Then the woman suddenly walks away, turning over a second chair. On that chair is her mother, with her back straight, and cold eyes. A cloth is wrapped tightly around the bottom of her face, preventing her from speaking.
'Mom!' calls Dyses, and she walks toward the bound queen. 'If you untie her, I will kill you both,' says the strange woman, and she slumps into a chair. Dyses pauses, looking at the woman in surprise. 'Why would you do that?' A cool smile rests on the stranger's face. 'How well do you know your mother, Dyses?' Refusing to look at the girl, the queen looks out the window. 'Did she ever tell you about how you were created?' Dyses wrinkles her forehead, and sinks onto a small couch. 'Your mother is a thief. She stole something precious from us.' The light in the room has increased. Dyses listens silently with eyes squeezed shut, but the cold light penetrates even behind her eyelids. 'That's why you were born, at the same time as someone else. A boy. Do you have any idea who I'm talking about?' Dyses shakes her head.
What is this woman talking about? About whom is she talking? And she looks anything but human, but she has human characteristics. What kind of creature is she? 'Dyses, you don't know the woman sitting in front of you at all, even though you call her mother. Have you never wondered why no boy your age with black hair walks around this kingdom? Or why people look at her angrily when she walks by? The desire she had to protect you has turned against her. Did you know she is a monster?' Dyses forces her eyes open, to look at the queen.
Traces of tears glisten on her mother's face. She cannot be a monster, she is a queen. 'Who are you, and why have you come here? My mother is not a monster. She cannot be one.' The woman smiles and reduces the light floating through the room. Dyses' eyes have to get used to the sudden darkness. 'Be quiet, then you will get answers.' The girl slides onto the couch as thousands of thoughts run through her mind. Who is this woman, and how does she know her name?
YOU ARE READING
Crown of Blood (English) (Complete)
FantasyIt all started with the fruits of a tree. The Tree of Life. Two queens steal this fruit desperately, hoping to become pregnant. Both receive a child. One boy, and one girl. As punishment, a curse is placed on the children. They become immortal...
