The Ruler's Rift

Stunted Healing

Celeste stumbled back into the palace, having warped herself and her nervy advisor home. Craving soft fur and snuggles, the queen headed straight for her personal quarters only to be disappointed by Lucy's absence. She hadn't even mentioned that she had a job today.

"Guess I need a shower anyway..." Celeste grumbled to herself, stripping off her soaked regalia and heading into the bathroom. She turned on the water and, for a moment, the warmth flowing down her skin brought her comfort and peace.

Loneliness crept in, however. Without Lucy, the queen swam with only her thoughts. As doubts flourished, her back split open and she shivered when the water touched her bare spine and the eyes of her second face. Lucy didn't return, not during the shower or after. Celeste fought the urge to warp directly to her. She'd hate to invade her girlfriend's privacy, but an endless lust for control taunted and prodded at the demon until she retreated to her office to satiate that desire. If not Lucy, then she'd control those scattered assassins that Amber brought.

A few lit candles later, Celeste schemed in her chamber and weaved her wicked magic into the spell she desired. Though it was difficult to cast upon individuals afar, she managed to dig her will into the minds of the traitorous group. The strategist's mind proved impenetrable, however Celeste doubted someone so meek would speak of her outburst.

Eyes and horns crackling with magic, Celeste strained herself to drive her eight puppets back to Chestorran where they, bent to the queen's every whim, executed the raid as she'd intended. She could control but one at a time, so the process took a while, but it was finished eventually.

Relaxed by the knowledge of Chestorran's pillaging, Celeste rose from her desk and blew out the candles. She returned to her personal quarters, expecting soft fur and sweet paw pads among the regal room. However, there was a substantial lack of Lucy. Despite Celeste's hopes, her girlfriend remained missing when she needed her most. She needed the comfort and support Lucy offered; the escape from her misanthropy.

Standing in the cynicism of her gorgeous, ornate bedroom, Celeste decided she couldn't bear the loneliness - to her throne she went, where a pile of scrolls would be her company. She got started signing them into the evening. She took a break to read an old tome about dragons, one she'd retrieved from the Sages' Archives. Eventually, her guards went off to sleep and she dismissed the next shift. No sentry could cure her loneliness with their silent, toy-soldier-like posture, anyway.

In pure solitude, Celeste signed away even more letters from deities. Some of them proved incompetent despite their position - a fact the queen tried to ignore. As hours went by and the sun hid behind the winter horizon, scrolls levitated from one pile to another in a single file line, quickly being addressed by the monarch. Celeste closed her psychic grip around the next unsigned scroll, but found that her telekinesis caught nothing. She glanced down to see that she'd finished.

Celeste stretched on her throne and prepared to retrieve the next batch of paperwork. She was met with opposition when she recalled where the rest of her papers resided. She reached Amber's quarters quicker than she'd have liked, but chose not to stall at the doorway. Her knuckles impatiently rapped against the ornate door.

When Amber opened, wearing pajamas and a nightcap, Celeste marched straight past her and into the room. She scooped a pile of scrolls off the desk then headed back for the door. "You're working this late?" Amber asked.

"An effective queen has to," Celeste scoffed.

She finally reached the doorway when Amber added, "I can't imagine Lucille would like that."

Celeste stopped. "She probably wouldn't if she were around."

"She's not with you?"

"Obviously not."

"Yeah, I knew you looked sad the moment you stepped inside..."

A growl wriggled up Celeste's throat. "After your little stunt today, I can't say I'm eager for your sympathy."

"Celeste, what happened?"

"Goodnight." Celeste proceeded to the door with heavier steps, then felt a hand tug her arm. The scrolls scattered to the floor and Celeste whipped around to her aunt. "What do you want?"

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't stand to let you do something so horrible," Amber spat. "Although, I learned earlier that Chestorran was pillaged regardless. Seems they followed their queen despite the drama..."

Celeste looked away.

"Yeah, I heard about it," Amber reiterated, "it's hard to keep a planet's chaotic downfall under wraps, Celeste."

"Think about how futile your tantrum was the next time you want to get in my way," Celeste sneered.

Amber mouthed something about how that wasn't the point before she insisted, "Anyway, are you going to tell me about Lucille?"

"There's nothing to tell you," Celeste retorted, feeling her blood pressure rise.

"You seem lonely, I just-"

Fallen scrolls fluttered into the air via telekinesis. "Like you'd know anything about that," Celeste snapped before she shut the door behind her. As if Amber really cared, anyway.

The frustrated queen took the scrolls back to her throne and tired her brain on them. When she finished, she finally turned in for a restorative sleep. Still, no Lucy.

On the bright side, no Lucy meant no one to frighten. Celeste peeled off her shirt and climbed into the bed in her preferred condition. The sheets brushed against her bare skin and swept her into a peaceful dreamworld - one that crumbled apart when Lucy entered the room.

Blue eyes fluttered open. The sun had barely risen and the twin moons had barely set. "Huh? Lucy...there you are," cooed the demon. Her tone shifted from annoyance to endearment mid-sentence.

The Sharcanid set folders and papers on the nightstand and quickly changed into her pajamas. Celeste waited for her to say something but finally spoke up herself. "Where have you been? I missed you so much."

"Ugh, work," groaned Lucy. Her ears flicked. "Then dinner with some designers and realtors who are pretty big in this galaxy cluster."

Celeste's eyes sparked with magic as she levitated her loose shirt to herself. She discreetly put it back on. "Oh, I'm so happy for you," she purred, smiling. "But...I wish you had told me..."

"Do I have to tell you everywhere I go? Don't be controlling," Lucy huffed as she plopped into bed beside the queen.

Eyebrows furrowed. Controlling was bending several assassins to her will earlier, not wanting to know where her girlfriend had vanished to. Celeste took a deep breath and quelled her frustration. She softly said, "I'm sorry if I came off that way. It's just that I also had a busy, hard day today and I was confused and scared when I couldn't find you." She snuggled up to the fluffy malamute. "But I feel better already..."

"Your day was hard? At least you can actually sleep after it," Lucy grumbled.

Her utter neglect followed by such sass deserved nothing short of a shriek, but Celeste calmed herself again. Lucy was tired; she couldn't sleep. Celeste could only imagine what that would do to a person's patience. She sighed her apologies as she leaned into her lover's neck and licked her ear. The colorful tongue slithered down and gently coiled Lucy's arm. "I'll stay in bed with you as long as it takes for you to start snoring," she whispered.

Lucy yanked her arm back and spat, "Seriously, Celeste? You know what you can do to get me to sleep now but you won't."

"And you know why I can't," Celeste declared. She retracted her tongue and turned over. Her anger had finally won. Despite its victory, she loved Lucy and prayed she'd sleep soon.