The Darkest of Truths

Chapter 6

We immediately straightened, acting as though nothing had happened beyond a heated discussion. I had never seen the Queen up close but she looked beautiful. Although, there was a lost look about her, an emptiness.

"Mother!" Tristian finally spoke but it didn't sound like a greeting but rather it held a hint of panic. Much like the panic on Thalia's face who had entered the room after the Queen, obviously the voice who was trying to stop her from entering.

"What are you doing here, Dearest?" the King spoke, with no more kindness than he had shown me. If anything there was less.

His jaw had looked more tense, like he was gritting his teeth.

"I'm sorry for disturbing but I heard that we were hosting guests and I thought that it would be rude to not greet them," the Queen spoke. Her voice was soft and distant, as though she was not completely present. Her eyes slowly scanned the room and eventually fell onto me, the stranger.

"Ah, it must be you!"

A little bit of life seemed to have filled her gaze as she approached me and I was hit with this sudden sense of overwhelming familiarity as I got a better look at her. She had blonde hair too but not golden like Thaddeus' or Tristian's but more silvery but not as silver as Wren's.

It was a strange yet beautiful entanglement between the two.

The rest of her was gold, as though her entire wardrobe was designed for the sole purpose of mimicking the sun. From the circlet she wore on her head, an emblem of a sun resting on her forehead to the gown she wore, the skirts resembling rays of sunlight. No doubt an homage to their god Thoaos of the Dawn. The entire ensemble, while beautiful and elegant, honestly hurt my eyes and I found it difficult to look at for too long.

I hadn't decided on how I should greet her by the time she was standing in front of me but it didn't matter because before I could do anything she had gently grabbed my hands.

"What's your name my dear?"

Her voice was more soothing that time, there was warmth and affection in it.

"Karma, your majesty."

Her brows furrowed as if confused.

"Karma," she repeated, testing it out before going quiet again. "Funny," she suddenly spoke again, "that doesn't seem to fit you."

Her words made no sense to me but I didn't want to offend her, or the King, by telling her so.

"That's the name I was given."

I didn't know what else I could say on the topic but the Queen seemed to have accepted that answer.

Captain Magnus immediately offered her his seat at the table, which she accepted. While her back was turned we both looked at each other and decided on a silent agreement.

No bloodshed while her Majesty was there.

And thus, a very temporary truce was struck.

The Queen sat down and instantly took notice of the silver fork still stuck in the ear of the chair. "What's this about?" she asked, looking between all of us.

"I'm to blame for that, your Majesty. My deepest apologies, I was demonstrating my skillset to the King. It's possible I got a little too carried away."

Once again she made no further remarks but I could've sworn that, for the faintest of moments, that I had seen a smirk.

Does our Queen actually have some bite?

I hoped that this was so because it was very obvious that she had no bark.

Unless she did but has since lost it.