The Mountains Blade

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen- To Be A Queen

Avelina Greywater stood in the courtyard watching bodies be drug away. Opal stood behind her and pulled on a pair of black surgical gloves. 

She barely registered as Opal pulled her wing open. A hiss exited her chapped lips as Opal sterilized the wound and began to thread stitches through the aching flesh. 

Avelina shut her eyes tightly and grasped onto the statue of a winged angel. Her fingernails dug into the granite as she fought back tears. 

"Avelina, how are you holding up?" 

The heir opened her blue eyes, meeting her mother's gaze. She had changed into a deep black dress, an apron thrown over it. The pockets held bandages, gauze and an array of other medical items. She had cleaned her face, no evidence that she had been fighting on her milky colored skin. 

Hope greywater tilted her head to the side and pulled her eyebrows together worriedly. "Avelina, dear, are you okay?"

Avelina didn't hold back the rageful look she gave her mother. 

The cool air brushed against her ripped dress, revealing the already healing cuts and scrapes. Elwyn would not be so lucky. Her sister would take weeks, months, years to heal physically and emotionally from being shot and kidnapped. 

"You let them take her." She snapped. 

Opal continued stitching Avelina carefully, the only indication that she was listening, her white eyes drifting to the queen. She just as silently, continued her task at hand. 

"Avelina, I had no choice." The queen said frowning at her daughter. 

Avelina scoffed, rolling her eyes. "What type of queen thinks sacrificing a daughter is okay. And you had a choice." She said looking back at Opal. "How much longer?"

Opal gave her a pointed look to which Avelina instantly silenced. 

The sound of moans and groans of discomfort filled the courtyard as more people were relocated to the kingdoms hospital. 

Avelina felt her eyes flood with tears again as she watched a small girl placed on a gurney. A thin teenage boy, wiped his eyes before covering her face with a white sheet. 

"What have we done to these people? We were supposed to keep them safe." Avelina breathed. 

Hopes eyes snapped to her daughters with an iciness. "We would have been able to do better if you and your sister had stayed out of the human world. There is reasoning behind the rules, Avelina." 

Avelinas face paled, guilt and shame crashing over her like a tidal wave. 

She stepped away as Opal placed the final bandage over her wing. 

"How could you say that?" Avelina asked. Her voice cracked and she clutched her chest as it began to throb with pain. This was largely her fault. If she had just stayed back and not tried to go into the human world, then she wouldn't have been wounded and held captive. If she hadn't been there they would have sacrificed Elwyn and themselves, but saved the kingdom. They wouldn't have led those creatures back if it wasn't for her foolish obsession with a world that she didn't belong in. 

Avelina felt tears stream down her face rapidly. She placed a hand over her mouth in an attempt to muffle her cries. 

"Avelina, I'm sorry-." Her mother reached for her but the girl had already turned, wings tucked, running into the castle. 

~

Avelina had been sitting on the floor of her bedchambers for hours. It had been a day since night had come and gone. The morning sun had began to creep through her blinds and she had flung the curtains shut. 

Avelina sat on the cold floor of her room, still wearing her shredded dress, dried blood and dirt clinging to her flesh. She knew she looked like a mess, tangled red locks, splotchy cheeks and deep purple eyebags. She hadn't slept, only cried and cried. Avelina did not understand why no one had tried to save her sister. She did not understand why the wolf kingdom wanted to destroy her family.

Avelina shielded her eyes as there was a small knock on the door and a figure walked in. 

"Go away." She said with a raspy voice.

"I brought sweets." The person offered. 

Avelina blinked, her eyes adjusting as her lights were switched on. 

Libby who she hadn't seen since Opal had talked to her, stood with a plate of cookies. Avelina couldn't help but smile. "Thank you." She said. 

Libby nodded, sitting beside her on the ground and placing the plate in front of her. 

"I know it's hard seeing so much gore." She said softly. 

Avelina didn't think to ask her when she had seen something that gruesome, instead she sniffled. 

"Yeah, it is."

"We should get you a bath running, your majesty."

Libby stood up and offered the girl her hand. 

Avelina blinked up at her and paused.  "Your neck." Avelina said looking at the purpling flesh on collarbone with confusion. 

It looked like an old bruise that had finally began to heal, bits of yellow mixing with the purple tones. 

Libby's face tightened and  she adjusted her dress, buttoning the top. 

"Nothing, I must have got hurt when I was in town and the shadow people came." 

Avelinas eyebrows furrowed and she pursed her lips. "Right." She said slowly. 

Libby smiled hugely, pretending as if nothing was wrong.

"Your parents have requested you be presentable for a last minute conference in the evening. I'll start the bath."

~

Libby didn't stay long after Avelina finished her bath. The heir took her time to clean her body of the day, letting her muscles soak in the water until it was cold. She laid there, her fingers pruning. The suns evenings rays painted the water of her bath gold. She ran her fingers through it and sighed heavily. She wanted to help her sister. 

Elwyn blinked at the golden colored water. Despite the bone chilling reality of what she would face, Avelina decided then that she would do whatever it took to save her sister. Even if it meant sacrificing her throne. She was going to get her sister back.