Let The Games Begin.

My Mother, The Liar

     "What do you mean, "the queen mother is missing"?" I question, holding the brush in one hand, the other holding my head, pounding increasing by the second.

     "Exactly what I said, your grace," Lucas says, immediately bowing in case he spoke too harshly. 

Again, I tried to stand. Elias, rushing over, catches my upper arm and forces me back down. "Oh, no you don't. You are nowhere near good enough condition to go hunting. Stay here with Petra. I'll fetch the apothecary and aide in the search for the queen mother thereafter. Marcellus, come with me." 

The men share a look, nodding simultaneously.

Reluctantly, I cross my arms, immediately uncrossing them to balance myself. One arm on either side, until I finally gave in and lay back. "Fine, but not the royal apothecary. If it's poison, which from the way I feel it certainly must be, he may be in on it. He and my mother have been good friends for a long time. Call the one from the inner city, or call them both. They can do live tests and cross reference the results."

Nodding, Elias quickly pecks Petra on the cheek. She passes a genuine smile, and for a moment, they simply gaze at each other. Well, until I interrupt with, "Elias, don't think that I've forgotten how you abused Petra simply because you're suddenly being noble."

     "Certainly not," he says, looking down at me. "We will find the queen mother and you will have justice."

With that, he is gone, Marcellus right behind him. Petra crosses the room and locks the door behind them. "It's best to have limited access to the room," she says, quietly. "If not your mother, who could do such a horrible thing?" She plops down in chair across from my bed, against the wall, under the window. 

     "Petra, the only other person I can think of, beyond the pounding in my skull, is my uncle Julius. He's the only family we have left. The only one who wants my mother on the throne indefinitely, even if it defies tradition. Her reign, uninterrupted, assures his spot as commander of the Grecian military."

     "Hm... I suppose that makes the most sense. When was the last time you had direct contact with him?" Looking over at me, as I struggle to sit up once again, she gets up and climbs onto the bed behind me, sticking her hand out over my shoulder. I sigh and place the hair brush into her hand. 

     "Well- Actually, I don't remember. It had to be years ago at this point because I don't particularly remember what he looks like."

Gently, she untangles the ribbons from my hair and begins brushing it. A few silent moments pass before she asks, "Integra, what are you going to do if your mother is actually behind this? You can't imprison her again, she's already shown us that you can't contain her."

For some time, I refrain from answering. That was something I was trying to avoid thinking about. Eventually, I say, "I was considering, with enough proof, going before the magistrates and then eventually the pope, who will grant me access to excommunicating her. If not that, perhaps separate kingdoms? But most of Greece would rally behind her. Maybe a small ruling wouldn't be that bad, actually. My own sect until my mother passes and I inherit it all."

Behind me, Petra sounds her agreement.

     "The only other option is rather grim..." I pause, considering how much is safe to tell her. I suppose, we're already this deep in. "The only other option is to -"

     "- kill her." Petra finishes, handing the brush back to me. "Pardon my boldness but I'd not blame you one bit. Forcing you to marry isn't as bad when you add the fact that she allegedly hired someone to poison you. We have no solid proof - yet - but genuinely, who else could it be?"