A Throne Amongst the Stars

Purgatio

[A/N: Hello, my lovelies! Here is the next chapter for you! I will be including a translation for the poem included at the very end, as I didn't want it to be distracting. This is a very long chapter that hopefully wraps up a few things and hints at some past symbols. Only four more chapters remain and I know y'all have been patiently waiting for some ⚠️special⚠️ updates. You'll get it. Enjoy, darlings! Muah! 🖤 -K]

[🌌 This chapter is extremely long and contains swearing, violence, insinuation, and angst. 🌌]
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Playful shadows of flame danced along the wall, illuminating the gold encrusted fireplace. A hardly noticeable breeze from the innards of the chimney inspired the inferno to wistfully play in overlapping colors of amber, cadmium red, and the shadows between.

"Where did you hide it?" I mumbled audibly, tossing the question over my shoulder. The words were laced with irritation, after having been searching for what felt like days. The question hung in the eerie air and remained unanswered.

The library was silent once more.

Stacks of books littered the desk I was currently hunched over. I had collected so many pieces of Interitus literature, that they began to surround the feet of the desk.

A slight misstep and the fortress I had inadvertently assembled around me would crumble.

Hours ago, I had removed my crown, as it became unmanageable and caused a strain in my muscles. If the crown of "Princess" was this weighty and caused unbearable suffering, I could only imagine what the crown bearing the title "King" would bring me.

Now, the array of jewels flirtatiously reflected the colors of the fire behind me. They sparkled along the countless shelves and nearly managed to reach the dome of my most beloved sanctuary. I pushed the crown a few inches away, suddenly overtaken with a forlorn embrace.

Blinding flashes of crisp light infiltrated the only windows of the library, located near the vaulted dome ceiling. A few seconds passed before a deep rumble of thunder slightly shook the otherwise peaceful room.

With closed eyes, I waited to hear the pelting of rain, but it seemed that the weather of Interitus preferred to tease the parched planet with the promise of quenched thirst.

I hurriedly flipped through countless pages of a bound book of official documents and records. The silence was fractured when I gasped, suddenly bringing my finger to my chest. My natural curiosity won the better part of me as I inspected my hand. A perfectly angled paper had thinly sliced the skin between my thumb and forefinger. It was a thin paper cut, but in no way a simple one.

Blood immediately pooled around the wound, and before I could prevent it, a large droplet splattered onto a transaction page concerning the neighboring planet Aergia and its High Lord Tharen. My blood smeared over the illustration and Aergic symbols for Runesic, the High Lord's son and successor of his title.

At the reading of his name and the depiction of his face, rage immediately flushed through my veins. I clenched my fingers into fists while I remembered his recent visit to Interitus.

I hissed in immediate pain before abruptly standing, too fueled with anger to reconsider my actions. I raised my hand to my mouth, gently applying pressure to the still bleeding cut. I convinced the droplets of blood to not stain the irreparable layers of my dusty orange dress.

With an irritated grumble, I slammed the ledger closed and snatched it by the spine. I mindlessly hauled it into the fireplace behind me. It harshly collided with the glowing coals of the intensely heated fire.

I turned to face the flames, dropping my hand from my lips. There was a fleeting moment of satisfaction before destructive guilt washed over me. "No, no, no..." I rushed towards the fireplace and fell to my knees, ignoring the blazing temperature that behaved as a warning.