The Queen's Guard

Chapter 10

The hours on horseback felt interminable to Maya as she wrestled with her thoughts, the weight of the night's events heavy on her mind. When they finally reached the castle late at night, Vic immediately escorted the queen to her chambers, leaving Maya to navigate her own turbulent emotions in the silence of the hallway. She lingered for far too long, hoping for any sign that the queen might still be awake, but there was only silence behind the closed door.

As Maya locked the door to her own chamber, she heard footsteps outside. Unable to discern who it was, she opened the door as soon as the footsteps faded away. The creaking of the door made the queen turn around immediately, catching Maya. The guard caught a glimpse of Ben leaving, but quickly turned her attention back to the queen. "You're awake," she stated after bowing.

"So are you," the queen replied tersely, her tone edged with tension.

Maya sensed that something was amiss, her concern growing as she wondered about the queen's extended conversation with her counselor after their trip. "Carin... Your Majesty," she corrected herself as she followed the queen to her chambers.

"Don't," Carina warned, her voice tinged with desperation. She couldn't risk divulging what she had just discussed with her counselor.

"Just one question," Maya pleaded.

"You didn't answer mine," Carina countered, allowing Maya to come closer, their voices dropping to whispers in the night.
"Which question?" Maya wondered, the weight of her unspoken desires pressing down on her. "What do you think I want?" Carina's proximity made it hard for Maya to focus, her heart racing as their breath mingled in the dim light of the hallway.

Maya was reminded at once of their conversation the previous night. "I cannot answer that, my queen," she said, looking down, her tone respectful and cautious.

"Then tell me what you want," Carina said, making Maya look back up, her eyes meeting the queen's with a mixture of apprehension and longing.

She waited a long time, not because she didn't know the answer, but because she was sure the queen would catch her in a lie, yet feared the repercussions of revealing her true desires. "I want what I can't have," Maya stated, finding a way to express the truth without divulging too much.

"And what is that?" As Carina pressed for clarity, her gaze piercing through Maya's defenses, Maya couldn't hide from the intensity of the moment. Maybe it was the weight of repressing her desires for so long that made her brave enough to speak.

"You," Maya confessed, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes locking with Carina's in a silent plea for understanding. She regretted it as soon as it left her lips, the weight of her words hanging heavily in the air, knowing that she had crossed a line that could never be uncrossed.

She took a step back in shame, but Carina followed her, closing the distance until her breath was on Maya's lips. "Take me," she whispered, her voice barely audible yet filled with a desperate longing that mirrored Maya's. After hearing those words, nothing could hold her back. She would endure any punishment just to be with her queen once so she pressed her lips against Carina's, savoring the moment until she felt Carina reciprocating, deepening the kiss.

Her hands instinctively cupped Maya's cheeks, drawing her closer. Carina could feel her guard's hands on her waist, their touch sending a shiver down her spine as they closed the door behind them. Slowly, Maya's hands moved lower, until they could get a good enough grip to lift her effortlessly, pressing her against the wall.