Felicity's dreams were filled with visions of her court dying in the mines and their children fighting on the front lines in a far-off country. They cried out to her for help, but she could not even speak words of comfort. Her mouth felt sewn shut. She woke with a scream in her throat, clawing at her lips to break the threads. Gasping, the scream died before it could leave her mouth. Awareness came back to her, as she noticed her surroundings for the first time. She sat up and groaned, her muscles protested the sudden movement. On top of being used to sleeping in a soft bed made of feathers, she had spent all the day before in the saddle. Her body was not used to this kind of torture, and it screamed for a long soak in hot water.
"Your Majesty."
Felicity screeched, her head jerking towards the voice only to find the interpreter standing in the doorway.
"My apologies, I did not mean to startle you. Are you hungry? Rashor has made porridge to break our fast." Thomazo said as he opened the tent flap further. Indeed, Felicity could see Rashor standing over the campfire ladling a thick cream colored substance into wooden bowls. Felicity's stomach growled as the smell of the porridge wafted in from the outside. She blushed and scrambled to her feet.
"Um, yes thank you." She answered sheepishly. Thomazo chuckled as he held the tent flap open for her. She stepped out into the cool morning air and Rashor looked up from his task. He grinned at her and spoke as he held out a bowl. The singsong words fell on deaf ears and Felicity turned to meet Thomazo gaze.
"He says good morning and that you look lovely." Thomazo answered her unspoken question as he bent down to brush off a tree stump. He signaled with his hand for her to take a seat.
A laugh broke from Felicity's lips before she could stop herself.
"You're either lying or he's making fun," she said as she took the offered stump and sat down. Thomazo flushed and looked away as he took his own bowl of porridge from Rashor.
"He says you look like horse shit," He admitted after a moment.
Felicity smirked, she certainly felt like horse shit. She nibbled on a spoonful of porridge and glanced around the small camp. Rashor had handed Milza a bowl and both now sat opposite Felicity and Thamazo. Laying on a mat with his back to them, General Hellino appeared to still be asleep, but Felicity could not see his face from the angle she was sitting. She watched his side slowly rise and fall for a moment. Thomazo followed her gaze to the slumbering figure, "The General has not slept in two days and has requested we not wake him."
Felicity's eyes narrowed and she felt anger rising within her. She clenched her jaw, lips pursed into a thin line. With a flick of her wrist her spoon left her fingers and flipped through the air. It hit the General in the head with a satisfying Thwack. Hellino jerked awake and rolled over to see what on earth hit him. Felicity watched with satisfaction as his face changed from hazy questioning to anger as he spotted the spoon and gripped it tightly in his fingers. She did not look away when his gaze snapped to the party sitting around the fire. Both Rashor and Milza shook their heads and pointed fingers at Felicity, the traitors. She met Hellino's gaze as it came to rest on her, and she matched all the fury she saw in those crimson eyes.
"You can tell the General, I'm so sorry he was unable to get any sleep while he was taking over my kingdom." She spoke to Thomazo without breaking the General's gaze.
"I'm not telling him that." Thomazo refused and busied himself with eating his breakfast. So, yet another traitor.
Felicity felt her heart skip a beat as the General got to his feet, but there was no way she was backing down now. Her glare was unwavering as he walked over to her. She found she was a little disappointed when he came to stand in front of her and she watched the anger fade from his eyes. He looked down at her, took the edge of his tunic and wiped off her spoon before dropping it into her bowl.
YOU ARE READING
The Fallen Queen
FantasyA Queen stripped of title and lands is forced to marry the emperor who took them from her. She finds an unlikely friend, and maybe something more, in the General sent to retrieve her. But will it be enough to save her from her fate?
