Smoke and Mirrors {Completed}

Chapter Fifteen: Haunted

Sapphire Nightborne

I shrieked as I pried his hands off my face. How dare he touch me after all he did. I jumped off the cold metal table I was on and rushed to back myself against the nearest wall, the healers had a look of horror on their face. I realised that they were backing away from me and I could not blame them, with my bloodied clothes, wild eyes, and dishevelled hair, I probably looked like a rabid animal. I looked at the display of surgical instruments beside the table I was on and growled at Damien.

"Was killing me not enough for you? Did you cut up my body in hopes of what, hanging it somewhere as a trophy?"

He held his hands up and spoke to me slowly as one would when trying to calm a scared animal.

"Sapphire, I was trying to save you, I..."

"Stop lying to me! Why would you want me to live, what brought on this sudden change?"

I was tired of all the lies, for once I wanted a straight answer. He raised one of his eyebrows and gave me an answer that rendered me speechless.

"You are my mate."

He said this as if it were the most obvious thing in the world and it almost made me laugh, I wanted to scream at him but felt a sharp pinch in my arm, I looked down to see a small dart sticking out of my arm, I ripped it out but felt whatever it was coated in start to take effect, the world around was swaying and swirling. I tried to walk but only managed a few steps before the world around me turned black.

I was so nervous; my hands were sweating as my servants prepared me for the main event. I had looked around the palace earlier and marvelled at its beauty, gold and black fabric curled at the pillars with flowers covering every inch they could.

It was my husband's birthday and it customary that the Queen danced for him. I was so scared, there were nobles present at his birthday. They never approved of my marriage to Xander, today's performance could change the way they thought of me, or cement what they already believed.

I wore a gold piece of embroidered cloth that just covered my breasts, leaving most of my midriff bare, a long golden sheer skirt hung on my hips and covered my legs, this might have been comforting if not for the fact that it had two slits on either side that almost ran up the whole length of my leg. My every movement would be made known due to the tiny silver discs that were stitched to the waistline of my skirt. I had golden bangles on my arm and there was a string of sapphires running from the bottom of my top to the top of my skirt.

"You ready, Your Highness?"

One of the dancers shook me out of my mental panic. She was dressed in the same type of clothing but with pants and her clothing was black in colour, the other of our kingdom's royal colours.

"Yes, I am."

My heart was pounding as I said that, no I was not ready, not ready to most probably make a fool of myself to the whole court. The dancer must have sensed my nervousness as she slowly took my hand.

"Your Highness, I am sure you will do fine, His Majesty would love anything you do for him, just remember, let the music do the work for you."

I gave her hand an appreciative squeeze before taking a deep breath and walking out.

We walked out into the Main Hall where functions and parties are held. It was a huge room with great tall pillars and a big circular fire pit in the ground. Most of the time the room was lit by the many chandeliers that hung from the ceiling but today, the room was only lit by some candles on the wall and the fire pit which bathed the room in an orange glow, I noticed that many nobles from across the kingdom made the journey to celebrate my husband's birthday.