Red Snow (The Shadows bk.3)

Chapter 6: Assumptions

Êlon soon realised that Einarr was perhaps the only one that could speak his mind to the Queen without a life-threatening consequence. A week or so had passed without incident, until Sairene somehow managed to get it into her head that her former council and advisors were working against her.

He was passing by the throne room when the Queen's voice floated out to him, "there is only one way to handle people like this Einarr." His interest captured, Êlon crept unseen into the icy throne room and ducked behind one of the many columns. "But Your Majesty!" Einarr sounded both shocked and questioning, "how do you know for certain? They could just be rumours to put you on edge, and by the looks of it," he paused and looked at her pointedly, "they seem to be having the desired effect." Êlon mentally braced himself for how the Queen would react to being spoken to that way, but after a few moments, nothing happened.

"My dear Einarr," her voice dripped with both condescention and authority, "these people are not to be trusted; I dismissed them simply because I had no use for them and now they wish to enact some kind of revenge on me." Einarr, for his part did not look like he believed a single word. "If I may be so bold Your Majesty, I recall you dismissing them because they betrayed your trust and acted without your consent." Sairene narrowed her eyes at those words and Êlon could see just how much she was restraining herself from lashing out. "Be that as it may Einarr," she spoke with deceptive calm, "it is they who are in the wrong, not I. Therefore they must be dealt with before they turn the entire kingdom against me." Einarr let out a long and heavy sigh, "but you have no proof! All you have are theories based on what you think they may or may not be actually doing!" Êlon was taken aback at how the young man spoke to his Queen, no one would dare speak to Thranduil like that and possibly think to get away with it! Sairene, however, simply smiled and took a few steps in Einarr's direction, "I am their Queen, I do not need something as trivial as proof." Êlon found her quiet delivery to be more frightening than if she would have physically lashed out.

"You have a good memory Einarr. I am relying on that talent for the task ahead." Stepping back, Sairene drew herself to her full height and stood before the young man with authority rolling off her in waves. "What will you have me do Your Majesty?" Einarr was all respect now as he bowed slightly before the Queen. "You will take a handful of guards and gather together all the members of my former council as well as my advisors." His eyes widened slightly at her request but he said nothing. "You will then bring them here where I will be waiting. If they ask what my intentions are, simply say that I have something that I wish to tell them that only they can hear. Is that understood?" Nodding, Einarr straightened his posture and seemed to look the Queen in the eye, "understood My Lady." Satisfied, Sairene smiled coldly and nodded once, "good. Now go and do not keep me waiting." Turning on his heels, the young man left the throne room with Êlon wandering how he would be able to leave without the Queen noticing.

As he expected, Einarr received both resistance and suspicion. The Queen's request did not receive a warm welcome, not that he had expected one. Many of them enquired into the Queen's sudden change of heart but all Einarr gave them was the cryptic answer that he had been provided with. 

Before long, however, he had managed to assemble the requested group with the help of the Queen's guards. The group had not been to the palace since their dismissal and had therefore not seen the changes and improvements that had been made. Einarr smiled internally as he saw their mouths all but drop open in surprise as they arrived in the palace courtyard. Keeping a neutral expression, he lead the group up the steps and into the palace.

Sairene had begun to grow impatient and had started to fiddle with the long peach coloured sleeves of her gown. Although the air was icy in the throne room, she wore a gown more suited for the slightly warmer seasons.
She had begun to pace up and down the steps that lead to her throne when she heard the doors open and multiple sets of footsteps entered the room. Quicker than lightning, Sairene moved to sit on the throne. Dismissing the guards, the young royal leant slightly forward and addressed the group, "no doubt you must find this confusing, being brought here. I did after all threaten your life should you set foot here ever again." Smiling slightly, she stood up and swept elegantly down the marble steps. "As I am sure Einarr has explained to you, there is something I wish to tell you all." The former councillours and advisors all briefly glanced at each other, none knew what to make of this. "I have come to realise something," by now Sairene had reached the bottom step and had begun to pace, as though deep in thought. "Perhaps I was a little too hasty those four months ago, I did not put as much thought into it as I maybe should have." Whispers had begun to float around the group, was this the Queen's version of an apology? Was she going to reinstate them?

Stepping off the last step, Sairene moved to stand directly face to face with the group. "There were a few things I should have taken into consideration before dismissing you all, for instance," reaching out, the Queen wrapped her right hand around the throat of the nearest councillour and squeezed. "I should have removed all of you from this world permanently," the ice began to spread as she continued, "this way I would not have to do this right now because the lot of you would not be here." Shocked and horrified, the group had fallen silent, some even looked to Einarr as though they expected him to stop her.

Êlon watched silently from behind his pillar. Alternating waves of horror and shock pounded into him. He watched as silent and as still as the ice statues as his former student took not just one life, but another nine as well. His gaze often flashed to Einarr who stood quietly a few steps beside the Queen; how was he so calm? So emotionless? Little did he know that the young man by the Queen's side was anything but calm and was feeling a very wide range of emotions, among them being disappointment, sadness and anger. Einarr had learnt to school his features into a neutral expression so that he gave nothing away, not even his eyes betrayed his inner turmoil.

Sairene did not take long to dispose of the other council members; they soon joined her morbid collection. She was in the middle of inspecting them when she stopped and smiled, "it is over now Êlon. You can come out now."