Red Snow (The Shadows bk.3)

Chapter 10: Replacement

It was almost surreal, the rush that came from flying.

Every beat of the dragon's wings pulsed through her like her own heartbeat. Sairene lifted her face to the late-afternoon sky and breathed deep, as though she was inhaling the rays of the setting sun. With her hair loose and flying behind her like a golden flag, Sairene smiled to herself, she might have to do this more often !

The journey was much shorter and before long, the palace rose into the Queen's line of sight.

At first it was a mere spot on the horizon, then it began to take shape as it came closer. When the guards and servants came running to Einarr, he was already on his way to the main entrance. His thoughts flew in various directions, each proving useless as he had little to no experience when it came to dragons. They needed the Queen, whether they liked it or not; she was the only one that stood a chance against them.

Within a few minutes, all the servants and palace staff had crowded onto the top step and waited with fearful excitement as the dragon came closer.

Leaning forward slightly, Sairene positioned herself so that she lay flat against the dragon's back. It was then that she felt the dragon dip forward and glide downward. Wrapping her arms as much as she could around its neck, Sairene prepared herself for the landing.

The crowd moved as one as the dragon glided down towards them. They stepped back and some even ran back inside.

Spreading its wings, Sairene's mount landed in the somewhat empty courtyard. The dragon's wingspan was wider than the courtyard and hung over the encircling wall. Unwinding her arms, Sairene sat up and brushed her hair away from her face.

Einarr felt his eyes widen and his jaw hit the floor. He heard the crowd collectively gasp behind him.

Swinging one leg over so that she sat sideways, Sairene placed a gentle hand on the dragon's neck. "Would you mind going a little lower? It is still a little bit too high for me to simply slide off." Taking her meaning, the dragon crouched down on its haunches. Smiling gratefully, the young Queen adjusted her position so that she was standing on the dragon's back. Taking a deep breath, she somersaulted neatly and landed elegantly on the snow-covered cobblestones.

Smoothing her hair back, she straightened and walked until she was level with the dragon's right eye. "Thank you," she kept her voice at a low whisper and gently patted the creature's head. After receiving a nod, she stepped back and watched with unrestrained awe as the dragon manoeuvred itself into a position to better take off. Her smile was a genuine one, a rare sight. Pride entered her eyes as she watched the great creature gently move its wings and take flight.

Sighing happily, she turned and made her way up the palace steps and ignored the astonished looks that the assembled crowd shot her way.

"Einarr, follow me," gesturing with her pointer finger, Sairene motioned for the young man to accompany her inside. "Your Majesty," he struggled to keep up with her, "we are most relieved at your return." The Queen smiled to herself, knowing full well that her people felt the opposite; "is that so? How wonderful," sarcasm dripped from every syllable.

On their way to the throne room, they crossed paths with a very surprised Êlon. "My Lady," Sairene noticed the slight edge in his voice but chose to ignore it. "Êlon? You seem surprised to see me," her voice made his skin crawl; the image of the 'trophy' dress flashed before his eyes.

Not waiting for a response, the Queen motioned for Einarr to follow her as she continued on her way.

While the sight of her retreating form was better than hearing her speak, Êlon knew that if he were to leave, he would have to notify her. Briefly closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose, the former star followed her down the hall.

Pushing the doors open, Sairene breathed in the cold air of the throne room. "Did everyone behave during my absence?" She spoke without facing him and wandered over to her collection. "Yes Your Majesty," Einarr moved to stand by the foot of the throne. His answer seemed to please the Queen, she turned and sent a smile his way. "I see that the palace is cleaner than when I left, I believe I have you to thank for that ?" Einarr nodded and was about to speak when the doors opened and Êlon entered.

Turning sharply at the sound, Sairene narrowed her eyes at the newcomer. Upon realising who it was, she schooled her features into a neutral expression. "Êlon? What brings you here?" Slight annoyance coloured her tone. The star bowed and moved to stand a few feet away from her. "Your Majesty. My time here has been truly an experience, but I fear it is time for me to return to Mirkwood." Silence followed his brief speech. He did not know what response to expect.

Her smile caught him off guard. "Of course. But first," she moved away from the ghastly statues and stood a hair's breath away from him. "You have given me so much; you taught me what I needed to know to better defend my people and for that, I am truly grateful. So in return I would like to give you something." Stepping back a little, Êlon smiled tightly, "and what might that be My Lady?" The Queen said nothing, she simply stepped forward again and placed both hands on either side of his head. "A new set of memories." Her answer confused both Einarr as well as the star. "What is that supposed to mean?" He was unable to move. "I am doing you a favour," her voice became a whisper, words only meant for him.

Concentrating hard, the young monarch closed her eyes and broke into Êlon's mind. She had never done this before; it was like an experiment. She felt him struggle against her but she held firm. Before her flashed everything he had seen and thought. Using her power, she sorted through the memories and erased the ones that spoke of all she had done. But in so doing, she implanted new memories, lies.

Einarr watched, confused and horrified. Seeing the elf struggle against the Queen's grip made him wander what exactly she was doing.

Êlon tried desperately to pry her fingers away from his head but to no avail. It was as though she was physically pulling his memories apart with her hands. Her voice crept into his mind and wove new memories, ones that never happened.

Once she had removed and replaced the desired memories, Sairene withdrew her hands and smiled at the star. "It was a pleasure having you Sir, I wish you a safe journey back home." Quickly ushering him out before he caught sight of the statues, Sairene closed the doors behind him.

"What did you just do to him?" Rolling her eyes, Sairene turned to face Einarr who had his arms crossed over his chest. "Don't look so angry Einarr," she patted him on the arm as she walked past, "I simply gave him a new set of memories and took away the old ones." Shrugging, she sank onto the throne. "You did what?" He could not keep the shock from his voice. "I just told you what I did," leaning forward, she rested her elbows on her knees. "The memories I gave him are much more pleasant, trust me." Einarr simply stared at her, "they are lies My Lady! You fed him lies!" Sighing heavily, she leant her head back and closed her eyes, "to him they will be reality Einarr. That's all that matters."