The Rejected Queen

Chapter 15 - Aaden

I couldn't stop thinking about her as we walked through the town. What if couldn't find her? What if she was a shepherds wife already? Fear overtook me at that thought. Jonah nudged me out of my reverie as we approached the castle. The soldiers at the gates stood down with a nod from the chief of our group. The huge gates were slowly cranked open and we all filed through, following in a line. The room we entered was massive. The ceilings were at least 4 times as high as the one in the town hall and the room itself was 5 times bigger. I had never seen a room so large in my life. The staircase in the centre was the most eye-catching piece, however, as I supposed it should be. It was where the queen would descend to meet her guests. A sleek mahogany bannister followed about 50 velvet covered stairs to the tiled floor we were standing on now. Paintings lined the walls depicting battles, people, landscapes and just about anything else you could think of. Below each painting stood a soldier, so still, he almost looked like a statue. Suddenly out of the doors at the top of the staircase came a soldier. "The Queen General Isabel of Moregeddon." Isabel? Before I could think about it, however, the doors opened and the Queen stepped through.

Time froze for a moment as I stared at her, my heart hardly beating yet beating so rapidly I thought I might die. Her eyes turned to me, the beautiful green orbs piercing my heart. For 7 years I had presumed her to be dead but instead, she was here, very much alive and a queen. Much too soon, her eyes moved onto the other members of the party and I watched almost jealously as she scrutinised the Jonah. Eventually, she reached the inquisitor and I watched, confused, as she gave him a wide grin that didn't reach her eyes which were almost flashing with anger. Did they know each other or was she just terrible at being cordial? I wouldn't be surprised, she had never been good at hiding her true feelings towards someone and she had always hated those from Kingshelm instead of worshipping them like the rest of us. 

"Welcome to Morgeddon gentlemen," Her voice sang, distracting me from my previous thoughts, "I am sure you are all tired after your journey so I shall have my men show you to your rooms." With a slight nod from her, ten soldiers peeled away from the wall and walked briskly over to the door on the west. Just before I reached the doors, I turned back and gave one glance in her direction, hoping to catch her eye. She turned towards me and for a moment, it was just as it had been and then the moment ended and she was a queen once again. Sighing I turned away and followed the others through to our rooms.