A Kingdom of Bones

VIII | eight

The Queen is an utter mystery. No one is sure of where she came from or what she is. There are rumors of course, but those are always somehow mangled by the time they are passed to each and every person. In the end, there are dozens of versions of the first tale with no way of knowing the truth. With that in mind, I took each statement with a grain of salt. And so did my brother.

"How is this possible? Is this queen not a mortal?" a Mortyn off to the side asks. This one sounds like a woman, but she looks mostly the same as the others besides the small breasts on her chest and her much bigger eyes.

"We aren't exactly sure, Aerik. We have been told many different things about her, I have no way of knowing what is and isn't correct. I never actually met her." West says, albeit slightly in disappointment. Whether it's in himself or the situation, I am unsure. Probably both.

But I'm too distracted by his statement to ponder on it. "What do you mean you never met her? You were in her Guard." I raise an eyebrow. Here I am prepared to bombard him with questions about the Queen, but if he hasn't met her, then he mustn't know half of the things I'm curious about. The realization is kind of upsetting.

"Yes, but I had been more of a soldier than one of her Elites. They are not many that have been within a few feet of her." West shrugs slightly, but I know it bothers him as well. Being one of the few that have met her in the flesh would have given us leverage. We all know that. But there is no point in getting upset over it.

"You must have heard something in the castle. About what she is." Rolland surprises me by saying, his tone curious yet not prying. He steps forward to join West in the center of the room. "Anything will help."

West meets his eyes and a frown forms on his lips. ""She's... supposedly..." his eyes flicker from Bellaer to the floor, "a Witch."

"Now, I'd believe that," Merilda snorts and Ellis lets out a humorless laugh. The Mortyn's all squirm in their seats, exchanging glances among each other.

"No doubt," he agrees.

"What we can't know for sure, we don't lean on as critical information." Bellaer says just as West opens his mouth to shush Ellis, a glare fastened on his face. Ellis crosses his arms over his chest and huffs. "As of now, we continue viewing her as a foreign being. Assumptions are to be treated like feral animals. You stay away from them unless you know for sure they will no longer bite." the Lead Mortyn continues, standing from his table. "Now, the clock has struck eleven. The Dark Hours have fallen upon us and we must dismiss the Table. You may figure out the sleeping arrangements on your own terms, but know that there are no buildings to spare." With that, he turns away from the table and heads towards the door behind him. Mynn slides to the side and pulls it open for him. Before I get to register the inside, the door slams shut and the two Mortyns have disappeared into the mysterious room. Then, without a word, the remaining Mortyns stand and walk in a line out of the building, their skinny figures fading into the darkness of the hall. Suddenly, we're alone, and I'm left with just as many questions as I had before.

We stare at each other in silence for a moment, but Merilda, impatient it seems, cuts through the quiet with her raspy, annoyed voice. "So, where will they stay?" she questions, her icy stare fixed on my brothers. West and Vik exchange a look, one that she clearly doesn't like because as soon as she catches on she huffs. "We'll be sharing, won't we?"

"What else do you suppose we do, Merilda?" Vik sighs in exasperation. I take a deep breath at the thought of sharing a room with one of these strangers. I don't like the idea much either. Half of the people I have yet to meet, and the fact that most want me as their Queen doesn't help. It makes the situation more awkward. There is nothing more disappointing than high expectations, which I will surely break as soon as they get alone time with me. They'll regret ever joining this rebel group after they see the crying mess of a girl next to them tonight. What a great inspiration I will be then.