Night had fallen upon the Kingdom of Abrothennes by the time Andronika and her warriors had reached the edge of the palace gardens, two guards with necks dripping crimson at her feet. The copper tang of blood mixed with the scent of jasmine, but they paid no mind as they hid among the plants, waiting for their next orders. The Queen's Cois, Nikostratos, turned to her, his pale blue eyes peering brightly through the black paint surrounding them.
"On your command, Ceann."
The extinguishing of her torch was the signal, and all nine of her most covert warriors took off under the cover of dark leathers and a moonless sky. "Stick with me, Niko," she murmured, before slipping under the hedges and sprinting towards the tangle of climbing vines she knew led to the palace library. It was a long climb, and once they reached the top her arms screamed for her to stop. She pulled herself up onto the window's ledge and peered in cautiously.
Andronika could have laughed out loud at her luck.
Sitting slumped over a writing desk, no doubt having fallen asleep while working, was the king. Fate was on her side today. There was one guard sorting through a stack of books on a table behind the king, but he could easily be taken down with a poison dart. She quickly retrieved her dart and cylinder, easing the window open just enough to shove the tiny wooden tube through before firing the dart that sunk home in his neck. Niko grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down just as the guard pulled the tiny object from his neck. The two waited with bated breath until they heard a heavy thud of the man's body hitting the ground.
The king was just lifting his head, his eyes clouded over from sleep, when Andronika hopped up onto the ledge and pushed herself through the window. By the time King Weorran grasped what was happening, the young queen knocked an arrow aimed for his head, the arrow tip glinting dangerously in the torchlight.
He opened his mouth, but she cut him short, "Can your guards get to you faster than I can put an arrow through your throat?"
"Go ahead then. Kill me," he demanded, his voice hard, but his eyes gave away to his fear.
A malicious grin stretched across Andronika's face, "How rude of you, Ádelfan. To assume that I came here only to murder you is hardly polite. Do you treat all of your friends this way?"
"You're hardly what I'd call a friend, Queen Valdis," he spat. "So I suggest telling me what it is you're really here for. The faster you're out of my kingdom the better."
She laughed, low and mockingly, "You play the ignorant fool quite well, but I think you know why I'm here. You want my oil, and you want it enough to kill me for it."
The outraged expression that dominated the older man's face filled her with glee. "You- You're spying on me!"
"Oh, don't feel so special. I spy on all of my enemies, but let's not waste our time with trivial matters." Andronika slowly released the taut bow string and brought the weapon to her side. "You have something I need, and if you give it to me, we can negotiate the terms of oil exports."
The king nodded but kept his expression casual, an admirable quality. A king willing to negotiate without dropping his guard was a worthy ally. He made a motion for her to go on.
She smiled and turned to her Cois, "Go and inform my fuil that everything is going according to plan."
Nikostratos hesitated, unwilling to leave her alone, but nodded and left the way they came.
Andronika casually dropped herself into the nearest chair, a determined light lingering behind her dark eyes, "I want your son. Erasmus is it? The sickly eldest who can't assume the throne? I want him to be my Rí, my king, and that is my only request."
Ádelfan Weorran's eyes went wide with shock, "No! Absolutely not, how could you even ask something like that? I would never think of giving my defenseless son over to a monster!"
"Don't be so dramatic," she said dryly, rolling her eyes. "I have the best court physicians known to man, and I can offer him protection you could only dream of. If civil matters disintegrate with Brydran, can you keep him safe? Your golden age is only an illusion, but you already knew that. I won't give you the oil any other way. Will you start a pointless war when a peaceful offer has been laid out before you?"
His fighting spirit was already crumbling, "But part of the contract with Brydran is remaining at odds with Kynæn."
The cunning queen leaned forward, drawing the king's gaze back to hers, flashing him a dangerous grin, "Who do you really want on your side? Brydran's anarchist government is falling apart from the inside out, and when they start a civil war, what side will you choose then? A peace contract through marriage would guarantee my loyalty in a war against them. My fuil have won countless border battles without assistance. Imagine what we could accomplish together?"
That was all it took, and Andronika bit back her triumph.
"Erasmus won't be happy. He's a very free spirit, always dreamed of marrying for love," King Weorran informed her.
"Then don't give him time to ponder it," she insisted, standing up. "We hold a small ceremony tomorrow at sundown, no fan fare. Just the priest and a few witnesses will do. After that I'll give him a month to gather himself and say his goodbyes, but after that my Croí will come to retrieve him. Any objections?"
He shook his head, passing a hand over his face, "No, I suppose not. I'll prepare a place for you and your people to stay. Tomorrow will be...quite a day."
*~*
Andronika refused the separate room offered to her and sat with her back against the wall in one of the empty rooms of the barracks, her Cois at her side and her other warriors scattered around in cots. It was dark, the light of the moon limiting her sight to a few feet in front of her, but that didn't matter. In this moment, with the dark as her friend, she allowed herself a moment of weakness.
Her head fell heavy against Niko's shoulder, and he brought his hand up to smooth over her head without a word. He never questioned her judgement, he never spoke to fill the silence she desperately craved, and he never mentioned these moments to anyone else. He was the foot that remained solid, the pillar she could always rely on.
"You're doing the right thing," he whispered, just to reassure her lingering insecurities.
A sigh left her as she let herself be pulled farther into his support, "I know."
Thank you for reading! =)
Edited by CalliL13
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Bound
FantasyRuaan, the land divided into three. One ruled by King. One ruled by Anarchy. One ruled by Queen. *** Andronika, the queen with no king, had ruled successfully for eight years on her own, but with growing tensions arising with the other two territor...
