Queen's Light

One of Many

She was walking through the castle, specifically the northern wing.

She wore her thick, velvet red coat, the one she could only wear indoors.

Her fingers were laden with rings of all manner of shapes and sizes and design.

The heavy tapestries on the walls swayed in the breeze of the open windows.

A few of the maids were beating out the rugs.

They smiled and bowed as she passed them by.

She smiled back.

Her kindness felt forced.

She walked.

She did not know where she was going or where she had come from.

She did not know what she was going to be doing whenever she reached her mysterious destination.

A song echoed around her, one that seemed familiar but she was sure she had never heard before.

Before she knew it, she was in the courtyard.

The fountain burbled pleasantly, and the sounds of birdsong and the rustle of leaves graced her ears.

Sitting on the bench before the fountain, his back to her, bent over a book of some sort, was the Seneschal.

She came forward, her steps loud though he seemed to be unable to hear them.

She heard him sigh.

He glanced up to the fountain.

The water seemed almost pearlescent in the early morning sun.

Rhiannon walked past him, further into the courtyard.

Standing before a rose bush was the Knight, fondling one of the fat rose's petals.

She didn't seem to hear the queen approaching either as she raised the flower to her nose.

As Rhiannon watched, Conri pricked her finger on one of the rose's unforgiving thorns.

Instead of wincing in pain, Conri merely let the blood drip from her finger onto the rose's leaves.

Moving on, Rhiannon spotted the Jester climbing the great oak tree.

"Higher...higher!"

Klara seemed to be repeating it to herself.

Again, just as with the other two, she did not pay any mind to the queen's presence, and continued to go about her business as if Rhiannon were not there.

"My Lady Queen!"

A tug at the edge of her consciousness.

Was she hearing voices now?

"Your Majesty, wake up!"

She was awake.

She was certain.

"Your Grace, you've been asleep all morning. It is nearly time for breakfast."

Was she asleep?

She didn't feel asleep.

"Your Highness, please."

She awoke at the shaking of her shoulder, feeling as though she'd been ripped out of her own mind. Her maid was shaking her about like a rag doll, her grip like iron. Rhiannon took a deep breath.

It had been another dream. But what did it mean? And why was it so peaceful, in complete juxtaposition with the dreams she'd been having lately? Was this the eye of the hurricane to come? Was there something she was missing?

Occasionally, she would have a premonition of an average day in the castle, but this one had been different. None of the others had seemed to have been able to see her, or even know she was there.

"Time for breakfast, my queen," said the maid, scampering off to Rhiannon's wardrobe.

Dazed, Rhiannon reached for the small journal by her bedside.

This was a dream she didn't want to forget.