Dark Queen

xi.

     If another servant girl stuck one more pin into her already bleeding scalp, Zora was going to toss her outside of the Walls for the Nefari to find. She snarled, gripping the armrests of her chair tighter.

     "Ow! Fools, mind my skin!" she hissed. "Otherwise, those fancy rubies in my hair won't be the only red here." The girl doing her hair mumbled an apology and resumed her work, taking extra care to avoid poking the pins too far.

     Zora sighed, slouching in her elegant chair, eye fixed upon a point on the ceiling. She had no idea what she looked like, as the servant girls had removed her mirror, claiming that "it was a surprise".

     It was bad enough that they'd practically stripped her naked, stuffing her into a gown of wine-red that she barely looked at. It was probably as atrocious as the rest of the noble women's.

     And lord help her with that godsdamned corset. Zora was already sucking in her stomach as far as it could go, and still, she felt like her ribs would snap.

     Someone tapped her cheek. She frowned, but opened her mouth as red dye was spread over her lips.

     The girl doing her hair finally finished whatever elaborate design she'd been creating and stepped back, bowing before slipping out the room. Zora resisted the urge to scream, to pull out the bejeweled pins adorning her locks, and to rip the itchy fabric to shreds.

     But of course she couldn't. So there she sat, every second ticking by tearing at her patience and sanity.

     "Princess, we are almost finished," whispered the girl by her feet, slipping stiff obsidian heels onto Zora's numb feet. The cool stone kissed her chilled feet.

     She almost sobbed with relief, but kept the tears in check for fear of ruining the black kohl lining her eye. "At last," she rasped, painted fingers trembling at the prospect of freedom.

     The day had finally come for her to fall out of the nest, albeit it was a rather hated one. Today, a handsome prince could sweep her off her feet and into a kingdom of equality.

     Zora needed out of this hell. Every day, the King whittled away at her patience. She couldn't stand it. This morning he'd spat in her face, screaming for her to find a husband and secure a prosperous union for Etharia. He also did this to her remaining sisters.

     But the real insult had come from Gregori, her brother. Now nineteen, he as at his prime to inherit the throne. She clenched her teeth at the thought of the brainless child who would soon hold everyone's lives in his palm. That morning, he'd shoved her down the stairs.

     Zora had nearly broken her neck. It was only be sheer luck that she'd managed to catch hold of a railing and haul herself up.

     The final touch was the painful pinching of her cheeks to bring more color into them. The maids swiveled Zora around in her chair so she faced the mirror, and Zora gasped. Her hand flew to the sparkling choker at her throat.

     The woman in the mirror was not her. It was someone else with flushed cheeks and ruby lips. The crimson gown accentuated what little curves she possessed, and the artfully lined kohl made her green eye piercing. Her dark hair cascaded down her shoulders like an onyx waterfall.

     Her ruined eye was concealed with an exquisite black velvet mask. It didn't even seem out of place. Its delicate laces framed her cheekbones and arched eyebrows.

     She was ethereal...but she was not Zora. That smile was fake, and so were her breasts, which seemed larger but in reality were only padded.

     Only her eye relayed her true feelings: utter despair. The girl who'd done her hair gently patted her shoulder, leaning in to whisper, "His Royal Majesty wishes to see all the Princesses in the throne room in a few minutes. You'd best hurry."

     Zora could barely nod. She gathered up the edges of her dress and slipped out the room.

     She only had ten sisters of age now. Ekaterlina, Anzhelika, and many of the others had been married off already, either to distant kingdoms or noblemen. Their marriages had created steady alliances that benefited Etharia.

     Zora fell into line alongside Galina, who'd grown from a spindly child into a rather tall and graceful lady. "Why has he summoned us?" she whispered. Galina shrugged, curling a strand of dark hair behind an ear.

     "Who knows? Probably to yell at us for being girls."

     And so they waited. They stood there for so long, their legs began aching. Zora was about to just walk away when her sire swept into the room. His cold eyes assessed each of them, all dressed in their finery. He was dressed in richly designed robes. His ceremonial crown sat upon his head, glittering even more as if it knew today was a special occasion.

     "Do you know why I've summoned you?" His words rang out through the silent room. No one dared to answer. "I said, do you know why I've summoned you?" he repeated, this time with more ferocity. Galina jumped.

     "N-no, Your Majesty," she rasped, speaking for them all. Zora's sisters nodded their assent. The King snorted.

     "Tonight is a very important night. We only have these once every four years. Important people from kingdoms all over the continent will be here. Many of them will be unmarried kings, princes, or noblemen. It's your job to be married so we can secure alliances with other strong superpowers."

     His voice turned menacing. "If by midnight you have not caught the eye of a man, then you are a disgrace, and there is no point in you remaining in this palace. I'll cast you onto the streets, and maybe a swineherd will take pity and take you as his wife."

     The King left them standing there in shock.

     His words were clear: marry, or be kicked out.

hello! so, October is pretty much over...meaning it's almost time for NANOWRIMO!! For those of you who don't know, nanowrimo is Nation Novel Writing Month. So during the month of November, I have to set a goal for at least 50,000 words... (why am I doing this to myself). So yeah! Expect (hopefully) frequent updates!

Discussion Questions: Do you think Zora is going to catch someone's eye? (hint: look at the summary :)) How will everyone react to this new rule?