Wintersmoon

Chapter 11- The Syrup Coated Queen

Previously
     Seated on the white chaise lounge sofa directly below the window sill was the King of Everlit; Mr. High-And-Mighty, himself; was accompanied by Reys, Katilla -the Royal princess- and Queen Katïste. Although Salous, the King's mistress, was nowhere to be found. All with stern expressions resting on their perfect faces, except for Reys who stood there like a concerned child with a worried look upon his chiselled god-like face. He reminded me of Shæyn, for some reason, when he realised that Mother had stayed true to her word and wasn't cooking him food for a week, due to his behaviour at work and the complaints we received from the neighbours about the secret party's he'd been having when Mother had to visit another town, and he had to make it himself.
    The King smiled, it not reaching his eyes. Through the façade I could clearly see his cold eyes burning with hatred for me.
    "I see you've received your first ancestral memory." He stated.
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    Hours later, once again I was stationed upon the lavish quilts of the bed, looking through the white chiffon draped from the canopied, spiralled wooden bedpoles. I debated the conversation I'd had with the royal family earlier.
Not only had Reys not told me he was acquainted with the Royals, he also hadn't explained that he was Sarys Træcy, the Prince in line for the throne of Everlit. The King had explained that my ancestral memory was a vision of whoever my ancestor was. I didn't tell him what happened or where I was, just that it was a dark dungeon that I'd been in and there was a man there.
    He pressed me for details, but after a while gave up when I wouldn't give in. The other family members stayed quiet, except when Katïste would drop in snide and sarcastic comments.
When they were about to leave, I murmured wait quietly but just loudly enough for them to hear me.
"Yes, sweetie?" The Queen smiled with a sticky honey-drenched smile, way too enthusiastically.
"I want to see my family."
She tilted her head and looked at me, eyes glazed over with something that was unrecognisable. She narrowed them until I was sure she couldn't see through the slits she had left and then gave another sickly-sweet smile and replied, "Right away, sweetie-pie."

After the family had left, I balanced myself precariously on the window sill and smiled at the grounds. The vast expanse of greenery called Everlit circulated around the castle. It carried on for acres and acres in every single direction until it got to the Borders of the other Kingdoms. Ketan was Southernly and straight ahead, Asher was to the East and Becca to the West. The rest of the Kingdoms were at the bottom of Midkami, our continent, and were Northernly and cold.
    We were different to the all of the other Kingdoms. They may all live on the surface or below the soil but we lived in the trees. The only people who live in the ground are the elderly who can't climb the trees. Or the witch covens... Everyone kept well away from there and if they didn't then the gossip instantly started.
Last year, one of Mother's friends visited to see the witches because she couldn't have a child and there had been rumours months after that she had caught one of the strands of Pymees disease and was dying. Of course she wasn't, but we didn't know that until weeks after.
Knock knock.
"Come in!"
In walked the people I was hoping to see. My family.