The Queen's Guard (gxg)

a r i s t o c r a t

My heart pounded in my chest, I could hear the blood rushing through my ears, it was deafening. The silence, the sound of nothing, usually that would comfort me, but lately I hadn't gotten much comfort at all in the things I once loved.

I swung my legs out of the bed and felt them trembling profusely, I felt constricted in my own bed. I placed my hand on the bedside table for support, but when I stood, my legs completely gave way, forcing me to fall to the ground and cause a large commotion. Everything on that small table fell to the ground, ending with a crash.

I groaned loudly as I gripped my elbow in pain. It had hit the edge of the table before I had toppled over along with it. That, along with everything else in the moment caused me to cry. Tears managed to escape my eyes and I sobbed quietly in my chambers alone. The wooden drawer had fallen on my back, and I winced in pain.

I heard a knock on my door and the quiet creaking of it as it opened. I shut my eyes, Maia would see me in this state and I didn't want her to. I was weak and vulnerable, I wasn't in my right mind.

I propped myself onto my elbows after pushing the table off and felt my left arm sting painfully. When Maia entered, she rushed to me in a panic infused state, "Raven!" She ran to me and helped me upward.

I laughed despite everything and gripped my wound tight, "You're the only one who calls me that anymore."

"Hey," Maia helped me stand and pulled me onto my bed, "don't cry. I'm here now it's okay."

I gritted my teeth as I attempted to straighten my back. I watched intently as she hurriedly picked up the things that had fallen, "Thanks."

She smiled and dismissed it with the wave of a hand.

I was cradling my arm in pain when she had turned back to face me. A small smile played on her lips as she knelt in front of me, "Darling, just what do you think you're doing waking up this early in the morning?"

"I had a nightmare." I whispered quietly. The tears found their way back to my eyes again, "It was terrible."

"Was it about the bandits?" She asked pulling at the hem of her tunic.

"Something of the sorts." I replied wiping the tears from my eyes.

Maia ripped the end of her shirt off and gently wrapped it around my wounded elbow, "You know, trying to walk when you're half asleep doesn't help matters at all."

I sighed and ran a hand through my messy black hair, "It felt like I was suffocating in there." Tears tainted my eyes, "It was so cold as well."

"Hey." Maia placed a gentle hand on my knee and looked up to me. Even in the dim-lit room of mine, I could see every feature of hers. The blue eyes that pierced my soul, her kind and reassuring smile, her soft ivory skin, everything she was, was right in front of me, "Don't cry, My Darling. This cruel world doesn't deserve your tears."

"How do I do this Maia? How did Nichola do it?"

The woman in front of me paused for a moment before speaking to me, "She simply continued with her duties, no matter how hard it got."

"That seems a lot easier said than done." I remarked scoffing, "Did she ever feel empty and cold inside? Did she ever feel this way?"

"Probably, it's the hardship a queen must endure no matter what."

"Death threats? Every queen and king must endure that?"

"Raven..." She sighed, her expression turned into a worried one, "Try not to think about it."