The Violet-Eyed

Chapter 10

Solaria couldn't believe her ears. This man had just said he wanted to speak with her. She wanted desperately to know what it was he wanted to say, but she knew he would not tell her if he believed her to be somebody else.

"So, what's your name?" Keith broke the silence.

"Um...Rosa. My name is Rosa," Solaria randomly made up a name.

"Well, Rosa, I must say that you look a lot like Solaria from the descriptions I heard. Except your eyes, of course." Keith's eyes twinkled when he talked about Solaria.

Solaria decided to ignore his remark. "It doesn't matter, as you said. She's gone now, and she'll never come back." Setting her mouth into a hard line, she lowered her head. "She wasn't a good queen, but she was a good person. Her death was a tragedy that she didn't deserve." Solaria wasn't telling the truth, but she wasn't completely lying either – the old naïve Solaria was gone, and she had changed drastically after suffering under Sonora. And she definitely did not deserve to hang. Which, naturally, she decided to leave out from the conversation.

Keith nodded thoughtfully. "Tell me more about her."

"No. Tell me more about yourself. You claim to be a Violet-Eyed, but your eyes are brown. I don't believe you. What's your power, then? And why are you so keen on finding Queen Solaria?"

Keith sighed in frustration. "Why should I tell you so much? I don't even know who you are, and for all I care, you might just be some random servant girl. I don't even know if I should trust you. And when you won't even tell me much of your life, how can you expect me to tell mine?"

Keith's words stung Solaria. Standing up to leave, she glared at him. "Fine. Don't tell me, then. And you're right that I'm lowly. I'm a prisoner who was sentenced to death for murder." Absorbing the shock in his reaction, Solaria stalked away, secretly smirking.

"Rosa! Please, come back! I'll...I'll tell you my story, all right?" He was blushing furiously.

Solaria turned back. "So you've decided you want to tell me. Go on, then, I'm listening." She appeared cold, but in truth her heart leapt when he called her back.

"I grew up in a small town. My parents cared for me, and I had a happy childhood. But there was a girl...oh, how I loved her. But soon I found myself abducted by a cruel stranger. He tried to kill me and left me for dead, but I survived. I ran far, far away, living the life of a wanderer. I heard of Queen Solaria and so I came to see her."

"Would you...would you know someone called Martin? Martin Dalian. He suffered a similar fate. I...haven't seen him for so long. I'm j-just wondering if you might have seen him with you when you were abducted," Solaria asked, terrified of what she might hear.

"Ah, Martin. He was abducted with me, yes. I once knew him, but he died there. I'm sorry." Keith muttered.

Solaria sat there in shock. She had guessed Martin would not have survived, but it still hit her hard. She grieved for the friend and lover she had cherished so much, before her queenship had ruined everything. Before it had ruined her life, taking away her freedom.

"Are you okay?" Keith asked cautiously.

"Yeah, sure I am. I'm definitely okay when I just found out my friend has died. Anyway, aren't you afraid of me? I'm a bloodthirsty murderer, you know." Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Okay, okay, don't bite my head off, alright?" Keith cracked a smile, which Solaria returned for the first time. "I've told my story. It's time that you tell yours."

Solaria recounted her experiences in the palace, only changing her identity to a lowly maid. She told him all about how Queen Solaria had been accused of treason and then murder, and how she and Miriam had been accused of conspiring with the Queen, all thanks to Sonora. Of course she'd mentioned how his arrival had saved the two of them from the gallows, but regrettably not the queen. She explained how it was meant to be a humiliating punishment for her to be given to him. Keith seemed shocked, but merely said "Oh."

"I'm going to ask Miriam to come out of the servant's quarters," she said. Keith shrugged.

Walking into the gloomy servant's quarters, Solaria called for Miriam. "Yes, La-" Solaria clamped a hand over her mouth. "He doesn't know who I am. I told him we were the servants of the dead queen. Don't call me 'Lady Queen'. Call me Rosa, understand?" Miriam was visibly confused, but consented.

Keith tilted his head to look at them. "So, Keith, allow Miriam and I to request a favor from you."

"Yes?"

"Help us overthrow Queen Sonora."