Golden Horns and Red Thorns

Relive

//

TERA

//

They walked me through what remained of the castle. The room in which I stayed in for the first thousand years of my life was left untouched, but nature took its course across the planet, and the wall that used to protect me from the outside was now a gaping hole. There was a light breeze, dead stiff leaves crinkling at the movement and fluttered to my feet as I walked in.

My chest was heaving, the anxiety growing with each step I took throughout. My whole life I could feel almost nothing but ire, but now a new feeling settled within me with almost as much strength as the fury carried. I held on to the staff for support - it posed more as a walking stick at the moment.

~

The Brother Kings looked down at the weapon that had clattered to the floor from my surprise at seeing them. They gasped in unison, color-blocked eyes growing wide.

"The Infinity Stones..." Anger whispered in disbelief. "H-How? How are you living still? Their power should have killed you... You are without magic-"

Ire interrupted, "Is she?"

"I am. I was born without it, that was the cause of my banishment-"

"Born without it? Or is it dormant?"

"W-what?"

All Ire did was smile at me knowingly. 'Dormant? Was it even possible for magic to be... Dormant?'

Anger grew more curious as I picked the staff up, strapping it to my back. "Last we were aware, The Mighty Titan had the Infinity Stones."

"I'll explain that later."

~

I walked around the room, my fingers tracing along almost every object, creating a trail in the dust and dirt that covered just about everything. I walked to my bed, my hand resting on the sheets that were still unmade from when I was stripped from them that night when I was cast out. I remember it like it was yesterday.

The planet was strangely quiet that day. I wasn't allowed out of the castle walls, or even out of my room. The handmaiden tucked me in that night - no song or story like she usually gifted me with so I could sleep. A part of me was acutely aware of what might happen, but I never wanted to believe that my own parents could do that to me. I did not sleep that night. The moon light shined through the curtains, casting patterns on my face through the lace of the fabric. A calm scene turned to chaos. The guard ripped me from my bed. I screamed and sobbed and pounded on his chest as he cradled me, running from my room and throughout the palace. He put his hand around my small head, holding me close and up to his mouth. His whispers and cooing of telling me it was going to be alright where laced with lie. And he knew it. I could feel he knew that nothing would be okay - not for me, at least.

I blinked briskly, keeping my tears at bay.

"They did you utterly wrong." Anger stated with remorse.

I mumbled sharply, "Damn right they did." I breathed out, pulling up the sheets of the bed, and tucking them in. I fixed the pillow, fluffing it to get rid of the indent where my head laid. "I'm done here."

"There is something we would like to show you, my Queen." Ire offered, parting Anger's side to let me pass through the door. I cringed at the title. It felt wrong. To be disowned from my people, and to know I was the only Terinnian left. 'What was I even Queen of now? A planet of ruins?'