"You will sit here until the earth eats away at your bones, and for you, my dear sister, that will be a very long time indeed ..."
*
After the use of dark magic, Liro is outcast from the sisterhood, stripped of her immortal grace and lifespan. Lef...
The Queen was cutting a fearsome figure. She no longer wore her overly large scarf from before, and her hair had been let down in loose, bright red ringlets. Her crown rested just atop her head. Glittery and easily the most noticeable item in the study.
"I do think a request from your Queen should have instilled you both with a bit of hurry," she drawled, knitting her fingers together in front of her. "I don't choose my hunters for their impressive lack of speed."
Kier's jaw flicked, and Liro worked to keep her face expressionless. The Queen was baiting them; and Liro was irritated enough that she thought about falling for it.
"You may sit." The Queen gestured to two chairs, placed carefully on the opposite side of her desk. She neglected to sit with them.
Every inch of the Queen's study was precisely placed and polished. Nothing was out of order, and even the way the light cascaded down through the windows drew on a foreboding air. If Liro hadn't been so apprehensive, she would have offered a compliment.
A slyly worded, sweet compliment. Words hiding barbs beneath them.
"You called us here as a matter of business, Your Highness," Liro stated blandly. "Is there anything we can do for you?"
The Queen didn't bat an eye. "That would be the only reason I've called you here, yes."
Kier's lips didn't even flinch at Liro's reprimanding.
"I have run into an ... obstacle whilst dealing with the Eastern Kingdom," the Queen bit out sharply. "A relative of the deceased, Lord Hexley, has been opposed to negotiation between our two parties." Her mouth tightened in annoyance. "And this relative holds much sway over the final decision."
Liro's heart froze at the mention of Hexley. She wondered if Kier could sense the dread practically leaking from her pores. It wouldn't surprise her.
She'd always known that Hexley would act as a bargaining chip for the Queen. The fact that his name was resurfacing was hardly unexpected. Yet to bring him up now, and with the prying eyes of a relative ...
It was no secret what the Queen wanted her to do. She could practically hear the Queen speaking the words to her aloud, as if Kier weren't sitting in the chair beside her.
Eliminate them.
More blood on the hands of this mortal body.
Liro forced ice to fill up her lungs as she spoke. "And what would be our role in this negotiation?"
"You, my dear, will do very little," the Queen replied. "As a witness to the final state of Lord Hexley, I find you might take this task ... personally." Her eyes cut to Kier. "Though I see no way for you to do it alone."
Kier didn't hesitate. "With all due respect, Your Highness, I'm sure I am capable of delivering a message."
"I hope you don't mean one written on paper, Kier, or I will have dangerously misjudged your intellect."
Kier was silent. Even if he hadn't been speaking so literally, now was not the time to fire back hasty, half-thought responses.
"What sort of message do you have in mind?" Liro interrupted, the words barely escaping past her teeth. At the Queen's silence, she clenched her fist. "Your Highness."
The Queen licked her lips. "One that makes him silent. He cannot be obsessed with this unfortunate accident - and anything he claims will frame someone in this castle." Her eyes dived over them both, lingering just a moment longer on Liro. "I would prefer you handle this discreetly."
"What are you asking us to do?" Kier didn't keep the terse undertones from his voice. Liro imagined that it was rather because he couldn't. This conversation was only revealing the insanity of the entire situation.
"I will provide you both with the necessary equipment to infiltrate the Eastern Kingdom's royal court. There is to be a ball celebrating the successful, twenty year reign of their current King," the Queen continued sharply. "Due to the nature of this assignment, the King and I will not be attending, as I am experiencing a rather vicious stomach sickness." She eyed them both pointedly. "You are to obtain this problem and bring him to a currently undisclosed location."
She adjusted the crown atop her head with the very tips of her fingers. "And that will be it."
Liro blinked.
It was entirely too easy; some vital piece of information must have been missing from the Queen's explanation. Yet it's simplicity also conveyed an overwhelming level of complexity.
There was little room for error.
Kier's voice was strained as he spoke. Liro could practically hear him processing his words as he said them. "Once we have all of the equipment, when do you plan for us to depart? And when does this ball take place?"
The Queen inclined her head towards him slightly. "You will leave in three days time. Everything should be sorted by then. You must ride southeast for two days to reach the Eastern Kingdom. On the fourth day, the ball will take place." Her eyes darkened. "Do not miss the ball."
Liro's ears were ringing. She would be leaving the castle for the better part of a week. The thought was exhilarating and terrifying. Yet the idea of her sisters roaming the woods, with the only person aware of them away, sent her heart stuttering.
What if she came back to another rotting corpse?
Would she be to blame for that as well? It wasn't unfathomable.
Chills hooked their way down her arms, as if piercing her skin with thick daggers carved of ice. Liro forced her body to remain straight as her resolve as her body began to shake.
She swallowed. "Is there anything else of immediate importance, Your Highness?" Her voice sounded like a strangers to her own ears.
"Ah, yes," the Queen continued. "The first order of business is fittings." Liro visibly flinched. "You can not attend this ball looking like you were just rolling with the pigs." She eyed Kier's attire. "I will have all of the appropriate attire ready for you both in a travelling case before your departure." She paused. "We will have a more detailed discussion within the next two days."
Liro and Kier bowed their heads rigidly, as if neither of them truly wanted to acknowledge the conversation.
Nor the Queen.
"You may go. I would like to have you both fitted first thing in the morning. Find your way to my study by daybreak," she said coolly. "Discretion, remember. I would hate to have you both fall on your swords." Her eyes cut to Liro.
Liro's heart jolted.
The Queen turned her gaze to stare out the window facing he courtyard. "You're both dismissed."
Liro wasn't sure if it was her weary joints creaking or her resolve shattering that made the noise as she rose.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Thanks for reading the latest chapter of LIRO! If you enjoyed it, remember to comment or vote :)
