Lovely Dark Things

ONE (RUBY POV)

"Excuse me, Dread Lady. The Queen wants to see you."

It's very cold in the corridors of Baalberith castle... it's always cold here. Outside, dark storm clouds swirl in the sky and wind pushes snow flurries against the windows covering the glass with frost. My footsteps and the ones of the guard that's walking behind me echo through the empty corridors, only a few courtiers dare to get out of their rooms in the dead of winter unless the King calls them to a council meeting or a gala dinner. Summer isn't much better, although there's more light and temperature goes up till being bearable, but as I've said... it's always cold here. Guards aren't as lucky and wrap themselves up with fur coats trying to keep warm while they stand still watching doors or escorting aristocrats, like the one who's walking one step behind me. Torches hanging here and there on the walls seem unable to fight the darkness and the circle of light around them is faint, barely enough to see where you're putting your feet and where you're heading. It's easy to get lost here, there're too many towers, galleries, corridors and rooms. I don't recommend it: if you get lost, you'll end up dying most likely. I was born in this castle, fortunately, and I could walk around with my eyes closed... and a knife in my hand, just in case.

The massive antechamber that leads to the Queen's rooms has a beautiful floor made of colourful stones creating circles. I've lost count of how many hours of my life I've spent staring at this floor, following those lines with my eyes trying not to die of boredom. Sometimes I preferred to look at the stunning white and gold coffered ceiling for a change, fifteen columns support the railing of the balcony running along the second floor and there're nine smaller columns in the balcony above the majestic marble staircase that overlooks the room. I counted them because I had nothing better to do. This is the antechamber where courtiers wait for Her Majesty the Queen Mother to receive them in audience. It doesn't matter if you have made an appointment in advance or if you arrived on time, exactly when they told you to be here, you'll always wait for hours, the whole morning, even days sometimes. The Queen loves this mind game, when you finally get the honour of being in her presence your muscles hurt, stiff after hours fighting against the cold of the stone floor and the icy gusts of air coming from the corridors; you're exhausted, weakened, humiliated no matter the high position you have at the Court.

Her servants love the game too. The Queen's Chamberlain is a pathetic little man, of average height and dull facial features even for a dark elf: pale skin, grey eyes and dark hair that's starting to get grey after living for centuries serving the monarchs, and sticking-out ears with a pointed tip, of course. His only merit is coming from a good family, he never excelled in academics or stood out in time of war, he's not a member of the King's Council... Making those aristocrats that are of superior social rank wait for hours is the greatest satisfaction of his life. I'm pretty sure he forces the visitors to come here hours before they need only to see them pacing up and down the room impatiently. That's his way of showing off his power, the small amount he has... dark elves are always greedy for power and we try to get more by all means possible. That's why I'm shocked and worried after hearing his words, such haste isn't normal...

"The Queen is waiting for you both downstairs, follow me, please."

'Both?' I think confused. And that's when I hear the echo of footsteps walking through the room behind me and I see my brother standing next to me out of the corner of my eye, he looks back at me equally surprised. This is... quite unusual. Argyle and I are children of the same father, but not of the same mother despite we're the same age, and we've barely talked in our lifetime. We didn't grow together, actually, we don't' have common childhood memories, we never played or shared birthday parties. When we run into each other in corridors, in some events held in the castle halls or in family meetings with our father, we just nod at the other as a greeting and mind our own business. The only time when we got "closer" was when a rival clan tried to unseat our family from its preeminent position at Court and we both fought together against them. I can't say we like each other but if someone tries to screw our House, he'll stand against us both: it's not a matter of pride, our own survival in this kingdom depends on our position, we must be part of the highest aristocracy to stay alive. Regardless of our fighting skills, being the children of the Captain of the Guard and Right Hand of the King it's what stops some people from stabbing our backs.