King Edwards stormed into the Queen's quarters, slamming the doors closed behind him.
"Where is she?" He demanded.
His wife sat by the window peering out. She was unphased by his entrance, in fact she had been expecting him to come.
"Do not make me repeat myself, bitch!" The king screamed, he reached out and grabbed her chair, spinning her to face him.
She winced slightly at his words but maintained her composure. "I don't know what you're talking about, love." Her voice dripped in sarcasm.
"Isadora. Where is she?"
"Darling, she is dead. You, yourself made that announcement just a few days ago. I understand that grieving is a process but maybe you need some rest."
"Do not dare talk down to me! Did you forget that I am the reason you are still here? Need I remind you how easy it would be to snap my fingers and end whatever silly game you think you're playing? You were nothing before I found you. You are nothing. Now where is she?" The king was practically shaking in anger. His fists were tightly clenched as he looked at his wife.
She was so fragile these days. But he supposed that was to be expected with the amount of use he got out of her. The truth was not that the king was rightfully a fair and just ruler, but in fact that he had the impossible on his side.
He thought back to the moment they met, when he was nearly a young prince. He had been out riding with the guard for one reason- to hunt and kill any Rhyle that stood in their way. His father, the king, had always believed that no good could come in a world of magic. In fact even the m-word would be spat off of his tongue like it were poisoned. But when the prince encountered his first rhyle, he knew how wrong his father was.
The rhyles were impossibly dangerous and cunning. Faster than any royal technology and deadlier than any weapon that money could buy. The young Edwards prince finally understood that the only way to overthrow his fathers old tasteless laws was to bring something into the kingdom that had never existed before- the impossible. Magic.
So when he came across an impossibly beautiful female in the outer lands of Ostshore, he knew that he was lucky. But never could he believe that the woman was actually the target of their raid. One glimpse of the dark in her eyes and he seized his opportunity- taking the girl and bringing her back to the palace with him as soon as possible. Demanding their marriage. And then beginning to use her powers.
It was slow at first- make the royal guards forget where his room was so they could have privacy. Or seal off the entire Eastern wing of the palace to deter any meddlers. But once the prince got a taste of it all he soon became obsessed.
When the order came: "Kill the King and Queen," Nadia couldn't help but believe it was a joke. But she quickly learned just how truthful the king was. She didn't have a choice. It was allow the man who loved her to have what he wanted or risk her own life in defiance. So Nadia slipped into the royals quarters and had crushed their throats to appease her lover. Since that moment she had continued to be the Kings secret weapon. He would tap into her power whenever he needed, which is why she had aged so quickly.
Recently the years of dangerous magic had caught up to her and every moment that passed brought her closer and closer to the edge of darkness. And looking at the Queen now, the king could sense that something within her had changed. The specks of darkness that once dotted her eyes had now spread into thick black ink spots that seemed to over most of her eye. She looked furious, but maintained her composure.
"If you believe that I would risk the safety of my daughter so that you could continue your silly games than I think that you have forgotten just who you are dealing with." The strength in her voice surprised even her.
