The First Queen

29 - Dark and Twisted

I couldn't help my surprised and distressed scream when the door to the kitchens slammed open, snapping the plank of wood into fifths against the wall.

Aliana ducked behind her slightly taller brother who ended up cowering behind me as a bulky figure appeared in the doorway.

"You," I growled, narrowing my eyes at the man with a sword in his hands.

I recognised him as the man who called me a 'bastard wildgirl' when I announced my title of Queen to the city in the plaza.

"This is what you deserve..." He grunted, edging closer to me and my grip tightened on the blade in my hands, "You did this to yourself."

The man raised the blade above my head but I blocked and as the two swords collided, I tremored under the immense power and lurched backwards into Taman who sidestepped and drew a long, curved dagger from his waistband.

"Begone, Peasant!" Taman grumbled and I glared daggers at him.

"What did you call me, boy?" He hissed and Taman gulped as his sister took him by the shoulders and dragged him away from the man.

"You don't need to do this." I declared, straightening the blade in the man's direction.

"Yes, I do." He snarled, narrowing his eyes at me, "We need a king to save us from the disaster you put us in! We need Prince Remiel!"

My composure cracked just for a moment before I hardened my expression again, "There is nothing Prince Remiel could do that I can't, so what makes you so sure that a king is what you need?"

"Because with a king, my family wouldn't be dead!" He snapped and I was taken aback.

"I'm so sorry... But what do I have to do with your family?" I asked him, keeping my voice as level as I could.

"My family was killed in the battle at Talhiar... All because of you!" He growled but I shook my head.

"Talhiar was a tragedy but it had nothing to do with me... Talhiar was attacked because of King Julius..." I stated but he let out a guttural grunt.

"Lies!" He snapped, charging forward and slamming his body weight into me.

I shrieked as my back hit the wall and the blade in my hands clattered to the flagstone floor. My knees buckled beneath me as the man loomed above me, glaring down at me in disgust.

"Look at you!" He snarled, "So weak!"

He grabbed at the collar of my gown and hauled me to my feet where I struggled in his grip. The cold caress of steel against my throat made me gulp as I looked him in the eyes.

"I'm not weak," I growled through gritted teeth.

"And yet here you are..." He shook his head in disbelief.

"Elia!", Aliana's voice was a welcome distraction, "Your markings!"

I glanced down at my chest and spotted nothing out of the ordinary and that was when I picked up what she was putting down.

"I'm not weak!" I shouted, pressing all of my weight into shoving the man off of me.

It was like muscle memory as the man tumbled backwards into the benchtop and struck his head against a hanging pot. He groaned in pain but recovered quicker than I did.

I braced my hands above my head as the man hoisted his blade high in the air in the blink of an eye and I let out a scream, slamming my eyes shut.

I heard a squishing noise and a grunt of pain followed by the sound of a sword crashing against the floor.