Little Queen

18

Idalia's POV

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I insist that Draven shows me around now while everyone is asleep so I don't get lost in the morning and let him lead me blindly through the house by my hand as I take in his home. My home was large enough to keep me entertained for twenty years but Draven's was magnificent. It was very different from home, where we had classic white marble and pillars with gold accents Draven had grey wooden floors, sleek lines and lots of black. Our families have completely different styles but both were beautiful in their own way.

The more of Draven's house I see the more I start to notice that there is nothing personal anywhere in this house. Not that we exactly had family portraits hanging on every wall back home- that wasn't safe- but there were personal touches. Paintings I'd made as a child, pictures of my favorite flowers in the secret gardens, subtle things that only hold meaning for those who already know what they are. Draven didn't have any of that, the only artwork I've seen hanging was a stock item of black metal pieces scattered across a wall in the sitting room. Pretty, but unpersonable.

He tours me through the empty house allowing me to gather my bearings in each room before moving on. Eventually, we head up a staircase in the left-wing of the house that leads to a long hallway with four doors, two on my right, one on my left and one at the end of the hall.

Draven swings the second door on the right open and steps aside, motioning for me to enter.

"And this is your room."

I walk in and spin as I walk to take in the whole room, whoever designed it put a lot of time and effort into it... but it was so, dark. There was slanted dark wood flooring partially covered by a low platform bed with a dark grey duvet hanging down. Black paneled walls lead up to an ornate black ceiling and a large crystal chandelier- the only white thing in this room besides the pillows.

"It's perfect," I say smiling at him. He's done so much that he didn't have to for my sake, he doesn't need to waste his money or his men's time trying to remodel my room for me.

He looks at me skeptically, "Are you sure little one? I know your room back home was brighter, we can remodel this to look however you want."

I'm shaking my head before he can even finish his sentence, "No, no it's a good change. The bedroom is beautiful Draven, your whole house is beautiful."

His eyes brighten as they scan my face. I'm not lying, the entire house is beautiful, just a little cold.

"As long as you're happy little one. My bedroom is the door at the end of the hall, I'll have two guards stationed at your door but no one comes into this wing of the house anyway. All of your stuff is put away but if you need anything you come and get me okay?"

I swallow deeply but give him a small nod. He grips the base of my head and presses a firm kiss to my forehead.

"Goodnight my little one, I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight Draven," I whisper back with my eyes closed. I only open them when I hear the doors click shut behind him.

I stagger back until my calves hit the bed and collapse with a heavy sigh. A hollow chill sinks into my bones and for the first time in nearly eleven years, I feel utterly alone. The sudden assault scares me, I didn't think I would ever feel like this again and it shakes me to my core. I sit on my new bed, slouched and staring out the tall window that is partially covered by long grey drapes that gather on the floor just a bit. I sit like that, fighting off the coldness for what feels like hours before finally forcing myself to my feet. I strip my clothes off on my way to the closet, leaving them where they fall- I'd pick them up when I wasn't so exhausted. A moment of panic surges through me when I realize I don't know where my favorite sleep shirt was put away. Tonight is a night that I really need its comfort.

I calm myself with a few deep breaths and start to dig through all of the t-shirts I can see. Just as the panic is starting to set in again I feel the familiar worn black cotton at the bottom of the stack and can breathe again. It was one of the Maxens band t-shirts from when we were kids, I was sixteen when I finally stole it from him. I knew that it was a Killing Joke t-shirt because he wore it so often but by now the graphic was so worn you could barely make out any of the design. I hated the band's music but Maxen's been obsessed with them for most of my life.

I held the soft fabric to my nose and inhaled deeply, every once in a while when his scent started fading, I would sneak into his bedroom and spray his cologne on each piece of clothing I had stolen from him. Just a small whiff of his scent triggered a sense of peace in me that nothing else seems to create. Luckily I had just re-sprayed all of his clothes right before the ball. I slip the shirt over my head and pull my hair from the neckline, making my way back to bed.

I peel the bedspread back and gently crawl into the soft sheets trying not to muss the bedding too badly. I grip the pillow tightly trying to fall back asleep but the tree branches outside the window keep moving and casting shadows on the walls. I know it's stupid of me but each time a shadow dances across the wall I tense and slow my breathing as if someone was truly in the room with me.

The stress of the night; moving, the empty feeling coming back and not knowing when I would see my family again is getting to me and I don't think I'll ever fall back asleep, especially knowing there are two strangers standing right outside my door.

My entire body is tense and I force myself to keep as still as possible, still too scared to glance around the dark room to make sure no one was in here. I lay like that, curled up and scared until the thoughts of unknown dangers transform into scary thoughts about the strange men that had unobstructed access to me while everyone in the house, including Draven, was sleeping.

I tuck my nose into Maxen's shirt and inhale deeply until I'm able to lull myself into a dream-like state.

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