Ephemeral Affairs [MXM]

A Stolen Heart

In the next few hours, I hint at Carcyne's state of being and my family, but they would simply offer an alternative or pretend to not have heard me.

The whole situation is eerie.

On the other side of the structure, deemed as my court, is bathe in the light with a moat filled with shimmering water effects.

Beyond that, lush and green paddies, orchards, simply beautiful fertile lands.

The navy mountains that erect pass the clouds can't be seen and I can only assume we're too far from home.

Instead, the horizon is visible as the land and the sky meet in the far distance.

Nothing is familiar.

With Carcyne in her dull and quite state, I feel more alone than when I traveled up and down Aarth gathering alliances.

But Carcyne sits still like her soul is not in her body. I can only guess at what Nillin, or they, have done to her.

I reach over to hug Carcyne with guilt crushing my bones.

"I'm sorry," I whisper very softly in her ear praying that she might hear my voice.

I turn her face into the light and back in the shadow, while pretending to be checking things on the side of her head.

Her pupils still dilate like normal, and so is her pulse. I mean it's also normal. The pulse.

If it's a spell or a curse, she must've already broken it. I think she is only going along because we're surrounded by the female warriors in the room.

I let go of Carcyne's face, Asahi and I nap quietly in a room bigger and more decorated than any I have ever slept in, and I hear mumbles; but I continue to pretend to be napping.

Not much can be interpret here, but the key phrases are: "uncomfortable for mother and child", "he's not even p—", and "why did I even agree".

From these, I can deductively reason that I'm not pregnant, they know I hate this place, and they're regretting their decisions to wait for me.

A Queen status really doesn't suit me.

While pretending to nap, I continue to observe everyone.

They also observe me with their daring glazes.

My mother and grandmother are both Queens and yet I don't ever recall them being this carefully monitored.

Maybe it's because I wasn't wearing their shoes like I am now.

Did they ever feel like they're in a prison? Or a hostage?

Back to the current situation, I try to communicate with Carcyne however I can.

I try many methods. For example, my carefully paced inhale and exhale, or sending codes through the slightest movement of my index finger.

Maybe I'm thinking too hard about this.

After a while of no respond from Carcyne, I decide to get up and do something.

However, my next task is figuring out what are there to do?

I'm surrounded by tens of people watching my every move.

I ask for fabrics and stuffs for embroidering from the housekeeper. It's a hobby that has grown on me.

Everything looks so expensive and I feel that my inferior embroidery skills will make them a waste.

But there is nothing to do and no one to talk to, so I end up doing embroidery for the rest of the day.