When the Sun Fell |✔|

32

The news quickly spread around the castle of the bet that the Winter King had made with the Galexious Queen.

The guests and court members whispered among themselves, curiosity and confusion swirling together at the interaction. Hunters who had been a part of the trip - who had been witness to the events that had taken place - slipped in details and painted the image for others to see.

Different versions of what had taken place emerged. Some confused the instigator and claimed it had been the Galexious Queen who had started such a thing. She was jealous, they whispered, she used to be his but is not anymore.

Others, who were not as close to the Winter Kingdom, said differently as they conversed quietly together, I heard he only looked at her. A hunter told me he placed his best man against a female with a broken shoulder...he would get one thing he desired from her should he win.

And then the startled winner emerged from the bet.

Some saw it.

The image of the Galexious Queen astride her steed, the body of the snowcat draped in front of her. The hunters who had stayed behind refusing to answer any questions from curious onlookers. The look of blank terror that came over then when asked what had happened.

I saw the cuts on her skin, one worker of the palace whispered, I saw the cuts on her skin of the animal - claw marks there on her arms.

They watched the procession. The guests of the winter wedding tried to be discreet in their observation. The panic had already spread late in the night when the noise of horses rushing out desperately with the physician and new Winter Queen was heard. They knew something had gone wrong.

Who is she? They whispered now.

She was a payment. Given by her father, accepted by the Winter King to repay the debt of her Kingdom. She was the property of him. Title stripped. Identity taken. She was exchanged again, this time for peace instead of money, to the Galexious King. She became their Queen.

The workers of the palace, those who had taken her in, and seen her work and laugh while she played in the snow. Who had flashes of memory come back to them now of a woman who had stood up to their King. A woman who had saved a boy from drowning. Someone who had come to the Winter Court in the traditional dress of the Summer Lands.

The workers frowned at the whispered gossip of the guests who tried to piece together the image of the bloody girl and fit it to the title of Queen.

None of the royals or distinguished members of the court bothered to ask simple palace workers what they thought. What their opinion was. But they had an answer every time they saw the women lean in together, or the males nodding their heads- saying that question, "who is she?"
The workers would remain quiet, silently shaking their heads at the description that was given.

They knew the real one that should have been said.

She is a girl who rose above her situation. She is a woman who took a darkness and tried to see light. She is someone who makes others laugh before herself. She is a hard worker. She is bound internally by the traditions of her homeland. She tries to carry herself with dignity, holding her head high when she knows those around her wish to see it fall.

That's who she is, they wanted to say.

*   *   *

Josiah felt exhaustion fill him.

He watched Lumi sleep. The day was just starting, the long night of endurance done. He looked at the fresh bandages that had been applied to her arms and shoulder. He winced as he saw the light graze of claw marks along her neck.