ONE DARK QUEEN ❖ (A Three Dark Crowns Tale)

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR: THE RADURON ENCAMPMENT

The shadow's feast is surprisingly plentiful and grand considering that they aren't natural hunters. Some can use crossbows but those usually prove to heavy so shadows just suffocate all the animals instead. A cheater's way of hunting but shadows aren't always hunter physically, they are hunters mentally and that makes them arguably more dangerous. The fact it was night when the Hunt took place helped seeing as shadows are the only nocturnal people on the island.

All of the Radurons have honourary seats at Queen Arwen's table where Cierra sits at the head of it, with Arwen and Ebony at her side. The silk tablecloth is an obsidian pool of darkness that stretches across the dark expensive mahogany. It is a representation of both Arwen and the mighty shadow gift.

Cierra is clad in a silver dress with matching grand jewellery and her silver hair is piled on top of her head, sitting there like a crown and she has a permanently smug expression that Arwen would love to punch off sometimes.

Arwen watches her foster mother intently, how she cuts her meat up into sickeningly perfect sized squares and how she eats so carefully and with grace. She watches as Cierra surveys all those seated at the table, she handpicked them all from her various cousins and relations, any one with Raduron blood in their veins or any who are as sickeningly wealthy as Cierra is herself.

All of the people seated have an array of hair ranging from the darkest of blacks to the lightest of whites, all with pale skin. The Radurons mainly have silver hair or a silvery white. Some rare ones have jet black hair. Their hair colours are all terribly boring, all just shades. She recognises of a few of the Radurons but not everyone of them, they all look at her like she is a prize, a trove of treasure. But the promise of power is the only treasure any shadows care about and Arwen is power.

Cierra's younger cousin, Orpheus, sits next to Ebony, who then sits near Narine Haven, a wealthy young woman from a respectable shadow family. Arwen knows that Cierra hopes that Orpheus and Narine will marry one day, the Havens are the second most powerful shadow family after all and they would increase Cierra's own wealth.

Arwen expression suddenly softens as she sees Ebony offering her a reassuring smile. Arwen takes a moment to appreciate her favourite Raduron. Ebony looks truly stunning tonight, in a simple yet elegant midnight blue dress with matching extravagant jewellery, her silvery loose white curls cascade down her back in a waterfall of moonlight and her hair looks like precious pearls gleaming in the blue ocean and her lips adorn a dark mauve shade. Arwen smiles in response to Ebony's reassurance in thanks, sometimes her hatred of Cierra threatens to consume her. It has gotten worse lately, ever since that incident at the Breccia Domain.

She can't really remember what happened but every time she asks Klaude he pales considerably and changes the subject. It is rather odd but mainlanders are odd generally. Speaking of mainlanders, Arwen thinks, tomorrow is when the Disembarking will commence, the suitors will row to the shore and present themselves to her, Carina and Nalani. Then the Quickening. After that the Ascension begins.