I collapsed to my knees and screamed. Again and again until my throat was raw and my eyes burned. I fell forward on the ground, digging into the grass and ripping it from the earth. The pain of losing my girls was too intense to take in . . . and now my sweet son, away from my arms when all I wanted to do was hold him against my chest and breathe him in.
My beautiful babies.
Tallis put his hand on my back. I reached out for him, allowing my dearest friend to take hold of me as the sorrow tore through my heart.
“We’ll discover what is happening.” His thin golden armor pressed against my back, and I hated that I couldn't feel the warmth of his hug when I needed it.
“I don’t understand,” I sobbed, curling into myself. “We have guards stationed at night. It makes little sense. There are no wounds. There’s no struggle. Why is this happening? Who have we angered?”
Tallis had no answers.
“I must see the king.”
“No.” Tallis shifted me in his arms until he could look into my eyes. “The king is unhinged and it’s better if you let him be.”
There were infrequent days when the king was the man I had once loved. More often, he was someone else, finding comfort in his human witches instead of the queen he swore to love forever.
“He’ll most likely drink until he passes out.” Tallis pulled me out of his grasp. “You should rest. Let me return you to your room. I’ll have the blade dancers stand guard outside your door.”
“No, I can’t sleep. I need answers. My daughter needs a proper burial.”
“The priests will take care of it. The king will want to know where Kane is.”
“If he finds out what I’ve done . . . he’ll be so angry.”
“We will tell him we moved the prince to a safe location and I’m the only one who knows his whereabouts in order to prevent any danger from finding him. The king trusts me.”
“As do I,” I whispered, placing my hand on his.
“We should go. It’s not proper for you to be sobbing in my arms.”
I grabbed his face. “Yes. Though I don’t know what I would do without you. You’re so dear to me.”
With his thumb, he wiped my cheek. “I am honored, your majesty.”
It was only since I became queen he had to address me as your majesty. Before then we had grown up side by side, best friends, until he followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the royal guard. While it should’ve been my older sister to marry King Axias, I had caught the king’s eye and took her place. Tallis and I both had new roles to play within the kingdom and running around the castle chasing one another wasn’t one of them.
Tallis stood, holding out his hand and I took it, taking refuge in my friend. “Come on. I’ll see if the cook has any food. Are you hungry?”
“No, I just want to be alone.”
“Of course.”
As soon as we reached the top of the curved stairs, he released me, and I moved to walk in front of him. Putting my hand on the glyph, the door opened. Taking a deep breath, I held my head high and walked to my chambers.
The few servants that wandered the stone halls wept, bowing their heads as we passed. Laoise, my youngest daughter, had been the wild, radiant one. She had filled these corridors with laughter and joy. Now there would be nothing but silence and grief.
We arrived at my quarters, and I hesitated at the door.
“If there’s anything you need, your majesty, tell the guards and I’ll come.” Tallis gave a slight bow before disappearing down the hall.
I stood in my room. A haziness filled my thoughts, and I undid my gown and stepped out of it, not bothering to hang it in the wardrobe. Taking my silk nightdress, I slipped it on and then crawled into bed.
My pixies were nowhere in sight, but it wouldn’t be long before they realized I was in my chambers and then the silence would be filled with their cries. I laid on my side, staring out the window. The clouds were low today, creating a blanket of snow surrounding the castle. Warm orange and pink hues cascaded across the clouds, the ending of one life and the beginning of another.
Closing my eyes against the beauty of the sunset, I hoped exhaustion would take me and I'd wake to find today had only been a terrible nightmare.
Something heavy pressed against my back, startling me from sleep. A sharp blade pricked under my chin, right by my neck. I stilled. My illusionary magic would not do me well with a weapon this close to a death point. If I wanted to survive, I needed to stay calm.
