Twisted Moon's Rising

Chapter Seven: Effects of the Nation's Secrets

Song: Guided Lily, The Cults

I feel the rough ground under my boots as I walk through Teneros, it's not something I've done in a while, but I plan to stop by the craft market that's going on today– to pick up some more parchment, as I used the last of mine for the meeting files, and a few letters.

The path is a narrow alley between the backside of houses, the ground rough from the constant use, the weaved stones also worn out and dry in the summer heat. There are shimmering white roses growing on the edge of the path. I would always come through here with Aris as kids and we would pick them for my mother– as she was quite fond of them– but I assume he does that with Nesta now instead.

The chattering of the townspeople echoes between the buildings, weaning through it and carrying it as if they are everywhere. I had left my riding gear in the stable where I dropped off Ceria, so I had more of a casual look. If I'm being honest, my riding gear has never been and never will be all that comfortable to be in. Especially in the humid warmth.

I step off the path and onto the more polished stone of the town square. The happy chatter settles when more people begin to spot me, turning into whispers instead. Majority of the Fae glaring at me through the side of their eyes, but not giving the respect of turning to actually look at me. Which makes no sense. Normally they are some of the kindest people ever, rushing up to ask how I've been, if I'm stressed, if I need help with anything. Offering smiles and kind words, this time I can tell no kind words are being spoken. My chest tenses, despite this I hold my head up. Trying to keep the warmth on my face, not allowing my smile to flicker despite it already happening.

What's going on? I've never experienced something like this with my people, in fact I'm not used to experiencing this at all. I have my mind spinning trying to find what is wrong.

I do my best to ignore them and walk up to the vendor I came here for. She and I have been good acquaintances for a while now.

"Hey, Delilah," I say with a warm smile, I wait a moment for her to look up at me.

A heavy minute goes by with no response.

"Delilah...?" I start again. She finally looks over at me. A hard cold, careless glare. I feel my throat close, unable to speak anymore, a sharp thorn-like feeling resonating in it.

I still don't receive a response, and she looks away, offering a sweet smile to another customer. My head turns towards the fountain at the center of the square. There are about a hundred people here.

When I wanted more eyes on me this wasn't at all what I meant. This doesn't sit right with me.

What happened that I'm unaware of?

It's the same looks everyone at the meeting was giving me... Everyone but Zaid.

I turn my gaze back toward Delilah, who's paying me absolutely no attention. I spin around observing the environment around me– no one paying attention to me... And if they do, awful looks and glares follow it. The tension between me and everyone is like a balloon ready to pop. There's an astounding amount of pressure against me but the worst part is them seeing right through me.

This isn't the avoidance of the spotlight I wanted before– no. This isn't an avoidance of the spotlight, the spotlight is on me, but in the worst possible way.

I pull in a deep breath of oxygen. But it doesn't help, it feels like I'm drowning in the very air I need to live.

The moment I look back to Delilah I notice a presence take place behind me - directly behind me. Though, I suspect it to be someone just walking by as I feel a swish of air swirl near me, that's when there's a hard hit to the back of my head. My body stumbles forwards from the impact.

Someone just punched me.

I whip around, to find a woman behind me. She spits and it makes contact with my cheek. "Filthy Liar." She hisses, before pushing me back into Delilah's table.

Before I can get one word out I end up narrowly dodging a fist flying at my face. I quickly use my shirt sleeve to wipe the spit off of my face.

"You're going to kill us all!" She yells at me. Everyone else is just staring, doing nothing. Not even the guards.

I stumble back, looking around everyone in the square, yet no one seems to care about me having just been assaulted. Not even the gaurds on the sidelines. I spin looking around, my eyes landing on the path I took to get here and without thinking I run my way back towards the path to the alley, the woman following closely, I twist and turn through the paths, taking as many turns as I can as I hear footsteps chasing after me, I can feel the air become harder to take in, my heart nearly beating out of my chest.

I suck in a deep breath and duck behind a hay cart that's on a cross road between a residential street and shop street. To my surprise there were not one, not two, not four - but six chasing me, two women and four men. Once they run past, onto the shop road, I duck back to where I was originally running to cut through the alleys, making my way onto the main path to the castle and I don't slow down until I've reached it.

When I reach the side door, I let myself sit on a stone edge, catching my breath - trying to fill my lungs with the air I couldn't get while running. I open the marble door to the side entrance of the castle, the guards give me a look as I walk past me. Before I can even process I have two of them in my arms, holding me.

"We will be escorting you to Princess Caustia's office." One of them states roughly. I feel my heart drop to the pit of my stomach.

"What? Unhand me?!" I demand, nearing scream, furiously. attempting to pull myself away from their grasp, despite my attempt I fail against them. "I'm your Queen! You must listen to me!" My near-scream echoed in the open entrance to the great hall. Despite my protest, they begin to pull– no. Drag me towards the stairs, not caring for how rough they are treating me.

They practically shove me upstairs and into Caustia's office, where she is sitting in a deep blue almost black dress. I'm released when we are standing directly in front of her desk, the guards step back and stand just by the door. Caustia is standing with a serious look on her face, but there is an underlying look of amusement.

"Hello, Isabella." Her silky voice pieces through the air like a lethal arrow. A light breeze passes through the room, causing both hers and my loose hair to slightly blow, in a gentle graceful way. The tone of her voice reminds me of my coronation night – it's off.

I know that tone in her voice, it's the one she uses for when she's plotting something or if she's breaking bad news that benefits her.

I try to maintain even breathing, I manage to hold myself up, holding myself high. As if this isn't affecting me, but I think she knows what's going on, and I have a feeling she also is the cause of it.

I remain silent in front of her desk, now fixating my focus on it, trying to escape the current moment. Her office is very different from mine. It's light and airy, a vase of the same white roses sitting on her desk that was in the alley. The flooring is light wood rather than dark. The curtain on the windows is a light see-through cream rather than the midnight blue ones in my own office.

"I'm sure you are receiving the effects of it already?" Her voice suddenly casts through the air around us.

"Effects of what?" I respond with confusion. A scowl forms on her pink-tinted lips, A glare resting into her eyes. "Caustia, please," I plead, "what's happening that I'm unaware of?"

"You know what."

"What? No, I don't?" The weight in my chest is getting heavier, what could I have possibly done?