Just Us And The Night

A Captured Queen, A Merciful Queen, and A Mad Queen

THE VOYAGE TO ARGOS

Wishing to leave with the wind in their sails and the tide in their favor, Kara and her small crew set sail at dawn only two days later. A storm loomed on the horizon, and after much debate, Lena begrudgingly supported Kara's decision to set sail before her wounds were fully healed. Knowing she could shave almost an entire day off her voyage, Kara opted to take the shorter, more direct route to Argos via the Ocean of the Dead. She knew Andrea's ships ruled these seas, but she hoped lowering her flags and sailing quickly would mitigate the risk of an attack on the open sea. During the two days that preceded the trip, Lena did her best to talk Kara out of making the treacherous voyage, but the Sapphire Queen could not be dissuaded. Her love too powerful and her heart too pure, Kara knew the only way to protect Lena was to leave her.

The first leg of the voyage was calm, but without Lena there to kiss her lips and hold her close, Kara found the pain too excruciating to stay on deck with the others. She retired to her quarters and allowed one of her crew to take the helm. She could hear Lena's voice in her head telling her to rest and let the others do the heavy lifting, but that was not Kara. She laid down in her cold, hard bed and longed desperately for the comfort of her bedchamber in Lena's beautiful castle. She longed for the smell of Lena's hair, perfumed with lilacs, and the tender flesh of her breast to rest her weary head on. She laid her head down on the pillow, closed her eyes, and fell asleep imagining that pillow was Lena's warm body, and they were safe at last.

A MERCIFUL QUEEN

When Lena walked into the dungeon, an icy wall of cold, musty air, and the faint stench of dried blood, stunned her. Kieran had a long history of diplomatic rule, but during the days of the Great Queen Eimear, Lena's great, great grandmother, a firm hand and a painful switch were used more often than not to bring brigands and criminals to heel. It had been many cycles of the moon since anyone was brought to the dungeons of Kieran, but Lena wanted Andrea's man to know she was serious.

When she arrived, she found Kara's attacker seated at an old, rickety wooden table, shackled, and looking fit for questioning. She longed desperately to hang the man by his toes and beat him to within an inch of his life for stabbing Kara, but she continued to hear her brave queen's voice in her head. She knew she needed to respect Kara's wishes and show the man that Kieran was kinder than Rojas in every way. Still, she had to work hard to quiet the angry voice inside her head.

Because of you, my love sails through treacherous waters, and I want you to suffer.

Lena walked to the water bucket and poured a cup with the ladle. She set the water down in front of the man and surveyed him closely. He was tall with broad shoulders and had a square jaw. His beard was dark, clean, and well-kept, which came as a shock considering his station.

He's a kept man. Maybe one of Andrea's chosen.

Lena looked into his deep-set brown eyes, and she saw no remorse or fear. His stoicism ignited her rage.

"What is your name?" She asked him calmly.

He remained silent and motionless, staring straight ahead at a fixed point on the wall.

Lena could feel her anger rising. Her hands shook and her heart pounded wildly in her chest.

Stay calm, Lena. Don't let him shake you.

Lena knew in the back of her mind that she couldn't harm the man, but she could make him feel the pressure. She stood up straight, held her head up high, and turned to the guard.

"This man will be executed at sundown."

She turned and walked quickly to the door. Of course, she had no intention of executing the man, but she knew there was no sense in questioning him if he had no fear.