The First Queen (Currently Being Updated)

Chapter 20

Time is a mysterious thing. It is an essence we can be and cannot be certain about. As humans we can utilize it to our favor or succumb to what little we have left of it. Towards time we want it to hurry up or we want it to slow down. Just as we get tired of time I am sure it gets tired of us as well. For me, time was being a dread. The hour upon which I would see the face of my brother has come faster than I had wanted, but I was prepared in my own little way.

Did I have a plan? Of course I did. It’s good to have a plan only if you a certain it will work. If you have a plan make sure you have another plan in case the plan doesn’t work out to how you wanted it to. The one thing I do is stick to my gut; and my gut always tells me to use my wit and attitude when best.

It was night now and I was in my tent. A chair had been set up across from mine. I just sat there, waiting, tapping my fingers against the wooden armrests and trying to breathe. The tent now was illuminated by candles and torches lit in random places. Precautions have been made to make sure Darien is stripped of whatever weapons he may be caring with him. The guards around my tent and around the camp would be doubled and a messenger was sent back to the palace to tell Buckingham to heighten the defenses. Yes, I left my trusted advisor at the palace because if something happened to me, I trusted him enough to leave my entire kingdom in his hands. And time and time again that cold breeze haunted me like a ghost, coming into my tent and always brothering me. Believe me, now, as I much as I hate to admit it, it was giving me the creeps.

Luckily not lost in my thoughts as I usually am, I heard a soldier enter my tent.

“Yes,” I called out, not turning or getting up from my seat.

“My Queen, the company of five riders that we spotted riding up the cliff-side path have arrived at the head of the camp. They are being removed of their weaponry at this moment.”

I turned around slightly. The soldier was no more than twenty years of age, if not younger. Holding in a sad smile, I gave him a nod of thanks before rising from my chair to speak.

“What is your name?”

“W-Will-William, Your Majesty. William Dornwall,” he stuttered, giving me a modest bow of respect.

“Tell me, William, of the party of five men that you and others saw coming up the path. Was there a leader of the group? Someone ahead probably a good two or three strides riding a horse as dark as night that you would have thought that the rider was horseless for a split second?”

William made a face as if to think and then his eyes widened as he nodded his head. That horse was a present from my maternal grandfather, King Christopher, to Darien when he turned eighteen. The steed was of a breed only to be found in Bellumigne and it had a strong pedigree of war horses running in its veins. Named Caligo for its dark color, the horse was untamable when he arrived from the ship. My father held a grim face as Christopher presented Darien the steed. This was before I was given Eximius, and I was a tad jealous. Hah, at least I didn’t traumatize my horse to get it to do what I needed done. Darien used harsh language and a whip to tame Caligo until the horse bent to his command; poor creature.

“Thank you,” I said to William, who gave me a final salute before exiting my tent. I brought up my hands to rub my covered arms. What was with this coldness?!

Just as my teeth began to clatter, the sound of heavy footsteps meeting the earth became audible from outside my tent. This was it. It was actually happening. Taking in a deep breath, I made the sign of the cross, saying a silent prayer for strength as I sat back down in my seat. I fixed my eyes upon a certain part of tent so that when he entered, I would not look directly at his face just yet. The steps had come to a stop and I could hear talking, one voice belonging to McCormick and the other – well, to you know who.

“You may enter,” I heard McCormick say, in which a grunt was given as a reply. After that, there was a bit of silence before the sound of the tent flap being opened filled my ears. Breathe, Eleanor, breathe. Though my eyes were focused on the focal point, my ears heard his presence approach from behind me as he moved around to take the seat placed across from me. From the corner of my eye I saw that he had those dark blue eyes fixed upon me as he took his seat.

As a ruler, it’s always good to create some drama, so I turned my head slowly so that I met Darien’s eyes directly. The world around us fell apart after we made eye contact. I kept myself from making a sharp intake of breath. The man in front of me was unrecognizable at first, but underneath it all I could still see the ignorant, spoiled little boy that never grew up to see reality and embrace it. He caused so much damage for me. Not only to me, but to Alendar. A part of that had wanted to keep on loving him despite his hatred towards me was dead. If that part was still alive, I would not be sitting stoic here giving him death’s glare but would have instead embraced him with open arms. I would have been happy to see he him alive, but now, his beating heart is what threatens my own from stopping.

     My facial expression still unmoved, I took the honor to break the eight-year long silence.

“Hello, brother.”