Deep in the Void

Chapters 11: Alone

Ceris

The moment she was out of Arabella's sight, Ceris teleported to her room. She immediately realised that wasn't a good move. A wave of exhaustion crashed over her, but she refused to let it get the best of her. She couldn't sleep in this state of mind.

Curling upon top of the covers, she hid her head in her arms. What had Arabella meant? She wasn't alone. She'd had Vordus, and Zeganirn, and...
Hadn't she?
Thinking back, Vordus had been an indispensable advisor, but as years went on, he'd become increasingly cold towards her. When she was younger, they'd been good friends, but after she became queen and he her advisor, that had ended. He only ever referred to her as 'my Queen', even in private, and rarely provided any conversation besides advice towards the running of the kingdom.
As for Zeganirn...much as she'd loved him, it was hard to feel at ease around him after you'd seen him bite someone's head off. Besides, his advice was hardly sage. Even when you translated his shrieks, his battlefield pep talk tended to consist of-
'KILL THEM ALL!!! HEADS ARE GOOD!!!!'
Even through her rising tears, Ceris managed a small smile.
Arabella was wrong. She might never have had a significant other, but she had been far from alone in her ruling, even if her friends weren't always the best.
Still...there was the question of what Arabella had been implying by her words. Her mid-conversation embrace added to Ceris's confusion.
Had she been offering-
No. She's just not the kind of person you're used to.
Ceris did her best to reassure herself. The thought that had sprung to her mind could not, must not be true.

Arabella

After Ceris had left, Arabella returned to the table, and finished her wine. She'd more than enjoyed the night's events.
However...
She felt a small flush of guilt. Ceris had clearly felt uncomfortable to begin with, and Arabella had pushed that more than she should have.
The pirate sighed and rocked back in her chair, staring at the sky for a moment. It was incredibly dull, a completely blank sheet of darkness. Turning away, she got up and walked to the railing, staring out at the open water.
She might take it slower, but had no intention of giving up.
Her finger traced a circle on top of the railing.
'Oh Ceris. Resist if you wish, but someday, you'll be mine, and mine alone.'

???

It stared at the surface, body undulating lazily. The light it focused on was barely noticeable in any other place, but in a world usually filled with darkness, it was blinding. It's ears, small dents in the side of a massive head, had picked up one thing from the little object.
'Ceris.'

Ceris. It had heard that before. It had no language, but a long memory.
And one memory, from only a century ago, stood out vividly.
A thing, humanoid, tiny, but somehow incredibly significant.
It had pointed towards a tower and said,
'Ceris. Kill her.'