Love, Hate, and Everything Between {Queen Ravenna / Reader}

09

"We need to visit the village. Let them know Hugh isn't coming back." I tell. Ravenna sits up, the bed sheets bunching around her waist. "Are you sure?" she questions, a sympathetic look in her eyes. I roll onto my side, now facing her. "Yeah. How else are they going to find out?" I reply. She doesn't respond and sighs. "You don't have to come. I can go by myself." I offer, climbing out of bed. "No, if you're going, I'm coming." she responds, following me over to the curtains. I pull them open and she wraps her arms around my waist. "We must leave this morning." I say. My eyes lose focus as I gaze out the window. Ravenna's lips connect with my cheek. "I'll get the guards to ready two horses." she whispers. My eyes close and a shaky breath escapes my lips.

~~~

"What the fuck am I even meant to say to them?" I say allowed as Ravenna and I near the village. Ravenna doesn't reply. She looks at me. I look at her. "Who is going to run the village now? Hugh was what they needed. They have no one now." I tell. "They'll be okay. They'll figure something out." Ravenna assures. "This is so unfair. I didn't have to kill him." I say, panic flooding me. "Y/n, it's going to be okay. You did what you felt you had to do." she tells. I suck in a deep breath and hold it in my lungs for a long moment before forcing it out. "Yeah, you're right."

As we enter the village, I can feel the amount of eyes on us increase. My heart starts to race and my breathing quickens. I can sense the confusion radiating off the villagers as we near the centre. "Take a deep breath, love." Ravenna tells as more villagers pause to look at us. Three of what were Hugh's men approach us. I climb off my horse. "Miss Y/n, what're you doing here?" one of them asks. I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Ravenna rests her hand on my lower back, caressing it with her thumb. "Can you please order everyone to the centre square? I-" I swallow the lump in my throat. "I have an announcement to make." I explain. The men nod, and within the course of fifteen minutes, the entire village is crowded around.

"What is this about?" someone calls from within the crowd. "I hate to inform you all of this, but Hugh's dead." I tell, an unexpected amount of force in my voice. The crows falls to a dead silence before erupting into shouts. "How did he die?" someone questions. The volume dies down. "I killed him. He was going to kill Ravenna, and-" The volume of the crowd becomes louder than it was before to the point I can hardly hear my own voice. "I had to-" I try. Nothing. "Please, quiet-" I start, my voice louder. Ravenna's mouth opens as if to shout, but I beat her to it. "If you all would shut up and listen, that would be fucking fantastic!" I scream. The entire crowd becomes dead silent as they look at me, eyes wide. I turn to Ravenna who is also looking at me, eyes wide. "You killed our leader for the woman you initially came her to escape?" someone yells, and the crowd starts getting loud again. "I killed your leader because he was attempting to kill the woman I love!" I yell back. Ravenna's mouth closes. Murmuring hums through the crowd.

"I hope you're all aware that Hugh brought this upon himself." Ravenna says. I look to the ground, suddenly exhausted. No one argues with her. They all stand in silence, a common look of fear in the eyes of them all. I breathe in deeply before looking back to the crowd. "Does anyone have any questions?" I ask, although I don't feel as though I have the energy to answer any. "Who's going to lead us now?" a child questions. A tsunami of emotion brings tears to my eyes. I bring a shaky hand to my mouth as the tears drip from my eyes. As my eyes close, I feel Ravenna's hand link with mine. I wipe my eyes with the hand that was previously over my mouth.

An older woman, although younger than Ravenna and I, emerges from the crowd. All eyes turn to her as she approaches me. She grabs my hand, holding it in hers. "I am sorry for the actions of our former leader, and I completely understand why you retaliated the way you did." she starts. Tears start flowing freely from my eyes and I don't make an attempt at stopping them. "I would've reacted the exact same way if the person I love and I were in your positions. Thank you for coming and telling us of his death, and thank you for caring about us as much as you do." She lets go of my hand and turns to face the crowd. "I volunteer to carry on for Hugh and be the leader this village needs." she shares. I wipe my cheeks as she continues.

~~~

I enter our room and lay on the bed, completely exhausted from the day. Ravenna sits next to me and rubs my thigh. "Are you okay?" she questions. My cheeks are stained from tears, and my eyes are bloodshot red. "Yeah." I whisper. She lays back on the mattress and opens her arms. I don't even think and roll over. She wraps them around me. For the first time in decades I feel properly safe. One hundred percent, completely and utterly safe.