The reflection of the Queen: Exile

Chapter 22

Rough cloth over me as I trembled.

Cold feet through the holes in my socks.

My tangled hair tickling my mouth.

The sting of tears.

Thunderous, giant-like steps.

He was coming closer, coming closer and closer, coming for me, his eyes were as black as the buttons in the toy's eyes, huge, rough hands hovering over me....

I was abruptly pulled out of my nightmare, but not to end up in the foggy dream, but in the sad reality. I grabbed a robe, put on gloves to cover my bandages and went out into the hallway, where I met Rodion and Cadmot.

"What was that noise?"

"News has arrived from..."

"Nothing that matters to you," Cadmot interrupted him. "Go back to your room."

"But what caused that noise? Was it your father?" I insisted.

"It's bad news," was all Rodion had to say about it.

And so much so, because from the floor below came another roar like the one that had awakened me. I had the impression that, this time, his anger was being paid for by one of the luxurious golden chandeliers in the foyer. I smiled discreetly.

I had followed the Dream Man's advice to look for the weaknesses of my enemies. The general's was perfectly clear: his anger. He didn't usually have any trouble controlling it with his men and family, so if he had awakened the whole house in an outburst of rage it meant that whatever had been said to him had really enraged him.

"Rodion?" Are you there?

That was Clariess' voice from her room. Both her brother and I moved toward her door, reaching out our hands at the same time toward the knob so that they almost touched. I saw him gulp, but I ignored him and opened it. The commotion must have startled her too, because she too had tried to get up and walk out into the hallway. However, she had stumbled so that she was on all fours at the foot of her bed, trying to sit up.

"Clariess!" I exclaimed, and Rodion and I went to meet her, each holding her by one arm to lift her up and return her to bed. Cadmot came in shortly after and snorted:

"What have you done, Clariess? One of these days you're going to screw up your other leg because you weren't careful."

"Shut up, Cadmot," I growled, arranging one of her pillows to make her more comfortable. "Say something like that again and I'll be the one screwing up your leg."

"I don't like your tone, Persie."

"Well, I don't like you."

"Alright, that's enough," said Rodion before his brother replied again. "It's true that you have to be more careful, Clariess."

"I'm sorry," she murmured, embarrassed. "I just got scared. Did something happen?"

"It seems to me that your father has broken one of the candlesticks at the entrance."

"Persie..."

"What, Rodion? I'm glad it's over, someone saved himself a lot of trouble."

I looked at him, waiting for him to react. He had for long been one of the few who knew the truth about Fyodor, and yet he had done nothing. I had never thought that, despite being such an outstanding soldier and a hero to so many people, one could be such a coward. All my life, dreaming of being able to tell the boy I had fallen in love with, and that was the result. I had never dared for fear of what the general would do to me, and also because I didn't feel capable of having those words come out of my mouth, but I had always wanted Rodion and Clariess to know. I thought it would shatter all the opinions they had had of their father, that they would hate him as much as I did and that they would defend me. Maybe all that time I had idealized their reaction too much and had been naive.