The Dream Keeper's Dragon

2.26 The Curse

Alorah's bed stood near a large window, with dozens of pillows as decoration. A painting of her, in a sheer nightgown, lying on a thick-furred rug, hung above it. An archway led to a library with a marble desk in the center.

Earlier, the Queen summoned Aurelie to a private breakfast. It was cold outside on the balcony. Unfortunately, it bothered nobody by Aurelie. There was a table inside but Alorah went with the option that would make Aurelie suffer most.

The steel cup one of the servants placed before her had lost all heat and no longer warmed Aurelie's hands. She'd ask for another, but Alorah had sent all the servants away. Wrapping her coat tighter around her legs, she parted her teeth to hide the chattering.

"There is this fantasy of love that simple women have," Alorah said out of the blue, "where passion is valued above commitment to oneself." She gave Aurelie a sharp glare. "Maybe I would have been the same if given a choice. Though, I don't think so. I could never love a man without condition and that's a requirement, I hear. The only man I had the option to love rampaged through my little kingdom, claimed it and took me. I think I could have loved him if that was all he did." Holding out her hand, she looked at her wedding ring.

"This is about Lukas, I gather?" Aurelie asked and crossed her legs. A cold gust of wind blew past her and caused a shiver. Her patience was waning fast. There was a hope that she was summoned to discuss the curse, but that did not appear to be the case.

Alorah nodded and looked out at the grounds. "Lukas is a little boy. He will never grow up. It's my fault. His father was one of my guards. I enjoyed his company and I suppose that made me be a little more fond of Lukas than the others."

Aurelie raised a brow, wondering if this was more trust-building from the side of the Queen.

"Surprised?"

"Quite," Aurelie said once Alorah turned back to her.

"When my late husband stormed the castle, he killed my youngest sister first." She laughed. "She wasn't pretty enough for him and he needed a wife others would want. Then he went after my eldest sister and her husband. My brother escaped. About a year into our marriage, he was caught trying to take a ship to the Neamon Islands. He let me kill him to prove my loyalty."

Aurelie felt uncomfortable with the conversation. "Why are you telling me this?" The King being a monster didn't excuse her son being one too. There was no lesser evil, only lesser power. Aurelie didn't want to be around when Lukas became King.

"Sometimes we have to do things we're not happy with to achieve greater things."

"Was your brother's life worth these greater things?"

"Absolutely. Lukas is the son of a guard that was assigned to spy on me. He killed my family and I killed the chance of his line retaining the crown. That was my first offense."

"What was the second?"

"Poisoning his wine."

Aurelie needed to get away from all of them. "So your argument is marrying Lukas now because I can always kill him later?"

"Don't be silly, it doesn't fit a Queen." Alorah stood from the chair and leaned against it. "I'm saying that there are other options. Marry him for the alliance and send him off to a different castle. Bare his heir and your job as wife is done. It does not have to be a happy marriage. It does not even have to be a real marriage."

Funny it was how now that Alorah had the portal she was able to speak freely of the union. Aurelie wasn't surprised. She would have put her kingdom first too. However, all the time spent in the Icelands now felt like a waste. Lukas wasn't going to become her husband. There was no way that he would get his way with her too. It became more and more clear that Alorah would not send her army off to fight another kingdom's war. She would have to offer something and she had nothing to offer but herself.