Black Rose | Complete |

| six |

The maid leads her through the twisting hallways of the palace and Kyra fights the urge to stop and look around at the fearsome majesty of the castle. The ceiling towers above her with beautiful stained glass windows and the crystal chandeliers glitter with opulence, but she knows that the darkness she senses is not one that she can see.

"Follow me please."

She turns her gaze downwards to see that the maid has stopped and is waiting for her. Kyra smiles, forcing herself to blush and nods. The maid turns and continues through the castle halls as Kyra curses herself for being distracted from the task at hand. She only had one chance at this, and she could not afford to make any mistakes.

The maid stops at a doorway, knocks thrice, and enters, holding the door open for Kyra. She steps through tentatively, eyes immediately settling on two chairs and the figure that occupies one of them.

"This is Daiyu. She knows not to touch or harm you, so do not be afraid."

The maid gestures to the empty chair and Kyra sits, scanning her eyes over the figure clad in black. Daiyu's face is pale and her frame is heavy with the weight of the world, draped in black cloth that keeps her ethereal form tethered to the ground. Her sheer black veil rustles slightly as Daiyu turns her eyes towards Kyra. The maid steps back, leaving the two women seemingly alone, but does not leave the room.

Kyra places her hands in her lap, praying that her motion will be seen by the former Queen. Daiyu meets her gaze, silently watching, and Kyra drops her gaze to her fingers. She takes a deep breath, flicking her eyes to watch the maid, then tucks her thumb into her palm. Daiyu looks at her quizzically, and Kyra splays her fingers to more clearly relay her message before she speaks.

"I truly thank you, am I bothering you here?" Kyra keeps her words slightly slower than normal, voice phrasing her words with flourish. "You are kind to assist me and help me adjust."

She watches as Daiyu narrows her eyes with a tilt of her head before speaking.

"Why of course I should, if not then I would be lacking trust and faith in you!"

Daiyu smiles slightly, drawing attention to the flame red of her lips dancing beneath the black fog of her veil. Kyra flicks her eyes away, wondering why the former Queen had changed her lip color.

"I must say, I have had quite a time! I plan to wear gold for the coronation; he specifically requested it. Will you plan to go to the coronation?" Kyra asks.

Daiyu nods her answer with a sigh, leaning forward to take Kyra's hands. The maid starts to push Daiyu away, but Kyra places a hand on the maid's arm and gently nudges her back towards the side of the room. The maid curtsies slightly, vanishing back into the shadows, as Daiyu looks up at Kyra with eyes swimming with hope. Kyra smiles: Daiyu knows.

"You are so sweet, will you require any help from others or me?" Daiyu responds.

Kyra squeezes the hands of her former Queen.

"I don't know... I am worried! Be loyal and true, that my father said. But Queen!"

Kyra shakes her head at the thought, blowing her eyes wide to mask the strange end of her sentence. She risks a glance towards the maid, who has not shown any signs of picking up on their conversation. Daiyu places a hand on Kyra's face, turning it towards her.

"You will be, and are, a very very good one."

--

A/N: I don't usually write author's notes, but I would like to say thank you so much to everyone reading. At the time of this note, Black Rose is ranked #697 in Mystery/Thriller! Thank you to everyone who has read, commented and voted on this story; your support really means a lot to me! 

On a side note, I will try to update the next chapter soon, but if you really want to know what will happen, I suggest you take a listen to the playlist. I have been linking songs at the top of each chapter, and hopefully you have been listening to them as you read. I feel it really adds to the atmosphere. Hopefully, you feel the same. 🌹