she's a killer queen | general kirigan x fem! oc

chapter one

Coraline lay in her private bedroom at the Little Palace, staring at the ceiling with a tranquil calmness as sunlight peaked through the large windows. Several months had passed since she was 'rescued' by the Darkling, and she was already settling in with her daily routine at the Little Palace.

The bedroom, with its pristine white panelling and golden furniture, seemed bleak in comparison to the bustling cities she had travelled to, though she pleasured in the extravagance of it all. The gentle scent of lavender wafted through the air, intricate throw pillows were thrown about, and almost wilting flowers lay in the ceramic vases in her room.

She paused for a moment, peering to the side to check what time it was, and to her surprise, she was late for what seemed to be the hundredth time. She bolted out of bed, tripping over the bundles of  blankets and hurriedly putting on her kefta; it was red with gold embroidery, similar to what the Corporalki wore, though it was modified for her abilities. Her kefta, courtesy of the fabrikators, was sleeveless, replaced by the old bandages she wore to cover up the dozens of scars on her arms. Coraline looked in the mirror, the girl staring back at her someone she barely recognized. The clothes she wore and the title she adorned had stripped her of the freedom she had cherished for so long. Now, she was just another faceless soldier forced into war by the King.

She combed her hair with her fingers, wiping the drool from the edges of her mouth and rubbing her eyes furiously. Coraline dashed out into the hall, bumping into several guards that told her to slow down, but she was too busy hoping that breakfast wasn't over to apologize. She burst into the large dining area, which was an equally grand room with four tables. The Materialki in their purple kefta were sat at the table closest to the entrance, the Etherealki and Corporalki were on both sides of the fourth table, which was completely empty as it belonged to General Kirigan.

She moved towards the Corporalki table, taking a seat next to one of her friends, Khristina. She was a powerful Heartrender that was usually on a mission in some other country, but had just recently returned home. Home, Coraline realized. Had this place really become her home?

Coraline's thoughts were cut short as Khristina wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "You look absolutely delightful!" She said sarcastically, staring at the girl with tangled hair and eye-bags.

Coraline whacked her head lightly, a playful grin on her face. "Ha, ha, Kris" She replied putting on an awfully posh voice to mimic the queen. "I'll have you know I just spent the last three hours getting all pretty, I've been working so hard for Ravka!"

"Ugh, they're all a bunch of tools. All they do is sit pretty and eat cake,"

Coraline poured a steaming cup of tea, dropping three sugars and a dash of milk. "I'd rather that than be sent into the stupid Fold,"

"Which would also mean you'd be married to the oh, so wonderful king."

"Scratch that then, maybe being eaten by Volkra wouldn't be so bad after all!" Coraline retorted, ripping off a piece of bread and throwing it into her mouth. She had gone through the Fold several times, yet it always made her draw short of breath when she imagined the darkness consuming her vision, the piercing screeches of the creatures that lurked within, and the graveyards of ships. She placed a hand on her chin, chewing her food and frowning at the thought.