The War Of Crowns | #ONC2023

Chapter 14

The queen sat stone faced on her throne in their palace with Leia next to her. There was so much she wanted to speak to her mother about, but time was of the essence and she had to swallow her tongue and play the game in order for this meeting to stay on track.

"I'm right here Lei, you're safe now." General Hankin assured her, mistaking her fidgeting for fear of the upcoming meeting.

She wasn't afraid, though she could admit to herself that there was a flicker of nerves about the meeting. Her mother's ease to agree was something of great worry to her. Something she could not quite figure out just yet. It was like playing chess but the queen and knight pieces were missing.

General Hankin was inching his way closer to retirement with the countless lines on his face, wrinkled hands and graying hair that he kept shaved until his scalp glistened under the candle light. He was well on his way to challenging those who insisted it must have been time already for him to take his leave as the royal general. His hands were still as strong as ever and his agility and skill only improved with time. Leia suspected there would be quite some time before there was a limp in his step.

He stood to her right like a protective father, more interested in Leia's safeguard than the queen herself.

"Where are the boys?" Her mother asked their butler through gritted teeth. He started to stutter something but she interrupted him. "Find them and bring them here, we need a united front."

Rupert hurried out of the room, taking one of the footmen with him. Before the Land of Faeries, Leia might not have had any suspicions about her mother's motives, but after learning about the kind of woman her mother truly was, she worried what might be up her mother's sleeve. It couldn't be this easy.

The floor to ceiling doors to the throne room opened and two faeries entered wearing the evening wear of men in their country. Her mother pursed her lips, struggling to hide her distaste.

It was hard to believe that this was the same woman who went to bed with the King of Faeries soon after Leia's father had been killed. Her stomach roiled at the thought. There was no time for Leia to let her emotions cloud her judgment.

Dakath was dashing in his white shirt and coat that was cut at his waist with an elegantly shaped tail ending just above the back of his knees. Even Roarke with his hair neatly brushed back and midnight eyes was a pleasant sight. The girls in her country would trip over themselves for a dance with either one of them.

Atreyu was noticeably missing and Leia assumed that having him in the Land of Faeries had to have been of utmost importance since he could have been the most useful in this meeting when it came to seeing through her mother's guise.

Her mother paid the Faerie Princes' attempt to dress the part of civilized men no mind. She watched them as though they were animals that had escaped their cage.

"Well, welcome to my home, young Princes, I believe you have something important to discuss with me?" She nodded to them as she waited for them to speak.

Leia's head snapped to her mother. Her bluntness and lack of niceties was surprising to say the least. The Princes however, looked relieved, and Roarke spoke quickly as he explained their plan.

His words floated over Leia as she stared at Dakath. He had opted to cut his curls so that they hung over his forehead but did not touch his neck. He was devastatingly handsome and Leia wondered when she lost hold of her heart to such a beautiful creature.

There was a moment of silence and all eyes were trained on the queen. Leia realized Roarke had finished talking and she scolded herself for being so absent minded.