Gardens of Ash

Chapter 3

Recently the kingdom's population went through a spike, which is terrible for the economic plan I am currently constructing. I tried to make a deal with a border kingdom, whose king is entirely incompetent. I am a queen at seventeen years old, Queen Lilith. The incompetent king is eighteen years old, King Arwan. He's the current ruler of Korgon.

I don't particularly have an alliance with Korgon, but I would like to form one. They have great resources material-wise and are low on population, and Asmen has great military resources- which they would find quite useful, seeming their kingdom is always under an attack of some sort, and has a decent population. I sent Arwan a letter requesting materials in return for citizens and a meeting in person.

He sent back a letter stating my offer was "cruel and unfair to the people of Asmen and that their lives are not pieces in a sick game."

What a complete and utter fool. I was offering him the chance to fix Korgon's economic struggles within a week and Arwan slams the idea down and wants no further discussion of it. However, two days from now, I have a meeting with King Arwan to form some sort of alliance. He's willing to hear any other ideas I have but refuses to mention my previous offer. Now, within two days, I have to conduct a new plan that benefits both kingdoms.

He's made my life very difficult.

Arwan and I were given the throne to our kingdoms two years ago. Both of our mothers died fighting together in the Great War. I was fifteen when Sallete died in battle. Arwan was sixteen when his mother died.

Mother never married nor did she have any intentions to. She always taught me that the second you marry, as a queen, is the very second you lose all the power you wield and are demoted. I refuse to be demoted.

I look in my closet and decide what to wear. I settle on an ankle-length dark green gown. It's perfectly fitted to my waist, but I still decide to layer a cream corset on top. I sheath all of my daggers to my sides, my thighs, and my back. I brush my hair with my fingers and rest my crown, my Mother's crown, atop my head. The quartz still shimmers as it did when I first met her. I've gotten used to the weight of it. If anything it taught me how to have exquisite posture.

She taught me almost everything I know. How to shoot a bow and arrow. How to shoot a crossbow. How to shoot a gun. How to master hand-to-hand combat. How to treat wounds. How to survive. She taught me how to live. But most importantly, she taught me how to kill.

As I prepare all the paperwork needed for this frivolous meeting with King Arwan, Idris Grey torments me with his presence as he slowly opens my office door. I don't meet his eyes. I am busy handling the kingdom's financial history. "Do you need something, Idris?"
"Yes, and I'm afraid it can't wait."
"Why is that the case," I'm still writing on a piece of the kingdom's expenses.
"Because, apparently someone is planning to assassinate you."

"For a change?"

"Lilith," His voice sounds worried but it doesn't faze me.

"What, Grey," I'm still sitting on the rug in my office, writing out a plan of action for Asmen's financial crisis.

"I got word that... they're in the castl." I say nothing. It's an eerie silence. I need to think. It could be Idris for all I know.

After a moment of silence, I point towards the door, without meeting his eyes, and say sharply, "Get. Out."

"Lils come on. You know me-," I cut him off abruptly. I stand up directly in front of him, my hands on my thighs, ready to unsheath a knife at any moment. "But I don't know you. Do I," I don't give him a moment to respond but instead I continue talking, "You could be trying to kill me and take me somewhere that you tell me is a 'safe place for hiding' or something idiotic, and slaughter me there. That would be foolish of me to trust or know anyone. Agree or Disagree?"

He nods in agreement.
I take a step closer until our faces are inches apart, "So I guess my only question now is, Idris Grey, do you take me for a fool?"

He stands a little straighter, he's intimidated. Good. "No, Lilith."
I grip his chin and lift it to meet my eyes as he tries to lower his face. He meets my gaze and I lean forward to his ear and whisper, "Good. Now, get the hell out of my office." I release the grip off his chin and return to my seat on the floor. I keep my eyes trained on the financial paperwork on my lap, waiting to hear the door slam. It doesn't.

I keep writing down notes, without looking up, my voice annoyed, "What, Grey?"
His voice sounds stern yet uncertain, "I don't know if it's alright for you to be by yourself with someone trying to kill you. We need to be smart with this Lil."

I reluctantly drop my pen and only move my eyes toward his direction, "Grey, I appreciate your concern but I've dealt with far worse and to be honest I'm getting quite tired of you trying to protect me from the inevitable." I stand up from the floor, and stalk towards him with roughly five feet between us, "You need to give up. People are going to attempt to kill me because they disagree with my methods. That has nothing to do with the safety I have when I'm alone compared to you pushing yourself to protect me even when I refuse to hide behind you. Get over it and be the man you claim you are and walk out of my office right now."

I practically spit the words at him, but he deserved it. We grew up together but sometimes he thinks it's his job to protect me now that my mother is dead. He refuses to understand that before Mother died, she taught me how to fend for myself so I wouldn't ever have to rely on the strengths of others. I could kill him now if I wanted to. Unfortunately, I can't find the strength within me to do so.

Idris tentatively takes a step forward so our noses are practically touching. Seeing him from this view gives me a chance to admire things about him I never noticed before. I notice the way the creases on his forehead tense and then release. I notice the hard line of his lips when he presses them as he thinks of his next words, the sharp hook of his nose, the icy shade of his blue eyes. He has beautiful eyes.

I suddenly forget what we were discussing but quickly remember, as Idris gently places his hands on my waist and touches his forehead to mine. He's freezing. He always seems to be cold but I never thought anything of it. I rid the thought from my mind as he kisses my forehead softly and whispers,

"Okay. Stay safe, Lils."

He pulls away and closes the door without another word.