The Marks that Define Them

Chapter 7:

"We should stop this," Reyn insisted. His past recollection if their conversation was thrown out of the window. The Queen's hand wrapped around his shoulder to his neck.

Her voice was a deadly whisper," Do you not remember our conversation earlier today. Though I do think that this should stop."

"Why. Is this your conscious? Or do you intend to spite me and my son?" Caitriona was backed against the wall by the Queen. Her haunting, dark, soulless eye boring into her, silently judging her with every blink.

"I don't give a damn about the girl. I also don't care about your son. But that right there would demolish all of our plans. Is that what you want? Huh? HUH?"

"No no that' not what I want." Caitriona blubbered like a scared child fearing reprimanding. Aine retreated from the girl, smiling because of her answer that she expected.

"So now we are going to put an end to this silly notion. Aren't we?" She rapidly shook her head up and down. A child wanting a parent's approval was what she was. The Queen walked into the room commanding everyone's presence. With mere hand motions, she told Cypress to let the girl go. She made Astraea leave and forced her son to sit down. Caitriona didn't want to get him involved. He was her child after all.

All of them swarmed the chair Cypress sat in. Aine snaked around Cypress and began to whisper in his ear, " You are not going to do that anymore. Do you hear me? Be patient. Soon after all my plans, which you shouldn't concern yourself with so don't even bother asking. Anyway if all succeeds I will let you have her. Permanently. All you have to is be my little spy. My eye when I'm not around."

"Sure." Caitriona's heart was stabbed by his word. She exploded with sobs.

"No, I didn't want to involve him in this. He's only a chil-"

"He is a grown man who made his decision. If he didn't want this he would've declined my offer. But instead, he accepted. So now let him deal with the consequences instead treating him like an incompetent child." Her sobbing ceased. She never wanted to embarrass herself or disappoint the Queen so she did what any obedient child would. She did as she was told, tale between her legs, and didn't question a thing.

Astraea:

Once the Queen entered the room Astraea didn't know whether to be overjoyed or even more terrified. But her signaling to leave was a relief to her. But her paranoid mind persuaded her to think that this was all a trick. A move in the Queens sick game to advance forward. Her mind hit replay on scenarios about the situation. The farther she got from Cypress' chamber the more she quickened her pace.

When felt like she could finally breathe and hand formed over her mouth preventing any of Astraea's screams to be heard. Another hand came around her waist, pulling her into the room where the arms came from. The arms spun her around so she could who they belonged to. Seeing the face of Eloy she was relieved that it wasn't someone else. She knew this random abduction was to talk about his scheming.

"I need you to convince that pawn for me." His voice was assertive and demanding. She thought he must be crazed to think that she would be able to convince Nestori to help them. He was far to reserved for her to attempt that. The Queen had her claws sunk into deep into him.

"No no no. He won't go for it. Your mother, the Queen, she has too much influence on him. He could report this."

With a much cooler tone than before, Eloy responded," Look, I know he doesn't trust her. He doesn't trust anyone frankly. But you. You have something on him- something with him. And that's what we need right now. So I need you to convince him to join us. Do whatever it takes."

He spun her around pushing her out of the room quickly to make it seem like she was never there.

"Now go we don't need any more rumors going around about us." Once out of the open, Astraea tried to avoid the looks of others. Pity. Shame. Disgust. Painted on their canvases that were directed to her. Their thoughts pounced on her; Whore. Having relations with the King AND the Prince. I knew she was nothing. Their looks were as painful as the words they portrayed, it made her yearn to show her weakness before them. But that would only satisfy them more than the false rumors.

Laying on her bed, Astraea studied the ceiling. Mesmerized in the detail of the of the carvings that laid against the softness of the paint. It spanned over her whole room, dropping down to the walls about a half way down. She wondered about the mind that could produce such a beauty. But she knew better than to ask because of the creator, The pain surrounding the memory of them. The pain of seeing her. The pain of knowing she was living in the room that belonged to the one who died for her. Her mother.

Questioned flooded her mind about the woman. Was she like me? Does she know I would be this way? Why? How? Every day parts of her curiosity was torn apart by being denied the freedom to know. She hoped that she too inherited any of these talents from her mother. The things she had heard through the thin walls about her many talents and gifts. And beauty.

Astraea extended her left arm, reaching for her mirror. She forced herself to stare at her reflection. Basking at the possible beauty she could've had. To her, it wasn't enough to help Astraea. Getting off the bed, Astraea stripped in front of the tall mirror in her chamber. Her hands roamed every part of her body. Examining and questioning whether or not she is like her mother. To her, she must've since her father couldn't stand to look at her. But everything was small and foreign to her. Pushing her positive thought away she tarnished any thought of her being attractive because of her face.

Not being willing to withstand the sight anymore, Astraea turned away. She needed to become stronger. Embrace this different inner self within her. An invisible self is hidden within the shadows of her weakness. Suppressed to serve the pleasures of others. But Astraea was tired and done with having to change herself for the benefits of others. Weak. Vulnerable. Easy to Manipulate.Pawn.Nothing.Whore.Evil child.Non-Powerful.Not a threat.

She was all of them and none at the same time. Depending on which self she presented, her invisible self or her visible self. Strong.Protected. Hard to fool.Player.Everything.Unmarked and powerful.The worst threat there was. She was ready to be seen. The only thing was that the world had to be ready. But if it wasn't, it would have wished it was.

So here is the last chapter of the first part.  Now things are really going to be getting hot. I hope you enjoy it. But I'm giving you a heads up that I will be adding another point of view (POV) but you will not know who. It is unknown and will not be named. But it's going to be epic.(hopefully) This is the first book in a series so don't think the end will be the end. ( I don't even know why I am saying that when I am no were near the end.) I wanted to be nice and upload the chapter a day earlier, also, I will be posting a chapter tomorrow, so be watching out for that.