Queen's Light

Night Watch

A flash of lightning illuminated her bedroom, followed by a sonorous clap of thunder. The Queen was torn from sleep, and sat straight up, heart pounding, breaths quick, hands shaking, covered in a chilling sweat.

Without a moment of hesitation, Rhiannon grabbed the thick leather journal and quill that both rested on her bedside desk, opening to a blank page and scribbling furiously. Half an hour later, the page was full of uneven lines of scrawled ink and a rough sketch of a broken image. Rhiannon placed the journal back onto its resting place, stretching out her cramping fingers. The callous on the knuckle of her right ring finger burned from her furious writing, a familiar feeling.

Thunder sounded again, and the Queen rose from her bed, fully awake, heading to her bath chamber. Usually her hands would relax if she submerged them in a basin of cool water for a few minutes.

Ever since she was young, Rhiannon had kept some sort of journal to write her dreams in. She hated to forget a dream. A dream lost could mean the loss of something much more important later on.

Rhiannon sighed, looking up into the mirror above the basin. She lifted her chin, noticing the ever-darkening circles underneath her eyes. Her dreams had been getting worse recently, though they were never the same. Some of them were about the upcoming ball. Others involved the Tourney. Either way, something went horribly wrong, with her at fault. She feared her true past would soon be exposed.

Shaking the water from her hands and drying them on a nearby cloth, the Queen plucked her dressing gown from its hook and draped it across her shoulders, her fingers delving into the jade wool. She would never get back to sleep now, so she decided to take a stroll through the castle to clear her mind. She slipped her feet into her fur-lined slippers and headed out the door, locking it behind her and dropping the key into her pocket.

The gardens were her usual place to roam, as she knew the hedge maze forward and backward and upside down, but going outside wasn't exactly ideal during the storm. So she settled for walking through the older parts of the castle, the places she didn't normally visit on a daily basis. Some of the night-guard bowed their heads to her as she passed, a gesture she returned. She was more than thankful that none of them questioned her. After all, it wasn't the first time she'd been wandering at such a small hour.

Rhiannon flipped her hair over one shoulder, relishing the feeling of a gentle breeze blowing through it. She'd fought to become queen, but hated wearing her hair so tight to her skull at all times.

Ah, well. Appearances and all that.

She spotted a dark figure standing in the midst of the hall some ways ahead. Judging by the shape of the helm the figure held under one arm, it was her trusted Captain of the guard, on duty yet again. Rhiannon stepped heavier, so that the Captain would hear her approach.

The Captain turned, seeing the Queen and bowing. "Your Majesty," she said, "I must say I am surprised to see thee up so late."

"Or so early," replied the Queen. "'Tis a matter of perspective, Captain."

The Captain seemed at a loss for words for a moment. "Of -- of course, my Queen. So...what is it that keeps thee up? Is it the storm?"

The Queen waved a hand. "Something akin to it, yes. I needed to think, and my room seemed to be shrinking around me. It is much nicer out here, I think."

The Captain nodded. "I agree."

"How goes it, fair Captain? Is the castle guarded, or need I worry?"

"Heavens above, never worry, Your Grace. The castle is more guarded than it has ever been. My most able-bodied soldiers stand at attention at every corner as we speak."

The Queen nodded. "I am pleased to hear so. Thou art good at what thou do, Captain. I should think to raised your salary."

The Captain's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, no, my Queen, that won't be necessary -- "

The Queen waved a hand. "Nonsense. Anyone of thy standing deserves to be as well-off as possible."

"Well...then...I thank thee, my Queen."

The Queen took a deep breath, staring at a nearby window of stained glass as the rain created trails of tears along its length. "I think I shall continue in my walk. It was nice to speak with you, Captain."

The Captain bowed, and Rhiannon strode away, becoming less and less aware of her surroundings as her dream once again consumed her thoughts.

She only hoped and prayed that the others wouldn't find out about them. If they knew that...If they knew, they'd be torn. No. She couldn't let them know. She had to protect them.

It was her duty.