The War of Queens

Chapter 36

Evelyn

 Her eyes were turned upwards, the blue of her eyes glowing in the light that escaped through the serpent’s circle in the roof of the temple. The sky was grey, but the sun still escaped through the heavy layer of clouds.

 “There are rumors of a new religion, my lady,” Nicholas said, his voice loud and resonating in the quiet of the empty room. “In the east, originating from somewhere past Hi’taab, but its spreading westwards.

 She forced down her gaze and began pacing. “What does it matter?”

 “Tiberans are beginning to adapt to it,” he said. “It might lead the people away from the faith of its King.”

 She smirked. “Perhaps the King should adapt to his people, then.” Her voice was light and rang like little bells through the temple. Her hand touched one of the pillars. “You must know what this is.” With her free hand, she gestured around her. “Faith is but a great bank. The people pay us to uphold it, and we take the money and use it to uphold us.”

 “That is a very cynical way of thinking.”

 She shrugged, meeting his gaze for the first time since they entered the temple. “I suppose so. Were you expecting anything else?”

 He smiled. “No, I suppose not.” He stepped closer to her. “But I suppose you needn’t worry about Etheron any longer. You’ve married a foreigner, and a king at that.”

 She sighed and rolled her eyes, a thing she regretted immediately. You are not a little child, she chastised herself. “Just because he calls himself a king does not mean he is one,” she said, “and he is not a king.” And I am not a queen, she thought to herself.

 "I thought that was why you married him?”

 She thought of little Christian, golden haired, but with his father’s dark eyes. “Not exactly,” she whispered.

 Nicholas looked bewildered. “So you love him?”

 She let out a mocking laughter. “Love him? Tiraq? Have you lost all your senses?”

 “Then why?”

 She frowned. “I am a woman. Sometimes there is no answer to that question.” He laughed, and she let out a breath of relief that the interrogation was over. “Now, if you’d excuse me, my sister has asked to see me.”

 Nicholas bowed down as she stepped past him. The walk from the Temple to Mary’s chambers was not a long one, as by Mary’s own commands. She wanted to be close to the place of faith at all times. Soon enough, Evelyn found herself within her chambers. The curtains were drawn, the room was dark and it had a strange smell, as though the air had been closed in for too long.

 Mary sat by her vanity table, staring at herself in the mirror, jaw clenched. She looked her normal self, black hair shining and clothes perfectly fit, as they should be. But there was unmistakable spite in her blue eyes, spite that Evelyn did not recognize from her sister.

 “Mary?” she asked, uncertainly.

 Casting one last look in the mirror, Mary turned around to face Evelyn.

 “Are you alright? You haven’t come to court for weeks - more than a month,” Evelyn said, trying to calculate it. Shamefully, she had to admit that she could not remember when Mary had stopped making public appearances.

 Her sister remained detached, sitting with her back straight and face expressionless in her chair. “I’m surprised you noticed.”

 “Of course I noticed,” Evelyn said.