A Court of Radiant Darkness

Eleven: Of Ashes and Anger

Two weeks had gone by since the Queen had to escort Thalia to Hybern Castle, and within that time, Thalia had kept to herself in her room. She had refused every service available at the Queen's disposal and had barely made a noise from her room.

The Queen drummed her freshly manicured fingernails against the marble throne she lounged upon, a deep frown across her face. She glared at the servants who dared not move a single muscle under her intense gaze.

"Day in and day out, I offer her nothing but compliments and gifts, and what does she do in return?" Hybern asked, "Nothing. She sits in that blasted room, thinking that I can't get into it! I have half a mind to break down that flimsy door and give her a piece of my mind."

"She needs time, Your Majesty," Julian replied. Clad in black, the only discernible thing that picked Julian apart from the rest of the servants, was the large scar across his face.

The scar ran across the left side of his face, down his cheek and throat until the rest was hidden behind a freshly pressed black dress shirt.

"Time? I have given her plenty, and we are running out of it. Or have you forgotten that?"

"No, Your Majesty. I haven't forgotten." The butler held his plain smile, brushing off Hybern curses and fits of anger.

He was used to seeing the Queen agitated, but it was getting progressively worse. Nothing the servant did seemed to please her anymore, and the littlest thing began to set the Queen on a rampage.

During her visits into the towns and villages, people bowed out of fear and then quickly retreated to their homes. The civil unrest grew by the day, and yet the Queen sat on her throne with only one thing on her mind: Thalia.

"Have you altered the runes?"

Julian nodded, "Just like you asked."

"And any news from Deidra?"

"No, however, she agreed to look into the matters as requested. You may need to give her a few days."

The Queen drummed her fingers against the throne again, boredom spread across her face. "A few days?" Julian nodded in confirmation. The Queen closed her eyes. She needed answers. Now.

As much as the Queen had tried to occupy her time with ruling over her Kingdom, her thoughts kept trailing up to the door that separated her from her mate. Her mate.

Why did Thalia reject her? If she knew what was going on, she'd be thanking the Queen for saving her from a terrible fate that those High Ladies of Prythian were so willing to let the Spring High Lady succumb to without a second thought. Thalia needed to realize that.

And the male fae, Vash, they had called him if the Queen recalled correctly, wasn't around for her to bother anymore.

Power melted down the throne in thick wisps of cloudy dark shadows that slithered towards her servant's feet.

Was she meant to be bored for the rest of her life? No. The one person in the realm that interested her wouldn't even speak to her, let alone stand in the same room as her.

Hybern rubbed her brow, her annoyance bubbling to the surface again. "What is she doing in there?"

The two servants exchanged a nervous glance to each other. They don't know. Hybern sat up. "You have been going in there, haven't you?"

"She's refused our services."

"For a whole week?"

"She hasn't responded to our requests."