It takes me a while to fall asleep that night, and when I do, I slumber restlessly. When I wake, the morning has risen and I can't shake the feeling that I'm forgetting something.
I struggle to rise, my pregnancy hindering even my most basic movements. I scowl, quickly dressing, my top already starting to get too small for me. I'll need to find another.
I push out the front of my tent, exhausted from my restless night. I find Bronwen standing guard outside my tent. I frown. "Since when did I have a personal guard?" I ask as she falls into step behind me.
"Since you were the Queen of the Witches and 25 weeks pregnant," Bronwen retorts. She pauses. "And..."
"What?" I snap, sitting down at the first fire I come across. The witches, none of whom I know by name, look alarmed to have their queen with them. I was planning to join Glennis at her own hearth but I could barely get out of bed this morning, let alone walk halfway across camp. "You," I bark at one of the coven. "Go and find Glennis and bring her here."
"Yes, my Queen," she bows quickly before scurrying off.
I turn back to Bronwen. "And what?"
"It's confidential," she says after a moment, glancing at the witches around us. They scowl.
I roll my eyes, but say, "Fine. We can talk later. Where's Petrah?"
"She's already taken the first group of witches into the city to resume construction," Bronwen reports. I nod.
"Good. I'll join her there later."
Bronwen looks aghast. "Absolutely not."
"Why not?" I narrow my eyes.
"With all due respect, Manon, you are pregnant with twins! You barely had the energy to get here. I'm not letting you into that city to break your back and die trying to help."
I scowl. Bronwen is correct, but still...
"Fine," I say. I'm beginning to sound like a child. I straighten my back. "But you can't stop me from helping around here."
Bronwen has a look on her face that says she very much can. "Actually -"
"My Queen," Glennis bows as she enters the clearing, preventing whatever argument Bronwen was about to lose. "You called for me?"
I sigh. "Sit, please."
"Can I help you?" Glennis asks, taking a slow seat. Bronwen stays standing behind me, still guarding though I don't know why.
I realise I don't actually know why I called Glennis over here. I suppose I'm just used to her company in the mornings. I sigh. "Talk," I order, waving my hand in her general direction.
She seems confused but does so, telling me all sorts of information I need to know but forgot to ask for. I am only half-listening, that annoying feeling like I've forgotten something still nagging at me. Witches come and go, all glancing at me but saying nothing. I wonder what they're thinking.
When Petrah finally arrives back at camp, I take her and Bronwen aside, talking again about their future roles. We have to cut the conversation for the next group to enter the city, to my annoyance.
With Bronwen gone and Petrah off training (which, according to Bronwen, I can't do either), I try to find Aaliyah. Though I far from trust them, I want more advice. "Aaliyah?" I ask, after reaching the tent with directions from one of Bronwen's coven.
They peer out of their tent, then bow when they see it's me. "My Queen," they say. "How may I help you?"
"You said you had more advice on.. this?" I ask, gesturing vaguely towards my stomach.
"Of course," Aaliyah says. They emerge fully out of her tent. "You're almost in the third trimester now, so you're going to be a lot more tired. I'm afraid the only thing you can do for that is to rest a lot." I scowl. I don't have time to rest. "Do you have any idea if they're human or not?"
I pause, looking to Aaliyah. I never considered the fact that they may not be witches. I push that away for a later time. "It doesn't matter."
"It might." They look unsure. "I doubt the witches would accept human -"
My nails snap out. "Do you really want to finish that sentence?"
Aaliyah glances at me, then continues as if nothing has happened. "Other than that, you'll probably feel short of breath because the babies will be putting a lot of pressure on your lungs as they move. As they continue to grow, that'll stop." They pause.
"What?"
"Twin pregnancies aren't often carried full term, which can lead to... complications at birth," Aaliyah says.
"Well, how long do I have?"
"The average is 35 weeks for humans, 33 weeks for witches."
"Why would I care about the human average?" I snarl, then take a breath. "Thank you. I'm going now."
"Of course, my queen." They bow as I walk away.
I arrive back at my tent, even more thoughts filling my head than before. As soon as I sit down, that persistent feeling is back. What am I missing?
I stay in my tent for the rest of the day, my ankles and feet swollen again. I'm drafting papers and letters, just like humans do, and it makes me feel weak and ridiculous. I wish I could just do everything with brute strength, but I'm pregnant and I have a kingdom to rule and everything is so much more complicated now.
I'm just about to give up when Petrah enters my tent. She doesn't bow but I don't care. "What?" I demand.
"We just..." She pauses. "The witches that remained in Adarlan after you left have just arrived back. The King of Adarlan kicked them out, but a few of them remained to, er, spy."
"I didn't order them to do that," I say.
"I know, but -"
"What did they find?" I interrupt.
"The King of Adarlan threatened war on the Witch Kingdom."
I scoff. Petrah, watching me closely, frowns. "Aren't you worried? He even called down the Queen of Terrasen."
"Of course not," I say. "He doesn't have the money or resources to wage war on us now, not without outside help, and there's no way the Queen of Terrasen will aid him over a broken heart." I stretch, then stand, walking over to my bed. "He's probably just pissed that I drugged him."
Petrah gapes at me, and I scowl. "How did you think I got away? It's fine. He'll be fine. When I go back, I'll just apologize to him like humans love. He'll be fine." It sounds fake, even though I know Dorian will forgive me. Maybe.
"Wait, you're going back?"
"It doesn't matter." I sigh. "Was there anything else?" I ask. She shakes her head. "You can leave." She glares, but exits. I lie down. I may as well try to get some sleep."
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HI peoples,
minor pause to say that this is gonna be an extra long one becuase i feel bad about not updating for ages.
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"Manon." Rhiannon Crochan is before me. There's an urgent fear on her face, and though she's walking towards me, she's not getting any closer.
"Manon, you have to remember!" she says. "You're missing something."
"What?"
"You have to! There will be consequences for you and your lover if you don't listen to me!!" She sounds desperate.
"I don't have a lover," I say, even as images of Dorian cloud my mind.
"Why aren't you listening?!" Rhiannon's perfect face is replaced by Asterin's. "You have to find the letter! You're missing something!"
"I don't understand!"
"He's in danger! They're going to -"
****
"Manon!" I sit bolt upright in bed, disoriented and covered in sweat. Dawn is just beginning outside, and someone is calling my name.
"Manon!" I spin towards the entrance of the tent. Bronwen is there, her arm dripping blood from an open wound.
"What happened?" I demand, already heading out of the tent. Bronwen is pale from blood loss.
"Three witches - unfaithful, that I wanted to tell you about yesterday - were trying to get away. They had weapons, human weapons, and - ah!" She leans hard on the post, and I grab her to keep her upright.
"You!" I call to someone outside, and they look towards me. "Get Glennis and bandages." I turn back to Bronwen. "Where's Petrah?"
"We managed to stop one of the witches, but the other two got away. She's with her," Bronwen gasps. "One of her coven was killed."
I curse. Bronwen is bleeding everywhere, her wound much worse than what I first observed. Blood stains my hands blue. My witches make a painful kick, but I ignore them. I have more important things to worry about.
The witch returns with a bandage, Glennis following close behind. They quickly take care of Bronwen's arm, who refuses the minor fussing Glennis offers. As soon as I'm sure she's not about to bleed out or pass out, I order her to take me to where Petrah is. Glennis insists on coming with us.
Bronwen leads us a short way away from the camp, to one of the rare copses of trees nearby. (--TW, torture coming up--) Petrah is there, standing over a tied up Crochan. My nails and teeth snap out.
Petrah looks relieved to see Bronwen, and bows quickly to me when she sees me. There's blue blood over her own iron nails, which are already out. "I brought her here because I didn't think our esteemed Crochan friends would approve of us torturing a witch, no matter how guilty," Petrah says. I nod. Behind us, Glennis looks uncomfortable, but says nothing.
"Was it just Crochans?" I ask.
"No. One Ironteeth as well." Bronwen says. I frown.
I approach the traitor. She's bound and bleeding, and her eyes are full of hatred. I smile, and am not as disturbed as I should be to realise I'm already enjoying this. I've missed being ruthless. I've missed being a killer.
"Hello," I croon, running my nails down her face. Blood blooms and I lick it off my fingers. She looks disgusted. I love it. This is fun.
"I knew you would never change your ways," she spits. I grin.
"What made you want to leave my kingdom so quickly?" I ask, stroking her face. She shudders. "Do you not like it here? Am I not good enough for you?"
At that she grins. "Always assuming this is about you," she says. "Your narcissism blinds you." She pitches forward, and my nails dig into her shoulder and through it to keep her upright. She gasps in sudden pain, her eyes widening.
"Is this not about me?" I ask innocently, even as my grip on her tightens, my nails drawing more blood.
"It was never about you!" she gasps. Tears cloud her eyes. Weak. "But you had to go and run away with your human lover." She sneers the words. "There will be consequences for both of you. You are a weak, undeserving - ah!"
She screams as Petrah claws her hands down her back. "None of that now," she says, sweetly like me. I let her have her moment, avenging the coven member's death. I ponder her words, then something hits me. My blood goes cold. 'Lover' and 'consequence' - both words witches don't generally use, but Rhiannon shouted both at me last night. There's something wrong here.
Finally losing patience, I lift the witch up by her hair and slam her back against the tree. Her body arcs in agony. "Enough," I growl. "I do not care about narcissism or lovers. What I do care about are consequences. Speak."
She says nothing. Petrah slams her nails into her side, and blood dribbles from her lips. I smile. "You have five seconds before I rip off your arm. I suggest you start talking."
She says nothing for five, four, three, two -
"The King of Adarlan will die," she hisses. "And you are too late to stop it."
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HI peoples.
I think i'll end it there for today.
how are you all? hope you all ok!
happy pride month!!!!
this is 1990 words long - definitely the longest so far so i hop you enjoyed it!
stay safe :)