We were flying. I tried to get my bearings but both the sky and the forest below were dark. I could see the the stars but Matthew's arm around my waist made it hard to concentrate enough to make out any constellations.
As if he knew what I was thinking, and wanted to muddle me more, he pulled me closer to him and whispered in my ear.
"Do you like the stars?" He said, "I had them put in just for you." His breath tickled me, his warmth soothed me, and his smell mesmerized me. Had he not been holding me, I'm sure I would have fallen. I wanted to ask what cologne he was wearing, I couldn't get enough, but I thought it was a weird question so instead I asked where we were going.
"Don't worry, you'll love it." He said
"What about it will I love?" He never tells me anything about anything. At least not directly.
He smiled then shook his head. "We're going to go see a friend of mine."
"Matt, I hardly ever like any of your friends."
"You'll like this one, she absolutely hates me."
"Oh, well then. What's her status?"
"Status? Since when do you care about status?"
"I don't." I said shoving him aside. "I just want to know if I have to curtsy and bow to her."
"Oh. No, you don't. But just so you know, she's the queen."
"Queen?!" I almost dropped then and there. "Matt, you can't take me to the Queen!"
"Why not?"
"The reason I'm even alive is against the rules. You tell me that almost everyday."
"Ah, but you see, the Queen won't care. Or rather, she won't notice."
"What? Why?"
"Well, the Queen is just like you. Not completely Nether." My brain seemed to malfunction. The Queen not fully Nether?
"How?"
"Well, technically, she is I guess. She was born a quarter human, from a royal Nether line, and when the old Queen died, she kind of became Queen."
"Then isn't she three quarters Nether?"
"No." He said. "Because the old Queen Miranda, she kind of possessed Josephine. The way I heard it, the two get along just fine. Isaac says they're practically the same person."
"Oh." I don't really know what to say to that, but even if she's supposedly okay, I'm still afraid she might not like me. Of all the Nethers I met, no one's really liked me before.
Some plain out hate me, some can barely tolerate me, and some don't even acknowledge my existence. I'm stuck in this Nether world whether I intended it or not. If I am here for eternity, like Matthew said, I at least want to make a friend.
When we got to the castle, it was, in fact, the most amazing structure I have ever seen, I was beside myself with nervousness. A guard came to show us to Queen Josephine. I didn't expect them to let us in, there was a mile long line outside the door, but it turns out that Matthew has some connection to the person with the Queen right now.
When we got to the room, the guard bowed and left. Matthew waited until the guard had left then opened the door. I don't know what I was prepared for, but it definitely wasn't what I saw.
The woman who I assumed was the Queen was running around in a beautiful, alive, black dress hiding behind various pieces of furniture throwing, marshmallows?
"Josephine, please?" A man in a matching outfit and absolutely gorgeous honey brown hair tried to catch her.
"No!" She threw a marshmallow at the man's face.
"Josephine, they'll be here any minute."
"You said they're not letting anyone in till nightfall."
"Matthew's-" he saw me and Matt and motioned to Josephine to turn around. She turned around, bewildered, holding a half-empty bag of marshmallows. The man cleared his throat and the girl, she really wasn't that much older than me, looked at him then quickly hid the marshmallows behind her back.
"Brother!" The man said, moving to give Matt a hug. "Great to see you again." He looked at me then kissed my hand. "And who is this lovely lady?"
"This," Matt said, drawing me closer, "is my wife. Jessalyn." The man looked surprised.
"The mighty, unconquerable, Matthew Duo Gladius is married? Since when?"
"Remember when I wrote to you that I was in great danger?"
"Yes?" Matt wrapped his arms around me. "Well here's my mighty enemy. She took me down from my pedestal and made an honest man out of me."
The man's eyes widened then he smiled a great big smile. "Kudos to you my dear. For my brother was quite the villain."
"Brother?" I asked. He was surprised then looked at Matt.
"You never told her."
"I did not." The man tsked Matt then bowed to me. "My apologies Jessalyn." He told me. "I was not aware my foolish little brother told you nothing of our family." The man shot Matt a look, he shrugged. "My name is Isaac of Two Swords, the King of the Nethers."
"King of the," The King held out his hand to the Queen.
"And this is my wife, Josephine of Beautiful Night."
"Nice to meet you," she said, "my name's Josephine Gray."
"Jessalyn McRyte." We had a small conversation of smiles and we laughed. The boys, confused, continued talking.
"And, I, my princess," Matt said to me, "am Prince Matthew Duo Gladius. Next in line for the throne." He bowed then smiled. I punched his arm. "Ow," he said, rubbing his arm.
"Jerk face, not telling me anything." Josephine laughed and Isaac smiled. Josephine started to say something but then all of a sudden, she fainted and Isaac caught her.
On her chest appeared baptism markings and her eyes fluttered rapidly. When they stopped, her eyes opened and they were no longer a warm inviting blue, but rather a judging purple and red of an elite Nether.
She stood up, leaning, purposely, on Isaac. She regarded Matt cooly and didn't even bother to look at me. "Matthew." She said.
He bowed with his annoying smile. "Miranda. How nice to see you again. How has Death treated you?"
"Far kinder than you ever did." She turned to me and smiled, though it felt cool and distant. "Hello, I am Queen Miranda of Nightshade." I curtsied and didn't look her in the eye. Every time I do, the Nethers treat me like a piece of garbage.
"Jessalyn McRyte."
She eyed me with obvious distaste. "Why do you treat me different from Josephine?" She asked. "We are both of equal rank."
"If you'll excuse me, Josephine feels to me more human than anyone I've ever met. I haven't had the best experiences with Nethers. Especially those of high rank."
Matt, spotting a disaster in the making, rushed to cover for me. "Uh, Miranda, seeing as she's not entirely Nether, some of the more traditional Nethers treat her as it was customary to back in the beginning."
"Which is to say, like a piece of garbage dumped and fished out of the sewer." Matt, recognizing my demand, pulled off to the side with Isaac. "Forgive me if I seem rude."
"You're not rude at all," she sat down. "In fact I rather enjoy your feistiness. It will make the royal court so much more interesting." She motioned for me to do the same. "Especially since I cannot actually participate."
"If you don't mind me asking, where is Josephine right now?"
"Where I am for the most part." Her eyes hid a challenge. "In the back of the mind. Observing." She stared at me asking if I accept. I did. "Nathaniel!" She called, "Bring Josephine back would you?"
"Yes, my dear." They went to the back room and Matt came up to me and held me close.
"What just happened?" He asked as I heaved into his chest. "What challenge did she issue?"
"A really hard one. I just might lose." A tear escaped. She was just like me at some point. "I have to earn the respect of every Nether I come across."
He held me tighter. "You'll be fine. If there's anything she does right, she never asks for more than one can handle."
"I have to earn hers too." I heard footsteps coming towards us and we separated.
"You'll be fine love." He brushed away the tears trying to form. "You're Jessalyn McRyte." He smiled and kissed my cheek.