Queen Carina faceclaim: Lily Collins
—————
Prynn, Home of Queen Carina
"Hush Sheshu," Queen Carina whispers softly while stroking the agitated snake, savouring the unique texture of the neon green scales that are smooth and bumpy under her skin. The poor serpent dislikes the Manor house being busy, all the servants running and dropping silverware like headless chickens. Carina hates it too.
Andrea Arron, the head of the Arron family and Octavia, her younger sister, watch the exchange from a distance.
Octavia leans closer to Andrea's ear and whispers, "They have a strange bond," she pauses and turns to her older sister, "it is not right for a poisoner, especially such as strong poisoner queen that she is, to have such an attachment to an accessory. It is not a pet."
Andrea waves her hand in dismissal at Octavia's comment, always like her younger sister to question things that are of no prudent business.
"Stop your scrutinising Octavia, I've heard enough of your whining about her snake over the years," she says rolling her eyes, "Rina could use that accessory to kill her sisters and she could easily kill you with it. The snake symbolises her power."
Octavia still wrinkles her nose in disgust, "she behaves like a naturalist and their disgusting familiars at times."
Andrea holds a hand up and Octavia goes silent instantly. Even she knows better that to disobey Andrea. She is the strongest poisoner on the island, she is carrying on the legacy of the Arrons - that is of great importance. Andrea will succeed where her mother failed, she will get a poisoner queen on the throne.
Andrea then starts smiling wickedly, unnerving Octavia as she says, "I suggest that you leave Rina and her snake alone and let me handle our young queen. I do not need your input."
Octavia gulps in slight fear at her sister's words and expressions.
"But Drea," she protests, her voice the same whiny dull tone that it was when they were both girls.
"Enough!" Andrea hisses, angry and embarrassed at her sister's questioning and walks over to Carina, leaving Octavia in anger who stomps off in a tantrum, with no more dignity than a toddler.
Carina hears the approaching footsteps and looks up, finding Andrea looking down at her with a smile,
"Rina it is time to get ready for your birthday celebration and the Gave Noir," she says, "I will send for Amara and Eirene to help you get ready and then Selene will braid your hair."
Carina nods at her foster mother and Andrea strokes Carina's cheek fondly, her ice blonde hair gleaming in the sun, and then leaves to find a servant, who will then find her two daughters, Amara and Eirene and her favourite maid, Selene.
As she leaves, Andrea is confident for the feast, for she has made sure that no harm will come to Carina, for Ik the last few months Andrea has been pretending to give Carina heavily poisoned food to make it appear as if she were strong.
But in fact, Andrea rarely gave her any meals with strong poison in it these days though she occasionally she increases the amount of poison in Carina's meals.
It is so strange at first Carina's gift was relatively strong, although she couldn't withstand all poison but recently Carina sickens more easily which makes no sense. Why would the queen's gift abandon her when it's nearly her Ascension.
Andrea isn't sure whether Carina's gift is truly strong or weak anymore but the most important thing is that everyone continues to think that Carina is a strong poisoner. For when you have power the truth is what you make it.
And nothing matters more than appearances.
——
Carina can respect Andrea, the unofficial queen of poisons and the poisoners and the matriarch of the most powerful poisoner family and one of the most feared and powerful families on the entire island, rivalling with the Radurons and the Murtras.
The warriors became stronger because of the last queen, Halia who had a strong war gift. And the shadows have always been strong even though they have not had a queen for hundreds of years. And the poisoners have strength left from the queens before Halia: Queen Arsinoe, Queen Camille, Queen Sandrine and Queen Nicola. It is rare the Arrons fail to get a queen on the throne but they failed the last Ascension and Carina knows they are desperate to reclaim power and that Andrea will stop at nothing to have Carina become Queen Crowned.
Andrea Arron is a pretty woman with the trademark Arron ice blonde hair and an iciness in her that that makes her both alluring and dangerous. She is the closest thing Carina has to family. And growing up, Carina has always tried to mimic her icy glare that sets men running. She always knew learning that cold glare would prove useful, especially after she is crowned.
Andrea's late husband, Kristofer Vend was the most eligible male poisoner and their marriage was arranged by her grandmother, Lilith Arron, before either of them could walk, though Carina could tell that Andrea had never minded - it was her sense of family duty that made her approve of the match. Carina has never met him personally but she has heard Andrea occasionally talk of him, though not with the kindness and fondness expected of a grieving, caring widow.
None of the Arrons mentioned him much as he was never really one of them. Despite being an Arron in name he was still a foreigner in their dynasty and perhaps he could not accept it. The responsibility and power of that family.
Women are the ones who are feared and respected on this island so Kristofer took the Arron name on paper at their marriage.
Kristofer was a sharp minded poisoner and did his duty in giving Andrea five healthy children but once he outlived his usefulness to the Arrons then he suddenly found himself dead, Adrion, the youngest, had not yet reached his first birthday.
It was due to a tragic fall to the stairs. Or a very deliberate push.
The thought makes Carina smirk with pure malice and after Andrea leaves, Carina nods slowly, a malicious glint in her eye, she has been looking forward to this birthday and the great Gave Noir feast that has so many toxins and poisons in each dish that it could kill the entire island, but this is the poisoner's feast and they will eat and eat until poison runs down their faces, while escaping death's grip at every bite.
Her sisters however, will not be so fortunate when Carina kills them with one of her own poisons, for the little, but strong, poisoner queen has a talent for making poisons and she especially loves working with snake venom, particularly her own snake, Sheshu's venom. In fact she had made a new poison using the venom yesterday and needs to test it on her small testing bird.
The bird is brand new as her last bird eventually gave in during Carina's last experiment and dropped dead to the floor of its onyx bird cage. Sad for the bird but at least Carina now knows how that particular poison works.
It is a slow death. Horrible and painful. But delightful in the eyes of the poisoner queen. Sometimes others pain is the most beautiful thing to witness. Or it is Carina's favourite. Having control over another's life. That is true power. That is what Carina aspires to be when she becomes Queen Crowned - powerful beyond all. No one will dare challenge her and she will be feared and revered above all. That is the way to rule.
Perhaps her sisters will have the honour of being killed by one of Carina's own creations of perhaps Sheshu will relieve her on that duty but then she'd have to punish the little snake. No one hurts her sisters about from her. No one else has the right. They are her prizes and everyone knows how poisoners covet their most precious prizes.
Perhaps sensing Carina's sinister happiness, Sheshu raises her head up and hisses at Carina lovingly while Carina strokes her head with equal love. Carina feels like Sheshu is her child of sorts for she has raised the viper since she was a hatchling.
"Do not worry Sheshu," she whispers, "For you and I will be queens together in Indrid Down when I kill Arwen and Nalani," she pauses, "people underestimate me with the strength of Nalani's flames and Arwen's shadows but how surprised they will be when I craftily poison my sisters or maybe I'll be a little creative and throw a few poison knives into each of their pretty little throats and watch them choke on both their blood and the poison. Slowly. Painfully."
Sheshu almost hisses in agreement and Carina smiles again. She knows what all of the Arrons and the poisoners think, they believe that her bond with Sheshu is strange and abnormal for a poisoner queen, but it is not for Carina. And they hate that she named her snake but no one could dissuade Carina.
She has had the viper since she was a hatchling, though she found Sheshu in the Prynn Forest. In any other forest finding a venomous snake would've been unusual but Prynn Forest is a poisoner forest and it's crawling with venomous snakes, not scorpions though for they couldn't cope in a forest habitat. The poisoners who do have scorpions, usually the richer men, have to have the scorpions shipped in from the mainland.
As soon as Carina found Sheshu that day when she'd been wandering, they hadn't separated since.
Sheshu is an extension of her and they have a bond that no poisoner will ever understand and Carina likes it that way, she especially likes angering Octavia both directly and indirectly; Octavia never does anything back, not when Sheshu is always close, ready to bite and kill anyone who threatens or harms Carina. She protects the queen.
When she first brought Sheshu home when she was nine and declared her name to Andrea and Octavia, they both looked in disapproval and instantly tried to talk her out of the name, Octavia had even slapped Carina but then little Sheshu had managed to bit Octavia slightly. Octavia had feared Sheshu even since but Andrea had eventually accepted that Carina had named her snake even if she didn't like it. Octavia would never dare slap Carina now, if she did than Carina would happily claw her face to ribbons and then let Sheshu devour what's left. She didn't use to be this bloodthirsty but recently Carina has grown more temperamental so Sheshu has as well.
The Viper Queen then hears familiar voices approaching, Amara and Eirene, her two friends of sorts and she stands to greet them.
Amara comes in first, her Arron ice blonde hair loose behind her in a waterfall braid, contrasting greatly with her blood red dress, she sniffs, while rubbing a finger across the ebony mantelpiece of the long dormant fireplace of their ancestral home, Prynn Manor, and then steps towards Carina, with a poisoner's grace and wicked smile.
The poisoner men of Prynn whisper that Amara is the beautiful Arron sister, possessing the same beauty that Andrea had in her youth and still retains to an extent. It is true, Amara is gorgeous with those cold eyes and full blushing lips but she's also deadly. Like all Arrons, like most poisoner queens. And there is power in that particular combination. It is clear Amara will be head of the Arron family one day, she is the most strong and cunning.
Carina is jealous of Amara's wicked beauty, her perfect features and the wildness in her piercing ice blue eyes that she gets from her mother, Andrea, but despite this she has always been relatively close to her.
Poisoners often hold jealously for something or other, it is natural. Amara is Carina's friend, well the closest thing she has to a friend. Poisoners typically don't have friends, only acquaintances. Sometimes disposable acquaintances.
Carina feels that Amara holds jealousy towards her because she is a queen with looks like no other, with big black orbs for eyes and hair that is as dark as night and Eirene holds jealously towards her because Andrea likes Carina better than her own daughter.
For it is known that Eirene is Andrea's least favourite out of Amara and her three other sons, Silas, Adrion and Niklaus and even her nephew and niece, Kol and Lydia, who are the children of her younger brother, Vincent Bethal who took the surname of his poisoner wife, Madeleine Bethal, as that is the island's tradition.
Octavia is the only sibling who has no children, though she couldn't really as Octavia is still a child herself, spoiled and unbearable. Carina can't wait to banish her when she's Queen Crowned. Octavia was cruel to Carina as a child but not so much now, the Arron fears Carina, especially with her giant viper at her side.
Eirene is everyone's least favourite simply because she has the weakest gift and the Arrons certainly aren't weak, not after their previous four poisoner queens before Queen Halia stopped the dynasty. Which made the war gifted increase in strength much to the Arrons annoyance.
Even though the Legion Cursed usurper - Jules Milone - tried to break the poisoner dynasty long ago and the natural order of the island, she did not succeed and the Arrons had their power once again once Queen Arsinoe assumed power. Carina finds it amusing how Arsinoe was raised as a ragged naturalist but was revealed to be a strong poisoner later on. No matter. As long as the poisoners grew in power it didn't really matter how Queen Arsinoe's tale started, only how it ended which was with a long rule, proving her a good queen though one that apparently never wore a smile. They say her heart was broken.
She had a difficult reign though with trying to reintroduce Fennbirn the world again after the Queens War and the mist's vanquishing. Their cycle was such a rare one, all of them named and remembered by history alike. After all, usually only one queen from the triplets is remembered. The victorious one. But their times were not the usual sort with their botched Ascension and Fennbirn's most threatening to consume them all.
Arsinoe the White Handed, Katharine the Undead and Mirabella Mistbane. Their cycle was thought of as cursed, or blessed, depending on the teller of the tale. They all helped in vanquishing the mist that Queen Illian created through her sacrifice which used protected the island. So much sacrifice. It is what the people understand. It is the way of queens. It is how they keep power.
Power is a commodity that Eirene Arron doesn't have, despite her being the oldest she is a disappointment at heart to the family. She is a woman and an Arron, yet even her brothers are stronger and boys usually have weaker gifts on the island. It makes her an embarrassment. Though her lack of strength is kept secret from Prynn and the island of course.
Another reason that Eirene is jealous is because she resents her siblings, who have all inherited Andrea's strength in her poisoner gift. Eirene should've been Andrea's heir with the most powerful gift but the Goddess can be cruel and Eirene drew the short straw in terms of power.
But all the Arron children, perhaps even Octavia, are jealous of the queen for the same reason, they all know that Andrea loves Carina more than her own children but Carina can understand this for she is power and power is like a drug for a woman like Andrea Arron and the rest of the snakes in her family. Especially since they lost their power in the last Ascension.
Eirene walks around Carina's room next, standing tall and proud, her familiar Arron facial features, looking regal, as if she is the queen and not Carina. She may not have strength but she has learnt the art of poise. Her light blonde hair is tied back into a crown hair braid though some of her traditional brown roots are showing slightly. Her pale blue eyes observing the room and Carina with the same scrutiny as Octavia often does.
The hair colour is another reason Eirene is an outsider, for she is the only child of Andrea's to not have the traditional ice blonde hair which Andrea hates. It's just another thing that serves Eirene apart from the family, from their legacy. However Eirene usually dyes her hair so many forget her natural hair is brown like her late father's. Kristofer, though no one ever talks about him.
Carina prefers Amara's wildness to Eirene's scrutiny. Eirene isn't ugly but she is rather plain in comparison to the rest of her family, to all of their icy beauty, and there is nothing dreadfully interesting about her.
"Amara, Eirene," Carina says, bowing her head slightly in a polite greeting accompanied with a wicked smile.
Amara nods back at her in respect, mirroring Carina with her own wicked smile and Eirene offers only a partial nod, her posture rigid and as stiff as a board. Eirene and Carina do not spend time with each other if they can help it but Amara is usually Carina's associate. The sisters are the only ones who remain in the manor primarily and live with Carina. They all learn about affairs of state, politics - useful skills for the potential successors of Andrea. After all, if Carina wins it is likely that one day Amara may rise to be on her Black Council, helping her rule.
Eirene is the second option, because she is a girl, but it will never happen. She will always be second to Amara. It is more a curtesy of her gender and family name that she gets the extensive political education. Arron women must all be educated in such matters, especially those who are raised alongside a poisoner queen, the next Queen Crowned.
The three brothers however have gone travelling like young men do, for there isn't much need for them to keep the city running. That is a woman's job, to occupy seats of power and to rule. Though men have been known to be on the Black Council. They aren't entirely useless.
Adrion, the youngest, is only eighteen like Carina herself. But they all have a wildness that can't stay put. Silas and Adrion have visited a few times over the years. But the oldest, Niklaus has been absent for many years. She barely remembers him.
Carina beckons them forward and they all go behind the dark mahogany screen, both of them helping to take off her plain black day dress and help her into her beautiful black lace short sleeved gown, with Amara pulling her bodice a little too tight; the dress makes her look like the beautiful poisoner queen that she is.
Wicked as sin. Sharp as glass.
Usually Selene, her handmaiden, would dress her but because this is a special day Andrea insists that she must be dressed by Arrons so that she does not fail to impress. It is an insult to Selene but she cannot question the mistress of the house.
Everything Carina wears is black, black is the colour of the Queens of Fennbirn, the island on which gifts and power are all common things. Some on the island are giftless, always envious of those with gifts and the queens. But the queens always have gifts and their unique black hair and eyes always command attention.
Every time the suitors have ever come to the island in the spring for Beltane and each generation of queens showcase their gifts at the Quickening Cermony, the young men are always in absolute awe. To watch a girl who cannot die from poisons. This is what Andrea has told her. For they are from the mainland, where they have no gifts or a Goddess who watches over them.
It strikes Carina as strange and she doesn't approve of taking a mainland foreigner as her king consort when she wins but it is tradition and she must bear the next triplets. Some of them call Fennbirn barbaric because they raise each generation of triplets till they are sixteen and then make them fight to the death, but it is the way of the island. The Goddess only provides gifts and strength with sacrifice and what's a little spilt blood in the grand scheme of things?
They say it was an instinct once, the desire to kill, but that is just a myth, but the Goddess sends new triplet queens every generation and the tale says that strongest slew her sisters, whose blood then fed the island and kept both the island and its inhabitants strong, that part is true - especially for those who share the gift of the Queen Crowned.
The queens are sacred and are considered as the Goddess in human form, the queen who has given birth to the triplets is never considered as their mother, the triplets belong to the island and their only mother is the Goddess. Queens have no family for they are not like normal people, they are something else, not entirely human. That's what people whisper anyways and it is quite true.
Carina smiles as she continues to look at herself in the mirror, the only colour on her are her lips, they are vibrant and red. Everything else is pale and black. Black black black. The only colour Carina ever remembers wearing. The colour she will always have to wear. But she does not mind. Queens blacks are the only appropriate thing for her standing.
The poisoner queen looks at her intricate onyx choker that accompanies her black gown, along with several onyx jewels and rings, and a pretty black snake bracelet, that curls around her left arm, its blood ruby red eyes staring up at her. She did not drug a live snake for her accessory as she knows Sheshu will get jealous but she knows all the other poisoners will be wearing snakes on their shoulders and arms as accessories and the men usually wear scorpions and the richer poisoner men wear deathstalker scorpions on their lapels. A beautiful and deadly accessory, perfect for a poisoner party.
She'll have Sheshu slither beside her, not on her shoulders like the other poisoners would have their snakes. No. Having Sheshu slither beside her shows Carina's power and control, how even a dangerous venomous predator can yield to her, the poisoner queen. Who could control poison itself. And will also ensure that people leave her alone for the fear of Sheshu.
She doesn't want to socialise and she certainly doesn't want to dance. Though perhaps she will dance a few to keep the poisoners satisfied. But pleasantries aren't her natural forte and she certainly doesn't feel like acting tonight, even though her acting skills are impeccable. She can charm anyone if she wishes but she does not.
Her bond with Sheshu is publicly known and the poisoners attending the party tonight all know that if Carina disapproves of them then they may end up being Sheshu's dinner.
As they all emerge from behind the dressing screen, Eirene orders Carina to turn around so that the two sisters can see their finished artwork.
Amara nods in approval and smiles while Eirene can only manage a half smile.
"Rina, I'm almost jealous," Amara finally says with a slight high pitched laugh, "you look beautiful and most importantly, positively wicked."
Carina laughs as well at this and eyes herself in her large square mirror in approval. She sees Eirene standing behind her and raises an eyebrow at her,
"So Eirene, I'm sure your dying to give us your golden opinion, so go ahead," she says exchanging a sly smile with Amara.
Eirene raises one eyebrow haughtily and says in her dull monotone voice, "Carina, your dress is fit for a poisoner queen."
Amara and Carina both chuckle a little at Eirene, both shaking their heads.
"What a prim and proper answer to give Eirene," Carina says eyeing Eirene's agitation with glee. She loves a little chaos. And irritating Eirene is a small form of it.
"Eirene, you are a bore," Amara says, giving a dry laugh with no feeling behind it, while eyeing Carina's dress jealously, as though she wanted to reach out and tear it straight off of her, along with a few layers of skin.
Sheshu, who has been silent, hisses at both Amara and Eirene, sensing Carina's slight discomfort, and both sisters exchange a glance and then depart hastily,
"Well Rina, we will see you at the feast," Amara says, her tone casual to hide that glimmer of fear as she almost scurries down the hallway, devoid of her usual grace. Eirene does the same, except she offers no gesture of farewell. But Carina does not care. Eirene is nothing to her, if she dropped dead right now Carina could honestly say that she wouldn't care in the slightest. Carina only cares about those who are useful to her, who will benefit her, Eirene is useless.
"Bad Sheshu," Carina almost hisses like a serpent, "scaring my poor foster sisters away like that." But then Carina smiles in her usual wicked way, "although, you acted as I felt, almost like you could read my mind."
Sheshu's forked tongue flickers out as she moves towards the corner of the room, where a poor oblivious, mouse lays, asleep and unaware as Sheshu swallows it whole.
Carina lets Sheshu eat her dinner in peace and continues to sit silently and bathe in her own thoughts, closing her eyes for just a second. A sudden knock on her door disturbs them both,
"Enter," Carina says in a formal manner, lifting her head up and Selene, her favourite maid in Prynn Manor, enters armed with a pretty ornate silver and black hair brush.
Selene bows and then silently begins her work on Carina's hair, careful to approach Carina without stepping on Sheshu, which would certainly earn her the snake's ire. But the ever apprehensive maid should be fine. Carina likes Selene so Sheshu does as well. The quiet maid has nothing to fear from the queen or her snake.
Carina studies her still reflection blankly, while Selena brushes her long shiny black hair straight out, in long and even strokes, careful never to pull too hard as her nimble fingers brush and braid Carina's hair impossibly fast.
She likes Selene the best out of the Prynn maids because she's always been so gentle when brushing her hair unlike the other maids who practically yank her black locks out, probably on the orders of Octavia.
Selene is also interesting and she is mainland born but her mother was a poisoner so took her back her to the island. Selene has pretty rich creamy brown skin, eyes almost as dark as her own and long dark hair, well it is dyed Arron blonde at the moment, as all the servants are with the tradition of the Arron household.
Selene looks beautiful with the blonde hair but Carina prefers her natural dark locks. She looks so exotic and foreign - Carina wishes she had Selene's skin rather than her own sickly pale skin. Some others on the island have beautiful dark skin like Selene, Priestess Mab of Rolanth, High Priestess Corra and many others. Carina will always be a jealous of their beautiful dark flawless skin. Though Selene must always be careful in Prynn Manor, for though she has a drop of the poisoner gift, it is not enough to stop serious toxins from hurting her.
After a while, Selene finishes and Carina looks at her pretty black hair that has been put into a mermaid braid, in the mirror and nods her head happily.
"It is beautiful Selene," Carina whispers in awe of her own queenly beauty. Selene is a wonder at braiding her hair into so many complicated styles. Carina's approval causes Selene to offer a shy smile,
"I am glad that you like it Rina," she says, using the nickname that only those closest to her call her, Andrea, Amara and Selene. The only people she cares about. Never Octavia. Never Eirene.
"What is the poison in the champagne tonight?" Carina asks innocently, trying to dig around for information.
Selene sighs, not being able to refuse Carina, and then says, "In the kitchen they say that for this Gave Noir the champagne will be pink mistletoe berries."
Carina smiles at this, from a young age she has loved pink mistletoes berry champagne, but previously Andrea only allowed her small sips from her champagne glass but now that she is of age, she will be treated as an equal. Carina and Selene walk and make it to the top of the stairs where the young queen stares down at the ballroom below.
Poisoners are everywhere and they are almost too refined as they talk to one another with hidden intentions and motives, all underneath the gorgeous black chandelier with black, green, red and dark blue jewels glittering in the light. Toxic colours, perfect for a poisoner party.
The men, with an array of different coloured deathstalker scorpions pinned onto their lapels. The women, with snakes draped over their shoulders like a warm winter's cloak or the weaker ones, with small snakes curled up their arms like a pretty ornate bracelet. The animals are all drugged so some could be mistaken for jewellery by an outsider. But the poisoners know better and Carina knows that it is often the most pretty things that are the most deadly.
"Good luck," Selene whispers in the queen's ear before departing, careful to not step on the hem of Carina's long dress or Sheshu's tail. She discreetly tosses Sheshu scraps of meat from the kitchen, earning a small hiss of gratitude from the snake.
The Viper Queen smiles, her pearly white teeth showing. She is a poisoner. She is strong. She does not need luck.
As she descends the stairs, every poisoner in the room observes her with sharp glares that try to cut her apart. Their stares pick at her, looking for a weakness and only turn into approval when they find no cracks that they can exploit. She does not stumble, she holds her head high and proud, her expression emotionless and cold. Carina then cannot resist smiling as she knows that by the end of the night, they will all be eating out of the palm of her hand.
She spots Andrea and feels another wave of reassurance flow over her. Andrea is beautiful in her dark emerald gown, her pretty black evening gloves and the large anaconda that is draped over her shoulders. The snake oddly doesn't look out of place on her, as they're both predators in their own way.
"Thank you all," Andrea begins as she addresses her poisoner guests in an her deep authoritative voice, "for being here tonight on such an important date. Every year it is an important date. But this year our great poisoner Queen Carina, is eighteen!"
The guests applaud at Andrea's words and Carina can feel her confidence growing with every second,
"When spring comes it will be Beltane, but it will be more than just a festival. It will be the beginning of the Ascension Year. During Beltane and the Quickening ceremony, the entire island will marvel as they see the strength of the poisoners! After Beltane has ended, we will have the great pleasure of watching our queen deliciously poison her sisters and Queen Carina, will be queen crowned of Fennbirn Island." Andrea gestures to the crimson stairs, a flowing waterfall of blood, where Carina has nearly reached the bottom, "at the next Gave Noir festival we will be toasting to the crown, which will once again be secure in a poisoner's reign."
There is more applause as laughter and shouts of agreement begin. The last poisoner queen was weak and she was easily killed by war gifted Queen Halia, breaking the poisoner dynasty of queens but Carina is not weak like the last one, she is a strong queen and will likely poison her sisters in a month and the poisoners now think it will be easy to create the poisoner dynasty once again, especially as there are no more challengers to the queens' scared line like there was in Queen Arsinoe's Ascension.
The challenger was Jules Milone, a powerful naturalist whose familiar was a fierce cougar but the poisoner's strength won out as the traitor eventually met her downfall and Queen Arsinoe was crowned, the line ending as it should have. There have been no challengers in the few generations since, especially with Queen Halia's gift being so strong and brutal which restored the people's faith in the queens' line.
And the poisoners certainly have faith in Queen Carina and she will not fail them.
"For tonight, I invite all of you to simply enjoy her company," Andrea says as she walks away to let them see Queen Carina.
Carina has reached the bottom now and observes every poisoner with a wicked smile on her face which they all match as they observe her as well, with poisoner smiles on their faces as they watch her carefully.
Confidently, she steps onto the ballroom with Sheshu slithering beside her, making the crowd part for her and takes a glass of champagne from a servant and smiles as she drinks the familiar taste of pink mistletoe berry down; after a few dances and conversations of refined small talk, sits down at the head of the table, ready to perform the Gave Noir, the ritual feast of poison, performed by poisoner queens at the majority of important festivals.
Her dances had been brief and her small talk refined, she doesn't care about that, weak queens have to socialise more and make the poisoners get to know her. Weak queens try to put off the feast with pretty words and long dances. But she's not like that. The feast is the most important part of the night, it is what they all came to see. She will showcase her strength without silly words or niceties.
She can sit, or stand and do as she likes. Everything is completely her choice. She can eat at her pace, as slow or as fast as she likes. She could even choose not to eat at all but that is not an option. It is never an option with poisoner queens.
As she sits and Sheshu slithers under the table, she sees the Arrons out of the corner of her eye. Andrea with one of her rare kind smiles, Amara with a smile of jealousy, Eirene with a frown and Octavia with a scowl, daring Carina to fail.
The three sons aren't in attendance tonight much to Andrea's chagrin. Though no one expected Niklaus, people are surprised at Silas and Adrion's absences. But they are only males, they aren't as important as Amara and Eirene's attendance.
All of the women are wearing snakes. Octavia and Amara have snakes on their shoulders while Eirene wears a simple snake bracelet, the drugged thing groggily clinging to her bony pale wrist.
They are the ones that matter here as do most of the poisoner guests, but she is not nervous. She oozes confidence as she smirks at Octavia while the names of the poisons are being read out by the servants.
Towers of glistening berries. Deathstalker scorpions, with a pretty red berry sauce glistening over them. Hens stuffed with hemlock dressing, the list goes on and finally Andrea steps forward and asks the usual question for which she must give the usual answer,
"Are you hungry Queen Carina?" Andrea asks, addressing her with her formal title for once. She is only required to do it on these important Gave Noir feasts.
Carina surveys the room one last time before smirking and saying, "I am ravenous."
Andrea nods at her answer and continues, "What would be the death of others will nourish you, the Goddess provides. Are you pleased?"
Carina replies with what every poisoner queen before her has said, "The offering is adequate."
Andrea bows stiffly as is the tradition though the movement looks foreign to her and then the real feast begins.
Carina does not use the silverware and cutlery, instead she uses her hands, as most poisoners do, ironically for their usual refined manner.
A strong queen could devour the entire feast so that is what she will do. A strong queen could also poison her sisters in a month - she will do it in a matter of weeks. She will show them all how strong she is. She will be the strongest and most feared poisoner queen, they will speak of her for generations after her bones are dust. Her name will never be forgotten, she will make sure of it.
Carina calls for plate after plate after plate, until poison from each dish runs down her face and the poisoners roar in approval as she devours the entire feast.
The night, though relatively young, is nearly over and the poisoners will soon return to their homes in Prynn, all boasting of Carina's strength, of her power.
The poisoners continue to cheer her as she cleans her hands and face, they roar as they marvel at their queen. She has them now and she knows it. They all truly believe in her and she smiles, a genuine smile, beaming at all of the poisoners as she rises from the table, a true queen in her court.
She starts walking deep into the ballroom, smirking as she passes each poisoner, approval on each of their sharp faces.
She has nearly reached Amara and the others when the chaos descends.
A young poisoner whom no one had been paying attention too , tries her luck and walks up to the feast table, surprisingly unchallenged as she steals a small chunk of the poison hen that she hadn't eaten. Carina is surprised but the again notes that while she was eating she was looking at the food with a rather ravenous expression. Most poisoners do, for a poison feast such as this is their dream.
She devours it in seconds and that's when the Arrons start approaching to reprimand her but the they stop when she shouts in confusion.
"There is barely any poison."
Those words. Those five words are the end of everything. For this night and the greedy girl. Foolish as she is to call that out.
Carina is forced to see as the crowds cheers grow silent, as Andrea curses and Octavia almost smiles, and she listens until the only sound is the agitated hissing of Sheshu as she coils around, ready to attack any threat.
She hears Andrea's order to the guards to seize the girl but the damage has already been done. After all, the hen was meant to be one of the most poisonous pieces of food on that night and now there is an accusation that there was barely any poison, that makes Carina look weak. She would rather die than appear weak.
She has blocked everything out at this point and feels almost faint as she feels how the atmosphere has shifted in the room.
Carina cannot bear to face them as she turns away from the disgusted faces of every poisoner in the room as with their gazes, they burn her and strip her bare.