Chapter 14: Elysia (Patreon)

                                                                                     𝕰𝖑𝖞𝖘𝖎𝖆

The room was dark and cramped, she couldn't even tell the difference between all the men with hoods coverings. Their faces and the women, including herself and the Queen, wore a tight mesh of black fabric over their faces. In the center of the room on slabs of stone was the prince laid out in a white outfit that seemed paler than his skin. They must have worked hard to hide the death behind the boy's seemingly sleepy closed eyes.

Jumping as a man stood up on a podium in front of the body and started chanting,
Elysia gulped and stood closer to the Queen whose eyes seemed deader than the boy they looked at. She wasn't allowed to be at the side of the woman so she only got as close to her back as she could, for some reason she felt it was her fault they were there...Listening to a man shorter than her scream up to the gods for direction and council was off-putting and guilt-ridden.

Elysia had seen the high priest leave the council room before. What shocked her the most about the holy man was how long his braided hair went, down past his short stocky body and past his bare feet. In honesty, his deep voice was scarier than his long face. As he changed in a language that she did not know he stared at her and so did everyone else as they bowed their heads. What were they saying?

"He is asking the Gods to bless the already widowed Princess."

Knowing immediately whose voice that belonged to, the girl turned her head slowly to see the hooded figure that for once blended in with everyone else. Even so, she knew no one else could see Onoris but her so she decided not to reply even though her heart raced. She could feel the darkness radiate off of her hood.

"It appears they have, however," the green eyes turned towards her. "They gave you one better."

Elysia still refused to turn towards the witch as she kept her eyes on the top of Nikolai's head, she could still see his blonde hair moving with his every step.

"She will do anything for you will she not?" The woman smiled making the ends of her eyes crinkle. "I wonder if someone with blood as pure as hers will be enough to stop what they have planned with you."

Not being able to control the curiosity that fell upon her, Elysia turned towards the witch. "What do you mean?"

The Queen's bright blue eyes turned around hearing her speak, even though the black fabric covered most of her face she could still see those piercing eyes and red lips. Queen Alura bent down to be closer to the Princess's face so no one else could hear. "You know to be silent Antonella. Do not disobey." She let her eyes stay on her for a moment longer before she turned back around to face her son.

Elysia knew it was only her grief that spoke for her even though it was scary to see the Queen become aggravated at her. If she disappointed the Queen that would mean a one-way trip back to Westile where her future would be unknown, she couldn't go back now. Turning her head to take another peek at the Witch she watched as the green eyes turned to her as well. They weren't as piercing or as commanding as the blue ones before her but they had their own sense of confidence.

"Make the Queen happy girl or they will not be happy with you." Putting a gloved finger up to her own mouth Onoris shushed her from saying anything before vanishing. Elysia looked around hopelessly but saw nothing except Lord Lancher in the corner of the room staring her down. She didn't know what made her more uncomfortable, the witch filled with dark magic or the man that no one trusted.

The wake was shorter than she expected, they each took turns putting a flower on his chest, and a kiss on his cheek before leaving the cold room. She didn't know what to expect from a royal funeral, she had never been to anything like that but it wasn't as bad as she imagined. For her own mother, the only thing her father did was make her dig a grave in the mud. Deep enough for no animal to want to dig. She dug for hours with her mother's body under a wet smelly blanket, if anyone else died they usually didn't get that much decency.

She did not know where everyone else went but Elysia followed the Queen into the dining room for dinner, it wasn't as bright as it usually was. It was lit only by candles and lanterns to highlight the amount of food that was in front of them. She sat in her usual seat at the side while the Queen took the head of the table, the only difference being on the other end of her was an empty seat with no plate set out like it usually was.

They sat in silence as Nible filled their plates with food, the only sound was their silver utensils scrapping against the plate of meat and vegetables as Nible left the room leaving them alone. Elysia couldn't help but look over at the Queen who took off her veil slowly to show her white skin against the blackness that surrounded her. "May I ask a question, your Majesty?"

"I do not see myself stopping you." She took a drink of her bright red wine and leaned back.

Taking a few seconds the young girl pushed her food around her plate. "Why must I stand behind you and not beside you?"

"It is just how things are little bird." The Queen looked around the room to make sure all the help had left. "Why do you want to stand beside me?"

Elysia shrugged, scared of saying the wrong thing. "I like being close to you. You make me feel safe my Queen." She waited for the Queen to say something sharp or teachable but she only heard her whisper a reply.

"I like being close to you as well Antonella."

The girl looked up from her plate to see a smirk that danced across the woman's face, it was like a dance they did together without even having to move anything but their eyes. They stayed like that for a moment before the Queen put her finger up and motioned her to get up and come to her. The girl did as she was told without any hesitation, her body standing in front of the Queen who had half of her food still on her plate. The witch Onoris had said to make her happy but Elysia found herself not struggling with that task.

The blonde pulled the girl down by the sleeves of her dress until their faces were only inches apart. "Do you remember how close we felt when I pleased you little bird?"

Feeling her heart skip a beat the girl nodded while the Queen's hands took the veil that still covered her face and brought it over so she could get a better look at the brown eyes that blinked nervously. Her hands rested on the girl's shoulders and pushed her down slowly to her knees in front of her. "Be close to me Antonella." Alura closed her eyes as the Princess went underneath her dress. Her body was covered by the fabrics that surrounded her underneath the table, she had seen people before doing what she knew the Queen was asking but she did not know where to start. She only watched as the older woman's legs spread and a hand on the back of her head guided her in.

She tasted the Queen with only the tip of her tongue at first, she heard a gasp come from her so Elysia knew that was what she was meant to do. The dress around her was stretched slightly from her being underneath so she was able to peek through the small holes in the fabric to see the table covering most of the view. The Queen's stomach tensed as her tongue laid flat against her but she didn't see anything else until she started sucking the woman's middle.

This made the blonde lean back in her chair and look down at the girl's bobbing head under her dress with a smile. Elysia imagined she was doing a good enough job to make the Queen happy until footsteps were heard coming down the dining room. She stopped for a second scared but the woman's hand on her her head pushed her back and tapped her positively as she spoke.

"Good Evening Lord Lancher."

He sat in the seat Nikolai used to, his purple velvet shoes tapping the floor as he crossed his legs and leaned back. "What a beautiful affair that was."

Again Elysia stopped to try and hear his words but the hand forced her to continue this time the taps a little rougher. "It was." The Queen replied with a soft voice. The girl couldn't see her face but she knew it was hardly moving.

"Speaking of affairs-"

The Queen's hand squeezed hearing that word but Elysia continued.

"The Princess...where is she? Her plate is still plentiful and it might get cold." His voice was so chilled and rough that the girl tried not to shiver from the disgust she felt hearing him.

"She is eating somewhere else." The Queen replied. Her hand now petted Elysia's head under the table as she did what she imagined the Queen approved of. "It was an emotional ceremony and she needed to be alone."

"Not as near as emotional as the Queen who lost her son I imagine. No one but you to carry the LeVane bloodline now." Elysia could hear his grin. "Oh wait...I forgot your trouble with-."

"My only child just died and you speak to me about more children?" The Queen's voice became deeper and Elysia let her face raise knowing he had made a mistake. "Was there something important you needed to say or did you come only to make me lose my appetite?"

The man's foot stopped tapping as he leaned forward. "I only came to say your late mother and father must be so heartbroken with you." His chair flew back as he stood. "That was all my Queen." He bowed dramatically before turning his heels and leaving the same way he came.

Elysia wondered how anyone could have the nerve to speak to the most powerful woman in the world like that but her thoughts were interrupted as the Queen leaned back once more and closed her eyes. "Finish what you started little bird."

Going back in with the skill the blonde woman wanted her to have it didn't take long before she tensed her legs and used both her hands to keep the girl in place below. The Queen bent over to use her arms instead and pushed her deeper as she spasmed with feelings of euphoria. When the woman's feelings finally went numb she leaned back and allowed the girl to come out from under the table. Her face was messy and wet which made the Queen chuckle as her chest rose up and down harshly. "You are just the perfect little listener are you not?" She took the black veil and hung it back over the girl's face with a playful wink. her almost shaky hands picking up her fork to finish her food.

"What did Lord Lancher mean by that my Queen?"

Her face fell before regaining its composure again. "Too good of a listener are we?"

"Just curious your Majesty."

"Oh little bird." A chuckle came from the blonde woman again. Elysia could tell she wasn't her normal self but seeing a smile on her face did bring a certain amount of calmness to blanket over her, much like her dress once did. "Curiosity is not an evil trait but it is troubling isn't it?" she let the small amount of vegetables on her fork fall into her mouth with the scarping of her teeth.

The girl didn't know how to respond so she only stayed where she was with her big brown eyes speaking for her.

"If you want to be by my side you must be a LeVane, that's something I promised to give you is that not right?" The Queen leaned forward and put her hand on the outside of the veil that still covered the girl's face. The blackness matched her hair and brought out the freckles that subtly surrounded her nose as she chewed slowly. "Being a LeVane not only means you are mine but it means you trust no one else. Not your parents, not your old friends, and not the gossip of common people's tongues. Only me. Is that what you want?"

Elysia furrowed her brows confused at the points brought up but she only nodded feeling her heart flutter at the lips that she wished would kiss her again, "It is my Queen."

"Then that is what we will do." The woman leaned back and took another sip of her wine. "Finish eating little bird and do not let your curiosity disappoint me."

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