Chapter 16: Elysia (Patreon)

                                                                                 𝕰𝖑𝖞𝖘𝖎𝖆

Awoken by a clap of thunder, Elysia let her now open eyes examine the room around her. She couldn't see much from the darkness so she listened with her eyes instead. They darted around until they finally became adjusted to the lack of moonlight. She wasn't sure what awoke her but her heart beat fast and her mind spun the way her stomach did when she was nervous. Picking up the wool blanket covering her naked body she examined the Queen's hand that rested on her hip.

Turning to look at the woman, Elysia couldn't help but let her eyes examine her god-like features. Her long eyelashes stayed still as she breathed at a slower rate. Elysia never imagined being so close to the woman from stories and legends, The woman who helped the real Antonella sleep at night with the songs from her handmaidens.

The girl brought her hand up and carefully rested it on the woman's blonde hair, it was soft and voluminous even with it on a feathered pillow. Elysia's eyebrows furrowed as she left the woman's face to look at her own hand that started feeling odd, suddenly it erupted with a glow. A dark one showing black streaks along her palm and fingers, she gasped and brought it to herself. Its glow lit up her brown eyes as she tried to shake it away, but it went nowhere.

Elysia raised her hand as it became brighter, it took the place of the moon that was supposed to be shining but couldn't from the thunderstorm outside. Remembering the downfall she looked past her raised hand and tilted her head seeing a similar glow out in the hills. It called to her as it started blinking like a code, her hand reciprocated for her as it blinked back.

The Queen had been very clear about staying away from her own curious nature but she got out of bed slowly and put on her long leather cloak. She had never before had to sneak through the castle so she did so carefully and slowly trying not to wake any guards or stable men who worked the long hours. It wasn't hard, it must have been the dead of night as she opened the smallest door she could find. Its entry into the kingdom made her stop and look up at the downpour that came down from the heavens.

She almost decided it wasn't worth it, there was no need to go out in the darkness and see the light but as it flowed again she found herself unable to stop. She let go of the door and walked into the rain. Her cloak immediately drowned in the water as she tried crawling up the steep muddy hill. She could hear men's voices on the other side so she got close to the ground and peeked above the grade to see where it came from.

She only saw two men with a rolling wheelbarrow, they were rather large compared to the tools they threw into the wooden device but their laughs were drowned out by how hard the rain came down. She couldn't see where they went as they began going back down the other side of the hill but she knew them to be gone as there were no voices once again.

Standing up on the point of the hill she decided it was probably best to go back to the castle. The light probably came from the working men's torches, but as she moved her feet that dug into the mud she tripped on a large rock that she hadn't seen before. It made her stumble forward down the other side of the hill where the men once worked. Her body rolled and rolled until she finally rolled to a stop, her breath almost left her as she clutched her side and sat up.

Her cloak had fallen half off so her once-dried body became drenched in the rain. She was not ready to hear what the Queen or Nible had to say about that. Standing up as slowly as she could she winced and turned around slowly trying to get her bearings, all until the light that had called for her shined like the sun in the middle of the summer. Her own hand that glowed went to cover her eyes until she blinked and realized it went softer. Opening her eyes slowly she couldn't even contain her own screams as her wide eyes peered at the scene before her.

Men's heads on stakes were lined up like they were to be fed to the crows. She fell backwards once again into the mud and tried backing up away from the death but she was stopped by someone's legs behind her. As she tried to turn to look she felt her body being pulled up to see the green eyes that she hated to see. "Do you see what your Queen will do for you?" Onoris dropped the girl onto her back. Her voice was deeper and tougher than any man she had ever heard before. "They are very pleased." Her smile disappeared as her body did leaving the girl in the mud with her chest rising harshly and her eyes blinking rapidly.

With a loud crack of thunder once again filling her head and chest she started running back to the castle as fast as she could. She ran like the day she left home, her heart pounding like a hammer and her feet slipping with almost every step. Elysia didn't even feel the need to look back at the heads that watched her run. She only went through the stables where she awoke some stable boys who watched her from the hay they slept in.

When finally inside she was left with her hand normal so barely any light let her see where she was going as the corridors seemed to close up like a trapped room. Even though she couldn't see she busted through any doors she could until hands caught her.

"Where in the bloody hells did you go?" Queen Alura was angry but her tears left a softness to her voice as she fell with the wet girl onto the ground. Her lantern dropped onto the floor with them to give some sort of light as Elysia's wide eyes looked her over to see if she was real. The older woman's robe covered most of her as her crown-less hair fell down to her face even though most of it was put up in a bun. "I thought they had taken you!" She shouted shaking the girl's arms with her strong grip.

Elysia shook from the cold rain that was still leftover on her skin and clothes. "I saw them."
She whispered.

"Saw what Antonella?" The Queen's voice was desperate as she kept her grip tight.

"The death." Tears ran down the girl's face like the rain once did as she tried pushing the blonde woman away. The Queen wasn't having it however as she let go and grabbed the girl's face instead.

"You stupid girl!" She shook her head in her hands but let her thumbs wipe away any tears that escaped. "That was not meant for your eyes little bird." She brought her foreword and rested her own forehead against the girls. "I told you not to be curious..." The rain hitting the walls outside was the only thing heard as the Queen closed her eyes and thought about what to say. She knew the brown eyes refused to close around her now.

"What did you do?" Her voice asked quivering from her once pink lips that were painted with a blue hue.

"I did what I had to do!" Alura slid the girl closer to her so she would only have to speak in a whisper. "I told you what would happen. I told you to forgive me and you said you did little bird."

"But I didn't know that-"

"That does not matter Antonella!" The Queen's voice rose as she stared the girl down. Their faces dangerously close as she scolded her with her bright blue eyes. "I told you to trust me and that is what you must do. Do you understand?"

"Why did it come to that, my Queen?"

"That is not for you to know, why can't you understand that my little bird? If you fly too close to the sun then I will not be able to catch you." The Queen let her own tears run down her face as she smiled warmly. "I lost my son, I can not lose you too!"

Elysia didn't know why she did but she nodded and felt the warmest of the woman's body pull her close. The wetness of her clothes transferred to her expensive woolen robe. As they embraced in the middle of the throne room, the lantern gave the guards only a silhouette of their bodies together on the cold hard floor.

"Whatever is pulling you with curiosity must leave dear girl." The Queen pushed back the girl's hair as she finally let go of her face and let her hands run over her body to make sure she wasn't hurt. "I will keep you here with me whatever the cost but you have to believe me when I say that."

Elysia studied the blue eyes that begged her for an ok so she only nodded.

"No Antonella." Queen Alura grabbed the collar of the girl's cloak and pulled her forward once more. "TELL me you believe me."

"I believe you, your Majesty." She answered furrowing her brows, the lantern's light spinning and fluttering with the draft. "I will trust you and I will be obedient."

The Queen's sigh spoke for both of them as she lowered her head into her hands. Elysia watched her for a moment and felt her heart skip a beat. She had caused the woman who never failed to stay professional to break down on the floor of her own thrown room. She felt like she had let her down in a way that could never be explained. But as she rose her head again there was a soft smile dancing across her face. "Tomorrow you will become my princess Antonella. In front of the eyes of our people, you will ascend the family tree as my wife. You will be a LeVane."

The girl didn't ask any questions as she was helped up by the Queen, her hand securely wrapped with hers as she reached down and picked up the lantern for them to see. She didn't think it to be possible what the Queen had said before and even still she had her doubts but she pushed those away to instill trust in the woman. "I can not wait my Queen."

Hearing those words the blue eyes paused and stared down at her lips, the lust that she usually contained met the shorter girl as they kissed. The Queen's chuckle stopped them as she lifted her head to laugh. "Do not ever scare me like that again girl." She started leading the soon-to-be Princess back down the hall with her hand holding hers for dear life. "I will not be afraid to clip my little bird's wings if she tries such stunts again."

Elysia gave a small smile back but stared down the long dark hall where she only saw green eyes stare them down. They kept walking towards the witch since it was something The Queen was unable to see, the thing that kept leading her curiosity, but instead of letting it scare her Elysia wrapped herself around the Queen's arm and followed her down another hall, turning and leaving the green eyes to blink and walk away.

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