Queen Korinia sat upon her throne as she waited for her summoned guests to arrive. She tensely gripped the edges of the chair’s arms. Her body thrummed with anxiety. The need to act and rescue those taken consumed her, but she pushed it down as best she could. She was the Queen. She couldn’t lead the search herself. The best she could do was appoint her best to find those stolen from her kingdom, much as she loathed seeing her right-hand woman taken from her side.
Absently, she wondered what her brother would have done in the situation. She scoffed under her breath. Nothing much, she reckoned. He would have been glad to have less people to complain about his rule. A rush of pride coursed through her as she thought of those people outside of the palace, the people who seemed to love and accept her despite the tyrannical way her brother had ruled.
She couldn’t let them down.
Dax and Silva walked their own pathways through the palace toward the queen’s audience chamber, unknown to each other. Silva took the main hall, her rooms being close to Queen Korinia’s for the ruler’s protection. Dax, having been in a guestroom under Tansia’s care, wound through the back hallways. She had a piece of paper clutched in her hand, directions scribbled on it in ink. Tansia had offered to bring her to the Queen herself, but Dax refused. She wanted to assert herself, to show that she was capable before the asked Queen Korinia for permission to leave the kingdom.
Silva struggled to keep her lioness calm as she approached the audience chamber. Queen Korinia had a special place in her heart and her lioness rumbled with excitement to see the woman. Silva’s past had been fraught with horrors, but her Queen had released her from torment and gave her a place to live and a reason to fight. Herself and her lioness were eternally grateful to their saviour and friend.
Pressing a palm to her chest again, Silva asked her other half once more to calm. The lioness inwardly paced in circles, then finally began to rest. Silva felt the feline’s impatience with her and smiled lightly. She owed the lioness a good hunt after this, it seemed.
Dax checked the instructions written on her piece of paper once more, then stuffed it into her pocket. She rounded the last corner and found herself face to face with a tall, menacing-looking knightess.
The imposing woman stopped before Dax, eyeing her with a small frown on her sharp face. “Who are you and why are you loitering outside of Her Majesties audience chamber?” the woman asked, her voice deep and harsh.
Dax’s heart pounded in her chest. The woman’s glare had her frozen to the spot. She gazed at her, the knightess’s beauty shining through her scars. Dax recognised her from her patrols on the street. She remembered Lance watching the woman in a daze, no doubt picturing herself in the woman’s greaves.
Remembering her sister was like a knife to her heart, and Dax found her words again along with her resolve.
“I-I’m here to s-see the Queen.” She stumbled over the words and cleared her throat before continuing. “I was injured in the attack and she summoned me here once I awoke.”
The knightess rose one eyebrow and opened her mouth to speak, but seemed to think better of it. She took a breath, then turned to the doors and opened them without another word.
Queen Korinia smiled at her guests as Silva and Dax walked into the room. Silva strode in with purpose and pride. Dax, the survivor of last night’s attack in the poorer quarter, clearly tried to match that stride, but only looked foolish as she almost tripped. Silva reached out to steady the girl and Dax shook her off.
Queen Korinia stifled a laugh. ‘It seems I have two proud women before me, then. This will be interesting,’ she thought.
Silva knelt to one knee before Korinia, Dax quickly following suit, but their Queen motioned for them to rise. “Come now, ladies, there is no need to kneel. I always hated that stuffy notion.”
Both women eyed each other, then rose back to their feet.
Queen Korinia let out a long sigh and looked to them both. “Silva, Dax… Let me start with an apology for last night’s raid. I take responsibility for what happened as the Queen of Vista…”
Dax listened in interest as the Queen took the blame for what happened last night. Silva, the knightess, jumped to absolve Queen Korinia, stating that the attack was, of course, not her mistake. Dax’s eyes travelled over the room which was surprisingly sparse for an audience chamber. It seemed Queen Korinia didn’t feel the need to express her wealth and good fortune through frivolous decorations.
Speaking of the Queen, Dax stared across the short expanse between her and her ruler to the woman herself. She wore the robes of a queen, the crown atop her head glinting in the light pouring in from the stained glass behind her. Other than that, though, she looked like a normal woman. She wore little jewellery, her hair was slightly messy… She just looked tired, Dax realised.
Silva and Queen Korinia finished their light argument over who was to blame when the Queen let out a light, girlish laugh. “Oh, Silva, you truly keep me humble. That’s enough of that, alright? We’ll put aside the blame for now and focus on more important things.” She sat up straighter, her eyes moving from Dax to Silva. “We need to act. We need to rescue our people.”
Silva’s hand immediately went to the hilt of her spear, putting Dax on edge. “I volunteer myself for the hunt. I will rescue our people, and I require no retinue.”
The Queen rose her hand to silence Silva, another easy smile on her face. “Just as I expected. I thank you Silva. I was already going to appoint you as the sole knightess for this mission.”
Dax was shocked as Silva proudly tapped her chest in agreement. “Just her?” Dax found herself asking aloud, the words rushing out of her. As both eyes stared back at her, Dax tried to explain. “It’s just… my sister is out there, under captivity along with everyone else. What can one person do against half an army of beastmen?”
Silva let out a snarl. It sounded so animalistic that Dax took a step back in fear. Immediately embarrassment crossed Silva’s face and she shook her head. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”
Dax’s heart was still racing in her chest and she kept her distance from the knightess. She had growled at her. Like an animal. What on earth was she?
Queen Korinia looked to Dax. “Young one, Dax was it? You must understand that Silva is the best I have to offer. She is my right-hand and an excellent huntress. She is all we need to find those poor people who have been taken, and honestly, I cannot afford to send anyone else. We need the protection the other knights can offer.”
“I work best alone, anyway,” Silva added, her hand pressed to her chest.
Queen Korinia nodded. “That too.”
“Still…” Dax wasn’t convinced, and she reaslied that this was her chance to speak up about her position. Looking up at the Queen, she placed her own hand over her heart like Silva was doing. “Please, Queen Korinia. Let me go with Silva. I-I have my sister’s sword,” she said, touching the hilt of the weapon strapped to her back. “I won’t be a bother, and I learn fast. I won’t stop until she’s home again with everyone else.”
Silva was already shaking her head, a cocky smile on her face. Dax realised that the knightess didn’t even believe the Queen would agree. Unfortunately, she was right and the Queen shook her head as well, a sad frown dragging down the corners of her lips.
“I’m sorry, Dax, but I can’t send you out into danger. The risk is too great and…”
Dax ignored the rest of the Queen’s speech, her hands clenched into fists. Anger streamed through her veins. She could feel Silva watching her and her anger increased. How could a stranger be trusted with bringing her sister back? Alone, as well. What chance did she have?
The Queen continued. “The reason I asked you here, Dax, was that I wanted to offer you somewhere to stay. I assumed you would want to sleep somewhere other than your home until your sister is returned to you.” She spoke softly, kindly, and Dax, despite her fury, was touched at the offer. As she turned to the Queen to thank her, a new plan formed in her mind. It was dangerous and risky, but she had no other choice.
She would not be staying in the palace for long. She would save her sister.
“Thank you, Your majesty. I appreciate your offer. I would be glad to stay here.” The words were hollow, but Dax made them sound heartfelt and believable.
Queen Korinia smiled and nodded. “Excellent. I’ll have someone come and take you to your new quarters.”
As Queen Korinia called in a servant, Silva’s eyes trained on Dax. Dax felt as though the woman was seeing right through her and felt her skin tingle. Something about the knightess’s stare put her on edge. It felt like she were being watched by a predator.
A servant entered the room and led Dax to the door. Dax looked over her shoulder at Silva and Queen Korinia one last time, feeling a touch of guilt at her plans, but shut down fast on the feeling. She needed to do this.
For Lance.
As soon as Dax had been taken from the audience chamber, Silva spoke up.
“Your Majesty, I believe the girl is lying. I don’t doubt for a moment that she will follow me beyond the gates to rescue her sister.”
Queen Korinia was already smiling knowingly, and Silva realised she need not have said anything.
“You already suspected as much,” the knightess guessed.
The Queen nodded once, her eyes trained on the lioness-shifter before her. “Indeed. A rebellious heart lies within her chest. I knew the moment she stepped in here that she had plans of her own.”
“So what do we do?”
Strumming her finger’s on the arm of her chair, the Queen thought for a moment. “I suppose we cut her off before she can act. I am sending you out earlier than expected. Can you leave at sundown tonight instead of sunrise tomorrow, Silva?”
The knightess clapped a fist to her chest-plate again and gave a short bow. “The sooner the better. My lioness is eager to hunt,” she admitted, remembering the growl she had unleashed at Dax.
“Good. I will post a guard at Dax’s door. I didn’t want her to feel like a captive here, but I fear it is the only way to keep her safe from her own machinations.”
Silva nodded. “I’ll prepare, then.” She bowed again despite knowing how much her Queen hated it, then turned on her heel. Before she left the room, though, she turned to Queen Korinia again. “Thank you for trusting me with this, my Queen.”
“Of course, my dear Silva,” Queen Korinia answered. “There is no one better suited for this job, but not just because of your abilities as a knightess and a shifter. I know your heart, my dear friend. I know that no other knight within these walls will fight as hard as you will to see our people safe again.”
Silva touched her chest, this time not to calm the lioness but her own pounding heart. Her past flashed before her, the blood and tears and horror of it all. Queen Korinia trusted the woman before her, who had endured so much, to turn the past into a weapon she could use to save her people.
Silva vowed with everything she had not to let her down.
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