Chapter 2, Council with the Queen

As to what time it was when I awoke, I cannot be sure. Though to why I awoke, it was the soft feather touches that drifted down my bruised chest and side. Such a delicate, careful caresses and yet my body ached at even this thoughtful brush. My eyes shot open at the first pang of pain, only to fall upon a young woman, who stood over me, not taking notice to my wakening. To my surprise, it was her that I felt touching me, her hands working nimbly to wrap my wounds. At first I didn’t bother to register her appearance. Instead my gaze wondered down to my chest, the purple and blue marks stretching down my side and across me. Every slight breath, or movement, sending radiating agony throughout all of me and I knew this was more serious than a couple of bruises, more likely now, a couple of broken ribs.
The girl, who I had previously ignored and who had ignored me as well, and who was applying the bandages to me, looked over now. Her dark emerald eyes shone under autumn leaf curls that cascaded down her shoulders. There was something about her, about those eyes that seemed so familiar, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out what. At first, I was awestruck by her soft completion, her lips that rose in a casual smile, those brilliant eyes. But then, she placed a thin finger on my shoulder, pushing me back down as I attempted to sit up.
“Where-“I began to ask where I was, but she quickly cut me off by raising that small finger to her perfect rose lips.
“Quiet, you should talk right now.” She whispered in a hushed musical tone. “They can’t know I’m here.” And with that, she stood, turning her back to me as if to walk out of the room we were in.
I watched her, confused by who she was, where I was, and especially what she had told me.” What..?” I stopped myself from asking her what she meant, and then returned to the first question I had intended to ask. “Then at least tell me where it is that I am.” I stumbled over my words, forcing them out despite the pain, and doing my best to keep my voice as quiet as I could.
“Capital city Eden.” She replied as she opened the oak door and stepped out, closing the pathway behind her.
Eden? I already knew I was in Eden, I meant where in Eden! I thought, not having the drive to speak aloud to myself.
Now, as I was without the ability, or will to move I simply laid there on the hard cot. The walls around me were made from grey stone bricks, laid so close that you could hardly see the grout between the, giving an appearance of the wall being made solidly of the rock. In the corners, stood tall support columns decorated in elegant patterns of twisting lines. At the top of these columns the marbled rock sprayed out like leafs on a canopy tree. The curved ceiling had supports itself, arched beams emanated from a central point down to each of the four pillars that stood in the corners. A dome like structure curved upward between each of the arches. Right now, in my helpless dizzy mind, it made the roof seem like a large flower, and its delicate petals reaching out toward the walls as if to find some escape from the enclosing room.
Slightly, I turned my head to the door from which the girl had left. My head raced with questions, who was she? Who were they? Why couldn’t they know she was helping him? Why did she help him, and where the hell am I, Were only a few. Well I had a bit of an answer to one of those questions. I knew I was still in Eden, and from the look of the room, nowhere close to where I was. This was all too fine, and extravagant for a Shadow Charmer to possess. Plus, it was members of Unit that took me, meaning one of two things. Either this is a really nice prison cell, which I doubt, or I was in the royal castle. Now the one thing that bothered me about this theory is what am I doing at the castle? What could the Queen want from me? And if I am here for murdering my father, then why am I not in prison or on trial? Giving up on making any sense of it all, I closed my eyes, waiting patiently for something to happen, if anything would ever happen.
I had only just begun to doze off when they came in or rather he came. His footsteps were heavy; thundering against the floor was they came closer to my room. The door creaked on its brass hinges as it flew open, crashing back against the wall due to the force. I stayed completely still, pretending to be asleep in hopes that whoever it was would leave. By my ill luck, they persisted, drawing closer to me, his steps becoming louder, like beating drums causing my heart to race faster and faster. I found it hard not to flinch away as a strong hand gripped my shoulder, yanking me up with impractical force. My eyes opened at this point, coming in direct contact with a sharp malicious green stare. Ash blond hair fell to cloud those eyes as he tossed me into the wall
“Now, you pathetic worm, ” He growled, gesturing to me nonchalantly before running a gloved hand through his hair, slicking it back again. “ get up.” He commanded in a confident harsh voice. “Or must I beat you again?” he smiled at this. It was a sly, crooked grin that made my skin crawl with an urge to attack him right then and there.
Yet, I held back the tendencies and rose to my feet, keeping my head low and muscles tensed. I looked around, noticing lightness on my leg and back. Both my daggers, as well as my sword were gone, meaning for me, no hope to win a fight.
“Face the wall.”
And I did as he said, turning my back to him, my entire body tense with the anticipation of being hit again. He stepped toward me, and a cold metal clasped around my wrist. I gasped for air immediately as he pressed his body up against mine, adding pressure in just the right places to make me light up with me pain.
“G-get off!” I stammered, trying to push back on him to cause him to stumble back. Resentfully causing him to push onto me more to keep his balance.
“Get over yourself you chicken-wuss.” he growled as he pulled away from me and took a step back” what did you call me? You-” I turned around, instantly silenced with a fist to my jaw
“I never said you could turn around...” he straightened his robes, pulling his gloves taunt over his knuckles. “Now get up, stand straight. You want the Queen to see you like that? Have you no self-respect.”
Obviously you have far too much. I thought as I stood as straight as I could bear, keeping my back to him like he had told me. Queen? Is this the royal castle? “What do you mean Queen? Wasn’t I already sentenced?” I asked, clearly recalling that murder was punished with death, and with me openly admitting to killing my father there would have been no trial to decide my fate.
“The Queen has request council with you, do you reject?”
“I suppose if she has request council with me, then no.” I replied quiet slowly, my mind riling with questions whose answers, were either out of reach, or whose answers provoked more questions.
The soldier grabbed my wrists, slapping on a thick pair of iron cuffs. “Let’s go then.” he turned me around roughly, giving me a twisted smirk that made my skin crawl.
What is going on?
I was led down extravagant hall ways. Polished stone, engraved with eccentric designs and lavish paintings. Right colors depicted winged angels and dragons of all colors and sizes and forms that anyone and everyone could imagine. “Like a fairy tale...” I thought allowed, causing my ‘companion’ to turn and look at me.
“What…?” he asked, a puzzled look on his otherwise menacing face
“N-nothing, I was just thinking aloud.” I stammered, my eye falling back to the ground.
“Keep your Darn thoughts in your head.” he grumbled his pace speeding in aggravation.
I nodded and kept silent for the rest of the way. Within moments, we stood before a large white wooded. Gold patterns of complex designs ran along its frame and through the natural groves of the furnished wood. Toward the center of the massive double doors, were two small silver handles, molded in the shapes of fierce dragons. My guard moved forward, the heels of his boots clicking against the polished floors, echoing off the marbled walls. He stopped at the doors, his hands gripping the silver lightly before he through open the woodwork, curtains flew out into the next room from the force of the doors opening. And when they settled, an eerie air fell upon me, chilling me down to my very bones. The noble soldier looked back at him, his apple eyes dazzling in the dark surrounding him. And then came that wicked grin, creeping along his face.
“Well don’t just stand there!” he said to me, almost musically now. “We wouldn’t want to keep the Queen waiting, would we?”
I glared at him, my dark rimmed golden eyes flaring up with rage and resentment toward him. Cautiously, I stepped through the doors, through the sheer drapes of a soft lilac-purple, and into the abyss. The room itself was a vast expanse, stretching nearly a hundred yards in either direction. Halfway through the room, standing directly in front of me was an exquisite throne, two times as tall as I was, one and a half times as wide. The arms were marbled stone details in silver and gold. The back was onyx; a velvet backing lined it for comfort. A lightly lavender, much like the drapes that covered the door way, masked the mosaic colored glass windows, obscuring the light inside. I spun around at the sound of the great doors closing, cutting off nearly all light in the room, leaving only what little drifted in from the covered windows. Staring right back at me were the eyes of the man who had brought me in here.
He bowed, and at the moment I couldn’t contemplate why he would bow to me. It was only after I heard her call my name, did I realize the Queen was standing behind me.
“ Demytrii Rekar.” her voice was soft, but behind it I could hear power, wisdom, and the voice of a woman who would not be disagreed with.
“ Yes?” I spun on my heel to come face to face with Queen Xanuriel. She was an older woman, around her mid forties. The creased lines of her face around her mouth seemed unusually deep, like the ridges of a valley, or maybe it was just do to the low light. Her lips were curved, and painted in bright red, like rose petals. Contrasting those scarlet lips, were to bright forest green eyes, though now dulled in age, most have been spectacular in their day. Her dark, velvety hair was pulled back in a dark ponytail, black curls falling like water down her back, stopping just above her small waist. She wore a long silk gown, the top corset being of a dark crimson and gold lace, the skirt, a deep violet blue, ruffled into layers and almost as if the bottom was sprayed in black. The sleeves were long sheer cloth that hung off her shoulders, dropping off of her wrists and hanging almost as long as the dress itself. All together, she was a rather imposing, and beautiful woman.
She smiled slightly, a small flicker that was gone as quickly as it came. “ you have been informed of your charges?”
I nodded. “ yes my lady, and I confess full y to them being true in every detail.” I Stood straight, keeping my eyes level with hers as we spoke
“ and you are aware of the penalty for murder?” she raised in eyebrow, obviously surprised by my response.
“ Yes my lady.”
“ Demytrii, I have asked you here today to give you a choice, will you hear my proposition?” she sat down on the throne, her hands resting in her lap.
“Yes my lady.” I repeated, curiosity getting the best of me.
“ Good. It has come to my attention, that you are highly skilled in both you’re trade and in combat, is this so?” she cocked her head to one side a bit.
“ this is true, I was trained in magic and close range combat.” I shifted on my feet, feeling uneasy in the large room without my weapons.
“ Then you may indeed be of use to me.” she said more to herself. “ I have recently learned of a Light.” she said staring me down. “ A Light that is said to control all elements of power, that it swarms around us invisible to most, but there are some, who have claimed to see this Light. Sin, Bring in your sister.” she looked to the soldier behind me when she gave the order.
Sin nodded, but as he turned to leave, a young girl stepped out from behind the throne. “No need, I am here mother.” she said.
I almost fell back to the sound of that voice, at the sight of those emerald eyes. It was her, and as she stepped from the shadows there was no doubt in my mind that it was the girl who had been tending to me only hours ago! And what shocked me more, she had shaid mother. The Queen was her mother? And the man, Sin was his name, she was his sister, they seemed so different, who could these three possibly be related?
“Synti.” the Queen said looking at the girl. “ be our truth seer.” it was more an order then request, and the girl nodded silently.
I however still stood watching her, stunned by what I had just learned. Synti. I said the name in my head my eyes focused solely on her. And even in the terrible lights I could see her more clearly now then I could earlier. Her dark hair showed three tones, bright blond in the bangs, covered by a honey brown undertone and more so with the bulk of her hair being dark coffee. She wore an outfit more fit for a hunter then a princess. Her top was a simple royal purple shirt with a low cut collar. A white canvas jacket was worn over that, buttoned only at the throat, and the left sleeve rolled up to her elbow. He hands were covered in black leather, wrist cut gloves, and at her waist was a black mid thigh long skirt, ruffling over it self in elegant folds. Under that I could see white leggings, the left leg stopping at the same length as her skirt, the right however went down to her knee. My eyes trailed down her body as I took in ever detail of her, even her calf high laced up brown leather boots, and thin gold chain belts. Thank you.
She looked back at me, seeming unchanged by my gaze, her face a porcelain mask.
The Queen raised a hand, drawing my attention to her. Around her raised fingers a shift occurred, the area becoming bright, almost white. Around the light shift I could see the Blue sparkle light flowing around it, and around the Queens arm. “ tell me, what do you see?”
“ what do I see?” I repeated, finding the question stupid. “ I see the light bent, shinning brighter in the gloom of the rest of the room.” I said gesturing around.
“ Is that all?” she asked.
My eyes looked to Synti before I hesitantly added. “ A light blue, sparkling light is swirling around it, almost like a mist.”
The Queen looked to her daughter who nodded in agreement with my statement. “ he speaks the truth, the Light is there, he can see it.”
The Queens ghost smile came back again, this time remaining on her lips as she spoke to me. “ My proposition for you Demytrii Rekar, Join Delta, lead the exposition to the Grestic Mountains, retrieve the source of this Light, and bring it to me and I will give you a life sentenced in jail. Or,” she continued. “ deny the request, be sentenced to death for murder, and have your little brother serve a life sentence in solitary confinement.
“ Leave Eythan out of this!” I shouted, hearing what she had planed for my brother. “ He is innocent! I’m the one who kill our father!” I didn’t notice it at the time, but shadows along the walls were creeping toward me, wrapping around me as my anger raged.
“ Those are your choices. Now choose.” she said with a shrugged, watching me in the darkness, making me feel helpless and alone.
I looked down, my hands tightening into fists, my vision blurring. “ … I will lead Delta.” I said finally