Chapter 2
“Garden of the Forgotten”
Walking away from the sound was the best thing Cariphae could do at that moment when everything behind her became a loud chaotic uproar. Her nobles stood from their seats and exchanged glances while stifling their own confusion and anger from the Queen’s rejection – barking at one another while also trying to grasp the Queen’s attention to no avail. Cariphae drowned them out as she was unable to bring herself to rationalize her own choice by any reasonable means. What was there to argue for her? For once she had made a choice that had angered her people and it was a choice she felt she made in selfishness.
Political agendas were repetitive and something Cariphae had grown accustomed to as part of her daily life. The ever-changing borders of different regions in Arithmetia, new laws and freedoms her people demanded, trade routes and taxes, and much more were never hard for the Queen to control and organize. Ushering in a new era via a wedding and possible new heir was something she had not considered nor prioritized, having gone unmarried and childless her entire reign. She wondered if she had overlooked the importance of it considering her people reacted so violently to her denial of it. Not much had changed in the past one hundred and fifty years of her rule, yet she refused to believe that this was a needed change for the betterment of the two separate realms of Endle and Arithmetia.
The two realms were vastly different from one another and impossible to traverse between the two without the aid of magic – which had become a dying art among the common folk with the rise of necromancy and witchcraft that polluted it. From the little amount of time Cariphae had spent on what was considered the surface of the two realms, Endle was a beautiful world with enough resources to support her people and mankind alike and provide them the comfort she believed they desired. Water would never be an issue and exposure to foreign cultures would be beneficial to the future generations she was to cradle in her hands – perhaps they could cultivate better technology and medicines along the way. Humanity on the other hand seemed to be a race she knew the least amount of despite looking so much like them herself. A part of her desired to learn more about them and in doing so, discover if she indeed shared more than just a physical appearance.
Despite every reason she had to wed the demigod – Guardian of all humankind – and the clear distraught in her people’s voices, she refused the proposal and was walking away from what was considered the highest honor on that balcony. The voices grew muffled behind stone and distance while she picked up her dress and walked down the staircase. She could see Agatha waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her clearly in a state of – albeit calm – confusion. Cariphae couldn’t make more than a few seconds of eye contact with her advisor and walked quickly towards the center of the Grand Hall where candlelight danced warmly over the polished floors. The agitated shouting from the outside could still be heard but was quiet enough for Cariphae to speak reasonably low to Agatha.
“I want this crowd outside dismissed and Guardian is not allowed in my fortress until I say otherwise.” Cariphae ordered as Agatha followed closely behind.
“Friend, this is rather sudden and very–” Agatha gasped at a sudden bang on the doors that lead to the outside courtyard, “oh my…” She added as she spun her head to the doors. Cariphae watched the doors as well with a look of irritation plastered across her face. “All of this violence, it’s as if you started a war.” Agatha finished, turning to face the Queen.
“It will subside, it must.” Cariphae flatly replied.
“You are not at all concerned about this?” Agatha asked nervously, hearing another bang against the doors. “I’ve never seen the people this angry before–”
“I know what I’m doing, Agatha. Have faith that this is in the best interest of everyone. I can feel it.” Cariphae answered before turning towards the long hallway leading to the inner section of the fortress guided by a long red carpet. She didn’t get too far before the two grand doors abruptly opened. For the doors to be made of heavy brass and stone, the speed at which they were opened could have nearly snapped them clean off their bulking hinges. The sound alone was enough for Cariphae to know who was standing in the center of the opened doorway, and she couldn’t be bothered to spare him a glance. With Valaah guards behind him to hold back the angry mob raging outside, Guardian pushed his way inside with footsteps loud and heavy with intense heel contact to the floor.
“Cariphae! A word with you!” He hollered down the Grand Hall which fell on deaf ears from the Queen. “How dare you deny your people the freedom I offer! I have been nothing but generous to you!”
The words stopped Cariphae with an intense raise of her shoulders. She turned to face him with a scowl carved deep into her mouth. The insult and wrath flaming from her pupils sent shivers down Agatha’s spine as the living flame threatened to burst.
“How dare I? How dare you! To assume that an heir is needed for my people to thrive is an insult to their independence and an insult to me! I desire no such heir, and I desire no such king! Begone from my sight, Guardian, my joy has once again been doused by your arrogance.”
“In arrogance, we are perfectly matched, woman.” Guardian pointed at her.
“My lord, she has requested that you remain outside until further notice.” Agatha quickly stood in front of the demigod, long tendrils outstretched to block the way down the hall. As easily as a demigod could brush passed the frail creature, he stopped in front of the advisor respectfully despite the clearly painted look of frustration across his face.
“You are making a mistake! You cannot keep pushing everyone out! You cannot push me out! What do you fear, Cariphae?!” He roared passed Agatha who found herself scowling at the words coming from his mouth. Guardian locked eyes with Agatha and pointed a finger at her chest. “It would do you well to advise her properly, Altaone. I am not some mongrel to be cast outside!”
“I will advise her as much as I will advise you, and I advise you to leave as her majesty has ordered.”
Guardian sneered with anger as he spun around to make his way outside with his cape in tow. He shoved the guards out of his way and disappeared into the crowd.
Cariphae walked onwards down the hall with eyes blazing orange to yellow without a delay in her speed. She had her reasons to keep the demigod at bay and strengthen her mistrust of him with every spiteful word he spoke. Perhaps there was a hint of truth in his words but there were no words he could offer to halt her – especially now in the current moments of unrest inside every sentient being there. Fists clenched and heels hitting hard against the carpet, the queen made her way into the heart of her fortress where it was safest and quietest. Silence finally came to the queen aside from the occasional rumble of the boiling lake outside.
She could damn well push everyone out if she pleased. So long as her people were safe, she would not stray far from that belief. Cariphae was by far the most powerful – and most feared – queen of the realms and many on the surface considered her to be a harbinger of destruction. Despite residing in Arithmetia, she was massively feared on the surface ever since she had won the Red War – which had been a key factor in keeping the peace between the realms and the different kingdoms scattered among them. If remaining alone and shutting outsiders out from her inner chambers was what maintained that fear and peace, then she would remain alone for all eternity – it was her only purpose. She couldn’t trust another to prioritize her people as much as she did. No man could ever do as much for the Valaah as she could, and her scars proved as much. She bled for them and she tore her heart apart for them. She became hollow for them.
Her scars were a reminder of the sacrifices it took to attain that peace and they littered her body like rubble from a worn battlefield. The Red War was the largest war ever recorded in all four eras of known history between the two realms and it was that very war that was responsible for the prominent scar down the right side of her once-perfect black lips, and the other deep scar that cut into the left side of her strong jaw – which at one point had sliced deep into her bone. As lovely as her face still was, those two scars were daily reminders of what she had lost and what she had done in ancient history for the sake of her people’s freedom. Other deep battle-won scars had been carved across her back, her stomach, legs, and hands. The deepest scars of them all were beyond flesh and etched deep into her mind and soul to create a calloused and cold-hearted flame willing to remain alone until the end of her days should it ever come.
It was hard to remove the inner turmoil swimming about her mind while confined within the heated walls of the fortress. Sometimes it felt more like a prison to her than a fortress meant to protect her realm. Beams of warm fiery light passed over her from the stained-glass windows as she walked down the empty hall filled with pockets of shadows. The sheer emptiness made even the muffled footsteps of her heels echo endlessly down the passing corridors and climb up the tall pillars to resonate within the arched ceilings. A twinge of loneliness gnawed at her without Agatha by her side but perhaps it was for the best that she remained alone for the time being.
The center of the fortress held many rooms and open platforms leading to the outside where soldiers trained, slept, and lived. The massive fortress held four separate barracks and multiple armories storing armor and weaponry. As large as Lovelacia was on the surface, it was just as large underground with winding halls, secret tunnels, and a well-guarded treasury as well as catacombs for their deceased. The newest addition to the fortress however was the royal gardens – requested to be constructed by the queen herself to house Arithmetia’s most iconic and beloved flora. It was the one place Cariphae could find some semblance of solace anytime she felt unrest within herself.
Separated from all rooms and platforms dedicated to the vast militia under Cariphae’s rule by lofty brick walls topped with braziers alight with calm flames and red coals were the Royal Gardens. Orange fiery-leaved trees twisted diagonally in many directions with outstretched branches brustling along the walls with roots climbing in between the cracks of the masonry. Yellow bushes with eternally smoldering leaves surrounded most of the trees with deep black ivy spanning over any sparse ground as ground cover. Every other break in the ivy’s cover sprouted tall black stems topped with flowers of a multitude of colors from bright yellows to blood reds adorned in razor-sharp thorns. Black grasses swayed in the corners of elevated flower beds and tall, tapered, white leaves with no stems stretched high above the contrasting black grasses.
Many types of fungi grew from the cracks in the bricked walls, ranging from white and narrow stems resembling bleached bones to large parasols with bright red and black speckles. Some spores that fell from the fungi by light breeze glowed like fiery embers, giving the garden a mystical haze. As chaotic as the red skies were in a seemingly endless storm, the wind sweeping passed the leaves of all the life nestled in this one small paradise offered a calmness Cariphae couldn’t find anywhere else. A black stone bench was placed under the largest tree in the center of the gardens for the queen to rest under in her downtime. The elaborately carved bench welcomed its queen as she sat upon it and reclined until her back rested against the smooth twisted trunk of the tree behind her - which was pale gray and looked like hundreds of ropes had been weaved together to form the trunk.
The celebration replayed in her mind and every word exchanged between Guardian and herself stung as it was branded into her memory. Anger and anxiety commonly bit at her like wild dogs whenever he drew near her as her deep-seated hatred and resentment consistently reminded her of why she was here in the first place; Unchallenged Queen of what humanity called ‘Hell’ sitting upon a throne snatched from a dishonorable tyrant. Agatha’s words from earlier rang as an echo in her memory; He did what was right.
It was true, Guardian did what was right in a time Cariphae fell into a weakness that prevented her from slaying Arithmetia’s former tyrant Ensanguined King – a memory so deeply carved into her and repeatedly opened to bleed every time she was phrased for it.
How abruptly such a good feeling had ended when the demigod arrived to remind Cariphae of her valiant history in war. Feeling content for once in her endless sea of indifference and dejection was robbed of her in mere seconds only to be offered what outwardly appeared to be an honorable gift of union and righteousness. It sickened her to envision the demigod in her bedchambers, the very same demigod who had shown her just how alone she was in the realms. She and Guardian were the only beings of their kind – appearing human with the strength of a thousand men and powers unique to their souls in the form of fire and lightning. What would otherwise spell a love story fit for a child’s fairy tale spelled eternal damnation for the lone queen.
There was no love for the man who claimed to be her equal. Alas, a union between two ruling parties did not require love, only cooperation and a mutual understanding of what they wanted their kingdom to be. Both she and Guardian shared values on the importance of freedom and peace, yet she couldn’t bring herself to do what would be expected of any queen in her position. Granted it was abrupt and rude of Guardian to propose at that time but an alliance with a demigod that had lasted two hundred years had probably prompted a proposal that was already long overdue. What better time to propose than when an entire kingdom was watching? How pompous Guardian was.
‘The bastard.’ She thought to herself with a slow inhale of hot air.
There was suddenly a voice that was carried by the wind in the gardens – a masculine voice soft and cautious yet casual in approach.
“Well now, that was quite the show.” The voice spoke, invoking the queen to abruptly sit upwards and turn her head towards the voice. It wasn’t a voice she recognized and certainly not the voice of a guard or servant. She spotted a tall figure among the trees wearing a long dark cloak with the hood pulled back to reveal a blunt cut of silken black hair with beads and silver twine at his shoulders. The shoulders of the figure were broad and strong, appearing human but taller than most men and the skin that she could see was glistening silver instead of neutral flesh.
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
She stood to her feet knowing this was an intruder and certainly one not from Arithmetia given that she could see frost forming at his feet.
“I was honestly thinking ye would’ve said yes, but the rejection was far more interesting.” The man added with a soft chuckle as he half-turned to reveal a frozen flower in his hand.
“Who are you and how did you get in here? How did you get passed my guards?” She asked, clenching her fists as her knuckles bleached a heated yellow.
The man tilted his head towards her almost playfully and with a smile, he turned his body in her direction and stepped into the light of the braziers atop the walls for her to see with a sway in his step – which caused a slight jingle from the silver chains spanning across his bootstraps and cloak. His skin shimmered in the light and his eyes radiated an intense bright blue without visible pupils. His features were handsome and chiseled with sharp curves and strong cheeks and a squared jaw beneath his well-groomed facial hair.
“Ye probably shouldn’t have all your guards in one spot, love. Fairly easy for me to stroll right in.” He answered with a lightness to his tone despite being stared down by the most feared woman in all the realms. His accent was strange, but she could recognize it from Endle-dwelling sailors.
“Unlucky for you, it’ll be me dealing with you.” She growled as her fists began to burn with flames that licked up her arms. Strangely enough, it did not burn her clothing.
“Relax love, I came to tell ye that I think ye did the right thing just then.” He spoke up as he brought the flower closer to his face to examine the frosted petals. It was an odd response that prompted Cariphae to extinguish the flames on her hands and squint in confusion. He didn’t seem like he wanted hostility and was far too relaxed.
“You agree with my refusal? For what prize does a surface-dweller gain in the refusal of a peaceful union between two realms?” She asked as she crossed her arms across her strong modest chest.
“Ah, so she does know what she’s doing.” He smiled as he now bowed to the queen with one hand to his chest and the other behind his back. “I am Captain Adamus O’Dweller, guardian of the seas, pirate lord to those I challenge.”
“Never heard of you. Elaborate on your unwelcomed visit to my fortress or your freedom here will be short-lived. You’ve piqued my interest only briefly.”
The Captain brought himself upright and swept his cape to the side, showing off more of his wealth and status through clean silken clothes and a well-stitched vest above his blouse. Silver buttons and a pocket watch lined the vest, glistening with purity and polish. He brandished a dark belt and strapped to it was a sheathed blade – which she had recognized to be a colichemarde by the smoothly-spun grip and rounded knuckle guard. It was a blade she knew had hailed from a different time in history and had fallen in popularity. On the other side of his hip was a weapon she didn’t recognize, but it had a thick handle and was made of polished wood and silver.
“My freedom couldn’t be compromised even if ye tried, love. You’d have a better chance imprisoning the sea itself – not to insult ye or yer capabilities.” He said with undeniable confidence that beckoned a scoff from the Queen.
“You’re far from the sea, Captain. It’d be unwise to entice me to try.” Cariphae shot back while flicking her nails loudly. She shifted her steps to circle around the black slate path with her arms uncrossed – which he mimicked by countering her at the same pace until the twisted pale tree disrupted their direct view of each other. By the time Cariphae could see where the Captain once stood, there was no trace of him. One brief second of no eye contact broken by the tree’s trunk had allowed the Captain to vanish and reappear behind the Queen several feet away in the blink of an eye.
“I’m enticed to make ye see things you’ve only dreamed of. Dreams of the ocean.” The Captain caused Cariphae to spin on her heel to face him, double-taking a glance at where he originally stood.
“How did you–”
“Dreams of a ship on the horizon. Dreams of a cliffside with rain touching yer face – cold enough to make ye shiver.” The Captain added as he cautiously approached the Queen and narrowed his eyes to view her a little more closely.
Cariphae took a step back as a rush of chills swept up her back. A shiver forced her shoulders to tense. Her guard felt like it had been seized and confusion had settled in to paralyze her in her place. His words rang in her ears like distant bells and his gaze unsettled her. He didn’t appear threatening; His posture was too calm. He was familiar with her dreams, and it felt invasive and alarming.
“How do you know what lies in my dreams?” She pressed. He stopped approaching her the moment she raised her voice. “What do you want?”
There were many things swimming in her mind as to what this Captain wanted. She had vast wealth and power that one who deemed himself a pirate lord would desire. Clearly, he possessed magic, but she did not feel like this man possessed the intent to harm her with it, otherwise, he would have already tried. Perhaps instead of malicious intent, he held answers she desired to know – answers she’d been unable to attain for as long as she could remember.
“It isn’t about what I want, love,” he smiled as he reached beneath his cape and slipped his fingers into an inner pocket lined on the inside. What he pulled from the pocket had the queen take yet another step back as her eyes fell upon a sheer silken veil yellowed by time. The pattern of flowers and swirls seemed all too familiar to her as he held it up for her to see, causing Cariphae to feel what felt like a boulder sink to the bottom of her stomach. “It’s about what’s needed,” he added as the wind swept passed him, making the veil flow towards the queen like it beckoned her to grasp it, “and what is needed now is change, Cariphae.” He let the ancient silk slip from his fingers.
Gently, the veil caught the flow of wind and found itself snatched from the air by Cariphae. The old fabric felt familiar to her fingers, and it was cool to the touch. Quickly it became warm in her palm as she examined it closely. It was the veil she had seen in her dreams, flowing just as freely in the wind as it did in the fantasy she called her dreams. What once felt like a mere illusion began to transform into a belief that it was more than that – perhaps it was a memory.
She ran her thumbs over the delicate stitching and watched the threads slightly split apart as time had weathered it to a fragile state. She refrained from handling it too much and she had to wonder just how much care had gone into keeping it all in one piece. This Captain – this self-proclaimed pirate lord – must’ve either found the veil in a box that had been hidden from the world, or he had taken great lengths to care for it. She felt confusion engulf her like a fire – unable to be quelled by reason or logical explanations. More questions manifested the more she thought of how this stranger managed to get his hands on such a mysterious part of her dreams, but the sound of the Captain’s voice had snagged her attention and dragged her from her drowning thoughts.
“I’m sure ye have countless questions that need answering, love. I can answer them for ye, but I cannot stay here. Guardian is still near.” He spoke as he took a step away from the silent queen.
“You must,” she snapped, gripping the veil in her fist as her eyes lifted to capture the Captain in better detail, “you cannot just hand me this and expect me to allow you to leave without an explanation. If Guardian concerns you, know I’ve dismissed him.”
“I can and I will,” he shot back calmly, “understand that there are forces working against ye. Forces that will keep ye in this darkness and prevent me from coming too close. I cannot bring ye to the light so long as ye stand in this hellish shadow ye call Arithmetia. Ye must come to the surface – where those forces can’t reach.”
“The surface? Where I’m at my weakest?” She scowled as she pulled the veil behind her as she felt her defenses rise. “Do you take me for a fool to break my own law and come to the surface? Alone no less?”
“Relax, love. I am not here to harm ye, nor will I harm ye there. Never said ye would have to come alone. I know this plagues yer mind as much as it does mine.” He reasoned, causing the queen to soften her scowl and wonder why this would plague him. He was a stranger to her. “If ye want to understand the dreams that never let ye sleep unless ye drown yourself in the drink,” he paused, watching her eyes glance away from him, “come to the sea up above. Watch the horizon, and I will come for ye.”
“I will never set foot near the sea, Captain,” Cariphae softly hissed, “and I don’t believe a word you have to say. You come to my fortress, trespass into my garden, and fill my head with lies and manipulation. You tell me you can answer my questions and beguile me to come to the surface – breaking a vow I made long ago to the people above. I have lived and fought too many battles to know your type of scheme, pirate.” She stood tall, throwing the veil to the side where the wind caught it – dragging it to the tree’s roots where it snagged.
The Captain watched the veil hang onto the tree’s roots desperately as it was one gust away from slipping away – which made the man flinch and reach a hand to it.
“Your schemes will not work, and I want nothing more to do with this little encounter. Begone from my fortress and never return. If you ever have the gall to have me believe you know of my dreams, even the largest of seas will not save you from the wrath I will inflict upon you.” She threatened as her hair intensified in light as if fired by her innate rage that fueled the very flame in her chest.
The Captain didn’t flinch any further nor did he look intimidated by the living war legend glowing before him. A woman known for wrath and power only comparable to the storms caused by Guardian himself that could tear apart mountains and split the skies were worthy of fear and regality – yet the Captain would not bow to her. He would not step back from her, he only stood stronger as he faced her fully and his calm expression fell to a gentle frown.
“Ye ever wonder what that urchin does to the people ye vowed to protect on the surface?” He asked, attaining a curious silence from her. “If ye won’t go to the surface for a dream, go for a reality,” he added as he tipped his hat to her, “y’majesty.”
The Captain turned away from her and walked towards the entrance of the gardens with his cape in tow, swaying with his long stride that made the silver chains chime. His footprints left ice crystals behind – pearlescent blue and white like a crisp winter frost that quickly melted. Cariphae felt a slight choke in her throat as she wanted to speak up when a twinge of guilt and curiosity swelled in her chest. It was a strange sensation that took her off guard as no one had ever turned their back on her after such a snide remark. There was no fear in the Captain’s voice or his gaze and she had noticed.
“Wait,” she stopped him, watching his cape flow forward with momentum as he paused in his place, “do you mean Guardian?”
The Captain turned his head with a small smirk curling the side of his lip.
“Aye, but ye already knew that.” He winked.
He continued walking away until the shadows of the candlelight engulfed him, washing over his black cape and hat until he seemingly vanished into it. The frost from his footsteps melted away and the presence of another magical being dissipated. Soon Cariphae felt alone again, and it wasn’t a relief to her. She almost fancied his presence despite it being new with tensions higher than pleasant, but it was nearly refreshing to speak to a person from the surface albeit strange and uncomfortable. It was his lack of fear and casual nature that had her curious about what more they could’ve spoken of had he stayed just a few minutes longer. Then again, she had herself to blame for such a quick dismissal after falling victim to her own uncontrollable anger.
She was left standing in her place, feeling the hot wind blow against her dress, and listening to the leaves and flowers rustle around her. There was a compelling urge to look down and notice that the veil she had thrown down was miraculously still there holding onto the tree’s roots by a few threads. Without really thinking twice about her initial abandonment of the fabric, she reached for it in time to catch it as the threads snapped against the root and released itself into the wind. She held it close once more to examine it as if making sure it was real before looking to the shadows where the Captain had vanished. It was astounding how familiar it was to her at first glance, so the longer she held it, the more familiar it became – like a possession she once owned or perhaps even made.
She was certain she couldn’t have crafted such an item on second thought because she had no time to knit and weave. She was a warlord who specialized in the art of battle, not the art of creativity even though her heart sometimes yearned for it. Even still, she recognized the pattern and noticed the details of the woven threads. The pattern of the flowers looked familiar too – three distinct petals and a bottom lip cradling a lipped center. They were surface flowers that she recognized from her time above during the Red War.
Orchids – she remembered.
She recalled the Captain flinching when she dropped the veil. Had it meant that much to him? The same reaction would be seen from a person trying to catch a fragile glass if it fell to its side. It was no priceless vase plundered from the wealthy, so why care as to how a cloth fell to the ground?
‘Sentimental value’ she thought to herself as she inspected the veil. How could a veil in her dreams be sentimental to a man she never met? The thoughts and questions nagged her. Perhaps the Captain was right in the sense that he held the answers to her questions because she surely now had too many to rationalize on her own. Going to the surface for those answers, however, was simply not an option.
The surface world was vastly different from Arithmetia and seemed like an alien world to her. It was cooler in temperature yet warmed by golden sunlight, covered in vibrant colors, and teeming with exotic life. The skies were calm and blue and the wind was gentle against the skin. The people there were equally as vibrant in species and culture – something she admired. The world above Arithmetia was called Endle.
Endle was a land watched over by Guardian and governed by multiple kingdoms that had separated the land into different regions. To the north were the desert lands ruled by dunes of sand and barren flat lands under the name Destillion. Below were the high icy mountains of solid rock dictated by the unforgiving winds of blizzards called Faemira. Below the mountains were the thickets of misty forestry and rivers named Sheirun Hau. Everything below the forests of Sheirun Hau was the Unclaimed Lands filled with pirates, savages, and renegades who held no desire to be ruled by any monarchy.
After the Red War – a war having earned its name for saturating battlefields in thick running blood and viscera – Cariphae had instilled a sense of peace among the people above as much as below. Enemies had been tamed and forced to bow to the Queen of the Hell she had unleashed upon the lands. Countless had fallen to her hand and her armies and the land of Endle lived in constant fear of her return. She was a remorseful queen and she had taken pity on the surviving enemies who trembled at her feet – begging for their lives – and so the queen gave them mercy for the sake of the innocent people ruled by her defeated enemies. She had vowed to never return to Endle – never to taint the ground with her presence unless war were once again declared.
Cariphae owed it to the citizens of the surface world to uphold her vow she had made two hundred years ago. Even out of a desperate search for answers that could possibly quell the raging storm swirling miserably in her heart, she could not break her vow. Guardian’s proposal would negate her vow and merge the realms in an eternal bond of peace, but an eternal bond that would also merge the two in a pitiful partnership, and the marital duties that would accompany it were simply too repulsive for her to accept. She was left with no options and the Captain’s offer would be forgotten – leaving the queen with more unanswered questions and nothing left to hope for. The unwedded Hell Queen of Arithmetia would forever remain locked in limbo, forced to serve her own torment until the day her heart stops.
Her fist tightened around the fragile veil in frustration, unable to fully accept the misery that was destined for her. In contempt of her own desire to know the meaning of her dream and quite possibly the meaning of who she was, she knew she had to sacrifice her own happiness and curiosity for the sake of the realms. It was a duty she swore to take when she conquered the bloodiest war Endle had ever seen – a duty she felt fit to be burdened with as punishment for a crime left unforgiven. Yes, she would leave behind her desires and return to her people as the strong, dedicated queen they all deserved. Captain O’Dweller would have to know her disappointment, and the answers he held would have to be forever unknown.
She took a seat on the bench and draped the veil over her hand and found herself unable to take her eyes away from it. It spoke to her softly deep down, that perhaps the Captain was right. She felt a twinge of conflict deep down after assuming that it was hopeless to look for answers. Maybe her stern fixed point of thinking wasn’t what was best for once. Maybe it was indeed time for a change.
----------------------------------------