Queen vs. Handmaiden

image [https://i.ibb.co/9gP5RS6/toppng-com-line-dividers-png-1000x200.png]

“What the hell was that?”

“Is it a drone hologram?”

“Is an apocalypse coming?!”

“Check Tweeter!”

Panic erupted around Eydis. The students gaped at the monstrosity like startled goldfish. How utterly pedestrian.

The monstrosity—a pulsating, bloodshot pink eye of unimaginable size—loomed above. It wasn’t just the sight of it; it was the feeling. A wrongness, a violation that sank deep into her bones.

Then, a single tear oozed from the eye, leaving a glistening trail across the sky.

The Queen, mid-strategize on how to deal with this chaos, felt a furry, squealing weight connect with her back. The force, frankly insulting for someone who once wrestled with fire-breathing wyverns, had knocked the wind out of her.

Spinning around, Eydis found herself face-to-face with a grinning redhead, twin braids bouncing like excited springs. "Eydis! Where'd you vanish to? Did you finally snap and try to escape Mrs. Henderson's pop quiz on theorems most useless in conquering giant space eyeballs?"

Eydis straightened, suppressing a sigh. "And who might this... overly enthusiastic... koala be?

The redhead, oblivious, beamed. "Hilarious, Eydis! PE still stings, huh?"

"Darling," Eydis drawled, "a celestial eyeball the size of a rogue planet just decided to invade our atmosphere, and you're worried about this… ‘four-eyed freak’? Priorities, priorities."

"Relax, Eydis. I'm sure the government has a crack team of, well, government-y people on it already. Besides, all it did was twitch around a bit. Now, come on, you've got something… rather… slimy… smeared across your cheek."

Eydis instinctively touched her cheek, her fingers smudged with black. "Ah, Tiffany's handiwork, no doubt." Her voice hardened.

"What’s her problems?” the girl grumbled with genuine concerns. “But seriously, the washroom.”

Eydis’s gaze softened. "Lead the way, handmaiden.”

The redhead's eyebrows shot up in comical surprise. "H-handmaiden?!"

"You haven't offered another name," Eydis conceded with a playful smile. "Though 'handmaiden' does have a certain regal ring to it, wouldn't you agree?"

"Natalia," the crimson-eyed girl huffed. "And did you hit your head or something? You're acting weird. Well, weirder than usual."

Eydis stopped abruptly, sending the shorter girl tumbling into her back with an indignant yelp. Her hand flew to the back of her head, encountering a rather sizable bump, courtesy of her bully.

Tiffany...oh, Tiffany would dearly regret crossing a Queen, even a Queen in exile.

Following Natalia through the maze of brightly lit hallways, Eydis couldn't help but compare it to her own grand throne room. Gone were the hand-carved obsidian walls that whispered secrets and the flickering torches that cast dramatic shadows. Here, the beige walls screamed "institutional oatmeal.”

Stolen story; please report.

Locker doors slammed shut with bone-jarring thuds, punctuated by the echoing shrieks of teenagers in various states of hormonal overdrive. The air crackled with a chaotic energy that made Eydis fantasise about unleashing a cleansing ball of fire.

If only she had her magic.

The cacophony of the halls assaulted her ears. "Oh-em-gee," one shrieked - a desperate plea to a dim-witted genie perhaps? "What's up, losers?" another bellowed, a phrase as unoriginal as it was dull. It seemed the rallying cry of the intellectually bankrupt.

A lanky redhead, brow furrowed in perpetual concentration (chronic constipation?), winked as he sauntered by. Eydis, who wouldn't recognize flirtation even if it smacked her with a brick, responded with a slow, chilling smile that promised a fate worse than a thousand flesh-eating scarabs. The redhead's face drained of colour, his playful facade replaced by bowel-loosening terror.

Natalia rolled her eyes. "Don't mind Joseph," she teased. "He winks at everything with a pulse."

Eydis, still savouring the redhead's terror, barely registered Natalia's words. A nearby bulletin board screamed "St. Kevin’s Gifted Show 2050!" in letters that seemed to personally assault her retinas with glitter. A vision filled her mind: a roaring coliseum, a bloodthirsty crowd.

“Hmm,” she hummed, a hint of dark glee in her voice. “Who will have the delightful honour of meeting their demise this year?"

Natalia blinked. “Demise? Eydis, it’s a ‘Gifted’ show, not a bloodbath.”

“Aren’t they the same?” Eydis shrugged.

St. Kevin’s? Seems even in this bizarre dimension, she couldn't escape the clutches of righteousness. And the year 2050? Had time travel been part of the bargain? Or was this a completely new world? Certainly, her own realm had no such... aesthetic blandness.

Eydis finally reached the sanctuary labelled "Ladies' Room" with a sigh of relief. Relief that quickly evaporated as she caught her reflection in the mirror above a row of unfamiliar porcelain sinks.

A younger version of herself stared back, sporting a constellation of pimples across her forehead, partially covered by a side bang. Gone were the intimidating golden eyes, replaced by tired amber orbs. The indignity!

“This acne is a whole new level of low,” she muttered.

But perhaps the key to her predicament lay with this younger doppelganger. The uncanny resemblance couldn't be a coincidence. There must be some connection between them.

The Queen released a frustrated sigh. "Natalia, tell me about this... me."

Natalia's jaw practically hit the floor, but she quickly schooled her expression into a mask of confusion. "Seriously, Eydis? You hate talking about yourself."

A playful smile spread across Eydis's face. "Let's just say...a recent brush with mortality has fostered a newfound appreciation for self-reflection. Perhaps unravelling the mysteries of this existence holds the key to my return. Wouldn't you agree, Natalia?"

Heat flushed Natalia's cheeks. "You're talking...weird. This is, uh, definitely the most you’ve ever talked, you know, like this."

Eydis quirked an eyebrow. "Aren't you my confidant, or am I mistaken?"

"We are friends!” Natalia stressed, “but usually, I'm the one babbling about boys while you pretend to listen."

"Now, friend," Eydis repeated, "should we ditch this dreadful lesson and delve into my fascinating past? I'm sure you could whip up a potent elixir — tea, was it? — to fuel our philosophical discourse."

Natalia's mouth remained agape for a moment, then a grin mirrored Eydis's own. "The diligent Eydis skipping class? Now that's a plot twist even Shakespeare wouldn't have dared to write! How about coffee instead?"

Eydis considered this strange beverage for a moment, then nodded curtly. However, she made no move to follow Natalia. Her gaze darted between the unfamiliar porcelain basin and Natalia's face.

Natalia raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing? Your face isn't gonna wash itself, you know?"

"Precisely," Eydis leaned in, a mischievous whisper: "Wash my face for me, would you be so kind, handmaiden?"

Heat flooded Natalia's face as she leaned back an inch. "C-can't you do it yourself?"

Eydis blinked innocently. "I've never had to before."

"You're definitely messing with me!" With an exasperated sigh, Natalia finally conceded. "Fine, I'll help you just this once," she muttered. "But if you call me 'handmaiden' again, I swear...”

The Queen's lips twitched into a sly smile. She took off her glasses and swept her bangs aside, revealing intense amber eyes staring at Natalia.

"Why are you breathing so heavily, friend?" Eydis asked, oblivious, her hand reaching out to feel Natalia's forehead. “Are you coming down with something?"

Natalia recoiled instinctively. "L-Let's just get this over with," she squeaked.

"Indeed, but…" Eydis replied, her unfocused eyes squinting playfully. "Unless you possess telekinesis, it wouldn't work from over there, would it?"

"Now I see why Tiffany hates you," Natalia huffed, but began the task.

"You wound me," Eydis muttered in mock hurt. "But after this, let's strategise about these blemishes, shall we?"