Jesika lay awake as the sun slowly started to fill her room with light. She had barely slept at all last night. She slowly stood and dressed, before going to her kitchen. Her head cook was already working on making a ridiculously large breakfast for her. The cook, Mrs. Turner, stopped when she saw her. She gasped at the looks of Jesika. The sunken eyes, the bags under her eyes, the streaks down her face where she had wept, her knotted, messy hair. Mrs. Turner hesitantly stepped closer, as if whatever Jesika had was contagious.

She placed her hands on her shoulders, her expression soft.

“Your Majesty, you look terrible! Did you get any sleep last night?!” she asked.

Jesika slowly shook her head. “I got maybe one hour of sleep,” she rasped. Her voice was hoarse from sobbing and screaming last night. “Can you make that really strong tonic? I have stuff to do today so I don’t have time to be tired.”

Mrs. Turner clicked her tongue, shaking her head. “Even a queen needs sleep. What in the world do you think you could possibly do in a state like this?”

Jesika’s eyes hardened and she worked her jaw. “What did I just say, Mrs. Turner? It doesn’t matter if I’m not in a good state. There will still be things that need to get done. So, make the tonic or leave my castle,” Jesika ordered, fighting to get her voice to a strong pitch.

Mrs. Turner nodded slowly, backing away. “Yes, Your Majesty. Right away.”

Jesika sighed tiredly as Mrs. Turner went to work on the tonic. She sank against the nearest wall, resting her head back on it. After a few minutes, Mrs. Turner returned to her with the tonic in hand. She handed it to her, and Jesika guzzled it in one long gulp. Already feeling the temporary energy returning to her, she stood upright and handed the cup back to Mrs. Turner.

“Thank you,” she said.

Mrs. Turner nodded. “Breakfast will be ready in 5 minutes, Your Majesty.”

Jesika shook her head. “Don’t have time to sit and eat. I’ll just get something to eat in town.”

Mrs. Turner frowned yet again. “But, Jesika! You really should eat a proper breakfast! Especially in your--”

“I swear, Mrs. Turner! If you mention my ‘state’ one more time, I will ban you from this ever-loving kingdom!” Jesika said, again fighting to raise her hoarse voice, cracking it in the process. The effect was ever the same though, making Mrs. Turner once again step down.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I apologize. Of course, you know better.”

Jesika nodded with authority, before turning on her heel and walking out.

As she approached her door, she saw one of her head servants. She paused, getting the servant’s attention. “Do you know where Sir Darryn and Lady Aquila are this morning?”

The servant nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty. They passed by this morning early, on their way to spar in the training grounds in Wimborne.”

Jesika nodded. “Thank you.”

Jesika made her way out, wrapping her coat tighter around her at the brisk cold air. She saddled her horse, Storm, and headed quickly to Wimborne.

It wasn’t long until she reached the training ground. She dismounted her horse, tying him up. She made her way through the gates and saw Darryn and Aquila sparring. Jesika sat off to the side and watched them for a moment.

Darryn seemed to be distracted by something, doing far worse than he usually did. In the end, Aquila won out, striking him in the chest. Darryn groaned, stumbling back, raking his hand through his hair.

“Someone doesn’t have their head in the game,” Jesika rasped, not quite effectively reaching their ears.

Darryn’s head shot up. He looked at Aquila, arching one brow. “Did you hear something, Aqui?”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Aquila looked at Jesika and nodded. She pointed at her, looking at Darryn. “Behind you,” she said.

Darryn jumped, startled as he turned on his heel to look at her. Once he saw who it was, he made his way over to her.

Jesika looked up at him from where she sat on the bleachers. “Hello, Darryn. Good morning.”

He gazed at her, taking in her distraught appearance just as Mrs. Turner had. “Jesika, you really don’t look that well.”

She grimaced. “Yeah. That’s because I’m not. But life goes on. Isn’t that what Sir Reven said yesterday?”

It was Darryn’s turn to grimace. “Jesika, I’m sor--”

Jesika held up her hand, cutting his words short. “I know. You’re sorry. You were put in a tough spot. I don’t want to hear it, it’s fine. You’re going to make it up to me.”

His expression changed from apologetic to confused and slightly concerned. He arched one brow. “I’m going to make it up to you?” he asked as Aquila came to his side.

Jesika nodded, glancing at Aquila. “Yes. You’re both going to make it up to me.” Jesika paused, looking at Aquila. She pointed at her, her hand trembling from sleep deprivation. “And your friend, Rowan. The smug know-it-all that makes me want to punch him. He’s gonna help too.”

Aquila frowned. “Okay... With what?”

***

“You’re not seriously still considering going through with this!?” Darryn yelled at Jesika’s declaration that she was still going after the dragon.

Jesika, Darryn, Aquila and Rowan sat around a table in the back corner of the library. Rowan looked at Darryn and shushed him, his finger to his mouth. Darryn shot him a glare that warned he was going to break Rowan’s finger.

Jesika crossed her arms, straightening. “Yes, I’m still going through with this. That’s what I just said, isn’t it? And I want you three to help me. Whether or not you do though, I’m going to kill that dragon.”

Darryn groaned, letting his face fall into his hands. He peeked through his hands after a moment, looking at her. “Jes, this was an incredibly risky mission with the military backing us up. If us four try and do this... Well, it’s a suicide mission!”

Jesika huffed, looking away from him, resembling a petulant child. Aquila sat next to Darryn, the same look of concern and disbelief on her face. She reached her hand out to Jesika, trying to take a softer approach.

“Jesika. I know you’re torn up over your parents. And I know you need closure. Isn’t there just some other way we can get that closure for you?”

Jesika looked at her with a bone-chilling glare. “You haven’t had horrifying, miserable nightmares for three years straight. Sure. I would love some closure. Maybe, HOPEFULLY, that will lighten up the nightmares. So, by all means! If you have any better suggestions of how to get closure, I’ll GLADLY hear them,” Jesika spat, leaning over the table at her.

Aquila shrunk back in her seat, wounded by her tone. Darryn moved his hands over his face, resting them in his hair.

“Jesika, be nice. She’s only trying to help,” Darryn said in a sigh.

Jesika backed down, still crossing her arms, a scowl on her face. She looked at Rowan, who had been sitting back, watching them argue. “So, know-it-all I don’t like. What’s your thoughts on the matter?”

He grinned. “I think we should do it.”

The trio’s mouths dropped at Rowan’s statement.

Jesika closed her mouth, grinning. “You know what? Maybe I DO like you.” She paused, turning to her friends. “He thinks we should do it!” She reminded them.

Darryn closed his mouth also, working his jaw. He turned his head, looking at Rowan. “Do you want to get killed?” Darryn asked through his teeth.

Rowan’s grin didn’t falter as Aquila also, closed her mouth, looking at him.

“Maybe I should have a word with your friends alone. To try and convince them. Is that allowed, Your Majesty?” he asked without looking away from the two.

“Of course, Rowan,” she said with a satisfied tone.

She stood and walked off. Rowan watched her until she was out of earshot. He then turned to the two and leaned close. Still grinning, he said in a high-pitched, strained voice:

“Your friend is out of her mind.”

Darryn and Aquila raised their brows, simultaneously while saying:

“You think?!”

Rowan chuckled, shaking his head.

Darryn furrowed his brows. “Then why did you say we should do it?”

Rowan looked at him, finally settling into a serious expression. “The queen is obviously not in the right mindset right now. Considering her appearance, she probably is suffering from sleep deprivation to add to that. I only think that instead of refusing to go and letting her go get herself killed, we trek into the woods with her in hopes that nature will kick some sense into her.”

Understanding dawned on them, but Darryn shook his head after a moment. “But you don’t know Jesika. She doesn’t back down from a challenge easily.”

Rowan’s grin slid back easily. “Ah! But you don’t know the forest. It loves to humble the stupid.”

Darryn glared at him at his choice of words. “That’s still the queen you’re talking about,” Darryn warned him.

Rowan rose his hands in a show of surrender. “My point is the same. She’s made it obvious she’s going to do this whether we go with her or not. But if she goes in there alone, with only a cat to guard her, she’s going to be dead by the first night. If we don’t want to lose our queen or have to lock her up in a mental asylum, this is the only option. She’s given us no choice.”

Darryn and Aquila shared a long look. Aquila nodded.

Darryn sighed. “Alright. Go bring her back over here, Rowan.”

Rowan nodded. He stood and headed towards her. Soon he returned with her by his side. They stood before the table, a grin on Jesika’s face as she looked down at them.

“I’m glad you two have come to your senses. We set out the day after tomorrow. Spend as much of tomorrow as possible preparing for this trek.”

Darryn and Aquila nodded in understanding.