Conquer

~26~

Photo by Daniel Robert on Unsplash 

The gates to the palace are thrown open. A reasonable explanation is it was invaded, but there are no signs of struggle anywhere. This comes across as weird. I drop from my horse, and scan the empty front courtyard. I hear the screeching of metal against metal and shouts of the battle, just outside the city, behind me.

Something inside, call it instinct or consciousness or whatever, tells me to enter on foot. More chance of stealth - and that I will do. Leaving my horse by the cover of an alleyway to give it escape if need be, I begin to creep through the massive golden gates toward the spiraling, sky-high palace.

"Steady," I whisper to myself, trying to not second-guess anything.

The best thing for survival in a fight is gut instinct, but that can be threatened and warped by overthinking. I am no newbie to overthinking.

I lightly jog into the palace. The hall is massive, wide and tall, with many intersecting hallways and rooms and chandeliers and oh my - this place is intimidating. The architecture is just - Annabeth, I chide. Focus.

It feels as if I'm stepping into this entirely new world, and I am suddenly amazed at how my life has changed. Who knew a choice I made so many weeks and weeks and weeks back would lead me here? I allow myself a small smile before picking up my pace, trying to navigate my way to the throne room.

The beat of heart begins to pick up as well, and I barge through a humble set of wooden doors. The Queen stands there, alone, staring at me as if she's seeing a ghost. I screech to a halt, my face no doubt turning redder than it already is. Opening my mouth, I close it instantly. Something doesn't feel right.

I access the Queen's body language. Her shoulders are turned inward, not the correct posture she should be maintaining. One could say she is feeling the weight of all these attacks on her people, but the hands kept behind her back lead me to believe she's shaken up more than she's letting on. Her feet are practically squished together, her knees inward in a formal, lavish jumpsuit - the neckline practically dipping to her mid-sternum. It looks as if she's trying to hide something, but her eyes seem to be shimmering with truth and something else. 

Swallowing, I force myself to walk fully into the room. As I do so, I watch her eyes but they do not waver from mine. I say, "Your Majesty, I am glad to see you alive."

Her head dips in acknowledgment. "I am aware of the brave men guarding the palace gates."

First red flag: the guards were nowhere in sight, and the gate was wide open. I pretend her comment barely makes it to my ear, and say, "I have come from outside the city."

The Queen's eyebrows shoot upward, my first reaction from her. "How did you make it past the guards?"

This confuses me but I don't let it show. Shrugging, I respond, "I'm quick." By now, I have reached a foot away from her, and I stop. When we stand in the silence of the throne room, I strain my ears. I know we are not alone, but it's impossible to know where the attackers are and why the Queen is standing at such a vulnerable spot. I decide to take the first hit. "Why are you not hidden elsewhere?" 

"Why ever not?"

I can see just how hard she is trying to pretend things are okay. Her eyes bore into mine and I silently plead for her to tell me what's going on. The problem is, her eyes are like an ocean of fighting emotion that I can't read.

I inhale. "The city has been under attack for a while. You have no guards anywhere, not at the gate, not at the city limits, not in the palace, nowhere. Our army is doing its best to fight them off, but if I do not get you away now, you're as good as dead."

The Queen's lower lip trembles and she squeezes her eyes shut. "They told me no one would be harmed."

I furrow my eyebrows. And that's when I hear it. A click, like a bullet being locked into place. The Queen seems to as well but she doesn't react the way I thought she would. Her hands reach out to mine, pulling me close, and whispers into my ear, "I am terribly sorry, but it's you or everyone. We're all already good as dead." 

The Queen's words don't register until I'm stumbling back from her shove, until I feel a warm liquid around the lower side of my stomach, until the pain begins, until I see the haunted, terror, and guilt in her eyes. 

Until I realize she stabbed me. 

Have a great day/night wherever you are! - The Fangirl