CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE: PRYNN

47 3 20
                                    

"So explain to me again why you invited a Lermont to the Manor and why you listened to my stupid brother?" Amara asks loftily, faintly amused as she moves her chess piece to take out Silas' bishop, smiling as he starts to scowl

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

"So explain to me again why you invited a Lermont to the Manor and why you listened to my stupid brother?" Amara asks loftily, faintly amused as she moves her chess piece to take out Silas' bishop, smiling as he starts to scowl.

Carina simply rolls her eyes. Amara has not stopped talking about the imminent visit of the Lermonts ever since Carina and Niklaus announced that they sent out an invitation to Sunpool for them. And now Amara's brought Silas as backup, the quietest Arron brother with a soft spot for his younger sisters. He is the only Arron famil member who doesn't pick favourites between Amara and Eirene. And seems to be the only one that doesn't care that Eirene's practically giftless.

"Explain to me why you and Silas felt the need to invade my chambers to interrogate me under the guise of wanting to play chess?" Carina retorts, letting her maid, Selene, brush a stray strand of her onyx hair back into place, letting it fall gracefully down her back.

She smiles briefly at Selene in thanks and then studies her reflection with the same scrutiny she always does. She wears queens blacks as always, a pretty short sleeved dress, not too extravagant but the purple and silver spider necklace sitting directly over her breasts steals the attention anyway. It is a beautiful piece. And a traditional poisoner symbol with the traditional colour of purple. Something from the Arron vaults, Andrea gifted it to her on her fourteenth birthday.

Carina briefly wonders if Andrea will take it back if the queen doesn't survive the year. Rip the necklace off the cold stiff neck of her decaying corpse. She wouldn't put it past Andrea, frowning at such a morbid thought but then briefly wonders what death will feel like.

Even if she wins the Ascension death will claim her one day. After she lives out the rest of her days with her king consort. That makes Carina frown further. Why can she not have a queen consort instead? Or no consort at all. Carina can rule alone just as she has always lived.

Besides she doesn't fancy marrying a man with their large muscles and absent wit. Well that may be a little mean, there are many shrewd men on the island but Carina does not find herself drawn to them and if she marries a mainlander noble it would simply be a political formality. Necessary to sustain her reign by providing new queens.

New triplets to be raised and slaughtered like lambs. The bloodshed will never end on this island, its engrained everywhere, in the low magic pulsating in every breath of air, every grain of soil, even in one of the island's own gifts, the gift of war. Blood is the island's way, it connects everyone and everything to the Goddess and without it who knows what would happen.

Blinking slowly Carina becomes aware of her surroundings yet again, turning around to see Amara feign innocence at Carian's questioning,

ONE DARK QUEEN ❖ (A Three Dark Crowns Tale)Where stories live. Discover now