Queen of Sins and Steel

Chapter One

I had 18 hearts strung up on my wall. Exactly one heart for every year I've been alive. Hunters and Huntresses weren't typically supposed to keep trophy's from the monsters we killed, as we were taught not to be proud that these beasts infected our beautiful kingdom. But every year on my birthday the High Priest allowed me to keep a souvenir from one of my kills that night. When I was only just a baby, weak and untrained, the High Priest would snag a heart from one of his hunts and gift it to me himself. I've been collecting since the day I came out of my mothers womb, and I had no intention of stopping.

"Naelihn, dear, pass me the blue ribbon. Lady Vaeri will be here soon to pick up her gown, and I need to finish up the final detailing before she arrives." My mother called from across the shop, and I quickly tossed her the thinning spool from the table behind me before returning my attention to the gold dress in my lap.

My mother was one of the most highly regarded seamstresses in the Kingdom of Errdonia. She was known for the affordability of her dresses and gowns, her attention to fine detailing, the authenticity of her work, as well as the neighborly relationship she maintained with her customers. Every member of the royal family and church alike knew my mother for her work, as well as me for mine. While the King and the Crown Prince would call for my mother when they needed their garments and robes tailored, they would see me when they needed another monster disposed of.

Unfortunately, unlike hunting, sewing was no easy feat. I realized this the moment my mom first had me begin helping out in the shop several years ago. It was only a matter of months before my hands became slaves to the needle's wrath. But, if the art of sewing was the only thing that enslaved me, then so be it. I would much rather suffer the pain of callouses, pricks, hand cramps, and blisters than become imprisoned by one of the evil beasts I've dedicated my life to defeating.

I placed my needle and thread to the side and stared down at my latest piece, wiping away the droplets of perspiration that had begun forming between my brows. It was absolutely stunning, and I was sure whomever had ordered it would be more than delighted when they picked it up tomorrow.

"Mom, I finished the dress I've been working on. I'm going to take it to the backroom for packaging." I called over my shoulder, taking careful notice to the frustration folded into my mothers focused stare as she struggled to thread her needle. One would think that after years and years of practice she would be able to pull the thread through the eye of the needle with ease. I felt a smile tug at the corner of my lip as I continued to watch her. She was unbelievable.

"Okay, darling, you're going to have to open a new box of packaging paper unless Amra already did. I told her to, but you know how your sister is." She said, her eyes still fully trained on her needle. We both knew Amra definitely didn't open a new box, but it was nice to imagine that she did. I loved my sister, don't get me wrong, she was one of the few people that I would trust with my life, as well as one of the only people who've managed to make me laugh until I puked. With that being said, I could also confidently say she was the most reckless fourteen year old to walk this planet.

Well, claiming she'd 'walk this planet' wasn't very accurate. It was more probable that she'd do something like cartwheels than walk.

"That's fine, I can open a new box." I said, making my way through the shop and into the back supply room. Business was on the slower side today, not that I really minded, but it made every minute that ticked by feel painfully slow.

I sighed, dread creeping down my spine. This room was a disorganized nightmare, to put it nicely, and trying to get farther than a few feet inside was parallel to a Bull wading through a China shop. I folded the dress on one of the many overcrowded tables, and pushed my way to where all the unopened boxes of packaging paper were stacked. I grabbed an unopened box and looked around. One wrong move and I'd be buried in a sea of fabrics and glitter.