Heir of the Underground

Chapter 19: Leviathan

Dearest Journal,

Today has been a most interesting day, much more so than any other day this week. Percival's army returned early this morning from a recent victory. They brought with them a number of new Fey captives, which they paraded through the streets.

While observing this fanfare, I couldn't help but glimpse a remarkably attractive man in the crowd. But not a human man.

It feels strange admitting that I find myself drawn to a Fey. I am the wife of the High King. I am supposed to loathe them with all my might. And yet, I cannot.

This war is a sick joke. All I want is peace. For us all to live harmoniously.

Perhaps then I could be with someone like that Fey, someone mystical and wise looking, with substance, with a respect for the natural world. All Percival cares about is materialistic gains: gold, land, slaves. It's disgusting.

I regret my marriage to him every day. Not that it was my choice to marry him anyway. He came to me and proposed, on the streets, saying that he simply had to have me for my beauty. Who was I to decline? He could've killed me over a rejection. And with my parents struggling to support themselves alone, how could I give up the opportunity to take the burden of myself off their hands?

And so now, here I am. Miserable. And I'm writing to you—a journal, of all things—to keep myself company. And in the process, I find myself daydreaming about this Fey.

He was brought into the palace and placed in the dungeon. There's a part of me that wishes to speak to him. I am Percival's wife, so it's possible that I could convince the guards into letting me in. But there's the chance that they might challenge me. And what would I do then?

My words mean nothing compared to Percival's. Absolutely nothing.

Yours confusedly,

Queen Rhiya Areventus

~

Leviathan slammed the diary shut with a groan. It had been nothing but boring, whiny entry after boring, whiny entry. And now this?

High King Magni's mother was lusting over a Fey prisoner?

This is what Leviathan had been assigned to read? To investigate? What more was there to investigate? The woman was clearly depressed, bored, unsatisfied. End of story.

And yet, there were still more journal entries. There was still more to uncover. And although he wanted to just chuck the book out of a window, or perhaps burn it in the fireplace, or with his own hands, he kept reading.

All for Kassius.

But time was running out now. It was time for him to train with Aurelia for the day, and so the journal would have to wait, not that he was anxious to return to it.

Stuffing it in the pocket of his leather training pants, he stood up from his seat and began his walk through the palace halls. Aurelia would likely be up now. Jacinth typically came and helped dressed her in the morning, so she'd be ready to go with Leviathan to the arena.

So he headed there. On impatient feet, he tromped his way down stairs and around corners until he was at the young woman's door.

Only, as he went to knock, he froze, confused.

There was music. Wasn't it too early for music? Undoubtedly, it was coming from the organ. He knew that Aurelia played. She often did throughout the day. Sometimes he could hear it if she chose to play in the ballroom instead of her personal quarters. But he'd yet to hear such music come from her room, this early, and—