The Ice Queen of Lessaenes (Book 5)

Traitors

Almost three years had passed since I became Queen, but I still remembered the night after the Iceheart Proposal was passed...Armetorius, Airel, Raliyel and I had an awesome celebration in my suite. I had gotten a few gallons of Iceheart Serum up from Fenorel's lab, and Armetorius decided to try a little experiment. 

He mixed half a cup of Iceheart Serum with half a cup of soda, and drank it! Not surprisingly, the Serum didn't have the same effects when consumed this way. However, Armetorius claimed that it tasted great and gave your Aura a nice- but temporary- boost, so the rest of us decided to give it a try. The drink was bubbly and bittersweet, perfect! Since it was half Iceheart Serum, we decided to name it halfie juice. 

Over the course of the next few weeks, every noble in Lessaenes was Turned. Due to the amount of Serum required for the increasing number of Turnings and the growing popularity of halfie juice, the Council and I formed the Iceheart Department, a government agency tasked with regulating the creation of Iceheart Serum, approving Turnings, and researching the full effects of this new, unknown substance. 

However, all still did not seem right. Fenorel had Turned, but only to obey the law. He rarely visited Glaisse, and stayed out of the spotlight, not attending Iceheart banquets or meetings unless they were mandatory. It was obvious that he was trying to avoid me, but why? I had glorified his invention, putting it to good use! If anything, he should've been grateful. 

Tonight, though, I put Fenorel out of my mind. On the day after Armetorius, Enden, and Selaeyah were sworn in as the new Mystic, Warrior, and Scientist Chiefs and the day before my twentieth birthday, he should've been the last thing I was thinking about. 

"Are you ready yet, My Queen? You know the party can't start without you, we're counting down until your birthday," I heard a gentle tap on my door and rushed out. 

"Yes, sorry, Raliyel. I was just thinking."

"No worries, you are the Queen. It wouldn't be proper for you to be early anyway," Raliyel laughed. "But wow, you look amazing in that dress!" 

*My dress*

"Thanks," I smiled. "I had it custom made, it's Kilaenaian pinkie silk." 

"That's...crazy and amazing!?" Raliyel gasped. She had the right to be shocked, an entire gown made of the rarest and most expensive type of fabric in the galaxy was outrageous even for the ruler of Lessaenes, but I didn't mind. I wanted people to see me as an extravagant Queen. 

"You look great too," I smiled. "Although you're sure to stick out terribly. You'll probably be the only one who isn't in blue." 

"I just don't like blue very much," Raliyel looked down at her shimmering yellow gown. "No offense to the other Icehearts."

*Raliyel's dress*

"Alright, it's your call," I shrugged, although I secretly worried about what Selaeyah and Dolores would say. They weren't exactly fond of Raliyel in the first place, and would take any opportunity to slight her. 

As Raliyel and I descended the long winding staircase from my suite to the first floor, we were met by a frantic Armetorius and Selaeyah. 

"Saralee! There you are! We've got a serious problem here, come on!" Armetorius grabbed my hand and Raliyel and I rushed into the ballroom. 

Instead of a lively party, we arrived to find chaos. Icehearts in suits and gowns ran around, dodging elegantly set tables and yelling incomprehensibly. 

Walking up the stairs to the dais, I stood in front of my throne, raising my right hand to quiet the crowd. 

"Silence!" I yelled. When I had gotten everyone's attention, I added in a softer tone, "would someone please tell me what's going on here?" 

"It's Chief Kandain's brother and Chief Valior's sister, Your Majesty," said Dolores. 

"We can't find Tamarius and Alsiyah anywhere, we even sent Ice Guards to look all over Glaisse for them!" Armetorius said with urgency. 

"Perhaps they were kidnapped for ransom, they are the siblings of two of the wealthiest people in Lessaenes," Raliyel offered. 

"No one asked for your opinion, peasant," Selaeyah sneered. 

"Should I remind you for the nth time that I was granted noble status two years ago?" Raliyel rolled her eyes. "I am your equal." 

"Would you two stop?" I hissed. "This is no time for the petty feuds of the women of the court. Now, Armetorius, when did you see Tamarius last?" 

"He was at my inauguration yesterday," Armetorius sighed. "And he returned to his home after that."

"Same with Alsiyah," Selaeyah bit her lip in frustration. "But that tells us nothing!" 

We were interrupted by a loud crackling noise, and a projection of a white flame appearing on the wall behind my throne. I whipped around, staring at the symbol with burning hatred and rage. 

"Greetings to my sister and former friends," Alsiyah's voice echoed through every speaker in the room, and soon, she and Tamarius replaced the Flame logo in the projection. 

"I suppose you are all wondering where we've gone, and perhaps we've disrupted Queen Saralee's birthday party. But, we have no regrets. We plan to be far more disruptive in the future," she crossed her arms. 

"Alsiyah and I have thought about this for a long time, before coming to our decision," Tamarius sighed. "Yesterday, we realized that running away to join the Flame was the right decision. It's true, Queen Saralee and the Icehearts have boosted Lessaenes' economy to record productivity, but they've done it by allowing Kilaenaian and Lessaenite farm and factory owners to employ Rhenans from a young age at ridiculously low wages. They may have won the Second Galactic War, but they won it using brutal tactics that targeted innocent people." 

"We blindly sing Queen Saralee's praises, some even believing her to be the incarnation of Lumys herself, but we only see her accomplishments. We forget the cruel, unacceptable means by which she achieved these feats. The Flame seeks to bring out the truth behind the Icehearts' glorious facade. We may not have the means to do it now, but we will only grow stronger!" Alsiyah almost yelled. 

"Let this serve as a warning to you, Queen Saralee," Tamarius said darkly. "If this means a civil war is coming, then so be it, but you have not seen the last of us!" With that, the wall went blank, the projection disappearing. 

"I don't care that he's my brother," Armetorius clenched his fists with rage. "If I ever see that filthy traitor again, I will kill him on the spot!" 

"And I'll do the same to Alsiyah," Selaeyah fumed. 

"If ever you have such an opportunity, I will not stop you," I shook my head. 

"How can you be so calm?" Raliyel asked. "That's the first time the Flame has been able to project something in any of your palaces, let alone Icicle Hall!" 

"Why should I worry?" I smirked nonchalantly. "I already know how to fix this." 

"Icehearts of Lessaenes," I addressed the crowd. "We can resume the party with no fears. Tamarius Kandain and Alsiyah Valior would not dare proceed beyond their empty threats, and I assure you that none of our fellow elites will ever betray us ever again." 

The Icehearts cheered and someone turned the music on. In less than a minute, the party was back in full swing, as if nothing had happened at all. 

"How can you promise there will be no more traitors?" Raliyel raised an eyebrow. 

"Let's just say that from now on, we'll be adding a special little something to the Iceheart Serum."