Power and The Queen

Chapter Ten.🟢

It was morning, exactly the time Queen Artemis requested Dominica's presence. Dominica could not hide the fact that sleep refused to come to her the previous night. Her lack of sleep had nothing to do with the brutal way Tankor was killed.

A part of Dominica felt solemn at his death. He was the first of her kind she found in Trevillia. She would not have stopped Queen Artemis from killing Tankor even if she could. It was meant to happen, so she let it happen.

The recent actions of Queen Artemis caused her predicament. Twenty years ago, she could already tell Queen Artemis' move before she does it, but not now. She was too unpredictable. It would not bother her so much if she was not getting too involved. Her job was to advise and aid spiritually not to be included in minor things.

She turned away from the small window of the room she stayed in after staring at it from night till dawn. Rubbing her eyelids, she got up and moved towards the sink in the room's corner and splashed water on her face. The water was cool on her skin, making her feel as though she slept.

Medris' air was cool but still dry. She closed her eyes and mentally prepared herself for the day. When she was in Dabrack, she spent all her time reading and training herself with a sword as if she knew she would need it, but here in Trevillia, her job to the younger Queen was to train her, which she did. She did not have to be present always. She simply taught and disappeared, only to appear when needed. But now the Queen ruled, her job was still the same except Queen Artemis was no student, especially not with her experience.

Dominica's mind was restless throughout the night. Her mind was always restless, but the previous night was more disturbing. Though she stared at the dark blue sky all night till the colours became a lighter shade, she saw visions of a city covered in blood, hot red blood. Her dreams were filled with them before the Queen's excursion, which is why she stopped sleeping. Now she knew very well which city it was. Was that it then? The master plan?

She opened her eyes and wiped her face with a soft cloth she found lying on the sink, taking extra time under her eyelids. No one took particular care of her face to notice the dark circles, but it was best she was careful. She did not find it particularly amusing to explain to mere mortals how she needed little sleep to survive. She pulled on the hood of her cloak, which she never took off and walked out of the room.

Walking around the castle the King had built here made her realise it was nothing compared to the palace. She did not take pleasure in unimportant things, but it was just too obvious. The guards stood at attention as she passed all of them in a hurry to start their shift. They were late, change time was minutes ago.

She ignored them and made her way to the Queen's chamber.

The hallway that led to Queen Artemis' chamber differed from the rest. Beautiful paintings filled the walls which Dominica knew were very expensive. Short golden statues stood by the wall of people dying in different ways stabbed, beheaded, boiled in hot oil, burnt alive on a fat stake...

She straightened her head and moved down the hallway. Before she knew magic, she would have considered that decoration savage, but now she felt nothing. The yellow gems placed on the wall which lit it up at night still glowed, though not as bright.

Dominica soon reached the enormous doors leading to the Queen's chamber. Two soldiers stood guard, holding their spears a little too tight. Dominica stopped in front of them. They stood at attention and opened the door for her. She took two steps inside and raised her head to see two maidens dressing the Queen. One of them moved to adjust the right hand while the other concentrated on her hair.

"You are early." Queen Artemis stated from across the room.

Her side spread her arms while the maids continued working on her dress and hair.