Chapter Eleven: Elysia

                                                                       𝕰𝖑𝖞𝖘𝖎𝖆

For once in her life Elysia wished she was in the back of the Maddox's kitchen, slaving away by the hot water and coals while washing dishes and wringing their clothing's. She wasn't there, however, instead, she was standing in the front of the dining hall in between the Queen and Prince. A feast was laid before men and women who served close by the queen. They stood holding their glasses of ale and sweet wine up to toast the soon-to-be wedding of Prince Nikolai and Lady Antonella.

She was the last to take her glass of wine in her hand and hold it up with shaky hands before she felt like it was possible to pretend to be someone else; Fool the kingdom for the protection of the family she worked for but now wasn't sure of her capabilities. The Queen looked over at her with curious eyes as she watched the young lady bring the cup to her mouth and barely be able to take a sip from her trembling.

Nikolai however never looked over at her, Elysia was almost afraid he knew of what she and his mother did because of his emotional absence. There was no way she could deny such things when she still ached with every movement. That was supposed to be for him and now he was never going to forgive her, would they send her back? Would the Maddox's fire her and send her home to the Stonevale to live in fear forever?

The fear crippled her so much that the Queen had to take her hand to shake her out of her thoughts. "Sit my little bird."

Blinking a few times Elysia looked around the room to see the men and women eating and laughing not even paying attention to the royals who sat above them. After feeling another squeeze she did what she was told, a kind handmaiden scooted her chair in for her and began filling her plate with food she wasn't sure she would be able to eat. Before she was so excited but now the look of all the blessed food made her want to throw up. She didn't deserve any of it.

"This is the boar I shot." Nikolai's said, his voice plain and almost dismissive.

"I do not know if I could shoot anything, I can barely skip a rock." Elysia lied. She looked over at him and he finally returned a kind smile. "Thank you for providing the people with a feast my dear Prince."

He took her hand softly and placed a delicate kiss. It didn't give her any reason to swoon but a sigh left her mouth at the chance he didn't know what had occurred. He went back to eating so she looked at her plate, her gaze not lasting long there however as she knew the Queen sat beside her. Elysia's brown eyes lifted up to meet her blue ones and they froze like that for uncounted seconds. The world was oblivious to the secret only they had and their eyes read that to each other.

"Your mind is troubled little bird?" The familiar hand touched her back and twirled her black hair around the tip of her decorated finger. Something else that only she could feel, something that no one else could see.

"No, my Queen." Her whisper was almost unheard because the dining hall filled with voices but the Queen heard so she studied the girl's face for a moment longer almost daring her to tell the truth so she did. "I do not feel well."

Alura's finger stopped twirling her hair as she leaned in to whisper in Elysia's ear. "A few Nobles must present gifts to the new Princess and then you will be sent to your room, understood?"

Elysia nodded but that did nothing for the Queen. "Yes, your Majesty." It almost made her afraid to hear such a stern side of the Queen fixed towards her but when Elysia looked at her she smiled kindly. Was she in trouble or was the woman with little words attempting to duplicate what happened the night before?

"A toast." Nikolai stood and held his cup out for help to refill his ale. "What a wonderful occasion to be a part of, the union between man and woman. The Gods blessed me with not only the best Queen but the best mother and now they rain down on me once again with a wife. A future mother to my children." His face met the girl but she was unable to reciprocate as the Queen brought her glass up to clink her glass with the future Princess. As everyone said "cheers" Elysia could only hear the woman's voice echoing in her ear.

"Now we hope to proceed accordingly to the gifts, my beloved fiancé must be showered with them for all of eternity is that not right?"

The crowd laughed and suddenly the table in front of them was being moved away by strong soldiers that never said a word. Elysia felt slightly overwhelmed as the first man came up. She immediately recognized him as the Spymaster. His dark circled eyes stared her down as he bowed and presented a shiny necklace on a LeVane crested pillow. "To the future Princess Antonella."

She smiled at him the best she could but as he asked her to stand so he could dress it over her neck Elysia felt her stomach squeeze. The last thing she wanted was his dirty hands anywhere around her skin but she did so according to what was expected of her. She rose slowly and went down a step to meet him halfway, she then looked straight at the Queen who watched carefully.

His nails brushed against her skin and she shivered ever so slightly, the click coming just in time as she saw the hooded figure of Onoris standing behind the Queen who was watching her closely. The witch she did not wish to see again surveyed her with glowing eyes and a sly grin.

"Antonella, what is wrong?" The Queen stood grabbing the attention of everyone in the hall, their voices falling silent with the sound of her dark commanding voice reaching over theirs. It was so quiet that no one could miss the sound of her body fainting and falling onto the steps. Lord Lancher jumped back and put his hands up to show he was not responsible as the Queen knelt down beside the passed-out girl who didn't respond to her hands or voice.

"Send me Nible." Alura's hands cupped the girl's cheek to feel her hot skin and jerked back almost in awe at her temperature. She called a halt on the celebration and had Elysia carried back to her room, as much as Nikolai begged his mother to be with her, she sternly told him: "No, go to the guests. They have traveled far for the festivities and they must be thanked. Tell them the Princess is okay."

Closing the door almost into his face the Queen picked up her dress and ran to the bedside where Nible tucked the girl into the covers like a child, she put a cool cloth onto her forehead and started a herb soup on the fire to help lift her energy.

"What could have made her fall ill so quickly Nible?" The blonde woman sat on the side of the bed and turned the cloth to the colder side. "She said she was feeling unwell."

"It must have been the stress my lady from all the planning." Her eyes went over to The Queen who petted her hair. "Among other things." She paused and went to the fire pit where she stirred the soup with her favorite wooden ladle. "I felt something odd, my lady. Something that made my hair stand and my neck hurt."

At that moment, before she could finish, Elysia's eyes fluttered open. Her head pounded from falling so she immediately took her arm out from under the heavy blankets to feel the bump.

"Oh little bird." The blonde woman smiled with relief and brought her lips down to kiss her cheek but was dismissed as Elysia crawled back and held her hands out.

"Your Majesty we can not do that."

"Do what Antonella?" She was caught off guard but didn't push any further as the scared girl backed into the wall. "What is it, sweet girl?"

Elysia looked down at her hands and gasped seeing black magic run through her from whatever spell the horrible witch Onoris had done to her. "I am not pure like you." She held her hands out ready to admit everything to the older woman, who sat confused, but she only took her hands into her own.

"Is that what you are afraid of little bird?" Queen Alura's laugh echoed off the walls as she scooted closer and brought the girl into an embrace. "You are the closest human to being pure and I am certain of that dear Antonella."

Elysia let her face rest on the woman's chest and blinked curiously wondering how she hadn't seen what she just had. Was she so perfect that even the sight of something from the underworld was unimaginable to her? Whether that was true or not her own heartbeat calmed down at the feeling of the woman's. She let her delicate hands touch the woman's chest and feel the beating, her heart...it was just like hers.

"I will leave you for the night." Nible put her pot onto a cool part of the fireplace and bowed before leaving the room. Suddenly it was just the two of them. Before that would have scared Elysia but now she enjoyed it. She felt comfortable and safe.

"I should have let you leave I am sorry Antonella." The Queen whispered running her hands through the raven hair.

Elysia raised her head and looked at the woman with marble eyes, had she been at the very least teary-eyed? "I am ok your Majesty. Just overly exhilarated I suppose."

"Please tell me you will be more careful. I have only just met you but I can not stand the thought of you being gone." The Queen took the rag off of the girl's forehead and put her hand there in place, she ran it down to feel her soft skin on hers.

"You don't even know who I am My Queen."

"You are Antonella and I am Alura."

though the blonde deemed the situation so simple, Elysia knew better. "Queen Alura." She let the right side of her lip curl but the blonde didn't let her win.

"To you, I am only Alura."

"Then who is your son if not my husband?"

"A nuisance." The Queen brought herself forward and kissed the girl who relaxed in her arms. Her lips a little more skillfully reciprocated this time as their breaths evened. "What we are doing... does it cause you stress?"

Thinking about those words Elysia saw no reason to lie. "Yes, I am afraid of what could happen. It is your son I am to spend my life with and I worry his thoughts on our secret will heavily impact his view of me."

"I see." Standing up the older woman looked at the top of the bed that held a shelf. "Are these yours?"

Seeing the books Elysia only nodded, in the back of her mind still worrying about the subject the other woman didn't seem to want to speak of.

Grabbing one and opening the pages gently the Queen turned her back towards the younger girl. "Would you be so kind as to undo my dress little bird?" As she felt the girl's trembling hands touch her back softly, the Queen smiled and looked at the level one might need to read such a complicated history. "Do you read these often?"

Elysia got under the covers of her bed as she took her time to answer, she couldn't let her know the truth of her almost basic education but if she said yes there would be a chance the woman would ask her to read it. Feeling the soft mattress move ever so slightly she let her brown eyes meet the curious blue ones as she covered herself up as well. Their legs and feet now touched beneath the blankets but their torso's still sat apart. "If I am being honest My Queen...Reading was not a real priority in my family."

The woman didn't seem to find it odd as she got more in the middle and opened her arms. "Come here little bird."

Doing as she was told the girl got on her knees and crawled in between the woman's legs, she sat with her back laying on her silk undergarments, and gulped feeling the Queen's breath near her ear once again. "Then you have not read them have you?"

Elysia shook her head as the thin fingers brushed her hair to the side and kissed her neck softly. "I tried to but I am not smart enough."

"Nonsense Antonella." Alura wrapped one of her arms around the girl to lock her in as the other opened up the book to its first page. "They simply failed to provide you with what you needed. You were TOO smart for them most likely." Elysia smiled at the woman's words and The Queen ate that scene up. "Until you are properly caught up..." she licked her fingers and turned to the first chapter which was accompanied by a beautifully designed number one. "I will read to you."

The girl concentrated hard as the older woman took her finger and guided her with her own hand to follow along. Her beautiful voice sounded like the songs everyone imagined it to be. Whatever determination she had to stay awake and follow along with the confusing words left her quickly as she was cooed to sleep by the Queen's soothing voice. Her head dropped to her chest and her body loosened into a sleep deeper than anything she ever had as an innocent child with no worries.

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