His Divine Queen

The Desert

They had decided to set out early in the morning, hoping that the heat and winds would not be too unbearable with the Sun yet to creep over the horizon. Arabella had looked forward to the journey outside the high walls of the city, and so, it seemed, had Lorcan. His spirits had been brighter and happier than she had seen in a long time on the days leading up to their departure.

There had been a few things to plan, jobs to distribute and defence tactics to strategise, but it had been surprisingly easy for the Queen of Epineio to announce that she would be leaving the safety of the walls to trek into the Unknown lands, the home of their sworn enemy. And she didn’t know whether to be happy or apprehensive about that.

They had received a little resistance from Kylia, but even that had been placated rather easily after Arabella told her of their plan. Or, what little of a plan they had.

It may seem rushed, stupid even, but if Arabella had been sure of one thing, it was that she had to go out there. Logically, this was their only hope for finding out a way to stop these attacks. And personally, Arabella had felt something calling for her to go out there. To seek answers both to the questions she already had, and those she was sure were to come.

But most importantly, Arabella could not allow herself to sit on the side lines any longer and watch as her people were being slaughtered. She would be helpless no more, would fight with everything she had to never be powerless again, to never be that naïve girl from before. But to do that, she would cede, would not let pride take over her, and would ask for the help that she so sorely needed. Help which, as Lorcan so kindly pointed out, was not only going to be hard to get, but help that would come from their one sworn enemy.

But it was going to be fine… Right?

One small backpack was all that she carried with her. Her skin was covered by a pair of breathable linens that would hopefully stop the Sun from burning her. The early morning meant that their farewell party was small, only Delores, Demetri, Kylia and – Arabella was surprised to see – her father. He had stood behind the others, hiding in the shadows that the tall walls afforded him, with a sad smile gracing his face. She sent a smile back, trying to portray how she really felt in that one expression. She hated the distance that had grown between them after her mother’s death, after his release from the prisons below and the subsequent months of her reign. 

She did not have the time to chat with him, however, as soon Lorcan had been tugging at her hand, their intertwined fingers jiggling at the hurried movement. She had been lifted from that watery locked gaze with her father to see Kylia waving them off, a stern expression digging harshly into the lines and contours of her face. Arabella vaguely remembered her friend lecturing Lorcan on what she would do to him if Arabella were harmed. Arabella had sighed, drawing her overprotective General into a swift hug, missing Lorcan’s eye roll as his fingers tightened subconsciously around hers.

Then, they had left. They had no need for a declaration of their departure, for any attention from others. If all went well, they would be back soon with the answers that had been evading them so far. If all went well.

Time passed, and soon it was just the two of them, trekking through the desert. Together, they had decided to search for the people that neither of them had ever met before, in a place that neither of them had ever been. The Sun accompanied them on their journey, burning harshly in the sky and following their progression through the sands until it would disappear, only to rise once again to awaken the couple. And again, the three would trek through the sky, through the sand - all in a never-ending cycle.

She could not remember how many days it had been since their departure – maybe only a few, maybe it had been a week or more, perhaps a month. But her skin had long since turned that burnished orange that meant she had been without shade for far too long, and they were down to their last flask of water. The wind offered no reprieve, it would bite like an angry dog, pushing through their layers to cut harshly at their skin.

Lorcan didn’t seem to be faring much better, but his darker skin didn’t seem to burn quite so easily. Just another reason why she should try and get out more, Arabella thought to herself glumly.

She tried to distract herself with thoughts, tried to subdue the ache in her legs and the burn of her feet as they moved against the shifting sands. Yet her mind only ran in pointless circles that all ended exactly where they had first started. What would happen if they didn’t find the Witches? How would they even find them? And if they did, would they even want to offer their help? It only acted to exhaust her more.

Time didn’t seem to work the same out here, either. Yes, she could track the Sun as it moved across the sky, but it seemed to hang at its highest point for the majority of the day, so she really had no idea how long it had been since they had set off first thing this morning. She had only her thoughts, her burning skin and her aching muscles for distraction. Definitely not the most romantic date she had been on.

“We should stop for food soon,” Lorcan spoke, his voice gruff at the lack of use. They both wanted to conserve their energy, and so neither had spoken since their departure from Epineio.

Arabella nodded, grimacing against the harsh wind and the feeling of sweat pooling between her shoulders. She watched silently as Lorcan walked on ahead, his grunts growing weaker as he climbed the sand dune before them. She waited at the bottom, shielding her eyes from the Sun as she watched him climb. There was no energy left within her to follow him only to discover there was nothing on the other side.

When he got to the top, he rested for a moment. Bent over, with hands resting on his knees and his chest rising unevenly, she could still felt her heartbeat speed up. Even in this moment, her heart pounded for him. She could never get sick of the feeling.

Arabella snapped out of it when he turned to wave her up, obviously having noticed something on the other side of the dune. The sand was an angry beast beneath her feet, rising to engulf her toes with every step she took. Eventually, she stood beside her love. Heart thumping, chest wheezing, and legs burning; but still a smile rose across her lips as she witnessed the lone tree that awaited them in the next valley.

It didn’t look like much, but right now – she decided – it looked like the best home ever.

- - -

The Sun had left them alone for the day. With its departure, the air was slowly turning cold – shifting from the biting creature that it was in the daytime to the menacing cold touch of death it was at night. They had started a fire to ward off the encroaching chill, and sat huddled beneath a thick blanket that Lorcan had brought with them.

She didn’t have much to say. The growl of her stomach told of what was in her thoughts, and the parch of her throat stopped her mouth from opening to voice those thoughts. It was all she could do to lift her hands to the small fire – a nice change from usual, as they had managed to use branches from the tree as kindling. She could feel Lorcan growing more sleepy next to her, his head lulling sometimes towards her, only to right itself again moments later.

“Go to sleep,” she whispered tenderly, “you’ll need the rest for tomorrow.”

She felt him breathe out, his arm tightening around her waist. “Alright,” he muttered eventually, “but wake me up in a few hours.”

“Alright,” she agreed.

It was quiet again, and Arabella thought he must have already fallen asleep. But his free hand reached for her, cupping her chin and bringing her eyes to his face.

“I love you, Ari,” he whispered, a small smile gracing his lips. But it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

She observed him, focused firstly on the growth that had taken control of his beard. It made him appear more rugged, more handsome in a way, but she knew he didn’t usually like it that long. His skin was more tanned now, evident against the bright white of his eyes that shone from the meagre light the flames offered. His face was weary, cheeks starting to sink in a little, and his eyes were bloodshot and tired. But still he was the most handsome person she had ever met.

“I love you too, El.”

She smiled. Watched as he shut his eyes and leant his head on her shoulder. It was heavy, but she liked the pressure reminding her that she wasn’t alone. Through all this, at least they still had each other.

Arabella turned her head to the fire again, mindful of her movements so not to wake Lorcan. She focused on the dying fire, trying to stop the invading fear that this was maybe it for them.

Maybe she had been too naïve to think that they could ever find the Witches. This was their home, their land, and she had been stupid to think that she could locate them here. And now she’d dragged Lorcan into it all, too. Maybe they should give up, scrounge some water from somewhere and attempt to return home. It was a foolish endeavour, but maybe she could try to ensure the cost was not his life…

She didn’t know what awoke her. It was still night, the Sun yet to bless them once again with its presence, but something felt off. The air was still, the fire had long since died out, and Lorcan still snored softly on her shoulder. But, as she lifted her head off his, her wolf was whining inside her, telling her that something was wrong. That they had to leave now.

“El,” she whispered frantically, her stomach churning with her worries. “El, quick. Please wake up.”

“Hmm?” He groaned, eyes opening blearily for a moment before sliding shut again. “Just a minute, just a little longer…”

“El please!” Arabella hissed, fear rising in her chest. She had finally noticed what had made her wolf so uneasy, and she could only watch in trepidation as a dark shadow rushed across the desert towards them. Something in her voice must have registered to him, as Lorcan stood up immediately and grabbed her hand.

“Ari, run! Run!”

But it was too late. Before they had even taken a step, the shadow was upon them and their hands were ripped apart as a fierce wind blew Arabella backwards. Her back hit the tree, its rough bark scraping against her skin as she fought to move forwards against the onslaught. Her breath was trapped in her lungs, and her chest was battered by the winds that fought to keep her pinned against the tree.

“Lorcan!” She screamed into the void. But the sound was stolen by the winds before she even heard it herself.

She was alone.

It had all happened so quickly, they’d had no idea this was coming. What even was it?

And then, something heavy hit the side of her head and she stumbled. Her knees crashed to the ground, her face hit the rough sand, and her eyes closed as the edges of her vision faded.

She was alone with nothing but the darkness.