Shards From Other Stars

3. Bet on me

Wylie glare to the person on her left as soon as her knees buckled forward, harshly causing her to land on her knees — hard — the ground wasn't made of marshmallows and obviously it wasn't like she wasn't going to kneel once the stood in front of the Queen.

She might have been a thief but it didn't mean she was that rude — well, not always and the Queen held her life by a thread. She had no option left but to restrain her tongue, as best as she could.

Her eyes though, could never hide her emotions regardless how much she tried. She also did rarely try but who was counting — not her, it didn't matter.

This fully armed guard in armour and all that, did not scare her — all that much — just a little but she could take her!

She just needed these chains off.

"Wylie Quill."

Wylie snapped her head towards towards the soft yet warning tone the Queen used.

Wylie studied the Queen. No longer in poor lighting Wylie could see the beauty of her crown with the sapphire stones around, and her lovely emerald gown — it's simply yet captivating and a perfect fit.

"Yes, your majesty." Wylie replied finally in her right-ish mind only because the guard beside her violently, yet again, nudged her.

"Behave."

Had been her words at which Wylie shrugged. She couldn't keep promises and it was definitely not her fault this barbaric guard would not stop hitting her at every chance she got.

"For the crimes you've committed you are supposed to be executed."

Wylie frowned lightly staring into the Queen's eyes. She, Wylie, wasn't much of a politician or anything like that but clearly that law was totally ruthless & unnecessary — no second chances or anything? Just send her straight to the afterlife no redemption arc!

"I can change—"

"Yes you can." The Queen's voice spoke once more, cutting off Wylie before she started to speak her mind. "—because you'll work as the Princess' guard. Through every trip she is required to make and whichever one she would desire."

Wylie laughed. Which was something she shouldn't have done, she knew that as she saw the guard about to kick her again. Successful she dodged it but not the counter-attack that landed her face first on the ground, Wylie turned to the guard in disbelief — had she seriously kicked her on the butt!

With a shrug, quite ignorant Wylie must say, the guard looked away ignoring her glare and her completely.

Wylie huffed. With her arms still in chains she pushed herself up to her knees again, this time not Kneeling as usual but sitting on her legs — her knees were tired and she needed some comfort.

Making herself comfortable as best as she could, Wylie glanced at the Queen.

"Me?" Wylie asked, both thumbs pointing at her chest. Her lips slightly pursed, an eyebrow raised and a glint of amusement in her eyes.

"Yes you. A fire witch, great with enchantment as well."

Who had not heard of her enchantments in the Radae Isles. It was very impressive how she used music to do it, most times witches did the spell directly on the 'thing' they wished to enchant — the Queen herself did too — but through enchanted instruments and the spells being casted through musical notes, was a first.

And Wylie was good at it, too good at it, given the complaints and stories she and her court heard from the wronged.

No one knew who it was until now! her face or how she worked so fast. One moment they'd been traveling and the next they were waking up robbed of everything but their clothes — sometimes.

Sometimes Wylie was too cruel.

"Enchantment with musical instruments — a musical witch. I don't do fire magic!" Wylie raised her voice, right after her shoulder was being squeezed creating pain through her body. "Apologies your majesty." Hissed Wylie — the black hair guard had some unusual strength in her.

A head nod from the Queen had the guard withdrawing her hold. Wylie breathed out relieved.

"Regardless, you have the strength to protect her and well she won't be suffocated with a large crowd of guards. You can protect her well and I assume you're familiar with the lands in Radae — it should be easy."

"You're asking me to carry dead weight around." This time Wylie stated calmly. She was rather tired it was messing with her brain, because she was considering just being executed.

Did she, the Queen, know how tiresome it was to travel with people? Okay wrong question but yeah, that was her argument — people were work she wasn't up for, Pinkie was enough trouble.

"I am not asking." Queen gaved her a pointed look, challenging her to defy — she might just have if she hadn't spoken again. "And trust me when I say the princess is not dead weight."

Dead, would probably be Wylie if the princess heard that.

"Then why does she need babysitting—"

One second thought, she might just be dead already. Not one but possibly two people were out to get her, it must have been more but she didn't know who — so two.

Wylie fell again, face first to the ground. Her back was aching but not as much as her palms and nose as they slammed into the floor, how cruel would these people be with a simple innocent thief like her.

Wylie did not get up this time. She rolled her body, resting on her right side on the floor. Her index finger brushed under her nose wiping away the blood momentarily, before another stream rolled down.

Gosh — what a day.

Wylie held onto her bleeding nose. Her eyes staring up at the person shadowing over her, the nasty glare on her face made Wylie frown — when were women going to start smiling at her instead!

"I do not need your assistance."

Wylie agreed with a nod as soon as the words left her lips — clearly she didn't — she could do a lot of damage with a kick, lord knows how many ended up dead if she wielded a sword.

Wylie knew one thing, she didn't want to find one. It would probably be her standing on the other side, with the way her hazel eyes were stabbing her over and over.

Hazel eyes!

Wylie gasp, her hands lowered to her mouth, her nosebleed was irrelevant right now. The princess was surely going to kill her once they were left alone, she almost robbed her!

And failed miserably — that was quite embarrassing.

"Yes you do Aldith."

Aldith tore her murderous gaze from Wylie to her mother on the thrown. The one beside her empty as her father, the King, was away on today of all days — no one could change the Queen's mind but him, she needed him for her betterment in this argument.

"I can wield a sword just fine." She argued.

"You have no knowledge of lands out of the city of Deni, Aldith. You don't know enough on the four regions of Radae Isles, you know them by name alone — Rven, Tunga, U'tha and Vlack. Not the cities, towns or things that wander — an adventure stuck getting lost is time wasting." Her mother pointed out, she wasn't being cruel or hard.

She would love for Aldith to experience all four regions of the Radae Isles and their cities and towns, like she had but she wasn't letting her do all that alone in unfamiliar land.

"And think of this as a solution to the 'I feel suffocated with all these guards', so you can enjoy."

"Qien would do just fine and I do trust her." She said pointing at the female guard standing beside Wylie, Wylie glanced at the guard or shall she say Qien — she wasn't going to forget that, a grin came over her bloody face.

"Her expertise are required here."

"And you expect me to trust this thief!" Aldith huffed. Wylie hated to admit it but the Princess had valid points, she wouldn't trust herself with herself.

Old habits did die hard.

"Well, she's a bit much but excellent for the job."

"Seriously?" Aldith met Wylie's gaze, staring into the amber eyes full of mischief — nothing good would come from her!

And she was right as Wylie wiggled her eyebrows and mumbled — oh how Aldith wished she kept her mouth shut.

"Yes Princess, you and me."

"Mother—"

"I have things to attend to." The Queen hastily got off her thrown, she announced cutting her daughter off on whatever she was going to complain about. "Qien handle her." had been her last words as she rushed out of the thrown room, her other guards accompanying her.

Aldith sighed, she knew her mother had no argent matters to do and she definitely could not miss that smirk she had on as she walked out — she was enjoying their banter, how cruel of a mother.

"On the bright side. I won't be killed!"

Oh, her. Aldith forgot about her still being here, Qien was as well glaring at her. Aldith turned to leave not before kicking Wylie on the shin. Her yelps & curses in pain played as sweet background music to her as she walked away.

Qien had probably added a blow or two to that, she was insulting the Princess after all.