EPISODE 3: The Queen's Game
1573 Words
The palace of Eldoria had no warmth.
Lucia noticed it the moment she stepped through its enormous iron gates.
The kingdom's people were starving outside those walls, yet the palace stood untouched by hunger.
Its towers rose into the gray sky like spears.
Black banners bearing the royal crest hung from the walls.
There were no flowers.
No music.
No laughter.
Only guards.
Too many guards.
Lucia stepped down from the carriage.
The royal messenger stood beside her.
"Follow me."
She glanced at the palace.
"Where?"
"The queen is waiting."
Lucia swallowed.
She had never met Queen Vespera Nocturne.
She had only heard stories.
Beautiful.
Immortal.
Ruthless.
Some said the queen could hear a person's heartbeat from across a room.
Others said she could turn blood into ice.
Lucia had always considered those stories ridiculous.
Now, standing beneath the palace gates, she wasn't so sure.
She followed the messenger inside.
The doors closed behind her.
The sound echoed through the enormous entrance hall.
Boom.
Lucia flinched.
The messenger continued walking.
She followed.
As they passed the marble pillars, Lucia noticed something strange.
There were portraits everywhere.
Kings.
Queens.
Generals.
Nobles.
But one wall had been deliberately stripped bare.
Only a golden plaque remained.
Lucia stopped.
The messenger noticed.
"Keep walking."
She stared at the plaque.
The name had been scratched almost completely away.
But she could still make out two words.
Prince Azrael.
Her heart skipped.
The messenger grabbed her arm.
"I said keep walking."
Lucia pulled free.
"Why was his portrait destroyed?"
The man's face became pale.
"Never speak that name inside the palace."
"Why?"
He looked over his shoulder.
"Because the walls listen."
Then he hurried away.
Lucia stood alone.
A cold shiver traveled down her spine.
The walls listen.
She remembered the voice in the forest.
"Don't trust the queen."
---
The throne room doors opened.
Lucia stepped inside.
Queen Vespera sat upon a black throne.
She was more beautiful than Lucia had imagined.
Her long silver-black hair fell over one shoulder.
Her skin was flawless.
Her eyes were an unnatural shade of violet.
She wore a dark gown that shimmered like midnight.
But it was her smile that frightened Lucia.
It was too calm.
Too knowing.
"Come closer."
Lucia obeyed.
She stopped several feet from the throne.
Vespera studied her.
"Lucia Vale."
"Your Majesty."
"Look at me."
Lucia raised her eyes.
For a moment, everything disappeared.
The room.
The guards.
The throne.
She felt as if she were falling into an endless darkness.
Then Vespera blinked.
Lucia gasped.
The spell broke.
The queen smiled.
"Interesting."
Lucia's heart raced.
"What do you want from me?"
Vespera leaned back.
"I wanted to see you."
"Why?"
"Because you are about to become very important."
Lucia frowned.
"I'm only a poor girl."
"Are you?"
Vespera's gaze moved to Lucia's pendant.
Lucia instinctively covered it.
The queen's smile vanished.
"Where did you get that?"
"My mother."
"Who was your mother?"
"Isabella Vale."
Vespera stood.
The guards exchanged nervous glances.
The queen descended the steps.
"Your mother was a remarkable woman."
Lucia stared at her.
"You knew her?"
"I knew enough."
Vespera reached for the pendant.
Lucia stepped backward.
The queen's eyes hardened.
"Give it to me."
"No."
The room went silent.
Nobody refused the queen.
Vespera stared at Lucia for several seconds.
Then she laughed.
"You have her courage."
Lucia's voice trembled.
"Why are you afraid of this?"
Vespera's smile disappeared.
"I am not afraid of anything."
"Then why do you want it?"
The queen walked past her.
"Because some things should remain buried."
---
Lucia was taken to a guest chamber.
She expected to be questioned again.
Instead, she was given food.
Real food.
More than she had eaten in months.
A servant placed roasted meat, bread, fruit and wine on the table.
Lucia stared.
"Why?"
The servant wouldn't meet her eyes.
"Eat."
Lucia sat.
She reached for the bread.
Then stopped.
A strange smell lingered in the air.
Bitter.
Metallic.
She remembered the old woman's warning.
"Hide it."
She looked at the food.
Then at the silver goblet.
Poison.
Lucia pushed everything away.
The servant looked frightened.
"You aren't eating?"
"I'm not hungry."
The servant whispered:
"Eat."
"No."
The servant's hands began trembling.
Lucia stood.
"Who told you to bring this?"
The servant said nothing.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind the door.
"Leave us."
The servant hurried away.
The door opened.
Queen Vespera entered.
Lucia stared at her.
"I knew you wouldn't eat."
Lucia's blood ran cold.
"What did you put in it?"
"Nothing that would kill you."
"Then why?"
Vespera smiled.
"I wanted to know whether the beast had taught you caution."
Lucia's heart stopped.
"The beast?"
The queen walked closer.
"So he has spoken to you."
Lucia said nothing.
Vespera watched her carefully.
"You know who he is."
Lucia's silence was enough.
The queen turned away.
"You should never have entered that forest."
Lucia's voice shook.
"Why?"
"Because now he will come for you."
A strange fear appeared in Vespera's eyes.
"That is precisely what I cannot allow."
---
That night, Lucia couldn't sleep.
The palace was silent.
Too silent.
She sat beside the window.
The moonlight painted the floor silver.
Then she heard a faint scratching.
Lucia turned.
The sound came from inside the wall.
Scratch.
Scratch.
Scratch.
She stood.
"Who's there?"
Nothing.
Then three words appeared.
Not spoken.
Written.
The frost on the window slowly formed letters.
TRUST NO ONE.
Lucia stepped backward.
Then another word appeared.
RUN.
Her heart began pounding.
She reached for the window.
Before she could open it, something crashed through the glass.
Lucia screamed.
A black bird flew into the room.
It circled her head once.
Then dropped something onto the floor.
A silver dagger.
Lucia stared.
The blade bore an ancient symbol.
The same symbol carved into her mother's pendant.
She picked it up.
A voice whispered behind her.
"Lucia."
She spun around.
Nobody.
Then the door burst open.
Guards rushed inside.
"What happened?"
Lucia pointed toward the broken window.
"There was a bird."
The captain looked around.
"What bird?"
"It was here!"
The captain noticed the dagger.
His expression changed.
"Where did you get that?"
"I don't know."
He stepped toward her.
"Give it to me."
Lucia tightened her grip.
"No."
The captain drew his sword.
"Give it to me."
Suddenly, the palace bells began ringing.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The captain looked toward the corridor.
Then screamed:
"THE BEAST!"
---
Chaos erupted.
Guards ran through the palace.
People screamed.
Windows shattered.
Lucia rushed into the corridor.
A roar shook the entire castle.
She knew that sound.
Azrael.
He had come for her.
Lucia ran.
"Azrael!"
She reached the grand staircase.
At the bottom stood the Shadow Beast.
Blood covered his fur.
His chest rose and fell violently.
He had fought his way through the palace.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, everything else disappeared.
Lucia ran down the stairs.
"You're hurt."
Azrael grabbed her gently.
He looked at the dagger in her hand.
His expression changed.
"Where did you get that?"
"It was sent to me."
"By whom?"
"I don't know."
Azrael looked toward the upper balcony.
His eyes narrowed.
"Vespera."
A slow clap echoed through the throne room.
Queen Vespera appeared above them.
"How touching."
Azrael growled.
Vespera smiled.
"You came all this way for her."
Azrael stepped in front of Lucia.
Vespera laughed.
"Still protecting others."
She raised one hand.
Every door slammed shut.
The palace became a prison.
Lucia looked around.
"We're trapped."
Vespera descended the staircase.
"Yes."
She looked at Lucia.
"And now we can finally discuss the truth."
Azrael growled.
"Leave her."
Vespera ignored him.
"Do you know why the famine began?"
Lucia shook her head.
"The night Azrael disappeared."
Vespera smiled.
"The kingdom lost more than its prince that night."
She looked directly at Lucia.
"It lost its future."
Lucia felt the pendant grow warm.
Vespera noticed.
"You still don't understand."
"Understand what?"
The queen smiled.
"Your mother wasn't just a noblewoman."
Lucia's heart stopped.
"She was the last person who knew how to destroy me."
Silence.
Lucia stared at her.
"What?"
Vespera lifted her hand.
The walls began trembling.
"Your mother discovered what I truly was."
Lucia's breathing became shallow.
"She tried to stop you."
"Yes."
"What happened to her?"
For the first time, Vespera's smile disappeared.
"I killed her."
Lucia's knees nearly gave way.
"No."
"She begged."
Lucia's eyes filled with tears.
"You're lying."
"Am I?"
Vespera raised her staff.
The room darkened.
A vision appeared in the air.
Lucia saw her mother.
Young.
Terrified.
Standing before Vespera.
Lucia watched helplessly as the witch raised her hand.
Her mother screamed.
The vision vanished.
Lucia collapsed.
Azrael caught her.
Vespera smiled.
"Now you know."
Azrael looked at the queen with pure hatred.
The beast inside him began awakening.
His eyes turned darker.
Vespera noticed.
"Yes."
She smiled.
"Let the hatred consume you."
Azrael roared.
His body began changing.
His claws grew.
His muscles expanded.
Lucia looked up in horror.
"Azrael?"
He didn't answer.
Vespera whispered:
"That is the real curse."
Lucia stared at him.
"What have you done?"
The queen smiled.
"I didn't curse a prince."
She raised her staff.
"I created a monster."
Azrael turned toward Lucia.
His eyes were no longer golden.
They were black.
And for the first time since Lucia had met him...
He looked at her as if he didn't know who she was.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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