The Last Warrior Queen

Chapter 33

I slowly opened the door to our chambers and found it empty. I sighed with relief and went into the bedroom to undress. I sat at the dressing table, and took out my hair, letting it fall around my shoulders and down my back - my hair was long and ended at my waist. I always thought my hair looked pretty when it was down, the shorter pieces in front framed my face nicely.

Suddenly the door to the bedroom flew open and Halvor stood in the doorway, looking enraged. “Where were you?” He shouted.

I stood up and turned to face him. “I just went out for some fresh air. I needed to clear my mind.”

“And you didn’t think to tell anyone where you went? Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?” He said as he crossed the room to me. He gently placed his hands on my shoulders and carefully looked me over, as if he was checking for injuries.

I furrowed my brow at him. At first I believed that he was maybe really worried about me, but then I remembered his conversation with Gala. I remembered that I was just a pawn to him. I sighed and said “I think that maybe I should have my own room.”

“Your own room? What do you mean your own room?”

“I mean that I think we should have separate bed chambers. It’s clear that I’m a queen in name only and you should find someone else to share your room with.” I looked down at the floor as I said what I thought. It was the only way I could keep my voice from shaking. After a moment of Halvor’s silence I glanced up at him. He was seething. I took a deep breath as I waited for his wrath.

“No” he said flatly, “my wife will sleep with me. That’s what I told you when we were first married and I mean it.”

“But Halvor that was before so much had passed between us”

“What has passed between us?” He yelled, cutting me off. “Nothing has passed between us since you arrived. I’ve been too busy planning a war that I’m not even sure we can win and all for what? So you can reclaim a throne you didn’t even know existed?” It was as if Halvor was letting all his pent up aggression out on me all at once. I stood in silence letting him vent. When he had calmed down he looked at me with regret.

“Sylvia, I…”

“It’s alright. I never wanted to go to war either. If I had known that finding out where I came from would cause all this trouble I wouldn’t have prayed so fervently for it as a child.” Pain shot through Halvor’s eyes and I said “Maybe you should at least consider letting me have my own bed chamber and choosing a consort. That would give you an easy excuse not to go to war for a queen who’s not even worthy of bearing your children.” Halvor’s jaw dropped and before he could say anything I walked out of the room and into the hallway. Halvor didn’t follow me.

I wandered aimlessly up and down the hallways, fiddling with my necklace and thinking about what to do. If Halvor did finally grant me my own room, maybe I should just run away. He could find a new queen and going to war wouldn’t be an issue. Perhaps I could make my way to Inhar in disguise and find supporters there on my own. I would miss my friends that I’ve made here, and I had become fond of many of the servants as well. But if I knew I was protecting them it would make things worth it.

If Halvor didn’t let me have my own room things would be more difficult. He would probably realize I was missing before I could get too far on my own. I couldn’t figure out why he was so dead set on me sharing his bed chamber when he clearly didn’t care for me at all. Part of me wished Diana had won the fight, then things would have been so much easier.

I realized I was exhausted and on the brink of passing out, so I made my way back to my rooms. As I walked down a hallway, one of the doors across from me suddenly opened and Halvor walked out. He turned back to someone and said “Thank you.”

I quickly rushed down the hallway before Halvor could turn around again, but I managed to hear someone say “You’re welcome.” It was Gala.