It was a cold evening, some time in the middle of December. Aurelia was reading a book that her mother gifted her a year ago, when she first stepped on her teen age. She never really found interest in reading but the weather suggested very limited activites for her to spend her time on. There was, however, another reason.
That day, she was missing her mother very much.
A knock fell on the door. Aurelia's nanny, Meredith put down her needlework and stood up to greet. She returned to Aurelia with a grim look on her face.
"My lady," she said quietly, "the King requests your presence."She hesitated. "At once."
It was unusual to ask for an audience on such a short notice. But Aurelia complied. She was slowly becoming exhausted from all the changes that has to deal with. The trauma of those nights still haunted her but she dared not to show them to those whom she managed to keep by her side.
"You may not follow. This is a private meeting."
"What? But I always—"
"It's all right, Meredith" Aurelia said gently, stopping her. "I'll return when it's done."
They walked a long distance before coming through the dark hallways, her heeled shoes and the guard's trinkle sound of the armour are the only sound that could be heard. She could tell it was something serious. They made sure to clear the place up.
When they reached the chamber, she saw she was not alone. She saw the wives of the king, and their childern already present. Draped in luxurious fabrics and accessories, they always looked like they were heading for a party.
At the center stood her uncle.
King Benjamin III.
Aurelia bowed.
"I see you have all arrived," Benjamin said. "We are only waiting for one last guest."
The doors flung open by two guards. Their armor, their hands and their faces was meared with blood. But the blood was not their's. They were dragging a body.
Aurelia's heart dropped when they threw the body before her. Even in the worst state, she could still recognize those eyes. Once filled with vigour now sat on an empty hollow shell of a body, waiting for the angel of death to set him free.
They knew what they were doing.
And she knew why they were doing.
Murmurs filled the room. Aurelia could hear faintly. They were happy about what happened to him. That man deserved that. He was a traitor afterall. A traitor to the new kingdom that was born from trecherery.
The empty eyes of the man stared back at Aurelia and she saw something fleeting in there. Was it happiness? Was it worry? Was it sadness? She doesn't know.
Benjamin cleared his throat.
"It is my great pleasure to announce that the last of the rebels has been crushed," he said. "This one was the final rat."
His gaze locked onto Aurelia, "I saved the best for last."
He stepped closer.
"I could have finished him in the dungeons," he said lazily. "But why waste such a moment? Should I not share my triumph with my beloved family?"
The nobles nodded, pleased.
Benjamin smiled, but never once did he look away from Aurelia.
"And you?" he asked. "Do you have nothing to say?"
Aurelia kept her composure and said flatly, "Whatever brings joy to the King brings joy to his humble subject."
His smirk widened. He crossed her and went straight to the fallen man. Aurelia kept her gaze forward. All she could see was the empty throne. Her heart was beating right at her ears. Her vision was bluring out.
"Hail me," Benjamin said, "and I might grant you a quick death."
"F*ck you. All hail King Alexander and the kingdom that will rise from your ashes."
The man's scream only lasted a few seconds before the crushing sound silenced the entire room full of nobels. Some gagged, some turned around and some enjoyed every second of his misery. But Aurelia still stared at the throne.
"I will need some new shoes. You all are dismissed."
Aurelia did not even glance down. She stormed right towards the gate and out. The cold air was freezing but she felt hot and ill. Her tower was the furthest from the court, yet today, the distance felt extremely short to her. She stood before the closed door. Hundreds of thoughts ran in her head. As if sensing her presence, Meredith opened the door.
"My lady? You'll catch a chill- how long were you-"
"Meredith, Stephen is no more."
That night, Meredith wept in silence. Her uncle had done this so Aurelia would never forget what defiance cost. So she would know that anyone who tried to stand for her would be destroyed. To let her know, there is no one out there to fight for her anymore. In this new Kingdom, she was alone.
And while the palace slept peacefully, Aurelia stared at the stars with burning golden eyes, her nanny's muffled sobs echoing through the dark.