Arastella POV
I didn't sleep. Not even for an hour. Every time I closed my heavy, burning eyelids, the silence dissolved into a chaotic symphony of agony. I could hear them—the desperate, echoing cries of my family starving in the peaks of the mountains, their minds calling out to mine through a bond that felt frayed and bleeding.
By the time the faint morning light filtered through the heavy curtains, my eyes were severely bloodshot and a deep, crushing exhaustion weighed down my limbs.
The doors clicked open, and a flock of maids shuffled into the room. They moved like quiet ghosts, whispering to one another, opening the grand curtains, and rearranging the silver trinkets on my vanity.
"Good morning, Your Majesty," one of them murmured, bowing low.
Your Majesty. I scoffed internally, rubbing my temples. I will never get used to this.
They helped me out of the plush mattress, their tiny hands ushering me toward the steaming bathwaters. The entire experience made my skin crawl. They scrubbed, they polished, and they oiled, leaving me feeling deeply uncomfortable and trapped inside a fragile human routine that felt entirely alien to my true form.
When they finally guided me out of the water, two of the maids pulled a massive, elaborate gown from the wardrobe, displaying it with proud smiles. I stared at the garment in and wrinkled my nose in immediate distaste.
"That is an ugly dress," I stated flatly, crossing my arms over my shift.
"I am not wearing that."
The head maid looked at me with a mixture of terror and stiff formality. "My Queen, you have breakfast tea with the council's daughters this morning, and lunch with the King afterward. You must dress appropriately."
"And what if I refuse?" I countered.
Before the maid could stammer out a panicked reply, the bedroom door swung open again. Astelion stepped into the room, her new guard uniform crisp and her expression deadpan.
"Refusing isn't going to do anything but make him mad," my granddaughter said smoothly, giving me a pointed look.
"So get dressed."
I rolled my eyes dramatically, letting out a sharp huff, but I didn't argue further. I stood perfectly still as the maids swarmed around me, fastening the heavy, deep purple corsetry and arranging the cascading white and gold-layered skirts of the gown in.
Once the suffocating fabric was secured, they gathered my thick, hair, twisting it up into a high, messy bun and securing the loose tendrils with delicate gold butterfly hair clips that matched the golden embroidery on my shoulders.
The moment the final pin was in place, the maids bowed and quickly scurried out of the room, leaving the two of us alone.
I gestured wildly down at the glittering fabric.
"This is horrible."
Astelion leaned against the doorframe, a faint, genuine smile breaking through her serious guard facade.
"Well, I think you look beautiful."
"Oh, shut up and let's go," I muttered, though the knot of anxiety in my chest loosened just a fraction.We walked to the door and stepped out into the grand hallway. As my official protector, Astelion took the lead, walking right in front of me to guide the way, while two secondary maids and two armored palace guards fell into a silent, rigid formation behind us.
We exited the heavy stone corridors and stepped out onto the upper terrace.The morning sun bathed the entire valley in a golden glow, illuminating the distant, misty mountains and the pristine, circular stone fountains lined with vibrant, blooming flowers. The view was staggering, but I barely took it in as we descended the grand stone steps, heading deeper into the palace gardens.
Astelion led us straight into the secluded, sun-drenched pavilion. The area was a lush haven of white iron gazebos, crawling green ivy, and manicured rosebushes. In the center sat a beautifully dressed table, overflowing with three-tiered towers of delicate pastries, fresh fruits, and a steaming porcelain teapot.
Seated around the table were four young women. Three of them were the exact same haughty, painted faces I had met on my disastrous wedding day.
The fourth girl was a stranger, sitting in her pink silk day dress. A heavy groan caught in my throat. I leaned forward slightly, whispering sharply to the back of Astelion's head.
"Oh no. Not these bitches again."
Astelion didn't turn around, but her shoulders tensed in amusement.
"You've met them before?"
"I have," I hissed, my jaw clenching as the girls noticed our approach and slowly began to stand.
"And it didn't go so well."
"Play nice," Astelion murmured back, her voice carrying a firm, warning edge.
"As if," I whispered.
Bracing myself for the incoming venom, I pushed past my granddaughter, letting the heavy skirts of my purple gown rustle against the grass as I confidently strode toward the garden table to face the council's vipers.
I stepped under the shade of the floral canopy, my long, heavy purple skirts sweeping over the grass as I neared the table. Aiona, Iona, Eina, and the new girl with the thick, dark curly hair and striking gray eyes were all gathered around the porcelain tea sets.
The moment I approached, Aiona, Iona, and the new girl immediately stood up in a flurry of rustling silk. I kept my stride slow and deliberate, a dangerous calm settling over me.
"Ladies," I said, my voice smooth but carrying the low, heavy weight of an ultimatum.
The three standing girls quickly dipped into deep, trembling bows, their eyes fixed on the ground. But Eina stayed right where she was. She remained seated, completely unbothered, lifting her porcelain cup to her lips and taking a slow, arrogant sip of her tea.
I paused right at the edge of the table, looking down at her through my eyelashes.
"Excuse me. Eina, is it? Don't you see me standing here?"
Eina didn't even lower her cup. She just cut her eyes up to me, her lips curling into a mocking sneer.
"I don't speak to whores it's below me."
A collective, terrified gasp echoed through the pavilion as the other girls instantly slammed their hands over their mouths, their faces turning completely pale. Behind me, I felt the air instantly grow cold and pressurized as Astelion took a menacing step forward.
I held up a single hand, stopping my granddaughter dead in her tracks without ever breaking eye contact with the girl in front of me. And then, I smiled. It wasn't a warm expression; it was the baring of teeth before a slaughter.
In one fluid, blindingly fast motion, I reached out and snatched the steaming teacup sitting directly in front of me, throwing the scalding liquid straight into Eina's face.
She shrieked as the hot tea blasted over her skin, but before the sound could fully leave her lungs, I reached through the splash and gripped a fistful of her styled dark hair. With a sharp, brutal yank, I slammed her face down hard onto the marble tabletop.
A loud, hollow crack reverberated through the garden, followed by horrified shrieks from the other council daughters. I pressed my palm heavily against the back of Eina's head, pinning her cheek flat against the cold marble, completely crushing her under my weight.
"Let go of me!" she screamed, her body wiggling and thrashing around like a trapped animal, her hands clawing uselessly at the table edges. I leaned down close to her ear, my voice dropping to a terrifying, deadly whisper.
"When I walk into a room, you stand up and you bow. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"
"Let go of me!" she screamed again, her tears mixing with the tea dripping down her face.
"That's not the answer, Eina. I thought you were smart."
I deliberately applied more crushing pressure to the back of her head, forcing her mouth against the marble.
"Say yes, you understand."
"Yes! Yes, I understand!" she shrieked.
Satisfied, I coldly pulled my hand away. Eina immediately lifted her head, crying and clutching her bruised cheek as she scrambled up from the chair. Her entire front was soaked in tea, her hair ruined, but she hastily bent at the waist, trembling slightly as she threw herself into a deep, submissive bow.
"Now that's what I am talking about." I smiled brightly, as if nothing had happened. I picked up a crisp white linen napkin from the table, casually wiping the stray droplets of tea from my fingers, before sliding gracefully into the chair.
I turned my attention away from Eina, letting my gaze land on the gorgeous, freckled girl who was still standing nearby, her wide, light eyes tracking my every move.
"What is your name?" I asked, pointing a manicured finger toward her. "We haven't met before."
The girl kept her head lowered, her voice small and respectful as she clasped her hands in front of her dress. "I am Lichi Neum. I am the sister of the King's healer, Mell. My father is Rell, and my mother is Relissa... the King's Seer."
My expression softened completely. Mell had tried to help me, and his sister carried none of the venom the other girls did.
"It's so nice to meet you, Lichi. Please, sit."
Lichi took a slow, cautious breath and sat down. Seeing the tension break slightly, Aiona and Iona quickly followed her lead, sinking back into their chairs with trembling knees.
Eina shifted her weight, preparing to sit back down in her own chair, but I cut my eyes toward her like a blade.
"No, Eina. You remain standing."
Eina's jaw dropped, her face flushing with a mixture of humiliation and rage.
"You can't be serious! I am completely wet, and I have to stay standing?!"
"Yes," I replied, a sweet, toxic smile gracing my lips. "That is correct. Now, tell me about yourselves, everyone."
The table fell into a suffocating, terrified silence. The girls stared at their teacups, completely paralyzed, looking at me like I was a demon wrapped in purple silk.
Amused by their terror, I leaned back in my chair. "*Fa esie kove voh-het ve fti naikes?*" I projected the ancient Varack syllables straight into Astelion's mind, keeping my outward expression perfectly blank. *(Do you know anything about these women?)*
Standing tall behind my chair, Astelion didn't move a muscle, but her voice echoed clearly back into my head.
*"Ahi. Ota icht kove. Ota imi eos ku la Janatiro."* (No, I do not. I am new to the palace.) A heavy pause lingered in the mental link before she added, *"Esie icht komizo esie kan la zipa?"* (Don't you think you are taking it too far?).
*"Istis ota. Ota icht kan la zipa. Ota kan icht Vee-kere zipa."* (Trust me. I am not taking it far. I haven't taken it far enough.)