Without hesitation, Valleric did as he was asked. He nervously lead the Queen to his room. Once he opened the door, Riona's gaze was met with pitch gloaming, yet she srode in without batting her lashes. Valleric settled a hand on her folded wings, pressing her towards his bed. His eyes were perfectly adjusted, he wondered if hers were too. Her wings were slightly fuzzy like those of moths, soft and silky yet cold. It reminded him of her face.
His hand latched onto the duvet and he pulled it for her to slide in. She did so, then rested her back against the headrest. He retreated to fetch a chair.
"Why not sit next to me, Valleric?" asked a soft voice, "I won't bite." Vally straightened in astonishment. He set down the chair which now seemed stupid to retrieve. Settling next to the queen, Riona reached for the lord's hand. Vally watched her intently.
Their eyes met. A silence settled, not at all awkward for Riona's eyes spoke. "I trust you," she stated lowly, to which Valleric held his breath, "I believe you are loyal and for that, I believe you will listen, perhaps even hold your tongue when I tell you to do so." The lord was silent and allowed Riona to continue. Her gaze slightly faltered. "Vally, I am afraid. You will not share this information with anyone for it is terribly obvious but I do not wish to grant anyone the satisfaction of having their assumptions confirmed."
Vally's brows furrowed: "Why do you have anything to fear?"
"We are all in the company of killers."
He was silent.
She gulped, "I know you have blood on your hands. I do too... Ulric told me that you had to sacrifice in order to survive. I will respect that."
Vally's hand tensed though his eyes stayed soft as he watched her.
Riona lifted her brows, continuing, "For that I believe you will understand when a butterfly rips off the wings of another."
Vally suddenly shook his head, "Why are you telling me this?"
"Simply to inform you," she said plainly, averting her dark-hued eyes towards her lap. She nodded to herself. "As I said, I am afraid, so I shall have to take action."
Stern hands latched onto her face, forcing her to turn back to meet his worried gaze. "What on earth are you planning on doing in that little head of yours?" whispered the man. Riona's eyes shimmered, they flicked from his parted lips towards his eyes. Her gaze appeared soft for a moment before she blinked her vulnerability away, her expression plain. "Nothing that you can stop, so I ask you to keep out of my way. I know you crave action, but allow me to take it for once."
He rested his forehead on hers, earning the queen's surprise. He sighed, relishing in the sensation of close proximity. He had missed the touch of her skin, even though she had held his hand before. His thumb caressed her cheek. "All right, my love," he said, "I will steer clear of your plans. I will stick solely to mine."
He could feel her eyes close, tension vanishing from her muscles. Cold hands slithered up his arms to cup his hands on her warm face. "Thank you," she whispered, pulling away. Vally was about to lift his head when soft lips pressed to his hairline.
The man froze, eyes wide, his hands petrified in place. Swinging his head up from a brief daze, Riona was already at the door, closing it softly.
Valleric dropped on his stomach, hands fisted in his hair, elbows propped on the swan feather matres. "Why did she have to do that?" he muttered to himself, still in a daze. "It is embarrassing to have my heart stolen like that," he thought aloud to himself with a suppressed smile.
***
Evidently, winter was approaching. The sky was darker with cooler hues. The moss slushed for the moisture didn't evaporate as effectively, and pretty soon, the moss would freeze due to dropping temperatures. Riona used to admire crystalized moss. The shine and sparkles amused her while the best part was to hear the satisfying crunch under her boots. Now that she understood her fascination towards alluring shimmers, she would avert her attention from it. "Only Moths love glitter and gleam," she told herself, "That must be how Drystan noticed..."
Her hand tightened, earning a subtle scrunching sound as a letter wrinkled between her fingers. Her eyes flicked towards it as if noticing it for the first time. "Oh..." Lifting the almost-forgotten letter, her fingernails clawed the rose-petal parchment open to reveal neat calligraphy. Riona's nose scrunched at the rosy scent, not because it was repulsive but rather because she was reminded of an annoying butterfly.
In her younger years, she avoided a whiff of that scent. Hideous memories of pink tea parties filled her mind. The type where little girls would dress up in poofy summer gowns and the type she would be bullied for not wearing one. They were always hosted by non-other than her cousin (or rather considered cousin).
She scanned the letter:
Dear Riona
I haven't heard of you since your crowning. I do hope you are fairing marvellously between all your suitors.
My mother has decided to send me in preparation for the wedding. We all are dreadfully aware of how absorbed you are in your duties and your inability to plan. Therefore, I will organize the wedding for you.
I find it absolutely thrilling and an ultimate honour. Expect my arrival due in two days, I must start immediately!
Your cousin
Lavinia
The queen lifted her eyes unamused by the words. "How rude," muttered Riona, "Inviting yourself and not feeling shameful to insult the queen? You sure take after aunt Amaris... Such a hag." The Queen crumbled up the letter, sliding it into the pockets of her dark violet dress.
Numbness stung her legs and feet as did her stomach knot in agony. A palm settled on her stomach trying to soothe the twisting. "Hunger is a good sign," she reassured herself.
Her body turned back towards the castle, unhurriedly she carried herself towards the stairs. There, her palms pressed to the cold railing as she went up one small careful step at a time. Tilting her head up to catch a breath, she almost considered flying her way to the study. She bit her bottom lip, her back muscles cramping when she slightly fluttered her wings. Frustration pinched her. "I rarely use my wings and once I want to, I am grounded. What poison did the bastards use?" she grumbled, grabbing the handle of the door. Pressing her shoulder to it, the heavy wood budged to allow her entrance.
"Your majesty! I've been looking for you," called a pitched voice from the hall. Riona blinked in the direction, sealing her mouth.
Gina approached her. "Doctor Eisenbach noticed you haven't eaten this morning and encourages you to at least take in fluids. I'll bring a tray to your room. Should I assist you back?"
"To my study. Bring the tray to my study."
"Your majesty, you cannot work in this state of health. You have to rest."
"Resting is for the dead, Gina," smiled Riona, showing her teeth, "I have matters to solve."
The maid observed carefully. "Then I will do as you prefer." She bowed her head, about to turn. Riona added swiftly, "Oh, and a bucket would be nice too."
As if it were a banausic task, the queen clenched her jaw as she lowered herself on her desk chair. The cotton cushion did not aid in her comfort as it did before. Nonetheless, she traced her fingers over a finely written note on her desk. A snowdrop lay beside it. On the parchment stood: May the day play out in your favour.
It was an odd way of wishing one a good day, considering the choice of wording; either way, Riona accepted it, the slightest of grins playing at the corner of her lips. Her neck craned back towards the ceiling. Her hands cramped and for a moment she considered avoiding what she had planned.
"No," she whispered, forcing her hands into icy fists, "I shall not back down to sickness." Her mind wandered to when she was just a little ten-year-old with a runny nose. She recalled being forced to step into the practice ring every morning. Her sleeves would be disgustingly smeared in snot after a session because they were all she could use. Someone had told her that to be strong, one had to dirty one's hands. Weirdly, she couldn't remember who it was.
"My lady, I've brought your tray and bucket," announced the maid from the doorway. Riona slowly lowered her face to level the eye contact. The maid avoided the gaze, pretending to focus on not spilling the tea. Riona leaned back with false comfort. "How long have you worked in the castle, Gina?" she asked out of the blue. Gina set the tray down across from the queen. "After your crowning, my lady," she answered a bit confused.
"Did you go under training?"
"I am sure every maid had to, my lady."
"Then why are you not confident in walking with a tray in your hands?"
"I have clumsy feet."
Riona raised her brows as she started, "Clumsiness is a trait that the castle steward detests. Maids are trained to walk with equal steps, to hold their shoulders level and to keep their hands firmly. This takes a couple of years to perfect. You, however, do not fit the criteria, which makes me curious, how did you manage to infiltrate my home?"
Gina stood stupefied like a mouse in a birdcage. Riona leaned her head to the side, awaiting her to speak. Gina shook her head: "Do you have a fever, my lady?"
Riona set a palm to her forehead, mockingly settling worry on her features. "I'm afraid not."
Gina frowned. "How did you know?"
"Haven't I made it clear? It was your pathetic attempt to play a role you are not fit to play. You are a spy. All that I am not sure yet is, if you are taking revenge for the prince, or if you were hired by someone else who might also have been a follower of the deceased prince."
Gina finally dropped her surprised facade. "They told me you weren't as smart as Drystan," she said.
"Oh I most definitely am not," agreed Riona standing, her eyes sliding across the bookshelves, "But I have learnt one thing from him, and that is not to trust anyone, especially those close to me."
Riona snickered as her gaze returned to Gina, "And you've come a bit to close for my liking."
Gina was about to reach under her skirt for presumably a weapon of her own, when a dagger flew past her throat, slightly nicking her, in a twice her skin was prickling scarlet red.
Her palm latched to her neck, eyes wide. In the other hand she held a small dagger of her own. Riona smirked, taunting, "Slash me if you can, butterfly." Gina, pressed her lips into a fine line. Her face turning a shade of rose. "Why don't you come cut me up in pieces!" she hissed. Riona motioned towards the bucket, as she collected and stepped around her desk, wrapping her hand around the grip of a blue-hued blade. She smiled dangerously, "With pleasure."
Gina stepped an inch back. "W-what are you going to cut off first?" she stuttered, still roping together the little composure she had. Riona swung her blade, turning towards the dogging spy. She slashed the air above Gina's head as a point. Gina stepped closer, trying to close distance to avoid being struck. She jabbed failingly towards Riona's torso before being kicked to the desk. The furniture item screeched. Riona swung again, this time piercing through Gina's forearm. The spy winced, her scream almost tearing Riona's eardrums. The blood oozed onto the desk, staining the note that lay there. A sharp sting caught Riona's attention. The dagger had cut her own arm.
Blood wasn't the only red flashing in her tunnel vision, soon she gripped the infiltrator's hair, ramming the sword through her ribcage, twisting it. Gina stabbed with the dagger at the queen's side, though struggling to cut as deep.
The sword withdrew and she took a few steps back, wiping her forehead with the back of her clean hand. Blood pattered onto the floor. Riona sighed deeply, "Who knew that blood looked so decorative?"
Gina cried, her hand dropping the dagger, her legs sinking against the desk. Riona gathered herself, her hand pulling away the damaged fabric on her side. Her brows raised once more. "And who knew that fire-rat leather corsets could stop daggers?"
Gina gurgled, averting the queen's attention. Riona's ears perked. The sword clanged on the ground as she left it. Gina struggled to look up and when she did, she feared what she saw. Dull glazed over eyes stared hungrily towards her, as if a beast were hiding behind the queen's face. One hand knotted in Gina's hair, the other grasping her wing. Gina begged, "Please. N-not while I'm still alive, please."
Riona sneered, "But you have dared to damage my household while I am here? I think not." Agonising screams pierced the room as the poor butterfly's wings were torn off, one after the other. It was a difficult procedure, which resulted in Riona reaching for the dagger herself to slash off the wings.
The door to the study clashed against the wall as it busted open. The individuals in the doorway were met with utter horror, one of the darkly dressed lord himself. As he watched the queen stand from her victim, his stomach dropped. Never once could he imagine Riona to be capable of such slaughter. His face paled.
Riona turned, a severed wing still in her hand. Scarlet speckled her blank face. The wing dropped with a quiet thud. Her shoulders were slouched, one covered in violet fabric, the other exposed through torn slits. She took a breath, pointing with a shaking finger towards the bucket. "You can put the spilt guts in there. Oh, wipe the desk off, will you? I am going to get cleaned up."
The guards stood stunned in the doorway. How could she be so calm? Valleric struggled to ask, "W-what happened?"
Riona tiredly looked towards him, as if all energy was swimming out of her. "I have killed one of many serpents," she said, "I have done what was needed."
They guards stepped aside as she passed them to retreat to her den. Valleric could not help but feel amusement buried under his clear shock. A moth cannot resist blood, he thought, just like a butterfly can't resist nectar.