by M. A. Roth
“Breathe.” Taurus sits in front of me, his face calm, expressionless as he commands me to breathe, and I do, I suck in air and sob.
“What happened?” I find myself asking, it is then I can see anger in Morricks eyes.
“He... he was trying to do right by you. What you told him about your father, he just couldn’t settle so he confronted him.”
My eyes cloud with tears “Stop,” I whisper, but Morrick doesn’t.
“He confronted him but your father …. He killed him as if he was nothing.”
More tears pour down my face, my body is trembling. “Do you know what he did then?” Morrick asks, and I can’t hear anymore.
“Stop please!” I cry.
“He laughed, your father laughed. He was my best friend!” his roar causes sobs to shake my body.
Taurus is beside Morrick. “The lady has heard enough… My Lord.” Taurus’ words cause me to cry harder, my lord, Morrick will now be King and I his queen. Never, never, I vow. A hand touches my elbow to help me stand and I look at Morrick, hating everything he stands for.
“Remove your hand.” He does straight away. I stand on shaky legs, fighting the tears. “I want to see him,” I request.
Morrick nods and leads me to Nierra, to my Nierra. Taurus stays at my side the entire walk. It feels like forever, my body is numb, my legs move of their own accord. We have stopped and I look at Morrick, I wasn’t sure how long I had been standing here. “We will wait outside,” he says before pushing open the door. I nod not daring to speak, and step into the room. I look straight ahead. I do not look at the body that is laid out. I do not see Nierra’s sleeping form. I do not notice how his hands are folded at his stomach. No, I don’t look, because if I do, I know I might never recover, I need to see his emerald eyes. I don’t need him to die. “Nierra,” I whisper before sitting down on the chair that sits at his bedside. I reach out taking his not so warm hand in mine. “Why?” I whisper before the tears came. “Why?” I ask again, why take him from me. Was this my punishment? My eyes travel to his face, he looks like he is asleep. My fingers tremble as I reach up and touch his cheek, a sob burst from my mouth. I want to see his eyes just one more time, or his smile, the feel of his lips on mine. My tears come faster. Or just to hear his voice, just one more time. It is too painful. I pull my hand back, closing my eyes and I cry. Every moment spent with him replays on a loop in my head. His laughter, the way he looked at me, our picnic together, kissing in the rain. His kindness, his words, his voice, his love. I stand up, the chair hitting the floor. It’s too much. My eyes roam his face, I need to memorize him, I can’t ever forget. I stop crying, I need to focus. I move closer, my face only inches from his as I take in every line, every freckle before kissing his lips. I will never love another and I make an oath to him.
“I swear that I will never love another but you Nierra, I swear this on my life.” My tears fall onto his handsome face, I feel the magic of my words and a sense of peace settles over me for a brief moment, but panic and fear overtakes me. I continue to memorize his face, forcing myself not to cry I need to see every detail and looking at him becomes too much. “I want to see your beautiful eyes,” I whisper just for him to hear, as my tears splash his face. “Please,” I beg, but Nierra doesn’t open his eyes. “Just one last time. Let me see your eyes,” I beg again. “I can’t let you go.” My vision blurs as the tears come fast and hard. “I can’t do this Nierra.” I lay my forehead against his. “Please wake up, don’t leave me,” I plead.
“Princess,” Morrick says gently, but I am not ready to go. I swallow the hysteria that is building in me.
“I need more time,” I say while looking at him and nodding. “Just a bit more time, Morrick, that’s all I need,” I sob, and his eyes glaze as he looks at me with understanding.
“He is gone, Bellona.”
I shake my head, looking away from him and back to Nierra. “Why? Why did you leave me?” I cover my face with my hands, the pain is too much, it is almost unbearable. My Nierra is dead, I will never see him again. Never. Ever. I repeat this in my head, until one emotion rises, one I need to hold onto to survive. Anger.
“I want to see the King,” I say, trying to pull myself together. I turn away from Morrick. “Taurus, I want to see the King.” He bows his head. “Of course, my lady.” But Morrick moves, standing in my way. “Bellona, don’t. This will not bring him back, he will kill you too.”
“Get out of my way,” I say but he doesn’t move.
“No. You are the future queen of Saskia. I won’t let you put yourself in danger, you are my responsibility now.”
Anger boils inside me. “I will never be anything to you. I loved Nierra and I always will. You are not worthy of his throne. You are nothing to me.”
Morrick doesn’t respond but stands aside. “You may hate me now, Bellona, but one day you will be mine and I will be yours.” He doesn’t sound happy about what he is saying, he is just stating what is true and I hate him for it. I don’t answer, but leave with Taurus at my side as I go to find the King, my father.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
REBIRTH
I know something isn’t right as the castle is filling up with guards, but my mind is focused on one thing and one thing only. When I reach the double doors, I grab both handles and fling the doors open to the library. My father snorts a laugh when he sees me, before finishing his wine. My hands clench at my side, I want to hurt him so much.
“Why!” I roar.
He slams his goblet down. “Shut up.” He doesn’t raise his voice but his anger is there, in the way he holds his shoulders rigid, and in the way his hands are clenched. A part of me recoils in fear, but for Nierra I won’t back away.
“I loved him,” I finally say, but my father isn’t listening, his eyes are trained on something behind me.
“Get out,” he commands. I turn to Taurus who stares at me waiting on my command, a nod of my head and he leaves me and my father alone. “If you didn’t fill that boys head with lies he would still be alive.” He sits down as the blood drains from my face.
“Lies? I told him what you did to me. You nearly beat me to death father.” His eyes warn me to be careful but I move closer. “Why? Why hate me so much that you would hurt me like this?” I sob.
His snort of laughter dries up my tears, he doesn’t care. “Lies, Bellona. A slap for lying with that boy that was all.”
I find myself laughing as tears spill down my face, but I look at him, this man who is my father. “I hate you,” I admit whole heartily. “You are not a king. You are a coward who beats his daughter.” He stands and I know I have gone too far but I can’t stop. “Shame on you father!” I scream. His hand connects with my face and I see the ground moving fast towards me. I protect my stomach from the impact, but my head takes the brunt of it as I hit the marble floor.
“Stay down,” his roar penetrates the ringing in my ears, and I scream with frustration, I will not win this battle. I roar again, letting out my anger. No matter what, I can’t bring Nierra back; I can’t undo what my father has done. I lie there crying. Noise in the hall grows louder before the doors open again. “What is it this time?” My father’s voice is filled with rage now.
“The castle is under attack, my lord, we need to leave.”
I glance at my father as he moves with his guards, our eyes meet and his blaze with hatred. Turning away, the room seems full of people, but I don’t care. I am pulled from floor by guards as a large bang shakes the castle. I don’t ask what is happening as I am led out of the library through a side door that opens into a long dark corridor, it’s barely lit up with the few candles that are set far apart from each other. My head throbs, pulling me to the surface and I notice how quiet it is, only the sounds of our footsteps can be heard. I look around me at the guards for the first time.
“Where are we going?” I ask, my throat feels raw, and when no one responds, I stop walking, dread fills me, something isn’t right. Rough hands grab my arm an
d I come face to face with one of the guards who only has one eye. Fear consumes me. “Let me go.” I can’t keep the tremor out of my voice. But he doesn’t let me go, instead he drags me deeper into the dark, another large bang comes and the ceiling seems to shake, dust pours down on top of us, several candles flicker out we are almost plunged into darkness. Panic and fear seems to finally break through and I pull away only to be yanked back by Ace. I can’t kick him or slap his hands away, my body won’t allow it. Right now I regret the oath I made to Nierra. Ace and the other guards drag me into a room that smells of dampness and rot. “Why am I here?” I ask and Ace leans into me.
“You took something from me, now I will take something from you.”
I pull out of his grasp successfully this time and move away. “Not my eyes.” The horror of losing an eye has me taking more steps away but my legs hit a slab table, chains hang along the sides.
“Not your eyes.” Ace gets my attention away from the table and back onto him. “You killed the woman I loved, the queen, so now you will pay with a life.” His eyes fall to my stomach and terror like I have never felt before consumes me. I turn and run around the table, not looking back. My mind screams for me to move faster, a door looms not far from me, light behind the door is a beacon in this moment of terror and I don’t blink for fear it will disappear. A body collides with mine, slamming me into the stone wall, taking away my hope, dizziness makes it hard to get my balance and I claw blindly at the wall to try and stand. My scalp burns as hands dig into my hair and I find myself being dragged away from the wall. I scream and kick the ground, trying to get away. “NO. NO!” Two more guards grab me. I can’t hurt them, only scream. I am on the slab table now, shackles clamped around my wrists and ankles. I thrash against them, screaming, hoping my father will hear me, maybe he will come back for me or Morrick, maybe Taurus will find me.
“Stop.” Ace’s face is an inch from mine.
I freeze, my body becoming still. My lips tremble as I look at each guard “Please not my baby,” I beg as tears slip down the side of my face, not one of them responds, but two men look away. I turn back to Ace. “Ace. I am so sorry for everything I have done,” I cry. “Please. It’s a baby. Don’t do this.”
Ace doesn’t show any emotion as he pulls out a dagger and I cry harder. “Father, please,” I whisper, hoping someone will come. I watch as Ace holds the dagger high over my stomach, the others seem to look away and my hysteria grows. “Don’t Ace, I beg you… please …. Please. Please!” I roar, as my eyes widen as I watch the knife cut through the air and plunge into my stomach. A scream of anguish tears through me, before the pain comes. I fight for air as I watch the men leave. Not one of them looks back. “Please,” I whisper, unheard by everyone. My blood pools on the table, dripping onto the floor and I close my eyes as tears slip down my face, my baby is dying. I feel its life slipping away. I try to ease his passing, picturing his small fingers curled around one of mine. I sob at the image as my babies spirit is lifted from my body. A tremble enters my body, I feel cold. I know I am dying, my own spirit dwindling. I don’t care that this is how I will die; I will be with Nierra and my baby boy soon.
The dungeon fills with smoke, choking my lungs and I cough up blood. Soon flames lick the walls, but I feel no warmth. I turn away from the flames and close my eyes smiling. I am ready to go.
On that night a part of Princess Bellona died, the part that held most of her humanity, but before she slipped away fully, Taurus found her, bleeding and dying. He removed the shackles from her before carrying her from the burning castle and into the night, he leaned in close to her ear and whispered two words. “My Queen.” Bellona’s eyes opened and a coldness filled them, a coldness that even had Taurus feeling unsure of the woman he had saved, the one he thought was as damaged as himself.
A princess had died and in her place a Queen was born. One with no compassion, no love. This queen would be ruthless and she would rule Saskia.
Dark Queen Copyright © 2019 by M.A. Roth.
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations em- bodied in critical articles or reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organiza- tions, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
First Edition: January 2019
About The Author
M.A. Roth lives in Ireland, has two leprechauns and a hawthorn tree in her back garden, which she guards day and night against the mischief fairy folk.
When she's off duty she loves to write, read and drink tons of coffee. Oh, and she eat's lots of chocolate, LOTS of chocolate!
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