The Reign of Queens: A Kingdom of Diamond Antlers Novel

by Zachary James

  Theon finishes packing up their supplies in seconds and they give me deep twin bows and I answer them with even bigger hugs than before. I wish they could join the festivities of the ball. If they came it would also be two more people I can talk to instead of Jax.

  Before I can process that I am alone, two sentinels enter my chambers and escort me down the long corridors towards the entry hall. They both seem to glow when I loop my arms in theirs and I smile. I feel like the princess I used to be. For once in my immortal life, I am happy and grateful to be enjoying a party. No matter how extravagant it is! And I think everyone in the court also needs this Winter Solstice, if not for the Fae, then for the mortal’s tradition. We could all use the distraction.

  The ballroom is already packed full of courtiers, lords, ladies, and even Fae citizens in their finest fashion. Every party goer is swathed in shades of blue and white accented by glitter or fur and the ballroom itself is a twin of the training hall, just without all the weapons. The golden marble of the room is decorated in glowing lanterns that are shaped as snowflakes and long strands of white fabric hang from the ceiling. Fae acrobats swing from some of the fabrics and put on a show of twirling through the silk, suspended above the crowd. Other performances are happening around the dance floor and mortal servants dish out the food on the buffet table while still enjoying the party. A band plays next to the giant floor-to-ceiling windows and I spot Jeremiah’s brown hair next to the dais on which they perform.

  I make my way through the throng of people and make sure to smile and make quick small talk. I don’t want Jeremiah running off before I get to talk to him. After the night on the patio last week we kept going to the training hall and just doing what we used to do, train. My body, surprisingly, aches more than I expected, but he taught me how to wield a sword, the basics anyway.

  I just finish thanking Samuel for coming to the Winter Solstice when Jeremiah sneaks up behind me and grips my sides making me squeal. Everyone looks at me and sees who scared me and starts to giggle. A blush heats the apple of my cheeks and Jeremiah’s chocolate eyes sparkle beneath the snowflake chandeliers. No longer do tears prick his eyes or shadows fill our thoughts. We are enjoying ourselves for the first time in a long while.

  “Hello,” I chuckle.

  “Good evening, Milady.” Jeremiah whispers and places a kiss on my hand. I wail with laughter. Oh how much more obnoxious can court etiquette be? He chuckles and then hushes me. “You’re ruining the moment,” he says and the music shifts to a waltz. “May I have this dance?”

  I decide to play along. Why not attempt to have even more fun tonight! “Of course, Lord Baldwin! How could I ever deny you and your stunningly good features?” I ignore the awkwardness of Jeremiah’s last name on my tongue. We laugh as he spins me onto the dance floor where we waltz, in sync, to the music around us. We continue to dance to the sound of the violins, the people around us wisping away on a phantom wind and suddenly it’s only me, staring into his glistening chocolate eyes. “I’m glad your back,” My voice is barely a whisper. “I’ve missed you far too much.”

  He smiles and I’m amazed at how he heard me. “I’m glad to be back.” Warmth fills my heart and for once I forget the horrors of Elkwood Forest and feel safe, collected, happy. Ever since I came back to life I haven’t felt this way with Jax and the way my court is running things. Once this party is over I’ll be making a serious change. But for now I will enjoy the presence of Jeremiah being with me.

  I feel as if my spine grows spider legs and begins to tickle the skin on my back. My Fae senses buck, and kick like an angry stallion. When I stop dancing and look around the room nothing is happening. I don’t know where to look as panic settles in my bones and then I hear the shattering of glass and screams of terror overpower the music.

  A legion of Forsaken comes through the glass windows that might as well be nothing, but giant holes in the side of my castle. Wendigoes, the tall white creature that Zube’s mother transformed into, crawl up the walls and pounce onto courtiers. Wood Nymphs stick to the shadows and begin to eat the teeth of screaming mortals who don’t escape. Troglodytes shoot arrows into the wave of sprinting people and Arbors crush Fae beneath their giant tree-like feet.

  Jeremiah hands me a blade that I didn’t know he had and I barely have time to compose myself before an onslaught of Wood Nymphs come crawling towards me. Their black eyes take up most of their head, so I swing low slicing into the screaming creatures. They eat human teeth, so just the thought makes me want to paint the floor in their guts. How did such a joyous event become a nightmare?

  Black blood stains the marble floor and my sentinels begin shouting orders to the citizens. A ringing starts in my ears when I look over to Jeremiah driving his blade deep into a Troglodyte’s chest. He doesn’t notice the white Wendigo about to pounce on him, so using my Telekinae ability I tear the snarling beast’s jaw from its skull. He gives a nod of thanks before an arrow whistles between our faces.

  Two Troglodytes approach us with bows drawn and arrows poised on our throats. The chandeliers twinkle above as more Forsaken leap from the glass spectacle. I don’t even think as I lash out with my power, as sharp as a blade, and snap the cord holding the giant spiked chandelier. It lands on top of the blue scaled lizard men. I almost laugh at the feat. Never have I had so much control and confidence in my ability. Being a newborn Fae definitely has its perks.

  Stepping on to broken shards of glass I dash across the ballroom to an Arbor, who’s holding a young Fae by the ankle. The catlike Faerie hisses at the giant tree monster and it roars back. The wind from the Arbor’s earsplitting scream makes strands of fiery hair blow around my face. I don’t want any more death. I want this war over. With all the strength in my immortal body I leap into the air and swipe down, using my body weight behind my blow, the blade cracks through the Arbor’s thick root arm. The Faerie skitters away on uneasy paws as the Arbor locks its attention onto me. Only once had I faced this beast, when I was tracked down by my mother at the Tree of Light. I don’t remember destroying any of the four beasts present, but a thought runs through my mind like a book that’s fallen off a shelf and landed on the perfect page.

  I mentally dive into the dark rippling ocean of my mind, bubbles rise around my conscience and I search for the braided cord of my power. I hear the muffled sounds of men shouting and flesh being torn from bone. The Arbor winds up its other arm for a swing and I quickly dodge it. Continuing my search I find the ocean floor and two chests sit adamantly against the bottom. One chest is open and I see the braided cord of my Telekinae abilities rise to the surface, illuminating the dark churning current of my mind. I dodge two more of the Arbor’s attempt to kill me. I don’t feel connected to my body as I swim to the locked chest and tear the golden lock open and release the swirling purple flames that turn the dark into a violet dream. I follow the power up and break the surface with it.

  I once again feel connected to my body and the pain of the Void powers spiraling from my fingertips is bearable. The hungry power whispers within my skull and the sound of the rasping voice saying, “I am the void” sends goosebumps dancing across my skin. The purple smoke crackles against the Arbor as the beast roars and burns away into a pile of ashes. Violet smoke coils from the pile into the air. “You cannot tame me,” The voice croaks and the distraction costs me as a Dreag, its snarling mouth angled to bite my neck, slams me to the floor. My sword slips out of my grasp and I try to blindly find it, but to no avail. The dark skin of the Dreag feels like canvas and the beast’s maw recoils, gathering its strength for a bite and I project my invisible weapon. The monster flies through the air and I feel its bones shattering against the wall.

  More Forsaken flood into the ballroom and I push past the wall of sentinels towards the dais where the now dead band players once filled me with happiness. This needs to stop. Evaflora has attacked us while our guards were down. That immortal bitch will find her end. I scream as pain crackles through my veins and large purple smo
ke like flames erupt from my palms splayed to the legion of Forsaken. With dying wails they burn away on the flames that pulse from my draining pool of power. My energy is fading and I become light-headed.

  A solid hand pulls me from my whirlwind of murderous power and I fall into Jax’s arms. I push off of him and land on the bodies of my helpless courtiers. I look to the windows and no more Forsaken leak through the hole in the side of my castle and I look amongst the bodies trying to see if anyone was a friend. My heart begins to pound and I glance among the people still alive, I find Zube, Jax, and… I don’t see his chocolate eyes, his taunting smile, and his brown curls. No, no, no, no, no! It can’t be!

  “WHERE IS HE?” My scream echoes through the chamber and all the sentinels look at me. When I look toward Jax his blue eyes lift above me. A cry escapes me as I look up to the body hanging from the ribbons of white silk now stained red. It isn’t Jeremiah, but my relief is short lived. My bones rattle beneath my skin and rage boils in my blood as sadness grips my heart. In Troglodyte fashion, Samuel hangs from the ribbons on the ceiling. His blood drips to the floor and I realize that my nightmare last week was more than just a dream. It was the future.

  Samuel’s hand, dangling down toward me as if reaching for his fellow friends, dead on the floor, has a piece of paper nailed to his palm. I almost vomit from the words sprawled across it in blood. It reads:

  WINTER SOLSTICE

  Chapter Eleven

  ~Ariadae~

  Jeremiah is missing, taken by one of those snarling beasts, and only half of the court survived the attack. And although some of those men were extremely loyal and powerful Lords I don’t find the heart within me to broach the idea of mourning. Too much death has already shattered my mortal heart and either way, I am no longer a human. I am a Fae.

  Rage or confusion, I’m not sure which has me stumbling down the servant’s passage to the dungeons. Evaflora may have used the attack to distract me while she took back Darwin. A part of me doesn’t think that Evaflora would actually come into my home to retrieve him. She doesn’t like her hands to get dirty even though they are stained in centuries of blood.

  When I reach the bottom of the slim stairwell I push open the door into the dome chamber and my eyes lock onto the two guards, the ones who escorted me down here last week, the ones who are now shredded to ribbons. Darwin’s cell door is gone and I notice the wood splinters scattered outward across the room. He broke out from within.

  An older woman cries out in the chamber and I run to the maid, her brown threadbare gown and apron drenched in blood from the open wound in her gut. Her insides sit on her lap and I don’t gag. Now is not the time for that. Tears stain her wrinkled face and I cup her cheeks in my bloodied hands and wipe away the water as it comes out from her eyes. Scarlet liquid covers her face. I hush her stuttering whimpers and help her calm her breathing. There is no way she is going to survive.

  “What happened?” I ask my voice calm and kind. I don’t want to pry for answers in a time like this, but I need to know. I have to find out what happened to my prisoner, Evaflora’s right hand.

  “I-I was bringing t-the prisoner’s food,” she points to the tray of food, broken in half. My vision blurs and I become aware of my brain spinning. It doesn’t feel like my blood is pumping. My body becomes heavy, but my skull becomes light. “The door e-exploded and a beast with h-horns a-attack-ked u-us.”

  My eyes burn and I hug the women before my blurred vision slants sideways and my skull smacks against the floor.

  <<>><<>><<>>

  My dreams aren’t dreams at all. They are nightmares full of blood, Evaflora, Darwin, and worst of all, Jeremiah. I hear his screams in the darkness that coils around me like a second skin. My mind can’t imagine the horrors Evaflora will do to him. I should’ve stopped the Winter Solstice ball before it even started.

  A girl’s cries pull me from slumber. Through drenched, squinted eyes I see Desirae shaking and sobbing. “She was my mother! How could you let this happen?” She yells in my bedroom. The maid whose innards were in her lap was Desirae’s mother.

  I want to say sorry, but when I open my mouth a strangled noise escapes my lips. My mouth is dessert dry and my throat feels like shards of glass are stabbing into my flesh. Desirae silences her sobs at the sound of my painful gasp and Jax runs to my bedside.

  “Ariadae,” he coos. A piece of me is still angry, but with the loss of Jeremiah still a fresh wound I push away my anger towards Jax and welcome him with heavy tears. “I’m so thankful you’re all right. You drained your power.” His voice fades away into the depths of my room and the unyielding, adamant darkness comes flooding back and steals me from consciousness.

  I expect the dreams of Evaflora cutting open Jeremiah to arrive, but they never do. A soft mist billows around my ankles and turns the darkness into blinding light. A clouded vision surrounds me, rippling like water, I see the merchants that once travelled all of Abella to see Equadoria fill the streets. Citizens, no Fae from what I can see, bustle between the wagons and carts full of weapons, ivory carvings, and silk in a rainbow of colors. Everyone stays clear of the cobblestone streets.

  Right as I ponder what I’m dreaming of, I see her. I see me. Only much, much younger than seventeen. My red curls bounce as I dance between the skirts and legs of walking people and twirl onto the road. I am happily unaware… a carriage drawn by two white steads comes racing down the cobblestones completely oblivious of their princess at the center of their trajectory.

  I know what happens, but it doesn’t stop the cringe and scream escapes me and the citizens surrounding the scene. Jeremiah, slightly taller than me, yanks me from the street and into his arms. He uses his tiny threadbare cloak as a shield from the dust and rocks that fly from beneath the wheels of the carriage.

  The dust tossed into the air consumes the apparition of my memory and transforms into the mist that paints a new memory around me. Days spent swimming in the fountains or times Jeremiah and I snuck out of the castle to escape studying. I watch my favorite memories of growing up with Jeremiah and it all leads up to the moment where we kissed by the fire, our first night in Elkwood.

  His chocolate eyes reflect the crackling embers and I stare into his irises. A fading blanket of night is above us.

  “Ariadae,” he whispers. I lean forward and he grips my face. “Ariadae.” He repeats and I pull away. “ARIADAE!”

  I scream and the sound of my sore throat echoes through my bedroom. Jax grips my shoulders and Zube leans against the library doorframe. “What is it?” I rasp.

  Jax opens his mouth as if to answer, but Zube’s voice fills my ears. “You’ve been asleep for a week and four days.”

  No wonder I feel like a filthy vagrant. I don’t care though. My throat still hurts and I notice I’m no longer dreary. “Holy shit,” I mumble to myself. I look to Jax as he hands me a glass of water and a folded piece of parchment. A wax seal keeps the letter inside a secret to the world. I look to the crimson symbol. It is a sun, surrounded by twirling vines, the Summer Kingdom sigil.

  “It arrived a day after the ball.” Jax’s voice is barely audible. “I didn’t want to open it for you.”

  I gulp down the glass of water and place it onto the nightstand. Jax and Zube hover over me as I touch the yellowed paper and crack the wax in two. The letter reads:

  Dear Ariadae Vox, Queen of Titanium Antlers,

  I want to thank you for releasing Darwin and giving me a very special gift. I will play with him for a very, very long time.

  Best wishes my little princess.

  High Lady Evaflora, Queen of Diamond Antlers.

  My stomach does flips as my beating heart regurgitates into my throat. A cold sweat breaks along my pores as I climb out of the bed wearing nothing, but my lacey undergarments.

  “What is it?” Zube asks suddenly concerned. Jax rises and I drop the letter to the stones.

  This can’t be happening. It all makes sense. Why I had those dreams last night and befor
e the ball. I should’ve known she would take Jeremiah! I sprint past Zube who grabs the letter from the ground and into the library.

  “Ariadae,” Jax calls after me as he stares at me confused. I tear apart the desk trying to find it. I lift up the first letter my mother wrote to me. As bold as darkened ink in a book, Jeremiah is specifically named. “What’s wrong?”

  “She was planning this all along. She knew damn well we would take Darwin into custody and planned the attack as a distraction for him to escape with Jeremiah!”

  Zube, sickly pale, stares at the letter I dropped to the floor.

  “How do you know?” Jax questions and I hold up the first warning she sent.

  “Evaflora warned us that she was going to attack! She named Jeremiah!” I begin shouting as tears roll in thick streams down my cheeks.

  Zube hands the new letter to Jax and whispers, “And this is written in his blood.”

  Chapter Twelve

  ~Ariadae~

  “We don’t need an army,” Zube seethes. He is fighting my argument like always.

  “How do you expect us to fight back with only six dozen soldiers?” Jax jumps in. If Jeremiah were here than we wouldn’t need to have this conversation and I’d already be on pursuit to acquiring my soldiers.

  “Ariadae,” Zube matches my glare. “You destroyed an entire legion of Evaflora’s monsters! We don’t need to have an army since you have those powers.” I cross my arms over my chest.

  My bedroom becomes suddenly tighter and I begin to feel the air be taken away. “Zube, I don’t know how to use my power well enough! I drained myself and slept for a week and a half! We don’t have that kind of time!” My voice bounces around the room like booming thunder. My words slicing into all of us like a blade. We all know I’m right, even if Zube doesn’t want to admit it.