The queen is on the other side of the screen. Qeor sits down on his knees and presents the source of the Tonraq. The luminous source is as small as a berry, smooth, beating like a heart, causing soft energetic ripples in its surrounding.
The attendant takes the source from Qeor. She carries it to the queen. Qeor doesn't raise his head. He waits in silence with pinched lips.
Is that idiot okay in the cave alone? She shouldn't wander anywhere.
He closes his eyes, recalling how she looked at him. How could she trust him easily? Given what happened and how Tiguaqi treated her, shouldn't she be wary of him?
"Qeor."
Qeor doesn't respond to the Queen's call. He squeezes his eyes shut as his heart constricts with guilt. Who is he betraying? All of a sudden, he is slammed with a realisation: Kiluan must have noticed what he had noticed too.
But is it desirable for the next ruler to be this naive?
