Silently sitting on my throne, I felt the cold, glossy texture of the majestic armrest as I pondered over what had happened last night. A strange and eerie book has revealed itself to us, and I have tasked Jerus to study it. I trust Jerus and his process of thorough examination, but I couldn't help feeling uneasy. There was something wrong with that book, I just knew it. That gut-wrenching sensation was sitting at the bottom of my stomach, and I could not get it to go away. The darkness that surrounds us is something that we should not be messing with, and I have this notion that tampering with that book will release something unheavenly. Our kingdom has suffered for millions of years, in suspense to the void. The darkness shrouds this kingdom in uncertainty and plagues the minds of thousands of souls. I do not fully understand the capabilities that it would possess.
I'm unsure as to whether I should act on this emotion of unrest, for Warlock Jerus has been this kingdom's trusted potion maker for over one hundred years. He has crafted many brews that pose as weapons for us to use in chemical warfare. Many of his potions contain bombs and poisons, which pollute the air around the assailants. I most likely do not have to worry about his safety, for he is perfectly capable of protecting himself. However, the darkness still lingers at the back of my mind, toying with my thoughts. Calming down and not worrying about Jerus was going to be difficult. We have been very close friends and coworkers. Even though Jerus may not see it that way because I put on an intimidating facade, I quite enjoy Jerus as a person. He is very intelligent and funny. Losing him as our Royal Warlock would be a devastating loss. Maybe after this war with the unknown void, I could let my guard down and spend some real quality time with Jerus and become tight-knit friends.
As the queen of Cloud Kingdom, it is quite difficult to make friends. It is a lonely life during a time of uncertainty. Many of my subjects believe that I am intimidating. The subjects don't dare get close to me or even reminisce about the thought of being friendly. As a leader, I must be a pillar of strength, and that comes at a cost. The social life of royals, such as myself, is non-existent. Our sole focus is to protect our citizens against an unknown enemy. This provides me a lot of spare time to walk down the halls of this bare castle. I used to envision these halls being filled with society's lavish parties. A community would be built for people to connect and create relationships of trust. My vision, in reality, lies empty, and every chamber remains quiet. These halls are left of laughter and smiles. Drinks could have been shared, and stories told. Which leaves my heart empty and broken at the possibilities.
Suddenly, when I was immersed in my thoughts, Warlock Jerus barged through the castle doors bursting my train of thought. I sat in silence, hoping to hear what he had found so far, but he did not speak a word. He only gazed at me with a look in his eyes I had not seen. It was a sinister and evil presence that sat within his soul. This made me quiver, yet I stood firm, clasping my fist tightly in preparation for an attack. But as quickly as that look was on his face, it disappeared. He turned and paced to the left of me and started rambling on about the book, "I have looked in the book pages but haven't found anything useful. There was nothing at all." A soft heinous snicker fell from his lips as he returned his gaze to me. Lightly, he joined his hands together and suspiciously coordinated his fingers. I looked at Jerus closely, piercing at every feature. I did not notice anything unusual, just that his mannerisms had changed. Something was not right about Jerus. He would never act this way in front of me. His actions would always be cordial and shy. This was not Jerus, and I have no idea where the real one has gone. Jerus's eyes darted back and forth across the room, scanning the environment that he was in. Tilting his head to one side, he sneered with a slight grin. The longer I gazed into his eyes, the more unsettled I felt. My heart thumped inside my chest, and I began to feel this aching pain. Something within me was telling me that Jerus was here to take my soul and place it somewhere unwillingly. I could not, however, look away, for he kept me entranced. I needed to be pulled out of this hypnotic trance, or I would not be on this heavenly plane for long.
My husband Henry then came into the room and noticed the tense atmosphere present, "What is going on, my dear?" Henry tried to lure me out of the situation with a question, but I had a feeling we were going to be held captive. Whatever took over, Jerus wasn't going to let us go that easily. My attention was unwavering, still in the tense void. My jaw clenched as I tried to flee, focusing my efforts on looking away. With every muscle and every attempt, I knew my strength was getting weaker. It was getting more difficult every time I tried.
While I was stuck in this state, Jerus turned their attention to Henry and smiled a sinister grin, "Welcome to the party, Henry. I was just telling your wife here about how I didn't find anything in the book." I clenched my fist and let out a low growl. Anger filled my chest; I did not want this monster to threaten my husband. Piercing my mind towards Jerus, I noticed there was a look of revenge and hate. Their gaze was fully on my husband, Henry, as if all that energy was directed at him. In his soul was a long seething hatred that was built upon by time. A nasty grudge was set in his heart, intent on removing the problem from the universe itself. Whoever this was, knew my husband, and they held something tight to them that reminded them of worse times.
Jerus waved his hand over his torso and rested his elbow against the palm of his right hand. Gently, he whisked his wrist. Commanding the room and everyone's attention, he summoned his words, "That book, however, is centuries old. Possessing black leather backing and creme-colored paper. The paper itself is tinted as if it were stained. Which is due to its age and how long it was exposed to the abyss." The more Jerus described the book in detail to my husband. Henry seemed to tense up and keep his features fixed neutrally. Even though my husband tried his best to protect his emotions, his face went white as snow. It was as if he had seen a ghost, old memories brought back to life. Memories he did not want to dig up.
When Jerus returned his gaze to me, I was finally released from the trance. "A branded letter 'M' is placed on the cover. It also has a seal, a royal seal on the spine. Whatever this book was, it came from the royal family." Jerus pierced back and forth at the two of us and sneered as he fell back on his heels and promptly left the room. I sensed that he was trying to tear us apart with these trivial matters. I knew that Jerus was attempting to break the foundations of Henry and I's relationship.
However, questions danced in my head that I could not unravel. Henry knew something that I did not, and this sat unwell in my chest. So, I asked in a polite voice, "What was that all about?" Henry swallowed the saliva in his throat, his neck swollen with tense muscles as he slowly peeked in my direction. In his eyes, I saw the fear that he felt. His tower of strength and nobility was torn to pieces. Jerus's words haunted him in a way I did not understand. Every vein in his body burned hot with rage, but he did not want to act on it. I did not look away from my husband this time, for I sought the truth. Henry was not going to get away from this easily. I needed to know what he knew to protect the citizens of this fine kingdom.
Henry breathed out a hefty sigh, finally relaxing all the muscles in his body. All of his attention went to the door that Jerus exited from. Tension may have left his body, but he was still racked with worry and uncertainty about what was to come. My husband then spoke, "I have no idea why Jerus was acting that way." A happier tone could be heard in his voice, "I am glad to hear that there is nothing dangerous in the book." Henry then looked at me. His eyes were shot, filled with tears. There was something on his mind that he was not sharing. I wanted him to trust me with his thoughts, his emotions, and everything else in between.
I shifted my facial features to appear more sorrowful and pitiful, "My dear, there is something you're not telling me. Whatever it is, you are allowed to share. I will not judge." I sat on my throne as my husband took in my soothing words. Henry wiped his tears off of his face and sniffled to try and keep the waterfall at bay. As he crouched on his throne, he fiddled with his fingers, pondering over if he could trust me with the intelligence he knew.
After some careful consideration, he spun his body in my direction. Preparing himself to deliver his speech, he sighed a long huff, "I know what the book is for, I know who was inside it. For I was there when they trapped them in their bonds"