"Oh, I am so glad you're back."The Queen Mother embraced Elara tightly, her voice thick with relief.
Elara stood motionless in the Queen Mother's arms, her gaze as cold and empty as ever. But this time, there was something in her eyes that unsettled even the King, and Given, who had been standing in the background like the other members of the royal family, couldn't help but notice it.
As the Queen Mother pulled back, her smile faltered for a brief moment, but she quickly recovered, her eyes searching for some sort of response. She had hoped that Elara would return the sentiment, even just with a simple gesture or word. But when Elara remained silent, the Queen Mother's smile grew stiff. She parted her lips to speak, but before the words could leave her mouth, Elara spoke, her tone flat and businesslike.
"I need to have a chat with you, Queen Mother."
It wasn't the response anyone had expected, and it sent a ripple of tension throughout the room. The Queen Mother's face tightened, her posture straightening as the others shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what was coming next. What could the Queen possibly need to discuss with the Queen Mother?
Given, who had been silently rejoicing, quickly stilled himself. He had learned not to count his chickens before they hatched. "Do not count your chickens before your eggs hatch," he mentally reminded himself.
"Oh, yes, dear— I mean , Your Majesty." The Queen Mother bowed, her voice shaking with something between surprise and caution. Elara, however, did not react. Her face remained unreadable, betraying no emotion. "But let's be professional hosts and share breakfast with the Lord of Duskfall before he leaves. Lord Volkov has waited for you, and it was his last wish to have breakfast with you before he departs. He has lost his greatest knight and son," she added with a soft sigh, hoping to shift the conversation to something less ominous.
A flicker of emotion passed across Elara's face—something subtle, perhaps sorrow—but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. She gave a slight nod, but the moment was gone, and she turned away, her gaze settling on a painting nearby. The others exchanged wary glances, unsure of what was going through her mind but wished to know .
"But first, I'd like to take a bath," Elara spoke again, her voice calm and even. She glanced down at her attire, her words cutting through the tension that hung in the air.
The Queen Mother smiled nervously, eager to please, and quickly agreed. "Of course, Your Majesty," she said, chuckling to herself, though the humor didn't quite reach her eyes. "Let's have the attendants prepare a bath for you right away."
As the Queen Mother continued to direct the attendants, Elara's sharp hearing caught the low murmur of a conversation between Theron and another man. She could hear him whispering to the King.
"Your Majesty, the Lycan still won't calm down."
"Well, kick him down. I'll come and see him after I'm done dealing with the crisis up here," Theron replied, his voice cold. Elara scoffed inwardly, feeling the weight of his words press against her. "Crisis?" she thought bitterly. Is he calling me the crisis , or just whatever mess he's caused ?
"Okay, fine," Theron hissed under his breath, his voice fading as he moved away.
The Queen Mother's voice broke Elara's concentration, and the attendants began to usher her towards her chambers. "Please, Your Majesty, allow them to escort you."
As Elara moved through the room, Theron glanced at her for a split second. Their eyes met for just a brief moment, but it was enough. Neither of them spoke, yet the unspoken tension was palpable. They both turned their heads away at the same time, each moving toward separate doors . The Queen Mother's presence and the task at hand made them part ways, but there was something deeper beneath the surface that they could neither ignore nor express.
As Theron walked out of one door, Elara walked through the other. Two people, on different paths, each with their own fears and fates waiting for them, separated by more than just the space between their doors.