"You know, I do remember my olden days. The times when I was married," the Queen Mother spoke, her voice carrying a heavy nostalgia that seemed to fill the room. Elara, sitting across from her, didn't respond, simply listening. She didn't care about the Queen Mother's past or her love life; it was irrelevant to her. What mattered was the now, the meeting ahead, and how she could assert herself in a world that seemed determined to undermine her.
She couldn't care less for a love story that would never be written in the history books, destined to fade into obscurity. Love stories, the ones that truly mattered, were those that endured through time—immortalized in pages, celebrated in the halls of history. The fleeting ones, lost to the shadows, held no weight in her world.
The Queen Mother continued, oblivious to Elara's disinterest, "It was me and him. Ramses. He used to love the thrill. Everything that guaranteed him danger, he would chase. They should've given him another name instead of Ramses, child of God in Egypt." Elara listened with only half an ear, her fingers curling around the delicate teacup as she took slow sips, hoping for this to pass quickly so she could leave. She had no intention of asking any questions; and she hoped the Queen Mother would return the same favor of not asking her any .
"You know," the Queen Mother went on, "if it weren't for him, Theron wouldn't have become King, and I wouldn't be sitting here in this high—" But her words were cut off by the sound of a knock at the door.
Just as the conversation had started to shift toward something that might actually interest Elara, it was interrupted. Typical. That's how it always went.
"Your Grace, the preparations have been set, and the catering staff wishes for your judgment," one of the guards announced.
Elara ignored the subtle reminder that she should have been part of the preparations. What preparations? She didn't care. She simply needed to get out of here.
The Queen Mother stood, and Elara reluctantly followed suit, glancing at her briefly as they stood facing each other.
"I hope you will heed my advice, Your Majesty" the Queen Mother said, her tone sharp and commanding, "Do not let those ministers, or any of those court vampires, get in your head. Do not show them that you came unprepared. Ugh, Morgana," she added, rolling her eyes in annoyance, "But if follow my advice and I will come and see you after the court meeting. You can tell me all about it and the surprise on their faces when they come to see how much of a smart woman you are . Show them that you own that throne ."
Elara nodded stiffly. The Queen Mother left the room, her heels clicking against the stone floor, leaving Elara alone with her thoughts. The tea had done its job - she was starting to feel her conscious slip in and out , but Elara wasn't about to let it stop her now. She didn't have time to waste.
Without another moment's hesitation, she rushed toward the Queen Mother's bathing chambers. Her stomach churned, and she knew she needed to expel the contents before they took full effect. The tea had worked too quickly, and she wasn't about to let it cloud her focus.
Once she had emptied her stomach, Elara opened the door to face the anxious guards waiting outside. "I'm fine," she spoke calmly, though her voice was tight. "Just felt a rush of nausea." She didn't wait for their response, walking ahead without a glance back.
"Summon Given," she ordered, her voice firm as she marched down the corridor. "I will not attend the court meeting without seeing him. Just in case your King orders otherwise, tell him that."
Her mind was racing as she thought about the Queen Mother's strange behavior. She had been stalling, keeping Elara away from Given. But why? What was it that they were hiding, something in the meeting that they didn't want Given to share with her?
Elara's determination hardened. The Queen Mother might have her own plans, but this time, Elara wasn't going to let anyone stand in her way. She would use this moment to her advantage, to figure out what was going on and to ensure she wasn't left in the dark.