When her love appeared in front of her Irene suspected it was another lapse in sanity, an experience she thought she was past.
Every fiber of Irene's being screamed at her, humiliation burned at her core, her blood boiled with an inescapable feeling of betrayal. She sacrificed everything for her people's benefit her happiness, her constitution, and now Irene's dignity too was torn to shreds. For what, to be strung up like an animal, paraded about, and tortured?
Irene glared down at her subjects, at Brutus as he sneered viciously up at her, was she ever human to them? No. What they saw was a monster. Blind to the monstrosity in their own hearts; what else could drive them. Humanity was a sham for the idealistic and naive.
A searing poker prodded at her side drawing Irene to insurmountable rage; her human visage gave way to truth. An instant was all it took for the demagogue and his insurgents to be wiped from existence. Her blood boiled, humiliation scorched her core, her blood boiled with an inescapable feeling of betrayal.
The curve of her face, the feel of Anna's hand clutching hers, the sound of her voice were a mirage. Parched for even the smallest drop of water in the desert this vision had appeared to Irene with the promise of a dream long dead; one she dreaded leaving.
An array of colors blazed along the horizon as the sun set reflecting off of Anna's hair giving it a golden hue.
"You're getting married," Anna was the first to speak. Surprisingly, there was no accusation or animosity in her statement.
She should be angry, no furious, Anna deserved better than this, Irene knew that, but she had to do what was best for her people. Anna would understand; that didn't make any of what Irene was about to say right. She owed Anna the truth, "yes."
"I wanted to tell you, well I didn't want to," Irene stumbled over her words, what kind of ruler stumbled over their words?
Anna lips pressed into a firm line, "Just tell me".
In her moments of grief and self-loathing, over centuries, it was the memory of Anna's smile that brought her solace; a memory that was fading with every passing day.
The words were beginning to blur on the page before her, but Irene could not rest until she could come up with something, anything that could aid Belserion in his battle with the opposing force. He spent so many decades guarding Irene and her family, she should be able to contribute something in his time of need.
Consumed by her thoughts Irene did not hear the door creak open or the sound of steps, on stone, approaching. Arms wrapped around her from behind, a head rested on her shoulder, a hand closed her book. Irene made a disgruntled noise, she could feel a smirk forming in her shoulder, and twisted around to give the perpetrator a disapproving look. Irene and Anna came face to face, "You're distracting me".
For a moment Anna's lips pressed into a telltale firm line, a flash of concern passed over her eyes, before a smirk began to play on her lips again. She tugged Irene's hand softly pulling her up onto her feet, "What are you doing?" Irene asked, they were mere heartbeats apart.
"I'm distracting you."
It was Anna that kept Irene from slipping after she consumed by a monster of her own making.
Not Brutus' spawn, the wretched thing was somewhere out there in this vast world. Perhaps more monstrous than her mother; a pretty face was incredibly deceitful and that thing had certainly inherited most of Irene's looks; though she resembled her father more with every passing day.
"Irene," her angelic presence bestowed her with the sweetest voice to grace Irene in centuries.
"Irene," why should this benevolent presence voice concern for someone as warped as herself.
"Irene," hands cupped Irene's face, a phantom touch ghosting over her skin, and perfection crashed into her.
Four hundred years was ages, to be alive, it felt like an eternity, but some good came out of Irene's purgatory every so often or so she thought. Anna had always defied her expectations though and now was no different.
