Hey all, I'm feeling really good about this chapter and I wanted to introduce the queen to you all. She's a complex character with a complex past. She's definitely got a few chips on her shoulder to say the least. I really hope you guys enjoy and stay safe out there ya hooligans!
Under a velvet, starless sky, Clary came upon a small house nestled into a hill. From the outside, the house looked intimate and cozy. It had been built with oak wood with white stone decorations. Large, octagonal windows along the sides allowed a significant amount of light inside while also allowing privacy to its inhabitants.
Birch came up beside her. "We must fashion you with the proper clothes to meet the Queen, my lady." Clary looked down questioningly at him but didn't protest.
Once inside, she got a better idea of what the house was like. Equipped with a small kitchen and one large bathroom, a cozy living room, three bedrooms, and a modest dining room, the home was just as humble on the inside as it was on the outside.
"My lady, would you like something to eat?" Birch called from the kitchen, although she didn't know how he got there in such a short amount of time. "I'm making squash soup and pumpernickel bread."
At that moment, her stomach seemed very eager to make its presence known. Clary glanced down at her abdomen in embarrassment and nodded.
"Birch?" Clary asked, "I don't mean to sound rude, but what exactly are you?"
The small creature turned his kind face to her while above a large pot of soup. "I'm a greenie, my lady," he grinned, and Clary blanched at the slightly grotesque sharpness of his teeth.
"I have set aside some clothes for you, my lady. There is a bathroom just down the hall where you may change."
She nodded her thanks and headed in the direction of the bathroom. Upon reaching it, she closed the door and leaned against it. What in the world is going on? One minute I was in the meadow with that boy, and now I'm here in this strange place?
Standing up from her place on the door, Clary braced her hands on the counter of what resembled a sink and bowed her head. "Calm down," she said to herself, "just stay calm, don't let your thoughts get ahead of you."
After a lot of fiddling with the clothes Birch provided, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. The emerald tunic matched her eyes to a T, and as she peered closer, she could see tiny little threads of alternating light and dark green on the hem. She reached down to roll the hem of her pants a bit to make them fit better.
The boots were a tad big, but what could you do? Honestly, this outfit was a major upgrade from her standard T-Shirt and shorts combo, and Clary wasn't complaining.
Without a second thought, she turned the doorknob and stepped outside into the dining area. She must've alerted Birch, for he looked up from his work. "Just in time, I just finished preparing our meal."
She watched as he ladled a creamy liquid into two bowls and placed a chunk of bread beside them. "Please, sit," he said, not waiting for her response, and sat down in one of the two chairs at the table.
Apprehensively, Clary let herself fall into the seat and brought a spoonful of the soup to her mouth. Upon passing her lips, the sensation of something warm and spicy hit her taste buds.
"Mmm," she replied around the mouthful. Immediately forgetting her caution, she dug into her meal with a pang of newfound hunger.
"You know," Birch said between sips, "I have a feeling you're the kind who's always wanted to live a great adventure….the kind of adventure that makes people gasp and hope. But this adventure is very different from those you have imagined. Because lives depend on it."
~.o.0.o.~
On the trek to the Queen's castle, Birch told her the story of this strange land she'd come upon. It reminded her a lot of the stories her grandmother used to read to her when she was younger, and it gave Clary a small zap of nostalgia.
A young girl escaped from her tower up in the clouds to begin her life on the ground. But this girl was not the kind you know from fairytales. This girl was a witch. She was cunning, ruthless, and clever; all these qualities hidden behind a lovely face and sweet temperament.
Escaping from the restraints of her tower, she happened upon a handsome Fae king who was said to enchant wandering maidens by reaching into their hearts with his sweet songs. But this girl would not be fooled. Her heart was ash by the time he happened upon her. She caught his attention and they were wed immediately.
She used her beauty and graces to entrap him in an unbreakable curse. She told him that he must go away every full moon into the forest, and stay there when it was dark. He was only able to come back in the day. It seemed an ordinary request. But there was a catch. The girl used her powers to make it so there was an everlasting night cast upon the kingdom.
She used this trickery to trap the king for the past millennia. Turmoil ensued. The girl, now a kingless queen, used her newfound power to establish a harsh reign and to punish all those unfavorable to her. The kingdom fell into an impoverished time with most of the population being killed and the rest going into hiding for fear of persecution.
Those still alive told the story to future generations in the hopes that someday, someone would be able to reverse the effects of the spell and save the people from the injustices placed upon them.
~.o.0.o.~
The castle was a sight to behold. It lay like a soft pearl inside a clam. With its moonlit terraces and imposing spires, it appeared to be stolen right out of a children's storybook. It was perfect. Every stone and piece of moss attached to the walls seemed uniform, a stark contrast to the state of the land surrounding it.
A bridge spanning from the front gates of the castle seemed around the length of a football field. Two life-like statues of guards stood situated on either side of the bridge entrance. Clary almost thought they were real. Maybe there were.
Encased in their stoney grasps were tall flagpoles, the only pop of color against the flat colors of the palace. All this perfection unnerved Clary, and she felt the heavy weight of unease settle itself deep into her stomach.
A cool wind rushed past her, ruffling her curly hair. Now was not the time for Clary to cower in fear, it was not how she was taught. She squared her shoulders and laced her fingers with Birch's.
As they got closer to the castle gates, she spotted a figure she recognized. It was that green-skinned boy. Jason? Jake? Jac-
"Jace, how wonderful of you to join us, I was just escorting Clary to the castle. She wants an audience with the queen."
The boy - Jace - gave her a once-over. "You really are persistent." His eyes flashed with pain and Clary realized with a start that he was badly hurt. "Please, just go home already."
Her brows knitted together. "Are you in need of saving too?" Birch looked up at her with surprise.
Jace locked his gaze on her and she got a full view of the damage. His nose seemed badly broken and his right eye was beginning to seal shut from the size of the bruising. His voice was like sandpaper. "You? A scrap of a girl? What good can you do?"
"I'm eighteen!"
"Once you get past these doors, you'll be dead, little girl."
She knew he'd said that to make her reconsider her motives, but that only made her take a step closer to him. "Innocent girls will suffer if I don't."
A pained look crossed the boy's face. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the large wooden doors behind him opening.
Before she could make it past Jace, he grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, pulling her close to him. An unreadable emotion swam in his eyes that Clary couldn't pinpoint. "She doesn't care about you, innocent human. This is your last chance to leave."
She instinctively stood up straighter and realized just how tall he was. "The girls are innocent. The green people are also innocent."
"It matters not, she has enslaved us all…"
~.o.0.o.~
Walking down the hallway, Clary came upon an expansive throne room. Polished braziers hanging from each of the six alabaster columns light up most of the room, and blanket everything in a warm glow.
A lilac rug runs down from the throne for a few meters before coming to an end. Extensive windows are covered with banners the same lilac as the rug. The curtains are adorned with decorated tips and burnished corners.
A single imposing throne of silver sits atop an elevated platform, covered in tangled sculptures and fixed on each of the broad feet is a carved symbolic emblem of three four-pointed stars in a circle. The dense pillows are a dark lilac and these too have been adorned with emblazoned tracery.
Sitting upon the throne is a woman who appears to be not much older than Clary. From what she can make of her. A gauzy lilac veil covers her face, only showing her blood-red lips. The crown resting on her head is a raven black, seeming to suck all the life from the room.
Her body language appears careless, as if she knew that Clary would be coming and expected her. Behind her, Jace and Birch kneeled, and grabbed her hand to pull them down next to her. She side-stepped their advances, and took a step forward instead.
"So you're the queen."
She could feel the tension in the room, but didn't seem to care. What she was doing was justice. These girls needed to be saved, and the queen had no right to imprison them. Her grandmother always taught her to treat her superiors with respect, but only if they earned it.
The queen's lips stretched into an insincere smile. "Kneel, child."
"Free the girls."
The queen's smile disappeared. "Kneel!"
"And the green people!"
"KNEEL!" The queen's voice shook the room like an earthquake.
"And Jace!"
The queen stood from her ornate throne and clasped her shaking hands in front of her. Her voice sizzled with barely-controlled rage. "You will kneel before me, child, and be thankful for it."
"If I kneel, will you do what I ask of you?"
"Ha!" the queen barked out a laugh. Clary didn't find it funny in the least. "You put too high a price on your knees touching the ground." She smiled again, but this time seemed more malicious.
"Three boons I will ask of you, child, before the moon changes completely. Fail, and I will eat you with the rest of the girls. Prevail, and I will grant you your three wishes."
"Deal!" Clary responded in a heartbeat, involuntarily taking a step closer to the queen.
The queen smile rivaled that of a fresh blade. "Welcome then, heroine…." she lifted her hands above her head to gesture at the large skylight above her, "to the Castle of Dreams."
Please review, love you all!