(Third Person)
The Serpent led Aliendra outside of the city and into a covered carriage. Several faceless servants in green cloaks opened the door to allow their master in. Aliendra bowed to each in turn, the Serpent paid them no mind. The Serpent took his place, and Aliendra found her position directly opposite of him.
Once inside, the fear began to settle in Aliendra's heart. She extended her mind to assure Jack of her soon arrival, but met only silence. A wave of nausea gripped her and she was forced to hang onto the dark green velvet seats, lest she lose control in front of this beast. The dull sound of horses beating on stones sounded outside, and the cabin jerked to a start.
Completely calm, the Serpent lit a pipe and blew smoke out of the window. He shot a look at Aliendra's white knuckles, and sighed. The snake ran a finger along the soft lining of the bench, and took another drag on his pipe.
"Calm down girl, I haven't hurt him yet. He'll be safely returned to you as soon as we have our discussion. Whatever you decide, he will be let free."
Aliendra reeled in sudden anger. "Then speak, let us finish these discussions quickly. Any moment he spends in your company is an eternity in hell." She didn't know where the words came from, but they sounded like something a queen would say.
The Serpent just rolled his head to look at her, before blowing another stream of smoke out of the window.
"As you wish. As you are aware, this nation is currently gripped by the most violent revolution the five kingdoms have ever seen. Part of it is our dear ignorant king instilling such hatred in his followers, but most of it had been orchestrated by me. The advantages my young queen of having an assassination guild behind your back are limitless. Your puny revolution would have died within a week had I not been steadily picking off the only competent people within the Emperor's castle. He is aware of course, we are no more than children to him. Ternac will not greet us until we are at his gate. Then gods help us all."
Aliendra stopped for a moment to consider the wisdom in the next step. A choice she has never had to make. "I appreciate your assistance… I must ask however, why are you telling me this?"
The Serpent leaned backwards and curled his hands together, obviously striving to word his statement in a way that Aliendra would find acceptable. "Despite his apparent disinterest, working underneath Ternac has been… difficult to say the least. I have organized this meeting in the hopes to work out a deal your majesty. I will continue fueling the flames of your revolution, and you will be on Ternac's throne in a week, and in exchange you allow the Assassin's guild to operate in your new empire."
The Serpent's plan in full view, Aliendra was at a crossroads. She thought of Jack, and what he might say were he here to assist her. Aliendra thought of what he might say to the Serpents offer.
This is a fork in the road. It is time to decide what kind of queen you will be Aliendra. Will you make deals with the devil to assure your own victory? Or will you stand strong despite the odds?
Aliendra looked down at her tunic, still covered in the blood of war. Could she allow this to continue? Thousands had died, if she accepted his terms, not nearly that many would pass. And the ones that did had done something to deserve their demise. Was it truly worth more death and destruction to cling to a false hope of morality?
Aliendra made her decision, and hardened her features. "Serpent, in my kingdom your criminal actions will not be for profit. You may peacefully disband, and no charges will be brought up against you. Although now that the matter is settled, where might I be able to find Jack?" Her final question had a kind facade, but beneath it fire raged ready to be unleashed were her demands not met.
"You foolish woman." The Serpent hissed. "Your armies will disband in a day, and your generals will cut each other's throats. When you feel the gentle embrace of rope caressing your neck, or a dagger nipping at your throat, remember that you only have yourself to blame."
"I asked you a question, and you mustn't forget your promise. Whatever I may decide Jack should walk free."
"Yes of course, you will find your lover in the catacombs under the Eastern part of spera. You saved him this time, but can you be certain that you will save him again?" The serpent smiled, deep hatred set into his icy stare.
"Is that a threat, cutthroat?" Aliendra snapped back.
"Nooo, of course not your majesty." The Serpent mocked. "I only mean to warn you that your troops are getting restless. They need a leader, feel free to call for me should you happen to find one. Now if you don't mind your majesty, I would be very appreciative should you find your way out of my compartment. The air is suddenly very hot."
The carriage slowed, and Aliendra stepped out, to see that she was several miles from the city. She stood proud of what she did, although she couldn't help but wonder if she had just made the biggest mistake of her life.
Author's note- I apologize for the short chapter, time is once again a commodity that I find myself in short supply of. Recently I have come across a book titled Creating Unforgettable Characters by Linda Seger, and several of the tips I have read thus far I plan on implementing into the story. This chapter was the first step, making a queen sound more like a queen. I am beginning to see potential in all of my characters, but I still do not possess the skill I need to tap into it. Thank you for tagging along with me on this road to improvement, I hope that you still are enjoying the story. Lastly I noticed that a larger portion than usual of this story is just me the author addressing you, the audience. I can assure you that it will never happen to this magnitude again.