Sorry this took so long, but great things come to those who wait. So um, yeah, here it is.
-Kate
Secrets run this Kingdom
Queen Nina walked down the hallway, heels clicking of the marmor flooring. She stopped at the first door she saw, and pushed the door open. There was a startled shriek, and Eira turned, holding a nightgown to her body, trying to hide herself from the unwelcome visitor that had barged through the door.
"Queen Nina, what brings you to my chamber?" She asked, trying to keep herself covered from the Queen's hardened eye.
"Stop hiding yourself, girl, I have seen everything from my daughter and my friends. Let me help you."
The queen made her way to Eira's closet, skimming through the clothes. Mostly blues, dark and light, nothing that was too bring, no pinks or reds, it would clash with her skin tone. She finally settled on a long light blue dress, with very skinny straps and cups that pushed her breasts up more, and a tight corset, and tooly skirt, that went from a light blue, to a rich navy blue. Nina handed the corset and a pair of underwear to Eira, who quickly slipped them on and held the extra corset to her chest.
"You are very kind, Queen Nina." She told her, and Queen Nina smiled, remembering a young girl who said the same thing so long ago.
"You are a guest in my castle, of my son's technically. He's interested in you, and you him, it's obvious." The Queen tugged on the strings of the corset, quite tightly.
"I have no idea what you are talking about, I did just meet your son. I am not here for romance." Eira explained, and Queen handed her the dress.
"I said that once, I was fighting for my Kingdom. But then I fell in love. It cost me greatly..and I do not know why I chose someone else over him..I thought..that maybe it would be better if I let him go, but I realize now that I could have never let him go, even how hard I try. I still see him in my dreams, and, I see him sometimes, running around the hallways, standing by a window, or even in the pathway..." Nina's voice faded away and Eira stepped into her dress.
"I'm guessing this man wasn't the King." Queen Nina tied up her dress.
"No...his name was Jerome. He was a good friend, but he died in a battle...he died for me.." The Queen guided her to her vanity. She pushed Eira's shoulders down, and she sat. The Queen picked up her hairbrush, brushing her long snow white hair from the tangled mess it was.
"I thought the King was your soulmate.."
"Just because someone is not your soulmate doesn't mean you can't love them with all your heart. You just find out, maybe, they were your soulmate in a different life, in a different life where you aren't what you are today." The Queen explained to Eira, and started braiding her hair.
"I do not think..." Eira started, and Queen Nina cut her off.
'Why are you here? You weren't just here to kill my mother-in-law, or make my son, the crowned prince of Edon, the future king, get my husband's throne, one that is already being given to him." Queen picked up a makeup brush, dipping it in the blood red paint that sat in front of her. She pressed the paint to her lips, and it made her skin look more porcelain, and she was now a breakable doll.
"There is an army, of my kingdom's, getting ready to march. They want to take over this Kingdom. Yes, I lied, I never wanted to kill Queen Onde, she was never mine to kill. He wants to kill you and your King, and all your children, he wants to take this throne as his own. He wants to take Edon, and change it back to Frelser, and separate it from Lurer and start another war with them." Eira explained, and Queen Nina stopped for a moment.
"Who dares to take the throne from the two people who are suppose to rule this Kingdom?" The Queen asked, lifting her from her seat, staring at her, with wonder.
"He says he's the rightful King, he deserve the throne, I don't know who would try but his forces are strong in numbers, stronger than your own, though he sent me here to find one that would face him in battle. That's all I know."
"You are useful." Queen Nina smiled, and turned, "I think I'll keep you."
Eira looked offended, she was not some animal that Queen Nina could keep locked away in a tower for her games. She was a girl..young. Just like Queen Nina was once. Queen Nina was broken, and now she knew why. The Queen slammed the doors behind her, leaving the girl alone.
Kenna ran past the queen, fire red hair dancing behind her. The Queen smiled at the young girl, and walked in the opposite direction that she was running in. Kenna had three books stacked in her arms, papers flying in each direction. She ran down the stairwell, saying hello to her cousin, Mace, and bolting down the hallway again. She pushed the first door on her right open.
The room was large, with windows going from the floor to the ceiling. The bed was huge, with a least twenty plush pillows, and a cariten-feather filled spread. The pillows and the bedspread were red, orange, and bright yellows. Kenna placed the books on her bed, and the papers on her desk. She read them one by one, skimming through each one.
"No, this isn't it!" She cried, falling back on the bed. Then there was a knock at the door, "Come in!"
"Hello, how are you?" Tate walked in the door, "What are you doing?"
"You know how both my mother and I were given the power to wield fire by the Brann Herre? Well, I've been trying to find out why we were both chosen by him." Tate sat down on the bed next to her, picking up a piece of paper, reading it over.
"What have you found so far?" He asked, laying down. Kenna smiled, and quickly got up, running over to the desk, picking up a book she left there.
"It says here, that the ones that are chosen by the Brann Herre are special, they are suppose to lead these people, built of fire. They are suppose to have this great destiny, where they have people, they are rulers. I don't know why my mother didn't know any of this." Kenna explained, looking through the book again.
"I think your mother's destiny was overshadowed by Queen Nina's." Tate said, and Kenna nodded.
"I hope Syrus's doesn't overshadowed ours." She said, placing the book down, laying down next to him. Tate wrapped his arms around her and she placed her head on his chest.
"Syrus is not his mother, I doubt that he would ever overshadow one of us if he tried. I think sometimes he would rather Odella be next in line then himself because he really hates being the crowned prince." Tate explained, and Kenna shrugged.
"All he ever talks about now is that girl, Eira. I never knew you could talk about someone that much." Tate smiled, and kiss her head.
"I talk to you that much."
"Of course you do, I mean, I'm worthy to talk about." Tate laughed and kissed her. Kenna smiled, and Tate got up, "Where are you going, stay.."
"I have some things I need to check up on, just a future general thing. Babe, if I could stay, I would stay with you forever."
"When did you get so romantic?" Kenna laughed, and kissed him again.
"Syrus gave me some lessons." Tate smiled, and left the room.
He walked down the hallway, rubbing his face. He didn't want to have this meeting with his mother, as much as he loved her. Like Syrus, he didn't really want to be general. He didn't want to get this position handed to him because he was the general's son.
"Tate! I'm sorry, but your mother can't make it to the meeting today, she had a last minute meeting with Queen Nina and King Fabian, some more information about that girl and why she's here." Odella smiled at him from the doorway.
"Thank you for telling me Odella." He smiled at her, and stopped, "I do believe, though, that your brother gave her the name Eira."
"Yes, I know, that was impolite of me, wasn't it?" She shrugged, and tugged on her hair, "I should probably invite her for tea or something like that, though I don't know if she would like that. She doesn't seem like one that would eat moonberries and drink rosivolt tea with the Princess of Edon."
Tate chuckled, "Give yourself more credit. You would make a much better ruler than Syrus."
"Don't say that, my brother will be a great King someday, but when he dies in battle, I can take his role." Tate faked a shocked face at Odella's theory, and she laughed.
"Odella! I didn't know you were so cruel at heart about your brother. I must report this to him right now! He'll be so upset." Tate clutched his heart, and a painted pained face grew upon his shocked one.
"Very funny, Tate. I'll see you soon, hopefully." Odella walked down the hallway, and Tate started walking in the direction of the library, and pushed the doors open.
"I need the history of the royal family, please." He told the book keeper, who promptly stood up and walked over to the shelves and started skimming through book titles. Tate picked at his fingernails, trying to get the dirt and grease out of from underneath.
The book keeper came back over, and dropped the book in front of him. It fell with a bang, causing the future general to jump, and he rolled his eyes at the book keeper. He was an older man, balding head and dulling green eyes. Syrus, Kenna, and himself use to come in here and make noise to annoy him, and of course, the old grump never forgot about that.
"Thank you." He picked up the book from the table, and walked over to another one. The book keeper stared at him for a few moments, then went on to do other things. Tate raised his eyebrows at the old man, and opened.
He skimmed, and read, and skimmed some more, until he came across something that he didn't even think Queen Nina knew about herself. His bright sky blue-green eyes grew upon reading it.
Queen Nina had a brother. He apparently died at birth, but there was never a funeral. No funeral for a prince, not even one for a newborn baby? Tate was shocked, all Piper ever talked about was how kind and gentle the King and Queen always were. Why would they not have a funeral for their own child? Tate, now figured, maybe they sent him away because he wasn't the Messiah, he wasn't born with the eyes like Nina had. He wasn't the Messiah, so they could of had him killed.
Queen Nina had a dead brother, so it seemed.