Page 21 of The Nightmare Queen

I sigh. “They always do…we really ought to trade places when doing damage control.”

Her skin ripples underneath me as we lift off into the sky. “I’m sure I left someone alive.” She argues.

“Let’s go home.”The words comeout dejected and defeated.I nestle into my spot against her scales with the intent to close my eyes. I hope the wind will pull me to sleep, but the moment my eyes go dark, I see those fucking red eyes and I know that sleep won’t come. These creatures plague my mind as much as they do my lands.

What the hell am I going to do, while helping Vellar?

Vada banks hard then angles us downwards as she makes her final descent home. “Hold on.” She snaps. “It would be most inconvenient for you to fall off now and become splatter on the stones.”

“You wouldn’t let me become splatter anyways. If you did, you wouldn’t have anyone to annoy any longer.”

Rocks kick up towards her hind legs, no matter how smooth her landings are, the ground still shakes every time. Ezra is already waiting for me. Both arms folded as he leans against the archway. His face has two emotions fighting for control. Impatience on the one hand and concern on the other.

I shouldn’t have let him sleep next to me so often,I think.It’s led to expectations and “I missedyou’s”.

I hike my leg over and slide down Vada’s forearm giving her a pat on her thick neck before she lifts off again.

“Eve—”

My hand is up cutting off whatever sentiment or argument he had planned. “Don’t start Ezra, I’m fine. The situation is…handled.”

He tucks his chin down in deference. “Of course, Your Highness.” We walk side by side into the castle and alone only for so long before I am apprehended by Felix and the prince.

“Taken care of?” Felix asks.

I nod, pushing my way through the wall in front of me. “Taken care of.”

“Dinner in fifteen, Eveera.” Felix shouts at my back.Already?The events of the day it would seem have swept away the hours. The answer I give him is a half-assed thumbs up, stepping into a side passageway as I do so to get to my room faster.

Fifteen, I say to myself. Fifteen uninterrupted minutes. Fifteen moments of quiet before I am bombarded yet again with pleasantries, questions, andvisiting.I’d say the sooner I get them out of my court the better, but unfortunately I’ll be goingwiththem. I shouldn’t have agreed. But the opportunity for something better forced me to do so. The opportunity for my own plans to come to fruition.

The fates had already decided, I had to say yes.

No one was in my room thank the gods, when I closed the passageway door behind me. My bed has never looked so inviting, it’s the biggest thing in the room taking up the most space. I may not have wanted to upgrade where I slept when I became queen but I did want to upgrade what I slept in. I shuck my leathers off, tying my hair into a loose bun on top of my head, and rifle through my drawers to look for something less constricting to slip on.

Much to my happiness I find an old ratty t-shirt of Axel’s to throw on. I practically throw my body into the bed with plans to bury myself underneath the covers and—

“OOF!”THUD!

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” I shout, tossing the covers back again to reveal not just Axel but Axel, Max, and “Orem are you on the ground?” I shout.

Three very groggy guards are all in my bed. Well one is now on the floor. “Yeah…that really hurt.” He groans as he picks himself back up.

“Oh I’m sorry. Next time I’ll check for my guards in my bed, before crawling into it. Because asleep in their charge’s room is the obvious place my ‘protectors’ would be!” I shriek.

Axel props himself up on his elbows, looking me up and down. “Is that my shirt?”

I look down, “is this your— that is not relevant! The three of you,” I point to my door. “OUT!” Each of them scrambling to their feet, protests spilling from their mouths.

I hold the door open for them with a scowl plastered on my face. “Next time the three of you want to have a slumber party, do not do it in my room or my bed.”

Axel holds up his finger, “you know next time you break into my room to avoid sleeping next to Ezra, I’ll remember this.” He turns on his heel, “fuck.”

Ezra and Armond are conveniently standing in the center of my hall, the former’s face stricken. “Ha. Well, I don’t know which I should be more upset about. The fact that three of my soldiers are napping, that they’re napping in their queen’s room, or that you avoid sleeping next to me…”

“I had fifteen minutes…” I mutter, “just fifteen.” The door closes behind me, leaving the five of them out in the hallway. These men are getting too comfortable both with and around me. When my clock hits that dreaded fifteen minute mark I groan, and throw on a dress for dinner.

Felix, the princeling, and Mousy are already seated when I march my way up to my seat, plucking a goblet off the tray of the closest staff member while I do so. The weight of stares fall on me as the drink slides down my throat and into my stomach. “What?!” I snap.

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