Page 83 of The Nightmare Queen

Gold eyes pierce into mine. “They don’t love me,princeling.They respect me, there is a difference, and that is a right Baelor has squandered by his ambition. His army has a keen ability to be calculated. But he himself lacks such a quality. He is a tyrant.” Fingers slip into her braids, freeing them of their ties and pins, rich dark hair cascading down her back. “Those that raised me did not raise me to be a tyrant. But even still, I would much rather have my people’s respect and fear than their love. With fear they don’t risk betraying you. With love that is not a guarantee.” The octave of her voice deepens with that last sentence.

She shifts uncomfortably on the stone, stretching out her legs and leaning back on her hands. The serpents inked to her skin have all coiled themselves around her neck and chest. As if they are snuggled in for sleep. Against my better judgement, I find myself changing my own position.

My head hits the silk of her slip. Nestling against her stomach so that if I stare up I will see just the underside of her chin. Eveera’s whole body goes rigid at the change in our dynamic. Those golden orbs wary of the contact, I lazily smile up at her. Like our conversation is one of light instead of painful truths. Her muscles relax under the weight of my head and she returns her stare to the sky.It’s just the alcohol.I remind myself.

“Tell me about them.” It comes out unintentionally. A whisper of a thought.

“No.” Her tone is harsh, but when she looks down at me her eyes are filled with defeat, and I know should she tell me about her parents she would be giving up control. Control of their memory.

“Tell me.” I plead while raising my thumb to wipe away a traitorous tear of hers.

“Why?” She gasps. “Are we to start comparing battle scars? To start bonding?” The break in her voice fractures something inside of me. A renewed desire to go back in time and save her from this. Had it never happened there would be no scars for me to trace on her skin. There would be no look of contempt in her eyes.

My palm rests against her slick cheek. “She must have been otherworldly for the only way to cope with her loss was to punish yourself.” I don’t hide the anger in my voice as I admitforher that the scars littered all over her like patchwork are her therapy. I knew what I walked in on back in Bair wasn’t a first time offense.

Her teeth suck that pouty bottom lip into her mouth. “She was. They both were. Loved by everyone. But most especially her. When she died we all felt the ground shift,” Her eyebrows draw together in their usual fashion, “she believed in the Fates. Trusted them. They had made her softness a strength. But when my mother birthed me it was made clear to her that in this world, your softness would either make or destroyyou. And that if I were to survive them, thelossof them, that I would have to be hardened.” Rattled breaths sound under my ear. “I found her. You saw, you know. She knew too, she knew it would be me. With her clairvoyance there was no manner in which the people responsible for…dissectingher, had caught her off guard.”

My arm winds around her waist, pressing us closer together. I can hardly look at her. There should be no reason that she allows me to touch her. But she doesn’t push away. “Instead of drowning in her blood, I painted myself in it. I rose up to be exactly what she designed me to be.” The pleasantness of our bodies wound together the way we had been in bed is in direct contrast with the words leaving her lips. “I survived her so that no one will survive me.”

I see it so clearly. How the world will burn at her feet and I vow to myself there, that I will be the one to light the match.

I’ve not seen Eveera this morning. She left after her admission, leaving me to lie on the cold stone. Whatever warmth had been allowed to form between us must have been due to the alcohol.

Every moment I feel we get closer, that I have weaseled my way into that stony black heart of hers, she retreats and forces up another wall. It’s maddening. And if I weren’t humiliated enough, the new nightmare plaguing me has taken turns with a dream of her in that damned slip. The feel of it against my cheek, waking with an ache between my legs. Like a bloody teenager who’s just learned about sex.

“Rorin.” My name echoes distantly in the back of my mind. “Rorin.” The voice says again. I blink the boredom from my eyes, and return to the company at present.

This morning has been the first my father has called on me since our return. As a part of my responsibilities for the Celebration, as my mother makes her final preparations, my father dragged me into this damned council meeting where I have to be subjected to listening to the insolent commentary by my father’s Lords.

“Sorry?” My hands clasp in my lap. Trying to make myself look interested in what they have to say.

A collective sigh of frustration echoes throughout the room. “We were just saying, it might be prudent for you to attend this Valen Celebration…alone. Of course we understand your “friend”, the young queen will be present but many other ladies will be too. You’ll be in need of a wife here soon enough, it’s time you started looking.” Chancellor Finnigan states, his face twisted into disapproval.

“The Princess Pruella will also be in attendance. In the name of peace it may be prudent for you to show her some attention.” Lord Birk’s voice unsettles me on a good day. But at the suggestion of Pruella…well, a decent prince would have refrained from grimacing at the thought of dancing with anyone other than the queen who plagues his mind daily. But I am no decent prince.

My palms press tightly against each other. “As enticing that all sounds. I’ll pass.”

My father’s eyes, for the first time in a long time, seem genuinely tired. A glimpse into that stony facade of his, perhaps. “A disappointment.”

“Yes well, you’ve survived my many bouts of disappointment thus far. I’m sure you’ll survive this one also.” A series of disapproving glares are shot my way as my father continues droning on. My stomach sours at the thought of socializing with Baelor’s offspring. There is a reason he has allowed them behind our walls. I think, while staring at his profile.It’s all too quick and cozy after what Hadar’s Guards have done at the command of their king…to just be so chummy? It doesn’t make sense.

A cold but welcome presence slips into my mind and I have to suppress a smile. Subtlety is certainly not her strongest suit and since she hasn’t spoken, I’m curious to know what she is bouncing around in there for.

“Your Highness…is there anything you’re in need of?”I ask.

“From you, Princeling? There is nothing I need that you have.” Mm. Yes very convincing, Nightmare. Her presence quiets, leaving me again, a slave to my own boredom.

There is a tingling numbness in both my ass and legs from sitting in this gods forsaken chair the past several hours. No words, or sense of feeling from Eveera since I spooked her earlier.

Snooping around in my mind isn’t usually something she’s explored doing - so, I’ve come up with three potential reasons why she may have opened the seal. One, she is uncomfortable and sought me out to distract herself from court. But being that her existence in Vellar is at my request and therefore I am the root source of her discomfort, that wouldn’t make sense. Two, she truly did need something from me and I scared and embarrassed her. Or three, she was simply being nosy. I would place all my money on the third one.

Lord Birk scowls at me as he leans in to whisper something into my father’s ear before leaving the two of us alone. My father waits until the room is fully cleared to address me. His voice thick with disdain when he does.

“You could have acted more interested in today’s meeting, Rorin. You will be king of this council one day.”

Not if you have anything to do about it. I think to myself.

“Ah, why start feigning devotion and obedience now, father? The council wouldn’t know what to do with themselves. I’d be subjected to healers for fear the royal Prince Rorin had gone mad.” I halfheartedly joke.

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