LEVERIA
My father stared in disbelief at the enchanted mirror. King Dreus' face stared back.
"...I hope that we can come to a diplomatic solution here, Clartias." Alfred Dreus said, "I have five-hundred-thousand beasts that reside in my city, and I cannot condone any aggression taken by you or your people."
"I can't believe this." Father sighed, collapsing into the chair, "My own daughter." He'd remained silent as King Dreus recounted everything that had happened, from the failed rescue attempt, to Yavara's revelation. Dreus did not say whether he'd made a deal with my little sister, but I knew him well enough; he'd covered his bets.
"I was hoping that we could set up a line of communication between Queen Yavara and yourself." King Dreus said. He'd stopped calling her 'Queen Alkandi' after Father's visceral reaction to the name. "I have no doubt that she would like to speak with her family, even after the assassination attempt."
"It was not an assassination attempt!" Mother cried, "We received a message from a ranger that Zander Fredeon and Brock Terdini were holding Yavara. We sent a team of mages and rangers over to rescue her!"
"You can understand why I find that hard to believe, Queen Tiadoa." King Dreus said as he raised a skeptical eyebrow, "Fifteen highly-trained combatants attack five people unprovoked, one of whom was Prestira Rasloraca, an esteemed citizen of Ardeni Dreus, all without telling me beforehand? This sounds like a covert operation gone wrong."
"Leveria didn't tell you about the mission?" Father asked. He turned to me, "It was her that received the message and sent the men out."
My face turned red as Mother and Father stared daggers into me. I had hoped that this operation would go off without a hitch; I would retrieve my stupid little sister, receive the accolades of taking the initiative, and hold a piece of diplomatic baggage over King Dreus once it was discovered that the Highland princess had been right under his nose. But it all went to shit. Ten rescuers were dead and the other five were to be executed, including Head-ranger Adarian. Elena had also disappeared, no doubt joining her paramour once she found out what Yavara was.
"King Dreus," I said, swallowing my pride, "it was my mistake. I was so hurried in sending out the rescue mission that I forgot to inform you of it."
King Dreus gave me a frank look, one that told me he thought I was full of shit. "Be that as it may, Princess Tiadoa, Queen Yavara has spun the botched 'rescue mission' as an attempt on her life, and everyone believes it. Despite that, Queen Yavara has fervently pressed her desire for peace with the Highlands; I suggest the three of you take her up on that. Good night." King Dreus disappeared from the enchanted mirror, which now simply reflected our stupefied faces.
"
Queen
Yavara," I sneered, "Queen of rocks and shit and a pack of beasts."
"How did this happen?" Father lamented again, "My own daughter!"
"She's not your daughter anymore, Father." I said, "She's a monster; she's evil incarnate! We should send actual assassins!"
"Shut your mouth!" Mother snapped, "You've done more than enough!"
"So what?" I snapped back, "Do you two actually want to sit down with the Dark Queen of Alkandra, and
negotiate?!
Do we allow the Great Forest to be ripped from our hands for nothing? How will the Noble Court take that news, do you think?"
"Politics be damned; this is family!" Father slapped his hand on the arm of his chair.
Politics be damned? Family? I almost laughed.
Come now, Father. Who are you trying to impress?
"Forget the Noble Court then." I said, "Just how long do you think it will be before your precious second born decides that she wants more?" I levelled my gaze on him, "How long could our kingdom withstand the onslaught of an army of hundreds of thousands?"
"Yavara wouldn't attack her own people." Father said resolutely.
"Oh, she wouldn't?" I laughed, "Yavara played you all for fools. Why do you think she took her little solo venture? To 'find herself?!' Do you think she accidentally transformed into the Dark Queen, then allied with Fredeon, Brock Terdini and Prestira Rasloraca, in the span of
four days
? She must have been planning this for years. She has deceived you, Father. She will deceive you again."
Father sat back, pondering my words. "What you say may be true, Leveria, but we should still have open communication with Yavara. I cannot believe -I
refuse
to believe- that Yavara would wage war on her own people. I just... I just can't believe it... my own daughter..."
Father began to weep, and Mother put a compassionate hand on his shoulder. I grimaced internally. Father always looked at Yavara as the son he never had. She could shoot better than anyone, ride horseback with the best rangers, and drink men under the table. She was boisterous, bold and overtly friendly, though I thought her stupid, brash and insufferable. Even so, I shared none of the qualities Father loved in her. I always hated how he doted on her, how she was the apple of his eye. My only consolation was that I would take the crown, and she would become some lord's breeding pet. But that was no longer the case. My stupid, brash, insufferable little sister was the Dark Queen of Alkandra. Oh, she'd played a deep game, Yavara had; played it to perfection. I had to concede my admiration, for it was a masterpiece of manipulation. For even as she marshalled powerful allies to her cause, Father did nothing, broken and disbelieving, loving her still. I'd always despised Yavara, but now I hated her with a distilled purity. I brushed Mother aside, wrapped my arms around my beloved father, and pressed his head to my shoulder.
"Don't let your love blind you, Father." I whispered into his ear, "She is the Dark Queen reborn. She has been trying to reclaim her throne for a thousand years, and she's finally found the perfect vessel with which to do it. She never loved you; she used you. Now you sit here and weep while the greatest threat to our empire draws support from our allies and enemies alike. Don't think of her as she was. Think of her as she is, and do what must be done."
"Don't listen to her, Clartias!" Mother hissed, "She's trying to push us to war!"
And I always hated my mother too. She was ever suspicious of me, especially when I was around Father. I think she always suspected something was going on, but she never could quite put her finger on it.
It started six years ago. I had long-since developed into a woman's body by my eighteenth trip around the sun, and Father took notice. One day I left my door open while I was undressing, and Father walked by. Our eyes met. He didn't avert his gaze, nor walk away. He kept staring, and I kept undressing. It was sick, I know, but I craved paternal attention, and I didn't care how I got it. Yavara was the son he never had, but I could be the forbidden piece of fruit he always wanted. It turned me on.