Queen Royal nodded towards me. “Thank you for your input, Mist. i’ll take it from here,” I nodded back “go ahead.” Isleen didn’t take me seriously unless we were exchanging secrets or promises—but Isleen relented to those of higher status than her every time, whether she wanted to or not, as she should. Queen Royal wasn’t the most compassionate being on the planet, but she would always fulfill your needs…if you allowed her to do so, which Isleen did not. The girl’s voice came out from behind Isleen as she peeked hesitantly around Isleen’s tall, thin form. “My name is Lilith Night. I don’t mean anyone any harm.” Her gaze landed straight on me, boring into me, and I faintly saw orange under Isleen’s red, her words tasting like honey and smelling sweet, like cinnamon. “I’m sorry.” Queen Royal blew her bangs out of her face, then spoke again, nodding to Lilith. “It’s alright, Lilith. You weren’t prepared for this meeting, and whether you were not prepared enough in that extent or not prepared at all; nobody will hold it against you. Isleen failed to tell you a few major, important details, and that isn’t on you at all.” When Lilith nodded to show she understood, the queen’s gaze flicked from her to Isleen, and I swear I tasted the vinegar and salt before she started speaking with obvious distaste: “You should have gone straight to me, Isleen. Mist had no need to get involved. We all know that she always has a more dramatic reaction the first time she meets someone because of her…differences, if you will, but I can see in your eyes that you believe that it is better to get it over with. However, I must point out that Mist would probably disagree—and her first reactions haven’t been this bad before.” “She hasn’t had a first reaction in years,” Isleen argued. Queen Royal didn’t miss a beat. This was a special trait that her and Isleen shared: they always had a comeback. “True, but it is still concerning. I don’t know if her Synesthesia is getting worse or if her Time magic is getting stronger, but they are both clearly mixing. I don’t have to be Aubrette to know that it isn’t healthy for Mist to have a possible attack at any second of any moment. As a ruler, it is my job to keep my subjects as safe and happy as possible…and as a relative, it is your job to do the same when and where I can’t, Isleen,” “I know what my job is, your highness,” she spat back. “My job is to deal with you bossing me around and holding biased arguments against me. Isn’t that everyone’s job, minus the biased arguments that you save specifically for me?” Queen Royal flinched, but from what emotion was unclear. Isleen wasn’t the only martyr in the room—Queen Royal had to deal with Isleen’s attitude. It was clear that she was getting quite sick of it, and I didn't blame her…and, looking at Aubrette’s and Lilith’s expressions, they didn’t blame her either. “I am only biased against you because Mist knows how to respect her superiors,” Queen Royal told Isleen, her tone level yet aggravated. “I honestly don’t care if someone hates me because that’s their opinion, but when someone could get hurt because they aren’t willing to follow my orders, I can't have that.” “Your words say you care, but your actions tell a different story.” “And your words say you hate me, but I'm the only shelter you have.” Isleen was silent for once. It was rare for her to not have a comeback, but she came up empty this time. The fires of resentment in her eyes showed that she wished she had something to say, but wishes didn’t fulfill themselves…and the pleased, smug look in Queen Royal’s eyes didn’t help. I knew Isleen well because I had lived on the run with her for a few years before Queen Royal had found us. Queen Royal could be an overwhelming, blinding royal (hence the gold color my Synesthesia made me see on her), but she was kind-hearted once you respected her. She wasn’t that much different from a normal human being—if you respected her, she respected you. She was a Matcher, her Love Language being Acts of Service. Isleen, However, was also an “I’ll-do- something-for-you-if-you-do-something-for-me-first” type of person, but her love language was more of Words of Affirmation. Queen Royal learned to trust you through your deeds to her, but Isleen was unwilling to help her if she had a sliver of a choice or say in it. Isleen learned to trust by getting to know a person and by hearing kind words that made her feel calm and comfortable—and Queen Royal was unwilling to give her either thing. It was a loop, and it could only end by death or banishment of my sister. ((CONT. BELOW))
((CONT.)) “Stop fighting like lowly squirrels, you two!” Aubrette snapped, stepping between them (she was allowed to say whatever she wanted to anyone, even if she wanted to insult our queen herself. She just couldn’t make decisions for more than a few select wounded or sick people without consulting Queen Royal first). “You two don’t know a single thing about how the other’s mind works! For Fate’s sake, dirty relationships don’t get cleaned until you get to work cleaning them!” “Get to work doing what?” Isleen asked, bristling, shoving Aubrette aside with one hand, at which point she gave up and retreated back to stand behind me. “Spending what little lime I have left on this earth with this…ungrateful girl?” Queen Royal continued, her gaze tracking Aubrette as she moved. “I’d rather die,” Isleen growled, her fiery gaze not once moving away from Queen Royal. “But I know certain people won’t like that. I’ve done my part in guiding Lilith here. She’s your problem now. I will be taking a nice long vacation in the Bloodhill Groves. “Hold up; timeout.” Lilith grabbed her in a tight choke hold. I could see that Lilith didn’t want to harm Isleen; only to stop her for a moment or two. “What’s the Bloodhill Groves?” “It’s a haunted forest where the exiled ones of my kind stay and the plants are alive and try to kill you. It’s also full of criminals ranging from pickpockets in circus crowds to hackers and con artists," Isleen told her, her voice casual, trying to break out of Lilith’s hold. “It’s honestly not as bad as it sounds once you’re lucky enough to get used to it. I heard they have their own democracy there. I’ve thought about self-exiling myself over there from time to time.” My jaw dropped. “You can’t be serious!” I cried out to her. “I AM SERIOUS!” she shouted at me.I flinched back, straight into Aubrette’s comforting hold, where she wrapped her arms around me as if that would be enough to shield me, but i was coughing and gasping. Aubrette always knew everything…like how Isleen had never raised her voice at me before. She knew that I had this thing about sudden loud noises making me uncomfortable, and she was always the one to ensure that I at least got a warning beforehand, or, if possible, didn’t even have to experience the sounds. She knew that my Synesthesia gave me a huge sensitivity to loud noises, which tasted like garlic, a handful of salt, or ghost peppers and made me gag. Isleen must really be upset for her to direct her anger at me… Isleen noticed and looked a little guilty—which also reassured me, because she clearly wasn’t upset enough to miss small things like that. She then jerked her elbow straight into Lilith’s sternum, and the human let go and staggered back, grimacing in pain. “I’m sorry, but it isn’t just her that makes me feel unwelcome here,” Isleen to me and Aubrette, temporarily turning her gaze away from her enemy. “It’s everyone. The ruler always does half of the thinking for three quarters of the place they’re ruling for them, and that last quarter is subject to peer pressure. Queen Royal doesn’t trust me, so nobody else really does. I’ve thought about how different things could be if the queen liked me, but I'm not going to be the one to take the first step.” I looked back at Queen Royal, and I saw a glimmer of…regret in her eyes? Queen Royal made mistakes too, but the fact that she could have recognized a specific trait in Isleen’s personality and adapted to change their relationship? That wasn’t entirely Isleen’s fault—Queen Royal never really talked about herself, but Isleen needed knowledge to build trust. Queen Royal had asked before that i don’t get between her and Isleen’s burning enemyship, so i never brought up any of these things to her. Perhaps if she had let me talk, she wouldn’t be about to possibly lose her best fighter and the sister to her favorite citizen? “I forbid you to leave, Isleen,” Queen Royal told her. “And you choose to forbid my happiness, like how you always seem to do so without words? I’m glad to see that you finally seem to realize that you do that. It’s very nice of you to put it in words at last and show everyone else such things.” Queen Royal looked as if she had just sucked on a lime slice by itself, and Aubrette took this moment to step in before Queen Royal thought of something else to say. “Well, Royal, we can’t exactly forbid her,” she said. “As much as we would like to, Isleen has already said that she has snuck out several times under the darkness of night. If you continue to ban her decision, she can simply sneak out again, but not return.” Queen Royal grimaced. Aubrette, satisfied, opened the door, and Isleen ran out quickly.
