Chapter 13

    Laying on my side I stared at the door. I ran the tip of my pointer finger back and forth across my lips as my left arm went numb. I kept hoping that Christian would walk in and tell me it was all a joke, that I could go home. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. As I reopened my eyes the door opened and Christian did walk in, his hair windblown. A smile was spread out on his face.

            “Are you ready?”

            I took a deep breath and stood up.

            “No.” I followed him anyways. I followed him through the same giant room Rayne had pulled me through. It was a splatter of colors, all bright and joyful. It reminded me of a ballroom out of a fantasy book. I couldn’t help but look up at the ceiling, watching our bodies walk across the rainbow of tiles.

            “Constance hurry,” I heard Christian say from ahead.

            He took me down a wide hallway filled with lights. The wall on each side was a giant mosaic of war and passion and kings and queens. I dragged my fingertips across the pictures as we continued down the hallway. Then Christian stopped in front of two doors on our left and opened them. I let my hand drop back to my side and slowly walked in after him. The room wasn’t very spacey. There was a table in the middle made out of clear glass, and eight people sat around it, including Lihendria, the current queen. She didn’t look happy at all.

            My cheeks tinged red. Standing by her side was Rayne. He looked unkempt, like he hadn’t slept at all since I last saw him. He kept avoiding my eyes. Instead he looked at the ground, his fingers curling into fists. Christian sat me down at the other end and stood beside me.

            “So Christian,” a council member began, “why have you called us all here?” He adjusted the large glasses on his nose.

            He gulped. I could tell he was nervous. “I’ve found the real queen, sir.”

            Mumbling started around the table and the council member who had spoken before told them to quiet down.

            “That’s impossible. After killing the last king the woman ran off with her son. She only had a son, Christian.”

            Christian looked across the table, staring down Lihendria as if this were his revenge.

            “You’re wrong sir,” he replied. He rolled up his sleeve, showing his scar. “My tattoo used to be here but I was forced to burn it off so nobody would know I was the next in line to rule.” His eyes stayed on Lihendria. “I know this scar can’t prove that I had the right tattoo, but my sister does have the right tattoo.”

            I saw Rayne wince.

            “Our mother was pregnant when she took off with me. Just after Constance was born she sent me back here.” He looked over at the council member. “You’re wrong, and I have the proof.” He looked down at me. “Constance show them the tattoo.”

            The queen leaned forward, narrowing her eyes. I took off my sweatshirt and rolled my sleeve up over my shoulder. Immediately the council broke out into talk.

            “Will everyone be quiet?” The first council member yelled. He turned to face Christian and me. “There really is a queen.”

            “She’s a liar!” Lihendria cried out. “She didn’t have that tattoo when I first captured her.”

            “How would you know?” I shot back. “You saw me twice, and both times I was wearing a sweatshirt.”

            She looked alarmed that I had said something back. “You little retch, I should have gotten rid of you when I first learned you were a stray demon.”

            I locked my jaw. I didn’t say anything in return. She was just embarrassing herself.

            “Now, now Lihendria. Let’s all play this game nicely,” Christian sneered.

            She shot him a look of pure hatred.

            “Lihendria,” the council member growled. “She has the tattoo on her arm, that is proof, she is the next in line to rule. We cannot simply allow you to keep on ruling when it’s really her place. It goes against the rule book.”

            “Who goes by the rule book anymore?” She screamed. “I am the queen now! You can’t just push me out of power because the long lost daughter of my uncle has come back! That isn’t fair!”

            “So it’s fair to push away her right to rule?” The councilman shook his head. “I’m sorry Lihendria.” He turned towards Christian. “Christian as much as I’d love to believe your story I can’t because you have no proof. But I want to thank you for bringing us….”

            “Constance,” I said.

            He smiled. “Thank you for bringing us Constance.” He looked down at his hands. “Lihendria you have twelve hours to get out of the royal room and lay down your head as no longer queen.”

            Lihendria screamed. “This is pathetic. You are all pathetic. What happened to the rule where we would kill the woman and her children?”

            “We only knew she had one child, the rule doesn’t apply anymore. Now would you like to banished as well?”

            She turned to look at me. “You will pay for this. Come on Rayne.”

            “Are there any guards you specifically would like to have by your side?” The councilman asked.

            “Rayne.”

            He stopped from following Lihendria and turned around.

            “Rayne?” The councilman smiled. “Good choice.”

            “Please don’t do this,” he said softly.

            I knew the comment was directed at me. 

            He let his eyes meet with mine. “Please don’t do this to me Constance.”

            “She can’t take my guard away from me too!” Lihendria said.

            “You are no longer in a place where you require one Lihendria,” the councilman replied.

            She exhaled roughly and then stormed out of the room.

            I looked away from Rayne. “I choose Rayne,” I confirmed. “And I also want Christian to have better accommodations.”

            “All right, I think we can make that work.” He stared at Christian and I. “You both look a lot like your father.” With that he and the other council members stood up and left silently, leaving Christian, Rayne, and me.

            “Rayne-”

            He cut me off. “What are you doing Christian?”

            “I’m making everything right.”

            “No, you’re screwing everything up.”

            “What are you talking about? You’re really telling me you enjoyed having Lihendria as your queen?”

            “At least I was used to her. Christian we are in the middle of a f*****g war. You really want to bring in a whole new queen that nobody knows when we’re in the middle of a war?”

            “Yes. I do. She’s the real queen, she deserves to be the real queen and maybe she can even help us better! She was with the humans all her life, don’t you think that gives us some type of advantage?”

            “Not at all,” Rayne growled. “That’s exactly what she was, a human. She was a human for all of her life. Ever since she got here she’s been complaining about us and siding with the humans. You really think she’s going to help us kill her family?”

            Christian opened his mouth but I slammed my hand onto his chest, making him stop.

            “The both of you just shut up.” I stood up. “Rayne I get why you don’t want me to be queen. I have a feeling a lot of it has to do with our dads.”

            “I don’t blame Christian for my fathers death anymore.”     

            “Yeah you don’t blame Christian. But I saw how you looked at me when you saw my tattoo.”

            I could see his structure faulting.

            “I’m not putting you in this position because of what happened in my room, I’m putting you in the position because I know you’re good. I don’t ask anything but cooperation from you.”      

            “You can’t do this Constance. Please don’t do this to me!”

            “Wait, what happened in your room?” Christian asked.

            “You told me you’ve been fighting your whole life. Stop fighting.”

            Rayne inhaled deeply and looked at Christian. “F**k you.”

            Christian growled at him but Rayne just turned and walked out the door. I rolled my eyes and began to walk towards the door. I heard Christian following me.

            “Wait Constance, what happened in your room? Constance?”

            I watched Rayne walk fast down the hall going the opposite way, his head bowed and fists clenched.

            “Nothing happened,” I replied softly. “Absolutely nothing.”

 

Author's Note

I feel like something might be missing from this chapter...thoughts?

Reviews

[r]

ZOMFG ZOMFG ZOMFG ZOMFG!!!

RAAAAAAYYYYYNNNNEEEE IIIII LOOOOOOVEEEE YOOOOOUUUUU!!! COOOOOME BAAAACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GAH!!!!

I LOVE how she answers Christian's question softly, "nothing happened, abosulutely nothing"

AWESOMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Preston]

D: NO RAYNE NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
come back!