~RUNE
I took a subconscious step back.
That was when all of the women rose to their feet.
They began to walk toward me until they completely surrounded me in a circle.
“You have not earned your place in the Queen’s court. Therefore you do not deserve our respect,” Darya stated.
“For all we know, you are nothing but an imposter,” another spoke for the first time.
Judging from the way these women held hierarchy in high standards, I believed she had to be the current second seat.
I inhaled sharply at that point.
“I agree.”
They stopped and raised their brows at me.
So I continued.
“They say man only values something that he worked hard for…” I began.
“So how can I call myself a Queen if I don’t work to earn your respect?”
This caused murmurs to spread out amongst the women.
Darya looked angry at the turn of events.
Perhaps this was never how she hoped for things to go from the start.
So the woman who spoke before stepped forward.
“I am Lady Gwen Kaye, current second seat of the Queen’s court.”
Then she faced the rest of the women.
“Perhaps the Queen is right. If she’s ready to prove herself to us, why not let her?” She announced.
I smiled.
I finally got someone on my side.
It was so relieving but I told myself not to rejoice just yet.
I had no idea what lay in wait for me.
Another woman stepped forward from the circle.
“Lady Alana Hannes, current third seat,” she began.
“If she wants to prove herself to us, what better way to do it than at the Calling of Orakis Festival?”
I raised my brows at them.
This was the second time I was hearing about this.
At the dinner yesterday, Uriel had agreed to make me participate in this festival and he never even told me what happened there.
“Lady Alana is right,” Darya took it from there.
“If she walks the path of the Veil, not only will she be undergoing trial to earn her seat in the Queen’s court, we will also get to see if Orakis recognizes her as our Queen.”
My heart skipped another beat.
Now that Darya was talking about it this way, it meant that the only way they would accept me was if I somehow came out on top at this festival.
How was I supposed to come out on top of a festival that was naturally designed for the Orin? This story is hosted at g.com.
A festival I still had no idea about.
The women all nodded in unison.
“In three days, the festival will begin and our Queen will finally get the chance to prove herself worthy,” Lady Gwen said.
“Can I at least get educated on what goes on in this festival?” I finally asked.
They exchanged glances before stepping away.
“You will have to find out on your own,” Lady Darya said with a mischievous smile spreading across her face.
I felt an instant chill run down my spine.
This was definitely not going to be good.
“For now,” Lady Darya said instead.
“I caught a little thief earlier in my chambers today. And I would very much like to see her punished.”
I furrowed my brows.
She was saying these words and looking at me as if she was indirectly referring to me.
“I took the liberty of having her brought here. You should be the one to punish her,” Darya continued.
Before I could process it all, she clapped twice and the door came open.
Two guards walked in dragging a small woman into the hall.
She looked beaten and had bruises here and there.
Her ears were smaller, less pointy compared to every Orin I had seen of high status.
She shook with fear as she faced us but she never dared to rise to her feet.
She remained on the ground, crying softly and I instantly felt for her.
She reminded me so much of myself.
Back home, my mother had pushed me to the corner so hard that I had even begun to steal at a point in my life just to eat.
If Sayla hadn’t come in and taken that duty upon her hands then I would have probably gotten caught one time.
I wasn’t saying stealing was right but sometimes, people were forced to become what they are not just to survive.
“What did she steal?” I demanded.
“Does it matter?” Darya asked.
“Theft is theft. Even if she stole a tiny pin. The consequences remain the same.”
I shot my head up at her.
“And what are the consequences?”
Darya smirked once more as her eyes narrowed to dark slits.
“Death.”
The maid whimpered in fear.
My heart sank and I started wishing there could be a way— something, anything that I could do to save her.
I looked at her and she lifted her eyes at me.
She looked pitiful, she was pleading without speaking and I heard it all.
“Don’t you all agree that theft is punishable by death?” Darya asked the rest of the women.
They nodded in unison and I realized that it had to be the Orin’s cruel law.
They might have even killed her a long time ago.
The only difference was that my family never made a spectacle of who they took out in the darkness.
While the Orin— well, they seemed to be openly doing it.
Then she revealed a dagger which had been strapped to her thighs, underneath her dress.
She presented the sharp dagger to me and locked her gaze with mine.
“As Queen of Oraena, it will only be proper that you be the one to deliver this judgement and uphold the Orin law,” she announced.
“Kill her.”
My heart sank to the deepest part of my core.
I stood frozen to the ground as I stared at her in disbelief.
Was she seriously asking me to kill a person?
The maid started crying.
“Mercy… Please, my Queen…”
Darya placed the dagger in my hands.
“What are you waiting for? Show us just what type of Queen you are.”
My hands began to tremble as I stared at the maid.
She was shaking uncontrollably now.
And I soon realised that my hands were mirroring her tremors.
My breathing grew heavy as I dared to look up at Darya and the rest of the court.
They were all waiting for me to do it.
Did these people not have empathy?
Wasn’t death a punishment too great?
My fingers kept trembling until I dropped the dagger.
My eyes grew blurry with tears and I could not stop myself from trembling.
“I can’t do it.”
Darya shook her head.
“First rule of being Queen of Oraena…” She drew out another dagger and slit the maid’s throat within seconds.
I gasped in shock and stared as blood began to gush out of the cut and her body slumped to the floor.
“Never show mercy… For mercy means weakness,” she said it to my face.
“And we cannot afford a weak Queen leading us.”
What if showing mercy actually reveals just how strong you are?
That you are able to see past the world wanting to be pleased and only choose to do what is right?
What if showing mercy actually meant true power?
Think about it…