Page 10 of Of Brides Of Queens
“Queen Perantiqua!” yelled the herald as I strode in, then muttered, “You’re not meant to call her queen, dolt.”
I timed my gliding entry to avoid the bloody drips off the bottom of the raised curtain. I had not dodged them last time, but remaining untouched bytakingsfelt important this evening.
My thoughts had centered on kings since the raising of the curtain, but as I glided within, my sheer veil allowed me to see the entire ballroom.
A gasp fell from my lips.
The width of the room could have accommodated the entire length of my queenly hotel, though I was gratified to see the ceiling hung too low for thewholeof my hotel to fit in here. I did feel peeved that my hotel took up so little space in comparison.
No matter.
Moonlight streamed through openings in the thick castle walls to grace the ballroom with eerie, untrustworthy softness. Red candles formed shadows where they flickered flame and dripped wax in white stone recesses, and while the red of the candles cast a subtle pink glow on the white stone, the bloody fountain I recalled from my first visit here had the same effect, though to a more dramatic degree.
Channels in the floor allowed the blood to flow from the fountain and around the room. The whole ballroom was awash with a pink, deadly glow.
I murmured, “A glow of death.
A painting of taken life.
A revelation of purpose.”
In the next blink, I saw the added genius. “But that is extraordinary.”
The channels on the floor formed a human circulatory system. The fountain was shaped as a heart.
“I am flattered you think so much of my ballroom flooring, Lady Patch,” King Take said in his gleeful way.
Only then did I recall the presence of kings.
Take swung his legs in his childlike way and clapped for good measure. “You had quite forgotten we were here. I admit my great reluctance in interrupting your explorations. The way your focus consumed you was magnificent to behold.”
King Take perched atop his white stone throne, just as I remembered. The throne was set at the very top of a steep, jutting set of stone stairs at the far end of the ballroom.
“My apologies for the delay of my greeting, King Take. I am very impressed with your flooring. I hope I find you well this evening. Much has happened since we last met. I am no longer Lady Patch, for instance, but Queen Perantiqua.”
As he well knew.
I had intended to look at King See first… just to check. But like ever, I could not see the faces of kings. Yet something had happened to my power and the confines of my mind upon becoming a queen because I could accept more details about King Take tonight.
His bare feet were clear where they’d been slightly blurred in the past. I could see how they appeared drained in the same manner as his princes and minions. Thick black nails curledunder his feet, andI was able to see that black inked the wrinkled skin of his feet too. His veins?
Yes, that must be so, though I could not see higher than his ankles to confirm that blackness filled all of his veins.
The king wore black fitted pants that extended above his waist. From there, the coarse linen of his shirt took over. I could not tell much of his shirt due to the abundance of gray feathers. “Your gray feathers are striking, King Take.”
They fanned over his shoulders and stood erect around the back of his neck to form a high collar.
“Regal, are they not?” he mused as though granting me a boon with his conversation.
Indeed they were, as was the felt top hat that cast a shadow across the king’s face. Despite the shadow, the outline of his face was defined. I could even fathom dark circles where his eyes must be.
I could see a great deal more as a queen. What would King See look like? I had not looked at him first, and now I almost feared doing so.
“Are you done perusing King Take, most exquisite queen?”
I glanced at King Bring. He sat in a high-backed chair set to my far left. King Raise sat between him and Take’s throne. I could assume that See and Change sat on the other side. I wouldn’t look there just yet.
“I am done, King Bring,” I replied. “I find monsterdom constantly shifts.”
