Fractured Loyalties - Snippet #01

The King strode toward the throne room, his fists so tightly clenched that his knuckles turned white and his silvery red wisps of hair strewn about under his crown. As he entered, his footsteps echoed on the marble mosaic flooring.

“Leave me,” he ordered all those who lingered in the large chamber. With fearful expressions, the remaining staff hurried away. Once alone, the King ripped the crown from his head and chucked it at the lavish red throne. The golden symbol of his authority bounced off the ground and split into several pieces before falling back to the floor. Placing a trembling hand over his tin-colored eyes, he furrowed his brow as he contemplated what to do next, his mind a whirlwind of desperation and helplessness.

“Troubled?” a feminine, breathy voice murmured from behind, sending a cold chill down his spine as if the air on his back turned frigid. Caught off guard, he spun around to find himself face to face with a mature woman of elegant stature, her long dark hair framing her slim cheeks. She wore a beautiful satin blue dress and a sapphire-encrusted coronet atop her head. Looking up at her piercing pitch-black eyes, he saw nothing but the void. The King stuttered momentarily, in awe of her beauty, but more than that, terrified of what she represented.

“Y-You’re the…the Shattered Queen…” he managed to splutter. The handsome Queen’s lip curled upward slightly in a satisfied smirk at his fearful state.

“That’s right, and I sense that you require some assistance?” she purred, running a slender finger along his chin, causing him to shudder. The King flinched but begrudgingly allowed her touch.

“I…do,” he admitted before bowing low before her, pressing his face against the marble floor. “I have twin daughters. My precious one, Moliann, was lured into the Deranged Realms by her wicked sister, Moliana…”

Considering this, the Shattered Queen knelt to meet the King’s gaze.

“This cruel daughter of yours…she holds a specific power within her, doesn’t she? One you’re afraid of.”

The King’s gray eyes widen with surprise, gulping nervously as a bead of sweat slides down his brow. He nods. “It’s terrible being born with such a curse.”

Lifting her chin, the Queen contemplates silently.

“I will bring your daughter back to you,” she declared.

The King glances up at her in surprise. “Y-You will?”

She nods. “Of course, there is the subject of payment…”

“I can pay you in as much electrum as you desire—” the King started, gesturing toward the throne behind him, but the Queen cut across him.

“I do not need your petty currency,” she told him, waving a dismissive hand.

“O-Oh…okay…well then, what do you need for payment, then?” he questioned.

A twisted smile spread across her plump lips. “I get to keep this cursed daughter of yours as my own.”

Knowing that the Shattered Queen was a master manipulator, the Royale King was hesitant. Briefly, he pondered if there was any other way to save his daughter, but deep down, he knew that while her sister was still around, it would be near impossible. He didn’t know where else to turn, and the Queen's manipulative nature only added to his unease and fear.

“Alright…it’s a deal.” as the words left the King’s lips, a cold smile spread across the Shattered Queen’s face. She extended a hand towards him, sealing their agreement with a firm handshake. The King then yelped in pain, withdrawing his now burned hand, watching as the impression of small chains appeared there. His eyes widened fearfully.

“Excellent choice, Your Majesty. You won’t regret this,” she purred, her eyes glittering with malice. As she disappeared from view, the King clenched his injured hand contemplatively. This had to be done, right? This was necessary… not just for his daughter's safety, but their entire kingdom's safety.