Ariela Ch.03: New Secrets by XtinaSmith

Ariela leant forward on the intricately carved table, a map of her new Empire etched into the wood, painted and polished, the surface so intricate as to show the curves, valleys hills and mountains of the land. It lay scattered with figures indicating the spread of her forces, her minions, thin across the towns and cities she now owned and was, apparently, struggling to control.“Would you care to explain to me, General Atrin, why I cannot continue my conquests and why my armies are spread as thinly as they are?” she spoke in a soft gentle tone, but one that was obviously masking a deep fury, her eyes flickering from the map of her land up to the meek looking General who, after so easily switching sides from Belind to her, had, to her surprise, served her with a surprising competence and loyalty, the only two aspects that meant he was not currently a smear on the far wall.

“My Queen, the towns and cities require a very high level of policing, only the er, nature of the troops in your army keep them in check. Without those creatures I fear many of the cities would be in open rebellion against you.” He explained, his voice calm and professional, though Ariela noted a single bead of sweat trickle down from his hair.

She liked Atrin. Clever and professional but utterly terrified of her, which was typically how she liked her subordinates. Those without the sense to fear her often ended up wishing they had, often becoming a bleak reminder to the rest, a grim example. He wilted under her prolonged glare, but she let it relent and nodded, “I see. I thought my treatment of Belind would’ve shown them their place, my dominance. Why didn’t that happen?”

He cleared his throat, knowing he was treading on thin ice, “The Royal family, uh, worthless as they were, my Queen, were beloved by the people. As news of your humiliation of Belind at your glorious coronation spread the people weren’t, as you hoped wisely, cowed into submission. Instead, it seems to have um… Incensed them somewhat.”

“This is much unlike you General.”

He felt cold, “Apologies, my Queen, how is this unlike me?”

“Usually when you bring me bad news like this you have the sense to offer me solutions first. To keep my mood in check. Are you telling me you cannot see a solution to this mess?” She waved a hand dismissively across the map, as if every soul it represented was something he should easily be able to clean up at her beck and call.

Atrin felt himself relax a little as he allowed himself a small smile, “I er, actually do have a solution, it just hasn’t arrived yet, I expected it before your arrival but… It seems to be late.”

He had expected her to smile, to be at least a little bit brighter at his offer of a solution, but, to the contrary, her expression darkened.

“I do not appreciate being kept in the dark Atrin.”

“I, er, of course my Queen, I-…” he hesitated, hearing footsteps approaching the campaign room in which they were stood and, as a pair of great oaken doors swung open at the far side of the room, he was pleased to see just who he had been talking about, a young woman, sauntering in with a dismissive look about her, her scowl mimicking Ariela’s own, flanked by a pair of the Queen’s guard.

Still, Ariela’s expression didn’t lighten, her eyes glancing towards the newcomer then back to Atrin, “Your solution looks like a bitch.”

Atrin reddened, “Er, Queen Ariela, this is the Lady Sophia, formerly Princess Sophia, the adoptive daughter of the late king and sister to Belind.”

Ariela’s eyes widened and she stood straighter, her eyes narrowing as she looked again at the blonde girl who eyed her back, as if appraising her own worth, “You can’t be serious. The renegade?” she grinned then, turning her attention back to her General, “I was wrong, you’ve done well to capture her, where did you find her?”

Atrin’s already flushed complex deepened in shade, “I er… Well.”

“He found me at the Palace Gates, though I had to knock twice before anyone would pay me a lick of attention.” Came her voice, a slight smirk on her lips.

Ariela flashed her General a look he couldn’t quite decipher, but one that he at least survived, before she turned her attention fully to the girl.

“You must be some special kind of stupid to turn yourself over to me,” Ariela said, plainly, a frown on her lips as she read the girl’s body language, superior, prim, “What did you think you would achieve by coming here?”

The girl shrugged plainly, glancing around, studying the room as if sizing it for new drapes, twirling a strand of her blonde hair in her fingers before turning her attention back to the Dark Queen, her expression and tone matching in condescension, as if speaking to a child.

“To marry you, of course.”

Atrin would forever cherish the expression that crossed Ariela’s face, a confused mix of shock and fury from the words and the manner in which she had spoken them, her mouth open, her eyes going wide then squinting, her brows furrowed, “Why… What would make you think I would want to marry someone like you?”

Sophia let out an exasperated sigh as if she had already explained herself a thousand times and was repeating herself to a particularly dense servant, “Because we both get what we want. I get to be powerful and you get a royal on the throne next to you. And if you have a royal on the throne next to you then all your silly rebels might just be placated! You get your happy little Empire, I get to be at the top. Everyone wins.”

Unlike Sophia, Atrin could see that despite Ariela’s seemingly cool demeanour she was seething on the inside, her emerald eyes practically shimmering with traces of her magic, which she at any given instant could so easily lash out at the uppity would be Princess with.

“Atrin,” Ariela spoke calmly, her gaze settling on his, “Would publicly executing this tart help our cause at all?”

Sophia’s mouth opened in shock but, snapping, Ariela whipped two fingers towards her, a bolt of emerald hitting the blonde in the chest. She took a step back, not from the impact but from surprise, her glare turning sour as she opened her mouth to speak.

Atrin raised an eyebrow as Sophia’s lips moved, her expression becoming increasingly exasperated as she talked, yelled, screamed, silent.

“That is so much better,” Ariela said, a small smirk playing on her purple lipsticked lips, “Anyway, General, public execution?”

Atrin glanced from the silently raging blonde back to Ariela, “I er, doubt it, my Queen, despite not being of direct lineage to the old king, she was still viewed as royalty.”

“Damn. Very well, lock her up, throw away the key, just take her from my sight.”

Ariela snapped her fingers dismissively and the guards flanking the silent girl, her hair mussed from her silent screams, siezed each of her arms and began to drag her kicking and not quite screaming from the room.

Atrin cleared his throat, “I… I think she had information she was willing to trade, my Queen.”

Ariela rolled her eyes before levelling them on Atrin, “Today has not been your finest day, General. Her information better be good.” She flicked a finger towards Sophia, dismissing her spell.

“-QUEEN OF PUTRESCENCE!”

The guards stopped, standing by the door, staring at the sudden outburst from the panting princess, her cheeks flushing with colour as she realised what she had said.

She stood herself from their grip and stood prim and proper, tucking a strand of hair behind one ear before she walked back towards the table, eying Ariela with no less condescension despite the display of her power.

“…As much as I want to know what proceeded your outburst, girl, I’m short on time and shorter than patience. Spill.”

Sophia huffed, “There are two traitors close to freeing Belind. To lead this rebellion.”

Ariela looked at the girl, incredulous, her expression becoming a smirk, then a grin, then she laughed, a rich full sound that echoed around the room, “Oh dear girl, every single person in this city belongs to me, none of them ever loved Belind, I saw to that! Not one of them… Would… Dare… To…” She looked towards Atrin.

“Er…” Atrin started and unlike Sophia, when the bolt of emerald light struck him in the chest, it sent him flying, the world going dark.

Sophia stared in shock as the general collided with the far wall, crumpling into a motionless mass at the foot of the wall, slumped forward, smoke rising from the centre of his breastplate where the bolt had struck him, his hunched over pose thankfully hiding what Sophia could only assume was a gaping hole in his chest.

Ariela let out a contented little sigh, “Gods that was satisfying, so who are these two traitors?” she glanced towards Atrin then back, “I mean, you know, the one that isn’t him?”

Sophia swallowed and looked towards Ariela, reassuming her lofty demeanour, as if she hadn’t just watched a man murdered before her, “I don’t know, but that fool Belind would. I’ll be a good wife, you know, I have a lot of information I could share, I’ll be the best lay of your life and we could-”

Ariela waved her hand for silence and once more it descended upon Sophia, who, at least this time, didn’t throw a tantrum, “Oh do be quiet you useless little slut. Come with me, let us go see my darling pet Belind and see what he has to say about this fresh mess.”

Ariela began to stride from the room, motioning for Sophia to follow her and, flanked by guards, they made their way deeper into her palace.

Sophia looked around, amazed by the aesthetic of the palace. She had once lived here, for a time at least and she recalled the place to be bright and airy, windows allowing plenty of sunlight to flood in, the floors a clear marble and the walls a light wooden panelling. But now it was dark, the passages lit by flickering flames, tapestries and artwork displaying Ariela’s greatest victories dominating every wall.

Ariela glanced back to Sophia and grinned, her expression dark and excited as they approached a door, which she pushed open and stepped into, her purple dress trailing in behind her.