The Masked Queen's Lament by Dylan Madeley

Author:Dylan Madeley [MADELEY, DYLAN]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: self-published

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The meeting room was several alleyway-turns from where Derek rested with the other wounded. Chandra observed the disrepair of places in this part of the city, visible even in the dark and even more by the lamp-light in the room. Where anyone had even bothered to place a mosaic, there were ever-growing patches of missing tiles. Yet it didn’t escape Chandra’s attention that there was less of such fresh damage immediately traceable to the invasion that she saw so much of at the front gates and along the main thoroughfare toward the palace.

They sat around a circular table: Chandra, Alim, some unrecognized others, and finally, the feared warrior woman who hosted this gathering. The woman’s eyes made Chandra feel like she was being observed with some amusement, and no caution whatsoever. There was little else to do about this but to observe the woman back, with her shoulder length hair not tied back, her full-breasted soldier’s jacket looking like it was once a golden-yellow but faded unevenly over time.

“I must thank you for guarding my love in this challenging time.” Chandra finally began, her tone more formal than comfortable with this intimidating stranger.

“You don’t seem to sport as many rings as you once did. Has Master Derek accepted yours, then? I must confess to some eavesdropping during my work, but my eyes were certainly turned to my proper task.” The woman asked with slight amusement.

“Well, he has. Might I ask who I’m to thank for our protection?” Chandra confirmed, wondering what the purpose of this meeting was.

“An important and intriguing person like you is free to call me Qadira.” She said, before returning to her original line of questioning: “Is he to take your surname, then?”

Chandra blinked. “I couldn’t say. We’ve lacked the time to discuss what happens next,” she said, not sure how much was safe to reveal of the fragments of disjointed plan collecting in her mind.

“I expect not. I just wondered. In fact, I was more interested in how much you know about the necklace you wear, given the discussion I’m told you’ve had with our Queen.” Qadira said, with notable distaste at the mention of Jalilah.

“You sound like you might already know the answer to that, if you’ll excuse the observation. I’m sorry if—” Chandra began, before Qadira interrupted.

“No, don’t apologize. You’re right; I have friends in many places, and I suppose I’ve asked too many questions without being forthcoming. It’s been an honour to keep watch for the one you love, knowing what he means to you, and I owe Alim my life and I help him whenever he requires it; I didn’t ask for your presence to make demands. I would like to learn more about you, and help you learn what our Queen may have refused to tell you. It can’t be long before she sends someone to check on your love, and the moment she understands he’s well, you’ll both be requested back at the palace in a rather mandatory fashion.

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