She was beautiful as a stone statue is beautiful, the curve of her lips, the colour of her eyes, the shape of her face like a heart. Her queenly stature came first because of her allure, second because of her beauty and third because of her height. From the moment Fiera got a glimpse of her in her chambers, she couldn't take her eyes off.

"Come in," her lips moved, but the sound of her voice was so low, that Fiera involuntarily leaned forward to make it out, and she crossed into the room.

The Crown turned to Aaron, who had been till then, completely unnoticed by Fiera standing at her stead. And then, she proceeded to gently lower herself into an armchair.

"Allow me to introduce," Aaron pulled an arm across Fiera's shoulders giving her a nudge and bringing her out of her daze, "Fiera Celosis."

Fiera lowered her eyes.

Her boots, the ones she had salvaged at the thrift store, suddenly looked rather out of place in this room, with a superior at an Institute, with the monarch of an entire land.

What was she here for again?

"Fiera," The Crown said, as if testing out the name on her tongue, "Fiera Celosis." she smiled, and Fiera felt her heart skip a beat, "I knew your father at Court."

Fiera looked up a little. For a second, just a brief second, she sensed the Crown give a brief glance at Aaron, whose arm stiffened at Fiera's shoulders and he said, perhaps a little too hastily,

"We haven't talked about that, as of yet, Lady Wyn." Aaron said, "I was waiting for a more, a more comfortable time -"

"Then we shall talk now," The Crown cut him off. "Please have a seat,"

Fiera was not able to look at anything besides sense that Aaron nudged her to sit down, and sensed him take a seat next to hers. These chairs must have been swung from across the room, by her. There was no way these were there when she first entered the room.

"Fiera Celosis," The Crown said, drawing Fiera's attention to her, "Why don't you tell us, how much you know about your parents, hmm?"

"Uh," Fiera began, and swept her eyes to her shoes again, "They died when I was five, uh, about eleven years ago. I know," she dared a brief glance up, "I know that they were good people who did nothing wrong."

"And yet they were banished by my predecessor, hmm?"

"For love," Fiera said, softly.

And in that room, knowing that Aaron was right next to her, just too far away from holding her hand for comfort, under the oppressive gaze of this god-tier beautiful woman with power so heavy that she could feel it in the room ready to crush her into bits and pieces, Fiera felt something break in her chest. She forced herself to breathe so she could hear over the blood pounding her ears,

"Love," The Crown was saying, and she could sense a smile, "That's what you were told. By whom?"

"I didn't need to be told that." Fiera tried to keep her voice even, "I was young, but I remember bits and pieces of them, and I know that they did, love each other, more than -"

"Memories." The Crown smiled, "The thing about memories, I am sure many have told you -"

"Is that they can be altered," Fiera cut her, "I know that. But I would rather believe that my parents loved each other than believe anything else."

"We all would love to believe that of all our parents, child." the Crown said stiffly, "But only some have the luxury of dying believing that."

"Lady Wyn, " Aaron said hastily before anything further could be said, "Perhaps this is not the time for -"

"Aaron," The Crown said quietly, it seemed to be absolutely possible for her voice to lower further, "Don't you think it's sad that the girl lives believing a lie? There is no favour greater than what I am doing for her, right now." There was no sympathy in her voice, it was monotonous, cold and dry.

"But we can delay this, Lady Wyn." Aaron lowered his head. Fiera could see his hands clench, sensed from him that he was angry, but he saw no point in lashing out at the Crown and thereby putting his neck at risk.

"Your father," Lady Wyn leaned back, narrowing her eyes, "He was a good man. One of the earliest members to Court. I was a child myself then, an Observer to my predecessor, and I remember your father. Dashing, young, cool. A man with great ideas, a great mind enough to attract the attention of the Court barely in his twenties."

She paused as if to check if Fiera was listening to her in a transfixed state of mind.

"Lady Wyn -" Aaron began to say, but one look from the Crown made him shut up.

"That's about what I can tell you as of now." The Crown smiled. "But if you, yourself wish to know more, I can tell you more. But that is the extent of my invitation to you. Perhaps we can have a friendly duel tomorrow at noon, and a bit of tea together?"

Fiera lowered her eyes.

A friendly duel.

This would be her chance to spill the blood, an opportunity exactly as the Master of Shadows had promised her.

She only needed guts to take it up.

"I accept," she lowered her head, "I accept with pleasure."

She screamed inside her head.