Page 24 of Kill the Queens

"My Queen." He gave a deep sweeping bow and the material of his jacket stretched taut over his shoulders.

Farah dipped her head but didn't speak as she watched Reed Copeland smirk and slink off into the room. He swept up a glass from the table and made his way to a group of men where he was greeted happily and said something that caused a chorus of laughter to erupt.

The queen made a point to avert her gaze. Reed was…impressive, but he was taunting her. He was a loose end that could talk about what he'd witnessed her doing outside that tavern. There was already enough flak from the citizens about the queens being too harsh, too mean, too unforgiving. What they didn't understand was that they needed to be all those things to run the country, to keep the people safe.

A member of her court, a small balding man, named Zacharias stepped up to the throne. He was often a quiet man who had reasonable advice for her though Farah often chose to ignore him. A blush crept over his cheeks as he looked her over.

"Queen Farah, all available occupancy for suitors has been filled," he said quietly between them.

Farah noticed how he looked much more put together than normal today. He'd upgraded his normal white shirt and brown trousers for a silky green shirt that matched the queen, tucked into black form fitting pants held up by a diamond studded belt. She pressed her lips together tightly to keep from smiling up at him.

"And is one of those positions filled by you?" Her clear amusement came out in the tone of her voice.

Zacharias had been a member of her court for quite some time. He was known well amongst the people in her territory and had money that had been passed down through his family for ages. He was too generous with that money, Farah had always thought. That's why people loved him.

Farah had never thought of him as a potential suitor, though now, as his blush deepened, she didn't really know why. He'd been single, as far as she knew, the entire time he'd been in her court. He'd always watched her during the small meetings they held but she assumed that was only because of her blatant beauty.

"If I may be so bold." Zacharias gave her a shy smile.

"I suppose you already have." That grin she knew shewore well split her lips and she swore she saw Zacharias shiver. She laid a hand on his bicep as she stood. "I must greet my guests."

He nodded and walked slowly backward, never taking his eyes off of her. Zacharias may have just put himself in the running for king just by being willing to come up to her. Though he was used to talking to the queen at this point.

Farah let the hem of her dress drag behind her as she made her way to the table. There was only one way she was going to make it through this party and that would be by chugging her fair share of wine. From the looks of the empty bottles that were quickly being carried out by the servants, her guests had a similar idea.

The moment the queen moved from her throne several men looked up from their conversations. She made sure to keep her back to the group Reed had seamlessly integrated into. After a moment, and half a glass of wine, a young man approached. Farah was only twenty-two but he looked hardly nineteen with his clean-shaven face and large blue eyes. His hair was a light color that looked as though it couldn't decide if it wanted to be brown or blond.

His hands shook as he approached, and there was a flush that looked almost like a rash along his neck, but he managed to speak as he leaned into the chair next to the queen. "Might I bother you for a dance?"

Her first proposition of the night. While she'd rather be holed up in her room, she knew she couldn't turn him down. So she finished her wine, set the glass down, and took his outstretched palm. She let him dance with her, forgetting his name only a few dances later as partner after partner would cut in and whisk her off to the next song that was played.

The red candles looked like candy cane stripes as she was spun and pulled back into a body she didn't recognize. Food waspicked off of plates as men came and went from the table. Her skin burned from being touched so much. There was always a hand on her at all times. Fingers cupped hers. A palm on her waist. The brush of fingers by her cheeks. A grip tightening at her waist. A caress over her bare shoulder. Someone twirling her hair around their finger.

No matter the song, no matter the dance, no matter the man she was always being touched. Until she felt like she'd been lit up in a blaze of fire and smoke and her eyes burned.

A song came to a close and someone else was already making their way toward her. Queen Farah was exhausted by conversation and even more so by touch. She held up her hand as someone approached and excused herself for a drink.

Every breath worked its way down her tight throat, never quite filling her lungs the way she needed it to. Her glass, which has been filled and waiting for her, was damp with sweat and felt like ice as she cupped it in her palm. She didn't stop to drink it at the table for fear that she'd be pulled into a conversation she didn't want to have.

She held the glass tightly, kept her chin high, and made a beeline for the balcony doors. Sweat was gathering at the nape of her neck and in the bodice of her dress. She wanted a bath. She wanted to wash away all the fingerprints on her.

Heels clicking against the polished floor, she looked straight ahead. Reed turned to watch her. From her peripheral vision, Farah could recognize several of the men he spoke to as suitors who'd already asked her to dance. Introductions had become a blur so she couldn't recall names, only who she'd been the least annoyed with.

The balcony doors opened soundlessly, giving way to a fresh cool breeze that chilled the sweat on her neck. Music, flowing conversations, and boisterous laughter followed her outside like a ghost. The tart taste of wine hit her tongue andsoothed the heat inside of her before she set her glass down on the ledge of the railing.

From her perch, Farah could look out to the city of Saylor. Street lamps were lit as the sunset had given way to the night. There were dots of light as far out as she could see coming through the windows of shops that remained open and even farther out homes. They mimicked the stars up in the sky that shone with no particular pattern or design.

Farah tried to breathe away the pain of the men's affections. She should want this. Wasn't it normal to want this? She cursed herself for hating this as much as she did for no matter how she tried she could never best Idalia in this aspect of life. Idalia was a people person. Crowds and attention didn't bother her in the way they bothered Farah. The only thing that would get the queen through would be knowing she had first pick over her eldest sister.

A latch clicked into place. Farah turned, almost hitting her wine glass as she spun to find the doors closed behind her and Reed leaning against them.

"Fancy meeting you here." Reed's voice was dark and heavy. His eyes reflected the silver of the moon behind Farah hypnotically.

"This is my castle." Farah gestured toward the building. It wasn't the white pristine thing Sienna had made or the over cluttered maze of halls Ambrose had created, but it was hers nonetheless.

"I'm just surprised to see you here and not in some dark alleyway." Those brilliant eyes narrowed.

Damn. She knew he recognized her. There was no way around this.

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