The Darkness

She looked up from her arm when the door to her bedchamber opened and the maid wheeled in a cart.

“You are an angel, Alia, thank you,” She thanked as Serafina crawled back into her silk sheets.

She took the hot milk out of the maid’s hands and sipped it. The sweet taste soothing her throat; sore from the screaming. The maid bowed and left the room, leaving the queen in silence.

It had scared Serafina greatly, there was no doubt about it, but she escaped death before and she can do it again.

Hopefully, she thought as she looked at the rising red sun.

She set the china down and walked back to the balcony. This was her city- her home- and she would be damned if she let someone take that away from her. She leaned over the railing and allowed the cool breeze to kiss her face.

“Your highness, the High Council is calling a meeting.” Her adviser said, opening her door a little so he could speak with her.

“When will it be taking place?” She said, not turning away from the view of the city.

“Now, your highness.”

“I see. Please tell my younger brother he is to visit the orphanages’ in my stead. He should find the bag of clothes in my closet,” She ordered, turning around.

Every few months Serafina and Kai give what they do not wear to the shelters and orphanages’ as well as books to read and toys for the kids.

“Is there anything else you wish to tell him, your highness,” He asked.

“That should be all, thank you Alec.” He nodded and bowed out of the room to allow the Queen her privacy.

She looked around her room and sighed before changing into her clothing. Normally she would opt for a shirt and jeans but the High Council demanded that everyone dressed formally. She hated that rule because she didn’t like wearing things according to a dress code. She put on a plain black dress with black and gold heels. She put on her usual red lipstick and hoops and added a choker with skeleton hands holding a ruby.

She stepped through the portal once more and stood in the middle of the cabinet room. She sat down in front of the Light King and nodded his way. Right after Serafina, the Dark Queen walked out of the portal and sat next to the Light king, smiling at Serafina.

“Let the meeting commence,” The high priest said motioning for one of the council members to tell them why they were summoned.

“The High Council has called a meeting to discuss revealing the Fae to the humans.”

The other members of the High council waited for the three to say something.

“No offence, Viscount Madrin, but that is an insane idea,” Said the Light King.

“I have to agree with King Stefano. If we reveal the Fae to humans, we are starting a war,” Serafina told them.

“How so, Hel Queen?” Another member asked her.

“If you look back in history, it is known that humans fear things in which they do not understand. The Salem witch trials, slavery. They will fight us for control.”

“Soif they do, we will beat them into submission. I do not understand why you are worried about this. We have the numbers and are stronger than humans.” The Dark Queen interposed. Serafina turned towards the enemy queen.

“Sosay we do fight back. Yes, we have numbers but are you forgetting that the majority of the Fae feed on humans? You feed off of them! By sending us into war with the humans you are killing off a food source and therefore killing Fae.” Serafina debated.

“I agree with Queen Serafina. We cannot reveal ourselves.” Agreed Stefano.

“If that is the case then we will just have to show them that they do not have a hold over us in the beginning.” The Dark Queen shrugged.

“Do you really believe humans will stand for that? Even if we showed them we are above them, there will be people who refuse to accept it and they will strike back.” Serafina countered, rolling her eyes at the Dark Queen.

“Then we kill the ones who refuse to submit. It’s as easy as that.”

“All those who are opposed to revealing ourselves to humans raise your hand,” The High Priest ordered.

Out of fifteen hands only three went up. Serafina sighed and shook her head, looking at those who raised their hands.

“I really hope you know what you are about to do.” She muttered. The three who raised their hands set them back down in defeat. The High Priest closed the meeting and the two monarchs returned to their castles.

“I know what you are planning to do.” She announced, looking up at the High Priest.

“Sothat is?” He asked.

" I may have been apart of the Dark family, High Priest, but I’m certainly not as dumb as them.You want control over the humans, to enslave them.” She stood up and walked over to the priest.

“You are clever Ms. Micha.”

“Knox,” She interrupted, offended that he would even dare call her by that name.

“However,ever, whether you know about it or not there is nothing you can do about it. My plan is already in motion. The humans will bow to us.” He sneered.

“I doubt the rest of the council will stand for this. I know for a fact that the Light and Hel will not.”

“You can fight me if you wish but know that I will burn your entire kingdom into submission before putting you in chains.”

Her love for her kingdom and the wish for them to remain free overwhelmed her and she had no choice but to leave.

“How did the council meeting go?” He asked her.

She bent down and took her shoes off while saying, “They are revealing themselves to the humans.”

“You’re joking.”

She shook her head, “I’m afraid not, dear brother. They plan to enslave the humans.”

“Are you going to do anything about it?” He asked ,the fear was evident in his eyes.

“The priest said if I do anything, you and every person in Hel will burn before becoming slaves. I can’t watch that happen and I wont submit my people to chains. I have to pick my battles.” She looked over at him and noticed the sadness within them, “Hey, I know it’s not right but there are just somethings you cant fight for, not with a risk this big.”

She ruffled his hair and walked into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Though Serafina had servants and maids to do things for her, she loved doing things for herself. This way when she stepped down and Kai takes the crown, she can live by herself-though it was accustomed for the royal family to stay at the palace even if they had stepped down.

She made meals for everyone and had the maids distribute them to everyone in the castle. She finished cleaning the kitchen after making over 30 meals and noticed that it was snowing outside. Though it was summer on earth, in Hel it was winter and it rarely ever snowed.

She made herself some hot chocolate and grabbed a warm blanket before going into the theatre room and selecting a horror movie to watch, Kai and a few servants joining in later.

They spent the night in a happy, cosy way, not knowing the darkness looming over them would snatch those nights away.