deepwaterwritingprompts:Text: Our queen sneaks out of the castle. I see her cloaked at the edge of t
deepwaterwritingprompts:Text: Our queen sneaks out of the castle. I see her cloaked at the edge of the forest, where monsters gather to sniff at her feet, and nuzzle her ungloved hands. “If I am to be queen, I must be queen of both the cities and the wilds,” she told me. We stood at the edge of the forest. The monsters circled us, hairless, scaled and chitinous, reflecting torchlight, precariously balanced on half as many feet. They loved her, debasing themselves, grovelling. They briefly nuzzled her naked hands, crouched and snuffled at her feet. “What monarch only rules within the confines of her castle, by the consent of those that serve her? I am queen by blood and birthright, and thus claim authority over all things that walk and creep and crawl throughout my lands.” She looked straight at me. Her eyes were bright. “Do you understand?” I was surrounded by monsters. They leered at me with their yellow teeth, grasped with their distended paws. I managed to give a whimper of assent. My queen made to lay her hands on the monsters, and they crouched to obey her. Their eyes were dull, understanding nothing of her speech but that she spoke to me. “You are scared. I see that. It makes you ill to see your queen consort with such abominations. But be assured. I am your queen, and my reign is absolute. Would you love me otherwise? Would you fear me?” I shook my head. “Good.” She showed her teeth. “You have learned. Now go.” I edged nervously away, then ran, imagining the monsters gleefully lunging into pursuit to slaughter me. But when I dared look backwards I only saw the shadow of my queen in her cloak standing at the edge of the forest, the monsters arrayed patiently behind her, until the trees swallowed them up. For a panicked moment I thought of finding someone to tell - but who could I tell that would believe me, and what good would it do? She was the queen, moreso than I had thought, and I did not know whether to be terrified or comforted. Instead I ran, ran, ran, until I was home again, burrowed beneath the roots of trees, imagining every rustle and scrape as a monster’s approach until I finally fell into an exhausted sleep. -- source link
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