Chapter 37: The Queen of Ice

“What are you speaking of?” The king roared, the light catching the razor-sharp point of his blade.
“Oh please, you cannot tell me that you don’t remember me?” she asked coyly.
“I hadn’t met you until we were introduced after Maeve’s death,” he retorted, looking suspiciously at his wife. She threw back her head and laughed. Her laugh was musical and tinkled prettily, but there was a dangerous edge to it.
“Oh, darling,” she drawled. “We met long before that. Do you not remember that serving girl that you took to your bed when your wife was pregnant?” His face blanched.
“I do not know what you are speaking of,” he stammered. She cackled.
“My, my. Well let me jog your memory, shall I?” She said flatly, her eyes boring into his, a terrifying smile upon her lips. She caressed her long white hair, starting at the crown of her head and down. Where her hands passed, the white bled into an inky black. The king gasped and took a staggering step backward. She crossed her hands in front of her face, her pale skin flowing away to reveal tanned skin beneath. The only thing that remained was her blue eyes, now filling with black.
“Do you remember me now, Orion?” she whispered and reveled in the growing horror on his face.
“How? Why?” he stumbled into his throne, knocking painfully into the large wooden chair. Ishild advanced slowly, still smiling that eerie smile.
“My mother taught me, as her mother taught her. Since the beginning of time, magic has been passed down in my family. We lived freely until your father outlawed our practice,” she hissed, the inky blackness in her eyes flaring dangerously. He gulped and fell backward, hitting the throne heavily.
“All of this because you couldn’t practice your little spells?” he spat back. She glared at him.
“Not just that. I was raised to be a queen. So here I am. I’ve removed every obstacle. I even made myself more appealing to you.”
“What. Do. You. Mean. Every. Obstacle?” he asked through clenched teeth. Her smile deepened.
“As I said. Even after sharing your bed, you only had eyes for her,” she seethed. “No matter what I did, I could not take your attention from her!” Lightning seemed to crackle from her as her voice rose.
“You didn’t,” Orion gasped, his eyes wide and disbelieving. She smiled down at him.
“Of course, I did. It was the only way to get what I wanted!” she snapped, her irritation palpable. “I have always had a knack for herbs, much like the mender there.” Her eyes briefly touched Saffron’s face before turning back to the king. “I had begun to poison her, little by little, so as to not draw suspicion. I tried killing the babe as well but as you can see, he survived.” She glared at Elric who was steadily growing warmer. Saffron felt his skin harden as scales began to replace his flesh.
“I knew once the babe was born, I had to act quickly. So, I smothered her. And a week later, you met Ishild.” She waved her hand in front of her body and the white-haired queen once again stood in front of them.
“You…you bitch!” Orion yelled, grasping his sword.
“Tsk-tsk. That is no way to speak to your wife,” she replied sadly and waved her hand, her eyes completely black. Three large spikes of ice shot from the throne, impaling Orion through the chest. Everyone gasped and cried out. Saffron watched in horror as he gulped for air, bloody bubbles collecting at the corners of his lips.