King Hector

Queen Elvira waited for the dark store room door to open. She walked in slowly, her dress falling behind her, her lips set in a straight line. The place was dark and only lit up by her guards as she passed by. It was an old unused dungeon used for keeping escape prisoners when the palace itself had been a permanent palace. Now it was dark and empty, except of course, for her newest prisoner.

"Hector?" Lana said once she heard the footsteps.

"I do not believe he will be here anytime soon. Unfortunately." Queen Elvira said as the last torch lit up, and her face came into full view in front of Lana.

Lana's tender, pitiful face immediately hardened, and she held the bars so hard her knuckles turned a ghostly pale white.

"Queen Elvira." she said, through gritted teeth.

"Have you forgotten your manners, or should I force you to remember?"

Lana blinked, then slowly gave a small bow. "Queen Elvira..." Her teeth gritted hard against each other, and she slowly lifted her eyes to meet Queen Elvira's eyes again.

"What do you want with a man who has deserted you?" Queen Elvira asked, her brow lifting briefly.

"The same thing you wanted with a man who loved someone else, Your highness."

She said the your highness with a glint of mockery underlying her tone, and a glint of hate in her eyes.

Quern Elvira gave a small, lazy smile. "You used the word, Loved, Lana. That just means, underneath your stubbornness, you do know that his heart does not belong with you anymore."

"Your highness!"

"I will keep you here, Lana, and I will show you things that are more painful than slavery. I make an honest attempt to be a good person, but it does not seem to work with you."

Lana heaved hard, her breaths coming in small ragged bursts. Queen Elvira came closer, then slowly clasped her fingers on Lana's hand, her nails digging into the other woman's flesh.

Lana kept the pain down, knowing admitting the pain she felt was the same as admitting defeat. And she would not lose. She can not lose.

"That distance you do not want to keep in peace...I will force you to keep it in pieces."

She then released Lana's hand and turned away, signalling for the torches to be turned off.

Lana was once again cast in darkness, and anger.

Hector watched Thea keenly as she walked around, his eyes thinning. She looked like someone he knew, someone he didn't want to remember, but there was no way. He was sure he was the only one who had been brought to the palace as a slave then.

Thea turned around and set a teapot on the table, then bowed at Hector.

"Come here," Hector said, his voice kind.

Thea's eyes widened a little, before she took slow, small steps towards Hector. She bowed again, and kept her eyes trained on the floor.

"Yes, your highness."

"Sit with me." Hector said, then moved away a little so she could occupy the space next to him.

"Someone of my class can not sit where you sit, your highness."

"You do know I was once a servant myself, do you not?"

Thea nodded. It was a story she had cried tears of joy for, a story she had marveled at so hard. "Yes, your highness. Who does not know about the servant who caught the fancy of the hidden Queen?"

Hector chuckled, his thoughts drifting to Elvira. "Of course. Lucky, do you not agree?"

Thea allowed herself to lift her eyes a little and she smiled. "I believe the Queen just knows who she is compatible with. You were always made for her, your highness."

Hector laughed again, his heart pumping with a little bit of the affection he had found to start blossoming little by little. He remembered the kiss he had left on her neck earlier, the way her eyes had looked as he leaned away.

She was the perfect definition of exquisite, and he could think of nothing else when she was close.

"You flatter me. Her highness is simply a very...different woman."

"From the smile on your graceful face, I believe she is different in a beautiful way."

Hector immediately nodded. "Yes. Different in a beautiful way. Very beautiful."

He suddenly looked up at Thea who seemed a little distracted by something else.

"Tell me your name."

"My name is Thea, your Highness."

Hector's smile faltered. "Thea? You have the same name as someone whom I used to know."

Thea blinked, then bowed again. "I would have remembered a face like yours, your highness. I know that for sure."

Hector laughed a little. "Where do you originally come from?"

"A village on the southern plains, your highness."

Hector gave a small sigh. "I come from a village on the southern plains too. I might have met you somewhere."

Thea smiled and gave a small bow. "No, we have not, your majesty. If you will excuse me, I will finish the preparations for dinner."

Hector nodded. "Please do. I do hope to talk with you some other time again."

"You are too kind, your highness." She bowed and smiled, then slowly backed away from Hector's presence.

Hector's smile slowly diminished. She reminded him too much about that little girl, but he knew her to be dead. What possibility was there that she could have lived? What is the possibility that she could have survived the war?

"Hector?"

He immediately turned to Queen Elvira. She had a small box on her open palm, and she smiled warmly, her eyes shining. He could not help but forget most of what had been bothering him. She looked heavenly that way, even though he still felt a pang of guilt for letting himself feel this way after all of his promises to Lana.

"Elvira," he said and stood and approached him, her smile unfaltering.

"I realized that I had not given you a wedding gift. I brought you this."

Hector's eyes went to the small box, and he slowly opened it. It was a necklace with an oval pendant. Engraved on it were the words, "King Hector."

"Elvira..."

"Let me put it on you." she said and she slowly turned, then sat on the cushions again. She slowly bowed to his height, then put the necklace on him, moving his hair away so she could see the back of his neck, and she clasped the necklace.

"It is beautiful. Thank you, Elvira."

She smiled, her fingers still on his shoulders, and she leaned forward, and kissed the right side of his neck, feeling the gold chain graze her lips a little.

Hector closed his eyes a little, and she moved slowly away. She still lingered close to his ear, and he could almost feel her smile.

"I love you."