The Rumor

The morning before the rumor

Selene awoke slowly in her bed, turning over and throwing the covers off of her head. It was a beautifully sunny day and Selene loved that. She smiled as she opened her curtains, revealing rays of sun that lit her room. She walked into her bathroom and brushed out her braided brown hair that drifted down to her hips. Selene hummed a sweet tune as she splashed water on her face to wake herself up. She sighed, smiling from ear to ear. Today, she will visit the town and visit with her people. The people of Veraxin.

Selene left her bathroom and twirled her way to her closet where endless gowns hung. She trailed her hand along the array of dresses before coming across the perfect one. She smiled and pulled it from the hanger. Selene held the dress to her body, her eyes scanning the fabric for any imperfections.

The golden fabric shimmered in the sun as the off-the-shoulder sleeves revealed Selene's defined collarbone. The fitted fabric on her arms faded into flowy sleeves that brushed the floor. The cutout in the ribs of the dress was lined with deeper gold lace. The cutout ended at her hips and glided into a waterfall of flowing fabric that dragged behind her.

Selene twirled in the mirror, smiling. Her curly hair flowed gently with her gown. Ever since Selene was little she would braid her hair and unravel it in the morning. Selene pulled the front strands of her hair back and pinned them with a butterfly pin. Just as she secured the pin, she heard a knock at the door.

"Yes?" Selene said softly, still smiling at her dress in the mirror.

A small woman opened the door. "Your Majesty, your carriage is waiting for you," she said, smiling at Selene.

"Thank you, Margery! I will be down in a moment,"

Margery bowed and exited the room. Selene combed her hair with her fingers before slipping on her shoes. She left her room and headed outside to the carriage that was waiting for her.

Selene stopped and looked at the carriage proudly. It was a beautiful off-white with open windows that were lined with golden decals. The coachman sat at the head of the carriage, holding the reins of the white horses. He tipped his hat to Selene as she smiled, sitting inside the carriage. The cushioned seats were white and pinched, and small curtains hung from the ceiling.

Selene sat on the cushions in the back of the carriage and peered out of the window. As they rode over the overlook, she looked down at the homes and little cottages that lined the bank of the river. She waved to passing guards and guests as they bowed and smiled. She looked to the sky and the blueness of it, to the mountains beside her that held homes and walking people. Selene looked down to the river again and noticed the golden deer and prancing horses. She listened to the ambiance of the flowing water and chattering people. Once they were going down the path in the woods, Selene noticed something ahead. She shouted to the coachman to stop for a brief moment. Selene hopped out of the carriage and walked closer to the thing.

"Valethar!" she shouted, happily, running toward the creature while holding her dress above the mud. The creature turned around and ran to Selene. She laughed as it ran up to her, rubbing its head on her chest, almost pushing her over.

This creature is equivalent to two men tall and two men long. It simply looked like a large dog, except it was pale white and it had long white horns. Selene giggled as she continued to pet its soft fur, trailing her hand down its side. The creature opened its eyes, revealing an icy blue that pierced the rays of sun peeking through the trees. Selene looked Valethar in the eyes and smiled. She placed her forehead against it and nodded her chin toward the woods behind it. She let go of its face and Valethar ran off into the woods, off to hunt for Selene.

She watched him run off and when she could see him no more. Selene turned to get back in the carriage and told the coachman to head further down the path. She ordered him to ride into the market so that she could greet her subjects.

They continued through the woods, down the dirt path. Selene watched the passing merchants and mothers with children. She looked at the deer and trolls passing by, along with the countless horses. Once they reached the end of the path Selene called the coachman to halt the horses. She decided she would walk the rest of the way.

When she stepped out, the cool breeze greeted Selene with a gentle push. She told the coachman to wait outside of the market with the horses. As she walked into the bustling marketplace, she looked at the hanging banners that held the color of their kingdom. Gold and blue could be seen hanging from each awning and weaved in between the shops. As Selene walked by, people bowed and smiled, welcoming the Queen into their home.

A little girl ran up to Selene and smiled widely.

"Are you the Queen?" the girl said in a high, squeaky voice. Selene smiled and nodded. She bowed to the little girl.

"At your service," she said, rising. The child's mother ran up to her and grabbed her shoulders.

"I am so sorry, Your Majesty," the woman said, bowing. Selene waved a hand.

"It is quite alright, miss. Your little girl is very cute," Selene offered a sweet smile to the girl and she rocked on the toes of her feet.

"What is your name?" she asked the girl, leaning down.

"Rose," the child said, jumping with excitement. Selene looked around her and saw a flower shop behind her. She gave the merchant one gold coin and he handed her a rose. Selene turned back to the child and put the rose behind her ear.

"Have a fabulous day, Rose. If you need anything, my carriage is right over there," Selene pointed down the path where the carriage was sitting with the horses.

Rose smiled and looked from the carriage to Selene.

"Thank you very much, your Majesty," Rose's mother said as she dipped her head. Selene nodded hers in return and walked away from the mother and daughter, waving goodbye to Rose.

Selene continued to walk down the line of shops and banners, waving to merchants and children. She walked further down and stopped when she realized she had reached the center. She sat on a bench across from the shops that created a semi-circle. Selene watched the children as they ran through the cobblestone streets and the parents as they tried to catch the children. She smiled and thought about the child she was to have.

Maybe it won't be so bad, she thought to herself. She looked across the way and noticed an apple stand. Selene rose from her seat and began walking across the street to where the woman stood, holding out baskets of apples.

Selene smiled as she approached the tent. The old woman's doe-eyes snapped open as she bowed. Selene bowed in return and reached into her pocket where her gold coins sat. she pulled out three.

"I will have two baskets of your finest red apples, miss," she smiled, offering the woman her coins.

The old woman waved her hand. "I cannot accept coins from you, Your Majesty! Please, have them," she said, holding out the baskets.

"No, no, I insist. As a matter of a fact," Selene reached into her pocket once more. "Take these," she handed the woman five gold coins. Five gold coins could feed her and her family for an entire year. The old woman looked between Selene's hand and her face.

Selene dumped the coins onto the woman's table and grabbed the baskets out of her hands. The woman remained silent, simply staring at the gold coins in front of her.

"Have a nice day, miss," Selene said, lowering her head and turning away. She continued down the line of stands that ranged from apples to chickens to potions. As Selene continued walking down the path, she was receiving worried looks from the people around her. They whispered to each other and she smiled, nodding her head. She was not sure why she was getting so much attention. She was the Queen, but these were not respecting looks, these people were worried for Selene.

She stopped and approached one of the people whispering. They immediately stopped and bowed.

"If you do not mind my asking, what is going on?" she asked the couple.

They shared looks and one of them, the woman, looked back at Selene.

"There are rumors, Your Majesty," she said.

Selene tilted her head. "Rumors?"

"Yes. That the Queen of Astrean, Isabelle, wants your child,"

Selene was tongue-tied as she tried to come up with something to say. "Have you heard anything else?"

The woman shook her head. Selene nodded and blinked quickly. "Thank you," she said as she turned around and walked away. Selene did not believe this rumor but she still wanted to be safe. She walked back down the line of vendors and to the carriage.

"Is everything alright, Your Majesty?" the coachman asked, noticing the fear on Selene's face.

She nodded quickly. "I am. But I need security when we get back to the castle," she told him, getting inside the carriage. The coachman nodded nervously. He shouted at the horse to begin moving and it awoke from its daze and quickly began trotting down the path.

Selene fidgeted nervously with her hands and looked out the window, hoping the nature surrounding her would calm her. She breathed in and out slowly, focusing on remaining relaxed and contained. The woman did say it was a rumor and rumors are not true. Sometimes.

Selene stuck her head out the window and looked around the woods.

"Valethar!" she called out, screaming into the woods. Only a few moments after she called his name, Valethar came running through the trees. He ran up to Selene's window and ran alongside the carriage.

"Hello friend," Selene said, smiling. She tried not to alarm Valethar because he could detect emotions very well. Selene stuck her head further out the window.

"Follow us to the castle!" she shouted as the wind around them picked up. Valethar turned his head away from Selene and sprinted in front of them, wanting to get to the castle first.

Once the guards at the front gate saw Valethar, they immediately opened the gates, letting him in and making room for Selene. If Valethar ever came to the castle without Selene, it meant that Selene was in danger. But the guards could see her carriage down the path and simply wanted to be prepared.

Selene saw that the carriage was approaching the gates and sighed, happy to be home. Once they reached the gates, the coachman hopped down and told the guards to follow Selene inside and that Valethar would watch the gates. The guards followed Selene while Valethar sat at the front gates.

"Do not let anyone in or out unless permitted by me," Selene told Valethar before she patted his head and walked away.

The guards did not ask any questions as to why Selene wanted them to follow her, but they just followed silently. Selene walked hurriedly into her castle and up to her bedroom. She told the guards to wait outside her door, letting nobody inside unless Selene ordered it.

Selene rummaged through the countless letters she had received from the queens, congratulating her on her new kingdom. She found the mailing address for the Queen of Zariya and quickly jotted it down. Selene needed to write to a queen and have them watch their children because she knew not if the rumor spread across all kingdoms.

She began writing a letter, dipping her feather in the ink on her table. Selene suddenly dropped her quill and the ink jar tipped, staining the wooden desk. She scrunched her nose and squinted, feeling a searing pain close to her stomach. She clutched her abdomen, her mouth falling open as the pain would cease and then return. Her eyes widened.

"Guards!" she shouted, in between the sharp pains.

A guard rushed in, looking at Selene who was clutching her stomach. His mouth fell open.

"Your Majesty!" he yelled, looking at the size of her stomach. Selene screamed, trying to give him an order, barely being able to speak.

"Get the midwife now!" Selene burst out, a bit more aggressive than she intended. The guard quickly nodded and turned around. She could hear his departing steps and prayed to the Gods that he would make haste.

Selene hissed in sharp breaths and lifted herself from her desk. She almost crawled to her bed and collapsed the moment she touched it. She began screaming in pain as the agony sent waves of shock through her nerves.

She then heard the pitter-patter of flats on marble and sighed a relieved puff of air. Her midwife, Anabelle, rushed in. Well, as quickly as she could. She was quite old.

"Your Majesty! You were not due for another eight months!" she shouted, lifting Selene so that she sat up straight. Anabelle examined her from head to toe. She shook her head questioningly.

"What?" Selene huffed, frustrated.

"This is not natural, Your Majesty," Anabelle said, continuing to search Selene.

"What does that mean? Do you mean work of potions or spells?" Selene sat up further, worried.

"Aye, this is the work of a warlock more powerful than anyone in all five kingdoms,"

"Warlock?!" Selene shouted, closing her eyes against the pain. "Are you saying that a warlock sped up my pregnancy?"

"Indeed. I know of only one warlock. He belongs to Queen Isabelle,"

Selene opened her eyes and locked them with Anabelle's.

"Isa? The rumors were true?" Selene questioned herself. But, she could not talk anymore and decided to let Anabelle take care of it.

***

Selene kissed her child's head as she smiled down at her. She brushed back the little strands of dark hair she had. Selene gazed into her daughter's doe-eyed brown orbs as she closed them, dozing off.

She was lost in her daughter's beauty when she heard a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" she asked, refocusing her attention on her daughter.

"Anabelle, Miss," Anabelle said from outside the oak door.

"Come in,"

The door creaked open as Anabelle tiptoed in, seeing that the child was sleeping. Selene looked up and grinned softly. Anabelle offered a honey-like smile in return. She approached Selene's side and looked down at the child. She placed a comforting hand on Selene's shoulder.

"Would you like me to go and clean her off?" she asked softly.

Selene looked up. "Must it be done now?"

"It would be better, Your Majesty. I can have guards follow me for security," Anabelle said, holding her arms out, and waiting for Selene to hand her the baby.

Selene nodded. "Do not let them leave your side,"

Anabelle bowed and took the baby from Selene's arms. She watched Anabelle take her baby out of the room as she closed her eyes, making herself comfortable. Selene felt a sudden feeling of aching in her gut. She felt like something was wrong, but she did not know what it was. She figured it must have been nerves that ran through her mind and ignored it.

Only moments later, Selene heard a knock on the door. She opened her eyes and sat up, confused as to who was bothering her.

"Yes?" she asked, loudly.

"It is Anabelle, Your Majesty,"

That was quick, Selene thought to herself.

"Come in," she shouted. Anabelle stepped in smiling. Selene was too grinning because she was excited to see her baby without all the residue on her.

But, when Anabelle stepped through the door, Selene looked down at her arms and noticed that her child was not there.

"Where is the baby?" Selene asked, stretching her body to see around Anabelle. She tilted her head, perplexed.

"You do not have her?" Anabelle asked, worried.

Selene scoffed. "No, you just came to take her and clean her off," she said, her voice wavering slightly.

Anabelle's head rose slowly. "I did not, Your Majesty,"

"What?" Selene's voice was a mere whisper against the ringing in her ears.

"That is what I have come to do now,"

Selene's hearing had faded away and she felt her heart fall through her body.

"Your Majesty? Who did you give the princess to?" Anabelle became increasingly worried along with Selene.

"You!" she shouted, enraged and confused. The guards that were posted outside the door rushed in.

"Your Majesty? Is everything alright?" one of the guards said, looking from Anabelle to Selene.

"Someone that has used some sort of dark magic appeared as me and took the princess," Anabelle almost whispered to the guards, not wanting Selene to hear.

The guard's eyes widened.

"Do not just stand here! Go! Find the princess!" Anabelle shouted at them, waving her arm, dismissing them.

Selene could barely keep up with her breath. Anabelle came up to her side and brushed her hair back.

"They will find her," she said, soothingly.

Selene knew exactly who took her child and knew she had to be the one to get her back. She slowly began rising, trying to get off the bed. Anabelle braced her back and held her arms.

"You are in no condition to do anything, Your Majesty!" she said, frantically trying to help Selene back to the bed.

"I do not care what condition I am in! My child was taken by my sister and I plan to get her back!" she shouted, pushing Anabelle off her.

She stumbled across her room and to her vanity where a healing potion sat. This potion was enough to heal a man without an arm and a leg. Its purple liquid faded into nothing as it disappeared into Selene's mouth. She gasped and wiped her mouth. It would take only a few seconds for the potion to heal her.

Selene quickly ripped her skirt off and changed into riding pants so she could move more efficiently. She ran out of the bedroom door, down the stairs, and out of the front door.

Once she saw Valethar at the front gates she called out for him. He quickly sprinted to her and kneeled so she could mount him.

"To Astrean, quickly!" she shouted. Valethar took off, sprinting between trees and jumping over rocks as Selene held onto his horns.

Tree branches and thorns scratched and bruised her face. Blood dripped down her face but Selene barely felt it due to the pain in her chest. She panted as tears and blood streamed down her face.

Valethar was breathing heavily beneath Selene as he dodged as many obstacles as he could. When they finally reached the front gates of the castle, Selene noticed two guards on either side. They both drew their swords. Selene remained sitting on Valethar but she rose her hand and threw one of the guards over the wall. Valethar ran up to the remaining one and swiped his face with his claws.

The guard screamed as blood poured out of the gashes on his cheek. Selene threw the gates open with a single motion of her arms and rode Valethar to the front.

"Show yourself, Isabelle, you coward!" she screamed hysterically as Valethar clawed at the front doors. The doors slowly opened and Queen Isa was revealed behind them.

"Enough. Tell your cat to stop scratching my doors!" she shouted, walking out of her castle.

"My cat just tore your man's face off. Give me my child or so help me God I will kill every single person in your kingdom,"

Isabelle laughed once to herself. "Your empty threats do not scare me, child,"

"At least I do not hide behind my walls. And you seem to be forgetting that we are twins, so you are as much a child as I am," Selene snapped.

"Age does not determine one's childishness,"

Selene's anger bubbled and fumed from her head. "You stole my child and hide behind a spell that keeps me from entering your castle. That is not bravery. It is cowardly. If you want to be like mother, it seems you have succeeded. She was just as much a coward as you,"

Isa's face faded from playful to livid. "You know you cannot enter my castle, so why have you come all this way to receive something you know you cannot?"

"Because I want to know why. Why did you take her from me?"

Isabelle stepped closer and Valethar growled. "Because that girl is not fit to live in the Kingdom of the Banished. She deserves royalty,"

"Really? Because I think you're doing this because you're jealous. Jealous that Theo loves me more than you. And I did not have to force him to have my children and marry me,"

Isabelle said nothing but simply stood stoic. "Is that all?"

"Can you not at least let me give the child a name?" Selene practically begged.

"Fine. Oh, and I will return the child to you on her twentieth birthday. I cannot have your blood ruling my kingdom,"

Selene nodded. "The child's name is to be Illia."