The big heavy door of the royal chambers cracked as Queen Hadassah pushed them open. She stopped abruptly, and used her body to block the entrance very quickly. Her hand which was still on the door handle clenched into a fist. She froze for a moment as her eyes swept the room, then she turned quickly.

Behind her, Cassie, her personal attendant, almost collided with her.

"Your Majesty.."

Hadassah did not answer her. She just simply angled her head, which looked like a silent command.

Cassie’s eyes widened at first, then as if understanding the look. She bowed her head low, and then turned and left the corridor without another word.

Only when she had left did Hadassah turn back, pushing the door fully closed and leaning her back against the door. She let out a slow breath she did not realized she had been holding. Her attention was shifted to the woman across the room.

Keturah was standing by the window, and her dark skin was glowing softly in the afternoon light of the sun coming in from the window. She had just finished pulling off her court gown and was putting on a simple gown. The fabric of the gown was clinging to her curves.

Hadassah swallowed, her throat suddenly becoming dry.

Sensing her perfume and her stare, Keturah turned. Her dark eyes staring at Hadassah’s with a little smile touching her lips.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," Hadassah managed to say. She pushed herself away from the door and she dragged her feet to move. "I thought you were staying at your parents’ place for the weekend."

Keturah’s smile stopped as she walked to the medium mahogany table in the room, resting her hips lightly against the edge of the table. She folded her arms, her eyes on Hadassah. "I was. I mean that was the plan." Her gaze shifted to the fire, then back to Hadassah, who was walking towards her now. "But then I heard the news of what happened during the court meeting.."

"Ah." Hadassah let out a low laugh as she finally moved away from the door.

"He was your brother, Hada."

Hadassah let out a low scoff hearing the word brother. She closed the little space between them as she stopped just before the table. "He was a traitor. He was plotting to take me down behind my back. A man has never ruled." Hadassah let out a very low chuckle and added.. "He would have seen this kingdom burn if it meant he sat on a throne of ashes. If I had not taken the strike, he would have found a way to kill me. Sooner or later. It was him or me."

Keturah just listened, her expression was not changing, but her eyes grew softer. She stepped away from the table and faced Hadassah, closing the space between them. Hadassah could smell the scent of her perfume, iris and vanilla.

"I know," Keturah murmured. "I know you always say I can not understand the battles of the throne. And maybe I don’t." She lifted her hand as she used her trembling fingers to slightly brush a stray strand of hair from Hadassah’s face. "But he was still your brother. Was there really no other way? None at all?"

Her other hand went up to Hadassah’s hair as she found the pins used in holding Hadassah’s royal braid in a severe crown. One by one, she started to pull them from her hair. "Must everything have to end in blood?" She murmured.

As she placed each of the pins on the table, Hadassah’s brown hair fell down, spilling over her shoulders. Hadassah did not bother to stop her, her eyes were just fixed on Keturah’s face.

Keturah’s face shifted more closer, with her eyes shifting from Hadassah’s face to lips. She paused with her eyes now on Hadassah’s eyes like she was searching for an answer.

Then she closed the remaining space as her lips took Hadassah’s lips.

The kiss was soft but it was over almost before it even started. Keturah started to pull away but Hadassah already lost her control. A sigh left her lips as she slid one hand around Keturah’s back and the other cupped the nape of Keturah’s neck. She pulled her back to herself, capturing her lips again. Thus one was deeper. Her mouth moved with a fierce tenderness, nipping at Keturah’s lower lip before claiming her full lips.

She felt Keturah pause, then reciprocate the kiss with her hands coming up to frame Hadassah’s face, her thumbs stroking her cheeks.

Keturah could swear to the moon that Hadassah’s mouth was tasting like an apple. Did she eat an apple?

Hadassah’s lips trailed from Keturah’s mouth down to the line of her jaw and to the base of her neck. She kissed the spot, while sending tickles to Keturah’s body, making her let out a low moan.

Her right hand, which had been playing on Keturah’s back, started to move and it traveled down the curve of her spine, and over to the dip of her waist, and across the swell of her hip. The thin linen of the gown shifted and Hadassah’s palm pressed against the warmth of Keturah’s thigh before Hadassah moved the hand higher, her fingers brushing Keturah’s inner skin before moving deeper between her legs.

Keturah’s breath caught as she let out a moan and her body arched slightly into the touch. Another low helpless moan left her lips.

By the moon. The sound of her moan was driving Hadassah crazy.

Hadassah’s own body was responding too, it was like a flush of heat that had nothing to do with fire.

With a low groan, Hadassah lifted Keturah, carrying her to the big bed. She kicked her shoe off immediately before kissing Keturah again. Her hand trailed down to Keturah’s lap and then to in between her thighs making her moan to fill the room.

Just as Hadassah brought her face between Keturah’s leg, a knock sounded on the door.

"Your Majesty! It is a matter of urgency!"

Hadassah jerked back as if she was burned. Keturah’s eyes flew open as they widened, her chest heaving and she let out a low frustrated sigh.

For a long second, the two just stared at each other.

Then, Hadassah’s expression turned back to cold, though she was frustrated by the knock, she did her best to hide it. She gave Keturah’s arm a small quick squeeze, like she was apologizing for the disturbance.

"A moment," she called out, her voice suddenly cold.

Keturah slumped back against the table, pulling the neckline of her gown straight.

Hadassah strode to the clothing rack, and pulled off her royal mantle that has the embroidered of the Aetherclaws Skreel. She shoved her arms out of it and placed them on the rack and walked to the door.

She opened it just enough to see the ashen face of Captain Vor, her head of security. He bowed instantly.

"Speak."

"Your Majesty, we found someone to test your Toxin at Wyrmwood academy.

Hadassah raised her eyebrow. "And?"

"We found a first-year cadet in the same class as the Starweaver boy. She was instructed to unleash the toxin during a training session and to make sure the boy was present. It is done."

The silence that followed after Vor finished speaking was colder than the mountain stone.

Hadassah’s hand, clenched to her royal dress tightly then it flashed out immediately slapping Vor across the face with a crack sound that echoed in the hallway.

"I gave strict orders that the boy was not to be harmed!" Her voice was very cold. "The toxin could kill any and it was meant to be used on others, not on the Starweaver boy! I made that clearer than crystal, did I not?"

Vor held his cheek, his eyes wide with fear. "Majesty, I only relay the message, I..."

"You better pray to every gods you know that the boy survives," she cut him off, leaning forward so he could read her lips very well. "If he does not, you will find that feeding a traitor to the beast in the dungeon is a mercy compared to what awaits you. Now. Get. Out."

Vor did not even try to speak again, he immediately turned and rushed out of the hallway like his butt was on fire.

Hadassah shut the door with a loud bang. She leaned on the door for a while before she walked back to the table and not the bed, her shoulders slumping. She placed both hands flat on the table, her head bowing.

A soft sigh came from behind her back. Keturah came up behind her, She did not say anything but she simply wrapped her arms around Hadassah from behind, pressing her cheek against Hadassah’s spine, and hugging her..

Hadassah closed her eyes, her hands trembling on the table. Her men had started a fire at Wyrmwood, and now she had to hope it did not burn the very thing she needed.