Queen Iris Ashford walked through the castle corridors.
Her steps were firm and full of energy, despite having been pacing back and forth for hours.
But it wasn't just her body.
Her mind was clearer too.
Much clearer than before.
Thoughts flowed effortlessly.
Ideas connected without strain.
It was as if a thick fog had finally lifted from her head.
And with that clarity came the memories.
"Oh God, who judges without error, look upon the queen whose body has been broken by poison."
'Poison,' Iris thought, frowning as she walked.
That girl had mentioned poison.
Not illness.
Not a curse.
Poison.
'Someone has been poisoning me,' Iris thought, feeling the rage beginning to swell in her chest.
Who?
A rival kingdom?
No.
Iris dismissed that possibility quickly.
Neighboring kingdoms had no access to the castle.
No way to administer poison consistently.
It had to be someone close.
Someone who would benefit from her death.
'Who stands to gain the most if I die?' Iris thought, mentally analyzing the alliances and motivations within her court.
There were several candidates.
Ambitious nobles.
Families with old grudges.
'I'm going to have to do a purge,' Iris thought with determination. 'A deep purge of my inner circle.'
And then she saw her.
A woman was approaching down the hallway.
Long black hair, an elegant black dress, and cold blue eyes.
It was Chancellor Isolde Craven.
Iris took the initiative.
"Good morning, Chancellor Isolde," the queen greeted politely.
Isolde stopped and curtsied.
"Good morning, Your Majesty," she replied courteously. "I'm surprised to see you walking the corridors alone without prior notice."
Isolde glanced around.
"Where are your personal guards?" she asked.
Iris let out a small laugh.
"Hehehe…" she laughed softly. "They're not necessary now that I'm regaining my full strength."
She paused.
"In fact," Iris continued, "I think the human guards should focus on protecting the castle staff. Or watching for external threats. Not following me through hallways."
Isolde nodded.
"A wise decision, Your Majesty," she said with a polite smile.
"However," Isolde added, "I'm concerned the illness might return. Sometimes these things come back stronger when you least expect it. I would recommend caution."
Iris stared at her directly.
"I appreciate your concern," the queen said in a neutral voice. "But it won't be necessary."
Isolde inclined her head.
"As you say, Your Majesty."
"In fact," Iris went on, "I want a private meeting with you tomorrow."
Isolde blinked.
"A meeting, Your Majesty?"
"Yes," Iris confirmed. "I want you to prepare a detailed report of all your administrative actions during the years you've managed the kingdom in my absence."
Isolde froze for a moment.
Then she swallowed.
"Your Majesty…" she said in a strained voice, "with all due respect, it's impossible to prepare something so extensive in a single day. We're talking about years of governance. Documents. Decisions. Transactions. It's simply…"
"Impossible?" Iris interrupted, raising an eyebrow.
Isolde closed her mouth.
"How curious," Iris said softly. "The Craven family has always been known for its lineage of talented mages. Mages with exceptional memories. Mages with a historic pride in their intellectual capacity."
She paused.
"Or did you lose that ability in my absence?" Iris asked, looking straight into her eyes. "Is such a simple task beyond your skills?"
Isolde swallowed again.
Her hands trembled slightly.
"No, Your Majesty," she replied in a controlled voice. "I will do my best to have the report ready."
Iris smiled.
"Excellent," she said. "I look forward to our meeting."
Without another word, the queen continued walking.
Isolde remained standing in the hallway, watching as the queen walked away.
'Damn it,' Isolde thought, clenching her fists. 'Damn it, damn it, damn it.'
A complete report of years of governance.
In one day.
It was absurd.
Impossible.
'She knows something,' Isolde thought, feeling panic begin to rise. 'She has to know something. Why else would she ask for this?'
◇◆◇
The queen reached the east wing of the castle.
In front of a dark wooden door stood two guards.
They stood rigid, spears in hand.
"Your Majesty," both said in unison, bowing.
Iris looked at them.
"Has anyone else entered this room?" she asked.
One of the guards shook his head.
"No, Your Majesty," he replied. "No one has entered since the maids placed the young woman there on your orders."
Iris nodded.
"Good," she said. "I want you to reinforce security. Include surveillance at the exterior windows."
"Yes, Your Majesty," the guards responded.
Iris opened the door and stepped inside.
The room was dark.
The curtains were drawn.
No light at all.
Iris walked to a table beside the bed.
She picked up a candle and lit it.
The flame illuminated the room with a soft, warm glow.
And then Iris looked toward the bed.
The girl was there, curled up under the sheets.
Only her short brown hair peeked out above the fabric.
Iris approached slowly.
"Hey," she said softly. "I'm not going to hurt you. You don't have to be nervous."
No response.
"Are you awake?" Iris asked.
Silence.
Iris frowned.
She reached out and pulled back the sheets.
And then her heart stopped.
The girl was trembling.
Her entire body shook uncontrollably.
Her breathing was ragged.
Desperate.
Rapid.
Shallow.
Broken.
Like irregular gasps.
Her chest rose and fell erratically.
Short exhales.
Constant shivers.
'What…?' Iris thought, panic flooding her.
She moved closer.
Iris touched the girl's skin.
It was ice-cold.
Cold as a block of ice.
'How is this possible?' Iris thought, not understanding. 'How can someone capable of healing limbs with her hands have such a fragile body?'
The girl kept trembling.
Her breathing grew weaker.
More irregular.
Iris panicked.
'What do I do?' she thought desperately. 'What do I do?'
An idea flashed through her mind.
She could bite her.
Turn her into a vampire.
That would stabilize her body.
Make her stronger.
But…
'No,' Iris thought, dismissing the idea. 'Her body is too fragile. If I try to turn her now, she might die during the transformation.'
Then what?
Iris looked at the trembling girl.
And then she made a decision.
She stripped off her clothes quickly, without hesitation.
"You're not going to die in my presence," Iris murmured as she undressed. "Not after what you did for me."
Iris slipped under the sheets and wrapped her arms tightly around the girl.
Skin against skin.
The cold from the girl's body hit her immediately.
Iris shivered at the contact.
It was like hugging a block of ice.
But she didn't pull away.
And then something unexpected happened.
The girl reacted instinctively.
Her arms moved and hugged Iris back.
Iris was surprised.
'Is she conscious?' she thought.
But it didn't matter.
What mattered was warming her.
Iris tightened the embrace.
And she began to exhale warm breath.
Directly onto the girl's skin.
Onto her neck.
Onto her shoulders.
Onto her chest.
While holding her tightly.
Trying to transfer as much heat as possible.
Trying to stabilize her temperature.
'Don't die,' Iris thought, feeling the girl's cold body slowly start to absorb her warmth. 'Don't you dare die.'