Burns Eternal

The queen mother sized her son up, her eyes smouldering." Queen Erica, will you like to tell the children?" Queen mother spoke with command.

Queen Erica was perplexed. She gazed at her husband, who shook his head, to the queen mother. Uncertainty in her eyes as she hesitated.

She closed her eyes, with a shaky sigh and a heavy heart, her gaze swept over the children. " We… We… Queen Eunice is unalive." she croaked.

The princesses gasped as the prince's face turned solemn.

Bethany's heart tightened, she stepped forward, "Un… Unalive? What… what do you mean, unalive? She… she was...she was fine and healthy this morning, how… how could she be unalive, how?!" she almost screamed, her face pale in horror.

Roland ran to hold her up before she fell to the ground as she wailed.

"Mother…" King Aaron trembled, sorrow filling his eyes. His heart clenched at the sight of his daughters' tearful eyes.

"It is for their own good, Aaron, everyday isn't all rainbow and sunshine" Queen mother Irene spoke with conviction, her voice brooking no room for excuses. Her voice and expression were laced with indifferent, but her eyes and heart were bitter with sorrow.

The wide, luxurious throne room became dead silent, with the only sound being Bethany's wailing and the silent sob of the queens and princesses.

As the silence dragged on, King Aaron couldn't handle it anymore. He turned to the queen mother. "Mo…" he prepared to call, but was immediately shut off by her palm and glare, in her eyes which reflect the sorrow he was feeling.

Queen mother Irene, though looks like a sweet and caring elder, is a terrifying figure in the land. Her voice holds command. No one wants to experience her anger or be subjected to it.

She has a charismatic and authoritative aura, which she inherited from her grandfather, who used to be the chief commander of the imperial army. Even the old king, her husband, was helpless against her.

However, there are two people she was cool with; Eunice and Brittany, only one is unalive and the other… she has been avoiding people like a plague.

Irene began, "I do not want Brittany to be aware of this incident…" she turned to the witch Queen, "Odette, I hope you can be of assistance in that area. "

Dawn spoke up meekly, "Grandmother, she would find out eventually," "

Irene nodded with an expression that says; ' I know'

"Mother, you shan't deceive her like that. If she finds out, she'll be devastated, twice. Having been deceived and…and her mother's passing, you understand her vulnerable she is," King Aaron interjected.

The Queen mother thought for a while, "Alright fine, we shall not deceive her but no one must inform her about it… not for the time being" she compromised.

"Yes mother," King Aaron accepted.

Irene's gaze on the children grew deep. "Roland, Raymond, Dora and Richard must get married between this year and the following," she declared.

The three mentioned at present were struck dumb, they turned to their mothers for help.

The queen mother's steps, graceful and commanding, stood before the-now-solemn Bethany and Darcey. There was a complicated look in her eyes, like she knew their deepest, darkest, dirtiest secret.

Feeling the pressuring aura descend on them, their back stiffen. Subconsciously clenching the skirt of their dress, their thoughts ran wild, and the thumping of their hearts echoed the pounding in their ears.

She averted her gaze and her ice cold eyes swept over the others, " I want to see Eunice c…corpse" she ordered, her voice croaked at the end of the sentence.

King Aaron's eyes tinged with sorrow, " Mother…" he called out softly.

" Where is she?!" Queen mother Irene barked. Eunice and Brittany were her favorite, not that she doesn't love others but she cherished those two, even more than her sons and husband.

" They couldn't bring back…" King Aaron couldn't say it, his head drop in despair.

" What?" Irene trailed off, she held her chest and stumbled two steps back, her body swayed and she lost consciousness.