She stood. One-by-one the wires plugged into the chamber that housed Zoe’s healing body were pulled out, machines beeping incessantly at every absent power supply. As the last wire was pulled the beeping stopped and was replaced by the sound of a flatline.
“It’s really too bad you went to all the trouble to get here only to die.”
Chapter 24: The Family Reunion
Evan sat alone in the common room if his residence, deep in thought. Just outside the doors the Throne Room was filling with Residents from Royal City and beyond, each invited guests of the Crown to witness a historical occasion. The Queen would be addressing her people, putting to rest the gossip and giving an official account of the latest goings-on of the Crown. There hadn’t been such royal fanfare since Kyra’s coronation and wedding ceremonies, and the announcement of her betrothal prior. These occasions didn’t come around often, and when they did they were big.
At the end of the day he would be in a different residence, with a different life all together.
A loud knock at the entryway startled him from his thoughts. Without hesitation the doors opened and a line of Crown Soldiers proceeded into the room. They were each in dress uniforms, with Hector and Alcander bringing up the rear of the formation.
It may have been his imagination, but he thought he saw them each bow their heads before him.
“Her Highness is waiting for you in the Royal Residence. We will escort you to her now.”
He did as instructed, not taking a second look around at the place he had called home for most of his life. In the Throne Room a great partition had been built to create a barrier between the entrances to the residences and the throne itself. He couldn’t see over the wall but he could hear the sound of dozens of Residents talking excitedly amongst themselves, all likely wondering what was happening on his side of the barrier and behind closed doors.
The walk was short and soon he was in the royal residence. The Queen’s ladies were in their usual purple gowns with their hair piled high above their heads, running about making sure the Queen had everything she wanted. As he was escorted through the room many of the ladies side-eyed him, knowing smiles on their faces as they passed by him. When they reached the doors of the Queen’s private residence the Soldiers stopped, forming two parallel lines on either side of the entrance. Hector and Alcander each took a door and opened them wide, waiting to close the door behind him.
The Queen’s private room was much quieter than the one that preceded it. There were no Crown Soldiers or any of the Queen’s ladies. The Queen herself was nowhere to be seen. He didn’t know what to do with himself.
“Evan, is that you?” she called from an adjoining room. He knew the layout well enough to realize she was in the powder room, likely dressing and putting on the finishing touches before addressing the Residents.
“Yes,” he called back.
She emerged from the corner, a brilliant sight in a floor length gown in a shade of green that reminded him surprisingly of Gaia. The dress sparkled under the lights and her smile radiated beautifully, lighting her face considerably. For a moment he was completely lost in the sight of her, forgetting why he was there to begin with and remembering the Kyra he had come to love in his own way. In that moment she wasn’t the Queen, but the woman he had shared an intimacy with.
“I’ll take the look on your face as a compliment,” she laughed. “Here, help me with this.” She handed him a rectangular black box that was much heavier than it looked. She opened the lid and smiled as she looked down into its contents. He peered over the lid and into the box and saw two golden crowns, one for the Queen, and one that belonged to the King. She picked up the first and held it up to him. “Would you do me the honor?”
Evan set the box down on the bed with great care before taking the delicate golden tiara from her hands. She turned so her back was to him. Her hair was gently pulled back to the crown of her head, elongating the form of her neck down into the bodice of the gown. He lifted the crown up above her head and placed it back down gently so that it rested on her head, the gold contrasting against the deep brown of her hair.
She turned around and smiled at him. “What do you think?” she asked. She had never looked more beautiful.
“Her Highness is always beautiful,” he said before dipping his head forward in a bow.
“That won’t be necessary,” she said. She took his hand and led him to the bed, taking a seat beside him. They had spent so much time there before in the privacy of her residence, especially in the bed. It was difficult not to think of their shared times together when she looked as beautiful as she did in that green dress.