The Hunt

Chapter Six

“I am sorry, my Queen.”

 Hearing his voice filled with raw regret and pain, Angelique gave a cold curdling scream that echoed in the forest as the beast of a man ravished her like a dog in heat. 

The beautiful round moon above them was glowering over the scene: mocking her demise. Unbeknownst was a sneering woman, with eyes burning with anger, as she hid behind a tree a safe distance away with an empty vial in her hands. 

‘How disappointing this has resulted!’

Glowering in her mind, she turned and disappeared into a portal.

Materializing in an expensively large dining room in the Sprites Kingdom; the woman was shaking with fear. A man representing the Fae King and the Cold Sprites Queen were sitting at dinner, their voices velvet soft as they lowly conversed. The woman realized her presence would soon disturb the solitude, and so she quickly fell on her knees onto the hard marble floor in front of the table.

Turning her attention from the Representative, the Cold Sprites Queen slowly placed her goblet of wine on the surface of the table. 

In a cold and daunting voice, she questioned the shaking woman. 

“Is the Princess dead?”

Bowing in utter shame, the woman obediently answered with a steady voice but shaking hands. 

“No, she isn’t my Queen.”

Sitting poised and gazing down at the delicious food on her plate, the Cold Sprites Queen was absent-minded. Slowly nodding, she pursed her lips. 

“Then what happened?”

Gripping her hands into fists in her lap, the woman held her breath as she hurriedly explained. 

“I obeyed your instructions and led the Lycan King towards the location you requested, My Queen, but something went wrong when I gave him a dose of the Terse. His body rejected it, so I tripled it. I…he…”

Stuttering, for she could feel the rippling dissatisfied power from the Cold Sprites Queen; the woman cowered into herself. 

“SPIT IT OUT!”

Skittish and frightened by the Cold Sprites Queen shout; the woman rambled, her fingernails puncturing her already haggard palms. She winced when it broke.

“He attacked the Princess as instructed and nearly killed the unicorn, but something changed when he got incredibly close to the Princess. Instead of killing her, he violated her.”

“And what happened after?”

“I… I…”

Bowing her head lower into her chest, she gripped her tattered dress in her bloodied hands. 

"I...I...I did not stay to see the result, my Queen."

She quickly added her adamant plies. 

“I am truly sorry. I beg you. Please forgive my insolence.”

“WHAT AN UTTERLY USELESS AND FOOLISH WOMAN YOU ARE! DO YOU NOT REALIZE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?! TRIPLING THE DOSAGE OF TERSE ALL ON YOUR INSTRUCTION, YOU ARE INDEED AN INSOLENT WOMAN! I SHOULD KILL YOU HERE AND NOW!”

Barking, as she swiped everything off the table, the Cold Sprites Queen green eyes blazed with fury. The plates shattered into a million pieces onto the ground. The goblets creating a deafening sound, for she had angrily frozen it with ice. 

“Please, spare me, my Queen! I did not mean to cause this to happen! Have mercy on me!”

Stupendously begging, as she began to kowtow like a weakling on the ground, the woman was petrified.

“SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"

Snapping, the Cold Sprites Queen sent a harmless piece of peasant onto the woman's head. It was the only weapon that she had placed her hands upon, for she was far too angry to conjure ice shards.

An overwhelming silence soon fell over the room. The woman had remained frozen with the peasant now lying near her bent knee. 

Alas, her relief was over when the man patiently watching the commotion and taking in the news rose noisily from his chair. 

Gritting his teeth in his mouth while banging the table with a great bellow, he snapped. It rattled with his abominating rage.

“HOW DAFT!"

The scary looking man sidestepped the high table and walked towards the woman groveling on the floor. 

“Please have mercy, your grace. I was only doing my job.”

Shaking from his advancing loud footfalls, the woman was white as a sheet. 

“No need to dirty your hands on this useless peasant, Duke Carillon. I will deal with her."

Feeling relieved that the Queen had interjected, the woman remained immobile in her unpleasant position. 

Slowly, and with the help of one of the servants standing near the table, the Cold Spirtes Queen stood from her chair. 

Her blazing anger was out like a light switch, as an idea had formed in her head.

Elegantly, she walked towards the raging Duke. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

 “I will deal with her."

Duke Carillon's turned to face her, the rage still prevalent on his face. The woman scurried a great distance from them, for she feared the Cold Sprites Queen punishment. 

"How are you going to fix this mess?"

Smiling, as she slid her hands from his shoulder to rest on his chest, she seductively smiled.

“I will start by fetching the Princess."

Glowering, he pulled away from her seductive touch. 

“No that will not do. The Princess must be dead, not alive. It is the order of the Fae King himself.”

“Of course, I understand the King orders, my dear."

Murmuring, as she returned her hands to her side, the Cold Sprites Queen drew closer to his tall structure. 

"But this is good.” 

Raising an eyebrow, Duke Carillon was aghast. 

“Are you saying it was a good thing the Lycan King did not kill the Princess?”

“No, but we can use this alternative to our advantage.” 

Chirping, she swiftly turned towards the shivering woman. The Cold Sprites Queen glared in the petite woman's direction as she continued. 

“If the Princess dies, the Supremes will investigate. If this happens, our plans will be for naught. We will lose many in the process. So everything will have to change. I will bring the Princess here into the Sprites Kingdom.”

“You do realize the King will be angered, right?”

Scoffing, the Cold Sprites Queen was not bothered by Duke Carillon’s cold warning. 

Quickly turning back to face him while scandalously throwing herself into his large frame, the Cold Sprites Queen had no shame. In a somewhat sweetly pleading voice, she pursed her lips. 

“Then reason with him, dear.”

Placing a finger to glide against his chest, her tone of voice deepened. 

“If he wants things to go according to plan, he has to tolerate the Princess being alive for a few more days or months.” 

Grasping her hand that was irritatingly moving down his broad chest, Duke Carillon pushed her albeit gently away from his person. His eyebrows furrowed when she glued herself back into his reluctant embrace. He was incredibly confused by her rash decisions and words.  

“If what you say is true, I will persuade his thinking. Just be prepared for my death."

Smiling, the Cold Sprites Queen.

"Do not worry. Sacrifices make good results. Your death will not be in vain."

Ignoring her cynical words, Duke Carillon muttered. 

"Why bring the Princess here?”

Sighing, as she reluctantly pulled herself away from annoyed Duke Carillon, the Cold Sprites Queen fold her arms on top of her voluptuous chest. 

“I have a feeling that things will go more according to my plans than the Fae King.” 

“Why do you say that?”

Ignoring his question, she sagely continued. 

“I will also ensure the King and his building army will be in a disclosed area. The Unseen Queen Titania is also growing her army. Unbeknownst, she dispelled the shield the same time the Lycans--my strategists invaded through portals. Such a horrid woman."

Gasping, Duke Carillon sought her hands and pulling her into his embrace, he growled, his eyes burning with unaltered hatred. 

“What?! Queen Titania is alive?!”

He hated the idea that Queen Titania had the Fae Kingdom under her thumb. Barking, when she was not answering, he brought her closer to his person. His practically invading his face in hers.

“Well, answer me!”

Chuckling, as she found his irritation fascinating, the Cold Sprites Queen shook her head with eternal glee bursting in her heart. 

“Of course, she is dear. I know about this, for with the help of the Nymph Queen, I placed spies everywhere, including the Council, where those selfish Supremes are as clueless as buttons. The defeated and devastated Unseen Kingdom reigning Queen Titania has wanted revenge for a very long time. We unconsciously pulled her out of her hiding. It is fascinating if you have to think about it. The Fae King was a bit foolish for leaving his Kingdom unguarded and vulnerable. Now, we have to take it back from her clutches."

Curtly nodding, he slowly released her. With a light cough of embarrassment, he stepped away. He glanced at the shivering woman behind him.