The Hollow's obsidian throne room stood silent, save for the ever-burning flames that lined its walls, casting a dim, flickering glow across the room. The air, thick with the scent of sulfur and ash, seemed to pulse with an energy of its own, as if the very walls of the Hollow were alive, watching, listening. Vex stood at the center of the room, her posture regal, her expression unreadable. Every inch of her was an embodiment of the power she had claimed, the power that now reverberated through the kingdom.
She had waited for this moment.
The emissary had arrived under the guise of peace, but everyone knew what this meeting truly was. A last attempt to placate her wrath, to reverse the consequences of a betrayal that had cost her everything. The king and his court, in their desperation, sent their best to attempt negotiations—yet they were about to learn that some deals were not meant to be made.
The emissary, flanked by Duke Malric, Vex's stepfather, and her half-brother, approached with careful, calculated steps. They were not the leaders of the kingdom who had betrayed her—they were pawns, mere tools of a larger scheme. Still, their presence was a subtle reminder of what had been lost, what could never be undone.
"You come bearing words of peace," Vex said, her voice cool and measured, the words hanging in the air like a challenge. "But where were these words when Vaeloria was dragged to the pyre? Where was the peace then?"
Duke Malric stepped forward, his once confident posture now marred by guilt and fear. His eyes, darkened by years of scheming and deceit, flickered with something approaching remorse. "We were misled, Vex," he said, his voice laced with hesitation. "The court believed you was a threat, that your vision for the kingdom was dangerous. They… they believed you was a rebel that killed your mother."
"Believed?" Vex's voice cut through the air, sharp as a blade. "You didn't believe anything. You feared what she represented—a future where you weren't in control, where the people no longer bowed to the old ways. You didn't fear rebellion—you feared change. So you plotted mother's death , There's no mercy now "
Her half-brother shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting between Vex and the floor. He had always been a shadow, a pale imitation of his father. Weak, afraid, and easily swayed. He had never truly stood by her, had never defended the woman who had loved him like a sibling. Now, he was as much a victim of the kingdom's treachery as Vex was, though he would never admit it aloud.
"You still don't understand, do you?" Vex continued, her eyes locking onto the emissary's. "The death of Vaeloria wasn't an accident. The death of mother was a crime. It was a message, a warning. One I now carry with me, in every ember of flame and every shadow that creeps across this kingdom."
The emissary, his face pale with the weight of her words, tried to regain his composure. "We didn't know—none of us knew you would rise like this."
Vex's lips curled into a slight, knowing smile. "Of course you didn't know. You never thought to consider the consequences of your actions, the true cost of your betrayal. And now you come, pleading for mercy, but mercy was never yours to give."
She turned away, her heels clicking sharply on the black stone floor as she strode toward her throne. Each step resonated with authority, power, and the undeniable truth of her transformation. Once, she had been Vaeloria, a woman whose intelligence and ambition had been feared. But now, she was something more—something darker, more dangerous, and more determined than ever to take back what was hers.
Her eyes, burning like the fires of the Hollow, fixed on the emissary. "I do not negotiate with those who have already made their choices. Your king, your court, and all of you are the architects of this ruin. Now you come with empty words, hoping for salvation."
The emissary hesitated, his hands trembling slightly. "Then what do you want from us?" he asked, his voice small and filled with the bitter realization that peace was a distant dream.
Vex stood tall, her gaze unwavering. "I want you to return to your king and tell him this: There is no negotiation. There is no mercy. You will take what I give you, no more, no less. And when you return to your people, tell them that their fate has already been sealed."
She turned her gaze toward the emissary's companions. Duke Malric, her stepfather, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes dark with regret. He had once been the man who had raised her, a man who had promised to protect her. Now, he was a broken figure, unable to redeem himself, only left to watch the consequences of his choices unfold.
"You were supposed to be a father to me," Vex said quietly, her voice cold. "But you betrayed me, and now you will watch as your kingdom falls apart under the weight of its own lies."
The duke swallowed hard, his throat tight with emotion, but he did not speak. He couldn't. He had already given up his right to speak for the kingdom when he condemned Vaeloria to death.
Vex's gaze shifted to her half-brother. He met her eyes, and for a moment, there was a flicker of something resembling remorse in his expression. But it was gone almost as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by the same fear that had governed him his entire life.
"You," she said, her voice low and deliberate, "you never had the strength to stand by me. You were never meant for the crown, and now you will never have it. Let your father keep his throne. It's a throne built on lies, and it will crumble in the end."
Her half-brother said nothing. He didn't have to. His silence spoke volumes.
Rhydir, ever vigilant, stood by Vex's side. His eyes, as silver as the moonlight that poured through the windows of the Hollow, flickered with amusement and something darker. "Do you think they understand?" he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
Vex turned to him, her lips curving into a half-smile. "They will understand when the ashes settle and they see what could have been."
The emissary, sensing the futility of his mission, bowed deeply. "Your Majesty, we will take your words to the king."
"Good," Vex replied. "And tell him this as well: I am not a queen who will be swayed by empty promises. I am the queen of the Hollow, the queen of vengeance. And if he wishes to keep his throne, he will pay the price for the sins of his court."
The emissary, defeated, turned and signaled for his companions to follow. They left the throne room in silence, their departure like the final toll of a bell, signaling the end of an era.
As the doors of the throne room closed behind them, Vex allowed herself a moment of stillness. The flames in the hearth crackled and danced, a fitting reflection of the fire burning within her. It was a fire that would not be extinguished. Not by her stepfather's regrets, not by the king's attempts at diplomacy, and certainly not by the empty words of an emissary who had no power to offer her.
She turned to Rhydir, who had been watching her with an expression of admiration and something deeper. He stepped toward her, a glint of mischief in his eyes.
"Well, that was an entertaining performance," he said, his voice teasing, yet laced with something more. "Do you think they'll listen?"
Vex's lips curved into a smile, her eyes flickering with an inner fire. "They'll listen, but they won't understand. Not until it's too late."
Rhydir chuckled, stepping closer. "And what do we do now?"
Vex's smile widened. "Now, we wait. And when the time comes, we show them what happens when you kill a queen before she's crowned."