Chapter 63 A Queen Among Tides: Chapter Sixty-Three - Lemuel

Chapter 63 A Queen Among Tides: Chapter Sixty-Three - Lemuel
I’ve been waiting weeks for this day to finally arrive. From the moment I met Circe, I wanted to slap the mouth right from her face. Back then I never imagined we’d be here – I never imagined anything until I met Sebastian. I certainly never imagined some deranged woman would try to tear us apart, and I never imagined we’d be getting ready for her execution, but I can say with complete honesty that I couldn’t be happier. A life sentence is too good for her, and I hate the thought of her still living in the kingdom, even if it is as a prisoner, so the sooner she’s gone, the sooner I can rest easy.

Sebastian walks over and buttons up my shirt leaving the first few buttons undone while I pull on my jacket. He places a gentle kiss on my sternum, and I lean forward pecking his nose.

“Even though I know how you’re feeling, I’m still going to ask anyway,” I say, placing my hands on his hips.

“I just want this over with so we can leave this mess in the past and move on with our lives,” he sighs, laying his head on my chest.

I wrap my arms around him and hold him close as I stroke his hair, “I wasn’t expecting such a mature answer, to be honest.”

“I don’t have the strength to make jokes about the bitch who tried to tear us apart. I just want her dead and gone.”

“Then let’s go and get this done, hmm?” I say, lifting his chin so I can look into his eyes.

He nods, “Just let me fix my hair,” he says, walking over to the full-length mirror and examining his reflection. “Can you grab my comb please?”

I walk over to the desk he’s using as a temporary vanity in our semi-finished bedroom and collect his seashell comb, and for the first time notice a peculiar block of stone resting on top of some office papers. It looks old and I can’t tell what kind of stone it is, but it appears to have some kind of glyphs on it. It immediately reminds me of the Rosetta Stone, but we all know it’s not that.

“What’s this?” I ask, gesturing to the large stone.

“What’s what?” He asks as he looks over at what I’m pointing to, “Oh, that. It’s just a paperweight of mine. I’ve had it for ages,” he says casually.

“Bit big for a paperweight don’t you think?” I ask, walking over and handing him his comb.

He meticulously runs his comb through his hair and makes sure each strand is in its designated position. I think my perfectionism is starting to rub off on him.

“Is there size criteria for paperweights?” He asks in amusement.

“What do the symbols mean?”

“What symbols?” He asks in confusion.

I sigh at how someone so smart can also be so dense. “The glyphs on the stone, they look very specific.”

He shrugs, “Just looks like scribble to me.” He tosses his comb on the bed and holds out his hand to me, “Now we can leave.”

I place my hand in his and watch that familiar ring of cobalt blue glow around his eyes.

“I hate this part,” I groan as I am once again overcome with that ghastly churning sensation as we become water.

I thought by now I’d get used to water teleportation, but I think as long as I’m a visum, it will continue to be the newest bane of my existence. Perhaps I can request Sebastian make a wish, so I stop feeling like I’ve been put through the rinse cycle in the washing machine. Need to remind this man that I am dry clean only.

In only seconds we appear on a familiar large stone peer right on the water’s edge, the waves of the ocean crashing against the edges and spritzing the crowd, including Haemon, Callista and Thanos, who have gathered to witness today’s execution. I recognise it as the same place we all gathered for Andromeda and Cole’s funerals. I never got to know Cole, but the brief time I spent with Andromeda I liked. I admired her. She just had something about her. I’m not sure whether it’s better or not that I never got to know her, or even know that she and Cole were soulmates. They could have become people I’d call friends, but I’ll never have that chance because Circe took it away.

I feel the tension begin to rise inside Sebastian, quickly followed by intense anger and disgust. I follow his eye line and look to see that up ahead, a large number of guards are walking towards us. A group of guards surround one man who looks as though he’s seen better days and is in some handcuffs. Behind that group are more groups surrounding four other men and two women, and as they reach us they line each of the people in cuffs along the water’s edge. At the end of the procession is none other than the bitch herself, though she’s barely recognisable. Her hair looks dark, greasy and matted with blood. Her face looks mangled, broken and bruised, possibly even infected.

As the guards line up each of the prisoners, and I look over at Sebastian in confusion. Two I am certain were the guards who held me prisoner, but who the hell are the others?

“More people who were working for Circe,” Sebastian says through the link, answering my unspoken question. “Eisa continued her investigations and found Circe had far more followers than we realised. People who not only willing conspired to help her take the throne but were vehemently against me.”

I look over at the line-up in disgust. It makes me wonder how many more are roaming around the kingdom just grateful they didn’t get caught. I suppose as long as they keep their shitty opinions to themselves, I have no quarry with them, but I’ll be keeping my guard up from here on out. I will not let someone harm Sebastian or destroy the beauty of this kingdom with their hatred.

Another figure of water appears revealing Eisa who stands to Sebastian’s left, while I stand on his right.

“Everything is in order,” says Eisa. Sebastian nods and steps forward as the crowd goes silent.

“You have been brought here today to receive your sentencing for crimes against the kingdom and the royal family. I’m going to keep this brief as I don’t wish to spend another minute looking at your despicable faces,” he says with disdain, his eyes narrowing on the two who held me captive. “You both trained to be guards for Atlesper and yet you both worked together to hold my animai captive with the intent to harm and kill. You swore an oath. You swore fealty to you’re the royal family.”

“I didn’t swear shit to a bunch of fags,” spits Zale. Yes, I recognise that level of contempt from it being directed at me.

“Well, doesn’t that just prove you to be an idiot,” I say nonchalantly.

“The fuck you say to me, queer?” He says angrily, still easily riled up. Rage swirls inside Sebastian and his eyes begin to glow, but he’s beaten to the punch.

“I broke your face once, I’ll do it again,” threatens Eisa, taking a step forward.

I step forward and place a calming hand on her shoulder. I give her a reassuring smile to let her know I’ve got this. She takes a breath and steps back.