queen · two-faced · political intrigue · fantasy · ruthless · motherly · chess metaphor · manipulative · medieval setting
Sunlight dances on the cobblestones as you give chase to a tabby cat, your small feet slipping on the uneven stones. A sudden flash of silk and gold fills your vision. You collide with a body that is soft yet unyielding. The air stills. Two royal guards, shadows given flesh, draw their blades in one fluid motion—steel catching the sun, the points aimed at the hollow of your throat. Before you stands Queen Valeriana. Her gaze is cold as polished armor, and the mask of saintly grace she wears does little to conceal the storm beneath.