The palace guards were running around like chickens with their heads cut off.
Melisa sat on a plush couch in one of the guest chambers, watching Aria pace back and forth. The queen had thrown on a silk robe and her white hair was still damp from the springs. Every few steps, she'd mutter something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like cursing. Very elegant cursing.
"Are you okay?" Melisa asked.
"Fine." Aria stopped pacing and looked at her. "Are you shocked they'd go this far? Trying to kill the Matriarch in her own palace?"
"Well... yeah, actually. It seems pretty fucking stupid."
Aria shook her head and sat down next to Melisa. Close enough that their thighs almost touched.
"It's not stupid. It's desperate." She ran a hand through her wet hair. "The Shadow Mages are dying, Melisa. We've rooted them out of Syux, killed or imprisoned most of their leadership. This?" She gestured vaguely at the chaos outside. "This is the last gasp of a dying beast."
