Astria slowly withdrew her fingers from the icy surface of the glass. As the contact broke, the screaming past and the reflection of the weeping girl with crimson eyes began to dissipate like a dissolving mist. The cracks within the mirror—which only Astria could perceive—mended themselves, and gradually, the formidable reflection of the present Queen emerged.
Now, only the woman whose might the entire empire feared stood there. Her blue tresses once again cascaded over her shoulders with regal brilliance, and the momentary moisture in her eyes had hardened back into an impenetrable, cold ocean. Astria stared directly into her own eyes for a second, as if ensuring that the fragile child within her was safely buried once more in the depths of that silvered glass.
She averted her gaze from the mirror and focused toward the other side of the chamber. On the ivory table positioned right beside her bed sat a black and gold carved bell. Without uttering a word, Astria pressed the button of the bell with the tips of her long fingers.
No sound rang within the room, yet a subtle signal had reached the silence of the corridor outside.
Only a few moments passed before the heavy doors of the chamber opened soundlessly. The head handmaid, who had been stationed outside, entered with measured and silent steps. She stopped at the precise distance that ensured the Queen's privacy remained uninvaded.
The maid bowed her waist in a perfect arc, lowering her head with profound reverence.
"Your commands, Your Majesty?" the handmaid's voice was barely louder than a whisper, dissolving into the somber and chilled atmosphere of the room.
Astria still stood with her back to the mirror, her white gown spreading across the floor like a sheet of moonlight. Her silence was no less heavy than a command to the waiting servant.
Astria tilted her neck slightly toward the handmaid, the blue depths of her eyes now holding only the cold glint of a command. "Clear everything that is here," she said in a brief tone that drifted through the chamber like a chilled breeze. "I will not tolerate even the slightest disorder."
The handmaid bowed her head once more in respect, her face steady with a look of devotion. "Yes, Your Majesty. As you wish," she replied in a low, measured voice.
The hem of Astria's heavy white gown rustled against the floor as she moved. With deliberate steps, she passed through the ornate, heavy doors of the chamber and emerged into the open silence of the corridor. Her departure was so regal and quiet that even after she had gone, her presence seemed to linger in the air of the room.
Inside the chamber, the maid began her task with agility and precision. She approached the silver trolley that rested on carved wheels. She began to carefully pick up the tea kettle, the half-empty cups, and the dishes containing the remnants of the royal breakfast. The faint clinking of glass and porcelain against each other broke the silence of the large room from time to time.
The maid arranged every cup and plate with great neatness on the top surface of the trolley. She ensured that nothing shifted out of place. Once the table was completely cleared and that corner of the room had returned to its former order, she gripped the handle of the trolley firmly with both palms.
She began to push it slowly toward the door.
As the small wheels of the trolley left the velvet carpet and hit the stone floor, a muffled echo was produced. Upon reaching outside the door, she glanced back into the room one last time to ensure nothing remained against the Queen's wishes. Finally, she pulled the heavy door shut with one hand.
She was now in the corridor, where the light of the 'Ether Sapphires' illuminated her path. The maid began pushing the loaded trolley forward again. The continuous rolling sound of the wheels bounced off the corridor walls and could be heard from a distance, as if it were carrying away the remnants of the Queen's past moments and her secrets.
Astria moved through those grand corridors where ancient paintings and heavy silk drapes seemed to keep pace with her regal gait. She passed through the gallery, from where the entire palace's splendor was visible, and finally reached the top of the sweeping staircases. Her white gown descended over the marble steps like a flowing waterfall.
As she descended, her cold blue gaze settled in the center of the Main Hall. There, on the velvet sofa, Len and Eric sat close to each other.
The thud of her footsteps and the heavy aura emanating from her presence alerted them both. Len and Eric simultaneously turned their heads toward the direction where that majestic figure, draped in white, was advancing toward them.
Astria came to a halt directly before them without hesitation. Her presence made the hall's air feel even more chilled. She fixed her gaze on Len, who was now looking directly at her with his golden eyes.
"Have you not touched food yet?" Astria's voice was calm, but it held a distinct authority. "You arrived here quite some time ago."
Len locked his eyes with hers, that same carefree spark still lingering within them. "I haven't eaten anything yet," he replied simply.
Astria offered no reaction to this. She merely lowered her eyelids and turned her face away. Without a single word or farewell, she headed toward the massive royal doors that led to the palace's outer gardens. Her pace was so measured that within moments, she vanished beyond those doors.
Len grew restless watching her leave. The curiosity within him was nudging him to follow her. He had just risen from the sofa and taken his first step forward when a cold, firm grip suddenly halted his wrist.
Eric had stood up abruptly. He held Len's hand, a silent warning in his eyes. "Stay," Eric said firmly. "Besides, the food has arrived. Satiate your hunger first, then go wherever you wish."
Len's gaze shifted to the other end of the corridor. Two handmaids were gracefully pushing the silver trolley toward them. Along with the muffled sound of the trolley's wheels, the aroma of fresh delicacies had begun to fill the hall. Len looked at the closed royal door and then at the approaching trolley; his dilemma now hung between his appetite and his curiosity.