East Kingdom
— You're all useless! — Freya shouted — Can't even find that damn mirror, are you good for absolutely nothing?
All the soldiers shrank back at the queen's furious tone Megan who stood ahead of everyone as the general trembled afraid of what the queen might do to them in her rage She figured in a way Freya was right to be angry after all they'd been searching for that damn mirror for months with nothing to show for it but on the other hand the object was nearly impossible to track down Freya didn't seem to care about that last part though
— Your Majesty... — Megan tried to speak up
— I want that mirror general — she cut her off her low threatening voice making Megan drop her gaze to the floor — With that mirror I'll be unstoppable my power limitless So do yourself a favor and find it — Freya said
— We've already searched over half the kingdoms Majesty it's cost us many soldiers who never made it back home If we keep this up we might be at a disadvantage and the kingdom... — Megan got cut off again
— This is my kingdom! — Freya yelled as an icy wind radiated from her body toward the soldiers intimidating them even more — I'm the one who decides what's best for it understood? — she pressed stepping closer to the general
Megan backed away and nodded frantically definitely regretting what she'd said seconds ago The atmosphere in the strategy room was tense and heavy Freya stared Megan down with a threatening expression everyone there feared any move the queen might make she intimidated them made them tremble Well almost everyone
In the middle of all that heaviness inside the room the sound of the large double doors echoed throughout the space all eyes turned to the entrance and soon the presence of a timid Camilly was noticed She stood at the doorway her bottom lip caught between her teeth and a guilty look on her face which was slightly flushed When she'd opened the doors like that she never imagined anyone else would be there besides Freya let alone the entire main army battalion
Megan rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the queen frowning confused when she saw Freya's expression which moments ago had been intimidating now looked light and even a little amused as she stared at the girl at the doorway What was that the general wondered
— Um... — the girl cleared her throat — Sorry I didn't know so many people were here — Camilly felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment
— You can come in little lioness — Freya said more calmly and some might even dare say affectionately
No one there was surprised hearing the nickname Freya used Camilly was known across all kingdoms as the red lioness everyone except Freya called her that The queen called her little lioness a nickname that was strictly exclusive meaning only Freya could use it with Camilly No one ever dared question that unspoken rule
Camilly walked slow and timid steps weaving through the soldiers some even waved and smiled at her she was liked by many in the kingdom but only by those who let themselves know her beyond the rumors and stories full of untruths Camilly positioned herself beside the queen and gave her a bright smile Freya couldn't help herself which was rare and returned a subtle smile meant only for her to notice
— As I was saying — Freya resumed her posture continuing her session of insults toward her soldiers
Camilly sighed realizing this would take a while at least until Freya let out all her anger and frustration The girl turned around to where the table stood with a miniature replica of the whole kingdom and began analyzing the strategy they were using to find that so-called mirror Camilly had no interest in the object to her anything carrying as much power as Freya claimed couldn't possibly bring good things She believed power and the pursuit of it made people lose their way and even lose themselves
— This is pointless
The words slipped out before Camilly even realized it She was analyzing the army's current search strategy for the mirror which in her opinion wasn't productive at all
— What did you say? — Freya asked
The queen frowned slightly irritated thinking the girl's comment was about her scolding the soldiers Camilly looked at Freya embarrassed she hadn't even noticed she'd thought out loud Camilly considered whether or not to share her opinion then quickly decided there'd be no harm in saying what she thought
— The current search strategy — she explained — I don't think it's very effective — Camilly said carefully She didn't want to stir up trouble for herself right now
Megan was furious hearing Camilly doubt her methods but before she could speak up and tell the girl to stay out of things she wasn't called for Freya spoke
— And why do you think that little lioness?
Freya raised an eyebrow curious She was interested in seeing the strategic side of her most intriguing soldier
— Well how can I explain this? — Camilly started hesitantly — You're covering massive areas all at once which really increases the chances of missing something When you take on huge territories you might overlook details so I think it'd be more effective to split the army into small groups ones that wouldn't draw as much attention as a whole battalion and assign each group to cover a limited smaller area That would help with both missing things and unnecessary casualties — she paused briefly her mind working intensely — The casualties happened because you're using an entire army just for a search mission anyone spotting our forces from afar would automatically see them as a threat Plus that would tip off other kingdoms about what we're doing That's why I always say — Camilly gave a half smile and glanced at Freya for a second — Anything done in secret is always better
To her relief Freya was the only one who caught the hidden meaning in her words
— Good work girl — Freya seemed for the first time genuinely impressed — As for you lot follow everything Camilly said I want that mirror found and the little lioness's idea sounds like the most useful one yet — the queen ordered the soldiers who agreed without hesitation
Camilly smiled embarrassed she hadn't thought her tactic would be approved The girl knew she had talent on the battlefield but had no idea she understood anything about strategy she'd just said what seemed logical in her view
— Now everyone out — Freya said a bit louder
The soldiers startled and quickly left the room leaving it filled only by Camilly and Freya's presence The girl hadn't even moved at Freya's shout she knew she wasn't included in that order to leave so she stayed there beside the queen When everyone had left Camilly felt happy thinking she'd have a few moments alone with Her Majesty but her happiness quickly turned to frustration when she saw Freya turn to the table and begin analyzing it ignoring her presence
— I'm still here you know?
Camilly rolled her eyes positioning herself next to Freya also facing the table
— I know — Freya replied simply She didn't look at Camilly inwardly amused imagining the frustrated expression the girl was making
— And you're still going to ignore me anyway? — Camilly asked indignantly Her youthful heart frustrated and jealous of the attention Freya was giving that miniature instead of her
Freya said nothing just nodded her head still not looking at her The queen was close to the table both arms stretched out supporting herself there Camilly stared at her an idea forming in her restless mind she moved even closer to the queen and in a quick motion slipped between her and the table ending up trapped between Freya's arms They were face to face Camilly caught in the snare she'd set for herself
— Still going to ignore me now?
Camilly whispered her face very close to hers a mischievous smile playing on her lips making them more inviting and beautiful At least to Freya who could feel the air around them shift growing heavier almost tangible Freya didn't surrender and kept looking at the miniature behind Camilly pretending the girl wasn't there at that moment trapped between her arms
— Fine — Camilly slid both hands from Freya's shoulders up to her neck one hand stopping at the queen's nape while the other kept going up to the start of her whitish hair She rose onto her tiptoes and dragged the tip of her nose along the side of her pale neck — You smell so good — she whispered before pressing a kiss to the queen's neck Seeing Freya still keeping control she continued trailing kisses up the neck and along Freya's jaw — Your smell isn't the only good thing about you — Camilly teased her mouth close to the queen's ear
At that moment Freya gave up on maintaining her composure she grabbed the girl's waist and lifted her onto the table Once Camilly was seated Freya removed her hands from her body and lost her own fingers in the girl's wavy brown hair her other arm circling Camilly's waist pulling her closer There they stayed Camilly seated on the table both arms braced on the surface and Freya between her legs nearly pinning her there holding her by the waist and hair
— You like playing with danger don't you? — the queen asked gently tugging the girl's hair
— No — Camilly curved the corner of her lips smiling — I like playing with you
Freya let go of her waist and brought her hand to the hem of her shirt lifting it until a good portion of Camilly's skin was exposed The queen dragged her index fingertip along the girl's entire side leaving a faint trail of snow across her bronzed skin like the trace of a pencil on paper almost as if she were signing her name there Camilly closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip feeling her whole body shiver Freya's powers could be many things at once and right then they were something that only excited her more
— No — Freya said watching Camilly's satisfied expression and smiling faintly — You like it when I play with you
Camilly opened her eyes at the queen's words she couldn't stand looking at that sly confident smile on Freya's face another second Camilly brought her hands to the queen's face and pulled her into a kiss the kiss hot and wanton their tongues dancing in perfect sync she felt Freya release her hair and slip both hands under her shirt the contact of the queen's cool skin against hers which was warmer than ever made the girl shiver again Freya smiled into the kiss feeling the goosebumps under her fingers she pressed them harder against the girl's body squeezing and scratching Camilly's back The more the queen touched her the more her body responded
When they broke the kiss Freya quickly removed Camilly's shirt the queen's lips took over distributing kisses and bites along the younger girl's neck Camilly sighing in pleasure lost her fingers in the soft hair of the ice woman When Freya was satisfied with her work on Camilly's neck she pulled back just a few inches to get a better view of the girl now half-naked from the waist up
— Looks like you're at a disadvantage — and there it was that devastating smile playing on Freya's perfect lips
Camilly returned the smile and shrugged before wrapping her arms around Freya's neck
— I'll give you the advantage today but only because it'd be too complicated to put this dress back on when we're done And I don't want anyone else seeing Your Majesty without clothes — said Camilly making no effort to hide her jealousy
Freya smiled and arched one eyebrow she held Camilly's chin and lifted it
— So you're telling me you'll be at my mercy today little lioness? — she asked bringing their faces closer
Camilly let herself be hypnotized by those beautiful blue eyes the girl couldn't put into words just how deeply she was in love with those eyes Or how much she loved their owner
— I'm always at your mercy Freya
Freya smiled hearing that confession she liked the girl's loyalty to her but above all she felt almost dependent on that warm passionate look in Camilly's eyes The queen didn't know if she could ever get used to living without Camilly's love again it was a love so pure and unconditional that even if just for a few minutes it made Freya feel alive inside
The queen said nothing else just captured the girl's lips again Without wasting time Freya let her hand slide inside Camilly's pants and underwear reaching her most intimate place The girl sighed into the kiss feeling Freya's icy hand touch such a familiar part of her body The queen started with light caresses that made Camilly tremble the girl clung to her even harder her nails scratching Freya's nape trying to release some of the pleasure and intensity she felt It wasn't long before they couldn't maintain the kiss because of the moans that kept escaping Camilly's lips Freya's fingers entered her pressing inside and drawing a louder moan from her parted lips
— Oh heavens — Camilly whispered squeezing her eyes shut as she felt her climax approaching with each of Freya's thrusts bringing her closer to the edge
— Come on little lioness — she kept the quick precise movements of her fingers inside Camilly — Roar for me — Freya said a mix of command and plea
Feeling the queen intensify her movements Camilly gave her what she wanted and moaned loudly as she reached an overwhelming climax her whole body trembling in Freya's arms Her moan was so intense it truly sounded like a roar Freya adored her little lioness's roars especially knowing that Camilly and her roars belonged only to her and no one else
— Good girl — Freya murmured kissing her again
Camilly hugged her resting her chin on the queen's shoulder Freya could feel the girl's chest rising and falling as her uneven breathing struggled to calm down The room fell silent even though both women's minds were loud each dealing with their own thoughts their own feelings Both knew there were many things left unsaid but neither dared to speak still trapped in their own insecurities When Camilly had composed herself Freya helped her get dressed
The queen asked Camilly to explain her search plan in more detail but this time just for her The girl agreed and soon began outlining the changes and how they'd be useful in the search Shortly after Camilly decided to ask something that had been wandering through her mind ever since she learned of the queen's quest for the mirror
— Why are you so focused on finding this magic mirror Queen?
Camilly stared at her without hesitation her brown eyes trying to catch every expression on the queen's face
— It will bring me great power and that will help me protect my kingdom — Freya answered bluntly She knew Camilly well enough to know where this conversation was heading
— Power is nothing but an excuse people use to act like animals — Camilly said
— Power is what everyone seeks Camilly in one way or another
Freya stared back at her their eyes locking in yet another of those endless battles
— I'm not seeking any power — Camilly stated an irritated expression on her face She hated the bloody wars that the pursuit of power caused
— You may not be seeking the same kind of power I am — Freya faced Camilly directly her expression serious — But you are seeking the power to save me from the darkness you just can't see it Your hatred for the things I value only shows you're trying to ignore the fact that I'm not the person you invented That irritates me — Freya countered furiously
— What irritates you is not wanting to believe I can love you even after seeing your dark side — Camilly replied
— You haven't seen my dark side yet Camilly — Freya stepped dangerously close to her
Camilly didn't back down or feel intimidated she held Freya's gaze fearlessly
— The mark on my shoulder proves otherwise
— What I did to you that day isn't even half of how bad I can be — Freya said almost darkly
— That doesn't mean anything everyone can be cruel The fact that you still haven't shown all the darkness inside you only proves I'm right — Camilly argued unwavering
Freya clenched her jaw irritated and frustrated that Camilly wouldn't believe her words In her view the girl had no awareness of the size of the darkness within her or how cruel Freya had been and still was The queen grabbed Camilly's wrist and dragged her to the room's enormous window which gave them a clear view of all the kingdoms even from a great distance Freya positioned herself behind Camilly keeping her still pressing her fingers firmly into her shoulders
— Look at all these kingdoms look especially at all the destroyed ones — Freya was angry her blood boiling at that girl's stubborn refusal to believe she wasn't a good person — I've passed through every single one at least once I left a trail of fear and pain in all of them destroyed and killed without a second thought I brought suffering to each one of those people — the queen felt that all too familiar suffocating sensation in her chest a pain spreading through her entire body It made her want to disappear — I'm a monster
— That's your problem — Camilly said drawing Freya's attention again
The girl freed herself from Freya's grip and turned around facing her Camilly's expression was serious the queen had never seen her like this before Freya felt her darkness writhe retreating inside her chest fleeing from the burning flame in Camilly's brown eyes
— Your problem is thinking I have no idea about the things you've done but you're wrong Freya I know every single one — the queen stared at her uncomprehending — I researched and looked into everything you've done Majesty every death theft kidnapping or anything bad you've ever done since becoming queen I just don't know about your past before that because I want you to be the one to tell me when you're ready — Camilly stepped closer and held one of Freya's hands — I'm in love with you But not because I'm unaware of the bad things you've done or who you are but because I know you're not a bad person you're someone who's done bad things and regrets them I see the pain in your eyes Freya you feel remorse for every bad thing you've ever done and that's what makes you someone who's suffered and done bad things but not a monster never a monster — Camilly said
— How can you know that? — Freya's voice came out weak
She didn't know how to act around Camilly anymore she'd used every weapon to make the girl open her eyes and see that she wasn't someone worth saving
— I've known bad people People who've done cruel things and don't regret them one bit — visible pain took over the girl's features — I was the princess of the kingdom that was annihilated my parents were the king and queen of the South We were a happy kingdom our subjects truly loved us Despite being royalty my parents made sure I had a real childhood let me play and cause mischief throughout the kingdom with my best friend Emma from the allied kingdom and some other friends Everything seemed perfect everything was perfect — Camilly's eyes welled up she was no longer looking at the queen her gaze unfocused as if reliving those memories — Overnight everything seemed to fall apart the kingdom was invaded and I watched them destroy it little by little while my parents ran through the castle searching for a solution They even asked our allied kingdom for reinforcements but it was already too late seconds after my father sent the plea for help the castle was invaded They came like a hurricane of destruction I remember crawling to the corner of the grand royal hall hugging my knees and feeling my body tremble with fear as I cried I stayed frozen for minutes watching them kill my parents and everyone in the castle — at that moment tears were already streaming down Camilly's face without her noticing — Throughout the entire massacre the soldiers didn't even try to touch me That's when she arrived that woman I'll never forget for as long as I live she walked in smiling at the hall painted red with the blood of the people I loved It was as if she was viewing the most beautiful work of art she looked around the entire place as if searching for something then when she looked in my direction I realized that what she was looking for was me — Camilly paused and sighed heavily almost as if a heavy stone was pressing on her chest — She came up to me asked if I was afraid and said it was normal to be scared in that situation then she smiled even wider and asked if I was angry I remember picking up a shard of glass that was on the floor beside me and trying to hit her in that moment I didn't care about anything else it was the first time I felt dead inside — Camilly seemed to be reliving every feeling from that tragic day
Freya stared at her listening carefully to every word Camilly said she could feel her pain as if it were her own The queen also felt anger at what they'd done to her little lioness that girl had already suffered so much
— Obviously she stopped me easily and took the glass from my hands she smiled during every second of that nightmare she smiled Said I hadn't disappointed her and that she was pleased with that She held me and said she'd give me a gift — Camilly pulled down the collar of her shirt showing her peculiar lion-shaped mark — That's when I got this I don't remember how she made it I don't even remember seeing any object in her hands all I remember is feeling my skin burn and this mark appearing After that she released me and told me to run run as far as I could told me to grow up and become stronger so I could come after her again And that's what I did I ran as fast as I could and got lost in the forests where I spent over a year until you found me — it was only then that Camilly looked at Freya and there it was again that unconditional love — The people who destroyed my life that woman the blood lady loved every second of that massacre she didn't regret for a moment what she did she even took pleasure in doing each one of those things She is a bad person — the girl said before holding Freya's face between her hands — You're not like her you regret the things you've done you feel pain for causing so much harm There's still light in you and nothing you say or show me will ever make me stop believing you're someone worth fighting for — she looked deep into the blue eyes — I will save you Freya because you're what makes me feel alive and I don't believe that will ever change — Camilly said opening a small smile
Freya didn't wait another second to pull the girl into an embrace Camilly froze caught off guard she hadn't expected something like this it was a surprise A good surprise
— I'm here my little lioness and I won't let anyone hurt you again — Freya promised her fingers running through the girl's wavy brown hair
Camilly felt her heart warm and surrendered to the queen's embrace she let herself for the first time in years lower her guard For her and only her just Freya But there was something Camilly didn't know hidden there in the unspoken words She too was what made Freya feel alive
The sharp sound of the door bursting open made them pull apart before either could say anything the following words were blurted out by the breathless soldier staring at them excitedly
— The Mirror has been located we found it!