Cleopatra and her court were guided into the banquet hall. She looked around and studied the scenery of the room. It was elegant and tasteful. She wondered if Corym actually spent any time in this room since it didn't seem to suit him. By the goddess! she thought, mentally reprimanding herself. Why are you so worried about Corym and where he spends his time? She tried to forget about him and moved to take a seat near the head of the table, as was customary for royal guests.
(Are there other monarchs here? Because I'm about to cause some fucking drama )
(Actually, I was originally thinking that the real reason why three invites were sent was because the invitation were sent to every kingdom. So go ahead and cause some drama!!! 😈)
Tetra was already in the banquet hall, talking cordially but casually with the guests. Her dress shimmering the royal sliver blue as she walked around as she made everyone feel comfortable. Between her and her brother, Tetra was the more personable, and fortunately not as standoffish. Though she knew Cor didn't mean to come off that way. He just had a lot on his mind.
“Oh, excuse me.” she smiled at the others she had been conversing with before giving the thrice-crowned Queen a wave and walked gracefully over to welcome the newest arrival. “You look beautiful tonight, your Majesty.” she greeted politely.
(Yessss, so is the room full? As in, is everyone who is going to be at the banquet at the banquet? And is Corym there?)
Cleopatra smiled kindly back at the Sarratinian princess. She had no qualms with Tetra and found the girl rather pleasant to be around. The powerful queen lifted her hand in a returning wave. "Thank you, Princess Tetra," Cleopatra replied, smiling kindly. "You look lovely as well. And the decorations are exquisite. That was your charge, correct? Or am I mistaken?"
(🤔 Yeah. Let's say that everyone who showed up to the festival is in the room already and Corym is on his way so… Maybe the next response or the one after 😉)
Tetra smiled both compliments and looked around at the room. “It was.” she smiled. “As I'm sure you can guess, many of them are traditional but I was able to make a few minor changes.” she added as if she was sharing a secret. Though she was quite proud of all her work.
(I'm waiting for Corym to come before doing the thing. He has to be here lmao)
Cleopatra smiled at Tetra's pride in her decorations. "Yes, they look positively marvelous, darling," she remarked, her eyes studying them. "I can only imagine the amount of effort you put into them to make them perfect."
The queen could feel the presence of her impatient court behind her, waiting for her to finish talking. Reluctantly, she wrapped up her conversation. She was sure that she would be able to speak with Tetra more as the festival progressed. "Would you mind showing us to our seats, love? My courtiers are anxiously awaiting your banquet."
(Alright then.)
Tetra blushed at the praise and nodded. “Preparing for this festival is always… particular. Especially with a brother like Cor.” she admitted with a soft giggle.
“Oh, of course.” the Princess nodded, gesturing toward the table before walking alongside Cleopatra to show where everyone was sitting.
Corym let out a deep breath before walking into the room with a confident air. He spared a polite glance at all the guests and headed directly toward his seat at the head of the table.
(Hehehe let the drama commence)
Cleopatra glanced over at Tetra, intrigued by her comment. "What do you mean?" she asked, looking up to see Corym walk into the room and start towards the head of the table. Speak of the devil.
But before the foreign princess could answer or Cleopatra could say anything foolish to damn herself, someone else did it for her. There was a brief scuffle behind the queen before a pair of hands reached for her and shoved her to the ground. She was completely caught off guard and cried out in surprise as she tried to brace her fall.
"WHORE!"
Cleopatra whirled her head around to see a blonde-haired, brown-eyed man standing above her. His glare was practically murderous. Lord Drâcoś. And before either she could do anything or any of her guards could reach for him, Drâcoś reached down and grabbed her by the hair to lift her back to her feet. Cleopatra gasped in pain, but the sound was suddenly cut off as Drâcoś's forearm wrapped around her throat to pin her in a chokehold against his chest.
"You slept with my wife, didn't you?" he snarled into her ear.
Cleopatra grasped at his strong arm, trying to free herself. Fuck! In response, he only tightened his grip. No one around them moved. They were all too astounded by the sight they were beholding.
"Didn't you, bitch?!" he repeated, louder.
From the group of Cleopatra's courtiers, Petra Drâcoś stood with her hands covering her mouth and her eyes welling up with tears.
Tetra yelped in surprise at the violent action and instinctively took a few steps back. Though she would have moved to help Cleopatra back up if the man hadn't captured her.
Corym hadn't even been in the room for a moment when the chaos erupted, shocking him by exactly what he was seeing. “UNHAND HER!” he commanded, his voice echoing clearly through the room. The lights flickered in response to his mood as he quickly approached the man and forced him to let go of Cleopatra. He barely restrained himself from punching the attacker but still shoved him backward.
Cleopatra stumbled away from Drâcoś, closer to Corym, and coughed heavily once his hold on her throat had released. She panted for breath, but despite her terror, the queen was still able to give a sharp command.
"Seize him," she stated, though the order came out sounding strangled. "Now!"
As her guards descended on Drâcoś with efficiency, Cleopatra reached up to lightly touch her throat. She couldn't see it, but because of the lord's tight grip, it was a blossoming red and was likely going to bruise a bit. And on top of that, her scalp was singing with pain from the way he'd grabbed her hair to yank her off the floor.
Still, she forced herself to stand up straight and look her assailant in the eye.
"You're no queen," Drâcoś snarled, wrenching against the grips of the queensguard soldiers. "You're an arrogant, dirty whore who thinks that she can keep everyone stuck under her thumb to manipulate them! You only care about yourself. And you fucked my wife!" He spat at her feet, and Cleopatra's eyes widened in rage.
Corym stood nearby, unclenching his fists so that he wouldn't be tempted to use them. But his face was set in a deep scowl and his eyes were pure ice with rage. He may have had a strong dislike of Cleopatra but he would not stand for this. “Captain.” he called, his voice returning to a normal tone as he forced himself to ignore the assailant’s words for now. “If Queen Cleopatra does not object, show her guards where the dungeon is so that her assailant can be detained until the festival is over.” he instructed while still trying to be respectful of his guest and leaving her the choice of how to deal with him.
Cleopatra's hazel eyes were sharp and furious. "I do not object," she stated, again horrified by the weak sound of her own voice. She reached up and brushed her fingers over her throat, feeling the indent where her choker had been pressed into her neck.
From the group of courtiers, Petra was sobbing into her hands. A guard made for her and gripped her upper arm, looking to Cleopatra for confirmation. She shook her head, and the guard let go of Petra.
Suddenly, the queen could feel her eyes stinging with tears. She couldn't cry. No, she wouldn't. Not here, in front of everyone and Corym.
"Excuse me," she whispered before fleeing from the room. Charmion, her devoted handmaiden, was at her heels, but Cleopatra waved her hand to dismiss her.
Drâcoś wore a smug smirk and looked at Corym. "She knows I'm right."
Corym was surprised to find himself actually concerned about Cleopatra as she raced out of the room. He didn't blame her as he felt her reaction was normal for anyone who had been attacked. But it still seemed strange coming from the usually stubborn assertive woman.
“Hold your tongue before you lose it, scum!” Corym whirled at the man before directing his cold gaze to his captain. “Get him out of here before someone does something they regret.” he instructed firmly before walking out of the room. He cast a quick glance at his sister, who nodded. She was a bit shaken but she was alright and could handle things for a while.
Cleopatra bolted through the halls. The beautiful scenery began to blur around her as her vision became clouded by tears. Why was it hurting this badly? Not the aftermath of his arm around her throat – that was traumatic in itself. His words. It was Drâcoś's words that stung her the most. The thrice-crowned queen had a reputation, sure, but she also took pride in herself and her accomplishments. And in one fell swoop, a courtier from a kingdom she had already conquered destroyed her entire persona. She was the whore, the slut of a queen who didn't deserve her throne. Who conquered kingdoms only to sleep freely with the courtiers of the former monarch. Or their wives.
Finally, she stopped and leaned against the wall. No doubt her makeup, which had looked beautiful before the encounter, was all smudged and now running in tear tracks down her cheeks. Just when had she actually started crying? Cleopatra covered her mouth to keep quiet while her body was racked with sobs. For once, she let her guard down and didn't feel the need to keep up with appearances. But goddesses, she looked pathetic.
Corym knew these halls like the back of his hand and was able to follow them quickly, managing to catch up with Cleopatra when she finally stopped running. He made sure that his steps were loud enough to be heard, he didn't want to startle her but he also knew he was probably one of the last people that she would want to see. But it was still his responsibility to check on her as she was a guest.
He cleared his throat softly as he got closer and took off his cloak, draping it over her shoulders. “Don't let him get to you.” he said surprisingly gently.
Cleopatra heard someone approaching, but she didn’t turn around. Dammit, I want to be left alone! Why is that so hard for people to understand that?
“Charmion, please,” Cleopatra hissed, but she whirled around, shocked, as she heard the person clear their throat. Corym?!
The powerful queen quickly blinked, trying to compose herself quickly. And failing. She accepted his cloak, feeling his warmth wrap around her. “Thank you,” she whispered, purposefully not looking at him.
Corym could understand her desire to be alone, often preferring it himself, but right now… It seemed better to make sure that she would be alright.
“I believe I remember that man. He was always bitter about something and too full of himself for his title,” he said in the same gentle tone. Was he trying to be comforting? He had never really done this before. “Are you… Are you alright?” he asked, his eyes trailing down to the angry red mark around Cleopatra’s neck.
Cleopatra scoffed, then winced. As stupid as it sounded, she kept forgetting that her throat was recovering from being nearly choked to death. "That's probably why he and fucking Bertram got along so well," she snarled quietly, referring to the former king of Peidest with newfound spite.
But her entire demeanor softened as she watched Corym look down at her neck. It still hurt like a bitch. "I think so," she responded in more of a hoarse whisper. Deciding to take it easy on her vocal cords right now probably wouldn't hurt. "Does it look bad?" she asked hesitantly.
Corym gave a hum of agreement, his lips briefly twitching against a smirk. “I was never fond of him either. Though I admit that the number of people I am fond of is a short list.” he quipped, almost playfully.
“That’s good.” he said as he gently placed his fingers under her jaw, lifting her head up slightly so he could get a better look. “I don't think you’ll need to see a healer.” he informed. “But you should rest your voice so it can recover… I think I remember a minor remedy you can take to help heal faster and soothe your throat.”
Cleopatra arched an eyebrow at his quip. "I doubt I'm anywhere close to that list," she whispered, her own lips pulling into a smirk of their own.
She swallowed as his fingers gently touched her jaw, and the action made her wince slightly with pain. "Anything you have would be appreciated," Cleopatra relented quietly. Part of her couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her mouth. She hated Corym. Corym hated her. And now… he was helping her? She took into account the sympathy in his gaze. Was she really that pathetic that he was feeling sorry for her?
No, she thought. Stop assuming the worst. He wants to help you. Let him.
But another thought occured to the queen. "You didn't answer my question," she hissed softly. "Does it look bad?" Even quieter, she added, "Will it bruise?"
Corym raised a brow at her soft comment and shrugged. “You do you have your own way of being irritating.” he said simply, though he wasn't sure where on that list she actually ranked. Right now she didn't seem like the same annoying woman who detested him and he didn't feel anything negative toward her at the moment either.
“My apologies.” he whispered when he saw her wince and gently removed his hand. But he almost smiled as Cleopatra accepted his offer, giving her a nod. “I can arrange that.”
He sighed a little as she repeated her question and gave a single nod. “I suspect it will. The bastard had you in a strong grip. Though I do not believe it will last long.” he admitted.
Cleopatra rolled her eyes. "Only around you, dear Corym," she teased lightly, though she said nothing more for the moment. Why did she really hate him? She could barely remember a single moment that sparked their feud. It was like from the moment they met, their personalities clashed. She was headstrong, and so was he. Both were powerful, influential leaders who wanted to stand in their own way. Was that why she had always resented Corym?
She focused again as he removed his fingers from her chin. Where they had been had warmed slightly under his touch, but Cleopatra quickly tried not to think about that. "No, it wasn't you," she whispered. "Swallowing hurts." Now, why had she said that? Was it her vulnerability after just being attacked?
The queen exhaled shortly. "Yes, I'm aware," she whispered, reaching up and lightly touching her skin. "He pulled my hair too. Hurt like fucking hell."
“Of course. I expect nothing less.” Corym smirked faintly, recognizing this side of Cleopatra easily. It was unusual how in any other setting, this banter would be annoying. But right now it was almost assuring… But why? Why was it so infuriating when the two did this verbal swordplay every time they saw each other?
He nodded at her assurance, actually a little relieved that he hadn't been the one to hurt her. “I see. Then I feel I should warn you. That remedy I mentioned, it's a drink. But it goes down easily. It shouldn't hurt.” he informed.
“Of course, you are.” he shook his head. “You would know better than anyone… I’m sorry.”
Cleopatra returned his smirk. "As you should," she whispered, though she winced as she had to swallow again. "By the gods," she hissed. "I wish this pain would go away. How soon would I be able to take your remedy?"
Her expression softened at his apology. "It's alright, Corym," she murmured, suddenly very aware of the way his cloak sat on her shoulders and fell around her form. "And… I owe you my thanks. You're the only one who stopped Drâcoś from killing me then and there." She shook her head slowly, her honey waves swaying with the motion. "For a moment… his grip was so tight… I could feel his anger… I thought I was going to die."
“Come with me.” he nodded as he held out his hand to her. “Everything we need should be in the kitchens.” he informed, understanding her desire to feel better.
Corym was not expecting her gratitude or the soft confession but nodded again, sincerely. “I acted as any honorable ruler should. You are my guest and I could not allow anyone to hurt you.” he explained, feeling his ear twitch showing his embarrassment. “You don't have to explain it.” he assured gently.
Cleopatra slipped her hand into his. Her golden rings brushed over his skin, but she still felt the relative smoothness of his palm underneath her own. It was unexplainably pleasing. In a slight contrast, her palm was more weathered from holding a sword or the reins of her horse, though it was still soft in its own way. Her hand may have looked small in his, but there was a hidden strength underneath her fingers.
She listened to his words and glanced up at him in time to note the brief twitch of his ear. He only did that when he was angry, irritated, or embarrassed. By the gods, why do I know that? she thought at the realization. His words didn't sound angry, so was he irritated that he had to save his worst enemy or… embarrassed? Embarrassment over what?
"Still," Cleopatra whispered, hesitating for a moment before voicing what was on her mind. "I wasn't sure if you would. I suppose a part of me thought you'd enjoy watching me get strangled to death in your own reception hall." She shook her head and laughed hoarsely. "Goddesses, that sounds so ridiculous when I say it out loud."
