A Royal Sacrifice Ch. 08

Evelyn knew that again she would have to make a decision -- stand firm or allow the man to humiliate her in front of several that deemed her nothing more than dust beneath their feet. "I am the Queen, therefore I will decide what is worth my trouble and what is not. If we are to defeat the evil one than it will be as a one unit. I may not have the experience you have, but from what I can tell your experience has done nothing to stop Bagdemus from ruining our lives in this era or the last. Now tell me what you know of him and whatever pieces we have missing we will seek knowledge from those you claim are 'ignorant' -- women -- women of lowly stations often see and hear things men and women of lofty ones find petty and useless. You would all learn a lot if you but listened to the women in your lives." The last sentence was directly pointed to the Chancellor.

The meeting ended several hours later and Evelyn longed for the rest that Benedict had accused her of taking. She again was forced back upstairs to once again don clothes too fine for her to wear -- or at least in her opinion they were. Gems of various sizes and shapes once again were woven into her hair and placed upon her fingers, wrists and throat. Another dress was tied, and another pair of shoes slid over her feet. When she appeared at the dining table for the meal no one would have thought her anything but the Queen she had been born to be.

Food was heaped upon the table; plates were filled, glasses continually topped off. The evening's entertainment was that of a beautiful woman who sang as if God Himself had gifted her with the voice of a thousand angels. Evelyn conversed with Drest, his sister, and all other nobles that had been deemed worthy of an invitation. She found herself grinning when she recalled who was who and how each person felt about the other. During the evening a shadow appeared in the corner, but only for a small moment. Evelyn knew it was The Spectre and as laughter and gaiety rang out among her guests her eyes had held his for a moment. She'd seen the evil in his gaze before she turned away when spoken to; it was no surprise to her that when she turned back he was once again gone leaving her to wonder if he had been there at all. Deep in her gut, Evelyn knew the truth; it was just another mystery for her to solve.