Tip, tap. Pitter, patter.
The sound of her own footsteps was annoying, along with everything else she heard. Dinah, the small and slender dark haired Diente of the Serpente people was pacing restlessly in her own room and had been doing so for hours now. The battle had begun, of that she’d been informed. The Avian forces and Serpente forces had crashed into one another like two violent opposing waves in an ocean, spilling blood and gore onto the land where they met. She wanted to be there. The very idea of staying behind while her people fought was appalling. In this war, it was unacceptable for a Queen to not fight along side her people. At least, that was what Dinah believed. In any other case, she would have been, as well. Why wasn’t she there? Because of something so foolish as flu symptoms. They weren’t even too severe. A headache here, drowsiness there. It wasn’t so big of a deal, right? Well…heaven forbid she get a fit of exhaustion or nausea in the middle of a battle. At least…that was what her close friends had said. It was too risky, and Dinah had agreed to stay behind, if not begrudgingly.
Now she was regretting that decision terribly. Things were not going well, she was told. The Avian forces were doing no less that totally destroying her own. The very thought of it…men and women, all of them with families. More mothers would lose their children tonight. More children would lose their parents, brothers, sisters, and friends. Dinah should have gone. She should be fighting with them.
The Cobra turned on her heels quickly and wavered slightly when she did so too fast. Her head spun and she lost her balance, but quickly righted herself after catching the edge of her bed railing with one hand. Dinah waited for her vision to steady itself before she stood up straight, and exhaled in aggravation after she felt steady. Her already quick footsteps grew more rapid and impatient as she continued to pace. This could have been avoided. She didn’t know how, but it could have been avoided. Maybe if she’d gone with them…it was unrealistic to believe that one soldier could make much difference, even if that soldier was a royal one. Sometimes, though, just the presence of a cobra unnerved the Avians. If she’d only gone with them…
“Damn it!” She hissed to herself as she grabbed and tossed a pitcher of water across the room. Her red eyes watched furiously as the clear liquid splashed everywhere and dripped onto the floor, soaking the wood floors, as well as the many glass shards that had fallen there after the pitcher shattered loudly. Her chest heaved as she forced air into her lungs and then out again.
Nicolai…how did he fare? Was he alright? Sending him to lead the army…that was another mistake. He was too young. Her poor little cousin. The noise of many footsteps on the other side of her door brought Dinah’s attention to it’s direction as the door opened. Several guards were standing on the other side, but in front of them stood a tall man with green eyes and an intense stare. He was Orin, Dinah’s own personal body guard and close friend. It was highly unlikely that he was one of the men who had just been running to her door. Instead, he had probably been standing right on the of or near the door for just as long as she had been pacing in her room. He looked at her with concern in this eyes, but Dinah did not offer him any reassuring words or gestures. Instead she just looked away and continued to pace. Why did they have to come running at every sound that comes from her room? There were no avian soldiers here. They were all at the battlefield killing her guards’ families and friends.
She caught a glimpse of the small group at the door as she turned directions while pacing, but tried to ignore them. This continued for a good thirty seconds before she grew annoyed and threw her hands into the air wildly. “Get out!” At first they stood around like idiots, but were quickly ushered away by Orin. She turned away from his worried eyes quickly in fear that they might cause her to break down. She didn’t need a shoulder to cry on right now. If that were the case, she would have called for Alexander. She needed word of what was happening. Not knowing was too much for her to bare.
When Dinah did not hear the door close behind her she turned around quickly to scold Orin for not leaving when she asked. However, instead of seeing him standing there like a statue staring at her, she saw him leaning down so that a shorter man was able to whisper in his ear. His expression did not change as he listened to the message nor when he sent the messenger away. “What? What is it?” Dinah demanded. Orin looked at her suddenly with an expression she’d learned could only mean one thing. They had lost, and he was sorry for her loss. It was his “I’m sorry” look. Dinah felt like she couldn’t fill her lungs with oxygen and lifted her hand to her head. Her head spun again and this time she did not even try to catch herself. It was Orin who steadied her this time, after having moved into the room quickly, no longer needing her permission to do so. He wrapped his strong hands around her waist firmly and held her up. The Diente leaned her head against his chest weakly and trembled.
“This is my fault.” She mumbled. Orin did not respond. He wasn’t the type to try and make her feel better with empty words. He would merely be there to steady her when she could not stand on her own. He was good to her like that. “And Nicolai?” Her words were quiet like a whisper, and Orin shook his head. Her cousin was dead. The three remaining Cobras had now become the two. Nicolei was dead. Now only Dinah and her youngest sister remained. Her bloodline was quickly dwindling. Her people were slowly dying. Who would be next? Would she die? Dinah hoped it would not be Athena to die next. Either way, the Cobra bloodline would not last much longer if this war continued. If she and Athena died, then what would happen to her people? Would they fall into a civil war even as they continued with the war against the Avian people? Would the Vipers take the opportunity to regain what they believed to be their rightful place on the throne?
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