Chapter Seven: Let Me Go

''The Ice Queen died!''

All over the land, the news traveled far and wide. Atarrah mourned for their queen and shut down the kingdom from the rest of the world.

The citizens living from other land returned so they won't be caught up in the closure of the borders, otherwise, there would be no home to come back to.

''Your Majesty! Congratulations,'' Queen Vernon's personal maid smiled and poured wine into her glass. ''The Ice Queen is now gone.''

''Thanks for all of your effort, Leila. So...'' She leisurely sipped the wine from her glass. ''What reward do you want? ''

"Nothing, Your Majesty," she said as she lowered her head and poured another glass of wine for the queen.

The queen gave her a quick glance but kept silent for a moment.

''Leila, would you fetch me the Prime Minister and the court jester?''

''As you wish, Your Majesty.''

It took only a few moments, Leila came back with four people behind her. Two guards clad in black armor and two prisoners were heavily chained.

However, unlike other prisoners, they looked neat and well-dressed. Only their expressions were quite disturbing. The other held malice and wrath in his eyes and the other one was unusually dull. The queen searched the sparkles those deep blue eyes always held, but she found nothing. It reminded her of a ghostly tranquil blue lake.

'His eyes look empty.' The queen felt a sudden tinge of sadness but brushed it away and focus on the other prisoner, the prime minister.

''Prime Minister Rossein or should I call you...'' She trailed off as she rose from her throne and started to walk down in their direction. ''Sergio Von Murella. Lord of the House of Murella and the commander of Attarah''s elite espionage force.''

Her black nails caressed his chin before firmly grasping it. She dug her nails deep into his flesh, inflicting marks and scratches.

The Prime Minister said nothing, he only looked at the queen with evident anger.

The dark queen chuckled, ''What are you angry for, prime minister? It's not like your Queen died.''

It was like a trigger as soon as those words left her mouth. The prime minister ferociously attempted to lunge at her, wanting to strangle her neck 'til the life in her withered but the armoured black guards and the chains restricted him.

''I'll kill you!'' He growled. His eyes were filled with rage.

''You can if you're still alive.'' The queen watched him in amusement.

''Guards sent him back to the dungeon,'' she ordered. However, she gestured for them to halt when her mind had changed. ''No. Not in the dungeon. Sent him to the Labyrinth of Hades.''

The guard was a bit reluctant for a second but when the queen gave them a stern stare, they hurriedly strode away, dragging the prime minister with them, carrying the queen's orders.

''Where are you taking me? Let me go! You can take me after I kill this vile woman.''

But the guards ignored him.

The court jester was then left alone with the queen.

She gave him a loving gaze, but his eyes were fixed on the ground, emotionless.

''Jester, look at me.'' The jester didn't move. He had never defied his queen before.

Queen Vernon frowned. ''Jester?'' She called him once again but he still didn't look into her eyes, it was as if he didn't hear her.

''What's wrong with you?'' Her tone became sharper.

''...'' Still, no response from the jester.

''Diamond!'' She blurted in anger. His name she didn't want to use since it was given by the ice queen came out from her lips.

In her dismay, the joker responded. She finally caught his attention but it made the dark queen mad.

Pa!

For the first time, she gave her beloved jester a slap. Only once but it left a cut on his cheeks.

Her once affectionate gaze turned into disappointment and anger.

''What did she do to you?!'' She grabbed his chin. ''Tell me!''

''N-Nothing, Your Majesty. I-I spent my days in the cold in Atarrah. It was pure...torture,'' he said but he didn't know what he was saying.

Internally, his mind was disturbed once he heard the news about the demise of the ice queen. He couldn't get it off inside his head.

He couldn't get her off in his head.

His cheeks were stinging in pain but he ignored it as if he was numb.

''Jester, who is your Queen?'' She asked, caressing his swollen cheeks.

He bowed on his knees, his forehead touching the marble floor of the throne room, and said, "You are, My Queen."

But for Queen Vernon, it tasted dull just like his dead eyes as if he practiced reciting those words a thousand times.

''Don't you dare ever forget about that.'' She looked down and held his hands, helping him to stand.

She leaned closer to him and gaze at him, full of affection. She gently ruffled his blonde hair before she unchained his hands and feet.

''Jester, tell me what do you want?'' She asked but it took a long moment of silence before she got a response.

''N-Nothing, Your Majesty. Being with you is enough.'' He then contrived a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He kneeled down once again and softly grabbed the queen's hand, kissing the backs of her palms.

A satisfied smile was drawn on the queen's face.

''Just say anything. Jester, I could give you....the world if you ask it,'' she said.

The jester froze and his face turned blank for a moment.

''Your Majesty, I'm well aware...of your obsession towards me,'' he said. ''My Queen, this is not right. I'm a mere jester.''

''I know. I know...'' she said, her eyes shifting away from his. ''But...I can't help it! ''

''Your Majesty, please...'' This time he looked straight into her eyes. ''Many lives died because of...me.'' His voice cracked a bit in the end as his eyes glistened in impending tears.

When she turned back her gaze onto him, she saw no sparks. She only found hurt and a wounded jester.

A jester does not cry but here he is, in front of her. Struggling to hold back his tears.

'''Why--What happened to you?'' A sudden burst of guilt emerged in her heart. ''It's not...It's not your fault. Nothing is your fault!''

''No, Your Majesty! I kept saying it to me but...everything leads to...me. There's no way it's not my fault!''

''Shhh...It's not!'' Then she hugged him.

As soon as he felt the queen's embrace, tears started to flood his face.

'I'm a failure.' He started to panic because he had broken the number one rule a jester should follow.

'No jester cries'.

''Your Majesty, I-I...'' he struggled to speak between his sobs. ''I'm tired. Let me...let me go and see my grandmother.''

The queen was stunned. She pulled him away from her embrace. ''Let you go?''

''Y-Yes.''

''You knew I...I couldn't.''

''Yes, I know.'' He gave up right away. He just tried in hope that the queen would allow him to retire.

The queen sent him back to his chamber and allow him to recuperate. However, weeks had passed the jester, still was unable to perform his duty. He caught a severe cold so he couldn't get out of bed, no matter how much he tried to get up.

Queen Vernon became gravely worried so she strictly did not let him do any work. He ordered him to stay in bed until he get well.

Unfortunately, his condition got worse day by day. The queen summoned the most elite physicians throughout the land but no one could figure out what happened to the jester. Their diagnoses were all the same -- he caught a cold.

Unfortunately, the day come when the jester couldn't even open his eyes.

The queen gave him medicines and nourishments so he could heal. She even personally fed him his medication and food so she could make sure no one was purposely poisoning him.

The queen stayed up all night, taking care of him. The council of nobles expressed their worries and dissatisfaction with the queen's affection towards the court jester but she ignored them.

On the other hand, some of them were secretly delighted. The dark queen was occupied dealing with affairs so they were able to get their hands on the court affairs, earning them power and influence.

With an occupied queen, internal conflicts got worse day by day. The prime minister wasn't in better shape as well. He would merely sit silently with them at the assembly but didn't bother to interfere with any dealings.

Without any progress on the jester's condition, Queen Vernon's worries grew more and more. And every night, she would sit beside his bed and she would hear him call his 'grandmother' in his sleep.

''Leila, what do you think I should do?'' the queen asked her maid while eating her dinner, but eventually ended up drinking a glass of wine. She couldn't eat anyway and would just push aside her plate. The feast only for the queen would only be untouched and wasted.

Leila sighed heavily. She was worried about the queen's health. She always looked vibrant but now she looked slim and depressed.

''Your Majesty, I think...'' she trailed off. ''You should let go of him. Sometimes what makes us weak is not an illness. It was the scars deep within our hearts. There's no antidote or medication to heal it. Maybe, fresh wind and rest could help him. Or...he might need to start again. That's might be the reason why he kept calling his grandmother in his sleep,'' Leila said with concern and careful consideration.

For the entire time, Queen Vernon sat calmly and listened to her. She was into deep thought before coming up with a decision.

As usual, she headed back to his chamber. She observed him in hope that she could find a little bit of progress.

''I couldn't let you go. I can't.'' She sat on the chair, beside his bed and held his hand.

''But...fine. I'll let you go but not too long. I'll take you back with me...once you recovered.''

The queen made up her mind.