Surrounded by Jewels
Response to 16beckyb 's prompt: "Darken Rahl has a talk with Princess Violet about sending her to the Mines of Molgroth."
Rated PG. Spoilers for "Puppeteer."
Surrounded by Jewels
Darken idly perused the contents of the late Queen Milena’s treasure room, musing on whether or not he would take any of it back to the People’s Palace.
He stepped daintily over the spreading pool of blood beneath the body of the porcine queen, a corner of his lip curling in distaste.
Perhaps the viscous red stream would improve the color of her dress.
There was a clatter of footsteps and a commotion in the hall, and Darken turned to see that boorish Princess Violet thrust her way into the room.
He appreciated the tenacity, but unfortunately for her she wasn’t quite smart enough to be useful as a pawn.
“Mother!” she squealed, running to stand at the side of the corpse.
She was careful not to get her slippers dirty.
“You killed my mother,” she accused, a very slight tremble of the lip.
He wondered how much of it was real and how much the result of a princess used to getting her way every time said lip so much as quivered.
“Yes,” he said, electric blue eyes trained on her face, fingers steepled before his lips.
The petulant princess of pustules turned to the guards stationed at the door to the treasure room, uncaring or too stupid to notice that at least one of them was in the colors of the House of Rahl, “Off with his head!”
The guards stared.
“I’m queen now!” she stomped her foot, tiny fists clenched ineffectually at her sides, “What I say goes!”
Frustration brought tears to her eyes where the death of her mother had failed.
Perhaps it was a delayed reaction.
Darken doubted it.
“Tell me, princess,” Darken approached, “do you like jewels?”
She turned wide eyes on him. They were curious, but not fearful. Violet had no comprehension of fear.
She would learn.
“Yes, Lord Rahl. That’s why mother let me have a key to the treasure room.”
Darken whirled, cloak swirling, his attention now sharpened to a razor’s edge.
“Where is your key now?”
Violet snorted, “That stupid old man took it. He was ugly. I should have executed him when I had the chance.”
Darken gripped the edge of the table, “Why didn’t you?”
She stared and he added, “Princess,” his teeth gritted.
She told him, unaware that she was sealing her own fate.
Any miniscule crumb of mercy he may have felt for the girl vanished into the ether at hearing how she had let the Box of Orden slip away.
Because of vanity.
He called for a guard, “Help the princess to pack and escort her to her mother’s carriage. Take her to the Mines of Molgroth in all due style.”
The guard saluted and left to do as he was bid over the protestations of the little toadstool that she was queen and staying to rule Tamerang.
“Princess,” Darken said, his voice and manner at his most deceptively gentle, “ruling a kingdom is a boring and time consuming task. I will happily look after it for you whilst you are surrounded by jewels always at the place where I am sending you.”
She stopped and considered, her desire for wealth and leisure silencing her tantrum.
“Will there be servants and people for me to lead?”
He cringed inwardly at her idea of leadership.
Outwardly he smiled wide and said, “There are many lowly fools there. I will make certain that they are all made aware of your importance and position when you arrive.”
If only Princess Violet had known that when Lord Rahl smiled that particular smile misfortune followed swiftly after.