“You must think you are so special –catching the attention of my son. Making it so far into the competition. But I have seen how uncultured and unused to royal life you are from day 1. It pained me every time I saw you move through a trial. I didn’t want to use a soul like yours in order to give my son his eternal life. But now I don’t regret it, now that I know what is between you two. It will please me to take your life to lengthen his. You don’t deserve him.”

The queen placed a cold, dry palm on Senna’s forehead.

Instantly Senna fell to the floor, the strength in her limbs gone.

She heard slow, dragging footsteps.

Who was that? Who was in the hallway beside her, the queen, and the prince?

Senna’s sight blacked out.

“I heard everything,” a familiar voice said, strong but husky with pain.

Senna took a deep breath, trying to focus on good thoughts. The golden light she had seen coming from the library door what seemed like ages ago. Yes, that was a good thought. The golden hand that had reached down toward her when she began to drown in the queen’s magic.

Her heart seemed to warm.

She opened her eyes. She could see and move, but barely.

The queen was facing Lowelle, whose face was pale and beaded with sweat. The beautiful dark haired girl held in her hands a long shard of glass.

“Every single one of us girls would have made a better queen than you,” Lowelle spit. “You have no regard for human life.” Lowelle bent over and coughed.

“I have no regard for non-magical life,” the queen corrected. She didn’t seem to think of Lowelle as a threat, which made sense. Lowelle looked like she could barely hold onto the glass in her hands, let alone use it.

“Well, prepare to die by the hands of an unmagical lowlife.” Lowelle lunged forward and stabbed the queen in the gut.

Senna screamed. Lowelle dropped to the floor, hitting her head hard.

Yoren crawled over to his mother, nursing his burnt arm. “Mother,” he said, his voice frantic.

The queen let out a choked breath, then breathed no more. Yoren collapsed over his mother, her blood spilling under them.

Senna knelt by Lowelle.

The girl was barely breathing.

“You are so brave,” Senna said. “You would have made a good queen.”

A shadow of a smile passed over Lowelle’s face, and then she was still.

The hall was silent except for the sobbing of Senna and Yoren for a long while.

After a period of time Senna couldn’t begin to measure, Yoren came over to her. He bid her to stand with him.

“Senna,” he said, his voice deep and his hands strong on her waist. “You are the most beautiful and queenly woman I know. You know what is right and what is wrong. You are strong in your convictions and know what would be best for a kingdom. And a fool could see that this kingdom needs someone like that right now.”

Senna’s heart beat fast.

“You make me feel comfortable, like I am at home. Senna,” he said, his dried tears glistening on his face. “I choose you. I want you to be my queen.” He embraced her, his face nestled between against her neck.

She smiled. This tragedy would have a fitting end. She would give these girls the honorable burials they deserved, and hide the treacherous acts of the queen. The kingdom would go on peacefully, and her little sister would get to be a princess. Every little child would feel special and cared for under her reign.

“Come now,” Senna said, calm settling over her. She lifted Yoren’s face from her shoulder and gave him a soft kiss. His lips were warm. “Our people need us.”