Melora could no longer sit by and watch her queen floundering. “Shura, go fetch Murdyn and Murdan, we need to get her out of here,” she said, taking Fadiya’s arm and attempting to guide her away from the portal. Her friend fought her, twisting and turning to wrench herself from Melora’s grip, straining to go back near the portal. “Please, Fadiya,” Melora whispered, tightening her grip, “please come away, I do not want to have to hurt you.”
On top of the fearful uncertainty of watching one’s sovereign falling into insanity, Melora had the heartache of watching the little girl she had once minded fall. She could remember it like yesterday, when Melora’s own father was king, and Fadiya had been just a little fiery wisp of a girl. She had always wanted to explore and discover things within the castle. She had told Melora that one day she would be a great explorer and cartographer of Tamriel. How had that sweet little thing so lost her way? To become this misguided and terrible queen. Arguments could be said that Fadiya could have been a far worse ruler, like that of what Melora’s elder brother would have been if he had been crowned instead of Fadiya’s father. Fadiya had never been a malicious ruler, just… ineffectual. Misguided. Too concerned with preserving legacies that did not matter.
Suddenly, Fadiya went limp against Melora, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Melora barely caught her, guiding her as gently as she could to the stone floor. She whispered for Shura to hurry up. What was…
When Shura finally returned with Murdyn, Melora’s own husband, and Murdan, Fadiya’s step-father, Melora quickly instructed them to get the queen to her bed as quickly and unnoticeably as possible. She didn’t want anyone to see Fadiya like this…
Just as Melora was about to follow them from the chamber, Ulfric, Zamarak, and Ralof came strolling out through the cursed doorway. They did not look any worse for wear…
When Ralof saw Melora’s face he demanded: “What’s happened?”
“It’s the queen,” Melora said, pointing to the stairs, “my husband and Murdan are taking her to your rooms now.” Ralof rushed past her, his armor clanking raucously down the staircase as he charged after them. “What happened in there?” Melora asked, turning to Ulfric and Zamarak.
“Nothing,” Ulfric shrugged, “there was nothing in there. What’s happened here?”
“There was… nothing?” Melora asked, her gaze looking past him to the gateway to the Mad God’s realm.
“Not a daedra in sight,” Zamarak grumbled, “this one has never been so disappointed.”
The hairs on the back of Melora’s neck began to stand on-end. There was something bigger at play here, something else driving all of this. Some other agenda. She looked again to doorway to the Mad God’s realm, what was his play in all of this?
Inktober 2024, Prompt #18: DRIVE🧡🖤👻🎃
Whitney Writes... 
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