THE QUEEN
I have made you queen.
There are taller than you, taller.
There are purer than you, purer.
There are more beautiful than you, there are more beautiful.
But you are the queen.
when you go through the streets
nobody recognizes you.
No one sees your crystal crown, no one looks
The Red Gold Carpet
what do you step where you pass,
the carpet that does not exist.
And when you show up
all the rivers sound
of my body, shake
the sky the bells,
and a hymn fills the world.
Just you and me,
just you and me, my love,
we hear it
(Pablo Neruda)
“It’s you I love,” he says. “I spent much of my life guarding my heart. I guarded it so well that I could behave as though I didn’t have one at all. Even now, it is a shabby, worm-eaten, and scabrous thing. But it is yours.”
The shimmer of pearls in Ezra’s hair caught my attention. I stared at the tiny, round gems. They were pretty, but I didn’t wear jewelry other than the gold chains that had once held my veil in place. No one had ever given me a piece—not a ring, necklace, hairpin, or bauble. I’d never purchased any for myself with whatever coins I’d found in my travels throughout the city, either. I never sought to own jewelry because I didn’t think it was meant for me. That sounded silly, but when Ezra or Mother wore such sparkly, beautiful things, they felt meant for them. Just as they did for nearly every female and many of the males in attendance tonight.
My mother’s head turned toward Ezra in response to something she’d said. The Queen smiled, and the breath I took was too thin. It was a beautiful smile, and I couldn’t remember her ever directing one like that at me.
She smiled at Ezra that way, but not me. Not her daughter.
I swallowed in hopes of easing the lump that had filled my throat, and all I succeeded in doing was nearly choking myself. My mother laughed, and I felt it in every bone. I had never made her laugh. Why would I? I was the failed Maiden, and Ezra was a Princess.
Gods, I was actually…jealous. After all these years. How could that even be possible? I wanted to laugh, but for the briefest of moments, I wanted to be Ezra.
I wanted to be the one sitting there, worthy of the family that surrounded me. Well, all but Tavius, but Ezra counted. And I wanted that.
SeraKitabı okudu
Did you really think this was going to end with you playing the hero by bringing kindness out of the evil queen? Look again, love, someone has lied to you about my hidden virtue. I have always loved being the beast.
Sayfa 72Kitabı okudu
“My sweet nemesis, how glad I am that you returned.”