#dw i'll be posting a starter afterward so ppl can find her

[ofemeline]

A RUINED QUEEN | self para

there is an EXCRUCIATING burn in the side of her abdomen. every part of her is telling her to SCREAM for help, call out to someone, anyone. though her  h u b r i s  refuses to give her assailant the satisfaction of seeing-- hearing-- her so distraught. a broken queen... ruined, she thinks, forever.

a red flower is pinned between her locks. she smiles, remembering the gift clara had given her. the innocent child caught in the midst of a battle. though emeline refused to leave her behind in dracborough without a mother or father. she deserved to be here with matthias, to be with her father, no matter the circumstances. the queen envies him in such a sense. to be loved forever by such a small being. she wishes for her own children and while she loves rick-- they both know it is but wishful thinking to desire children. their situation would allow no such thing. though, she supposes that she already has her own child. ysellian. a sigh escapes her mouth, thinking of her beloved dragon. he had yet to return to her and she has not felt the same. she no longer felt the security she once did with her dragon present. 

pulling herself from her thoughts, she scans her surroundings, her eyebrows scrunching in confusion. not minutes before she was taking a small stroll in the gardens. perhaps it was her own thoughts that distracted her from her destination. she no longer has view of the ocean, nor does she hear the crashing waves or the small chatter of the castle. in fact, the castle was not in sight. emeline knows not of the land enough to make a discovery of her whereabouts. all she sees are trees, bushes with herbs she’s seen some nurses pick at. it takes her less than a moment to realize that she has no memory of which direction she originated from. 

“gods be damned,” she curses under her breath though fear is not evident in the queen. she knows of the pirates. she knows of the dangerous animals hidden inland, the poisonous plants that all threaten to end her life. yet she stands tall, trying to make the best of her surroundings. she begins walking north, green irises squint to make the best out of the little light that seeps through the trees above despite knowing that it is far from dusk. 

she takes no more than one hundred steps before she hears a rustle in the forest that holds her captive. the dragon queen is suddenly aware of the knife that lay idle on her thigh. what is a dagger to a blade though? her pace quickens, pushing the bushes out of her way as she begins to jog. her brown curls whip around as she turns to see if anyone follows her. there is no sign. but the anxiety, the adrenaline, it builds. her jogging soon turns into running which morphs into sprinting. 

light floods her vision, the castle in sight-- the ocean, her ocean. she is safe, she is home. she will see reyna, rick, nate. she is fine-- there is a sound. though it’s muffled by the sound of her heart beating in her ears. it takes her some time to realize there is a pain in her stomach. her hand automatically touches the area, feeling the wooden stick glued to her side. seconds pass before the pain begins to spread, it becomes unbearable as she leans against the tree. emeline forces herself to look down, finding an arrow pierced into her. her blood is masked by the crimson dress she bears. a whimper escapes her parted lips as fear finally conquers her. 

her strength staggers, she feels her grip slipping from the tree. all she can think about is ysellian. where is he? will he return? unable to hold herself up any longer, she FALLS. the dragon queen attempts to catch herself though she knows that there is no use. instead, she lays there, her face against the ground, silently encouraging her assailant to finish her off. what kind of queen is she? to not bring her guards, such a foolish decision. dracborough deserves better, they deserve reyna. what a weak queen. she wants to laugh, finding it suddenly comical that she claims to be a strong queen and yet here she is-- face down, unable to get up, taken down by one arrow. dracborough deserves no queen such as herself, she reflects just as her breathing evens out.