“My Queen.”

I kneeled in front of my jury, of young and pure yet strict and calculating group of women. We all wore silver clothes, donned with bows, the bows simply not accessories--we use them to hunt.

“Beatrice, do not apologize. I simply cannot accept such an insincere gesture.” The Queen’s voice echoes in within my ears. Her words were soft and spoken without so much force as a whisper, yet they stung like snake’s venom.

“I am truly sorry, my dear Queen. But you have to understand, he was dying.” I wiped the sweat of my palms up and down my clothed thighs, the silver fabric turning a shade darker where the moisture met it.

“You cannot defy our laws, Princess. All of us do not take these laws lightly.” I looked up just a little bit as the Queen speaks like rumbling thunder. Her tone gave me a fright as I stopped the action of drying my palms.

“Sister, can we simply let her mistake go unpunished? She is young, only almost a century.” The Queen mother soothed her, her words like cold water to a burn.

“But Queen mother,”

“Queen mother, please.” I kneeled lower, my bow scratching the marble surface.

“We all know the life we chose is hard, Princess Beatrice but we have to make sacrifices. We do not want people to be suspicious.” The Queen mother’s spoken words were absolute; they hurt just to be heard. Her words engraved the deepest in my heart and right then and there I just knew that without excuse my previous acts simply could not go unpunished.

“Please Queen mother, do not expose me to the public. The men of today are immature and stupid. Their acts of infidelity disgust me as much as their sarcasm does. I’d rather die.” My throat felt parched yet I needed no such thing as water, I needed Queen mother’s sympathy.

“Do not say that, Beatrice! Our immortality is a blessing and a blessing not to be taken lightly. You shall learn their ways and come back here with intensive knowledge of their social behaviors. In this day and age it’s about time that we caught up.” Again her words ring of truth, I simply cannot argue.

“But Queen mother, we do not need to know of their barbaric ways.” She motions me to stand up, the Queen looked smug with their agreed decision. “Queen, Queen Mother have mercy on me.I simply could not stand a minute with those chauvinist pigs.” I refused to stand up as the thought dawns on me.

“Which is why it is a fitting punishment, Princess Beatrice.”

“Just give me the poison, my Queen. The Queen seems to irk me, I hadn’t noticed.” The words just rolled of my tongue, but I believe what I have said was true I just never intended to have vocalized my thoughts.

“Oh, we all know your love for the dramatics, but Princess Beatrice I do not intend to imitate the mere humans’ fascination for spectacle and I cannot simply think of any other way than this." The Queen gestures me to leave and orders for the doors to be opened.

“Oh, my gosh. Beatrice, I’m so sorry.” Zoe met be with a hug before I could even take a single step out of the room.

“It’s okay, Zoe. I’m sure that the Queen mother would not give me a punishment that I couldn’t handle. And Zoe, next time please don’t put me against you so tightly. You know how intimacy disgusts me.” I brush my clothes down and wipe my knees from their filth.

“I’m sorry Princess Beatrice.” She bows, her tone confuses me. “Come here, I have an idea.” She drags me, her hands looking like a grappling hook scratching against my wrist.

“Zoe!” I reprimand her, planting my feet firmly on the ground. She seems to always manage to forget.

“I’m sorry Princess Beatrice.” This time, I’m very sure that she was doing the teasing on purpose.

“Cmon! I have an idea.” She rights herself and tries to not use such animated gestures.

The maids insisted that they join us, but I’m pretty sure they’re here to make sure I do not att