The Air Out Of [Wattys2018 shortlist]

15

THE SENTIMENTAL FLOW OF OVERTHINKING WAS BEGINNING TO HAUNT THE PRIM AND PERFECT ASPYN. Maybe it was simply the stress building at the back of her mind, but yet, as she finds herself staring in absolute terror at the piece of paper her mother calls a 'report drawn out of the records', she thinks of this anything as something to jot down as a future cause of a heart attack.

She knows she'll be getting one soon if events play over once more. Glancing at the paper one last time, she aggressively runs her slim fingers through her hair, which was tied into a neat ponytail, not a single hair out of place.

From the palace window, she spots Scar sitting on the outskirts of the castle, just barely in its perimeter, and she sighs. Might as well get it over with, she sighs, walking outside. "Scar, what a pleasure."

"Aspyn." He nods. "How is everything going."

"Do you think your friends could come?" She asks. "It's urgent. Code red, if I may say."

"Well." Scar immediately takes his phone out and presumably sends a blast text to the others. It doesn't work.

"Scar." Her voice is light, air, in fact. "Covia is two galaxies away from earth, we don't have a signal over here, leave Covia, and send that text." Her eyes strain as she sees her mother being escorted into the palace.

A guard bows before her, "Queen Luphoria requests your presence, Princess."

She returns the gesture with a small smile. "I'll be there." Turning to Scar, "Please."

He nods, before curtly leaving. She turns to follow the guard who happened to wait for her. The guard led her through the castle to her mother, and although she had already memorized the route to the throne room by heart, facing her mother is beyond daunting and somehow, the presence of a guard makes her feel slightly more protected.

"Aspyn, my dearest." Her mother chimes as she steps before her. Aspyn isn't visibly shaking because she simply won't allow her body to do so, but she certainly feels like it at this very moment. Her mother, she feels, has gone demented.

It's not easy for a ruler to be sick during a country's time in crisis, and therefore will not take the news well, "Mother. Please, relax. Mason and I can handle this." Aspyn rubs her temples as her brother rushes to stand next to her.

"Nonsense." Queen Luphoria's voice is practically thundering, "I have given you too much time." She roars. "You have let me down already."

"How so, you haven't even seen what these lavine's are capable of." Aspyn counters. "Have a seat, let's talk this through."

"I know so. You don't get to sit as Queen without receiving bits of information. Aspyn, you are incredibly behind schedule." Her mother contorts her face, something that has never happened before.

"If you would just care to look at the statistics I've made about the capabilities and learning capacities of each of the lavine's, including Jess, the silver eye. They're down to the last detail, a hundred percent accurate. In fact, we're doing quite well for the time given." She says, "I've gotten them listed down in my office, I can go grab them-"

"Enough!" Her mother rises, the anger flaring in eyes, and for a second, Aspyn is absolutely fear-stricken. She's horrified at what her mother has become. "I've taken enough of this. I've put too many civilians at risk. Aspyn you've seen what's already happened." Aspyn lowers her gaze out of embarrassment, but her pride keeps her from running out the door.

"Mother-" Mason attempts, Aspyn shakes her head at her little brother as if to say not now. He ignores her, "If you would just listen to-."

She physically shrinks as her mother steps off the pedestal to the level that both her children are standing on. Big mistake, Mason. "I've already listened to both of you!" Whatever drug has been taking the impact of the pain of the several operations that her mother has undergone is somehow making strike back. "From now on, you will listen to me. Am I understood."