She has never taken herself, or any one else for that matter, particularly seriously. This posed more of a problem when she was a child, when playing the petulant princess amused her in more ways than she could count. And so she did. And far too many took her far too seriously. They did not end up as friends – lets just leave it at that. She preferred those that could be a little silly, a little witty, a little strange. Not that there wasn’t a time or place for seriousness (there was), but if every day is nothing but sunshine and rainbows and no fun at all. Well then, that’s just boring.
“I’m not trying to charm you, boy.” she says flatly, as is unimpressed. Though there’s a slight gleam in her eye, amused and not offended. Though she isn’t trying to charm that – that much is actually quite true. She didn’t try to charm anyone. What what the point in that? Well, rephrase. She didn’t try to charm anyone unless it benefitted the Chamber somehow. It was never for her benefit. She didn’t need an army of suitors (she didn’t want them, either). She didn’t need a pile of followers because her smile was pretty and her words modest.
She commanded an entire kingdom, and they listened for no other reason than they thought she deserved it; not for her, but for the Chamber. Everything is for the Chamber.
“Burnt harm is far from charming, by the way.” She sniffs somewhat dramatically. The smell really is awful, though she’s endless used to the smell of burning life. She had stayed in the Chamber when it was nothing but smoldering ash. In some ways, she was born of that fire and ruin.
He answers, and she believes his answer despite the bit of sarcasm thrown into the mix. She was quickly beginning to understand everything would be laced with sarcasm where it came to Kushiel, but she could certainly handle that little quirk. It was easier to temper than some of the others that ran through this company. “If you think yourself crazy, then we all need to be committed.” She chuckles slightly, though like he, there’s truth to those words. The Chamber speaks to all of them, in it’s way. Through the fire of their new tree. Through the beating of the heart beneath their feet.
“The Chamber rules me. I simple serve it with more dedication than everyone else. When that is no longer true, I will no longer serve as Queen.” She says simply. This is the only thing her father and her had ever really agreed on. The Chamber deserves the best. Once upon a time, that was him. Though he wore out his welcome on the throne and clung to the title anyway. Now, it was her. Someday, it would be someone else. So long as the Chamber thrived, nothing else mattered.
straia
the raven queen of the chamber