iii. murmuring stars

"so tell me, queen serena, how do you live like this?" eve asked quietly, sitting her dagger on the ground. "persecuting those who commit treachery, even though they couldn't help it?"

there are always going to be questions people don't feel like answering, and those same questions it feels like they are asked the most. serena was queen, meaning for her, there were as many questions as there were stars and even more people asking them. but eve was different, it's like she knew queen serena didn't want to answer but asked her anyway, more for herself to think it over than anything. 

"i am queen," she said softly, glancing at eve as she said it. it was the only thing she truly knew how to say.

"but are you enough?"

these words were foreign to queen serena's ears, but known well as an old friend to her heart. audacity was an enemy to the people of her country, and so eve's words only further varied how she wasn't from here.

do you know what serena once wished for? one of the stars murmured, dancing on the ends of eve's powers, yearning to spill their desires within.

leave us alone. eve begged because for once, she didn't want to know the secrets the stars held. leave your exchange between the two of you, for it isn't for me to know.

oh but how the stars screamed for attention, bleeding their powers so eve would soak them in. this wasn't the first time the stars have spoken to her, but she wished it to be the last. eve realized not all secrets weren't meant for her ears, even if they held wisdoms and messages about finding lost things.

"eve?" queen serena called out, but her voice was distant to eve's mind. for eve's mind was occupied with the stars and their unwanted confessions.

she's begged for her daddy back. they breathed. but we can't raise the dead, so we showed her a favored memory instead.

she's screamed at us to take back what she said. they giggled. of course, we didn't give in. instead, we told her to forgive and forget.

she's wept for the sacrifice of those who's blood runs gold. they hissed, knowing this one would hurt eve the most. but we would never betray those who serve us well.

"you've asked for sacrifices?" eve cried out, grabbing her dagger as she jumped up. "turned back on those with golden blood, who can't help be who they are?"

eve knew what she was doing, that by lashing out about such things was also admitting she about them. it also revealed her source, for queen serena only confessed such things to the stars.

"so it's true?" queen serena shouted, standing across from eve. "you trade secrets with the stars."

instead of answering, eve pointed the dagger to her.

"you beg for mercy because you commit treachery! all the people of my country know it's forbidden to speak to the stars and draw power from them." 

a pale moon flashed in queen serena's eyes, and immediately eve knew. after silently thanking the stars for warning her, eve took a step back and opened her soul to the power and confessions she had moments ago try to keep from getting in.

"moonlight princess," eve said, the words poison and toxic. "you shall never truly be queen, you'll never be enough."

and then, she lunged.