the Immobility Archive

The Frozen Butterfly

Am I the only sane one here?

The Princess Mother kept her face smooth as the Prince Father continued his tirade, hands slicing the air as he argued for the invasion of Kantea. Glory, resources, inevitability—he recited the same tired justifications, louder each time, as if volume might turn folly into wisdom.

“That’s enough.”

The Queen Matron’s voice cut through the chamber, bored and absolute. The room went still.

“Return to my quarters. I will hear no further discussion on this matter.” She shifted her weight, a long, tapered finger coming to rest against the vast curve of her belly. “Must I remind you what became of your predecessor?”

Silence answered her. The Prince Father’s mouth opened, then closed. He bowed, stiff and pale, and turned away without another word.

The Princess Mother did not breathe again until he was gone.