The Queen Threatened Me

...The infirmary, despite its sterile white walls and the scent of antiseptic, offered a sanctuary from the dungeon's suffocating darkness. The soft, feather-filled mattress cradled her bruised and aching body, and the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall provided a comforting counterpoint to the silence. Yet, even in this haven, Valkyrie couldn't shake off the feeling that she was being watched....

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...It started subtly, a shift in the shadows, a whisper of movement in the corner of her eye. At first, she dismissed it as the lingering effects of her ordeal, the echoes of the guards' footsteps and the Queen's chilling voice still ringing in her ears. But the feeling persisted, growing stronger with each passing hour....

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...One moment, she would be drifting off to sleep, lulled by the gentle rhythm of her own heartbeat, and the next, she'd be jolted awake, her senses on high alert, her gaze sweeping the room, searching for the source of the unseen presence....

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...She tried to rationalize it. Perhaps it was the flickering candlelight playing tricks on her eyes, casting dancing shadows that morphed into imagined figures. Perhaps it was the lingering fear, the primal instinct to be wary of her surroundings, that was amplifying every creak and groan of the old building....

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...But deep down, she knew it was something more. Something sinister, something that was watching her, waiting for the opportune moment to strike....

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...The fear, cold and insidious, began to gnaw at her, twisting her insides with a knot of anxiety. She couldn't bear it any longer. She needed to escape, to find a place where she could breathe freely, where the shadows wouldn't seem to writhe with malevolent intent....

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...She pushed herself up, wincing as a wave of pain washed over her, but she ignored it, her need to escape overriding the throbbing ache in her body. She stumbled to her feet, her legs shaky, her movements hesitant. She reached for the door, her hand trembling as she grasped the cold metal handle....

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...The door creaked open, revealing a sliver of the hallway beyond. Valkyrie took a deep breath, steeling herself for the unknown. She pushed the door open, the hinges protesting with a groan, and stepped out into the hallway....

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...But she wasn't alone....

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...The Queen stood there, her back against the wall, her face a mask of icy fury. Her eyes, cold and calculating, met Valkyrie's with a chilling intensity....

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...Valkyrie froze, her heart pounding in her chest, her breath catching in her throat. She had been so focused on escaping the unseen presence that she hadn't noticed the Queen's arrival....

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..."You're supposed to be resting," the Queen hissed, her voice dripping with venomous sarcasm. "Or did you think you could simply waltz out of here, as if nothing happened?"...

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...Valkyrie's throat tightened, her words trapped behind a wall of fear. She could only stare at the Queen, her body trembling, her mind racing, searching for an escape route....

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...The Queen, her eyes narrowed, stepped closer, her presence a suffocating weight. "I know you're not as injured as you pretend to be," she said, her voice laced with a chilling threat. "I saw the doctor tending to your wounds. You're healing quickly. Too quickly."...

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...Valkyrie's stomach churned. The Queen was right. She was healing, her body mending itself with surprising speed. But the Queen's words weren't a statement of concern. They were a veiled accusation, a subtle reminder of her power and her unwavering desire to see Valkyrie suffer....

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..."I'm not trying to deceive you," Valkyrie managed to stammer, her voice barely a whisper. "I just… I needed some air."...

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...The Queen's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Air, you say? Perhaps you should have considered that before you decided to defy me."...

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...She leaned closer, her breath warm against Valkyrie's face, her voice a chilling whisper. "Don't think I've forgotten what you did," she said, her words laced with venom. "I'll punish you later. When the King is gone, and I can finally have my revenge."...

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...Valkyrie's heart pounded in her chest, her breath quickening. The Queen's words, a chilling promise of retribution, echoed in her ears. She knew the Queen was capable of anything, and she knew that she was at her mercy....

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...The Queen, her eyes gleaming with malice, turned and walked away, her footsteps echoing down the hallway, leaving Valkyrie alone, her body trembling, her mind swirling...

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