– The Queen'

nd clubs and private casting parties. It spoke of a woman with a crown made of silence and lips

she marked rose like fire through the ranks of the entertainment world

ery miracle, and the shado

me was

over a decade, she was l

e in fate. He bel

s an illusion. He learned early how to lie with his smile and seduce with h

e campaign-cheap cologne. His voice had been rejected from a dozen casting booths. His dance reel ha

Fast. And tire

und a black velvet envelope sitting at the edge of his

y of roses and spice. There was no stamp. No delivery slip. No

open it

it like it

tore i

e been

ertainment reque

No phone.

rewarded. Defiance

oordinates and a time. Midnigh

dn't h

irt that fit, left his phone on the crac

elieved in signs.

nd lived with two other struggling dreamers. His dream was simple: to be seen. Not as the beautiful boy pe

, it was tucked under

oot, bathed in candlelight, si

envelope

e-FRED-

so fast he ne

led in his hand

e been

en is w

ence. Leave

knelt right there and

ed in white, and went exactly

ked up at different p

ight. The driver wore white gloves and didn't speak. He o

dustrial park. The driver was silent. A woman in a red su

said. Inside was

this some kind

d. "This is t

ut i

ark they could have been underground. Neither b

the car stopped, the air sme

ld they kne

unlike anything

le. Balconies hung like whispers over the ocean. Candles lit the halls. There were

in a vase. Fred's room had white linens and

't see ea

t

d, robed, and left alone

ed for them. Their only contact with the world outside their rooms was

ll

ins in stillne

ot weakness.

boy dare

as led into a circular c

ool stood i

ce came

me what makes

aced his hands on his

e said. "I'm afraid I'll give eve

ed a l

ingle rose bloomed in

an interrogation. He sm

aid. "I did what I had to do.

le

e voice

lies. Tr

face s

at I liked being used. That I hate

A breath of warm air

" the voic

t sleep t

were brought into the sam

w, lit with candles and fi

e sat at the

were placed

said th

mmediately,

d. Then the thron

esit

ence th

kne

dles fl

w," Lilly said. "One of you wil

te wings of the house, but

find the other's s

tea to invisible hands

He sang lullabies into the hal

t in the dark, pushed his body to the limi

y crossed path

ey brush

they k

didn't p

the tens

illy summone

l, at last. Dressed in black silk, crow

boy coul

Fred first, t

light,"

hive

, traced a finger

are s

at her. Sa

eaned

oth ar

e tested

d to sing whi

to kneel while

side by side

em sometimes-but

er kiss

claime

wa

watc

they

broke

wrote poems on the walls. He

ed to b

mained

ht Lilly summ

him to

d him no

her throne

o fight me,

id no

nk you c

l no

ind him. Whisp

are you

w

n't no

laug

econd week, they we

throne behind her sh

he said. "But only one o

I love you,"

aid n

pproach

," she asked, "i

d k

did

y Ken l

pered. "Don't love

ched hi

in

scr