by M E Williams
“Have you ever read about ‘The Rose That Grew from Concrete’ or ‘Laila’s Wisdom’? Well, I copied down a list of poems reminding me of you. You can read them whenever you have time or whenever you feel alone out here. I know you must miss where you come from or your family. And I don’t know, maybe one day you and I can talk about our favorite stories, music, and poems?”
Little pieces of paper fell from the rest of the folded letter. I picked them up and began reading, while a guard came in with food. As she was pushing the food through the small opening, I tried talking to her.
“I request to see Queen Lisa. She would not have me here,” I told her with a frustrated tone.
“Queen Lisa is who ordered you here for your attack on Princess Marriah and the murder of Jake,” she said and began to exit the room.
“I did not attack Princess Marriah!” I yelled at her back.
More days passed. This time was worse than before. At least previously, Marriah and Vicki had been here to keep me company while I was learning to speak. This time, no one came to visit me and the only time I saw anyone was when I was being served food. Marriah must not have been dead because I was still alive. She could not have been conscious either, as surely, she would have told them the truth.
“Argh!” I let out a gut-wrenching scream, in the most pain I had ever felt in the human form. It was more of a shriek. They must have put something in my last bit of food because I did not remember being transported and I was now in a much bigger room, my arms, legs, and waist chained. My stomach was flat on a board but I was upright. Queen Lisa was in the room along with Oya, who came up behind me.
Queen Lisa nodded. I felt a whip mark across my back. I shrieked again.
“Why did you attack Princess Marriah?” Queen Lisa asked coolly.
“I did not attack Princess Marriah,” I said between breaths. I’d been taught to withstand torture. It was not the fact they were torturing me that bothered me. What did bother me was being accused of attacking Marriah. Surely, the Queen knew better? The Queen looked past me to Oya again. I felt several lashes before passing out once more from the pain.
There were always people in and out. Rance always treated me with kindness, offering me water and conversation when the others would just enter and leave without acknowledging me, going about their business as if I wasn’t there.
Lagelica came in once and said she knew I did not do it, but it was hard to prove otherwise right now. She told me to be strong. But I had only seen her once.
Zander’s younger brother came in, too. When I first saw him, I thought they must have been related due to the red hair and similar facial structures. He gave me food and whispered in hushed tones, “Zander said hi,” before running off because he was being chased out by someone for being in the wrong area. No word about Princess Marriah.
Most of the time I spent being tortured, I was not able to talk, a gag in my mouth preventing me. But Queen Lisa was there each time it happened and I grew to hate her. One day, she brought in a woman with blonde hair and dark brown eyes, her dark, smooth skin reminding me of Zander.
“I saw her attacking Jake.” She whispered it. I wanted to tell them how she was lying but passed out, again.
The last time I came to, I was in the same room, but no longer being whipped on the post. Instead, I was lying on a soft bed. I sat up, still a little disoriented. I held my head and tried to stand but could not. I pulled at the chains. It seemed my arms, feet, and waist still had nowhere to move. The most I could do was sit straight up. Nothing more.
When things became less fuzzy, I could see clearly. I still felt a little… drunk. Yes, drunk. Someone had been dosing me with something strong. It was now beginning to wear off. I saw a group of women and know now they were the sisters of Queen Lisa and leaders around the Midwestern area.
Queen Lisa spoke first. “I’ve called this Queen’s Tribunal, to deal with this…” Her hand loosely waved toward my direction as if dismissing me and not caring either way. “You all know what has happened to Princess Marriah. We have a witness.” There were whispers around the tribunal, but Queen Lisa continued, “Adriana, step forward, please.”
Adriana, the girl who reminded me of Zander, stepped forward and Queen Lisa went to sit in the middle of five women, including Queen Kunova. She was the only one besides Queen Lisa that I recognized. Adriana was visibly shaking. She kept looking back at me, and I still could not speak. Still gagged.
“Introduce yourself,” Queen Lisa sternly stated.
“I am Adriana. I came to this compound from a Brazilian one. My boyfriend Jake and I had to escape because the people in power wanted to run tests on me and force me to have children to do testing on them too. They wanted a way to harness my melanin and the melanin of others like me, to ensure their survival.
Jake and I did not want any of our future children to be experiments, so we fled. We were on the run until Queen Lisa accepted us. I have skills in masonry.”
“And you saw Mari attack both Marriah and Jake?” Queen Lisa asked.
Adriana looked at me and hesitated, but still lied, “Yes, I was looking for Jake and stopped by and saw the attack.”
“You saw the attack and didn’t help?” the woman furthest left of the semi-circle asked. I later found out this was Queen Marie and the eldest sister of all the queens present. Queen Marie had long, straight, jet-black hair, high arches in her eyebrows and was just as dark as Queen Lisa. She commanded the southernmost compound of the Midwest.
Behind her stood her two daughters and son. One daughter was the color of chestnut, the other more buff. She had a tint of yellow to her brown. Her son towered over both her daughters and was also more of a chestnut color.
“I…ugh…” It was as if she did not know what else to say. I looked to the Queen who appeared to be staring at me already, until her voice caught my attention again, “I am not a fighter, Queen Marie. I waited for the best opening.”
The next person to speak was Queen Sharrise. “Why would you assume Jake was above ground? I would think he spent most of his time underground?”
“Well, yes, but lately he’s been volunteering to test the suits.” She spoke this time without pause.
While she was speaking, another queen whispered in the ear of Queen Sharrise. Later, I found out she was Queen Amanda. Queens Amanda and Sharrise were fraternal twins and ruled the most eastern part of the Midwest together.
It seemed no matter how hard Queen Lisa tried to give them their own lands to rule, they proved inseparable. Queen Sharrise did most of the speaking but you would often find Queen Amanda whispering in her ear or simply agreeing with the statements.
They looked like complete opposites, even just sitting there. Queen Sharrise was maybe five feet nine while Queen Amanda stood just as tall as Queen Lisa. While Queen Sharrise was more of a hazel color with hazel hair to match, Queen Amanda had skin resembling mahogany with red hair and freckles. Queen Amanda sported a large afro, Queen Sharrise had a low cut.
After Queen Amanda finished her whisperings, Queen Lisa made a statement. “The suit wearers’ testing is not near the Princesses’ tent.” The two daughters of Queen Amanda stood behind them, also with very different appearances, nodding in agreement.
“Princess Marriah was very open and had many friends. No one is prohibited from visiting—” She was cut off by a roaring Queen Lisa.
This was the first time I had witnessed her lose her cool. She stood up. “Are you saying it’s her own fault she was attacked?” She demanded an answer.
Adriana dropped to one knee and bowed her head before replying, “No, My Queen, I was simply trying to answer the questions brought before me.” Her voice was very shaky.
“You’re lying.” Queen Cynthia spoke this time, seated to the left of Queen Lisa. When Queen Cynthia spoke, most people listened because although her voice was soft, it was often full of the most profound words. Most of the time, it would sound harsh, but she was just direct and honest. If yo
u got past the harshness of her tone, you could tell how much she cared for her family.
When Queen Cynthia spoke, this granted time for Queen Lisa to cool off. Roci put his hand on her shoulder and urged her to sit down. It seemed the voice of Queen Cynthia and the directness caused Adriana to go into a panic.
“I… All I know is Jake wanted to ask Princess Marriah about a decision Queen Lisa made… I, she, Princess Marriah is… approachable.” She spared a quick glance in the direction of Queen Cynthia.
Queen Cynthia chose to say nothing. Behind her stood two daughters and a son. Queen Cynthia was in charge of most of the West, well past the Midwest boundaries.
Princesses Kunova II and Vanessa kept their hands firmly on the hilts of their swords. Queen Kunova did not have to say any words; she simply looked between Adriana and myself before settling on Adriana with a straight face.
“Listen, Adriana. We already know of your and Jake’s guilt. That is not the question.” If Queen Lisa and the other queens knew of the guilt, why am I being punished, I wanted to question Queen Lisa. But there was too much pain in my mouth to speak needlessly. I was here for a reason and was sure I would be called any second. “In the beginning, yes, we suspected Mari of the attacks, but we know the truth. This Queen’s Tribunal is to find out the punishment for both of you for two separate charges.”
I inhaled deeply and Adriana seemed to give up. She spoke really softly, resigned to her fate. “Jake and I were expecting a baby, but you said it would have no place in the compound. With Jake being a suit wearer, we were supposed to ask permission to have children and did not. The Queen decided we would get rid of the fetus or be banished. I liked my life here in the compound and made the choice best for me.”
“So, you attempted to kill my only daughter, your Princess?” Queen Lisa spoke again, this time regaining the calmness and authority she normally exuded.
“I swear, when I got up, I went looking for Jake. I had no idea of his intentions. When I went to Princess Marriah’s tent, I saw Jake and Mari fighting, and with his dying breath, he admitted he was getting revenge on you for your decision by attacking the Princess. I hit Mari in the back of the head after I realized what happened,” she finally said. And as if all the energy was sucked away from her, she crumpled to the floor.
Queen Lisa tapped twice against her seat and the door opened. Oya walked in, grabbed Adriana by the arm, and took her out of the room. She did not put up a fight. She walked calmly next to Oya.
It seemed it was my turn to be judged. “Mari. You are here because others like you were found all over. Some never made it to live in a comfortable cell like you. Others reported some sort of spy network. Whatever it is, I know you lied.” Queen Lisa did not ask me a question. I did not offer an answer.
Queen Kunova did speak this time. “You’ve had several times you could have attacked. What is the real reason you’ve landed on Earth?”
I talked with a tight jaw, “We know this planet as ‘ND. I am…” I did not know how to say it so made it simple after a brief pause to gather my thoughts, “I am here to determine if this planet is a good place for the war between my… what you would call clan and another clan. We did not come to attack.”
“You did not come to attack, this time,” Queen Marie said with a perfect eyebrow raised.
Again, I did not answer. It did not seem like a question.
“I move to pull the vote. We know her guilt. What is her punishment?” Queen Lisa said loudly.
“Death.” Again, Queen Marie spoke first.
“Death!” Queen Sharrise shouted.
“Death!” I heard the voice of Queen Amanda for the first time.
“Death.” Queen Cynthia stated.
“Imprisonment,” Queen Kunova said, and when the other queens questioned her with their looks, she explained, “I was there when she fought for our people. She protected Princess Marriah.”
Queen Lisa walked up to me and said loudly, “The tribunal has voted for death. You will be taken back to your room underground until your time is up.” Then she said in a low voice that only I could hear, “For the record, I too would have voted death, but not because you may be a danger one day. For breaking my rules established when we met.”
She went back to the other Queens and took her place. She tapped her chair twice again. Oya came back, unchained me, and lead me back down the passageway.
“Death.” Oya said to the guard at my door.
We went through the door. Oya turned me around to face her, took my hands, and placed the chains back around my wrists. She then pushed me through the door with the see-through window.
“I will not have to chain your feet and waist, will I?” she asked.
“No,” I stated simply. I went to my spot on the bed and sat with my back to the wall, crossing my legs to resemble a butterfly. I heard her leave the room. I tilted my head up and looked at a familiar spot on the ceiling of my prison.
I spent what must have been several days there, waiting. It could have been weeks. This time, I did not bother to care about the motions above me or trying to keep track of the days. Now, I would much rather they get the death sentence over with so I could ascend. As the days ran into each other, I did not have a visitor and even my food was brought to me by the guards when they changed shifts.
On one of those days, there was a different pattern; I heard three voices instead of the normal two. I still did not move but just opened my eyes. I was lying on my side facing the brick wall behind the bed. I thought I heard a familiar voice but considered my mind was playing tricks and stayed in the same position. Whoever it was stayed silent but opened the main door to my little room. I heard familiar steps, but again, I did not move.
Finally, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned slowly—only to face Marriah. She smiled and held up the food in one hand. I silently sat up and moved over to give her space to sit on the bed next to me.
“Want to see my scars?” she said in an exuberant manner, as if I was not imprisoned.
“I am happy to see you alive, Marriah,” I said, smiling back at her.
“We’re friends, you know. I won’t let her kill you,” Marriah said as if she could challenge the Queen.
“I have told you before, I am not afraid to die. I will ascend. You might get one chance of negotiating someone’s life with your mother, so do not waste it on me,” I told her, looking into her eyes this time to let her know how serious I was.
“But, we’re friends,” she said again as if everything hinged on this.
“Marriah, I was sent here with a mission. It is complete.” She wanted to say something else but I kept talking. “Will you return these to Rance for me?” I handed her the letter with the many songs and poems folded inside. “Also, can you tell Zander, thank you for her friendship and for saving my life that one time.” I might have blushed just a little; it felt awkward given the situation. “And… tell Lagelica I said thank you for the mask.”
“Mari, I will petition for a quick death.” She sat the tray down on my bed next to me. I looked at her, and I think for the first time, I did see her as the future leader of this clan.
CHAPTER EIGHT
More time passed and the same as before, Marriah came to visit, while time just came and went. If you asked me what I felt, I could tell you honestly that I just felt tired. Tired of waiting. Tired of counting the endless days. Then again, the Queen probably knew this already. There was no reason she was keeping me there, wasting resources like food and guards. What was she waiting for? I often pondered on this.
I had stopped focusing on the daily bustle of the compound above me except for the day I thought I heard a loud echoing sound calling to me, alongside screams and panic unfamiliar under the rule of Queen Lisa. Even in the worst times, she knew how to take command. Whatever it was causing the compound to react this way must have been something they’d never encountered.
It did not take long for me to find out. I was sitting up in my bed from the f
irst wave of sounds. I heard the guard drop something—probably her weapon—and began to scream. There was a break in the cries for help when I listened for the patterns above ground again, also hearing the guard leave her post.
A few seconds later, I heard what sounded like a group of people headed toward me from above. They opened the hatch, walked down the ramp, and practically sprinted toward me. A few words were exchanged with the guard and the door was slammed open.
“We need your help!” It was Oya. She looked spooked. It was hard to scare a person like Oya and other warriors of her stature. She was accompanied by Lagelica and other elite warriors and trainers I had come to recognize.
She did not even bother to chain me. Instead, we all sprinted full speed following Oya’s lead. I thought we would be going toward the main gates of the compound but when we opened the hatch, I heard someone yelling, “Down! Don’t look at them. Get down!”
On my complete exit back to the top of the compound, I could feel the sun at full strength. That was not important. More important is what I saw. There were K’LM everywhere; it looked like a total of four of our KGNRV, my LBK or clan was included.
“Close your eyes, Oya and keep them closed.” Oya did as I asked without hesitation and started to give out orders to do the same.
“Oya, where is the Queen?” I asked her because I thought they would want to speak to her.
“She took Princess Marriah to safety. Can you translate for me?” she asked. Oya would be in command until Queen Lisa returned.
I could not be sure this body would not perish. I was in human form and humans could not mentally or physically handle the sight of K’LM. Either I could see them and talk to them, or I would ascend and meet them all again soon enough.
“MM-N-‘JHS,” I said and took one knee, with my head looking at the earth.
