“Hey big sister,” Annie yawned at her twin. “How are you?”
“Grateful to see you awake,” Anastasia sighed. “What in the Goddess happened? I was halfway to the After World when I felt you tugging on my soul. How did you save my life?” Anastasia asked in awe of her sister.
Annie looked deep into her twin’s eyes, warmth and relief filling her heart. “I’m not really sure... My mind and heart wanted nothing more than to save you. I couldn’t be separated from you so soon, not after we have only just been reunited. I have a feeling that when Lily saved my life, her last spark of healing gifting was passed on to me and that’s how I could save you. I doubt I could heal anyone like that ever again. I can’t feel that spark inside me anymore,” Annie sighed. “But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you are alive, and we are together again. Promise me you will never scare me like that again. I remember during a moment of semi-consciousness that you came to my rescue. Anastasia, you transformed into the most beautiful, strong mountain cat I have ever seen. How in the Goddess’s name did you do that?!”
“I don’t know,” Anastasia replied honestly, and a look of bewilderment crossed her face. “I wanted to save you. The water mage who kidnapped you rendered my fire-wielding powers useless. I tried to stab him with the dagger I always keep on me, but I missed. Then my natural instincts just took over. I lunged for him and suddenly my hands were replaced by paws and claws. I wasn’t going to let another sibling be taken from me. I have lost too many people I love already. I wasn’t going to lose you too. I love you Annie. You are the other half of my soul. You are my twin. I have lost you once, I can’t lose you again,” Anastasia spoke from her heart.
A gentle knock at the door, followed by a healer entering the room, drew the two sisters from their reunion.
“Pardon my interruption Princesses” the young healer spoke whilst gently falling into a curtsy. “The King and Queen are here to see you.”
“Thank you, miss, please show them in,” Anastasia gently replied.
“As you wish, my Princess,” the healer replied with a respectful nod, opening the door for the Alearian rulers to enter. “Presenting their Royal Majesties, Queen Amealiana and King Titian,” the healer formerly introduced.
“Thank you, Emily, but enough with the formalities. My girls, how are you?” The King asked, masking his concern with his usual stoic tone.
“I am as well as can be expected, thank you Father,” Anastasia replied, pulling herself up with a wince.
“What happened my darlings?” The Queen asked with great concern, rushing over to give both of her twin daughters a warm embrace.
“Hello Mother and Father, it is so good to see you,” Annie croaked, pulling herself up alongside her sister, leaning against the headboard for additional support. “I think Anastasia can tell you more than I can. I practically slept through the whole drama,” Annie attempted to joke.
“I would hardly call your near-death experience and Anastasia’s actual death a ‘little bit of drama’,” King Titian chided the Heir, completely unamused. “An intruder broke into our castle and tried to abduct you. Now is not the time to make jokes.” The King roared.
Annie released a sigh. “But we didn’t die. We are both alive and safe and that is all that matters.”
The Queen rose from her position on the bed next to her daughters to comfort her husband by his side. “I think what our Heir is trying to say is, now is not the time for questioning. Let’s allow the Princesses time to rest and we can talk about this in the morning.”
“Very well,” the King relented, “but don’t think for one second I am letting this go. Guards will be posted inside this room all night and wherever you go to afterwards until I can figure out who was behind this dreadful attack. Mark my words, if I find any link between the attack and Agnes, I will hunt her down myself. I will personally kill her where she stands for the pain she continues to inflict upon our family!”
The Queen gave her husband a gentle hug before taking his hand and guiding him over to his daughter’s bedside so that he could embrace them. The gesture seemed out of place; the male Royal was not known for displaying his affection, though he swallowed his pride and gently hugged each of his daughters briefly. A gesture which touched the young ladies’ hearts.
The King slowly exhaled a breath and bid his daughters goodnight before whispering into Anastasia’s ear: “I am so proud of you my daughter. I am so proud to not only call you my fire-wielding daughter but also my shape-shifting prodigy. You are a true gift from the Goddess for our people.”
Anastasia offered a small smile in response, no doubt feeling at a loss for words, taken aback by the rare praise she had received.
“Goodnight my darling daughters,” Queen Amealiana farewelled her children, pressing a kiss to each of their cheeks before leading her husband arm-in-arm out of the room to allow the Princesses the rest they needed.
‘Praise the Goddess that we are both alive,’ Annie thought to herself as she gently lay back down, Anastasia following her lead, before taking hold of each other’s hands and falling into a blissful deep sleep.
~ ◊ ~
6
Agnes
Just past the edge of the city proper, in a small farmer’s cottage, Agnes paced in frustration. The stone, two-bedroom cottage usually housed a family of three. The family’s main form of income came from hunting; selling the pelts and meat off at market. This was supplemented with the meagre healer’s wage that the commoner’s wife, Antoinette, earned as a castle healer. Antoinette sat upright in a sturdy wooden dining chair, her hands bound tightly behind her back, dried tears tracked down her face. Her right eye shone with a fresh mottled bruise from Agnes’s most recent assault. Her hair hung unkempt and her uniform was filthy and bloodstained from spending hours tending to Princess Anastasia’s wounds before she was deemed beyond saving. Her care had been taken over by the head healer and new apprentice. The couple’s ten-year-old son usually attended school during the day whilst his mother worked in the castle but was presently locked in the single bedroom as Agnes’s hostage.
“Your beloved husband has disappointed me Antoinette,” Agnes drawled. “One small task I set him, and he could not even achieve that. Such poetic injustice that he was murdered by the Princess you tried so desperately to save. All the while, you were completely unaware that it was your dear beloved husband who was behind the attack. How does it feel to know that he was so brutally murdered, several floors beneath you in the castle whilst you attended to your daily healer duties completely unaware?” Agnes taunted rhetorically.
“The whole city is on high alert,” she continued, “trying to find answers regarding your husband’s traitorous ways. You can thank the Goddess that his identity remains unknown or else your time would have run out too. The problem I have now… Is that with more guards on duty, it makes it even more difficult for me to move around the city undetected. Since your husband has failed me, that only leaves you to carry out my plans. That is, if you want your precious child to live. But I will be merciful. If you deliver me the Heir of Alearia alive, I will leave you in peace. You will be free to live out your mundane life caring for your son. Though no doubt you will have to relocate to some remote community after your husband’s identity is discovered. Of course, without the money brought in from your husband, and working as a healer for a few silver coins a month, I fear you will soon run out of money to feed your precious little son, so your future must seem quite bleak… Any future is better than no future at all though, isn’t that right Antoinette,” Agnes smirked, ripping the gag from the middle-aged woman’s mouth.
“Please!” The woman pleaded, her voice horse, “let my son go! He has done nothing to harm you. He is just an innocent boy. I will send him away to live with my family, please, just let him go and I will do anything you want!”
“Now why would I do that,” Agnes drawled, “when I can already make you do whatever I want whilst your son remains here? There is n
o guarantee that once your son is out of the picture, you won’t go and do something stupid like reveal my identity to the guards or take your own life... No, I don’t think I will be releasing your son. Not until you have carried out my demands.”
“Please!” The woman continued to beg, “please release him! He is all that I have left in this world! Without my husband’s income we will surely perish. There are hardly any food stores left. If I don’t get to the market soon with the little money we have left, we will all starve. Please, he is only a little boy, he has his whole life ahead of him, just let him go!” Antoinette pleaded in between heaving sobs.
“I see you are not yet desperate enough to follow through on my demands if you are so focused on your son, so I shall make a deal with you. If you do not meet my demands by sunset tomorrow night, I will kill your son in front of you. I will make him suffer and then I will make you suffer for failing me. Don’t think for one minute about calling out for help. The moment a single palace or city guard arrives at your quaint little home, I will set your home on fire with your child in it. So… I will tell you one last time Antoinette, for my patience is running thin. Bring me the Heir of Alearia or you and your son will die,” Agnes demanded menacingly, her eyes staring straight into the healer’s soul.
The healer was now trembling, her body quaking from fear. “As you wish,” the farmer’s widow reluctantly agreed.
Agnes released a wicked cackle, severing the binds that held the widow captive and slicing the woman’s delicate healer’s hands in the process with her dagger. The widow released a small whimper of pain before attempting to compose herself. Steel filled her eyes as her protective motherly instincts took over. “If you dare harm my precious Arthur, whilst I carry out your dirty work, I will find a way to end you. Goddess damn you!” The healer spat at the former Princess’s feet before sprinting from the cabin, heading straight for the city proper.
Agnes smiled to herself with intense satisfaction as she crossed the room and unlocked the boy’s bedroom door, which opened with a loud creak.
“Arthur, you may come out now,” Agnes cooed at the entrance to the now unlocked bedroom door. “Mother has just gone to the market to gather some food and then we shall have a feast. There is nothing to fear, you are safe here with me,” Agnes said gently, incongruent with the nasty smirk she had painted across her face.
The boy lay huddled in a foetal position in the far corner, underneath his single wooden bed from where he had heard all that had transpired. Shaking uncontrollably in terror, his eyes squeezed shut, as he gasped for breath, realising the danger he and his mother were in. His dad was dead, and no-one was coming to save him.
~ ◊ ~
7
Princess Annalyse – Heir of Alearia
The castle was on edge after the recent attempted abduction. Princess Annalyse, however, was still expected to perform all her duties as Heir; one of the unfortunate realities of being a royal. After two short recovery days, Annie was thrust back into her duties, feeling bone-weary. Her head felt permanently clouded from sleep deprivation, but what uneased Annie the most was that she hardly recognized herself in the mirror.
The healing the Heir had performed upon her twin had aged her appearance significantly, and she had transformed from a 16-year-old girl into the body of a woman in her late twenties. Her figure had filled out, and small wrinkles around her eyes had appeared. Everything about her reflection seemed unfamiliar. It would be an adjustment she would have to grow accustomed to. Magic always has a price; her grandfather King Julian had once told her. Evidently, losing years off her own life in exchange for Anastasia’s regained life was the cost she would have to pay, but it was a sacrifice she would gladly make again without a second thought. Unfortunately, the effects of her premature aging left questions regarding her fertility, and therefore her dosage of her daily fertility tonic had been doubled. The pressure to find a husband and produce an Heir was now more pressing than ever.
In the tallest tower of the Alearian castle, Annie stood beside her mother, the crisp mountain breeze ruffling their hair. Soft snowflakes drifted around them. The centuries-old castle was a mix of sandstone and traditional bricks, giving the castle a slight luminescence as the sunlight reflected off the surrounding snow and pale sandstone, outer turret towers. The Alearian Kingdom was a mountainous rugged land, not for the fainthearted. Nestled upon a mountaintop, the Alearian castle stood proudly, and further down the mountain was the city proper. Scattered among the oaks of old, the city’s estates and cottages were situated; sprinkled with white delicate snow.
Annie looked out towards the horizon to watch the sunrise with her mother, dreading the conversation she undoubtedly felt was coming.
“Mother, I do not feel like myself. The person I see in the mirror looks somewhat like me, and sounds like me, but she doesn’t feel like me. I do not regret what I have done… But I am afraid. If I cannot feel comfortable in my own skin, how can I feel comfortable with anyone else?” Annie dared voice.
“My dear Princess,” Queen Amealiana began, “you are the Heir of our mighty Kingdom. You are strong and you are wise. What you see on the outside does not reflect any of your internal qualities. You are a beautiful young woman. Some of your years may have been taken away from you, but that only saddens me because they are years we will never get back together, and I have already missed so much of your life. Saving Anastasia’s life came at great sacrifice and I am eternally in your debt for bringing my beautiful daughter back to me. To see you, Anastasia, and Alecia, alive and well, brings me such joy as a mother. I only wish that I could ensure your safety. To strengthen your position in our Kingdom, you need to ascend the throne. To protect your legacy, you must find a suitable husband to crown King and begin your own journey of starting a family.
“Not only does producing an Heir protect our family’s legacy,” Amealiana continued, “but it also avoids uncertainty for the Kingdom’s future. The people need to know that if something were to happen tragically to yourself or your future husband, that someone else will be there to rule Alearia. Above all else though, being a mother is the most rewarding role you will ever fulfil. If I had to choose between motherhood and being Queen, I would always put my children first. I love you all dearly with all my heart. Now, come. It is time we head down to family breakfast. We can talk more over delicious pastries and fruit platters. Sweets always make difficult discussions easier to stomach.”
*
“Come on Annie! This will be fun! Think of matchmaking like choosing a meal from a menu that you get to enjoy for the rest of your life!” Anastasia cheekily exclaimed to her sister over family breakfast.
“A person I am expected to live the rest of my life with, no pressure,” Annie replied. “And what if I don’t like the noble or Prince or whoever they are? What if they don’t like me? What if they hate the smell of my breath in the morning? What if he hates the way I have aged so quickly? There is so much pressure placed on one decision. I always imagined I would marry for love, not out of duty. I grew up in a small town among young men who used to tease me. I don’t have any male friends. How am I meant to know how to act around potential suitors?” Annie asked, exasperated.
“Annalyse Brandistone,” King Titian fumed. “You are the Heir to our Kingdom, and you will perform your Goddess deigned duty. Marriage in royalty is not about love. It is about alliance, protection, security, and maintaining a strong bloodline,” King Titian insisted firmly over his cup of tea.
“My dear Annie, have another pastry,” Queen Amealiana offered attempting to smooth over the conversation with the lure of sweet treats. “The King and I only want was is best for you and for Alearia, and that is why we need to start addressing this issue. I am sure your sisters can offer you some advice on courting. The suitors will begin to arrive soon, and it is up to you to decide who becomes our future King. Whoever you choose as your husband is up to you, but the Kingdom will be watching. You have made steady progress in your leaders
hip training, but a large proportion of our Kingdom’s people are still unsure about a Quillencian raised healer becoming our next future Queen. It is up to you to prove them wrong.”
“Very well, Your Majesties,” Annie conceded reluctantly, pausing to indeed take another bite of a raspberry tartlet. “I will meet these suitors. But the idea of marrying a stranger is abominable to me. I will not marry someone I cannot see a future with.”
“Oh, give me a break,” Princess Alecia drawled from across the table, quiche in hand. “You had the crown handed to you on a silver platter and you want to throw all of that away because you don’t want to marry someone unless it is for love? For Goddess’s sake Annalyse, you are rubbing this opportunity in our faces. It is time that you put aside your idealistic small-town values and start thinking more about what it means to be a ruler. Our people need a strong ruler, not one ruled by their feelings,” Alecia stated matter-of-factly.
“I understand that, sister,” Annie sighed through gritted teeth. “But I will not change who I am and what I stand for to appease the people. I will gladly give all I have to serve Alearia. I think I have already proven my loyalty time and time again as I heal each of Agnes’s mind conqueror victims. I am left exhausted by the end of each day, from doing so. I don’t have time for myself, let alone time to court potential suitors. Frankly Alecia, I thought we had moved past this sibling jealousy after I appointed you the next leader of the Alearian Legion Army,” Annie said frustratedly.
“For Goddess’s sake Annalyse, did you really think you could buy my loyalty with a title?” Alecia stood from her chair and bellowed, “I am not some cheap trophy. I have thanked you time and time again for returning my gifting to me but at the end of the day, if you refuse to satisfy your role as Queen then I will gladly take your place. Our people need a strong leader they can rely upon.”
A Queen's Fate Page 3
