The High Priestess paused for a moment to allow those in attendance to reflect on the impact the Queen had upon their own lives before continuing.
“Our lives were all the richer for having had the privilege of knowing her. Though your hearts feel heavy, be reassured that our dear Queen is now at peace in the endless tranquillity of the After World with her loved ones who have passed before her. I would now like to invite Queen Annalyse to speak on behalf of the family here today,” High Priestess Elizabeth concluded.
‘Goddess grant me the wisdom to graciously speak words that bring honor to you and my daughter,’ Queen Annalyse prayed silently as she stepped forward, leading Annie along by the hand, to walk up the steps of the pyre and stand beside her fallen daughter.
The Quillencia Queen reached out to take Amealiana’s hand in her own, releasing Annie’s as she did so. Annie walked around to the other side of her mother and took her mother’s other hand in her own.
Princess Alecia and King Titian left their places standing at the base of the pyre to climb the stairs to the Alearian Queen’s resting place. King Titian chose to stand beside the Quillencian matriarch and Alecia took her place by her mother’s resting head. Alecia began to softly stroke her hand through Amealiana’s long silky tresses, cherishing her final moments with her dearly loved mother.
Prince Joshua, the Queen’s only sibling, remained hesitantly at the base of the pyre, trembling slightly whilst attempting to remain composed. As the Quillencian Queen began to speak, Prince Joshua took a deep breath and slowly climbed the stairs to stand beside his mother, his eyes glazing over as he attempted to hold back his tears, leaving only the High Priestess standing at the base of the pyre and the Quillencian guards standing discretely in the shadows.
“Holy Goddess,” Queen Annalyse of Quillencia spoke with age old wisdom and grace. “We thank you for your blessed presence here today. Thank you for welcoming my daughter into your loving embrace and guiding her to the endless bliss of the After World, where she is free to spend eternity in the loving arms of her father King Julian, and her dear son Prince Alexander. All of whom were tragically taken from us before their time.
“Queen Amealiana Caston Brandistone, was a venerable woman who dedicated her life to serving her Kingdom and her family. Amealiana was a gifted sage and prophetic, who worked hard to hone her giftings to bring the Holy Goddess glory. Queen Amealiana lived a hard life, sacrificing her time with her beloved daughter Annie, to ensure her safety and laying to rest her only son and father, which all left irreparable stains on her heart. My daughter was loved by all who knew her. Especially her family. The Kingdoms of Quillencia and Alearia were stronger for her presence and her leadership. I am a worthier woman for having been Goddess chosen to be her mother. My grandchildren are stronger, wiser, more compassionate and open-minded, for having been raised by such a loving, generous, kind mother.
“Amealiana, I am proud and honored to call you my daughter. You will never be forgotten, and you will be forever cherished in our hearts. For family and Kingdom, you dedicated your life, and now we dedicate ours to continuing your legacy. I love you my daughter, and I always will,” Queen Annalyse solemnly spoke, her strength beginning to fail her as she felt the weight of her grief come crashing down upon her. Knees threatening to give way beneath her, Queen Annalyse grasped the Alearian King’s hand for support whilst she leaned over her daughter’s body, placing a gentle kiss upon her forehead, tears ran down her cheeks. Not a dry eye could be seen amongst the family.
“I love you mother, and I am grateful for the precious time we had together,” Annie spoke barely louder than a whisper, as she leaned over to embrace her mother, kissing Amealiana’s cheek one final time. After sadly releasing her mother’s hand, she slowly made her way back down the pyre steps, escorting Queen Annalyse on her way, offering her arm for support. Prince Joshua chose to follow them down the pyre stairs, no doubt keeping his farewells private, trusting that his sister already knew his heart’s wishes.
Princess Alecia and King Titian now stood alone beside their beloved Amealiana. Alecia whispering her final goodbyes to her mother before turning to walk down the stairs. King Titian quickly grasped the back of Alecia’s shoulder, taking her by surprise as she turned around to see her father. It was only then that she noticed for the first time, the dark circles below his eyes from lack of rest, hidden behind red tear-streaked eyes, a look of utter despair on his face. The rare vulnerability he never allowed the world to see beneath his usually overconfident mask.
“Remember father, that mother has not truly left us. She remains with us in spirit and in our hearts,” she spoke softly but with conviction as though she would accept nothing else.
“I can’t carry on like this any longer. My heart cannot bear anymore loss,” the King revealed broken-heartedly. “I need you to promise that you will find Anastasia, that you will bring her back, and then you will stop Agnes. Teach Annie to be the Queen the people need. Protect our Kingdom as our General Alecia, this responsibility I could only entrust to you. Can you do all of this my child?” King Titian implored Alecia with a level of sincerity she had never seen from her father before.
Alecia swore upon the Goddess that she would do as the King had asked of her and always strive to serve her Kingdom above all else.
“Thank you, Alecia, I love you.”
“I love you too father,” Alecia responded, embracing her father and ever so slowly walking down the pyre steps and back towards the castle, not stopping to look back.
Queen Annalyse looked on as the broken-hearted King lay protectively across his beloved wife’s body, no longer feigning any false displays of strength when he had none left to give. Titian whispered his love and devotion to his wife. A rare moment of vulnerability shared with the world, and he vowed to be reunited with her again soon in the After World. A wall of flames spontaneously ignited around the entire pyre, cocooning the Alearian King and Queen inside before an almighty burst of flame overcame the entire structure, burning brightly and as high as the castle turrets from the King’s Goddess given flame. Hours later, when the flames slowly began to dissipate, the only sign of the King and Queen remaining were their wedding rings that had been forged in dragon fire and passed down from generation to generation.
~ ◊ ~
16
Princess Anastasia
In a long abandoned Legion watchtower atop Mount Lizabeth, situated in the mountain range surrounding the Alearian City proper, Anastasia lay on a threadbare rug, locked in a tiny storage room, her limbs tied in chains. Anastasia could feel flickers of her fire wielding power pulsing faintly beneath her skin; the only thing preventing her from succumbing to hypothermia. However, due to her recent malnourishment, and the potion Antoinette had slipped Anastasia days earlier, her body was severely depleted of the strength and ability required to utilize her giftings.
Anastasia felt she would likely have just one chance to make an escape and so she kept resting, kept conserving her energy, and allowed her giftings to ever so slowly return to her as the potion slowly but steadily wore off. Anastasia was filled with rage. The time for self-pity had passed. It was unlikely rescuers would find her in this isolated location, so Anastasia was determined to find a way to save herself.
Agnes had gloated to Anastasia upon their arrival to the watchtower, of how she had murdered their own mother in cold blood. Agnes likely believed the impact of her mother’s death would destroy any remaining sanity Anastasia was holding on to but instead it had restored fire to her heart and powered the hatred she now felt towards her eldest sister. It would have been easy for Anastasia to fall into a depressed state and succumb to the grief threatening to consume her. But Anastasia vowed to the Goddess that she would avenge her mother’s death, and she could not do that from inside a storage room. So, for now she focused on her plan, conserving her energy. For now, Anastasia would not allow herself the luxury of giving in to her feelings. She would strategize as the warrior she had alw
ays trained to be.
*
Princess Alecia
Pacing around the war council chamber in her Legion leathers and fur lined boots, Alecia stopped every so often to look at maps of the Kingdom. The General personified formed a list of the different unsearched locations her lost sister could be held captive. Alecia was a born leader. Her ability to remain clear-headed in times of adversity was one of her greatest strengths.
Alecia pushed aside her thoughts regarding her father’s passing. She knew King Titian better than most people. They were kindred spirits in terms of their headstrong, stubborn, aggressive personalities. Alecia knew that once he had decided upon something, nothing she could have said would have changed his mind. So, even though she felt her father had let her down, and his decision to take his own life made her blood boil, blaming him or feeling sorry for herself would not change the outcome. Alecia had therefore decided the only thing left to do was to find her sister.
“If you want something done right, then sometimes you just have to do it yourself,” King Titian had installed in Alecia from a young age.
‘Now is the time to act,’ Alecia vowed to the Goddess, ‘I will find my sister Anastasia and bring her back. I will carry out the King’s final wishes and I will get this Kingdom and family back on track before there is nothing left worth saving.
‘Father was right about one thing. I am a woman of action, a general by nature and birth right. I will destroy Agnes for all she has done. Setting Agnes free, indulging Anastasia in her wishes to forgive and forget, was a mistake I cannot take back, but I can try to rectify it by making sure that no one else dies at the hands of my evil sister.
‘Now, where have the guards already looked and where would I go if I was trying to hide?’ Alecia thought to herself, staring at the largest map pinned to the council room wall of the in front of her.
A knock on the door drew Alecia from her thoughts. As she turned around to see who was there, the door pushed open and in walked Annie, dressed in her training clothes, a heavy pack in one hand and a black winter cloak hanging from her shoulders.
“You were right,” Annie declared in a strong, firm voice that left no room for misinterpretation. “We need to take down Agnes and bring our sister back. The only way I can be of any help is if I push aside my high and mighty morals and fight as a mind conqueror. So, what’s the plan General?” Annie asked in a cocky tone, a fake smirk painted across her face, her strong determined gaze staring Alecia straight in the eyes.
“Well, well, look who has finally decided to step up. Shut the door and sit down! We have a rescue to plan and revenge to enact. This time, Agnes does not make it out alive,” Alecia declared devilishly.
~ ◊ ~
18
Princess Anastasia
Furious, Anastasia lay on the stone floor in a dried pool of her own excrement. Her clothes were filthy from lying on the floor for days, with minimal food and water provided for her to consume like an animal from a bowl on the floor. She had no idea of the time of day or how much time had passed as she lay in a vault-like windowless storeroom within the mountain. Her hands remained chained behind her back; her feet also chained tightly together. Anastasia could feel her fire-wielding gifting humming strongly once more beneath her skin, a blessed sense of relief and security returning to her. Without her fire-wielder gifting, Anastasia had no doubt she would have already succumbed to hypothermia. She mused that Agnes was likely counting on that as well to keep her alive. A dead hostage was as good as no hostage at all. Such a risk to allow Anastasia’s powers to return but likely a risk Agnes felt she had to take to lure her true prize, Annie.
‘I will not be a helpless Princess stuck in a tower waiting to be rescued. I will escape from this wretched room and rain hell upon Agnes for treating me this way. Agnes is no kin of mine. Grandfather was right, there is no coming back from what she has become. I will escape from this hell hole and make Agnes pay for what she has done to me and for taking the life of our mother.
‘I will not be a meek and mild bystander any longer. I am a trained warrior, just as strong as Alecia. I will get out of here the first chance I get. But I will not give myself away. Agnes must not know to what extent my powers have returned or she will leave me here to rot in this iron cage of a room and never open the door again.
‘When I get out of here I will be reunited with my father, Alecia and Annie, and we will mourn the loss of our Queen Mother together. Curse Agnes for denying me the right to attend my own mother’s burning ceremony. Goddess, I pray that my mother is at peace once more in the After World with Alexander, Grandfather and Lilianna. I also pray that when the time comes, you give me the strength to do what needs to be done. Now is not the time for compassion or self-doubt. Now is the time to fight for my survival, to overcome my struggles and embody the Goddess’s warrior spirit.’
*
Agnes
Sleet fell over the Legion watchtower atop Mount Lizabeth, and the surrounding mountainous region. Agnes lay atop the watchtower roof, Alearian mountain cat furs protecting her from the elements. Ever since Agnes had been a young girl, hiding had always been her biggest asset. She had mastered the art of melting into the shadows, often listening in to council meetings through vents of the castle’s secret passageways. Atop the watchtower roof, Agnes spent most of her time gazing out over the surrounding countryside, on the lookout for the palace guards that were sure to be hunting her down. If Agnes was completely honest with herself, she was quite surprised it had taken her prey so long to find her. But she resolved that the more time her pursuers spent out in the elements hunting for her and their stolen Princess, the more drained of energy and reserves they would be. Agnes had pilfered preserved food stores from each of the nearby watchtowers over the past several days. The supplies were enough to keep her and her captive well-nourished for an extended period, not that she had any intention of waiting out there much longer.
‘If the search party doesn’t come to me then I will go to them and take what is rightfully mine. Of course, if Antoinette had managed to abduct the right sister in the first place, I wouldn’t be in this situation. But I can’t change the past. I can only focus on the present. I will get my revenge and powers back one way or another.’
Several hours later, Agnes saw the first light of a torch flickering off in the distance beneath the forest trees. She knew a search party must finally be approaching. So, Agnes watched and waited, silent and stealthy beneath the night sky as she eagerly waited for her plan to play out. The biggest risk to her now was a wind whisperer discovering her location, so Agnes made sure to breathe into her coat that was pulled up over her mouth and nose, so the noise of her breathing could not be carried upon the wind. She remained deadly still, comforted by the weight of two daggers concealed at her hips.
‘I am a weapon, deadly and efficient. Pity the fool who thinks they can defeat me in battle. I am death itself, ready to wage war.’
~ ◊ ~
19
Princess Anastasia
“Princess Anastasia, is that you? Please, you must wake up!”
The Princess awoke, startled from a fitful sleep as her shoulder was shaken by a stranger in the darkness, the husky male voice whispered with urgency.
“Who are you? Stay back,” Anastasia voiced, anxiously trying to squirm away from the intruder, her chains hindering her movement.
“Shh… We must be quiet, Princess. I am Sir Lawrence, here to rescue you. I was searching the fort for you when I heard you breathing beneath the gap between the lead door and the floor. If it were not for my gifting, I never would had thought to search a storage closest for you. Thank the Goddess you are alive!” Sir Lawrence spoke in hushed tones.
“Is there anyone else with you? Where is Alecia?” Anastasia enquired urgently, a glimmer of hope filling her chest.
Sir Lawrence helped Anastasia to a sitting position on the floor and attempted to break her chains, but without a key or anything stronger than a blad
e, his efforts were futile.
The knight’s voice was unsteady as he failed to break her chains. “Princess Alecia is here, she led the search party for you, and Princess Annalyse as well. They are searching the other floors for you. We have seen no sign of Agnes. We think she may be out scavenging for supplies as we speak under the cover of night, but we cannot be certain so we must be cautious. We suspected we would find you here after we saw fresh bloodstains at the entrance to the watchtower. We have been searching the mountain watchtowers for the past couple of days desperately trying to find you,” Sir Lawrence replied urgently.
Alarm crossed Anastasia’s face as she took in the guard’s story. “You mean to tell me you brought Annie here, straight into Agnes’s trap? What were you thinking?! Annie is in great danger. We must find her now before Agnes does! Do you think Agnes would really be stupid enough to leave me unguarded? You have all walked straight into her trap. None of us are getting out of here alive if Agnes has her way,” Anastasia alarmingly but furiously replied, as she focused all her energy on her chains, heating them to boiling point, burning her hands and those of Sir Lawrence's in the process, forgetting to warn him to move away.
The knight groaned in immense pain from the second-degree burns he had just obtained from Anastasia and noticing the bowl of water in the corner of the room on the floor, he dunked his hands in the water to alleviate the pain.
“My chains!” Anastasia barked through gritted teeth, her hands still burning, “smash the chains!”
Sir Lawrence painfully grabbed his dagger with one burnt hand, and with the blunt end, smashed it into the glowing hot chains wrapped around her wrists and ankles. The chains crumbled into tiny pieces, finally releasing the Princess from her bonds.
A Queen's Fate Page 8
