Queen Annalyse of Quillencia, stood lost in thought by the window of the throne room, staring off towards the horizon. Towards her home.
“Do nothing,” the Queen responded after some time. If the General was surprised by her response he did not let it show, ever the professional. “As long as the protests remain relatively peaceful,” Queen Annalyse continued, “we can do nothing to interfere. If we act too brashly the people will only revolt further and the foothold of influence the High Priestess possesses will grow stronger, which is exactly what she wants. We must beat her at her own game. Rather than punish the people and the Priestesses for their protests, I want you to arrange for water and food to be taken down for the people. With full stomachs perhaps the crowd will become more reasonable. We need to soothe the peoples’ anger long enough for Princess Annalyse to return from her journey. Once Alecia and Annalyse have returned, united, they will resolve this issue.”
“As you wish, Your Majesty,” Lord Ashcott responded, bowing low.
“Two more things, Lord Ashcott,” Queen Annalyse specified, turning away from the window to stare into his eyes. The Lord stood upright, attention wholly on the Queen. “Make sure that the remaining castle Priestesses are rewarded handsomely for their loyalty,” the Queen said. “We will need to call upon their services for the Heir’s formal coronation when she returns. Send ravens out to all the potential suitors that were due to arrive over the coming months and schedule their arrival to be brought forward immediately. Our future Queen will need a King by her side,” Queen Annalyse stated, a glimmer of cunning in her eyes. “Have the Alearian ambassador send out invitations to the rulers of Alearia’s allied Kingdoms, to the nobility, Lords and Ladies, and to the senior priestesses of Alearia. There will be a wedding following the next new moon. Alearia will soon be celebrating the reign of their new Queen and King.”
‘Let us hope and pray that Alearia’s Goddess appointed Heir can restore balance as prophesized. A new reign to reunite a dark and twisted Kingdom. I pray it will be just as my daughter foresaw at Annie’s birth. Amealiana, guide your daughters safely home, so together they may restore peace and harmony to your Kingdom.’
*
High Priestess Elizabeth
High Priestess Elizabeth stood proudly upon a temporarily erected stage beside the castle gates at the end of her first day of protesting.
“People of Alearia, the Goddess gives you thanks for your support of her Holy mission. It is our role as servants of the mighty Goddess, to speak up, to demand justice and make the wishes of the people known. Our mighty Kingdom needs a mighty leader. If Princess Annalyse cared for her people and valued her Goddess appointed responsibilities, then she would be here with us, hearing our concerns and requests.
“The Goddess demands absolute service from her people,” she continued, “and our Heir is not meeting those demands. Our Goddess has shown me visions of a new Alearia, one where the Goddess and her people once again live in peace and harmony. The Goddess cannot do her work through our leaders if they do not make themselves available to serve her. Earlier, the palace sent us gifts of food and water to reward us for speaking freely and making our concerns known. They must understand that their reign is nearly over, and new leadership is required for our Kingdom to once more thrive and flourish.”
Cheers ascended from the crowd, fueling the flames of distrust in their Monarchy.
“The time has come,” the High Priestess continued, “to choose where your loyalty lies. You must decide if you choose to stand by a Monarchy that has fallen apart — a new member of the royal family dead every other week. Or, you can wholly put your faith and trust in the Goddess and by extension your High Priestess and fellow sisters. Trust us to always put your needs first, to follow our Goddess’s values, and restore peace and unity to our Kingdom. The time has come for new leadership! The time has come for change!” Elizabeth declared, wind whisperers carrying her message across the city proper so that every noble, every peasant, could hear her call to rally the people.
‘The crowds grow by the thousands as my message is relayed. My influence spreads far and wide amongst the people. We will stand strong as a united people against a Monarchy that has failed to provide stability, failed to protect their people. Any attempt the castle makes to win back their people’s allegiance, I will twist to suit my means.’
“All hail the Goddess! A new Alearia!” The people chanted, adopting the battle cry begun by the Priestesses.
The sun set and the bonfire flames grew. The people set in for a long night of protesting. The cold air of night fueled their tempers as the crowd grew rowdier and the protests continued.
“All hail the Goddess! A new Alearia!”
‘Our people will be heard, and I will be crowned ruler of all Alearia. I will be High Priestess and Queen, and a new reign will begin.’
~ ◊ ~
24
Princess Anastasia
After the conflict in the watchtower, the three Princesses and two knights tended to their wounds as best they could thanks to Annie’s apothecary skills and Anastasia’s diathermy fire power. During a confrontation with Agnes, Sir Tomlin had acquired a broken ankle. His injury was sure to make the journey home slower and more gruelling. After Annie had finished making a brace for Sir Tomlin’s left foot, Alecia took Anastasia for a short walk near the watchtower. Anastasia could tell there was something weighing on Alecia’s mind and so she had not questioned her sister when she suggested they go for a walk, even though all she wanted to do was rest.
“I have missed you, Anastasia, there wasn’t a day that went by when I forgot about you,” Alecia explained softly.
Anastasia stopped walking, grabbed her sister’s hand and pulled her into a warm embrace. “I know that. I missed you too, Alecia. I knew you would come for me. Nothing gets between you and what you want,” Anastasia attempted to joke, whilst holding back almighty sobs that threatened to break through at any moment.
Alecia pulled away from her sister’s embrace and held both of her younger sister’s hands. The first light of morning was just hedging over the horizon. They had been awake all night and exhaustion had set in.
“Anastasia,” Alecia began, “there is something else I need to tell you.” Alecia took a deep slow breath; her bottom lip began to tremble uncharacteristically. Taking a seat on a nearby boulder under the cover of a tree, she beckoned her sister to join her.
“What is it Alecia? You can tell me anything. I can handle it,” Anastasia promised, though as the words escaped her lips, she wasn’t sure she could.
“At our Queen Mother’s burning ceremony, father ordered me to find you and bring you home. He told me to take care of our Kingdom. As hard as our father found it to express his feelings, we always knew how deeply he loved our mother. I don’t think he could bear to be parted from her, and so, as our mother’s spirit was carried from this world into the next through the cleansing pyre flames, our father joined her... Only their wedding rings remained after the fire had burnt out. Mother and father are forevermore reunited in endless peace with Alexander and the Goddess now,” Alecia reflected, releasing the first tears Anastasia could recall seeing her sister shed since Alexander’s passing.
Anastasia embraced her sister once more. At a loss for words, she finally allowed herself to shed the tears she had been holding back so bravely.
‘How could our father die from his own flames? He was fire incarnate. I didn’t think it was even possible… And why would he leave us? Surely his children were just as important to him as his wife, though father changed after Alexanders passing. He was a shadow of the ruler he had once been, perhaps we weren’t enough for him anymore. Perhaps I wasn’t enough for him anymore.’
*
An hour later, as the sun fully rose over the Alearian Alps, out the front entrance of the watchtower, Anastasia and Alecia sent billowing flames over their eldest sister’s body as it lay to rest atop an animal fur they had found inside the tower.
“Goddess forgive our sister of her sins and grant her an eternity of endless peace in the After World,” Annie whispered in prayer to the sky.
Alecia had protested Agnes’s right to have a burning ceremony initially, but there was no room for argument once Annie pointed out that their mother would be horrified if her living children denied her eldest the chance to pass on to the After World. Even Anastasia had to agree that an eternity in limbo was a fate she would wish upon no-one, not even the traitor who had used her as bate to lure her twin sister into a trap.
*
A day of rest followed by three gruelling days of travel through the Alearian alps on their way back to the city proper had taken its toll on the weary travelers.
Approaching the crest of a mountain bordering the Alearian city proper, Anastasia couldn’t be more relieved to see her home atop the adjacent mountain peak in the distance.
‘Home... What an odd notion when almost everyone I care for has departed from this world into the next. What is home without our King and Queen to lead us...’
“You are not alone,” the voice of her departed mother echoed upon the whispered wind. “Follow Annie and she will lead you home. She is the Queen that will restore balance to our Kingdom.”
Anastasia looked around to see if anyone else had heard the message from the fallen Queen. After it became clear that the message was meant solely for her ears only, as the group continued looking towards the city proper, Anastasia turned slowly towards Annie and dropped to her knee. The knights followed her lead in respect.
“My Queen,” Anastasia declared, startling her twin with the use of the formal title. “Your Kingdom needs you. We need you. Help us restore peace and stability to our home. For family and Kingdom, take us home.”
“For family and Kingdom,” the knights and Alecia echoed.
Annie took a deep breath and turned back to face the city proper. “I cannot do this alone. I will need you, Alecia, to be my Legion General and protect our people from harm. And Anastasia, I need you to be the gentle voice of reason, who speaks for those who cannot speak for themselves. You will be the voice of our people. For family and Kingdom. Let’s go home,” Annie proclaimed.
~ ◊ ~
25
Princess Annalyse – Heir of Alearia
“I was naive to believe I was in any way capable of leading a Kingdom,” Annie claimed, exasperated. “We have been home for only a few days and already I feel more like a caged animal than a Queen preparing for her coronation. The idea of choosing a King in the next two weeks is unthinkable. I am not ready for this Queen Annalyse. Why did you insist upon making these decisions without me?” Annie complained like a child to her grandmother.
The Queen of Quillencia straightened in the wing back chair she was seated upon in the young Heir’s private suite, flattening out an invisible wrinkle in her forest green gown.
“Young lady,” the Queen spoke calmly but authoritatively, raising her eyes to look directly at her granddaughter. “Sit down and stop pacing around like a child.”
At the Queen’s remark Annie halted her steps and turned to stare dumbfounded at the Queen before meekly moving to sit opposite her grandmother.
“I apologize, Grandmother. I spoke out of turn.”
“Yes, you did, but you are also entitled to. Tomorrow you will be crowned Queen of Alearia, and as Queen your voice matters,” Queen Annalyse reminded the Heir. “Yes, your formal public coronation and wedding will not take place for another two weeks but to protect the Kingdom you must be crowned earlier to secure your reign,” the Queen responded now in a tone more like a grandmother scolding her grandchild. “To earn the people’s trust back you must marry, and an alliance with another Kingdom through marriage will help to strengthen your claim to the throne.”
Annie inhaled and exhaled deeply and straightened her back.
“You are right Queen Annalyse, every fibre of my sage gifting tells me so, but I am not even seventeen years of age. I am far too young to marry, rule a Kingdom, and...” Annie almost choked on the words she had not yet allowed herself to voice, “conceive a child.”
The Queen of Quillencia relaxed her posture and called for the lady’s maid to bring more chamomile tea. When the room was empty of all but the two royals, the elderly lady leaned forward and took her granddaughter by the hand, gently caressing her cheek with the other.
“You are stronger than you think, Annie. Your Grandfather gave his life for this Kingdom because he knew that you were the future hope of your people. Your mother, Amealiana, believed in you from the day you were born and right until her last breath, she devoted her life to serving you, your family and Alearia. Your father left this world for the next because he knew that you and your sisters could lead the Kingdom. You are a mind conqueror and sage gifted. Regardless of your age, you must not underestimate yourself.
“You need to look back upon all that you have overcome in your life and recognize the wise leader you have become,” Queen Annalyse continued. “You are the Queen the people need, Annie, and you will prove that to them. You will find a way to stop the riots and calm the civil unrest. Once you ascend the throne and the people accept you as their new Queen after you have earned their loyalty, Alearia will be a peaceful Kingdom once more. You will make a just and fair ruler Annie. You just need to have faith in yourself,” Queen Annalyse concluded.
Annie squeezed her grandmother’s hand gently, “thank you, Queen Annalyse. Your support means more than you could ever know.”
As the women sat in silent contemplation, Annie’s temporary lady’s maid, Lady Margarette, formerly her late mother’s lady’s maid, re-entered the room. She carefully placed a fresh pot of tea beside the royals, their teacups still by their sides where they had left them.
The Heir of Alearia turned towards her lady’s maid, “thank you Margarette for all of your help, I realise you are still grieving my mother’s loss as we all are.”
The lady’s made offered a small bow of her head in thanks. “Could you please deliver a message to Princess Alecia?” Annie continued. “Please request that she schedule a meeting in the war room in an hour. Then please invite all the potential suitors to the family dining room for dinner this evening with the royal family. I wish to welcome our guests formerly to Castle Brandistone.”
~ ◊ ~
26
Princess Alecia
In the centuries-old, beating heart of the castle, the Alearian war council members gathered. Once the room was full of mature delegates of the Alearian Legion, led by the mighty King Titian and supported by Queen Annalyse. In its place, now only Lord Ashcott, Sir Tomlin, Princesses Alecia, Anastasia, and Annie, remained. Queen Annalyse of Quillencia had also been invited to attend to offer her insight.
Much to the war council’s dismay, many of the senior Legion officers had abdicated their titles in the Legion after the King’s death. The news had spread that Alecia would be appointed the next General and many of the Legion’s warriors, behind closed doors, questioned her entitlement to the position. The gossip amongst the lower ranking Legion members was that her nobility was the only reason for her appointment to the position. Whilst Alecia conceded there was some truth to the rumours, she was indeed a fierce warrior in her own right, with an immense fire-wielding gifting. She had trained her in tactics, combat, diplomacy and weaponry skills her whole life, as well as honing her own body into a physical weapon. Alecia felt she was unquestionably the perfect person to take over the role following Lord Ashcott’s retirement.
‘If only the Legionnaires could see my worth too. See that I am a weapon in my own right. Being female and of royal blood does not negate my level of training or my tactical decision making. I have been trained by the best to become the best. I will prove the gossip hungry, sexist pricks wrong.’
The soon-to-be General sat to the left of Annie’s side, who now occupied the King’s former place at the head of the table. To sit to the left of the Crown was a great honor, but the sense
of privilege was lost on Alecia, who still couldn’t help the feelings of jealousy she held towards the Alearian Heir, though she masked her feelings well. Opposite Alecia sat Lord Ashcott and beside him sat Sir Tomlin. To the left of Alecia sat Queen Annalyse of Quillencia followed by Princess Anastasia.
“Thank you for gathering so promptly,” Princess Annalyse began. “As you are all aware, whilst I was away a decision was made for the betterment of our people that I shall marry and appoint a King upon the next full moon. I stand by the decision that was made on my behalf, which is one of the reasons I have called this meeting today.”
“Additional security measures,” Princess Annalyse continued, “will need to be put in place for the event. To earn the peoples’ trust, I have elected to hold the formal ceremony in the main city temple. It is a risk, I know, to hold the ceremony in such a public venue given the current civil unrest, but to be a Queen of the people means I must be amongst my people. How can the people grow to trust me if I do not put my trust in them? Furthermore, I would like to travel on horse, with escorts of course, in a procession to the ceremony from the castle, so that the people may feel included in the celebrations,” Annie concluded.
‘A completely arrogant and misguided decision. She makes these proclamations without putting any thought into the logistics of such an event.’
“I appreciate the sentiment Your Majesty,” Lord Ashcott interjected before Alecia had the chance. “It is a noble gesture to go through with this elaborate event, however, your safety is paramount. I cannot guarantee that there will be enough time before the event to arrange such an elaborate safety plan given the current, leadership issues we are experiencing within the Legion. I have tried my best to stamp out any dissent amongst the Legion, however, forgive me for saying this, but just as you wish to earn the trust of the people, so does Alecia need to do the same amongst the Legion, or there will be limited senior commanders left to lead the Legion’s squads.”
A Queen's Fate Page 10
