by Kami Bryant
“Say what now?” asked Miss Katherine.
“You will carry this pile of clothes that I prefer to my stick hut and then you will help me get cleaned up, fix my hair and help me dress,” commanded Em.
“I am not really a Lady’s Maid,” said Miss Katherine.
“You are now. Come along.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” sighed the girl.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Beau stood beside Miranda at the head of the table when Queen Emberlyn glided up to the group, her royal nose high in the air. Miss Katherine prancing at her heels like an excited puppy.
“Look, Papa,” squealed the girl as she ran up to her father. “The queen found that gown from the chest you brought back from the raid. And I did her hair,” squealed the girl proudly.
Em wore an all-white gown and white gloves. Her under bust corset shone with a silver gleam. The gown had puff sleeve and a high collar. The lace under dress flowed from her breasts down to her ankles. The white over skirt gathered in layers at her hips and a second satin white skirt completed the ensemble.
Em’s hair was gathered to the crown of her head and then fell back in a meticulously twisted braid.
“You are going to get dirty wearing that,” said Miranda. “We are in the forest not a ballroom.”
Em haughtily arched a brow at Miranda and said, “I’m sorry, did you say something?”
“Way to make friends, Em,” said Beau.
“I don’t intend to make friends with you people,” hissed Em.
“These people are your people, Em. Why can’t you see that?”
“Savages, fugitives and ruffians!”
“You are not in your ivory tower any more, Your Majesty,” said Miranda. “Welcome to the real world.”
“How about I take you with us on the raid tomorrow. So, you can see how your people live?”
“She can’t handle it,” scoffed Miranda.
“Good,” said Em. “I know just what to wear.”
“We will be riding horses, Em. Do you remember how to ride?”
“Of course,” said the queen and with that everyone settled down to dinner. Beau watched his beautiful queen daintily eating with her white gloves and listened to all the excited conversation of his people around him. After dinner Beau escorted Em back to her hut.
“I will be back in the morning to get you,” said Beau.
“Sure, whatever,” replied the queen slamming the door to her hut as much as the stick door could slam, that is.
Beau chuckled to himself and walked away into the woods. He found Juniper sitting on a rock in the clearing staring at the bright stars in the dark sky. “Hey there,” he said to the little mage. Her cloak camouflaged the wings that Beau knew sprouted from her shoulder blades.
“All is well,” said Juniper.
Beau pulled out the stone that symbolized Em’s heart, from beneath his shirt. He examined the heart-shaped stone with its tiny ventricles, the black spot seemed to have grown. “This doesn’t seem to be working,” said Beau.
“It is early yet,” replied Juniper.
“Do you think she can be saved?” he asked his little mage friend.
“I don’t know her like you do, but I believe in you and you believe in her.”
“Thank you,” said Beau as Juniper scooted over on her rock and he sat beside her. Beau looked up at the dark sky. “I love her,” he whispered.
“I know,” said Juniper and she gently rested her many jointed fingers on Beau’s hand. Beau turned his hand over so that he could hold hers.
“Thank you,” whispered Beau.
The next day Beau stood with Miranda waiting on Em. “What is the end game?” asked Miranda.
“What do you mean?” asked Beau.
“With the queen. I thought we were going to ransom her, but instead we are taking her on a raid with us? What if she escapes? I thought the whole point was to take down Mormorant and save the people of Mirovia?”
“We are taking down Mormorant and saving Mirovia. And we are saving Em. She wasn’t always like this.”
“Wait. Are you telling me you know the queen?”
“Yes. I grew up in the castle in the stables. We grew up together.” And with that Emberlyn made her royal entrance with Miss Katherine at her heals. “You aren’t coming, Kat,” said Beau.
“I think she should come in case I need her to fix my hair,” said Em.
“Again!” shouted Miranda. “This is not a garden party! This is WAR!”
Em arched her eyebrow haughtily at Miranda. “You don’t look much like a warrior,” coughed Em.
“Neither do you, Your Majesty!” shouted Miranda with a half curtsey. “I say if we aren’t going to ransom her than we toss her into the aether, maybe one of her soldier automatons will catch her!”
Em wore knee high tall lilac boots with lacings and black stockings. Her purple high -low skirt ruffled prettily around her legs and her matching corset tightly cinched her waist. Her blouse had bell sleeves, was purple and black striped and she had a huge lilac dyed bird feather clipped to her hair. “I will need a weapon,” said Em pointing to the plasma protoblasters that both Beau and Miranda wore on their hip.
“Me too,” said Miss Katherine excitedly bouncing on her heels.
“You aren’t coming,” repeated Miranda.
The dark-skinned youth that Katherine had said was Ned Abraham Vyner joined the group. Miss Katherine’s cheeks burned red as the youth bowed to her and said, “Hello Miss Katherine.”
“Mr. Vyner,” replied Miss Katherine. Mr. Vyner and Miss Katherine were similarly dressed. Miss Katherine wore a white blouse, red corset, black ankle boots, black skirt and black stockings. Mr. Vyner wore a white shirt, red vest, loose black pants and knee high black boots. And then Miss Emmeline showed up wearing a short sleeve black blouse, chocolate brown corset, short brown boots, wide legged black trousers tucked in her boots and goggles resting on her blonde hair. She carried a plasma protorifle on her shoulder. Juniper followed her. The tiny mage wore her black cloak over her head and shoulders open in the front to reveal that she was wearing a white blouse, brown corset and black and brown striped trousers. She wore fingerless elbow length black gloves.
“We only have the five horses,” announced Miranda.
“Miss Katherine can double up with Ned,” said Beau. “And Queen Emberlyn will ride with me.”
“Kat is not coming,” repeated Miranda.
“I will take care of her,” said Ned as Beau simultaneously said, “She’ll be fine.”
“Okay saddle up,” said Beau.
“I need a weapon,” repeated Em.
“No, you don’t,” replied Beau as he picked her up and put her astride the horse. He jumped up to settle in the saddle behind her.
Ned helped Miss Katherine into the saddle and mounted behind her while Miranda grumbled about coming out and garden parties. And with that the little group of rebels were off.
“Where are we going?” asked Em. “Are we stealing from my castle, because if so, I would like to pick up some hats and jewelry. Or you could just take me home.”
“No Em,” laughed Beau. We are going on a raid to steal hover bikes, weapons and to destroy warships. Doesn’t that sound like fun?”
“No,” sighed Emberlyn.
“I want you to see how the common folk live and I want to tell you something about what I saw in Traetan.”
“You were in Traetan?” asked Em with shock and a hint of respect in her voice.
“Yes. I was banished there when Mormorant accused me of killing your mother.”
“Did you kill her? My mother?”
“No, of course not,” sighed Beau.
“Will you tell me about her?”
“She was beautiful, gentle and kind and she loved you very much. She was devoted to you and you were to her. When she was poisoned, it was like a part of your soul died along with her.”
“What about my father?” asked Em.
“He died s
hortly after you were born. I don’t remember him too well. I am only a few years older than you are. When the queen brought you to the stables that day, I felt like my heart jumped out of my chest and melded with yours. It was like my heart was walking around outside my body,” mused Beau.
“That is stupid,” replied Em.
“Thanks a lot, Your Majesty. Your heart isn’t even completely all flesh anymore, it is made of clockwork and gears.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“But it is true,” said Beau and he pulled the stone that represented Em’s heart out from his shirt. “See,” said Beau. “This is your heart.”
Emberlyn snorted prettily. “Whatever,” she said.
“This black spot keeps getting bigger and spreading. It represents the corruption of the enchantment that Mormorant cast on you.”
“Mormorant is not a mage,” said Em.
“Actually, he is a demon,” replied Beau.
“What?” laughed Emberlyn. “A demon?” and she started to laugh hysterically. “Mormorant?”
“That’s what I saw in Traetan. Mormorant is from there. He is bringing an army of ogres from there. People are being rounded up. He has to be stopped.”
“I am tired of your fairy tales. Are we there yet?”
“It is the truth, Em.”
“If you say so.”
“I do say so. I saw it.” Beau then moved closer to Emberlyn and whispered in her ear. “Do you love me Em?
Em ignored the question. She was quiet for the rest of the journey.
EIGHT YEARS AGO, IN TRAETAN
Beau obediently followed Juniper. They had been training for years and it was definitely showing on Beau’s more muscular frame. He had grown six inches broader with muscle across his chest the first year in Traetan, which made sleeping on Juniper’s trundle bed more and more uncomfortable. Most of Beau’s body trailed off of the trundle bed until he was mostly just sleeping on the floor and using the tiny trundle bed as a pillow.
Both Juniper and Beau rode on hover scooters that Juniper had brought home from somewhere. Beau was pretty sure that they were stolen.
“Where are we going?” asked Beau.
“To talk to a dwarf,” replied Juniper, which of course made complete sense, or maybe not.
“What?” asked Beau.
Juniper didn’t answer Beau’s query and Beau continued to follow Juniper’s hover scooter, his goggles sticking to his face. After a few hours of riding, Juniper came to a stop and Beau parked beside her. They had arrived at a stone hut with a thatch roof. A small man, with a beard twice as long as he was, stepped out. Oh, a dwarf, thought Beau. The little blond man wore a suede vest with a fur collar, goggles on the top of his head, heavy boots, a gold breast plate and a brass pauldron.
“What do you want?” growled the dwarf.
Juniper jumped off the hover scooter and rushed over to talk to the little man who was even shorter than she was. “Golmul Orcfall,” said Juniper respectfully. “I know that you are the best weapon master in all of Traetan.”
“In all of Traetan,” said Golmul. “In all of Mirovia, in all of the parallel worlds. I am the best there is!” grunted Golmul.
“Of course,” said Juniper with a small bow. “I would like armor and a sword made for him,” said Juniper waving her hand at Beau.
“Hmmm, the human,” said the dwarf.
“He is dueling Zorow Shade,” replied Juniper.
“Really?” asked the dwarf. “He doesn’t look like much.”
“Thanks, loads,” grunted Beau.
“He needs armor and a sword that will hold up to Zorow Shade’s acid,” contemplated the dwarf.
“What would you like in trade, my dear Orcfall?” asked Juniper.
“Hmm, that will cost plenty. How about a golden feather from the phoenix Eternus’ tail? That should cover it.”
Juniper sighed, and Beau said, “Well that doesn’t sound too hard.”
PRESENT DAY IN MIROVIA
Beau held up his fist and the little group of Forsaken rebels came to a halt. They could see a group of Mirovian soldiers rounding up groups of common folk. Mormorant stood at the head of the group of soldiers. All of the soldiers were large, and Beau could see that each of them wore a tiny shard of obsidian around their neck. The group quietly snuck up closer to the group of soldiers, hiding behind trees and bushes.
“Okay,” whispered Beau, “While they are distracted, Ned, Katherine and Emmeline sneak up and steal those hover scooters,” Beau continued pointing at the abandoned conveyances. “Miranda and I will steal as many weapons as we can carry, and Juniper will stay and keep an eye on the queen.”
“I don’t need a babysitter,” grunted the queen.
“Yes, you do,” whispered Miranda in response. “We don’t want you to try and escape.”
While they were planning, there had been a lot of activity with the common folk and Mormorant. A young girl wearing a modest dress and corset was forced by a large soldier to the front of the line and Mormorant had embraced the girl as if she was a longtime friend. Then a blue glow floated out of the girl’s body and Mormorant seemed to be absorbing the light until he dropped the unconscious girl to the ground and motioned for another to be brought forward. The other commoners were being pushed, manacled and forced into wooden cages on the decks of hover skiffs.
“We have to help them,” growled Miranda.
“What is he even doing?” asked Miss Katherine.
“He is absorbing their life essence,” answered Juniper.
“Does that mean he is killing them?” asked Ned.
“Yes,” replied Juniper.
“Beau, we have to save them,” urged Miranda.
“We are too outnumbered,” whispered Beau. “We can’t save them. Stick to the plan!”
“No,” said Miranda and she rushed toward the soldiers, drawing her plasma protoblaster.
“Miranda!” shouted Emmeline and she took off running after her.
“Damn IT!!!” shouted Beau. “Miss Katherine run over and steal a hovership,” ordered Beau. “Ned and I will cover them!” and he and Ned rushed toward the racing women with their plasma protorifles drawn.
“This doesn’t look good,” commented Em.
“I agree,” said Juniper.
“What do you suggest?” asked the queen.
“We wait here until they get back,” replied Juniper.
“We can’t outrun those ships on horses,” hissed Em.
“So, we steal a skiff,” suggested Juniper.
“I agree,” said Em. “How about that one?” she asked pointing to a skiff with a cage full of people that had been abandoned as the guards returned fire at the shooting rebels.
“Perfect,” said Juniper. And with that the two women snuck around the trees and closer to the skiff.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Beau stood in the clearing surrounded by guards pointing plasma protorifles at him. He sighed and dropped his own weapon carefully on the ground. When Beau bent down he quickly looked past the guards, and could see Miss Katherine, Emmeline and Ned wearing goggles and quickly escaping on stolen hover scooters. He knew that Juniper would take care of Em. But he couldn’t see Miranda anywhere.
“Well, well, well,” said a voice. Beaus saw Mormorant approaching and he sighed, placing his hands behind his head. “If it isn’t Mr. Beauregard Bartholomew Kitchingham,” chuckled Mormorant. “We have got to stop meeting like this. Where is the queen?”
“She’s safe,” answered Beau. “She is nowhere near you.”
“Ha,” said Mormorant. “That’s funny. Doesn’t matter, I will find her soon.”
“I know about your enchantment on her and I won’t let you have her.”
“Sure, sure, sure,” said Mormorant swinging a brass cane.
“I also know that you are a demon,” hissed Beau.
“Good for you,” said Mormorant. “Bring him along,” ordered Mormorant and the burly guards wearing obsidian shards pus
hed Beau toward a nearby cage sitting on a skiff.
As they walked, Beau saw Miranda’s lifeless body lying on the ground. Fuck, thought Beau. “Damn it, Miranda. I’m so sorry,” he whispered.
“Sir,” said the deep voice of a guard to Mormorant.
“What?” answered Mormorant.
“A skiff and two hover speeders are missing. And several protorifles.”
“Fuck!! Do I have to do everything around here!! Go after them!!” shouted Mormorant.
“Yes sir. Sorry sir. I am leaving now.”
Mormorant turned to Beau, “Good help is so hard to find.”
“Not the smartest ogre in Traetan, huh?”
“Ogres are notoriously stupid,” grumbled Mormorant and the guards twisting Beau’s arms behind his back and pushing him grumbled under their breath. “What’s that?” said Mormorant angrily.
“Nothing,” answered the guards.
“Damn it. So, what am I to do with you, Mr. Beauregard? How about I strip all the skin off your face, hmm? Maybe then you will tell me where the queen is? Does that sound like a good time to you? Or I could just flay you completely? Cut a small incision in your stomach and put a rat inside? I doubt it will feel very comfortable as the rat chews its way out of your torso. What else? What else?” thought Mormorant. “Wait, I got it. Yes, peel the skin off your face. And then, since you are so filthy, I will poor a bottle of bleach over your head to clean your nasty flayed face and then I will poor a bucket of boiling water over your head after that. Yes. Yes,” said Mormorant with a malicious grin, rubbing his hands together. “Ooooo and then pull out all of your fingernails and then soak your hands in a bleach bath. And then put your feet in buckets of boiling water and then break your knee caps. Oh, my goodness, the possibilities! I can’t wait to get started.”
“I will not let you have her,” insisted Beau. “I am going to save her from you. I am going to restore her memories and break your hold on her and then I am going to destroy you and all your ogre friends and save Mirovia.”
