The Lost Queen

by Frewin Jones

“Be really careful in here,” Tania said as they entered the kitchen. “This room is full of metal things. Sit at the table and I’ll get you something to drink.”

  Sancha laid the two lumpy bundles in the middle of the pine table and the three sisters sat down. Zara lifted her head, blinking. She was less pale now, and looked as if she was beginning to recover.

  “My head swims,” she said softly. “Was Eden successful? Is this the Mortal World?”

  “Alas, but it is,” Cordelia said grimly.

  “You’re in my home, Zara,” Tania said as she took a carton of milk from the fridge and put four glasses on the table. She sat down, pouring milk into the four glasses and handing them around.

  “Your home?” Zara said, looking around. “Oh! I had often wondered what it would be like…but…” Her voice faltered. “It is so strange…like a dream.”

  “Or a nightmare,” Cordelia muttered. “I would almost rather we had stayed in Faerie and carried the fight to the Sorcerer King.”

  “We would have been killed,” Sancha said quietly. “And who would have benefited from our sacrifice?”

  Cordelia didn’t reply.

  They all drank thirstily, and for a few moments no one seemed willing or able to speak. As they sat there together, Tania noticed that Cordelia was constantly looking out of the window, gazing at the trees and bushes in the garden with a haunted, longing expression on her face.

  Sancha was looking thoughtfully around the room, taking in the things that surrounded them: The fridge and the stove and the microwave and the coffeemaker, the rows of gleaming knives and kitchen utensils that hung on the wall above the work surface. The chrome sink and the shining metal taps.

  “This is a strange and curious world,” she murmured under her breath. “It discomforts me greatly, but I would know more of it.”

  “This liquid has the look of milk,” Zara said, staring into her empty glass. “But it tastes like no milk I have ever known. What beast does it come from?”

  “From cows,” Tania said. “Something is done to it so it lasts longer, that’s probably why it tastes different.”

  She looked at her sisters. It was so bizarre to have them sitting there at her kitchen table that she had to keep telling herself that this was really happening.

  “There are cows in the Mortal World?” Cordelia said. “Strange. I had not imagined it would be so. They must be sad beasts, indeed.”

  Tania had no idea what to say in response to that. “Tell me how you got here,” she asked, looking from sister to sister. “If Drake didn’t do it, then who did?”

  “It was Rathina,” Zara said breathlessly.

  Tania caught her breath. Rathina?

  “It is small wonder that Eden could sense no trace of our errant sister,” Cordelia said. “Eden was seeking afar for her, yet all the while Rathina was beneath our very feet.”

  “She was in the palace, you mean?” Tania said.

  “Indeed she was,” said Sancha. “Eden understood too late the wicked deed that Rathina intended. She sensed the brewing of evil in time to save us but too late to prevent Rathina’s treachery from rising up and striking at the very heart of Faerie.”

  “The Palace has fallen to our bitterest enemy,” Cordelia said, her face drawn with misery. “The King of Lyonesse has been freed!”

  Tania gasped in disbelief. “But he was trapped in amber in the dungeons! You mean Rathina set him free?”

  “Aye,” Sancha said grimly. “Our own sister loosed this peril on the world once more and brought the darkness upon us.”

  “All is not yet lost,” Zara said. She looked at Tania with her bright blue eyes. “Our hope rests with you, Tania—our last hope.”

  “You have to tell me exactly what happened,” Tania said. “How could Rathina do such a terrible thing? And how did she free the King of Lyonesse? I thought there was nothing in Faerie that could destroy an amber prison.”

  “It was not with a thing of Faerie that she did the deed,” Sancha said. “It was with a thing brought into our realm from the Mortal World. It was with a sword of Isenmort. A sword that lay in the dungeons—the sword that you brought into Faerie, Tania, the sword that you used to free Edric Chanticleer.”

  Tania stared at her in dismay. When Gabriel Drake had realized that Edric was betraying him, he had encased his servant in a globe of impenetrable amber. Tania had gone into the Mortal World to seek something made of Isenmort—of metal—to break him free. She had sidestepped into modern-day Hampton Court Palace and snatched a sword from a display suit of armor.

  Tania had taken the sword back into Faerie through the Oriole Glass. Then Eden had led her to the dungeons and she had searched the myriad tunnels until she had found Edric. The touch of the sword to the amber sphere had destroyed it, but Edric had been weak—she had needed both hands free to help him get away—and she had left the sword lying there on the ground.

  “It’s my fault!” Tania whispered. “The King of Lyonesse is free because of me.”

  “No,” Cordelia said sharply. “Rathina did the foul deed. None other shares her blame.”

  “The first I knew was when Eden woke me in the deeps of night,” Sancha said. “‘Come,’ she said to me. ‘Be swift and silent. We must wake the others. Dark deeds are afoot this night. Rathina has returned.’ ‘How do you know?’ I asked her. She touched a finger to her forehead. ‘I see it in my mind,’ she said. ‘Alas that I could do nothing to prevent it, but at least we may escape the wrath that is coming.’ And so we fled from bedchamber to bedchamber until all sisters were roused.” Sancha licked her lips, her eyes hollow. “Rathina’s flight from the palace was pretense,” she went on. “She allowed the stable boy to see her riding away so that all should think she had departed.”

  “Had Eden thought to cast her net of seeking to the stones ’neath our feet, Rathina would have been found,” Cordelia said. “But she was sending her mind out over the far hills and saw her not.”

  “Rathina lay hidden from us until the night that you came to the gallery,” Sancha said, looking at Tania. “For it was only a short time after I bade you farewell at Bonwn Tyr and returned to my chamber that I was awoken by Eden.” She reached out to the round bundle and began to unwrap it. “And this will tell the tale of how Rathina survived the touch of Isenmort and was able to wield the sword that freed the Sorcerer King.” She opened the silken cloth to reveal the white crystal crown that had belonged to Queen Titania. The only other time that Tania had seen the exquisite, finely worked crown had been in Titania’s melancholy apartments in the Royal Palace.

  “Do you see?” Sancha said, pointing to the crown’s circlet ringed with inset stones of black amber. “One of the jewels has been prized loose.”

  Sure enough, Tania saw that one of the black stones was missing from its setting.

  “Rathina took it to protect herself from the bite of the Isenmort blade,” Cordelia said. “Then she went down to the dungeons and searched until she found the King of Lyonesse.”

  “And then she set him free,” Zara added.

  “But why would she do something like that?” Tania asked.

  “Of the workings of her mind we can but guess,” Sancha said. “But it seems most likely to me that she believed the King of Lyonesse would be able to find Gabriel Drake and bring him back from exile. Lyonesse is a mighty sorcerer; he has great power in him. Rathina must have hoped he would grant her a reward for freeing him, and that the reward should be the return of the man she loves, the traitor Drake.”

  A coldness pierced Tania’s heart. So Drake did have a part in all this. “Did he agree to bring Gabriel back?”

  “That we do not know,” Cordelia said. “But Lyonesse has no honor or gratitude in him. He would not feel bound to reward Rathina for her service to him. Like as not he would have killed her on the spot.”

  “No,” Zara said softly. “I do not believe that she is dead.”

  “Alive or dead, Rathina’s actions have brought ruin and desolat
ion to Faerie,” Sancha said. “‘What has our sister done?’ I asked Eden when we were safely hidden. ‘She has freed the Sorcerer King of Lyonesse,’ Eden told us. ‘Lyonesse has burst out of the dungeons and he has taken Oberon in his sleep and he has cast him into an amber prison. And he has put an incantation upon the sword of Isenmort to form it into bands of adamant wound all about the amber prison so that even Oberon cannot break free.’”

  “Oberon is a prisoner?” Tania gasped.

  “He is,” Cordelia said. “And once Lyonesse had done that wicked thing, he returned to the dungeons and set free his knights. Many of the pale horsemen of Lyonesse were imprisoned over the long centuries of war. I know not how many: One hundred, two, perhaps? They are cruel and evil to the rotted core of their hearts. It is in them to see the Tamesis run red with blood ere they are done with their sport.”

  “They’re killing people?”

  “Some few who faced them were slain,” Cordelia said. “But most fled the palace. Hopie was among those who escaped. She and Lord Brython rode west to Caer Kymry in Talebolion to summon aid, drawing away the attention of the knights from we who remained.”

  “In the confusion Eden led us to the Queen’s Apartments to take the crown,” Sancha said. “She did not want the black amber to fall into the hands of Lyonesse. He had already taken possession of Oberon’s crown, but at least the Queen’s crown was denied him.” She reached out a shaking hand and touched the black jewels. “And so we have protection against the perils of this barbarous world,” she murmured. “At least until the Gray Knights of Lyonesse come.”

  “Can they get through?” Tania asked. “You said that Eden had closed the way behind you.”

  “That is so,” Sancha said. “But it will not take Lyonesse long to learn the secrets of the Oriole Glass and use it to send the Gray Knights through into this world.”

  “Then let humankind beware!” said Cordelia. “There are thirteen black stones in Oberon’s crown, so thirteen can be sent through the Glass. And when that happens the Gray Knights of Lyonesse will cut such a swathe through this world that men will speak of it for generations to come.”

  “Nay, I think not,” Sancha said. “More likely they will act with stealth, keeping out of mortal sight until they have found us and put us to the sword. That will be their purpose, to see us all dead. For three days we were kept safe from the knights while Eden worked on an enchantment powerful enough to open a portal into the Mortal World. She had to counter the iron-clad sorcery that Lyonesse had thrown over the land to prevent you from returning and bringing the Queen with you.”

  “That’s why I haven’t been able to get into Faerie,” Tania said. “I’ve been trying and trying, but I just couldn’t do it. I thought Gabriel had done something to me. I thought he was coming for me.” Another thought struck her. “I passed out for a few minutes on Friday night. That must have been when Rathina broke the amber prison.”

  “Indeed it could be so,” Sancha said. “Such sorceries would reverberate twixt the worlds and I doubt not that you felt it.”

  “Eden led us to the brown tower,” Zara said. “But Gray Knights pursued us. We entered with their swords at our very backs. We fled to the roof and Eden had us throw down the trapdoor and hold it shut while she spoke her incantations.” Her eyes became circular with remembered fear. “The knights beat at the door and we could not hold them back. But the incantation was complete even as they broke in on us. The floor beneath our feet became a rushing coil of red flame. ‘Jump! Jump for your lives!’ Eden called to us. There was fear in me such as I have never known, but Eden would brook no delay. She thrust us into the fire, but she did not follow.” She brought her hands up to cover her face. “I fear that she was slain!”

  Cordelia reached out a comforting hand to rest on Zara’s shoulder. “Eden may yet still live,” she said. “She has great powers; not easily would she fall to the swords of Lyonesse.”

  “Indeed,” Sancha said. “I feel in my heart that Eden lives still, but the way into the Mortal World is surely barred to her. We are alone and cannot call on her powers to help us.” She looked at Tania. “Eden sent us here with a great purpose. We are to aid you in your search for the Queen, for only if we find her and discover the means to take her back into Faerie can our world be saved from falling for all time under the tyranny of Lyonesse. It is only Queen Titania who can free Oberon now—and without Oberon all is surely lost! If Faerie falls then it will not be long ere the dark armies of Lyonesse will pour into this world and enslave all of humankind. For that is Lyonesse’s great desire, to become the tyrant of both Faerie and the Mortal World!”

  XIV

  Despite what Sancha had said Tania felt a crushing weight of responsibility for the evils unfolding in Faerie. It was her carelessness that had given Rathina the weapon she needed to free the King of Lyonesse and set all this in motion.

  She had prided herself on being Faerie’s savior, the one who brought back light and joy. Now, not only was she responsible for the unleashing of death and terror in Faerie, but if Sancha was right, that horror would soon be stalking the streets of London.

  “The Gray Knights will have told the Sorcerer King what occurred at Bonwn Tyr,” Sancha said. “He knows that the Mortal World is but a mirror of Faerie. Even if Eden managed to seal utterly the portal that she opened for us, Lyonesse still has the use of the Oriole Glass. It will not take him long to judge where in this world we emerged and then he will send his knights through to kill us before we can find our mother.” Her hands were interlocked on the table, the knuckles white. “There can be no delay. Two worlds depend upon us!”

  Tania stared at her. “But I don’t know what to do.”

  Sancha’s expression hardened. “You have not the luxury of indecision, Tania,” she said. “We do not know this world. You must be our guide.” Her voice snapped like a whip. “Be strong, Tania! Where is the Queen?”

  “In China, about ten thousand miles away.”

  “So far?” Cordelia said breathlessly. “How may we reach her in time?”

  “We can’t,” Tania said. “But she’s coming back here soon. I just don’t know exactly when.” A sudden need filled her. “I have to call Edric. He has to know about this.” Her eyes widened. “And Jade, what am I going to say to Jade? I’m supposed to be flying to Florida in ten hours’ time.”

  “Flying?” Zara said. “I thought the Mystic Arts were gone from this world. How do you fly? Mortals have no wings.”

  “We use airplanes,” Tania said. “There isn’t time to explain it now.” She stood up. “I’m going to call Edric. We need him here.”

  “Call him?” Sancha looked puzzled. “How will he hear?”

  “We have machines for speaking to each other over long distances,” Tania said. “Mine is upstairs. I won’t be long. Be careful not to touch anything. If you’re hungry, I’ll make you something to eat soon.”

  She ran upstairs to her bedroom. Her hands were shaking so much that she could hardly press the keypad on her phone. She decided to call the Andersons first.

  Jade’s mother picked up.

  “Mrs. Anderson? It’s Tania—Anita Palmer.”

  “Oh, hello, dear. Just a moment and I’ll fetch Jade.”

  “No, listen. I’m very sorry about this. I know how kind you’ve been in agreeing to me coming on holiday with you, but I can’t…I can’t come.”

  There was a moment of silence. “Is there a problem? Has something happened?”

  “No, nothing bad,” Tania said.

  “You can’t just ring up to cancel at the last moment,” Mrs. Anderson said sharply. “What are you playing at, Anita?”

  “I’m really sorry,” Tania said. “The thing is, I’ve realized that I need to be with my parents right now. You know, after everything that happened. I thought it would be okay to go away, but I have to be with them.” That was certainly no lie—she was desperate to be with her Faerie mother and father, more desperate than she could possibly sa
y. “You do understand, don’t you?”

  “Well, yes I do, Anita, but haven’t they gone already?”

  “Yes, but I’m going to follow by train. I’ve checked out the times and everything. It’ll be fine. I have to leave right away, though.”

  “I suppose we might be able to sell the flight ticket back to the airline,” Mrs. Anderson said, the tone of her voice revealing her annoyance. “You really should have thought this through sooner, Anita. Jade will be very disappointed.”

  “I know. Please tell her I’m really sorry that I’ve let her down like this.”

  “I will.” There was a pause. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Mrs. Anderson asked. “Cornwall is a long way to travel on your own.”

  “Don’t worry,” Tania said. “It’s a straight run on the train, and I’ll pick up a taxi at the other end that’ll take me right to the cottage. I’ll let you know the minute I get there.”

  “Well, okay then, if you’re sure.”

  “I am. Thanks for understanding. Tell Jade I’ll see her soon. Bye.”

  Tania pressed to break the line. That was one problem solved, for the time being at least, and it was pointless worrying about what would happen when her parents found out she hadn’t gone to Florida.

  She was shaking worse than ever now. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she pressed Edric’s number. She needed him to be here with her.

  A couple of minutes after finishing her call to Edric she received a text message from Jade: I DON’T BELIEVE YOU!!!

  She’d texted back: SORRY. I HAD NO CHOICE.

  The return text was a single angry word: WHATEVER!!!

  She didn’t respond.

  While they were still waiting for Edric to arrive, Tania used a knife to prize three of the black amber jewels from Titania’s crown so that each of the princesses could have a protective stone on them.

  Once her sisters were safe from the threat of metal Tania took Sancha and Zara on a tour of the house. Cordelia didn’t accompany them, preferring to sit on the threshold of the open back door and gaze out into the garden with her fingers knotted in her lap. Being in the Mortal World seemed to weigh heavily on her spirit, more heavily than it did with the others.