Goldest and the Kingdom of Thorns

by Joanne Durda

Savagio raised an eyebrow. “Queen Goldest?” he said, and laughed. “You don’t mean that golden frog?”

  “Don’t be so rude, Savagio!” the princess cried out sternly. “Goldest is Queen Goldest. I have been informed by Floriana that Goldest was once a golden princess from the Kingdom of the Ladybugs. Her descendants were killed by the past ancestors of Leo. So, you see, Savagio, she is now the Queen.”

  “Hard to imagine a frog being a Queen,” Savagio stated dryly as he sipped his wine. Looking thoughtful he said, “Strange, how she never talked or bragged about being a princess or a Queen.”

  “Goldest has always kept her burden a secret, tucked away in the deep folds of her golden heart,” the princess stated faintly.

  “Like Ushi had always said about her – Goldest is Goldest, and there will never be another Goldest,” Savagio, with a smile on his face, remarked.

  The princess smiled at Savagio’s spoken words, which brought back memories of Ushi. Savagio then made a toast to Goldest in jest, and the princess frowned at him.

  The patient Imbecile, sipping his wine, waited for Savagio to make his own decision to come and help the Ladybug Castle survive the onslaught of the Monks and their Thorn Warriors.

  “I understand Ushi is there with some of his Willow Warriors. Is he harmed in any way?” the princess asked Imbecile, with some apprehension.

  Imbecile looked at the princess and saw not only the sadness within her eyes, but the growing sorrow within her heart. He knew instantly that she, with her sincerity and honesty of heart, was truly in love with Ushi. But Savagio, with his own intentions, was only confusing the folds of her most precious being. She must face reality with truth and listen to the core of her beating bosom telling her what she needs to know, a smart Imbecile thought to himself. He straightened up and replied, “Sorry, Princess, that I do not know. But knowing what a strong and skilled warrior Ushi is, he should come out unscathed.” Imbecile could only hope that his last choice of words to her would comfort her heart somewhat.

  The princess let out a distressed whimper. A bluish tear dropped from her beautiful blue eyes. Savagio took notice of her distress and was annoyed by it. The princess looked with pleading eyes at Savagio to go and help them. There was no mistaking into what Savagio read in her eyes. Now, he was really irritated by what he saw.

  “Why do you bring me such news?” a peeved Savagio asked.

  “Because Octagon admired you as a warrior, and knew that you would make things right again,” Imbecile quietly told him.

  “Or is it because only I know the secret of destroying the Thorn Warriors?” Savagio asked, his anger mounting.

  Imbecile knew instantly that Savagio was losing his patience with him, due to his jealousy of knowing how distressed the princess had become about Ushi being surrounded by menacing danger.

  “You are the one to do it, if anyone could. After all, you trained them,” the clever Imbecile told him. Imbecile immediately knew by Savagio’s reaction that he had hit him hard in the proud, soft spot of his heart. Imbecile quietly chuckled within himself, the courage making him bold as well. I like this new found courage that I have acquired from Octagon, Imbecile thought to himself. Maybe I should keep it and make it mine. After all, it is a gift, is it not? he asked himself.

  “Only by the Monks’ request did I train them! Surely, Octagon knew what Theo had planned!” an angry Savagio shouted, as his face began to turn scarlet in anger.

  Imbecile remained unmoved at Savagio’s outburst. I must remain calm and not seduce Savagio to come because he has to, but to come because he wants to himself, Imbecile thought to himself.

  “Octagon had hoped within the sincere folds of his heart that Theo would center himself among a more beauteous kingdom that had not developed a dynasty yet,” Imbecile calmly told Savagio.

  Calming down, Savagio asked, “Then, why did Theo not do so?”

  “Before I had left, Octagon confided in me that he came upon Theo one night studying from their ancient ancestral books. Theo read how the ladybug wings had a thaumaturgic potency within them. Secretly, Octagon believed Theo wanted to breed and control all the ladybugs – use their wings for sorcerous potions, rituals and offerings – performing miracles,” Imbecile explained.

  “Sounds to me like Theo has blackened his heart! Do any of the other Monks know what Theo has in mind?” an astounded Savagio asked.

  “No one else knows. It seems to be that Theo wants to be the unmitigated sovereign over a kingdom, and not allow his own Brothers to share with him.”

  Savagio suddenly felt that he was in the presence of Octagon and not Imbecile. “I cannot believe how much you are like Octagon at this present time. Why, you even speak like he does!”

  “Because I am he at the present – as he is I as I once was.”

  The princess had sat patiently and listened closely to their conversation. She could not be patient anymore. The truth of love within her heart made her speak out with honest words. “You must go help Ushi, Savagio. It would break my heart if you did not.”

  “And what of my heart, Princess? You know, it beats for you, too.”

  An uncomfortable princess lowered her head. “Please do not ask my soul to speak its secrets,” she softly told him.

  Savagio noticed how uncomfortable the princess was. There was silence for several seconds. “Very well, you have spoken enough words, Princess. I shall go and help Ushi,” a crestfallen Savagio told her.

  Imbecile smiled to himself. What one wouldn’t do for the sake of love, or to protect one’s love, he thought to himself. He breathed a sigh of relief, and took another sip of his wine.

  Savagio slowly rose up from his chair and looked down at Imbecile, who was enjoying the distinct taste of their wine, grown from their own hefty violet grapes.

  Savagio smiled down at Imbecile, knowing full well that he could very well be talking with Octagon and not Imbecile. “Why, Imbecile, did you have any doubt?” He did not wait for him to reply, but straightened up and bluntly said, “We leave immediately.”

  Savagio turned and walked earnestly out of the room to get dressed for the long ride ahead of him. He instructed one of the Tooth Warrior guards to prepare his horse and told another guard to have a kitchen attendant prepare him a knapsack of wine, rye bread and goat’s cheese to take with him for the long journey that had to be made in half its time. Then he remembered Imbecile’s enjoyment of the wine and added, “And make sure you add extra wine, as well as extra food, for the Monk.”

  Imbecile poured himself another goblet of wine and helped himself to the rye bread and yellow cheese sitting on the long table. The ride had made him hungry. He needed strength for the long ride back that he knew had to be made quickly. The princess, sensing that Imbecile could take care of himself, excused herself with a heartache and went to her room for the night. She felt bad about showing her strong feelings for Ushi, but she also cared for Savagio. She hoped that Savagio did not think ill of her for wanting him to go to Ushi’s rescue. She had no right to interfere between Savagio and Imbecile. Savagio is a warrior; therefore, he should act first as a warrior and do what must be done, thought the princess to herself. This one thought justified her wanting Savagio to go and help Ushi.

  She eventually retired for the night, but could not sleep and spent a restless night, never blowing out the numerous white candles which lit her room and brought warmth. She rose during the night and lit cones of passionflower incense to sooth her and to induce her to sleep. So great was the inner conflict inside her pulsating heart, it kept her from slumber. Whimpering sonances escaped her tongue throughout the night as she lay.

  As the princess tossed and turned, her private thoughts focused on unpleasant nightmares as a black-hooded Imbecile and a black-hooded Savagio galloped their horses steadfastly to the sound of rolling thunder and intervals of bright lightning, which flashed fiercely from the ground on up. Their hooded capes blew wildly in the wind as the cold caressed their bodies. They rode with a concentrat
ed passion to their destination, ignoring the chill, fearing nothing in their way. They rode right through the shadows which seemed to block their way towards their destination. They only had hours to get to where they needed to be; not even a day would be sufficient.

  “I am a warrior, and I must think like a warrior – be a warrior. The princess was justified in asking me to wield my honor and sword for another warrior like myself. I would ask the same,” Savagio whispered to himself.

  The other rider guessed that Savagio knew he had done the right thing. A contented and courageous Imbecile spurred his horse into the fullest gallop possible, with Savagio doing the same. Onwards they rode through the most roughest of terrain into the icy agony of the night – their skin feeling clammy, even though it was covered by their robes. Soon, it seemed that the shadows gave way to them, and they no longer had to ride through them.

  The Assault Continues

  The Sun rose slowly, as the morning sunrise was colorless. No warmth did the Sun bring about this morning, what with the doom written all over its face. An agonized Goldest sat on her windowsill, gazing out over her homeland and the onslaught that was about to take place. Golden tears fell like droplets from her golden eyes. She felt so helpless. She wished that there was something she could do for Ushi and the fighting men. Her golden heart felt heavy with grief, as despair settled in. I must pull myself together and be strong for Ushi, thought Goldest to herself, because he is strong for me. I must stop drowning my heart in misery with all this weeping. My heart already feels like a damp rock sitting on wet earth. “Soon, dark moss is going to start growing in it,” she laughed to herself, trying to snap out of her woe.

  Ushi, the Willow Warriors and male villagers had set themselves up outside the Ladybug Castle walls in lines filled with themselves and their weapons. A huge bonfire burned to warm the men. Hot brew with the Queen’s very own special white chocolate cocoa, and various kinds of fresh warm bread were brought out from the kitchens and distributed among the men to eat and drink.

  “Archers, take your place by making the front line!” Ushi shouted to the bowmen. They had talked and agreed last night what they would do in the morning regarding their attack.

  “Now, let the strange creatures make the first move. When they do, we will set our arrows aflame and shoot them at the creatures – fire being our only chance against them,” he reminded the men.

  Further away, directly across from Ushi and his men, were the lines of Thorn Warriors, waiting to do battle with the hostility directly in front of them. The thorns felt confident, vigorous and aggressive. They were ready to start the onslaught. The Monks had gathered together in their group, also. They had risen before the pale sunrise and had drunk their hot brew with their own oatmeal and wheat germ.

  Theo gazed around the group of Monks and noticed early on that Octagon was not among them. He frowned. Theo had made him a hot herbal brew which he also sprinkled in some of their white powder made from their fields of colorful poppies for remedial and medical purposes, and brought it to him inside his tent late last night. Theo was sure that Octagon was still huddled within his blankets inside his tent. He wondered if Imbecile had come back from his hunt of phantom bogeymen in this kingdom. He smiled when he remembered at another time, Imbecile coming back caked in mud from falling into a painted mud pot when he went looking for the bogey, while he and some of the Monks went searching for certain types of rare, medicinal plants found only on the coldest of mountaintops. So great was the worth of these plants, having been grown in the most harsh of environments – the mountaintops. Theo always wondered what Imbecile would do if he ever did run into a spook. He would probably scare the spook to death, thought Theo with disdain.

  Onion broke into Theo’s thoughts and snapped him back into the present by asking, “Where is Octagon? He should be out here amongst us.”

  “He is not feeling well. I find something strange with him these past few days,” Theo remarked.

  “He has a soft and gentle heart, that is all,” Meek, overhearing them, remarked.

  “That could be dangerous,” Theo warned.

  Pentangle walked up to Theo and cut in, “The thorns are tired of being inactive. Let them begin their attack.”

  “Pentangle is right. Let’s get this over with and seize the kingdom,” Xnug said.

  “Very well,” Theo said with a sigh, still concerned over the incident with Octagon.

  Pentangle and Xnug walked over to the Thorn Army. Pentangle stood before them and shouted, “There stands your enemy before you. Slash their flesh, tear them apart! Your well-being is in your own branches. Now go! Let the onslaught begin!”

  The anxious Thorn Warriors were ready to go and did not hesitate. They strutted towards Ushi and his men, looking like harsh, brutal beasts. No single emotion did these ugly creatures feel. They were grown and raised to fight and defend. That is all that they were trained to do.

  The archers saw the thorns advancing towards them and lit their arrows without a command – all knew what must be done. They drew back the bowstrings. Ushi waited a few seconds and gave the command, “Release the arrows!”

  The fiery darts hit some of the band of thorns and made them burst into flames. But that did not stop them from marching. Onwards they marched towards their hated opponents, some still aflame.

  The archers quickly did another repeat performance, some with their flaming arrows hitting their mark on the thorns. Still, they strutted forward and matched up with their opponents – Ushi, the Willow Warriors and the village men. Ushi and his men did their best to hack the thorns into pieces with their swords and hatchets, while the Thorn Warriors continued to cut, slash, gore and tear the men apart. Blood filled the battlefield as the smiling Monks watched from the safety of their camp. Not all were smiling, though. A few turned their backs on the onslaught and gazed into the flames of their own bonfire, as their shame deepened.

  Aparicio had watched the fight from the cover of the woods. He knew within his own heart that he had to help Ushi and Goldest, or whatever honor he had left would be gone. He rode out fearlessly on horseback, sword in hand, and joined in with the fighting against the ugly creatures. His great shame had left him. He felt like a man of royal blood for the first time in years. He boldly rode up next to Ushi and dismounted. He fought beside him. Ushi had to do a double take when he saw Aparicio, not sure if his eyes were betraying him.

  “Aparicio! Where did you come from?” Ushi shouted to him, as he continued to hack at the thorns, while jumping away from their sharp spines.

  “I live in the forest of this kingdom with my wife and son. I thought you might need some help.”

  “A son?” a surprised Ushi asked.

  “Yes, Ushi. A son.”

  “So, the little Princess Augean has a brother. She would like that,” Ushi remarked.

  “I have heard you have watched over her. How is she in your eyes?” Aparicio asked with apprehension.

  “Very lonely.”

  “Yes, Goldest said the same thing,” Aparicio told him while he continued to also hack at the thorns, as he darted from their slashing blades.

  Ushi was surprised, again. “Goldest? You mean you met your Queen of this kingdom?”

  Then he added angrily before Aparicio could respond, “Why did she not tell me you were here?”

  “Because we both know Goldest is Goldest, and there is none other like her,” Aparicio stated, feeling relaxed and useful for a change. His anxiety had suddenly left him.

  “She tries to do what is truly right for everyone involved, and she does harbor many secrets inside her golden heart,” Ushi said.

  “She does have a heart of tender gold.” Aparicio fought by Ushi’s side. He felt uneasy about what he wanted to say next and took a deep breath before announcing, “I want to go home, Ushi. I want my family together, again.”

  “The King still holds steadfast to his vow, whilst the Queen wonders about your whereabouts on a daily basis. She deeply misses you,
Aparicio.”

  “That’s because she is my mother and carried me within her womb.”

  Not far off, Savagio heard the fight taking place long before he reached the battleground. The echoing sounds of the battlefield brought the warrior out from within him and he eagerly galloped forward to be the skilled fighter that he was. He soon joined in with the fighting, as his heart beat in momentum with the swing and strike of his platinum sword.

  He shouted to Ushi and his men from his mount, Xzen, “Don’t hack at them! Beat these sticks and thorns backwards! They will snap in two at the waist!”

  Savagio dismounted by Ushi. He fought ferociously, beating the enemy backwards to show Ushi and his men. The Thorn Warriors quickly snapped at the waist and fell apart.

  “Savagio! Good to see you, again! I knew you would know the secret to destroying this army.” Ushi turned and shouted to his men as Savagio had done, “Beat them backwards! That is the secret!”

  Ushi hesitated and smiled to see the Gypsy Warrior Army riding from afar from behind the Thorn Warrior Army. They too, joined in the battle.

  “The Gypsy Warriors will know what to do,” Savagio stated. “They too, know about fleshless creatures without souls that lurk in the night. They are nothing but hellish demons to them, and need to be put to the flame.”

  The Queen, Augean, with Shadow on the tips of his back paws, with Goldest, watched the battle taking place from Goldest’s tower window. Goldest whimpered at the sight in front of her eyes. Shadow growled, wanting to join in the fighting. Augean kept him close to her side for this reason. She knew he would be all slashed and cut up if he went out there.

  “Hush, Shadow. You stay here with us. We need to be protected, too,” Augean informed him, making him feel that he was doing his own job.

  “My kingdom has just been newly awakened, and already it is stained with blood,” Goldest wailed and croaked.

  Suddenly, there was an overwhelming buzzing in the air. A flock of brightly colored beings could be seen flying towards them by the group gazing out of the open tower window.