The Heart of Trelyssia

by Lisa Chitty

  A disturbance at the back of the crowd drew Abi’s attention. A large muscular man was pushing his way through everyone towards the front. Despite the protests from those around him he continued barging past until he was stood before Abi. He then dropped to one knee and bowed. ‘My Lady,’ he greeted her.

  Embarrassed by his actions Abi tried to get him to his feet. ‘Stand up. There really is no need to bow to me.’

  The man got to his feet but proceeded to disagree with Abi. ‘On the contrary. After what you have done for us there is every need.’ He inclined his head politely then turned his attention to the others. ‘James, Randall, Steve. It’s good to see you again.’

  The three of them returned his greetings whilst Abi looked on in bewilderment. ‘Is anyone going to introduce me or am I just meant to guess who this is?’ Abi gestured to the muscular man who had a solemn look on his face.

  Randall stepped forward a wicked grin on his features. ‘It would be a pleasure to introduce you.’ He turned to the large man. ‘May I have the pleasure of presenting to you the Fiery Woman, more usually known as Abi.’ Randall then turned to Abi and his grin widened. ‘Abi, I would you to meet my imaginary friend, Caston, also know as the smith whose family has guarded the location of the oak tree, which hid our armour, down the generations.’

  At Randall’s words a flush came to Abi’s cheeks as she remembered the argument she had had with Randall in the village tavern. Her embarrassment deepened as Caston reached for her hand and gently kissed the back of it. ‘It is indeed a great honour to finally meet the Fiery Woman,’ Caston told Abi, straightening. ‘I had thought that I would never meet you, but it’s good to see that rumours of your demise were greatly exaggerated.’ He then turned away from Abi and faced the rebel army.

  ‘Friends,’ he proclaimed. ‘This lady is indeed the Fiery Woman of the legends that you all know. She is correct in saying that she is not meant to be the one to take the Baron’s place. The stories that we have all grown up with very clearly state that a member of the royal family survived and their descendant lives on today. I will accept the word of this fine Lady as to who our new ruler is. Will you all join me?’

  Whilst Caston had been talking Abi had dropped James’s hand and gone over to Randall. ‘Give me your sword,’ Abi requested

  ‘What? Why? What’s wrong with your own one?’ Randall demanded.

  Abi sighed. ‘Do you have to question everything?’

  ‘You do,’ Randall responded.

  Abi gritted her teeth. ‘Look, if you don’t give it to me, I’ll just take it!’

  ‘Calm down, I was going to give it to you. I just wanted to know why.’

  Abi clamped down on her rising anger and took the sword that Randall offered her over his arm. Of all the swords that the four of them had between them, Randall’s was the most ornate. It had precious stones set in the pommel and the grip was intricately wrought.

  ‘What are you going to do with that?’ Randall was incredibly inquisitive and Abi could also sense curiosity from Steve and James who were looking on.

  Abi glanced up round her, noting that Caston had finished his speech and was waiting for the response from the rest of the rebels. Time was getting short for what she had to do. ‘Gather round, so that you’re shielding me and you’ll be able to watch.’ The three of them instantly moved, screening Abi from the view of the crowd, their eyes intent on the sword in her hands.

  Abi held it gently, one hand on the pommel and the other on the tip. She paused and took a deep breath, then using the amulet she began to bend the sword. Before long it had formed a perfect circle, which she then joined seamlessly. Abi then ran her fingers round the blade flattening the sharp edges, so that they would never cut again. She then switched her attention to where the pommel and point had been joined. She needed to flatten it and change it’s shape, so Abi grasped it with both hands, and began moulding it as if it was no more than clay. When she had finished she held a crown in her hands that was a fair replica of the one that was usually intertwined with the rose on the rebels’ symbol.

  James, Steve and Randall stared in awed silence at what Abi had just done before Randall spoke. ‘It’s a bit big isn’t it? It’s going to be a necklace rather than a crown!’

  Abi looked down at what she held and realised that Randall was right. Unless you had a massive head, the crown would just slip down and hang round the person’s neck. Abi was slightly frustrated as she was beginning to feel very tired, and it would take more of her energy to get it to the correct size, but she knew it had to be done. Focussing on the amulet and the crown between her hands she began to push inwards with her hands, gradually shrinking it.

  ‘Stop!’ James placed his hand on Abi’s to emphasise his words. ‘I think you’ll find that’s good enough.’

  Abi looked at the crown in her hands and mentally assessed its size. She was fairly certain it would fit the head that it was intended for.

  ‘My Lady!’ Caston was trying to attract Abi’s attention and from the way he addressed her, she was fairly certain this wasn’t the first time that that he had tried to call her over.

  ‘Here, hold this and don’t let anyone see it!’ Abi thrust the crown at Steve who promptly hid it behind his back.

  ‘My apologies,’ Abi smiled sweetly at Caston as she walked over to him. ‘There was a matter that I need to discuss with my companions.’

  ‘Of course,’ Caston once again politely inclined his head toward Abi. She could see that gesture getting annoying if everyone insisted on doing it.

  ‘Is everyone ready to accept my word as to who the heir of the Trelyssian throne is?’ Abi asked Caston.

  ‘Yes, my Lady. We have all agreed that your knowledge of who the heir is will be true, that you would not lie to us.’

  Abi cringed slightly at his words and hoped that she was about to get it right. She turned back to the mass before her and addressed them. ‘It is time to reveal the true heir to you all. The Royal line has remained hidden all these years to protect it, to make sure that when today came, there would be someone here who would be able to take the throne. But before I tell you, we need a crown so that everyone who meets them will know who they are.’

  Abi saw Theldon raise his eyebrows questioningly at her and she gave him a saucy wink. Abi held out her empty hands before her and concentrated on the crown that Steve was now concealing. Suddenly it was in her hands and the crowds drew back in astonishment at her feat. Steve’s face was also a picture as he pulled his hands from behind his back and stared at their emptiness. Abi’s lips twitched in a smile which she quickly suppressed. It wouldn’t do to laugh now. Holding the crown aloft she showed it to the whole mass in front of her. ‘Behold the crown of Trelyssia. It is with this that I shall show you the true heir to the throne.’

  Abi lowered the crown and walked over to where Sasket and Zaria were standing. Both of them were staring at Abi in astonishment, before Sasket dropped to his knees in front of her. Abi allowed herself to smile as she lowered the crown onto his head. ‘Arise, King Sasket. You are the genuine heir, finally restored to your birthright. May your rule be long and your judgement wise.’ Abi then bowed before him. She would have curtsied, but the chain mail she was wearing made that very difficult indeed.

  As Abi remained bowed, Sasket rose and everyone surrounding them bowed as well, including James, Randall and Steve.

  ‘Rise!’ Sasket called out. ‘We have much to do here, and the time for obeisance and ceremony is not now. Only once we have cleared up this foul mess we will be able to celebrate our tremendous victory here and pay homage to the four strangers who have enabled us to see this day.’

  James and Abi exchanged embarrassed looks with Steve, but Randall seemed to revel in the attention. Abi shook her head, but knowing this was typical of him she decided it would be best to just ignore him for now. Abi turned to Steve. ‘I know that you probably want to talk to James as much as I do, but I think James and I have more to discuss.’

/>   Steve looked at the two of them and smiled wryly. ‘Of course, you two go and do whatever you feel you have to.’

  Abi gave Steve a big hug, then took James’s hand. ‘Come on, lets get out of here.’

  James smiled at Abi and started to walk off. She stayed where she was stopping him in his tracks and when he turned to Abi in confusion she allowed a devilish grin to cross her face. ‘Not like that, like this.’ Abi used the amulet, and before he could question her, she transported the pair of them to the room that they had occupied in the cave system.

  Left behind staring at an empty space, Steve shrugged lightly. ‘I guess I’m just going to have to get used to her disappearing like that,’ he said to himself philosophically . He turned and wandered towards Sasket to see if there was anything to be done, leaving Randall to enjoy the adoration of the crowds.

  * * *

  As soon as Abi landed James and herself in their old room she turned to him, pulled his head down towards hers and kissed him. The response from James though wasn’t what she had expected. It lacked any intensity and it was almost as though he was returning Abi’s advances automatically. She broke off and stepped back from him. ‘What’s wrong?’ Abi asked him, a slight frown crossing her face. She had imagined their reunion countless times since their separation, but in each scenario James’s reaction had been far more enthusiastic.

  James ran his hands through his hair and sighed. He then turned away from Abi before replying. ‘I just don’t think that I can pick up from where we left off.’ He turned back towards her. ‘Don’t forget, I thought you were dead!’

  Abi cringed at this reminder of what James had been through. ‘I know, and I’m sorry. But it wasn’t my idea. I would never have made you go through what you have if I’d had any choice in the matter.’ Abi reached towards him, but he stepped back from her.

  ‘Surely you could have found some way to let me know that you were still alive?’

  The tortured expression on James’s face was tearing Abi apart, but she realised that just now, he wouldn’t take any comfort from her. She was going to have to try and reach him with words instead. ‘I tried! Please believe me that I did everything I could to get back to the caves. To you.’ Tears were filling Abi’s eyes as she watched him.

  James slowly shook his head. ‘I want to believe you, but how can I?’

  ‘Because I’d never lie to you!’ Abi cried out, feeling hurt at his lack of faith in her. ‘I don’t understand why you’re being like this. Earlier, on the battlefield, when you opened your eyes and saw me, you couldn’t have been happier. What’s changed?’

  James stared at Abi for a moment. ‘I’ve just watched you turn a sword into a crown with no effort at all. Then in a blink of an eye you bring me here.’ James gestured to the room they were now in. ‘Are you trying to tell me that somehow you can accomplish the impossible, but you couldn’t get a simple message through to me, back here?’

  Abi didn’t know what to say. Put in the way James just had, it did seem ridiculous that she hadn’t been able to tell him that she was alright. Abi turned and sat on the end of the bed and stared down at her hands in her lap, feeling at a total loss. She just didn’t know how to make things alright between the two of them again.

  James continued standing where he was, not making any attempt to come over to her. ‘I believed that you loved me’ James began slowly. ‘But now I doubt that. What you did was cruel. It wasn’t the actions of someone who cared.’

  ‘How can you say that! I’ve already told you that it wasn’t my idea to deceive you,’ Abi cried, leaping to her feet and turning back to face him. ‘I hated our separation with every fibre of my being! I cried myself to sleep at nights. All I could think of was getting back here to you and being reunited with you. Watching what you were going through tore me apart, knowing that there wasn’t anything I could do to make things better.’

  James’s expression turned to one of shock. ‘You were watching me, everything I was going through. You could get that close, and you still couldn’t tell me you were alive?’ James turned and began to stride towards the door.

  ‘It wasn’t like that!’ Abi called after him. ‘I wasn’t anywhere near the caves when I was watching you. I watched you in a mirror, in a cottage a long way from here.’

  James had reached the door and had one hand on the handle. He turned back towards Abi. ‘I can’t understand you anymore. You’re a different person, and I’m not sure how I feel about you now. The Abi I fell in love with has gone.’ He turned back to the door and opened it.

  ‘Wait!’ Abi called out. ‘Please.’

  James hesitated but didn’t turn around.

  ‘Please don’t go. Don’t leave it like this. I might be able to do things now that I couldn’t before but that doesn’t change the real me. I still love you, James and I’m sure that you still feel the same about me too. You’re just scared and confused by what you’ve seen today.’ Abi stopped, not sure of what else she could do to bring James back to her.

  James stood still with his back to Abi but not moving. She could prevent him from leaving by using the amulet, but she needed him to stay because he wanted to.

  ‘What can I do to make things right?’ Abi asked him softly.

  At last James turned back to Abi. ‘There isn’t anything that you can do. The damage is already done. There’s nothing you can say or do that will erase the pain and suffering that I’ve been going through these past couple of weeks.’ He turned back and walked through the door, away from Abi.

  Abi sank back down on the bed and whispered to herself. ‘I’ve already done my penance over this. I went to hell and back when James died. Why do I still have to pay?’

  Out in the lounge James stopped and turned back to Abi. ‘Did you say something?’

  Abi shook her head. ‘It wasn’t important.’

  ‘But you did say something, didn’t you?’

  ‘Yes, but it really doesn’t matter now. Just go. That’s what you want isn’t it?’

  For some reason James remained standing where he was. He seemed torn by indecision. Not sure whether he wanted to stay and fight for the relationship, or to go and forget it had ever happened. Eventually he spoke. ‘I don’t want to go. But I want the old Abi back, not this… this… sorceress that you’ve become!’

  ‘I didn’t have any choice in the matter! I was, apparently, destined to do all this before I even set foot in this wretched world. Do you think I actually wanted and enjoy all of this and what I’ve had to do because of it?’ Abi’s anger was beginning to get the better of her.

  James strode back into the room. ‘You can’t blame all this on some legends that the people around us believe in.’

  ‘I’m not. I’m blaming it on this.’ Abi took the amulet on its chain from around her neck and held it dangling in front of James. ‘This is what I found in the cave that night you came with me. It’s this that has been controlling me and prevented me from contacting you.’

  James took the amulet from Abi and examined it thoroughly. ‘You make it sound like it’s evil or dangerous.’

  Abi took a breath, searching for the right words to try and explain everything. ‘Not exactly. But it does seem to have its own purpose and was just using me to get what it wanted. But what it wanted was the Baron dead, and without it, I would never have achieved that.’

  Beside Abi, James stiffened. ‘That’s another thing that’s wrong now. I know that you can get angry, but to kill someone?’ James shook his head. ‘I would never have thought you capable of that.’

  Abi turned away from James, fighting the images in her head of the Baron kneeling before her, then her swinging the sword round and beheading him. Once more she felt sick at what she had done. ‘You don’t understand’ Abi whispered. ‘I did what I had to do. What the amulet needed me to do because it couldn’t do it by itself.’

  James tossed the amulet onto the bed. ‘I wish you’d never found it that night. It’s just torn us apart.’


  ‘No it hasn’t, James. You’re doing that now. Yes, the amulet separated us for a while, but it also brought us back together! Without this amulet we wouldn’t even be standing here now.’

  ‘What on earth do you mean?’ James was looking at Abi in confusion.

  Abi bit her lip, not sure how to go on. She was unsure of how much James knew about what had happened to him. So far he had said nothing about it, so she was assuming that he was unaware of the fact that he had died and then been brought back to life. Abi didn’t know what she could say to him.

  ‘Are you going to tell me what’s going on?’ James questioned.

  ‘What do you remember about when the Baron attacked you?’ Abi asked him, trying to stall for time.

  ‘What’s that got to do with anything?’ James questioned.

  ‘Just answer me, please,’ Abi implored.

  James sighed before deciding to answer. ‘I don’t remember very much,’ he confessed. ‘I remember looking into the most evil pair of eyes I’ve ever come across, then an unbelievable pain in my neck…’ James’s hand flew up to the side of his neck where the Baron’s sword had hit home. ‘That’s odd,’ he said slowly. ‘I could have sworn that I’d hurt my neck somehow. In fact, badly enough, that I’m surprised I’m still standing!’

  Tears filled Abi’s eyes as she watched James, knowing that now he’d come this far in his thoughts, she was going to have to tell him the full story. ‘You did hurt your neck,’ she told him. ‘Or rather the Baron did. Your neck is where the Baron hit you with his sword.’

  James looked at Abi in disbelief. ‘He can’t have,’ he said shaking his head. ‘If that was the case, I’d be dead now.’

  Not breaking eye contact with him Abi slowly nodded her head, and watched him pale as the full realisation of what had happened to him sank in. ‘Are you trying to say that I died?’ he asked Abi in a whisper.

  Abi went over to him. ‘Yes. The blow was enough to kill you, and fairly quickly, which is why you probably don’t remember anything about it.’