by Alex H Singh
A slight sting ran up his heel and he turned sharply, glaring with contempt at the snake who’d bit him, and the animal slithered away. However, Damien knew that the snake would not survive the night, as his blood was toxic to normal living creatures. Damien continued without much regard for the pain in his heel. He was close he could feel it.
An ominous feeling washed over Esther Anna, but she was unaware of the source of the sudden distress. She jerked awake suddenly, and anxiously looked around as the forest came alive for the night, seemingly undisturbed by the chase and other activities happening within. After a quick look around, she saw that she was still alone, so she calmed down. She rose to her feet, since she felt like she’d rested enough.
Best to keep moving before the king’s guards decide to come back.
The townspeople must have heard of her crimes by now, and it broke her heart to think of what the people would say about her. She’d never really judged herself in that way, but these were her people and she was used to them. As their queen, she’d occasionally gone into town to mingle with them. They’d loved her and thanked her for her generosity and appreciated that she would check in to see how she was doing. From time to time, she’d even overheard maids speaking of her charitable deeds and she felt wonderful.
Despite this, she couldn’t speak ill of Princess Noelle.
She resolved to focus on her escape, and furthermore moving to clear her name.
Esther Anna peeked around the side of the tree once more to make sure the coast was clear. When she turned, she saw something that caused her to reach up and cup a hand over her mouth, to stifle a gasp. There was a pair of glowing red eyes staring at her from the darkness. She was petrified.
It was Damien, staring at Esther Anna, and his heart began to pump erratically in his chest. His breathing came in gasps as he stood there, deathly still. He saw her legs twitch and readied himself for her inevitable attempt at an escape, but neither of them moved for a moment.
What is this? What’s happening to me?
He closed his eyes, an attempt to calm his fluttering heart. As his heightened senses were overly sensitive now, he could hear her heartbeat too. She feared him that much was apparent. For some strange reason, Damien felt like reaching forward and telling her not to worry, that he wouldn’t hurt her. He’d caught her scent as he spotted her sleeping behind that tree, seeking the innocence that exuded from her and made him stop in his tracks. Damien had even watched her as she slept, and when she woke up, he made sure to hide, not wanting to be spotted, lest she run away in fear. He stepped out of the shadows and watched her eyes widen in horror.
The purity, it reached out to him. It caressed him and tempted him too, and he didn’t mind that at all.
He took a step forward, but she shrank back.
Anytime now... Damien watched her intently, the scent of her purity intoxicated him, and still it bothered him that he’d been sent out to snuff out such a light. It was meant to be treasured and treated with care. It struck him, as a great shock, that he not only coveted this paragon of purity, but he wanted her for himself! He watched her tremble in terror at his advances, but still he longed to pull her into his arms and hold her till her fears dissolved. As these thoughts passed quickly through his mind, conflicting thoughts warred to eradicate them and destroy the tender thoughts. He was a force of nature, a woodsman, trained and highly skilled in seeking and executing his victims with precision and flair. Yet somehow, he found himself enamored with this human…and he couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t’ focus! Nothing matters now. Nothing except her. Damien looked at her one more time, and his mind was made up. He had to have her. Such purity needed to be cherished, and he was more than willing to carry on that task. As far as he was concerned, no one was more deserving of it. Opposites attract, after all, and Queen Esther Anna was his opposite.
Just then, the queen shook her head and in one smooth move, she took to her heels, speeding off into the distance.
He watched her retreat.
And just like that, the chase was on.
Esther Anna sprinted as fast as she could. Once again, her lungs screamed and struggled to supply her adequate energy to keep up her flight. She pushed on and stressed herself to the limit, as not to let that creature come near her. Thinking quickly, she ducked beneath a low hanging branch, and then made another dash away. No matter how much she was suffering, the pain in her muscles and aches in her bones, she carried on. That monster, with his red-tinted gaze nearly paralyzed her with fear but once she found her legs, that fear only fueled her and boosted her speed in her getaway. That creature… Esther Anna had only heard of creatures spawned from the dark recesses of the earth by black magic and used to do the bidding of the conjurer, but she’d never thought she’d be hunted by one. Why was he looking at me like that?
The queen ducked another branch and leapt over a fallen log.
She came to a brief halt and slowly turned. Esther Anna expected to see the woodsman bounding towards her, but to her surprise, he was nowhere in sight. It seemed highly unlikely that she was able to outrun the creature, but she thought perhaps he had taken an alternate route, so she needed to stay alert. Esther Anna took a moment to think through any other shortcuts in the forest based on the maps she’d seen back at the palace but couldn’t remember any of them.
The kingdom! She thought.
Now that Noelle was the highest-ranking royal in Tibethia, no one was left standing in her way to take over. Esther Anna shuddered at the thought of what horrors she would commit over the people. Her thoughts were interrupted as a puff of smoke erupted in front of her. The woodsman had arrived, as menacing as when she first saw him. She screamed and veered to the left, her arm scratched by a tree as she blew past it. Esther Anna kept on but stopped abruptly, when he appeared before her once more. She staggered backward, losing her balance as she did, and she fell.
“Why do you flee from me?” The creature asked. “Can’t you see that I mean you no harm? Just come to me and I will keep you safe. I’ll kill all the guards at your request. I’ll shelter you from the evils of the world!”
That’s absurd! Esther Anna thought to herself as she stood up. She carefully stepped backwards to create more distance between her and the creature. She wanted to be ready to take off again at the slightest opportunity. The bile rose in her stomach as an intense fear took root in her heart. What does he want with me? With a small shriek, she turned and ran again, this time heading through a thick part of the forest. His cry of disappointment prompted her to flee even faster. The leaves slapped her face as she ran, and she was unable to see where she was going. Thorns tore at her exposed flesh.
Esther Anna stopped with a skid at what seemed to be the top of a hill. She tried to reroute herself but as soon as she started to run, that puff of smoke appeared once again, and she was greeted by the glowing red eyes and he reached out to her. She stumbled backwards and lost her footing.
Damien rushed forward in an attempt to save her, but he’d moved a moment too late.
The queen tumbled down the hill; Gravity set to work on her, as she was pulled down faster and faster. She cried out in agony as her body struck the protruding rocks along the way. Sand entered her eyes and mouth, and she flailed her arms, to find something to grab to perhaps slow or stop her descent. As she neared the bottom, she saw a tree with a large hole carved into it, and she was headed right for it. She screamed as she slipped into the tree grove, vanishing into the ancient looking tree,
The woodsman watched on from his perch at the top of the hill as she fell further. He had a vague idea of where she might have gone, and it was a strong possibility that he wouldn’t be allowed there. What a wicked twist of fate, to have the object of his affection taken from him so cruelly. He stared down the slope, both concerned and utterly consumed by his defeat. He could sense that this part of the forest was trying to eject him, since his kind went against nature. He conceded to this and took his leave in a puff of smoke, dre
ading the report of his loss.
Esther Anna felt like she might have been falling for an eternity. She felt lightheaded and her stomach churned slightly the whole way down. A part of her hoped desperately that the monster had disappeared, as it left her with a fright that she would not soon forget. The threat of the creature, however, was secondary to her present predicament. She was falling, and tingling sensation washed over her, and numbed her. Her bruises and cuts didn’t hurt anymore and there was no muscle pain. For the first time since she left the palace, she wasn’t in any pain, and the stress that accumulated during her escape started to trickle away.
Am I dying? She wondered as she fell into the haze. This could be the benevolent afterlife. That white light…is it the ‘light’ everyone claimed to see at the end? It was enjoyable, this brief euphoria, but Esther Anna didn’t think she wanted to die. No, not yet. She’d only just uncovered what could be one of the most devious plots in the history of all the kingdoms, perpetrated by a royal and now she would not get a chance to make others aware of it as well?
Her mind flashed to Adam, and a wave of guilt washed over her. She’d never get a chance to apologize for abandoning him, so perhaps it’d be better if she did die. She’d been so invested her escape that she hadn’t bothered to search for him and she wondered what Princess Noelle would do to him. She could hardly bear it. Then, her father’s smiling face appeared in her almost unconscious mind as a tear streamed down her cheek. King Maurice lost his wife, son, and daughter. He was strong, but how could anyone deal with something by that and still maintain a bright attitude?
She was suddenly tired. She was tired of running, and tired of wondering how her sudden disappearance would affect everybody. Esther Anna wondered how things would have turned out differently.
The light she’d seen loomed ever closer and her eyes drooped until they eventually closed.
Finally, she thought. Peace. This would be the day that Esther Anna would finally get to be with her mother. Would she be proud of her? The anticipation arose within her. At least now she had something to look forward to, and her father would have his entire family looking after him from the afterlife. There was some solace in this thought and so she finally closed her eyes since she reached what seemed to be the end of her long fall down into the grove.
Her eyes fluttered open for a few seconds and she smiled. It was beautiful, shining, and glittery all around her, and the angels flew toward her.
But they’re so…small?
She suddenly felt dizzy, as if she’d been drugged, and she dozed off into a deep sleep.
A flower drooped down, welcoming the approach of death and the creature flew towards it. He was clothed in golden attire that spoke of royalty with a sword that glistened in its scabbard at his side, with his shoes that curled up slightly at the tip. He had handsome features to accompany his regal attire, fitting for a prince: A strong jaw that was complimented by very kind blue eyes, blond hair that almost reached his shoulders hid his pointed ears from sight. His wispy wings were deceptively strong and sturdy as they beat relentlessly, pushing him towards the object of his interest.
Once he reached the flower, he stared at its droopy stalk, and a small smile playing across his lips. The flower by far outsized him and he could have easily sat on its petal comfortably without damaging it. As he hovered by the flower, he reached out and touched the stalk. There might have been others slated for the job, but according to his customs, what he was about to do was not usual, though it wasn’t unheard of, either. He had the ability to heal things as well as a myriad of other applications of their magic, but they were a peaceful lot and preferred to spend their time making their chosen kingdom as perfect as possible.
He wondered why the healers had not yet arrived and reached towards the flower once more. He closed his eyes and the energy flowed out of his fingertips, right into the flower. Once it illuminated, he released it and dropped his arm down. The deed was done, and slowly the flower began to stand upright, looking brighter and healthier as it did. Its petals were rejuvenated and glowed brightly as did its other parts: stem, leaves, stalk, all the way down to the roots. Once it was complete, it was hard to tell that just moments ago the flower had been on the brink of death.
As he prepared to fly off in search of more flowers to heal, the prince felt a disturbance in the atmosphere… something unfamiliar. He turned abruptly to see three of his men flying towards him at a dizzying speed.
What’s their hurry? He wondered.
They rushed towards him, showing no signs of slowing down until they came to a halt within speaking distance. They seemed flushed and a tad out of breath. He was instantly on edge; from their expressions something was amiss. Were they under attack? Then he began to worry that something had happened to the king.
“What is it? Speak. Don’t keep me in suspense!” The prince urged, as the ones who had arrived fought to catch their breath.
“Prince Phillip. You must see this.” One of his captains said, having caught his breath first. “We’ve never experienced such a thing before, W-We don’t know what to do!”
“You speak in riddles. I don’t follow…” Phillip narrowed his eyes. “Has something happened to the king? Speak!”
Fairies were infamous for having an active imagination and this skill was invaluable in their magical practices, but even now the prince found himself unable to deduce what his men were shouting about.
The man searched for words to explain what exactly he meant, though he was unsure of how to describe something he didn’t fully grasp. Finally, with a deep breath and a resolute expression on his face, he answered: “We have an unexpected visitor, your highness. A woman. She must have fallen through one of our recently exposed entrances in the trees. We were supposed to make it inaccessible like the others…the men slated for the work had not gotten around to doing it yet. Seems, the consequences have come back to bite us.”
The prince wondered why the man was being evasive. They had a breach. Someone had come through their unguarded entrances, fallen into their kingdom. That was highly unusual, but the fact that the men tasked to seal the entrance procrastinated on the task was unusual as well as his people were typically an efficient lot.
Was this accident by design then? Perhaps it was someone trying to confirm our existence, and ruin the mystery of it all?
“It was a human, sire.”
The prince paused and looked up in shock. Human? Those vile, clumsy people who made a day of ruining prime forestland? One of them was in his kingdom? How?
He now understood why the captain had been so hesitant. They were on good terms with many creatures in existence, but there were some that they were not on the best terms with. Humans happened to occupy the top spot on that list. This was more serious than he’d thought.
“Where is she? Take me to her.”
They all set out, flying at top speed as they led him towards the human in question.
How could this have happened? He wondered, as they flew to the location of the unlocked gate. The prince decided he would have to see the woman for himself and then choose the best course of action on how to deal with her presence.
The sound of fluttering disturbed Esther Anna and she struggled to open her eyes, but try as she might, they would not open. Groggy from her brief rest she fought the lightheadedness. Everything seemed so loud…and strange.
Is this the afterlife?
She hoped it wasn’t, as there wasn’t much else that was worse than waking up blind in the afterlife. She suddenly jerked as a horrible thought crossed her mind. What if, instead, she’d been captured and returned to the prison at the palace? It troubled her to even think that she might be hanging over the tub, as one of Noelle’s next victims. She tried to move her hands and found no bindings…and her eyes opened a bit with some effort, but the sudden influx of light caused her to close them immediately. After a moment, she opened them again, slowly, and her eyes seemed to adjust better this time. Her breath cau
ght in her chest as she discovered where she was…
Wait. Where am I?
She took in the beauty of her surroundings, an endless garden of flowers spread around her. The flowers seemed to glow slightly as she looked at them, twinkle even. As she looked, she realized that everything else twinkled too. The trees, the grass, everything around her that she laid eyes on. Even the sky above practically shimmered. As she looked up, she felt like she was dreaming. There were stars, but the sun was up above as well. How could the two exist simultaneously and be seen at the same time she wondered, remembering some of the lessons the men of science back at her father’s house had tried to teach her.
She heard slight fluttering to her right, but as she tried to turn, she felt an intense pain in her neck and so she stopped. The way she fell must have strained it, as well as the way she was positioned while she slept. Esther Anna was suddenly aware of the cuts and bruises on her as they started aching. She tried to get up again, and a sharp pain pinched in her back. As she fought through it, she sat up and leaned against a tree.
How did I get here?
It was a struggle to remember, but her head hurt as she tried.
That fluttering sound was heard again, and this time she succeeded in turning around, but there was nothing there. Esther Anna assumed it to be leaves rustling in the wind, and with a deep breath, she marveled at the quality of the air. It was pure and fresh, unlike any breath of air she’d ever taken in and it seeped into her lungs. She felt refreshed and even temporarily energized.
