Lamp of Light

by Alex H Singh

  He felt the stirrings of a summoning and knew right away that it was Princess Noelle calling on him for a progress report. He had purposely been resisting her summons and he knew that by now, doubts would have risen, though he didn’t care. He had a duty to himself, and that was to get the queen. Whatever it was she wanted was now inconsequential. The stirrings came again, and he took a deep breath, and avoided her call once again since he decided he would go to her at the appointed time. For now, this part of the forest was closest to the queen and he was more than happy to remain here for the entire night. He didn’t need to eat or sleep. All he needed was her.

  Damien took a seat near a fallen tree, vaguely aware of the squirrels that were starting to gather at the scene of his previous two crashes. He had destroyed their homes, but they would find a new one. Such was the way of the forest…that made him think that it was very similar with what had happened to the queen. Esther Anna had her home destroyed and taken from her. Now it was time for her to replace that home. She would be the light of that shadow realm, as he had a home waiting for her in the abyss. Perhaps with enough constant attacks, he would break through her barriers, and her fear of him.

  Damien sat and waited.

  Prince Phillip’s words stayed with her throughout the day. As they ate at the floating dinner table, plates and self-serving meals were passed around, she was bubbling over with anxious anticipation to implement their plan. The first thing to fetch was a boat, one big enough boat to sail across the rough waters of the seven seas. Their destination: a hunt for the famous pirate who could lead them to the Lamp of Light.

  She finished her meal and watched in slight awe as the dish cleared itself from the table. Esther Anna was sure that the magical occurrences were never going to lose their spark with her; she was so floored by it! It excited her so much that she thought to go and tell Adam…and then her heart sank with sorrow, so much that she had to excuse herself from the table, to retire to her room.

  Once inside, she sat and stared at herself in the mirror. The sadness stretched over her features, and she hoped no one had noticed that before she left since she didn’t want to make them worry about her. Eventually, Esther Anna retired to her bed, but when she turned from the mirror, she caught sight of a shimmer from the looking glass in the corner of her eye.

  “Hmm?”

  She turned back, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. It hung there, plainly, in its normal reflective state. It was possible that spending time around all the magic was starting to affect her. First, she’d heard the voices. Now the light in the mirror.

  Then, it happened again, and she saw it!

  Another shimmer illuminated the glass, but this time she realized it wasn’t the mirror at all. It was her necklace. The pendant glowed a brilliant yellow. Esther Anna marveled at it in a trancelike state, but the moment was interrupted at the sound of a knock at her door. The light vanished immediately, but she ignored the visitor in hopes it would light up again. Unfortunately, her will wasn’t enough to have the light return, so she decided to walk to the door.

  To her surprise, it was the prince. His shimmering wings retracted behind him, and he seemed a tad worried behind his smile. “Hi. I noticed you weren’t looking yourself when you left the table, so I figured I’d make sure everything was okay.”

  Esther Anna waved him in. She offered him a seat and she got settled into her own before she responded. “It’s… my brother, Adam.”

  The prince nodded. He knew that her brother Adam died when she was just four years old, and his passing had greatly affected her. He was her only sibling, and she grew up without her own mother as well, so keeping his memory alive in her mind was a way of coping with that loss. She’d referred to him as her imaginary friend at first, and for a time he accompanied her, played with her, and was her happy thought within otherwise gloomy days.

  Phillip wondered about Adam and why she held onto his spirit as much as she did…

  Twenty years ago. Kingdom of Dormality.

  Esther Anna laughed aloud, since Adam said something funny. He always made jokes, even when things were entirely serious. It was one of the things she loved about him most.

  There was a strange sound outside, and as curious as ever, Esther Anna went to investigate. She wandered out into the corridor and was surprised to find the guard posted by her door didn’t move when she went to investigate the source of the noise. She rounded a corner and as she took a few more steps, she heard the sound again. The princess made her way through the empty hall, until she saw someone. It was a young boy, one close to her age, playing by himself.

  Esther Anna screamed at the sight which alerted him, and he darted away from the area. She took off in the opposite direction, tripping over the cracks in the stone floor as she did, until she ran into the smiling face of her brother, Adam.

  Only this time, he was wearing the clothes that the other was wearing.

  She stared at him, puzzled, even as the feelings of happiness slowly crept back into heart. Hesitantly, she reached up, and realized that she could touch him. Her excitement was interrupted as she a guard raced toward her, the same guard that had been stationed at her door. Apparently, her scream alerted him. Esther Anna was terrified that he would find Adam and arrest him, or make him vanish forever, but when she looked again, Adam was still there. The guard couldn’t see him. She accepted the escort back to her room, and Adam followed close behind. She was thrilled that her imagination had brought him back to her, even if he’d just been resurrected by her imagination.

  Adam stayed with her after that day. He promised to stay as long as she wanted him to.

  It was a promise he had kept.

  Present time. Fairy Kingdom of Fandrela.

  Prince Phillip’s reverie was broken when he heard Esther Anna’s voice. “Huh—sorry, what did you say?” he asked, embarrassed for having zoned out in mid-discussion.

  “I was asking if you were listening to me.” She said.

  His shoulders slouched with guilt. Phillip’s intent was to come and console her and he felt that he’d not been doing a good job of that so far.

  “I wasn’t, I’m sorry. I was thinking of Adam—the day you met him. Do you remember?”

  A shadow of an expression passed across her face, and it faded quickly. The queen shook her head, a longing and listlessness in her eyes. “It was a long time ago, Phillip. I was only a child then, but I remember how happy I was when he came into my life. He’s my imaginary friend… and my brother. I imagined playing with him for so long, so you can imagine just how happy I was when I finally could, and physically as well. He used to tell me jokes and would comfort me when I felt sad or had injured myself playing. Aside from my dad, he is the most constant factor in my life, and when he probably needed me most, I abandoned him…”

  Prince Phillip nodded. “But…didn’t it strike you as odd when others couldn’t see him?”

  She looked at him as if he had asked the most obvious question in the world with an even more obvious answer.

  “It didn’t. He is imaginary. That’s what that word means isn’t it? That I’d be the only one who could see him?”

  He realized that she was being evasive and technical. Whether she was doing it on purpose or subconsciously, he couldn’t tell and thought perhaps they could save the questioning for a later date. “It’s not your fault…Adam going missing. It’s not your fault.”

  “But…I-I should have searched for him.”

  How could one search for an imaginary friend? Phillip wondered. Weren’t they always ready, in your mind, to appear at will? The situation was more complex than he could comprehend so he let it go. He opted to sit beside her, and he drew her into his arms.

  The tears came then.

  She was crying for many reasons, ones that she had compartmentalized long ago, but had now lost control of them. That, on top of the anxiety to find the fabled pirate and his crew were clearly getting to her.

  Phillip didn’t say an
ything; he just let her cry until she was done. He offered her a napkin and she took it gratefully, and she dabbed her eyes and nose. He hoped that this would help her feel a bit better to release all that pent-up anxiety.

  While she expelled herself of the stress through her tears, his mind drifted. There would be a stir in the kingdom if anyone found out how he felt about her. He barely admitted those feelings to himself, how could he explain or justify them if he didn’t understand it? The attraction was there, and her aura was simply too bright to ignore.

  As the prince and heir to the throne of Fandrela, he was regarded as one of the kingdom’s highly eligible bachelors. The fairy maidens were always after him. It was flattering and fun at first, but as he got older, he grew tired of that constant attention. For a while, he couldn’t be seen in town without a flock of women fluttering after him. They overwhelmed him with the same questions, over and over, and asked for favors that could have easily been done themselves.

  Phillip knew that Esther Anna’s popularity was not without its drawbacks; especially given the attention and reputation she had now. There was the issue of reciprocity and the fear that she might not feel the same way. Sometimes it was easier to wait and see how things played out rather than seizing an opportunity, which would ruin things before anything had a chance to kick off. Not to mention there were more important things at hand and he didn’t want to put the future of the kingdoms at risk for his own selfish reasons.

  Moments had passed, and he realized he’d been holding her for some time. He shifted slightly and thought to leave her alone since she needed to get some sleep and recover, but Phillip enjoyed having her this close…and hoped the feeling was mutual. The strength of his attraction to her scared him. Something about her caused his principles to fade, as if her essence or mere presence with its alluring glow interfered with his better judgment. Queen Esther Anna had given him reason to rethink his principles.

  Esther Anna’s eyes were dry now. Her sniffles came in short intervals. “I think I saw something again tonight…”

  “What’s that?” He asked.

  “I don’t know what it was, but it seemed to have been because of this.” She pointed at her necklace. “I came into the room and suddenly the necklace was glowing, a bright yellow, and it stopped when you knocked. I don’t know what’s going on. I thought it was just my mind playing tricks on me…but I saw it. Clear as day.” Esther Anna was confident it had to do with the necklace. It went along with the voice she heard, the one that asked for help. Now, the glow. She was sure it was all connected.

  Upon further inspection, Phillip tilted his head and pointed at the necklace. “Hey, isn’t that the necklace that…?”

  “Yes. It’s the one.” She replied, quickly. “It’s the necklace I took from Noelle.”

  Present time. Kingdom of Tibethia.

  Noelle stared at the woodsman crouched in front of her. He bowed his head in a gesture of respect, but she hardly felt respected at all. Damien had been ignoring her summons and she wanted to know why. It not only showed defiance but a strength like none other, to resist the call. Summoning usually pulled the target from their location unable to resist. The woodsman had done this, not just one time, either. She was getting the feeling that he wanted things to be done on his own terms. It struck her as odd, since he was a creature of the Black Abyss whose sole purpose was to take orders, yet he defied them.

  Prince Hardy’s men hadn’t reported much since they were dispatched to find Esther Anna. Noelle was impressed with the amount of time she’d spent in the fairy kingdom so far.

  “Woodsman…do you have anything new to report?” She asked, as she broke the silence. Noelle hated the silence. “Anything of value?”

  Since he’d arrived, Damien hadn’t said a word. He just knelt there waiting for her to acknowledge him, with a gripe or complaint. He shook his head. “Nothing yet, princess.”

  “Nothing?!” Her nostrils flared in anger. His use of her moniker failed to elicit any feelings of happiness in her and only annoyed her and insubordination was aggravating.

  Damien arched a deformed eyebrow at her but had no intentions of affirming or repeating himself. “Queen Esther Anna is still in the fairy kingdom. I returned there earlier, and it had been reinforced with warding strong enough to stop an army of my kind. They have locked down the entrances and really want to keep all outside forces…out. Not to worry, as I have devised a plan. When she comes out, and she will, I will be ready for her. My tracking spell will lead me to her wherever she is on the face of this earth. The assumption now is that she will run to her home kingdom for reinforcement. The rest will be simple.”

  Noelle eased up and grinned. She felt slightly relieved since she and the woodsman were finally on the same page. It still irked her how easily the queen had managed to slip out of their grasp and evade the numerous search crews. Until now, Fandrela and the fairies were a true mystery. She was learning now just how powerful they really were. Her pursuit of ruling all kingdoms meant keeping the territories in line and ensuring their loyalty. No one was to challenge her, and that included the fairies.

  Damien mentioned that the fairies rarely interfered with inter-kingdom affairs unless they were directly impacted by such trouble, but even with that in mind, she wanted to ensure they weren’t going to be a thorn in her side. She had her prophecy; her destiny lined up and planned thanks to the dark book. Nothing was to interfere with that.

  “So then, I’m to wait even longer?” Noelle asked. It’d been some time since they spoke while she drifted into her thoughts. She wondered why he was still here, since he’d come in without a summons, as if, perhaps, he’d been waiting a dismissal.

  “Yes. We must wait now. Patience is a virtue I must beg you to employ, your highness.”

  The way he spat out the last words. She looked at him, but his head was still bent, with his gaze set on the floor. Something was different with him, she noted. “I’m not exactly a paragon of virtues, woodsman. But sure. I understand.”

  With a deep bow and a salute to the princess, Damien stood up and turned to take his leave.

  “Wait.” The princess blurted out her call in the nick of time, before he disappeared. She bit back for a second, considering not saying any more. However, she needed to know, since the question burned in her mind since he’d arrived. “Hypothetically speaking. Is it possible for one such as you to resist a summoning?” She did her best not to accuse him and kept her tone light for that purpose.

  He looked mildly amused by her inquiry. “Your highness, what would be the point of doing such a thing? It’s against our nature. We are to appear when called, and most of the time, we don’t have a choice in the matter.” A shadow of a smile played across his lips, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Is there a reason for asking, princess?”

  Noelle nodded at his answer, but hardly accepted it. It was rather evasive, and he’d turned the tables on her to unveil her suspicions, which only stood to show that he was hiding something. Such hubris…it was not becoming of him, a servant to her, who wouldn’t exist in this realm if she hadn’t summoned him. Noelle noticed his sudden change of attitude. It was hard to miss. One way or another, she was going to find his hidden agenda. Her plan needed to go off without a hitch, and if he was going to stand in her way, she wouldn’t have it. The wedding, the transference, and the death of Esther Anna were lined up on her own plans, that way she could go on to rule the kingdoms as she saw fit.

  She decided she would continue to observe Damien and not jump to hasty conclusions, at least not aloud. Things were still working in her favor and that was what was most important. Not to mention he had shown his loyalty by coming in to report his findings, or lack of any findings, after all. “No. That’s all for now.”

  Damien bowed and disappeared.

  Noelle would need to start in on wedding plans. It had to be perfect, just like she was. Nothing else would do.

  Present time. Fairy Kingdom of Fandrela.

&nb
sp; “Esther…Anna. Queen…Help me. Queen Esther Anna! HELP!”

  Esther Anna’s eyes shot open and she sat up. Her ears were on alert too as she listened carefully for the voice that disturbed her. The room was silent and all she could hear was the soft whisper of the wind. She’d sat up too fast and was disoriented for a moment, and a dizzy confusion made her head throb. It took her a beat to figure out where she was, on the comfortable bedding that had lured her into sleep just hours before.

  The voice didn’t return. She thought maybe something in her dream might have startled her, but she had no recollection of anything that might have occurred in her dream prior to jumping awake. Esther Anna listened again and looked down at her necklace. It wasn’t lit up, though after the last episode during which she’d seen the necklace glow, she’d almost been tempted to remove it. Phillip had recognized this necklace belonged to Noelle made her wonder if the princess had anything to do with its glow, but then she worried it might have been set with a tracker. If that were the case, Noelle would have found her by now and it might have made her escape a lot trickier.

  Esther Anna lay back down and closed her eyes to get back to sleep.

  “Esther… Queen Esther Anna. Help me!”

  Her eyes flew open. She stood at the foot of her bed and when she caught sight of the source of the shrill voice, she gasped. There was a young woman standing there, hovering about a foot off the ground. Esther Anna closed her eyes and shook her head, as if to refresh her sight and confirm that she was seeing this all correctly. The necklace she wore was glowing, that yellow glow, but she wasn’t terrified. She was petrified. Have I been found? She wondered, as she staggered back. The yellow glow from her necklace was also around the young woman. They were connected.