Lamp of Light

by Alex H Singh

Once he was done with his meal, he sat back to enjoy the wine.

  Meanwhile, Esther Anna struggled to get through half of her plate. The food tasted good, and she was very hungry, but she was having trouble concentrating on the food. As she ate, her free hand idly fiddled with the necklace around her neck as she thought about the unusual encounters with the men this morning. After doing the best that she could, Esther Anna pushed the plate aside, unable to continue with the meal. She sat back and took a sip of her drink. She frowned as it struck the back of her throat, and she felt a heat in her chest. The effects were already getting to her, so she put it down and brought her eyes back out to the sea.

  Esther Anna pondered what wonders awaited them when they would finally set sail. She watched the waves lazily roll about. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Prince Phillip was equally taken by the waters. It dawned on her that Phillip had led the way since they emerged through the lake at Edmond’s Pass, and it seemed that he was so well versed with the human world. “Have you been here before?” She asked.

  Phillip turned to look at her, and after a moment, he nodded with a deep sigh. “I have.”

  “Well…I believed the fairies didn’t venture out too much from your kingdom.” Esther Anna was careful with her words, but she watched his facial expressions.

  His face was almost unreadable until he laughed. “Oh, we venture out. A lot for reconnaissance and things like that. We may not interfere with certain affairs or be disturbed ourselves, but we like to be aware of potential threats. There are a lot of people who would do anything to find Fandrela since our magic is one of the strongest in the world. If it were turned towards evil, no one knows how much damage can be done. Its best kept a secret and contained. Power corrupts. Just look at the Princess Noelle.”

  Esther Anna nodded in agreement. “Was there ever a time when your existence was little more than myth or speculation?”

  He hesitated a bit before answering. That information wasn’t made available to anyone, especially not a human, but Phillip could make an exception for the queen. “Well. Yes, I guess, but that was a very long time ago. The other kingdoms were terrible to our kind, and we just decided to keep to ourselves rather than being manipulated and drawn into one battle after the other purely in the name of being allies. We decided to pick our own battles. I’m not saying we were better than the rest, no, we had our problems too, but it could not just compare to what some of those other kingdoms were up to. We got eventually faded into obscurity. The rest of the world simply thought we’d died out, but we thrived, just separate from the human realm.”

  Esther Anna thought over his words for a while, as it was truly an interesting story. She wondered what being born in a world where everyone knew that fairies were real would have felt like. It would have probably felt normal, but to her, right now it seemed purely magical. She felt the excitement bubble in her chest as she envisioned various scenarios, visiting the fairy kingdom when she liked, having fairy friends. It would have been an amazing world if they were an active part of it as she grew up.

  “Humans are the ones who drove you into seclusion?” Esther Anna kept her eyes low.

  Phillip threw back his head in laughter.

  The queen looked at him sharply. Did he find something funny?

  “Oh, my dear, you are so adorably naïve. What I would give to see the world through your eyes,” Once his laughter subsided, he looked over and saw that she was frowning. “I’m sorry, that was insensitive. There are other kingdoms aside from the ones inhabited by humans, Esther.”

  He was right. There was obviously a lot she didn’t know about the world. She wondered if those kingdoms had all stopped interfering as well, but it would be a big addition to her cause if she could get help from them. She turned to Prince Phillip. Esther Anna felt a lot safer with him around, and she didn’t think she would get anyone else as dedicated to the mission to stand by her side.

  “Okay. Rest time over. We still haven’t asked them over there.” He said, pointing to the far west of the seaport side. There were men there who seemed idle along with a scattering of ships to select from.

  She got up and stretched, but she felt slightly bloated, though it was only minor discomfort.

  The sound of an approaching ship caught her attention and she turned and saw a majestic ship approach the harbor. Esther Anna remembered her father’s ships. A lot of them had been sold when the kingdom had been in economic trouble, but she knew that with would have done what he could to procure more.

  As they walked over to the men, Phillip caught sight of the first man they’d spoken two talking to the third. He smiled, in no time, the story of the two strangers searching for a specific boat and ready to pay in cash would have spread.

  Things were going as planned.

  Present time. Kingdom of Tibethia. Castle grounds.

  Noelle sat on the throne. She relished in the screams of the men who had sought to take the palace away from her and was certain they wouldn’t see her as an innocent little girl anymore. As the screams tore through the air, she smiled, and relaxed in her throne, feeling more accomplished than she had felt in a long time. The thrill of watching the confidence die out of the eyes of Tobias Eaton made her feel better than she had felt in a long time and she loved the feeling.

  The air was choked up with dust by the time the screams finally ended. The goblins had their orders and had annihilated the men that had accompanied the heads of the families, as they were reserved for a ghastlier fate.

  Soon enough, Damien appeared to give his report. He was instrumental to her final show of strength. He bowed as he relayed to her that the other members of the leading families had been gathered in front of the palace. The screams died down and the heads of the families stared in horror as their families were carted in, tied up and afraid. They were starting to realize that she more than intended to do what she had threatened and there would be no stopping her.

  She smiled at the report and gave him leave. He bowed and sheathed his sword. The blade’s thirst for blood had been temporarily sated but he knew that very soon, it would hunger for more. Its need and desire was insatiable. He bowed one last time and vanished, off to the forest to resume his watch. He had been away from his post for longer than he intended after all.

  Alone now, Princess Noelle relished the silence. The only sound that could be heard was the uncomfortable whinny of horses who had lost their riders and rode aimlessly around the palace. She would have them gathered up later.

  She knew the people were starting to gather, but she was sure that the sight of the Sinty guarding the prisoners of the recently concluded war would keep them at bay. They wouldn’t dare come close to creatures such as that. They were only now, just beginning to realize that she was way more than just an innocent princess who was being bullied.

  She loved being underestimated, but she knew that from henceforth, that would no longer be the case. She had shown her true strength. Thrown her strength around and it would come with consequences of its own. She resigned herself to crossing that bridge when she got to it. For now, she had a kingdom to address, and an execution to conduct.

  Noelle got up slowly and walked outside onto the balcony. A small, scared murmur had picked up amongst the people. They looked up fearfully as she approached, seeing her in a totally new light. Even the bravest of them who stood at the forefront could not meet her eyes.

  A few feet in front of the crowd of people knelt the heads of the leading families. To the right were the families, tied up like criminals, the wives and children who wriggled and struggled against their binds.

  The princess breathed in deeply. She had won. She read absolute fear in the eyes of many of the people who looked up at her and she loved it. There would be no stopping her now. She had succeeded in establishing herself as the ultimate power in the kingdom, singlehandedly taking on the leading families with their seemingly unending resources and coming out victorious. They knew who their leader was; there w
as no denying that.

  They had watched as the Seven Deadly Sins along with Damien had ripped through their small army as if they had been nothing more than a crown of tied up scarecrows. The fear of not knowing what she planned to do now that she had them all, coupled with the knowledge of what she could do made for a potent mix of panic in which she now relished.

  “Sir Tobias Eaton, what has become of your army?”

  The man looked like he was about to drop dead before her and the goblin Wrath stood beside him, seething and frothing at the mouth as it waved its weapon.

  “P-Please, your highness—” He started but was interrupted by her piercing laughter that caused him to shudder.

  “Sir Tobias, is that you talking or your last-born son? What has become of your voice?”

  The family head closest to Tobias began to weep. His family, a short distance away began to cry as well. Soon enough, the whole lot was in tears.

  She looked at them and shook her head. They were all so pathetic and she disliked the entire lot even more. Why could they not take their punishment with the same bravery with which they had approached her and asked her to step down? She already knew the answer. It hadn’t taken any bravery at all to walk up to her and ask her to step down. All it had taken was greed and the fact that they didn’t think she could do anything.

  “Please, your highness. We have wronged you. Punish us, but please let our families go.” One of the family heads said, trembling lips nearly hidden by his moustache.

  Noelle’s head whipped towards him and she recognized him as one of the heads who’d visited her just yesterday. Except now, he looked different than the man from before. In comparison to the proud and confident man, he cowered on his knees, pale-faced in front of the goblin representing Lust. She shook her head. “Were you not the same man who came and asked me to step down? If I remember correctly, you said I was not fit to rule. I wasn’t worthy. Only a child, right?”

  He bent his head low and shook it, feeling regret for his words. “I was foolish. I was blinded by Sir Eaton’s thirst for power. I didn’t see that we already had the leader we needed all along. It was Sir Eaton he caused all this turmoil. He’s the one who ought to be punished.”

  Tobias burst into fresh tears as a man he once thought to be his friend completely threw him to the dogs. He looked to his family, gazing into the scared eyes of his wife and children. He had failed them, as their protector, their champion, and guardian. Tobias Eaton was not a brave man. Stubborn, conceited perhaps, but not brave. For years, he had been riding high on the approval and support of others and now, that support was gone. He looked to the man who had denied him and all he saw was fear. No remorse, either. The man was just trying to save his hide and family.

  Was that a crime? He realized what his final act would be.

  “Princess,” Tobias said, trying to add some steel to his voice and he started to get up, “You will do well to let these men go. There will be no more bloodshed in my name. I made the mistake; I shall be the one to handle the results.” He stood with his chest out and some members of the crowd shook their head in admiration.

  The goblin watched him, slight amusement written all over its angry features.

  Noelle realized what he was doing, and she didn’t appreciate it. She gave her first mental command and with one quick slice, the goblin of wrath sliced off his left leg. He collapsed awkwardly in a heap on the floor, screaming at the top of his lungs. His words were gibberish. The crowd gasped as blood gushed out of the open wound. The severed leg danced in the dirt and his wife screamed in pure terror.

  “Now, hear me, people of Tibethia! These men came into my palace with the intention of taking it from me. They threatened me and called me names. They saw an opportunity to take over because my late father didn’t have a male heir before his untimely passing at the hands of the fugitive Queen Esther Anna. I had but one thing to say to them: Come, and I will destroy you all, and your families.” Noelle cast her gaze out over the crowd, and it was apparent that she had their attention. “Let it be known that I am a woman of my word!”

  As the people of Tibethia and the heads of the leading families watched, the goblins slaughtered every woman and child in cold blood and then returned to their posts beside the various heads.

  “You monster! You killed them. You killed them all!” Tobias screamed, though his voice barely carried as he clutched his leg. He lost a lot of blood and was slowly starting to lose consciousness. “You’re evil. You’re pure evil!”

  She smiled. At least he had gotten something right. “I’m merely defending my family name. The LaChance house will continue to rule this kingdom.” She waved her hand to the crowd. “There will be no more leading family here. Only one power exists in this kingdom. Me. Insubordination will not be taken lightly. People of Tibethia, you be the judge of today’s happenings!” With that, Noelle turned and walked back inside.

  Tobias Eaton was the last person to be killed.

  Chapter 10

  Present time. Miles outside of Tibethia. Along the coasts.

  Esther Anna sought out the only woman on the port and spoke with her. She had listened carefully to Prince Phillip’s description of the vessel he was looking for, and to the best of her abilities, she relayed that information to her. Unfortunately, the woman had very little information to offer, other than the fact that the vessel in question was a rare commodity along the coast. Disappointed that her hunt didn’t provide much help, Esther returned to Phillip to deliver the bad news. After asking everyone on the port for two days straight, they were unsuccessful in their search.

  Upon hearing this, the prince sighed and scratched his head, falling deep into thought as he thought of an alternative plan.

  “What do we do now?” She asked as she turned, her gaze fixed out to the sea.

  Phillip looked at her, worried and helpless at the same time. He hadn’t a clue of what to do next. For a moment, his thoughts drifted to the Kingdom of Tibethia. The prince figured that the fuss with the leading families must have died down by now, and the princess would return her focus her to the hunt for Esther Anna. He huffed. It seemed that time and luck weren’t on their side. Suddenly, his breath caught in his throat. The boat coming in to dock was staring at the exact boat was the one they nearly gave up on; after searching for days, they had finally found it.

  It was still a little far out to sea, but they could finally rest easy. The prince and his companion, the queen, sat down and waited patiently and excitedly for their prized boat to arrive. While they waited, they overheard some men standing a short distance away from them discussing and some key words stood out: Tibethia, and Princess Noelle.

  The pair looked at each other at the same time and exchanged knowing looks. They inched closer to the men, so they could hear them a bit better.

  “The princess is some sort of sorceress, I swear to you. She has been deceiving us this whole time! She’s not as innocent as she seems…” Said one of the men. He had the look of a pirate and would have fit the profile perfectly if only he had a wooden leg and hook in place of a hand, though he donned a bandana around his head, and they could clearly see a scar running down his face. His buddy was short and fat and looked too tired to be paying attention, and perhaps his thoughts drifted off to a feast where he was happily stuffing his face. The short, round man also had a scar on his face. The third man in their circle had an ‘everyman look’, which looked approachable and likeable. He politely nodded as the first man spoke, soaking in his words like a sponge in a puddle.

  “I’d always said I didn’t like the vibe I was getting from that princess…” The third man said in a surprisingly deep voice.

  “I know what you mean, brother. I’m shaken to my bones. Those goblins were vicious. There were bodies littered everywhere. The house leaders looked like they were going to piss themselves!” The bandana man said, and they all nodded in agreement.

  “Ey! Ain’t no such thing as goblins!” The fat man said with a
snort, as he waved off his companions for speaking such nonsense.

  “Oy, shut up Eddie!” the first man groaned, “You speak like a common land lover sometimes. You were a sailor once. You cannot tell me you didn’t see things. Goblins, they be real—real as you or me, and I saw them, some nasty ones, too. Tch—and the other one who rounded up the families? A demon for sure!” He shivered as he spoke.

  Still, their chubby friend raised a skeptical eyebrow.

  The third man just shook his head and sighed, “I never did like the princess. Now she’s killed them and declared herself ruler? What about the prince?”

  The first man shrugged, and his bandana slid down some, so he reached up to fix it. “I don’t know, I believe the wedding is still on, but one can’t be too sure. But the princess…no one is going to be stupid enough to challenge her now, everyone is scared shitless! Those Goblins, they’re guarding the palace walls now!”

  The fat man grunted. “Ay, I’m hungry. All this talk of murder and royalty sure has worked up my appetite.”

  The men laughed.

  “You pig! You eat too much, and it’s bad for your heart.” The first man teased as he nudged his friend’s shoulder.

  “Shut up and buy me a heart problem for breakfast then, old friend!” He replied, and the group began their trek toward the dining area, laughing and joking as they did.

  Phillip and Esther Anna were stunned, rendered speechless by the conversation they overheard. Noelle slaughtered them, the leading families, killed them all and perhaps innocents as well, all in front of the people. The princess had employed the best tactics to gain her the favor of the people, or at least, their submission. She had employed fear. She was the only person with any ties to leadership now and the people had no choice but to follow her. Their window of opportunity seemed to be closing rapidly; so the sooner they went to sea, the better.

  “I can’t believe it…those poor women and children!” Esther Anna said sadly, “Killed because of their husbands greed.” The death and carnage they had been trying to avoid had already started and they were powerless to stop it from continuing. Their only play was to get to the lamp as soon as possible.