Goldest and the Kingdom of Thorns (10 page)

“And let me forewarn you, my King, Goldest will return your favor someday. And I promise you, it will not be to amuse herself.”

The King, finding the subject spoken of tedious, changed it. Being a King, he had that right.

“Did you select the Willow Warriors you wish to take with you? I hope you did not select any of my favorites,” the King asked Ushi.

“I was careful not to select any of your favorites, even though they wished to go with me,” Ushi responded, with the same type of smartness the King had used on him.

The King raised an eyebrow at Ushi’s remark and cleared his throat. He had a hard time accepting the fact that his favorites wanted to go with Ushi.

“I posted notices all over the kingdom that whoever wishes to make a new home in the Kingdom of the Ladybugs was welcomed to do so. As a matter of fact,
they may dwell in both kingdoms and have two dwellings to live in,” the King said, feeling kind-hearted towards his people.

“You always were concerned to make sure your people were always at their happiest and merriest. You are truly a great King – placing your people’s best interest first!”

The King was very much pleased with Ushi’s remark. “I will take that as a compliment, Ushi. I always have said, if the people are happy, then the kingdom is a pleasant and peaceful kingdom.”

Ushi bowed his head in respect to the King as he said, “You have many areas of wisdom, my good, wise King.”
Even though rudeness, snideness and smartness seem to be prominent faults of yours
, Ushi thought to himself.

The King bowed his head in satisfaction with Ushi’s spoken words, not sensing his thoughts.

As the days and weeks passed, Goldest was hopping around, getting in everyone’s way. One morning she decided to hop towards the colorful ponds which were set by the weeping willows. She spoke to the wind to carry her message that Goldest, who was to become Queen of the Kingdom of the Ladybugs, was hoping to meet with their colorful ensemble. She left the safety of the Willow Castle and started on her clandestine journey with hope in her golden heart. She stopped in front of a grotesque weeping willow tree and looked suspiciously up at it.

“You have the look of a distasteful, ugly willow! Croak! Croak!”

The ugly willow looked down at the conspicuous gold piece and tried to scoop up Goldest in its branches. Goldest “puffed” herself into a cloud of gold dust smoke and reappeared in a “puff” of gold dust smoke on the other side of the unsightly willow.

“Ha!” she croaked at it. She continued on with her hopping until she came to a sea of colorful ladybugs waiting for her. Some of the ladybugs had seen Goldest hopping towards them, and immediately flew back to their community to inform them that the once Princess Goldest was, indeed, hopping towards them. They knew by instinct that she was coming to ask them to come home with her. She came to a stop in front of the colorful community, so rich in hue were they all, and blinked her golden eyes with their long lashes, as she was taken in by the magnitude of color from the array of light.

An enormous, brilliant, exotic ladybug, Flora, approached her. Her extra-large blue eyes with long lashes and her blues and reds were striking against her silk black background. Goldest marveled at her. It had been a long, long time since she had come into contact with this enormous species that once dwelled and took refuge in her kingdom.

“I am Flora, the King’s sister. The force of the wind carried your message to us that you, Goldest, the golden frog, wished to have an audience with us. We have granted you that audience, Goldest, and I speak for us all.”

“I ask that the ladybugs take to the open blue sky and fly back upon the wind to the land from whence you came – the Kingdom of the Ladybugs.”

“But Goldest, our habitat lies here now. Besides, it would take forever to build up the land and ponds that we have grown so accustomed to and fond of in this kingdom,” Flora sadly informed her. “We are happy here, now.”

Goldest held steadfast. “We are going to rebuild and replenish the lands within the Kingdom of the Ladybugs. Why, that is where your ancestral beginnings lie – your parents, grandparents! Don’t you wish to return to your homeland? Show your young where their true roots lie?”

Flora stepped back and conferred in whispers with some of the other royal ladybugs that were present. Flora took a few seconds to gaze at Goldest, and then came forward towards her. Flora’s heart was sick with pain for Goldest, and she felt sympathy for the golden frog who was once a beautiful golden princess.

“The other ladybugs are curious about their roots and the remaking of the Kingdom of the Ladybugs. We will give you ample time to rebuild the land, then we shall fly over and take a peep. Maybe visit for a while and get acquainted with the habitat. If we like what we see, then we shall consider ourselves home again.” Flora, speaking for the other ladybugs present, thus informed Goldest.

Goldest gleamed with delight, knowing that this was a start. She wanted her homeland to be true, again.

“But you must consider that all will not want to come. Many were born here and will probably want to stay. We will not force all to follow,” Flora told her.

“That is nothing to be concerned about because I’m sure they will come visit their family and friends who
decide to come back to their ancestral kingdom,” Goldest answered her, beaming with delight.

“But there is also a condition,” Flora informed her.

“And what is that?” Goldest asked suspiciously.

“That you munch on no more ladybugs!” Flora sternly exclaimed to the gold piece.

“Now, would I munch on my own people?” Goldest responded tartly.

Several months later, the entourage of wagons were stocked and ready to leave and make their long journey to the Kingdom of the Ladybugs. Miles and miles of supply wagons and carts filled with seed, feed, trees, flowers, bushes, various exotic plants, tools, crafts, furniture, carpets, tapestries, linen, paintings, dishes and utensils, pots and pans, and other various decorative or useful ornaments, started to move slowly forward. Numerous birds, including blue jays, sat on branches in the trees above the castle grounds watching with intense curiosity. There were just as many wagons filled with the landscaping needs as there were wagons filled with food and other necessities for filling the castle.

The Queen, whose robes were a deep purple, with Augean, whose robes were a scarlet red, rode their own magnificent, slim, prancing white mounts sidesaddle. It was more dignified for a lady of Royalty to ride mounted sidesaddle than journey in a wagon.

Wagons
!
Ugh
! thought the Queen.

Goldest was on the rump of Niciu, with Ushi riding next to the Queen. Shadow was prancing about at the hooves of Augean’s mount, always being protective of her.

Most of the Willow Warriors were handling the wagons, while a large entourage rode their own mounts. The kingdom would need to rebuild their stock of horses, cattle, goats, roosters, hens and pigs which followed behind the wagons, and were tended to by the original townspeople from the Kingdom of the Ladybugs.

Many of these original people, whose roots were in the Kingdom of the Ladybugs, had their own wagons filled with their own supplies, with their own animals and horses to start their own homesteads. These people had learned to be self-sufficient and they had no intention of changing their own lifestyle. Their apprehension was great, but they were still excited about going home to their own land. It had been so long since they had last seen their kingdom.

The stout King stood watching, emotionless, from a castle tower window, as the entourage departed. A furtive smile danced upon his lips, and he chuckled to himself. “I’m sure my Queen will make that castle into a real beauty, while Ushi and his men make the lands livable, once again.”

A sigh of relief escaped accidentally from his lips. “Now I can spend all my time hunting within my own lands instead of escorting my Queen and our granddaughter all over the kingdom, visiting with the people of the land. And alas, the main dining hall will be silent, with no parties for months! Peace and quiet has finally come to my castle.” He snickered with craftiness, knowing his favorite horse and guests had been waiting impatiently in the stables to go fox-hunting with their King! The Queen abhorred fox-hunting,
and felt sorry for the little foxes. She thought they were beautiful animals. “But she certainly doesn’t abhor the red fox fur sewn around her capes,” the King chuckled to himself, knowingly.

During the past several months, when the Willow Castle was bustling with activity towards the restoration of the Kingdom of Ladybugs, the Thorn Army marched, and marched and marched continuously, up and down the green and blue hills. They now had complete control of their upper and lower branch bodies, with their strength and endurance now showing.

Savagio looked on quite pleased. The endeavor was now showing complete satisfaction on behalf of the Thorn Army. He sat on Xzen, looking down from the same hill that he had sat upon for the past several months. Octagon, Onion, Pentangle, Xnug, Imbecile, on their own mounts, accompanied Savagio. Some of the other Monks were on mounts below, keeping an eye on their Thorn Army.

“You appear quite pleased with what you see, Savagio,” Octagon said, breaking the silence.

“The thorns have increased their strength, control and endurance,” Savagio responded.

“Do you think it is time for the thorns to be taught to wield their branches filled with their sharp thorns in battle?” Pentangle asked firmly.

Savagio sighed, tired of Pentangle always questioning him. “Yes, it is that time.” He turned Xzen around to leave. “Now the real challenge begins – tomorrow morning.”

Savagio spurred his horse and rode away from the Monks, hoping they would leave him be for a while. One or more always seemed to accompany him, and he had taken notice how they were always hiding in the shadows, keeping a watchful eye on him.

“What are we to do with him after he has taught our thorns the use of wielding their thorn bodies, twigs and branches in battle?” Pentangle asked Octagon.

“Nothing! He will go back from whence he came,” the sagacious Octagon replied with harshness.

Onion raised an eyebrow at Octagon’s stern reply. “Do you think that would be wise to let him go after he has trained our army?”

“Savagio is an honorable warrior. I respect him,” Octagon said wisely.

“M-m-me t-t-too!” Imbecile stuttered.

“Shut up, Imbecile!” Xnug exclaimed coldly.

“I would say that Savagio’s constant mockery of our thorns was not appreciated – nor was it honorable,” Pentangle reminded them.

“Being a warrior, he was only amused because of their strangeness,” Octagon said wisely, again.

“I-I-I w-w-was amused t-t-too!” Imbecile stuttered.

Xnug gave Imbecile a deep, dark look as he said to him, “I said
shut up
, Imbecile! No one here needs to listen to your stuttering remarks.” Xnug then said colder still, “We do not care what you say or think. You have only half a brain.”

Imbecile put his head down in shame. Onion moved his mount closer to Imbecile’s mount and put his hand on the fool’s shoulder to reassure him that there were those who did care. Octagon was pleased at Onion’s
gesture towards Imbecile, and turned his horse away from Xnug. He did not care to quarrel with the Monk, knowing that his character had taken on a vexatious cast since the Thorn Army had been in training.

Octagon and Onion knew to ignore any detestable remarks or ill treatment of Imbecile because it would only cause further trouble with some of the others to continue to provoke and antagonize the stuttering Imbecile. Neither of them liked the hostile treatment of this lesser Monk, but they both also knew that there was nothing they could do. Theo ruled over them, and everyone knew he loathed Imbecile and had very little tolerance towards him. Being a lesser Monk, Imbecile was fair game for other Monks to ridicule him. As in any kingdom, there was the benevolence and the enmity, along with the beautiful and the ugly. One’s being was formed by one’s own heart and not one’s own mind.

“I still believe something ill will befall us if we let him go,” Pentangle remarked, as a discomforting feeling overcame him.

Octagon turned his mount to ride back. “Your mind produces too many thoughts, Pentangle. Let Theo be the intellect.”

Onion shouted to Octagon as he spurred his horse onwards, “Remember, Brother, we are all in this together!”

“I don’t need you to remind me, Brother, my nightmares already have!” Octagon shouted back.

Imbecile turned his horse and followed Octagon. He did not care to be in the company of his other Brothers anymore.

“I shall have to burn my stones of amethyst tonight to increase my psychic abilities, and I shall lay in a bed of hematite crystals for spiritual grounding,” Pentangle stated to Onion. “By morning I will know what fate shall lie in wait for our Savagio.”

“You are courting trouble if you continue on this subject of Savagio. Leave it be, and let his own fate take its course. Burn your crystals of lapis and meditate the essence of your soul to be more purer than your thoughts,” Onion warned him.

“I do not like what comes from your tongue!” Pentangle exclaimed to Onion.

“Stop using your powers to imagine!” Onion shouted to him as he spurred his horse back to the Thorn Castle.

Xnug was glad that Onion had left them; he felt uncomfortable with Onion’s tongue.

A wretched, perspicacious Moon rose over the night. It was troubled by what laid beneath it in the Kingdom of Thorns.
The Domain is restless again
, the Moon thought to itself.

My moonbeams shine on nothing but brewing trouble. I will shed tears of moondust upon the Kingdom of Thorns tonight, hoping it will sooth the unrest and filtering trouble that is to come. Nothing good becomes of a quest that requires an army of frightening stature
, the saddened Moon thought to itself.

An even unhappier Sun rose over the Kingdom of Thorns early the next morning. Its rays were not as colorful, but more of a brazen pewter.
Unwholesome rays over a restless kingdom is what I shine now
, the Sun thought to itself. I do not care to warm trouble.
Trouble comes in many different shades; but nevertheless, it is cold and unfeeling, no matter what. And I see this trouble growing colder every day. The Sun shivered as it rose higher into the grayish sky.