Goldest and the Kingdom of Thorns (11 page)

The next day saw rows of the Thorn Army standing one behind the other. Savagio, Pentangle and Xnug stood in front of these rows. At some distance were some of the other watchful eyes of the Monks – Theo, Meek, Octagon, Onion, Alme, Emm, Imbecile, Ebrix, Sooth, Asp, Sectangle, Uhl, Oxon, Radish and Decadence. Some of the lesser Monks sat on the hills above them all and watched as they munched on their herbal spinach bread and drank hot herbal brew. The air was much cooler today than normal. They were somewhat chilled and were wondering why the sun was no longer as bright as it had always been in the past.

It was time for Savagio to give a speech to the thorns. “You have acquired strength and endurance. Now the real challenge – to train you to use your protruding thorns to defend yourselves and your kingdom in battle against any enemy.” He paused, then went on. “You have grown sharp thorns like scales up and down your twiglike bodies – legs, arms, hands, heads. You must learn to thrust your twigs and slice the air, pointing your thorns in the direction that you are to make contact with human flesh or any enemy in battle.”

Pentangle stepped forward to add to Savagio’s speech. “You must strike sharply with a cutting effect, to rip, bleed, and destroy any flesh that you come into contact with. Make us, your leaders, all proud of you!”

The excitement also made Xnug bold, for he stepped forward and added, “You must all fight brutally, aggressively – without any justice or comprehension about what you are doing, or what might become of it!”

“You must be the first to strike – not wait for the enemy to strike first, unless told to do so – faultless aggression is the word here,” Pentangle added to his message to the thorns.

An irritated Savagio gave Pentangle and Xnug strange, deplorable looks. He did not like their manner of speech. An uneasiness crept up his spine, into his soul. His skin took on a bluish tinge, as he grew cold. Savagio looked up at the sun and noticed how dull and grayish it had been the past few days, being stingy with its rays. Savagio, with controlled calmness, asked Pentangle and Xnug, “What did you raise here, and for what reason? And what am I training here?”

“Thorn Warriors! Or have you forgotten already?” Pentangle replied with a smartness that displeased Savagio even more.

Savagio looked with disdain at Pentangle, never really liking him anyway.
I will question Octagon later – and to hell with Theo
, Savagio thought to himself. He then turned his attention back to the thorns, knowing whatever he might say to Pentangle, would do no good. “Thorns, I will demonstrate on what you are to do. Watch!”

The thorns appeared to have stretched their necks towards Savagio with deep interest. Savagio had to hold his laughter in silence. “Too bad they are without tongue and cannot speak for themselves, only listen
and obey. It would be interesting to hear what they had to say,” he said to himself.

Savagio threw himself on one bended knee and thrust out his arms and sliced the air, turning and twisting himself He then threw forward each knee up into the air. “What I have just demonstrated to you is the use of your sharp thorns for penetrating or slicing the enemy, and how to strike out with your knees or legs into your opponent.”

Pentangle stepped forward. “With your protruding sharp thorns you must gash, pierce, incise, slash, slit, sever, cleave, dissever, sunder and dissect your opponent’s flesh!”

“Rip them apart!” Xnug exclaimed.

“I think Pentangle covered it all, Xnug,” Savagio shouted to Xnug in a tasteless insult.

The curious thorns watched, fascinated at what they could do with themselves. Ideas of their own were taking shape within their sharp minds to match their sharp thorns.

Again, Savagio looked strangely at Pentangle with distaste. He was unnerving him, and was about to throw him off the field. He didn’t care if he was a hooded robed Monk of ancient ancestry. “His person certainly has taken on a posture of enmity,” Savagio told himself. Pentangle’s personal animus against warriors was causing his antagonism of Savagio to grow.

“Now, let’s start lunging forward, pointing our thorns, thrusting ourselves into the air, making quick, sharp moves like I have just done – pretend that we are cutting into an enemy,” Savagio continued on with his lecture to the thorns.

Pentangle screamed out, “Plunge your thorns into that enemy and rip them apart!”

Ignoring Pentangle, Savagio slowly stated, “Let’s get started.”

The thorns lunged and bent their twig legs as they were thrusting their thorns, as well as plunging them into an imaginary opponent.

The other Monks conferred quietly amongst themselves. Octagon and Onion did not agree with the harsh words used by Pentangle and Xnug. Alme, with a few of the other Monks, was aghast at Pentangle, also. They too saw the hostility building up in Pentangle, with Xnug following along.

“I see Savagio is not as brutal as I thought he might be,” Theo remarked with contempt, as he noticed his anger towards Pentangle simmering.

“Excuse me, Theo, but Savagio is first a warrior with honor before he is a heartless fighter,” Octagon reminded him.

“Maybe we chose wrongly,” Meek remarked.

“No, we did not. Did he not know how to build our Thorn Army stronger? Now he will train them in battle, to fight with dignity,” Octagon told them.

“I-I-I agree w-w-with Octagon. S-S-Savagio is a p-p-proud w-w-warrior who w-w-will train our t-t-thorns to f-f-fight with d-d-dignity,” Imbecile stuttered.

“Dignity – bah! Virtue will not win a battle or gain us any other kingdom! But blood will!” Ebrix stated.

Imbecile flinched while Theo chuckled.

“Such unseemly words spoken for an ancient Monk,” Theo quietly said to Ebrix. “Pentangle is also showing indecorous behavior.”

The Monks chuckled amongst themselves, except for Octagon and Imbecile.

“It seems to be that since the Thorn Army has been refined and are no longer seedlings, there are a great many Monks amongst us here who have taken on unbecoming behavior and language that does not suit our character and status as Monks. Indelicacy has taken root in our Kingdom of Thorns,” Octagon stated, not caring if the Monks verbally attacked the statement he made to them.

The Monks were startled and speechless at Octagon’s words, not realizing the loathsome change that had overcome them. They had displayed antipathy with their changing character, which was taking on a colorless tone of simmering evil.

“I shall have to keep a closer watch on Octagon to see what disturbs him so,” Theo whispered to Meek and Alme, who were next to him.

“You need to remedy the situation and not punish,” Meek responded.

Alme did not respond, knowing that Octagon’s words held truth in them. Octagon stood fearlessly aside, while Imbecile gulped.

Some of the Monks left the group with their heads down low and fled back to the castle to continue with their daily chores. Their excitement at the Thorn Army had diminished with the onslaught of Octagon’s astute remarks.

Months had passed, and the Ladybug Castle was still bustling with activity – cleaning and decorating the main table in the great main dining hall of the castle. The carpet in the main hall was rolled down and the tapestries were hung on the walls. In the castle’s rooms burned incense cones or candles of strawberry for love and friendship, tangerine to attract prosperity and love, blueberry to keep the unwanted and evil away from the castle, cherry for attracting and holding love, honeysuckle for good luck and protection against evil, jasmine for luck and love; and last but not least, the Queen had vanilla burning in the castle’s main dining room to stimulate appetites. The servants and maids found pleasure in cleaning the castle rooms and doing their daily chores just to linger and drift in the many different aromas which gave a lift to their spirits and made them more physically and emotionally charged. All the castle rooms had been dressed with furniture, linens, woven rugs, mirrors, candles and other artifacts. The castle was turning back time and was, once again, its beautiful self. The artifacts placed throughout the castle rooms and halls enhanced the look of the place and made you feel that you dwelled where the artists actually lived and worked on their art.

The Queen of the Willows had taken notice at what a splendid job her and Augean had done with the
Ladybug Castle. “Why, you walk on more carpets here than in any other castle,” she told herself time and time again. And the Queen also admired all the numerous tapestries hanging proudly on the castle walls, which were more explicit in their depiction of lovers than in any other castle.

“This castle holds numerous talents,” Augean had told her grandmother one day as she admired the numerous tapestries. “So full of artistry, with the main theme of interwoven love.”

It became known to everyone involved inside the castle that the wealth of the castle was the artwork and craftsmanship that graced it.

Shadow rested at the main entrance, watching the activity and keeping his usual watchful eyes on the little Princess Augean. She radiated with smiles these days, loving what she was doing and happy that it was for Goldest. She bathed herself in the luxury of the artwork and took the time to admire it every day.

“This castle has such a clean smell to it now. Why, I feel like moving in permanently!” the Queen joked with Augean, who giggled in response.

“The King would never permit it, Grandmother. Besides, he would miss you.”

“Our work is done here within the castle. Let us stay but a few more months and enjoy our work and the fresh, new smell. The King would never know we are finished here!” the Queen told Augean without any guilt.

Augean smiled fondly at her grandmother. “As you wish, dear Grandmother. You will find me not complaining.”

A sinister hooded shadow, hiding darkly behind in the shadows of tall potted trees set in the main dining hall as decorations, bent downwards and took its leave after listening to the conversation between the Queen and Augean. With everyone as busy as bees, no one seemed to take notice of this cloaked figure, thinking it was just one of the villagers helping with the outside lands or settling in on his own homestead.

Outside, the land had been painstakingly cleared and replanted with flora, gardens, orchards, trees, bushes and shrubs. There was always bustling activity around the castle grounds as warriors and the villagers and townspeople tended to gardens of various flora, herbs, fruits and vegetables. Other folk herded the flocks of sheep, goats, cows, chickens, roosters and turkeys out into the fields, behind the castle. The villagers and townspeople also worked the fields of oats, corn, barley, wheat, red and golden potatoes, sweet potatoes and yams, beans and beets.

The Willow Warriors had helped to build the cottages and homesteads around the land. They also took diligent care and effort in planting numerous white and yellow daffodils, pink and white amaryllis, which also included purple freesia all around the castle and its walkways. Numerous white phalaenopsis graced the front of the castle itself.

The maids and servants of the castle had a tedious task of forever conjuring up and cooking hearty meals of beef, chicken and different variations of potatoes for the Willow Warriors to aid in their hard labor and arduous tasks of clearing, planting and rebuilding.

When the Queen of the Willows noticed all the
Willow Warriors planting flowers, she laughed lightly at them, telling them all that they would all turn soft. The Queen did not realize that all this hard labor had built up the Willow Warriors’ strength, determination, physical and mental well-being. They had all become even better equipped for an engagement in battle, both mentally and physically. They would just smile at the Queen of the Willows when she came out to see how soft the Willow Warriors were becoming every time they planted the luxuriant flowers.

The kingdom seemed to take on an air of relaxed contentment. No one appeared to be unhappy or disillusioned about making this kingdom their new home. Great satisfaction appeared to be prevalent.

Ushi rode Niciu around the grounds, nodding his head in approval at the magnificent spectacle of regrowth and peace among the people, who had followed them from the Kingdom of the Willows. From time to time, he would stop and chat and hear what they had to say about the regrowth or rebirth of the kingdom. The Willow Warriors that he had taken with him, had been a big help in organizing the planting of the trees, bushes, gardens, flowers and other various exotic shrubs. They also worked with the townspeople in tending to the large flocks of animals, which were multiplying. Sometimes Ushi would dismount and help the Willow Warriors in the building of the cottages and homesteads. Never once did he ever hear any complaints from the men. Ushi was also overwhelmed at their eagerness to do any maintenance in and around the castle itself. The Willow Warriors did everything they could to strive for perfection in the
rebirth for this kingdom. He knew that he would have to reward the Willow Warriors in some way. He had thought about asking the Tooth Fairy Princess in acquiring some of the magnificent steeds she had access to, so that he could give them to his men in gratitude for their utmost help in his endeavor to help Goldest restore her castle. He had overheard his men talking one night around their dinner table next to the stables in their own private lodgings about how they would all love to own a stallion like Niciu. Ushi did not know how to approach the Tooth Fairy Princess on the subject, but he would find a way at the right time.
Will I ever see her again
? Ushi thought to himself, feeling a tinge of melancholy. He brushed the memory of the princess out of his thoughts and turned to Goldest. Goldest was his biggest concern at the present moment.

“I wonder where Goldest is… It is abnormal for her not to greet me in the morning,” Ushi said to himself.

While Goldest was in Ushi’s thoughts, she was presently hopping through the pathways surrounding the back of the castle at its farthest point, which was planted with different varieties and colors of exotic amaryllis. These exotic flowers had sprouted up from the many bulbs planted, and multiplied with the colors of purest satiny white, gradually warming up through shy, delicately brushed pinks and lustrous, blushing rose to soft, light salmons and bold, glowing tangerine. The pathways culminated in daring crimsons, sultry reds, and scarlets so rich and intense in hue, their rich colors blending to form a pleasant, polished picture of smooth, silky tapestry of shapely blooms surrounding
the walks far beyond the castle, out into the forest with the bubbling turquoise, pink and sea-green brooks. Goldest wanted to inspect the forest beyond her castle to see what secrets it might hold. As she hopped deeper and deeper into the forest, she spotted a small, modest homestead trying to conceal itself in the distance. The doorway was open and it appeared a fire was burning in the hearth. She could smell fresh wheat bread and blueberry muffins in the air.

“What is this? Who has been hiding and making their home outside the castle grounds deep in my forest, as if they wanted to be left alone, within my kingdom?”

Her intense curiosity brushed all caution aside as she continued to hop onward in haste and came upon the small dwelling built with stone, forest timber and shrubs. She noticed there were various gardens behind the dwelling.

“So, I see – self-sufficient!”

In front of the dwelling sat a beautiful woman with long yellow hair which was braided. She seemed to be rocking a baby in a plain, wooden cradle while humming to the baby.

Goldest boldly and swiftly hopped forward and settled in front of the startled woman.

“And who may you be, dwelling in my kingdom?” Goldest asked the woman firmly.

The woman gasped. She was amazed to see a golden frog hop right up to her and ask her a question. At that instant, a dark, hooded figure swiftly approached from the back of the dwelling. He slowly removed his hood and gave the perplexed woman a kiss on her cheek.
Aparicio looked down at the golden frog the woman was staring at.

Being a strong, bold woman herself, Lowilla straightened up and broke the silence, finally realizing who this uninvited guest could be, going on past rumors. “Might a frog be ruler of this long-forgotten kingdom?”

“At the death of my parents and grandparents, I am now a Queen – being once the Princess Goldest,” Goldest haughtily informed the woman, not knowing who this family was. Her sensory perception told her that she had nothing to fear from this family, it being clear that they had a baby child. That simple kiss on the woman’s cheek meant that they were at peace and probably wanted things to stay that way.

“Yes, I had heard about your fate, but never would I have ever imagined that I would be given this opportunity to meet you. I am the Princess Lowilla and this is my husband, Prince Aparicio.”

Now it was Goldest’s turn to be taken aback. Surprise was written all over her golden face as she croaked and jumped backwards in astonishment.

“So, I see Ushi did come through on his word with my mother and daughter, having refurnished the Ladybug Castle, with Ushi taking over the replanting and harvesting of the lands,” Prince Aparicio remarked.

“Why, you must be Augean’s father and mother! And you, Aparicio, are the son of the King and Queen of the Willows!” Goldest exclaimed, starting to hiccup in the excitement of the moment. She hopped backwards a few steps away from them.

Aparicio smiled down at the golden frog. He did
not wish to alarm her and have her hopping back to the castle with her newest findings. It would not go well, given the present situation. “You need not fear us, Goldest. After my father banned us from the Kingdom of the Willows forever, we fled to this torn, unkempt kingdom and made our home here – away from all the other kingdoms and its peoples. Being disgraced, we feared being rejected by all the other kingdoms. We are what you would call outcasts now – keeping to ourselves and being self-sufficient.”

Goldest was suspicious, but her curiosity was mounting as she continued to hiccup and croak. “What shame did you bring upon yourselves?”

Lowilla looked at Aparicio as he sighed heavily. “I tried to usurp my father, the King, and his throne – take over the ruling of his kingdom. He is a strong man with a strong will, and immediately took control over my blundering idiocy and banned my wife and me. My father is a King, first.”

Aparicio looked down at the smiling, happy baby. “Augean has a baby brother, Prince Luxnon,” Aparicio, with a heavy heart, informed Goldest.

Brushing off Aparicio’s idiocy, Goldest felt a tinge of sympathy for the family.
To be living in a dwelling like this when they could have had so much more
, thought Goldest to herself.
Greed and power can certainly ruin a man and his family, not to mention a kingdom, too. I will never allow greed inside my castle
, Goldest thought to herself.
Why, I would have the caretakers of my castle sweep it up and immediately burn it
!

“Do Augean and the King and Queen know you are alive and here?”

“The King informed me that my wife and I were to disappear and not come back. My father did not want my mother to know what I had tried to do, out of fear it would break her soft, loving heart. He would not let us take our daughter, Augean, with us – informing us that she was a princess and would continue to dwell in the Willow Castle, where a princess belongs. He informed me that he would say nothing about what I had done, except to inform the Queen and Augean that we had disappeared, and to hope for the best. Before my wife and I secretly left the castle in the middle of the night, under the watchful eye of my father and his most trusted warriors, we were instructed never to speak of this incident, or our tongues would be cut out. And this also included the tongues of others who were present who might speak of it.”

“Sad to say, our daughter does not even know she has a brother, and the King and Queen do not know that they have a grandson,” Lowilla added shamefully.

Goldest was suddenly alarmed. Putting aside their tragic story, which was founded on their greed and search for power, another thought arose inside Goldest, and she asked, “How did you know of Ushi and myself restoring my kingdom, castle and lands?”

“I happened to be in the castle at that time that night to see who was there. I had heard the horses ride past our dwelling.”

“You were in my castle eavesdropping on me, the Queen?” Goldest asked haughtily.

“I was only concerned for the safety of my wife and child. No one had ever come to this kingdom before
you had,” Aparicio informed her carefully, not wanting to bring any anger on and have them exposed by the golden frog, who appeared to have the flexible characteristics of haughtiness, tartness and arrogance.

“Well, you certainly were not concerned for your family’s safety when you tried to take over your father’s kingdom. You have brought shame upon yourself and your wife! Why, Augean wonders all the time where you both are and longs to see you. Imagine her surprise when she finds out she has a brother!”