Goldest and the Kingdom of Thorns (17 page)

A black-hooded Imbecile galloped his mount strongly across the many green hills. He sat on his horse firmly and with tenacity. Deafening thunder and monstrous lightning filled the heavy air as the night grew deeper. Never closing his eyes, a platinum light guided his way.

Into the night, Octagon sat weeping, encased and huddled inside blankets, which also surrounded him, shivering from his lack of spirit. He never had to deal with a lack of mastery in his life. He now found it hard to survive without it.

“Hurry, Imbecile! I cannot hold out throughout the night. I am fearful for myself. I need my mental and bodily strength back.”

Theo walked inside Octagon’s tent and noticed that he was nestled inside his blankets, like a newborn baby – shivering.

“What is this? And what are you mumbling about?” an unamused Theo asked him.

Octagon covered his face and looked away so that Theo could not read into his eyes. Afraid, very much afraid, that his eyes would tell all to the powerful Theo.

“I-I-I must have p-p-picked up something along the w-w-way. N-n-not feeling w-w-well,” Octagon stuttered, as if he was a true Imbecile.

“Why, you sound like Imbecile. Where is he at, anyway?”

“L-l-looking for b-b-bugaboos.” Theo rolled his eyes up into his head. “Such a halfwit – that Imbecile. It is time to lay him to rest.” Theo paused and looked closely and seriously at Octagon, and as Octagon turned his back on Theo, an uneasiness crept over the leader.

“This is not like you, Octagon! You are a strong Monk, stronger than most. I will go make a hot herbal brew for you. By morning, you should be back to normal. I do not like this. When Imbecile returns from his spook hunt, tell him I wish to see him. I intend to find out what he is up to.”

Octagon nodded to let Theo know that he had heard and understood him. Theo started to leave the tent, but then stopped. He turned back and looked questionably at Octagon, knowing that something was amiss. He then shrugged his shoulders and took his leave, feeling uneasy.
I must keep my eyes on Octagon
, Theo thought to himself.
Tonight I see him as a stranger – a stranger who is a threat
.

The night fell hard on the Ladybug Castle. A most solemn Ushi paced back and forth in contemplation with the Queen of the Willows. Augean and the castle’s attendants, with some of the women from the village, were helping to cleanse and bandage the wounds of the Willow Warriors and the males of the village who helped in the fighting. The main dining hall was filled to capacity. Most of the males were hurt, with numerous slashes covering their bodies, or they were gored deeply. Women from the kitchen served bowls of chicken and carrot soup with baked wheat and rye bread. This steaming hot brew was served all night with deep, rich, hot cocoa. It was a long, appalling night. Everyone was tired and nervous, with most being in some type of pain.

The Queen of the Willows, with her attendants, went to collect blankets and covers for the hurt males who were to sleep in the dining hall that night. Extra care was taken to safely cover the newly crafted carpets in the main dining hall, so that the men’s blood would not stain them. Blazing red fires burned brightly in all the fireplaces, bringing out the full redness of the Ladybug Castle.

Goldest sat on the long main table, hiccuping from the distress and excitement of the day and the long night. As a Queen, she felt helpless. She relied and depended on the Queen of the Willows and the Princess Augean to carry on with the care and tending of her people. The Queen of the Willows seemed to know exactly what to do by her supervision of all the castle’s attendants. Her commands and orders were taken seriously and acted upon immediately.

I have a lot to learn yet as a Queen
, a weary Goldest thought to herself.
I should consider myself fortunate to have the Queen of the Willows and the Princess Augean as guests here in my castle. I owe them so much, and I have nothing to give them
. A golden tear fell from her golden eye.

Ushi stopped pacing and slowly faced his warriors, standing or sitting around him. They were filling their hungry and hurt bodies with the most welcome hot soup and bread.

“We will not surrender. Those are my spoken words to you all,” he told them.

A male villager stepped forward and proudly said, “And we will be right behind you.”

Shadow, watching Augean, growled in agreement.

Meanwhile, back in the humbleness of the Cuspid Castle, Savagio sat stretched out in a chair drinking wine while the Tooth Fairy Princess played her harp for him to enjoy. Both were dressed in relaxed, plain cream-colored silken gowns for the evening, with cream-colored woolen robes draped over their gowns for comfort and warmth. Both spent a relaxed, contented night with one another as they ate a late supper together. It was well into the night, and both were ready to retire.

A Tooth Warrior, Gaylord, made an entrance and bowed to the princess. She stopped playing her harp, wondering what it was he wanted, it being as late as it was. She then noticed how pink he was and not white like the other Tooth Warriors, and the surprise showed on her face. A knowing Gaylord just smiled at her surprise. He was amused by it.

“Princess, a Monk from the Kingdom of Thorns has just arrived and insists on having an audience with Savagio immediately. He says it is a matter of life and death!”

A strong and boldface Imbecile forced himself into the room, pushing the two Tooth Warrior Cuspids away from him, who were trying to hold him back from entering the main dining hall without the princess’s permission. Captain Cuspido and the Tooth Warriors who took command over the guards of the castle had retired for the night. Only the main castle guards were up and alert. They would not relax until the princess had retired for the night. Since the kingdom was at peace at the present, no guards were required to be posted during the full night.

Seeing Imbecile make such a sudden entrance brought a smile to Savagio’s face, knowing what an idiot he was. “Imbecile! It is not like you to barge in like this!”

“Let him be,” the princess softly told her Tooth Warriors. They bowed obediently to her and left the hall.

An amused Savagio motioned for Imbecile to take a seat next to him. Imbecile removed his wet black-hooded cape, draped it over a chair, and sat in a sturdy, strong pose next to an amused Savagio.

Savagio chuckled. “This is not the Imbecile that I know of.”

“Octagon has given me a part of himself, so I could come alone. It was far easier that I would go unnoticed than he. His presence would be missed, while no one would miss mine,” Imbecile firmly told Savagio.

“I would say he gave
all
of himself to you, and not just a part of him,” Savagio jested. Savagio poured Imbecile a glass of wine in a goblet to warm his wet, tired body, and giving it to him said, “Octagon is a very clever Monk to have sent you in his place. Proceed, Imbecile, I am impatient for your spoken words.”

“Theo and the Monks have attacked the Ladybug Castle with the Thorn Warriors,” Imbecile bluntly informed him.

The princess gasped and clutched her hands to her heart.

Savagio sat there quietly, contemplating, and then smiled before he said, “The Ladybug Castle?”

The princess slowly rose and came forward. “Why, I have heard that the Queen of the Willows with her granddaughter have restored the castle and its grounds for Queen Goldest to rule over.”

Savagio raised an eyebrow. “Queen Goldest?” he said, and laughed. “You don’t mean that golden frog?”

“Don’t be so rude, Savagio!” the princess cried out sternly. “Goldest is Queen Goldest. I have been informed by Floriana that Goldest was once a golden princess from the Kingdom of the Ladybugs. Her descendants were killed by the past ancestors of Leo. So, you see, Savagio, she is now the Queen.”

“Hard to imagine a frog being a Queen,” Savagio stated dryly as he sipped his wine. Looking thoughtful he said, “Strange, how she never talked or bragged about being a princess or a Queen.”

“Goldest has always kept her burden a secret, tucked away in the deep folds of her golden heart,” the princess stated faintly.

“Like Ushi had always said about her – Goldest is Goldest, and there will never be another Goldest,” Savagio, with a smile on his face, remarked.

The princess smiled at Savagio’s spoken words, which brought back memories of Ushi. Savagio then made a toast to Goldest in jest, and the princess frowned at him.

The patient Imbecile, sipping his wine, waited for Savagio to make his own decision to come and help the Ladybug Castle survive the onslaught of the Monks and their Thorn Warriors.

“I understand Ushi is there with some of his Willow Warriors. Is he harmed in any way?” the princess asked Imbecile, with some apprehension.

Imbecile looked at the princess and saw not only the sadness within her eyes, but the growing sorrow within her heart. He knew instantly that she, with her sincerity and honesty of heart, was truly in love with Ushi. But Savagio, with his own intentions, was only confusing the folds of her most precious being.
She must face reality with truth and listen to the core of her beating bosom telling her what she needs to know
, a smart Imbecile thought to himself. He straightened up and replied, “Sorry, Princess, that I do not know. But knowing what a strong and skilled warrior Ushi is, he should come out unscathed.” Imbecile could only hope that his last choice of words to her would comfort her heart somewhat.

The princess let out a distressed whimper. A bluish tear dropped from her beautiful blue eyes. Savagio took notice of her distress and was annoyed by it. The princess looked with pleading eyes at Savagio to go and help
them. There was no mistaking into what Savagio read in her eyes. Now, he was really irritated by what he saw.

“Why do you bring me such news?” a peeved Savagio asked.

“Because Octagon admired you as a warrior, and knew that you would make things right again,” Imbecile quietly told him.

“Or is it because only I know the secret of destroying the Thorn Warriors?” Savagio asked, his anger mounting.

Imbecile knew instantly that Savagio was losing his patience with him, due to his jealousy of knowing how distressed the princess had become about Ushi being surrounded by menacing danger.

“You are the one to do it, if anyone could. After all, you trained them,” the clever Imbecile told him. Imbecile immediately knew by Savagio’s reaction that he had hit him hard in the proud, soft spot of his heart. Imbecile quietly chuckled within himself, the courage making him bold as well.
I like this new found courage that I have acquired from Octagon
, Imbecile thought to himself.
Maybe I should keep it and make it mine
. After all, it is a gift, is it not? he asked himself.

“Only by the Monks’ request did I train them! Surely, Octagon knew what Theo had planned!” an angry Savagio shouted, as his face began to turn scarlet in anger.

Imbecile remained unmoved at Savagio’s outburst.
I must remain calm and not seduce Savagio to come because he has to, but to come because he wants to himself
, Imbecile thought to himself.

“Octagon had hoped within the sincere folds of his
heart that Theo would center himself among a more beauteous kingdom that had not developed a dynasty yet,” Imbecile calmly told Savagio.

Calming down, Savagio asked, “Then, why did Theo not do so?”

“Before I had left, Octagon confided in me that he came upon Theo one night studying from their ancient ancestral books. Theo read how the ladybug wings had a thaumaturgic potency within them. Secretly, Octagon believed Theo wanted to breed and control all the ladybugs – use their wings for sorcerous potions, rituals and offerings – performing miracles,” Imbecile explained.

“Sounds to me like Theo has blackened his heart! Do any of the other Monks know what Theo has in mind?” an astounded Savagio asked.

“No one else knows. It seems to be that Theo wants to be the unmitigated sovereign over a kingdom, and not allow his own Brothers to share with him.”

Savagio suddenly felt that he was in the presence of Octagon and not Imbecile. “I cannot believe how much you are like Octagon at this present time. Why, you even speak like he does!”

“Because I am he at the present – as he is I as I once was.”

The princess had sat patiently and listened closely to their conversation. She could not be patient anymore. The truth of love within her heart made her speak out with honest words. “You must go help Ushi, Savagio. It would break my heart if you did not.”

“And what of
my
heart, Princess? You know, it beats for you, too.”

An uncomfortable princess lowered her head. “Please do not ask my soul to speak its secrets,” she softly told him.

Savagio noticed how uncomfortable the princess was. There was silence for several seconds. “Very well, you have spoken enough words, Princess. I shall go and help Ushi,” a crestfallen Savagio told her.

Imbecile smiled to himself.
What one wouldn’t do for the sake of love, or to protect one’s love
, he thought to himself. He breathed a sigh of relief, and took another sip of his wine.

Savagio slowly rose up from his chair and looked down at Imbecile, who was enjoying the distinct taste of their wine, grown from their own hefty violet grapes.

Savagio smiled down at Imbecile, knowing full well that he could very well be talking with Octagon and not Imbecile. “Why, Imbecile, did you have any doubt?” He did not wait for him to reply, but straightened up and bluntly said, “We leave immediately.”

Savagio turned and walked earnestly out of the room to get dressed for the long ride ahead of him. He instructed one of the Tooth Warrior guards to prepare his horse and told another guard to have a kitchen attendant prepare him a knapsack of wine, rye bread and goat’s cheese to take with him for the long journey that had to be made in half its time. Then he remembered Imbecile’s enjoyment of the wine and added, “And make sure you add extra wine, as well as extra food, for the Monk.”

Imbecile poured himself another goblet of wine and helped himself to the rye bread and yellow cheese
sitting on the long table. The ride had made him hungry. He needed strength for the long ride back that he knew had to be made quickly. The princess, sensing that Imbecile could take care of himself, excused herself with a heartache and went to her room for the night. She felt bad about showing her strong feelings for Ushi, but she also cared for Savagio. She hoped that Savagio did not think ill of her for wanting him to go to Ushi’s rescue. She had no right to interfere between Savagio and Imbecile.
Savagio is a warrior; therefore, he should act first as a warrior and do what must be done
, thought the princess to herself. This one thought justified her wanting Savagio to go and help Ushi.