Goldest and the Kingdom of Thorns (7 page)

The princess sighed again, and looked down at the faces and two pairs of pleading eyes of the snakes. “I suppose you miss Goldest just as much as I miss Ushi’s presence. I can feel how cold the castle has
become since he has left. There is no love to warm it.”

The princess pushed her soup away and walked slowly to her room feeling heartsore. Her heart felt heavy within her bosom and she felt chilled to the bone. She had Sabira put mounds of woolen blankets on her bed. She lay in bed and still shivered with coldness throughout the night. The listless fire burned in the fireplace without passion. The flames did not dance their normal fiery dance of ardor.

“Why am I so cold?” she whispered to herself, wondering if Ushi was as chilled as she was.

The first colorful rays of light appeared on the horizon and brought out the full gleam of the spectrum on the marble ground within the Kingdom of Marble. With it came some warmth. A giggling Goldest hopped out of the marble cave and into the clear glass lake with the colorful glass fish. This time, the fish swam right up to her and looked at her strangely, face to face. She sunned herself on her back in the water. The fish swam around her, unafraid. They had grown use to this gold piece that kept intruding in their waters with her tantrums of splashing.

A very stiff and sore Ushi walked out of the marble cave and stretched as he tried to loosen his joints up. He had passed a cold, sleepless night. He felt like ice and let the sun’s rays warm him and his heart before he saddled up Niciu and put their supply pack on their packhorse. “What I wouldn’t do for a good night’s rest! This heart of marble was made for sculpturing – not to be slept on,” he shouted to Goldest, as she lay in the water, choking on her croaks and giggling.

The bright golden sun was fully awakened and up. The Thorn Army stood at attention – stick figures of fleshless organisms who looked like creatures of the undead. Massive, thick thorns stood aggressively throughout their dark, colorless, harsh bodies. The bright gleam of the sun’s rays gave their deadly thorns a glaring sheen, but their bark still retained a damp look about it.

Savagio paraded slowly around and through these rows of militant thorn creatures as the Monks watched with apprehension mounting within themselves. Theo, Octagon and Meek anxiously waited for Savagio’s remarks about this army that he was to train.

Savagio touched some of their sharp thorns, his fingers cutting easily at just so fine a touch. He looked strangely at the Monks. As anxious as they were, they had satisfaction at what they had grown written all over their faces.

Theo walked forth towards Savagio with Pentangle and Xnug following. He turned and motioned for two strange faces, Sectangle and Decadence, whom Savagio had not recalled meeting or seeing around the castle or its grounds. Some of the other Monks followed who were out in the field with Theo and his favorites. Savagio had taken notice that the Monks were clothed in darker grayish woolen robes today instead of their normal white woolen or light grayish robes. They also changed their white woolen socks to black woolen socks with even darker colored bark sandals. Their change of look seemed to have taken on a new meaning today for them, Savagio summed up to himself.
Savagio left the rows of the Thorn Army and met up with the approaching Theo.

“Our Brothers, Pentangle and Xnug, are to be the keepers of our Thorn Army. Sectangle and Decadence are to be their caregivers and make the decisions on when to bath them in their steaming herbal baths filled with vitalism,” Theo explained to Savagio.

Sectangle and Decadence bowed their heads in respect to Savagio.

Theo continued on, “All my Brothers here will help them when needed. In the meantime, Pentangle and Xnug are to help you into turning our thorns into fighting warriors. You may command anything from them, and they shall obey – always!” Theo looked sternly upon a robust Pentangle and Xnug, who threw out his hefty chest.

Pentangle and Xnug reluctantly bowed their heads in respect and acknowledgment to Savagio. The reluctance was due to them believing they were more skilled with their minds and bodies than Savagio could ever be. But, Savagio was a fighting warrior, and they were not. Therefore, they had no choice in the matter but to follow and honor Theo’s wishes and commands. Savagio bowed his head in return.

“If you need to question Decadence as their caregiver, mark that his tongue has been cut out. You must seek out Sectangle for your answers,” Theo informed Savagio.

Curiosity overcame Savagio, knowing how strange these Monks were. “Why was his tongue cut out?”

“You see, Savagio, Decadence is our deliverer of messages across the kingdoms to what lies beneath the
soil,” Theo started to explain, but Savagio cut him off with a wave of his hand.

Savagio now looked baffled at Theo, not understanding these strange Monks and their secret customs. He changed the subject, not really wanting to know their strangeness any more than he had to. Savagio concluded that maybe his tongue was removed in case he fell into the wrong hands; then they could not extract information from him. He delivered his messages in another way. All this was not important right now. He knew these ancient Monks and Shamans were never purposely violent, but keeping peace amongst themselves as with the other kingdoms. Kings and Queens for centuries had come to them for help with sicknesses, illnesses and other matters within their own kingdoms. The Monks were always willing to help rid these kingdoms of their pestilences. They were looked upon with reverence in all the other kingdoms. A tongue being cut out was not important to him.

“Let us step back and let us see how coordinated these twigs are,” Savagio told them.

“
Twigs
! That is an insult!” Ebrix exclaimed angrily.

Theo brushed Ebrix aside. “Hold thy tongue, Ebrix! Do not let words taunt you.”

Savagio was highly amused at Ebrix’s outburst. “With all due respect, I did not mean to insult these naked creatures.”

A smiling Savagio swiftly walked to the head of the rows of thorns as Theo, Ebrix, Pentangle, Decadence, Sectangle and Xnug stood back with their other Brothers, who had slowly gathered with curiosity
towards their thorns. They watched Savagio in silence, as he officially took over their command of the thorns.

“Step back!” Savagio commanded of them.

The Thorn Army stepped awkwardly backwards.

“Step forward!”

The Thorn Army stepped awkwardly forward, with some falling to their knees.

“Step to your right!”

The Thorn Army was confused about right and left, with some stepping right and some stepping left, while some fell over sideways as they collided amongst each other.

“Raise your branches – arms!”

The Thorn Army raised their branches with their thick cluster of thorns, with some falling over backwards.

“I see you are but twigs ready to snap! We shall start our training by walking ten miles a day. This will help strengthen you as well as give you balance. Then, we shall advance to running. This will make you even stronger still. Last will be darting in and out! This should finish off your coordination. All this, before I even start to train you to use your thorns in a fighting manner,” Savagio informed the thorns, as well as the Monks.

A smiling Theo nodded his head in approval and satisfaction towards Savagio’s skilled training of their army.

“I must say, we picked our trainer well,” Octagon whispered to Theo.

“Why, Octagon, did you have any doubt that he would not only train our army to fight, but also to be strong?” Theo remarked, his eyebrows raised in question at Octagon.

Meek’s mind was thinking realistically as he made known to all, “Stronger than us, maybe?”

A callous Uhl, who watched them grow and studied with seriousness his ancient ritual books on a nightly basis, knew what Meek’s true meaning was to his spoken question. Uhl was not one to chuckle at any words as he said, “We can command the earth to replant them forcefully, if need be, Brother.”

“Preparing the exact sorcerous, magical rite of powers for that process would take a long, long time, I’m afraid,” Onion reminded them.

“I suggest we concoct a back-up plan in case all does not go well,” Alme suggested.

Theo was angered by their weak conversation and responded, “All will go well! I find that your lack of belief annoys me most disturbingly. Have we ever failed in our endeavors? Ask yourself that one question, my Brothers.”

“We all have belief here, Brother; but, it is wise for us to follow our innermost instincts, which comes from our subconsciousness, deep within the essence of our minds,” Octagon wisely informed Theo. “We must use some sense of logic here.”

Theo chuckled at Octagon’s wiseness. Theo knew Octagon was always wise and more knowledgeable than most of the Monks, and that he was a threat to him because of it. Theo knew he must show that he had been humored at all times when Octagon spoke wisely and intelligently, so the other Monks would know that he was not so much impressed with Octagon, as he truly was.

A ruler must think of himself as the best and not let himself
be outshined by another, because that would be his greatest downfall
, Theo thought quietly to himself.

“Come, let us go and leave them alone to be trained by this great warrior,” Theo remarked. With his entourage, along with the other Monks watching, Theo turned and headed back to the castle and the day’s tasks, as Savagio bellowed out his commands. Pentangle and Xnug had stayed close to Savagio to assist him in any way. Pentangle kept a very close watch on Savagio, not really trusting this mighty warrior, who was so spoken highly of.

“We will start our ten-mile walk now! Xnug, you take the lead! Pentangle, follow alongside and assist with their clumsiness for a while!”

The Thorn Army had begun their warrior training by their ten-mile walk in a single file line. Savagio turned around and chuckled to himself at their clumsiness. They were stronger than they thought, but they were off balance due to their heavy, thick thorns, and needed to be balanced properly. They needed to walk to get accustomed to carrying these thick, bulging thorns in order to attain this even balance.

Pentangle spotted Savagio’s reaction of chuckling at the thorns. He reproached him. “Do not make fun of what you do not know and understand. Learn first about our thorns, then see if you laugh later at them,” Pentangle warned. Pentangle did not flinch a muscle as he turned and walked away from Savagio. He did not care to hear whatever remark Savagio had for him. Savagio did not like the last words chosen by Pentangle. Apprehension had set in, again.

Savagio decided he would keep his word to these
Monks and train their strange army, but deep inside his heart, he knew something was amiss.
I will have to keep my eyes and ears open towards this kingdom for the rest of my life
, Savagio thought to himself. “I will hold myself responsible for whatever may come ever after,” he whispered.

While Savagio worked with the training of the Thorn Army all day, Ushi and Goldest rode into what once was the Kingdom of the Ladybugs. This overgrown, unkempt kingdom, which had fallen into rot and decay, was unknown to Ushi; only Goldest knew where they were.

“I have never before seen a kingdom so overgrown and unkempt as this. All the kingdoms within the Domain hold beauty. It is obvious that this is a deserted kingdom,” Ushi remarked.

Goldest began to sniffle and croak silently as her eyes panned the uncared-for kingdom. Ugly, menacing weeds grew in abundance everywhere. They came upon a red castle overgrown with climbing vines. The vines caressed the outer red stone walls as if it was hiding the secrets within it. Goldest knew instantly that this was once the Ladybug Castle. She fought back the tears welling up inside her golden eyes. Her sniffles started to become more prominent.

“A red castle! How beautiful! What kingdom could this possibly be? Why is it deserted so?” Ushi wondered out loud. He had heard Goldest’s conspicuous sniffling, and instantly knew something was about to be unwrapped. He patiently waited for her to tell him.

Goldest jumped down from Niciu’s rump and hopped up some of the red stone stairs towards the front door of the red castle. She looked upwards at the tall fortress. Ushi rode up fast and dismounted. His curiosity overcame him. “What is it, Goldest? You seem to know something about this kingdom.”

“Let us go inside,” Goldest croaked sadly. Ushi stilled both horses and followed Goldest as she continued to hop up the red stone stairs. He opened the huge red door, which creaked loudly, and they walked cautiously inside.

“If anyone be in here, they certainly must have heard this ancient door open,” Ushi remarked.

“There be no one in here,” Goldest croaked sadly as she sniffled.

Goldest hopped inside the deserted master dining hall. Her teary eyes panned the hall as she sniffled uncontrollably. Ushi went down on bended knee and looked at the falling tears splashing into puddles from Goldest’s eyes.

“You are forming pools with your tears, Goldest,” Ushi softly informed her. “I can see this castle means something to you. What secret do you hold so dear within your heart that you cannot speak of it?”

Goldest’s sobbing broke Ushi’s heart.
She is my friend and I feel deeply for her
, a distressed Ushi thought to himself.

“This castle is the Ladybug Castle in the Kingdom of the Ladybugs,” Goldest told Ushi.

“I have heard the silent, unspoken rumors in the past that all the ladybugs in the Kingdom of the Willows once dwelled in the Kingdom of the Ladybugs.
They speak of this kingdom as vanishing from the Domain.”

“No, the kingdom has never vanished – it just lies deserted and forgotten about. Whatever and whoever were left, fled to take refuge in the Kingdom of the Willows many, many years ago. They made their homes amongst the vast hills beyond the mighty willows and its colorful ponds,” Goldest sadly informed Ushi. “The people dwelling in that area of the willows just do not speak about what had happened many, many years before. To speak of it is like opening up a closed wound of memories that were meant to be forgotten about.”