The Queen's Curse (46 page)

‘May I have this dance with you, Artride.’

She flushed at that and nodded, standing up.

‘The wind does all those things you talked about,’ she said and touched his arm
, which felt warm and very alive. ‘It does wonderful things, but it can be frightening as well.’ And she remembered the storms rushing around the walls of the castle at nights when she lay alone in her bed, as big a castle as it was, the place still seemed to moan and howl.

‘You shall never be lonely ever again, Artride. You shall have our friendship, our company and our help into eternity. And we’re happy to give it to you. We are forever grateful.’ She wondered if he had read her mind
…

‘Be careful what you promise, Kasching, for eternity is a very long time.’

‘Indeed it is. However our promises are not lightly given; we stay true to them.’ His face turned a little tight and his mouth thin when he spoke, ‘No one can harness the wind, right? Wrong, the Dominator managed to keep one of our kind alive. I have talked to him and he said she was his wind all that time.’

‘She used magic
…’

‘Very powerful magic; for more than five Windchildren died before Dashim was captured. But she found a way to be his wind; very cunning.’

‘I saw him in the cave,’ she spoke softly.

Kasching stared at her. ‘How is he? Does he remember?’

‘Little, but enough. As do we all, as he shared it with us, but we recover quicker. He was treated well enough, cherished even, and it seems he was her favourite and therefore he had certain privileges. He feels ashamed, used, drained and worse … empty.’

‘Did any of them tr
y to fight her?’

‘Yes, but often that made things harder. Their souls were chained; away from their magic, from the source of their magic, stripped bare so to speak and enchanted. No free will.’

She felt sad, but then remembered it was over and all of the Wind and Woodchildren free, and she said so. ‘I just hope they recover soon.’

‘Right, let’s dance.’ And he extended his hand and guided her to the circle of dancing folk around the fire. All through the night there was no more talking, but dancing on the rhythm of the cheerful music. She danced with Dashim as well, carefully
, but he was visible touched by the gesture.

Then a harpist started to play a gentle slow tune and all the other musicians stopped playing. Most of the TalamhClann sough
t out the person they loved to dance an intimate dance with. Artride saw that Tirsa bit her lip and made room for the dancing couples, feeling embarrassed, walking over to sit with the people who did not dance; which weren’t many.

The
queen was one of them, however she tried to make eye contact and suddenly Tirsa felt her stare and looked back. She stood up and faced her. Standing in front of her, she stood too and accepting her hands lightly in hers, they walked over to the other dancing couples and the dying fire. She smiled at her friend and Tirsa smiled timidly back. The harpist began to sing a sad song with her beautiful clear voice and all couples were dancing closely. For the first time they accepted their mutual bond. Had their bond become so strong because of their hardships and suffering together or was it more than that? Staring into each other’s eyes a long time, they had no doubts. Their hands sought out their familiar waists and shoulders, without feeling discomfort or embarrassment. It felt right for both of them and they held each other close during the song; skin to skin, cheek to cheek, moving slow on the music. Their heartbeats so close.

When the song stopped, it seemed too soon; but it really had lasted longer than any of the songs so far. Reluctantly they parted; still holding hands, never letting go of each other. Roalda started to speak and they were all to be seated again.

It was said that years after that party, The Celebration of Heroes, was the most enchanted and special the TalamhClann had ever had. And not only for the fact that it had hosted two humans, but for all the emotions and releasing of them, that had glowed through the night, and it was felt by all present, even after the bonfire had gone out …

CHAPTER
24

The end of every quest is
to become what you are.

The next morning for the first time after that magical evening and night, Artride picked up the slab of wood; the counter spell, given to her by Eolas and started to examine it.

She read the tiny black words encrypted in the wood:

When the sun meets the waning moon, Ceartas’ king and his queen shall meet in my chamber in front of my book. The couple shall have in each corner a beeswax candle. One red for the blood of the Ceartasians shed, one black for their deaths, one blue for the tears shed and one pure white for the innocence lost. By this light their two bodies shall be as one. Only then shall I be lifted from the Law Book.

Artride felt her blood go cold. She read the words over and over again, emotions flaring.

‘No, no, no,’ was all she could say.

Tirsa
, who was just coming her way, noticed immediately something wrong by the pale complexion on the queen’s face.

‘What is it?’ she glanced at the counter spell and read the words as well for the first time. They had been so occupied that they had not thought to do this until now.

Artride stood up. ‘I’ve got to find Eolas.’ And she ran away.

Perplex
ed Tirsa read, ‘When the sun meets the waning moon,’ That’s tomorrow morning and the two mornings after that.
That’s good, we’re on time
. But then she read on.

‘Ceartas’
king and his queen …’
That’s not good …
and understood why Artride was so upset.

She has no
king …

Surely that meant that in order for the counter spell to work, she had to marry
…

~ ~ ~

            ‘You cannot be serious!’ Artride almost shouted at Eolas when she found him.

‘Ceartas
’ king
and
his queen shall meet?’

‘Look, this is the counter spell the way it was made at the time when the curse was being drawn. There was a
king at that time,’ Eolas calmly spoke, understanding her fury.

‘A king who was married. It also says, “
His queen”!‘

‘Every spell; or curse in this case, has its counterpart. So do people, for this curse two people are needed it seems.’

‘A married couple! I’m not married!’

‘Do not confuse me with someone else, Artride! I’m not responsible for this or to blame.’

‘You’re the one who gave it to me! Is there no other way? Can you not lift the curse another way? Please?’

‘I’m not like Sempervirens who could snap her fingers and do the impossible!’

Artride stared long into his face and looked away, almost in tears.

‘Is it so hard to accept that this might be the only way to lift the curse? That you will have to marry?’

She looked him in the eye and one big tear slowly rolled down her cheek when she said, ‘It means I have to find a king, whilst I thought I had found … my … queen.’  

She
walked away feeling numb.

~ ~ ~

Tirsa had been looking for Artride when she saw her sitting on one of the cliffs overlooking the sea. She was staring into the vast stretch of water. The sun was climbing higher in the sky; they had to leave soon.

‘Artride, we have to go now. Did you speak to Eolas or Roalda
about this?’ And she waved the counter spell in her hand. Artride couldn’t face her, so she didn’t turn around when she said, ‘I have. He says he cannot change it, for it is basically set in stone. For it to work there has to be a queen
and
a king; and who knows that might not even work? For it says ruling
king
?’

Tirsa sat next to her in sympathy. ‘So what, you have to marry? Just grab the first guy you can find; the curse will be lifted and you can divorce him the following day.’

Artride suppressed a snigger.

‘Our bodies will have to meet.’

‘What?’ Tirsa’s eyes grew wide, forgetting the slab she held in her hand and what it read.

Artride turned round and quoted
, glancing at the slab of wood, ‘“Their two bodies shall be as one.”’

Tirsa followed her gaze and read once again the words of the counter spell. She was right.

‘So, you’ll have to sleep with him.’ She swallowed hard with a worried look. ‘Alright, but
then
you can divorce him …’

‘Oh, Tirsa. Why does it all have to be so complicated?’

Tirsa stared at the counter spell again and her eyes suddenly opened wider and grew brighter.

‘It says ‘
king and queen’, alright. But since
you
are the queen and there is no king, if you take it literally it will not work anyway!’

‘I cannot appreciate why you are so happy about that!’

‘No, I mean, it means we cannot follow it to the rule anyway, can we? So where does it say you have to marry?’ and she touched every word, every line. And when she did not get a response, ‘Nowhere! It says “the couple”; so it could even mean you; king
or
queen, it’s the same thing; it’s just a title, and you’re …’ but she didn’t finish her sentence, however both thought the same thing, in unison, ‘
Queen’.

~ ~ ~

It was just like one of her dreams, or was it one?

No, it was far too real for that. She could feel the wind and the cool whipping against her face, pulling at her clothes and stinging her eyes. And although the wind was as gentle as could be at this altitude, for a human this would mean freezing to death; but yet she still was human, the difference was that she possessed wings as a result of the gratitude of the TalamhClann. That seemed to include not much hindrance from the weather conditions. Surely it was the Windchildren making sure of that.

The snow
-capped mountains below looked magnificent and she felt the invisible wings on her back moving, pushing her forward, without much effort. They must be huge to carry the weight of a human and fly at this speed.

And she was not alone.

When she looked to her right, she saw a tear stung Artride with widespread arms flying beside her. They both held their arms stretched next to them out of instinct, but there was really no need for that. It felt great to fly by themselves. It was the utmost sense of freedom. Not only would they be on time this way, but they would be able to use their wings in the future. Secrecy was the only down to it. But at least they could share it together. They held hands in the air and felt power radiating from one to another.

Below was the wide mountain range, the woods and they could also see parts of Zoria and Razoras in the distance. After a day they’d already recognised the great mountain range between Ceartas and Dochas and flew lower to search for the wide swamp w
here they left Fiosa, Tirsa’s horse. Soon they found it and landed on a safe spot, near the flower fields where she was grazing. Artride was amazed to see it was true; she had waited for Tirsa.

The meeting was touching
, and the queen thought about her own stead who had died on the way, with pain in her heart.

They mounted and travelled in
the direction of the border river. They took a different route, so as to avoid seeing the dead bodies of the poor horse and the two men. They travelled by night under the guiding light of a full moon and they reached Ceartas by morning.

They left the Magical Land of Dochas with mixed feelings.

‘I have never been more afraid, Tirsa.’

She knew she spoke the truth
; however, it wasn’t so much fear for herself.

‘I know.’ And she remembered the words Kasch
ing had spoken to her, “You need never be afraid again.”

How ironic
. No Windchild or magic could help her now.

‘I will make sure you won’t have to, trust me.’ Tirsa spoke.

Artride was silent. She had expected that. Ever since she found out that the counter spell wasn’t as straightforward, she had been quiet.

They camped shortly by the riverside.

‘What I feel for this country is the feeling you have for the mother who gave life to you. It’s unconditional love. I could never hate this country,’ Artride spoke softly.

‘And soon all the negative energy the curse holds on her will be gone and you will learn to love her again
,’ Tirsa added, but Artride didn’t reply.

Tirsa inhaled the freshness of the new leaves and the flower scent in the air.

‘This is magic. Do you smell it and do you feel the soft breeze on your skin?’ and she picked up a small pebble; smoothly shaped. ‘This pebble once was a mountain and as harsh and sharp as it; before the waters curved and shaped it. Now after many centuries it has become like this, smooth and round,’ and she moved her tender fingers around it and caressed it like an animal.

‘But still it’s not the end of it. It has a soul now, can you feel it? It’s old and wise after all those lives; first as a mountain, then as being part of water; rivers, streams, sand, small creatures. Perhaps even the sea before it became part of this forest floor. It’s part of your country now! Now that is magic.’

Artride stared amazed at her, then smiled. ‘I have never thought about it like that.’

‘Everything has a soul; every rock, even the river and the wind, the TalamhClann taught me that
… and you did.’

Artride
held her gaze longingly.

‘Oh, Tirs! What am I going to do?’

She bit her lip at that, for she knew what Artride meant.

‘And don’t say you want me to marry some
man for a day and a night, I cannot bear it!’

‘With great power comes great sacrifice
…’ Tirsa said absently. ‘Isn’t that what Eolas said?’

Artride opened her mouth to protest, but shut it closed again
, beaten; she knew she was right.

Tirsa glanced up at the sun and said, ‘Tomorrow morning early a waning moon will set. The first in three mornings; for the moon will have to meet the sun. And when the sun rises you’ll have to be ready to
…’ The queen started shaking her head in protest.

But
more softly, Tirsa added, swallowing away her excitement, ‘You’ll have to marry tonight or ...’ And turned to face the queen and spoke vehemently, ‘Marry me.’

With big eyes and open mouth she faced Tirsa to see if she was serious.

‘What?’

‘You heard me.’ And she got up and kneeled in front of the
queen and smiled up at her.

‘I know, a bit cliché,’ and she reached out for her hand. ‘But I promise I will make up for it. Artride Cumhachd, will you marry me?’

‘Oh, Tirs, how I hoped you would say that,’ and tears came to her eyes. ‘In my dreams – for how can we? as long as Ceartas is under its curse? The Law book won’t allow it.’

‘I promise you I will marry you
… after.’

‘After?’ Artride raised one eyebrow and Tirsa rolled her eyes.

‘I know I promised I would avoid the cliché, didn’t I? Alright, here comes: Plan A: Let me be your queen. It won’t hurt to try. It’s after all a waning moon for
three
mornings … And if it doesn’t work; if the curse won’t be lifted after we, well you know … well then … there’s still time to go ahead with plan B; to marry and then sleep with your king husband?’

‘Oh, Tirsa Lathabris, as much as
I want this, don’t you see, that technically only in marriage you will be my queen and as we cannot legally marry before the curse is lifted, the counter spell won’t work!’

‘Ah, but who’s to say? Am I not your best friend, your
…soulmate? The keeper of your heart? Your heart’s queen? And the day after we’ll marry and when I will technically be your queen, it will still be a waning moon two days after and we’ll repeat the procedure then if necessary?’ Tirsa held her hands, stroking her fingers gently.

‘For magic to work, we have to believe in this!’

Artride’s face lit up at that, and she held her face cupped in her own hands.

‘You’re amazing.’ And she hugged her so close Tirsa thought she would crush her ribs.

They laughed. ‘It’s worth a try,’ Artride said.

‘You still haven’t said yes or no?’

‘Yes, yes, yes,’ she cried in her hair. ‘I love you, Tirsa.’

‘And I have loved you from the day we met, how can I stop now? You are the
queen of my heart and I will be yours,’ she in return spoke tearfully, hoping her plan would work.

~ ~ ~

As soon as they crossed the Royal valley and neared castle Tarac they speeded their pace and galloped on Fiosa towards the gate.

The
castle guard recognized their queen and quickly opened it for the two women on one horse.