Day 20

Tẽra Trazzie woke up in her own bed. It was the first night that she hadn’t had bad dreams. She kissed Otchulissa on the head.

“I slept.” She told her cub.

The cub purred, and stayed under the blankets.

“What are we going to name our new friend?” she asked Otchulissa.

The gogobeast was sleeping on the bed. For some reason it didn’t like being under the blankets.

“You look special and so you should have a special name.” she told the gogobeast.

The storm picked up outside and snow beat against the window lats.

“How about Gale?” she asked it.

“Or maybe Storm? Or maybe Flynn. I like Flynn. You will be Flynn.” She decided.

Tẽra was startled by someone trying to get into her room.

“My queen?” Gem called from the other side of the door.

Tẽra sighed a sigh of relief.

She got out of bed and faced the cold. The barricade she had put up worked. No one was able to get into her room.

“My queen.” Gem bowed.

Tẽra got back into bed.

“I can hear the snow storm outside. I wish I could stay in bed all day.” Tẽra said.

“You are the queen. You can do whatever you like.” Gem said.

“No, I have a new queen to train and so much to do. As a royal you don’t get to do as you want, you have to fulfil your responsibilities.”

“Permission to speak freely?” Gem asked.

“Speak.”

“You do not seem like the person that did all those horrible things. I find myself wondering how a person can change so much?”

“I am sure you are not the only one asking those questions.” Tẽra answered.

“No, I guess not. Everyone is afraid you will suddenly go back to being the bad queen.” Gem covered her mouth

“Forgive me! I did not mean to vex you.”

Gem was on the floor next to Tẽra bed.

“Get up. I am not vexed. I agree Tiffany is a bad queen. Soon Ginger will be queen and you will be her hand maiden. Be loyal and good to her. She is but a child and she will need a trustworthy ear to listen to her when all the other voices are making demands. Be good to her.” Tẽra said.

“Where will you go?” Gem asked getting off the floor.

“Far, far away. No one will ever see or hear of me again. Ginger will have a lot of cleaning up to do.” Tẽra said.

Tẽra was feeling a little excited about going back to earth. She had woken up feeling a lot better. Life was not so bad, nor did the guilt weigh on her.

Tẽra bathed and dressed and then took Gem to meet Ginger.

Ginger was training with Kaneeda when Tẽra found her. The child was a skilled fighter and this made Tẽra feel that it would be less easy to kill her because of it.

“Ginger this is Gem, she will be your handmaiden, you will need one as queen. So, you will have my handmaiden. You will get to choose new clothes and look like a queen in today’s sessions. You will need to learn a lot of languages and protocols. But I have faith in you.” Tẽra said.

“You killed my parents and now you are making me queen?” Ginger stated.

“Sweet child there is so much you don’t know. One day maybe you will learn the whole story. But for now, I want you to know I am not your enemy. Also, you will need to befriend Hodge the records keeper.”

Kaneeda looked Tẽra up and down.

“You can also get new clothes when Ginger goes later.” Tẽra said.

“We met once.” Kaneeda said.

“We did?” Tẽra said worried were this was going.

“Yes, I looked at you and you men struck me. I was in line as you rode on your horse through Shadow Valley. I was being sold in the market, my father couldn’t pay his debt so I was taken and sold to pay it.”

“I am sorry that happened to you. When Ginger is queen, she can right the wrongs and she is blessed to have you protect her.” Tẽra answered not looking at Kaneeda.

“They beat me and you laughed.” Kaneeda went on.

Autumn walked in wanting to let off some stream, she had been to see Chase in the dungeon and she was worked up and angry.

“I am sorry for all hurt you suffered and the hurt your family suffered.” Tẽra expressed to Kaneeda.

“You’re sorry!” Kaneeda said with disgust.

She raised her staff to strike Tẽra.

Autumn grabbed the staff. Ripping it right out of Kaneeda hands.

“Do not touch this queen.” Autumn said.

Kaneeda struck Autumn, hitting her face. Autumn roared and claws came out ripping Kaneeda’s shirt and skin straight across her abdomen.

Ginger grabbed a staff and ran to join the fight.

“No!” Tẽra called.

The silver eyes flickered as Autumn pushed Ginger straight across the room with one shove. The girl had the wind knocked out of her and she gasped for air while lying against the wall.

“Stop!” Tẽra yelled “Enough!”

Kaneeda and Autumn ignored Tẽra shouting. Kaneeda fought with all the anger in her heart and so did Autumn. Blood splashed over Tẽra, leaving drops on her face.

Tẽra touched the blood on her face and looked at it on her fingers. She just froze staring at the blood on her hand. She didn’t even hear or notice when Zazo and some men came in and broke up the fight.

Kaneeda was bound and so was Autumn. Zazo’s men looked at the queen, frozen in her pose of looking at the blood on her finger. She looked like a statue, they couldn’t even hear her breathe.

“Get out. Everyone, get out.” Zazo said.

Kaneeda looked over her shoulder to see Zazo cleaning the blood off of Tẽra’s face.

Ginger came over to Tẽra.

“Queen?” she asked.

“She will be alright.” Zazo said to Ginger.

“Just look at me.” Zazo said to Tẽra

“You are alright.” He told her.

“What’s happening?” Ginger asked.

Zazo didn’t really know himself. Shock was not really a thing for them, it was do or die. P.t.s.d. was also not a diagnosed thing, people just kept going because they had too. Or if they finally cracked it was called the mind illness.

“I thought a queen never apologized.” Ginger said.

“The best ones do.” Zazo replied.

Tẽra could see Zazo standing in front of her, but it was like she was in a slow-motion time bubble. She couldn’t hear them nor understand what was happening around her.

“Ginger today is your first try as queen. You will go and sit in Tẽra’s chair and listen to the leaders and do the right thing for everyone not just one person.” Zazo said.

“The queen was going to have a dress made for me. We were going to see Hodge.” Ginger told Zazo.

“Make Hodge your best friend. He is a clever man that understands the world.” Zazo told her.

“Find her handmaid and tell her to take you to meet the people and dress you to be queen today.” Zazo said to her.

“Is the queen dying?” Ginger asked.

“I hope not.” Zazo answered.

Tẽra’s shivering stopped and her teeth stopped chattering.

Zazo took a servant’s coat and covered Tẽra so no one would know it was the queen. He carried her to Spice.

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“She just froze and hasn’t said a word.” Zazo told Spice.

They lay Tẽra on a bed and Spice gave her water.

“Tẽra what happened?” Spice asked.

“Are they dead?” Tẽra asked.

“Who?” Zazo asked.

“Autumn and Kaneeda?”

“No, but my men took them to the dungeon. Their behavior was out of line.” Zazo said.

“Is Ginger alright?” Tẽra asked.

“She is a strong girl, she is fine.” Zazo reassured.

“What happened to you?” Spice asked.

“I think I went into shock.” Tẽra said, “I am not used to people trying to kill me and fighting and blood. It’s too much.”

“Do you think Ginger will be alright doing it alone today?” Tẽra asked.

“We will find out.” Zazo replied.

“Should I prepare a coronation for her?” Tẽra asked.

Zazo and Spice looked at each other.

“A coronation is a good idea. Invite people from everywhere to witness and celebrate.” Spice suggested.

“What will you do?” Zazo asked.

“Go home to earth. We are only one crystal short of opening the sugs, once they are open, I will go home. I am hoping that Nikki was successful in retrieving it.”

“What if she wasn’t” Spice asked.

“Then we send the Dragon Riders to invite them to the coronation, and retrieve it then.” Tẽra answered.

“You seem alright again.” Spice observed.

“Some honey tea would be nice.” Tẽra said pulling the blanket over her.

Zazo and Spice smiled. Tẽra was alright.

* * *

Kaneeda and Autumn were thrown into a cell with Chase.

“Who is your friend?’ Chase asked Autumn in a mean way.

“This is Kaneeda the crazy.” Autumn answered.

“I am not crazy! What is crazy is how you all protect the tyrant queen!” Kaneeda snarled.

“Oh?” Chase was interested “So, she is in here for the same reason I am. She took an opportunity to end suffering. What did you do?” he asked “Finally stand up for your people?”

“To think I liked you.” Autumn scowled.

Kaneeda listened to this, it was amusing for her.

Autumn sat down and looked at the floor.

“What are you in for?” Chase asked Kaneeda.

“Trying to strike the queen.” She answered.

“I cut her face open and was about to rip her throat out when Autumn there, stopped me.” He glared to Autumn.

“What are you?” Kaneeda asked.

“We are from the Lovac tribe.” Chase answered.

“They are all dead, no survivors.” Kaneeda said.

“We were slaves in a mine, dead to the world but very much alive.” He informed her.

“Why are you protecting the queen?” Kaneeda asked.

“She freed us.” Chase answered for Autumn in his mocking girly voice.

Autumn didn’t answer. She just sat there, wondering how long it would be before she was set free and she was sure she would be let out. After all she was an ally to the queen.

Kaneeda sat down. The dungeon was cold and she was still bleeding.

“You are all so stupid.” A dirty woman in the next cell said, “You think that silly, weak girl is the queen. I don’t care if she is the lost heir. I am the queen and that will never change. When I get out and I will… I will kill you all for having the audacity to make a move on my crown.”

“Who are you?” Kaneeda asked.

“A crazy girl.” Autumn answered “No smart person would claim to be the queen after hearing that people are trying to kill the queen.”

Kaneeda looked at the dirty girl in the cage next to hers.

“If you are the real queen prove it.” Kaneeda said.

Tiffany looked at her waiting for her to say what she wanted as proof.

“Well prove it!” Kaneeda insisted.

“How could I prove anything to a simpleton like you who believes an imposter is me?”

“What happened in the town of Lutz?” Kaneeda asked.

“The rebel town that was destroyed with everyone living there, that Lutz?” Tiffany asked.

“Yes.”

“Well, I rode in and some stupid sprout throw an apple at me, the nerve. So, I had her hung by her feet from the gallows until she died. Once she died my men set fire to everything and killed everyone, men, women and sprouts. I wanted the very memory of that place erased and until you brought up, I hadn’t heard it name mentions in years.” She frowned

“I even had the sprout’s head brought back on a pike.” Tiffany smiled as if recalling a fond memory.

Autumn shook her head.

“Everyone knows that story.” Kaneeda said.

“Tell me what happen when you visited the City Point in person after killing all the other royals?” Kaneeda inquired.

Tiffany looked at her.

“You either believe I am the queen or you do not. It doesn’t really matter what you believe. I will take back my kingdom and kill everyone, then I will build anew from those who stayed loyal to me and didn’t get deceived.”

“Crazy!” Autumn said.

“I know you. You are the Lovac that dared to look at me and demanded the freedom of your people. You got in my face!” Tiffany was angered.

“You know the truth don’t you. You know that I am the queen.”

“I know only a crazy person would say they are the real queen to the people who just tried to kill the queen.” Autumn answered.

In her heart she wanted to kill Tiffany herself. But she wanted to keep Tẽra’s secret safe and that meant holding back for now. She had also realized that the anger that kept her alive was now going to kill her. She had not forgiven nor forgotten and she was still angry but she was able to recognize that if they were going to raise from the destruction, they would need to be able to set themselves free from what had happened to them. That meant focusing on rebuilding and living, not getting even.

Autumn closed her eyes. She was listening.

Because Ranger had healed her when they met, she had a boost in rediscovering her senses. She was straining her ears to hear what was to become of her.

Guards came in.

They opened the cell door and let Autumn out.

“The queen would like to see you.” They took her to Tẽra.

Tẽra sat in the throne room. Zazo was with her.

“What happened?” Tẽra asked her.

“Kaneeda was going to kill you or at the very least hurt you.” Autumn answered as if she should already know that.

“Why didn’t you stop the fight?” Tẽra asked.

‘Oh’ Autumn didn’t have such a good answered for that one.

“I was angry and she was the perfect target. Also, if I stopped, she wouldn’t have. She was wanting to kill us both.” Autumn answered.

“I knew you were a wild card and while it was in my favor, I was happy however, it would be unfair to blame you for this when I knew it already. I would appreciate it if you tried to obey more.” Tẽra smiled “Thank you for stepping in and defending me.”

Autumn looked at Zazo then at Tẽra.

“Wild card?” Autumn had no idea what Tẽra was trying to say. All she understood was Tẽra wanted her to listen and that Tẽra said ‘thank you’.

“Yes, the lucky piece you hold onto in a game.” Tẽra said.

Autumn wasn’t sure but that sounded like a good thing.

“You wanted to go and settle a sore with some wolves. Do you still want to go?” Tẽra asked.

“Yes, I do. I wanted Chase to come with me but I cannot trust him. I will take others from my tribe and go today if it alright.” Autumn replied.

“It is, you are a friend not a hostage. You are free to leave and take care of your business.” Tẽra responded.

“Tiffany is in the dungeon yelling at everyone and telling them she is the queen.” Autumn mentioned.

Tẽra sighed.

“What am I going to do with her?” she asked.

“Kill her.” Zazo answered.

“No!” Tẽra exclaimed “One cannot go around killing everyone because they are unpleasant.”

“Why not?” Autumn asked.

“It’s wrong!” Tẽra enforced.

“Why?” Zazo and Autumn asked.

Tẽra found herself leaning on reasons that would not stand with either of them, like it’s not proper, or that’s not how civilized people behave, or it’s wrong to kill. All these reasons were not going to hold any weight with either of them.

“I want to be a queen of peace and not blood.” She answered as no other answer seemed good enough.

Autumn shrugged.

Zazo felt it was a nice idea, just not a reality in which one lived long.

Ranger came in.

“My queen. I wish to make a request of you.”

“Ask.” Tẽra said.

“Autumn, I see you are well, but not as well as I expected.” He said.

“Want to come, kill wolves with me?” Autumn asked.

“No, thank you.” Ranger declined.

Fiona burst in.

“Tẽra may we talk?” she said.

“I am waiting for Ranger to say what he wants, but he is chatting to Autumn. I wasn’t aware they knew each other.” Tẽra answered.

“We want you to marry us, before you leave or make Ginger the new queen. As queen you can marry people and I want it to be here in the castle with all of my earth peeps. I am staying with Ranger. I will not be returning to earth.” Fiona told her.

“Wow! I feel honored.” Tẽra was happy “When do you want to get married?”

“A few hours after my sister returns. She already knows I am planning to stay with Ranger. But I want to share this last and only sister thing with her.” Fiona said.

“One moment.” Tẽra said to Fiona.

“Ranger, are you here to request a bonding to this woman?” Tẽra asked him.

“What!?!” Autumn said.

Zazo had big eyes but said nothing.

“Yes, my queen. I wish to bond with her and she wants you to do the ceremony.” Ranger said.

“Wow! I am so happy for both of you. A love story in all this ugliness. It’s great.” Tẽra said.

Tẽra looked at Fiona “Are you sure? He is older than you.”

“I am sure.” Fiona answered.

“Then make all the arrangements and give me the ceremony breakdown and you will have a royal wedding. No expense will be spared. Tell the kitchens what food you want and let’s get started.”

Fiona shrilled in delight. She hugged Ranger grinning from ear to ear.

The happy couple left.

“I am leaving now to sort out my wolf problem.” Autumn said and she left.

“A bonding ceremony so soon. It’s a good thing that everything ordered for your bonding arrived. Shall the great hall be set up and prepared?” Zazo asked.

“Yes. Thank you.” Tẽra replied.

* * *

Autumn went and gathered member from her tribe. She called all to answer and those that were not to sickly stepped up. Autumn then ran, leading her tribe to war with the wolves that had tried to kill her. The wolves were hunted down and destroyed. Not one from that packed survived. Everyone was killed. Autumn and her tribe even did a second sweep to be sure.

Leading her tribe in such an attack cemented her role with them. They viewed her as their new leader. She was about to be crowned ruling princess of the Lovac people. The old royal family was gone. They died in the mines. A new royal family was born from the mines and now led them to their first tribal victory and it was good. They had taken on beast far bigger than themselves and not one Lovac died.

Autumn and her tribe returned to their temporary homes.

They had made themselves homes in the same forest that Ranger and the Amazons lived. This was not going to be a permanent home. They had already encountered disagreements with the amazons. Kaneeda was not a woman given to reason. Nor were the angry Lovac tribe really in the mood to talk about things. No deaths had been the result of these altercations but displays of strength had been made.

Autumn looked at the homes they had built for themselves. Before she could ask when they planned to make the move to the land the queen had given them, they began to shout.

“Long live our princess, fierce and strong is she, she led us into battle and now we have victory!

Long live our princess whose line will rule us all. May her cubs be many and their courage even more!

Long live our princess whose led us this far, from slavery to freedom and even to the stars.

Long live our princess who judges us fairly, may her wisdom guide us as we rebuild our tribe.

Long live our princess!”

Autumn looked confused as they picked her up and carried her on their shoulders. They placed her in front of the whole tribe who then bowed down to her.

“Get up. No more bowing. The Lovac tribe will never bow again to anyone. We are strong and free.”

The people cheered and she was made ruling princess.

* * *

Tẽra now had a Tiffany problem. Why was Tiffany still in the dungeon?

Tẽra went to the dungeon with Zazo.

“Chase, Kaneeda” Tẽra greeted

“Here to set me free?” Kaneeda asked

Tẽra didn’t respond to her. She walked to the cell Tiffany was kept in.

“I believe you are screaming threats and calling yourself the queen.” Tẽra stated “I hear that this is because you are ill and have the mind illness. I will have mercy on you, you will be moved today to a wellness centre. I believe there is a doctor who is very keen to understand how the mind works. You will leave tonight on a boat to the village Fish where you will stay until the doctor their sets you free.”

“I will escape and come and kill you. People will accept their real queen and follow me.” she said.

“If you refuse to co-operated and be of service to the doctor there is a pig farmer in Hoog that needs a farm hand. That means someone to help him with the work he doesn’t want to do himself. You can go there instead. I will allow you to choose.” Tẽra responded.

Tiffany looked at Tẽra, she was composed and unrattled. It looked like Tẽra had come to terms with life. Tiffany tried again to upset her.

“You ruined my kingdom; you have destroyed everything I built. You stand there in my clothes and call yourself queen. You had my handmaid killed because you are a worthless imposter.” Tiffany shouted.

“A coin please.” Tẽra said to Zazo.

It was amazing how a good night’s sleep could make such a difference.

Everyone watched as Tẽra took the coin, looked at the two sides and said.

“This side is Fish, this side is Hoog. Whichever side faces up that is where you will go. As you cannot decide the coin will decide for you.”

“You can’t do that!” Tiffany yelled.

Tẽra flipped the coin high into the air. She stepped back and let it fall to the ground. The coin ran on its side and wobbled this way and that. Then it stopped. Tiffany’s fate was decided.

“Zazo please see what the coin has decided.” Tẽra requested.

Zazo looked and as he was about to say Tiffany yelled.

“No! No! No! The doctor.”

“The coin has decided that she will go to the town Hoog.” Zazo informed.

“You had your chance to decide. The coin decided for you. I hope you find health in your new life.” Tẽra said.

Tẽra had Tiffany put on a wagon and sent to Hoog that very hour. She hoped that farm work, would work out for her. If nothing else Hoog was very far away and it would take her a long time to get back.

Dakota came and asked to speak with the queen.

“Please my queen release Kaneeda from the dungeon. I have heard about what happened. I am here to apologize for her and request her release.”

“You are very loyal. Why?” Tẽra asked.

“Kaneeda has freed all of us from slavery and has given us a home, a family. We had nothing before her.” Dakota said.

“She sounds like a strong woman. I will permit you to speak with her. If she agrees to never try to kill me or harm me again, I will release her. Not because her actions are pardoned, but because if you are willing to vouch for her, I can see that she is not beyond redemption.”

“Thank you!” Dakota was so please she went to see Kaneeda straight away.

“Why did you not require her to apologize?” General Nathan asked.

“She wouldn’t have meant it. She believes I am an evil queen. How can she be expected to give a sincere apology to the face of evil? She will see for herself through Ginger, and change with time as all of you have.” Tẽra replied.

Tẽra then went to meet up with Ginger and see how she was handling the peace talks.

“I don’t want to go back there. I am not a leader.” Ginger begged.

“Yes, you are. Did you not stand up for yourself when others thought your blue blood was something to laugh about? Now you will stand up for not only yourself but others who are too weak to, and appose those that are strong and wrong.” Tẽra said.

“No, I am not cut out for this.” Ginger moaned.

“In my family it’s easy. Kaneeda makes the rules and we all listen. She tells us what to do. It works. I don’t want to be telling people what to do.” Ginger said.

“It is a lot and I am sorry that I have bumped it all on you today. Shall we go back in together. I will make rules and all you need to do is make the rules work. Does that sound better?” Tẽra asked.

Ginger nodded.

So, they went back into the peace talks together.

* * *

It was strange how living in a castle didn’t mean seeing royalty. Jessica noticed how seldom she got to see Tẽra. She pictured castle life to be more like at the dragon rider palace, were everyone got to interact with the royals. But in the castle, life was very different.

Jessica heard the delighted shrills of a girl speaking English.

“I am getting married!”

Jessica left the wine cellar she had found to investigate. She found Fiona excitedly planning her wedding. She talked and talked to a man who did not speak English.

“What are you doing?” Jessica asked.

Fiona excitedly told Jessica about her pending marriage and how Tẽra was going to give her the perfect wedding. One like the royals would have. Jessica offered to help as she didn’t have much else to do. When Keimoni joined them, Jessica felt obligated to apologize. Not long after Keimoni left Rachael joined them. She was eager to help.

Jessica felt she needed to apologize to Rachael as well.

Under normal circumstances Rachael wouldn’t have cared if Jessica wanted to apologize. But the woman softened by the hard world understood that Chayim brought out the worst of people.

* * *

General Pan came to Zazo.

“What is going on between you and the queen? Are you selling us out for a lay?”

Zazo was hurt by this.

“You know me, I would never do such a thing.” Zazo answered.

“Well then, what is going on with you and the queen? Are you not a lover of our enemies?”

“The queen who brought great suffering upon us is no long here. After all, has she not kept her word and declared she would step down and make Ginger queen? The terrors of the past will not be repeated with our queen.” Zazo defended.

“She is leaving us in the hands of a child. Have we not learnt that children should not rule?”

“So, if she stays queen, you are unhappy, if she gives the throne to Ginger, you are unhappy. Are you planning to kill them both?” Zazo asked.

“No, I think let the queen stay as queen for two or three more cycles and train the girl.”

“In two or three years she might be bonded and have an heir of her own.” Zazo replied.

“I am not the only one who is worried about a child queen.” General Pan said.

“Then bring it up in the sessions, during the peace talks.” Zazo answered.