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Chapter 29 - Wax
Luella
I had not been to the forest for a long time. What was it to me? It was a place for play with my siblings when we were much younger. Now, both of them were gone, leaving me alone in Queenspell.
The echoes of their laughter suddenly seemed to engulf me as I walked the path to the ancient oak tree where the forest guardians lived. The trio of crows, now queens of the forests, had taken residence there.
In my teens, the forest was a place to fly. I had not flown in a long time after hatred towards shifters had raged in Mogochislenia. Nobody knew about it, but I had almost been hit by an arrow once. It zipped past a wing, almost injuring me. I would have hurtled onto the forest floor. I would not know. I had not experienced flying while bleeding, nor did I wish to find out what it was like.
I barely walked through the forests simply for walking alone. Traveling through it meant being in a carriage. I wished I had looked out more often then. Enjoyed the scenery. Breathed in the fresh, crisp air. I did not really have much to compare to what I was seeing now.
Yet I knew that something about it had changed.
For the better? Maybe.
They said that the forests had not been as affected by the drought as much as the rest of Mogochislenia. It thrived. It looked like it did.
“Good morrow! It’s Luella of Queenspell,” I called. However, in my mind, I was saying, “Luella of Prozeus.”
Three crows flew out of the oak’s hollow. Two settled on a log. Then, they shifted into their human forms: Ismelda and Veronica. They were closer to my brother, but I knew of them. They had loved my family for years and guarded my father and mother. Saw how they found each other through the maze.
“Well, good morrow, our avian princess,” Ismelda greeted in her mind. She was probably testing me if my abilities were gone. The message was loud and clear, as if I had just sent and received the last one yesterday.
“I am here to seek your wisdom,” I sent my message back to the link that she opened. A doorway to her mind.
Veronica sighed heavily, impatient from the silent conversation.
“I have no patience for this, Ismelda,” she complained. “Your Majesty, for is it not that your new title now, we are here to serve you.”
“Best wishes to the new bride,” Ismelda added.
“Not so new,” I said.
“We know. The marriage became a love connection,” Veronica said with a smirk. “Consummated, and not by force. Broken through the boundaries of your powers. The terror that you had kept in your heart had been lifted.”
I was taken aback at her forwardness, but I reminded myself that I was talking to Veronica. She might look like a girl of sixteen, but she was ancient and snarky as ever. Looking as young as she was, Ismelda was more motherly. Gentler.
“N-no. I -,” I was speechless.
I told Francilia it was a love match. I did not even ask my lady-in-waiting to accompany me this time. Truth be told, I slipped away. My mother would have been furious and frantic.
If Francilia were there, I would have probably not hesitated. I would have said that I loved Metheus and that he loved me, too. The truth was that I was not sure of either. Without the story that I readily told with Francilia by my side, I was no longer sure about whether it was a story at all or the truth knocking at my door. Ignored, mostly. Feared.
The two stared at me, old eyes piercing through me. However, just as their youthful looks were playful, they were also wise. They let me get away with it – not saying anything.
“In time, you will know for sure,” Ismelda said sagely, although she had never fallen in love. Her mortal life was cut off at a young age. Of course, she knew about love from observing my family throughout the years. I could imagine it had become something to hold on to as centuries ended and others began.
“Oh, she knows. I believe she knows,” muttered Veronica, shaking her head gently with eyes closed. She did not want to see my reactions. She was content with what she believed, and nobody could persuade her otherwise.
“I am here to find out how I can help Metheus find his father’s assassin,” I said, ignoring the sardonic crow.
“We are not seers, Your Majesty. However, we can fly to find out. It is not wise at this point, with the forest soil merely recovering and our responsibilities great,” Ismelda looked apologetic.
“I understand. What do you know of the people of Rama?” I asked.
“Many demigods live among them, of various races and species,” Veronica offered. “There may be someone who can better find the assassin or help in defending the kingdom and exacting revenge. However, the Seers should be able to find the murderers soon enough.”
Ismelda nodded.
