“They deserve a chance until they prove to us they can’t be trusted.”
“I agree,” Alric bowed his head. “If you ladies will excuse me, I am in dire need of some exploration and some fresh air to clear my lungs. This conversation was absolutely enlightening.”
With Alric you sometimes needed to read between the lines, and this time I couldn’t do that. He was being far too formal but yet, I couldn’t place my finger on what else seemed off. I shooed him away with my hands and he went to retrieve his cloak fromthe coat closet and his worn-out boots. He was gone in a flash and I wondered what was said to make him leave in such haste. He wouldn’t get away with it and we would talk about his quick departure the next day.
Except the next day,it seemed disaster struck. I awoke to Edna knocking on my door urgently but quietly. “Your Highness? I’m so sorry to wake you but I need you in the kitchens, it’s an urgent matter!”
Thankfully, the night before I’d slept in more conservative attire for bed not knowing what the next day would bring. I thought it would start with Alric forcing me from the warmth of the blankets and out into the snow to kill my body. Good thing I’d prepared myself.
The nightgown was a royal purple and fell in ruffles around my ankles. I tied my white silk robe around it and then slipped my feet into the furry slippers beside my bed. My hair would have to wait.
Edna was gone when I yanked the doors open but Reva was waiting in her place. She was, of course, ready for the day. Her red hair was pulled back into two messy buns at the nape of her neck and her fighting leathers looked clean and ready for battle. She didn’t have nearly as many visible weapons as she donned the day before.
“What’s going on?” Reva asked as she followed me quickly down the hall.
“I don’t know,” We flew down the stairs two at a time until we finally made it to the kitchen. Edna was staring out the window over the sink with a dishrag clutched to her chest.
As soon as we entered the room, she let out a deep sigh. “It’s all gone.”
“What’s gone?” Reva watched me with wide eyes as her hand twitched toward the sword at her back. I touched her arm and shook my head.
“The food.” She clicked her tongue. “The magic in this kitchen seems to be out. The resources. The only thing left is the wine cellar.”
Reva laughed silently. “That’s a relief.”
“I suppose so, instead of eating, you’ll be able to drink yourself to death!” She threw the dish rag into the air. “I didn’t think it would be so sudden around here. How am I supposed to feed you? How am I supposed to feed the others that live here?”
It was time we went to the gardens. We’d been putting it off thinking this day would never come. We should have known better. I should have planned better. The magic warned me. I hadn’t listened.
I marched to the back door beside the cabinets and Edna flew into a worse fit of rage. “You cannot go out there dressed like that!”
My lips thinned. “Who’s to see me, Edna? There is no one out there. The blacksmith has to go to the beach for his forging as he’s too afraid to do so around the fresh homes for fear that he’ll burn down the entire city with one wrong spark. His wife? Who knows what she does all day. This is hardly indecent.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” She agreed with me but I saw her shoot a look at Reva. Reva merely grinned instead and shoved the door open for me. She was definitely going to get on Edna’s bad side. It couldn’t be helped.
The gardens were just as dead as I thought they’d be. They were covered in ice, brambles, and what looked to be old spider webs. In their prime, they were impressive, I just knew it. They spanned over most of the left side of the castle. There were shrubs and trees for fruit but they were long dead from winter. I’d worked my magic when we were at the wharf, could I do thathere too? I didn’t feel the normal pull in my chest like I usually did when I used my magic, but maybe I could get around that.
Maybe this was another test and all I needed to do was try. Maybe I wouldn’t always feel that pull in my chest to do magic. I was sure this was another learning experience for me.
I didn’t know if I could bring back plants that were this dead, so I knelt down beside one of the trees that looked like it would bear fruit and touched its trunk. I could hear Edna’s protests about my attire and sullying my slippers in the snow as I closed my eyes. I ignored it all and, eventually, it was drowned out by a rushing in my ears. The dark brown bark bit into the tips of my fingers as I dug into the tree physically and into my soul spiritually. Behind my closed eyelids, I saw a small spark. Deep within the darkness, it was right there. I reached for it, I tried to pull it to me, but it seemed too far away. Furrowing my brow, I pushed harder.
No matter how hard I pushed, the magic didn’t get any closer and I was left feeling out of breath and defeated. I released the tree with a frustrated growl and stood up. The knees of my gown were stained from the mud and melted snow. I was sure the slippers could never be recovered, but there was also a part of me that didn’t care. I wasn’t any closer to figuring out this magic thing.
Well? I thought up to the sky. That was where the gods resided, right?
Silence.
Thanks. I rolled my eyes. If they were going to ignore me, they would also be getting some snarky commentary.
With shaking, bleeding fingers, I shoved my hair away from my face and let out a sigh. What was I supposed to do now? I’d proven time and time again that I was her, but in that moment, I didn’t feel like her at all. I didn’t feel like the queen that wouldsave the world. I didn’t feel like the prophesied. I was tired, and frustrated, and had never felt so alone.
The lifeless bark I’d been pressed against just a moment before started to change color before my eyes. The trunk seemed to soften as the colors of it lightened from an almost black to a light tan. The bare limbs seemed to stretch and groan as if they were a living creature. Little buds of leaves popped up along the thin branches and within seconds, flowers were blooming. It didn’t matter that snow was beginning to fall again or that the ground was ice cold. Somehow I’d done it. Somehow I’d brought the tree back to life.
When the first apple fell to the ground beside me, I scrambled away shocked. I blinked a few times before my eyes focused on the tiny dots of red that marked the now tan tree.
It was my blood.
Of course.
