Flower Queen

by Lilliana Rose

  Rangit raised his eye brow. “Really?”

  You can sprinkle some on my saucer if you like. That would make a good mix.

  “Going hardcore, are we?” Rangit got out the dried buds and sprinkled a small handful of the different flowers on the saucer before making himself a pot of strong tea.

  The rabbit took a few more licks of the liquid, renewing the burning sensation that flowed through his body. That’s better. His mind eased. Relaxed by the alcohol, he settled next to the saucer.

  “You really are attached to Triena.” Rangit put a bowl of the freshly brewed tea on the table.

  She looks after me. More or less. There was that one time she lost me, but I don’t want to talk about that.

  “No, let’s not. We are celebrating after all.” Rangit took a big mouthful of whisky, then sat back down at the table, cradling the bottle on his chest, as if in deep thought. “Why do you have the skill with the Energy?”

  Why do you? The rabbit nibbled the dried petals. They tasted bitter and harsh, but it was the healing properties that motivated him to keep eating. The pain had only eased because of the whisky, and that wasn’t going to last. He needed to heal, quickly, before they arrived. That would give him the best chance of helping Triena.

  “Doesn’t everyone have the potential?” Rangit took another swig from the bottle. He leaned down and splashed more onto the rabbit’s saucer.

  Yes. But most don’t know how to use the Energy unless they are trained, and even then you need to have inherited skill from your parents. The rabbit licked at the whisky, enjoying the numbing fire-like heat from the alcohol. Who trained you?

  Rangit’s expression became distant as if he was lost in a memory playing out in his mind.

  So, you joined up with the Priests.

  “Yeah.” He took a deep breath. “They helped with some of my training since I had more skill than most. It turned out I wasn’t so obedient and let’s just say I discovered I could make the most of my skill with trading.”

  In doing so, you helped Triena get the dried flowers she needed. Didn’t the Priests want to know about her?

  Rangit rubbed his temples. “They did, but I didn’t have anything to tell them, at least nothing that they didn’t know already.” He sighed. “Her potential hasn’t been clear until now. If I’d known about it, maybe I wouldn’t have helped the Priests so much either.”

  At least you’re helping her now.

  “Oh, so you think I’m helping now, do you?” Rangit looked down at the rabbit. “And you? Who trained you?”

  Well, you wouldn’t believe me if I said my mother, now would you? He shifted uneasily.

  Rangit laughed. “Nope. So, tell me.”

  It all started around the time my ears were cut off.

  “I don’t believe you,” said Rangit. “Someone gave you manipulated energy, didn’t they?”

  The rabbit looked sharply at Rangit.

  “Thought so, I just don’t know who.” He took a gulp of whisky and put the bottle down. “You’re not the only one who can use the Energy around here, remember? But you are highly skilled. Skilled enough to be a Queen perhaps?”

  Now, you are way off. I’m nothing to do with the Queens. They might think they can use me, but they’d be disappointed. The rabbit shook his body. Pain gripped him and he immediately regretted that action.

  “I don’t see that the Priests have enough knowledge or resources to change you,” said Rangit thoughtfully. “But, someone did.” He rubbed his chin. “Maybe someone close to Triena. Perhaps her mother.”

  The rabbit kept himself still and calm. He could tell that Rangit was watching him closely through the Energy, trying to look for any tell-tale signs that’d give him an idea of who’d managed to create a rabbit that used the Energy.

  “Or her father, perhaps?” Rangit kept probing.

  Or maybe it was Triena herself? The rabbit rubbed his paw behind his ear. She’d be skilled enough to.

  Rangit nodded. “But not trained enough. She makes too many mistakes.”

  And that is exactly why we need to get to her as quickly as possible. Before she blunders into something that results in her death. She’s our only chance to get the Queens out of power. The rabbit changed the direction of the conversation, hoping that soon enough Rangit would forget his questions, or have drunk too much whisky.

  Right now, the rabbit’s mind felt numb and he had trouble trying not to tell Rangit everything. Tired, tipsy and in pain, he needed rest. I think I could do with some more whisky.

  Rangit obliged and poured some more in his saucer. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten you haven’t answered my question.”

  This is such a dour conversation for what’s meant to be a celebration. We are alive, and heading towards Earth. Cheers. The rabbit licked at the liquid. It burned a fresh trail within him. Oh, that’s better. Life isn’t so bad now.

  Rangit only grunted. “Could’ve fooled me.” But he held up the bottle to the rabbit. “Here’s to getting rid of the Queens, and not letting the Priests take over.”

  Glad you are up for a challenge. The rabbit finished drinking the liquid on his saucer. He hiccupped.

  “I think you’ve had enough,” said Rangit.

  I’m starting to like this little celebration. More importantly, he was forgetting how small their chances were of succeeding and that the odds were against them.

  ~ ~ ~

  Triena sat at the table drinking a cup of strong tea, meleinti and lavender. The bitterness heightened her senses as she waited for someone to come and get her. They had landed what seemed like hours ago.

  The longer she waited, the more frayed her nerves became. This was her second cup. The meleinti wasn’t helping infuse her with a sense of peace and harmony as much as she would’ve liked.

  Steam breathed over her face from the cup of tea. She inhaled deeply, savoring the heat and the faint smell of lavender. Then she took a sip, careful not to burn her tongue. The hot liquid eased down her throat.

  Should I tell them? Faced with the dilemma of what was about to happen, Triena wasn’t sure whether or not she should reveal that she wasn’t Arkina, but in fact Triena. They will find out soon enough.

  The fact that none of the Queens arrived at the catacombs when she’d called them under Arkina’s identity chilled her. They’ve turned away from Arkina. This made Triena believe that Arkina was as good as dead when she next met the Queens. Except they’re just a little late with that one. She sipped her tea.

  The option seesawed in her mind. She didn’t want to reveal her cover, not yet. But, the one good thing was that if she did, she wouldn’t risk being killed. Though that appears to be my immediate destiny.

  Triena blew over the surface of the infusion before taking another mouthful. Her awareness slipped into the Energy Field looking for answers. The white-gold crown shimmered into form.

  She moved around it, but the image followed her. She changed directions, but the crown reappeared again, this time in front of her. Go away. She didn’t care about a crown. What good is a crown if I’m dead? Tell me that.

  She yelled the question into the Energy and then immediately regretted her action. She hadn’t masked her energy, and had basically shouted. Disappointed there wasn’t a clear answer, she returned to her body and drank her tea.

  The door to her room slid open. The captain stood there with two guards. “Let’s go.”

  “I’m not Arkina.” Triena calmly placed her cup on the table. Finally, the meleinti flower was working and her nerves faded away.

  “Yeah and I’m the head of the Queens, and really a woman.” The Captain stepped into the room to allow the two guards to enter. They each grabbed one of her arms, roughly. Their fingers pressed hard into her skin.

  “But I’m not,” i
nsisted Triena. “I’m Triena.”

  The Captain laughed at her. “Tell that to the Queens, then.” He motioned for the men to follow him with her, and they made their way off the ship.

  Even though she didn’t struggle, they held her tight, as if she would suddenly disappear. Triena wished that she could. She kept her face looking down, hoping that no one would recognize her. It seems that I’m to be Arkina for a little longer.

  Triena didn’t know whether or not that was a good thing. Right now, she could do with the comfort of the rabbit’s thoughts in her mind. She’d survived without him, but ached to have his energy nearby, his company and his ideas, even though they weren’t always what she wanted to be hearing.

  “Where are you taking me?” asked Triena when they exited the ship through a metal tunnel and walked into the castle. No one came to meet her. No Queens, no Priestesses, no girls in training. The only people around her were Peacekeepers.

  The captain didn’t turn around. He just kept walking.

  Triena guessed it would be the catacombs, but they didn’t go down. Instead, they went into the castle. She carefully brought Arkina’s energy to the surface of her aura to help her with the new surroundings. Upstairs were dormitories, the rooms of the Queens, and training rooms.

  None of these areas were where Triena thought she’d be taken. A chill ran down her back and she swallowed hard. As a distraction, she looked around. It was dull. A few gas lights burned on the walls. Since stepping into the castle, they hadn’t seen anyone, not even the few servants who waited on the Queens.

  The gray rock walls radiated depressive energy, reminding Triena of her childhood. Her chest constricted. The air was hard to breathe. Cold and heavy, it reeked of mold and decay. Death hung close to the place, and clawed at Triena. She shivered, stumbled. The guards dragged her forward, not allowing her to regain her footing.

  Triena felt her blood slow as the castle walls sucked at her body heat. Her skin prickled. It was getting harder and harder to breathe, but no one paid her any attention. Triena knew why. I’m a dead woman.

  The captain opened a wooden door and stepped aside. The guards pushed Triena inside and she fell hard onto the rock floor.

  “Wait. Where are they?” She struggled to think of what to ask, what else she wanted to know.

  The captain didn’t answer. He closed the door. Triena heard the bolt slide into place.

  She pushed herself from the ground and looked around. It was hard to see in the gloomy light of the room. A small window let in some gray light. As her eyes adjusted, she made out more features. With the information stored in Arkina’s essence, Triena knew this had been the Queen’s room. But it was different now.

  Everything had been removed. Everything. A different bed was in the corner and there was only one blanket folded on the end. There were no rugs on the floor, nor hangings on the wall. There wasn’t even a lamp. The fireplace was empty, stained black from old fires and stone cold. There was no wood to light a fire and Triena shivered. She was used to living on Oberon in the heat and the dust, not here, in the dark and cold.

  Triena wrapped herself protectively in the blanket and sat on the bed, legs up close to her chest. The cold still seeped through the material, her robe, and into her skin. Stupid captain.

  She couldn’t work out how she continued managing to pass as Arkina. Of course, when they’d arrived, no one saw her, which meant no one to put the captain right. This would’ve been the perfect plan if the other Queens actually trusted Arkina.

  She rested her head on the top of her knees and hugged herself closer. The inevitable had arrived. They would use her in a reading and she’d die. She shivered. She held onto her plan. It could still work. There was just going to have to be a slight modification.

  Something rough rubbed against her skin. The dried flowers. A little hope spiked in her aura as she pulled out the package from under her robe. The energy from the dried flowers she’d selected buzzed with strong energy and flooded her with a sense of calm and strength.

  There could be some hope for me after all. She carefully removed the paper, exposing nine smaller packages of brown paper which kept the flowers separate. The energy from the buds helped warm her.

  Triena’s skin prickled. But this was something to demand. A trial. This would buy her some time, which would then give her the opportunity to change the balance, and give them all a reading of their own and destroy them.

  She yearned to take the crown with Braklen and stop this suffering the Queens had placed on everyone else. And in time, start schools for those talented in the Energy and bring in a proper council to govern the use of the Energy. Excitement flowed around Triena as the ideas came fast to her mind. She could see her future extending out, blossoming into existence. She smiled. They won’t see this one coming.

  Triena resettled herself on the bed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, bringing Arkina’s energy to the surface of her aura, and then Pernally’s. She was going to need the information these women had given her in death.

  I have to be convincing. This was her chance to do what she had come here to do. Instead of slipping into the Energy Field, she stopped herself and kept her awareness in the first basic level of meditation. She was aware of her body, and her mind moved through the plan blooming in her mind.

  The calmness that flowed through her made her think that someone was looking out for her. The Energy is on my side. It’s all I’ve got. She missed the rabbit’s thoughts in her mind and Braklen’s strength and even one-eyed Rangit. I can do this. There is a chance.

  For the first time since this adventure had begun, since Braklen walked into her tea-room, Triena believed she could trust the Energy.

  ~ ~ ~

  Why did you let me drink so much? The rabbit’s vision blurred.

  “You wanted it.” Rangit set the ship down on a flat surface well away from the castle where the Queens ruled. “I hope you’re up for some walking.”

  You can put me in the pack.

  “Thought you hated the pack.” Rangit locked the ship down and the engines slowed to a stop.

  I’ll have to go in the pack. Otherwise, I’ll slow you down too much. The rabbit limped forward. His entire body ached. The healing plants he’d eaten had helped a little, but cracked ribs, bruised muscles, and a heavy hangover made him think of curling up and waiting for death. He knew his time was close.

  “Lazy bugger.” Rangit swivelled around on his chair. “I’m injured too, but you don’t hear me complaining like a baby.”

  I wasn’t complaining. The rabbit glared at Rangit. The man paid him no attention. I was merely stating something obvious that you should’ve realized.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t have celebrated.” Rangit stood up. He swayed, paused for a moment, then walked out of the room. “Come on, we don’t have time to waste.”

  I know a shortcut. The rabbit hopped gingerly after Rangit to the reading room. We can go through the tunnels which will bring us up into the castle.

  “Sounds too easy.” Rangit picked up a pack and began putting dried flowers inside, along with a container of water, and some nutrient pills.

  Well, there’s some steep climbing. He didn’t mention the smell. That was something that Rangit could find out later.

  “That’s better, sounds like the path we are meant to take, then. The difficult one,” said Rangit. He held the pack open and looked down at the rabbit. “Ready?”

  Yes. The sooner we get into the castle, the sooner we can help Triena and Braklen.

  “You think they’re still alive?” Rangit picked up the rabbit.

  Yes. Don’t you? The rabbit’s balance swayed. His legs kicked in the air. Hurry up and put me down.

  “I’m not going to drop you.” Rangit pushed the rabbit into the pack. “I don’t know. I have troubl
e finding Braklen, but he’s there.” Rangit paused. “I can’t seem to locate Triena.”

  The rabbit’s concern about Triena and Braklen resurfaced and knotted around in his belly, twisting with the discomfort from over-indulging. He was living on hope that they were there alive. They have to be. The consequences of them dying made his mind cloud with worry.

  You could’ve put something soft in here for me, grumbled the rabbit as he settled himself down.

  “You should’ve incarnated as a Queen, not a rabbit.” Rangit zipped up the pack, leaving the top open.

  The rabbit poked his head through the gap. This will do.

  “What if they . . .”

  They’re alive, and right now I won’t consider any other possibility. We should get going. One thing is sure, the Energy wants us there. The rabbit nearly exhausted himself by going into the Energy Field, more times than he should’ve, just to get a reading. To see if anything had changed. It hadn’t. The message was the same each time. There wasn’t a future to be read. He shivered at the reminder.

  “Us or just you?” Rangit shifted the pack over his shoulder, strapping it around his waist and chest to even out the small load.

  The rabbit didn’t answer. That was something else that had been clear when he’d looked into the future. He couldn’t see any of them, not clearly. It was the sort of information you didn’t want to know about, or talk about, let alone think over.

  “Good thing I’m a gambling man.” The pack settled on his back, Rangit made his way off the ship. “I’m going to miss this old girl.” He patted the doorframe, pausing for a moment. “She was good enough to get us out of two tight spots.”

  She’ll be here when we get back, thought the rabbit, trying to give some hope to Rangit. The rabbit smelled the dusty air. The air was chaotic but he felt good to be back here on Earth. The Queens drew on the concentration to make them better readers of the Energy. This place was his home, where he was born. No matter what happened, it was good to be home.