Twisted Ever After

by Celeste Thrower

  I looked behind us, noticing the great distance we had already covered. Soon, we’d make our way out of the marshes and cut through the small forest waiting behind the castle in the Kingdom of Sarr. I wondered what I’d find there, and how I’d solve the issues the people there were now dealing with. Magic had been outlawed there, but my father now requested my magical ability learned at the Wildlands, hoping to counteract the Queen’s. But what if I couldn’t? I had never used my powers against any one before. There was also the nagging fact that I hadn’t mastered Priest’s Kaan’s teachings yet--Personal Power. Would this become a huge disadvantage of mine while solving Sarr’s issues with the Queen’s magic?

  Needless to say, I ached to get this business with the Queen done and over with, and return home. I opened my mouth to speak, when the sudden rushing sound of wind startled us both.

  We stopped and turned around, finding a large cloud of feathered birds rushing at us.

  “It’s the Queen’s spies!” Kassandros took my hand and drew me behind a granite outcropping jutting out on the far side of a large moss.

  I ducked down next to him, hoping the large granite composite would shield us.

  “I told you the Queen uses beasts as her eyes,” Kassandros said, his brown eyes peering upward at the sky.

  “Do you think they saw us?” My heart drummed hard in my chest.

  “Probably,” Kassandros admitted. “The good thing is she doesn’t know about you.”

  I peeked past the rock, watching the black cloud of birds disappear in the far distance. “What do you mean? She doesn’t know I exist?” I rose up to my full height, the danger of the birds’ prying eyes now passed.

  “The King has not revealed you to the Queen. As far as she knows, Snow is his only daughter. This will come to your advantage. She doesn’t know you were trained in the magical arts, so we can take her by surprise.”

  I nodded, although I wasn’t fully convinced how to counter the Queen’s powers. My training in the arts had been more of a defensive and daily living practice.

  We neared the edge of the marshland, finally close to the forest line. Here giant trees towered over us, robust and old, and a large cliff stood to the right. I remembered seeing it once as a little girl. On the other side of it, oriented easterly, waited the Sea of Malag. If I strained hard enough, I could hear the rushing sound of waves.

  Suddenly, the few feeble rays of light were swallowed by a whole new darkness. Kassandros and I looked up, wondering if another wave of birds had spotted us. To our surprise, the long, spindly branches began warping toward us, forming a large canopy and blanketing us with shadows. It was as if the trees bent at their waist, half unhinging and bending over us to claim us as little toys.

  “This is unbelievable!” Kassandros shouted. “The trees can move!”

  We jumped back before one of the massive tree trunks could wipe us off our feet with its massive arm made of bark.

  Kassandros unsheathed his sword, his face full of determination and his stance ready to slash through a tree branch.

  “No!” I shouted.

  I ran in front of Kassandros, rushing toward an incoming tree limb. I knew the tree had ill intention and by all means I needed to protect us from its crushing blow. Still, my practice with Priest Jappot had taught me that nature never initialized an attack unless it was provoked somehow. We as humans were at one with nature, and somehow I needed to restore the balance.

  I closed my eyes just as the tree limb swung at me like an iron pendulum. I felt the rush of its speed, a gust of air smashing against me before the final hit.

  That’s when I unleashed my power. I willed my core to switch energy and match it to one of the giant trees. I took in the troubled and enraged vibe emanating from the trees. As I had suspected, the trees were frazzled and afraid, and their bizarre behavior was in retaliation. No doubt the Queen had caused them to panic at our sight, prompting them to attack us.

  I inhaled deeply, letting the earthy scent of the forest infuse in my bones. Then I thanked the trees for letting me be there, and whispered a silent thank you.

  “I see you and honor you. I humbly ask to cross your home unharmed, my presence here harboring no ill will.”

  The blow never came. I opened one eye and peeked at the tree canopy overhead. Three gigantic trees remained frozen as their tall peaks bent to the ground, watching me with intent.

  They had heard me.

  I attempted a smile and asked my heartbeat to slow down, hoping in return the heartbeat of their own energy would do so as well. Knowing I had their full attention now, I cleared my voice and channeled my voice with loud but pleasant clarity.

  “I’m Navena and I come from the Wildlands. I have trained and lived with the Monniken Priests for many years. I have no intention to harm you, but to cross your forest and enter the Kingdom of Sarr.”

  A long, tense moment passed, the trees returning to their restful and quiet disposition. Then, slowly, the canopy of branches righted, lifting up toward the sky again and revealing the sunlight.

  “I don’t understand. You talk to trees?” Kassandros moved to my side, his dark eyes staring wildly at the trees.

  “Nature and magic are connected. I simply asked to understand them and to communicate with them.” I placed a hand on his, which still held on to the sword in a white knuckle grip. “Put that away.”

  Leaving the marshland behind and entering into the forest, we trekked through a new terrain. It was much greener than the bog, with life teeming all around us. Critters scurried from branch to branch, and the wind ruffled through the woodland carrying an earthy scent.

  “It looks like you are well skilled in magical arts,” Kassandros said once we sidestepped a large boulder blocking our way. “You’ll be no match to the Queen.”

  I shrugged. “We don’t know that for sure. I’ve been trained in different arts, but I’ve never warred with anyone before. I haven’t even mastered Personal Power, yet.”

  “What’s that?” Kassandros wondered.

  I sighed, guilt rushing through me for neglecting one of the deepest and most imperative arts. “Each spellbinder possesses an individual and innate power. It’s a unique magical talent they discover once they reach their highest skill level.”

  Kassandros’s brows narrowed and I imagined to someone not trained in magic, all of this made little sense. “I certainly hope your powers can still outdo the Queen. By what I just saw back there at the edge of the forest, I believe you can.”

  We exchanged smiles and continued our journey through the forest.

  My mind raced back to my childhood as we continued trekking through the forest. It was here I had ridden my stallion Uga, often earning me a scolding from Mother. Ladies didn’t ride stallions, did not wear pants but long, frilly dresses, and certainly didn’t come back home to the palace dripping with sweat.

  I didn’t care. I still rode through the misty forest, letting the cool wind swoosh by me, and let nature be my safe haven. As we neared the edge of the forest and spilled into a large clearing, I recognized the back of the palace courtyard. The castle loomed over me, and although I had come to terms with the sudden excitement about seeing my home again, I gasped.

  The beautiful curtain wall that had surrounded the perimeter of the palace was overrun with crawling ivy. It stretched up like gnarled arms poking holes into the bricks, black and slimy.

  Cursed.

  The smell in the air told me the Queen had to have infused the moss with a wicked power, rendering it foul and gnarly under her influence. By the looks of the rest of the palace, her wickedness didn’t end there. The buildings fixed against the curtain wall drained with black liquid, something I didn’t want to identify.

  “Why would she do this?” I said through clenched teeth. “This is her home, too. Why destroy it?”

  Kassandros shook his head. “Some say she’s never warmed up to this home. That she only married your father to be Queen and accumulate wealth.”


  “Well, she is right about one thing.” I clenched my fists as I looked at the remains of what was once my childhood. “This never was nor ever will be her home.”

  It didn’t take much to get inside the palace courtyard. I was surprised to find not one guard posted on a turret or guarding the footbridge. It seemed the entire place was asleep and reluctant to keep vigil.

  Kassandros and I took the bridge and eased our way into the inner courtyard. A veil of slumber and grayness had descended on the palace and I couldn’t help but feel a pang in my heart. I had grown up in the Wildlands and grown attached to them, but this was still my original home--a ruined one. I had experienced some happy days here after all, even if they were short lived.

  “What should we do?” Kassandros asked.

  I took a big inhale, a gnawing feeling growing in my stomach. “It seems odd the Queen has let her guard down so much, but it seems to be to our advantage. First, I’d like to find my father.”

  Kassandros nodded and led the way inside the palace. “I’ve been a close confidant of your father in the past years. That’s why he sent me to fetch you. The last time I saw him he was ailing in his bed.”

  We crossed the halls of the palace, our footsteps echoing in the silence. A spiraling staircase that led us to Father’s chamber.

  Finally, we reached the royal lodging area, a tall iron door at the far end wall. My heart thumped hard with anticipation. Was my father in there?

  I knocked on the door with one trembling hand, but no answer came. A sudden thought came to mind. Was I too late? Had my father passed away? Frantic at the possibility of his death, I pressed against the door and opened it. I rushed inside, the huge shadows of the large chamber casting an eerie feeling all over me. In the middle of the room waited a large, four post bed, a gold trimmed canopy settled over it. I darted to the bed, where I found my father.

  I reached for his hand as it lay limply next to his thin body. “Father,” I murmured, tears welling in my eyes. “Father, it’s me, Navena.”

  His eyes opened, much to my relief, but the years had not been kind to him, and I figured neither had his new wife. His beard was long and yellowish white, replacing his once silken facial hair. He was balding, and dark spots trailed his skin. His piercing blue eyes, which had been full of life and wisdom, were now dull and gray. My heart ached as I squeezed his cold, feeble hand in mine.

  “Navena, is it really you?” he uttered, his voice straining. It seemed as if he had slumbered for hundreds of years and was just now gaining consciousness again.

  “Yes, father. I answered your call as quickly as possible.” I smiled, hoping that my presence would bring him comfort.

  “My...call…,” he said, eyes narrowed.

  “Kassandros fetched me from the Wildlands. He told me you needed me.” I looked around the room, dark and cold. I had been here many times as a child, sitting on the bed while listening to Father’s many fables. My mother, on the other hand, just sat at the large window and sewed, her mind lost in her own world.

  “Kassandros?” Father queried.

  “Father, here’s your trusted servant and confidant.” I glanced over my shoulder, beckoning Kassandros with a quick nod.

  He walked forward, slowly, until he finally stepped into the feeble light coming in from the window. His dark eyes glimmered in the light, and that’s when I saw a twisted smile on his face.

  “Who...who is this man?” the King demanded.

  I returned my attention to Father, slightly rising up from his bedside. My entire body tensed up, an outflow of strong, dark energy filling the room. This energy was infused with magic.

  I should have been the only one in the room with the knowledge of magical arts. Did this mean that Kassandros was not who I thought he was?

  I turned to face him, and took a few steps back. His presence grew exponentially, as if his aura flowed away from his body and expanded into a dark cloud that filled the entire world. His dark eyes glinted red, and his mouth twitched.

  “Who are you?” I demanded, fists clenching at my sides.

  Kassandros began laughing, a deep rumbling laugh that slowly turned into a cackle. Then a female voice filled the room and Kassandros’s body shook violently. I watched in astonishment as he turned into a blurred gust of wind, swirling on its axis like a human hurricane. Within seconds, Kassandros’s figure disappeared and its place only a woman remained.

  A tall, dark haired woman, with beautiful, angular features, and dark menacing eyes.

  The Queen.

  Her crown sat on her covered head, a black stretchy hood hiding her hair, and she wore a long flowing dress.

  “Well, well, well,” she began, her eyes appraising me keenly. “If it isn’t the first born daughter no one wanted around.”

  I pushed aside the rage kindling inside me, remembering my lessons with the Monniken Priests. If I were to use my magical arts against the Queen, I had to remain calm and collected.

  “It was you all along,” I muttered through clenched teeth. “You were Kassandros.”

  “I had to figure you out for myself. When I heard your name for the first time and learned the king’s first queen had sent you to the Wildlands, I worried about your knowledge of magical arts.” She inched closer to me, her gaze lingering over me with hawk eyes. “I couldn’t risk you coming back to claim your place as royalty and using your powers against me. You see, you are the only person left in the world who poses a threat to me.”

  “Why did you bring me here?” I hissed. We had journeyed the whole way here together, but why would she lead me to the one place she wanted to own and defend against me?

  “First I needed to assess your real power. The way you handled those trees….it was quite impressive, child.” She crossed her arms and gave me a semi-approving, albeit wicked, smile.

  “The trees felt threatened by your energy….they were attacking us because they could sense you disguised as Kassandros, didn’t they?” I asked, understanding dawning on me.

  She nodded and smirked. “I wanted to see for myself how you’d handle the situation. Nature bends at my will, yet they listened to you eagerly.” She moved closer, nearly closing the space between us. “I could groom someone like you.”

  My eyes narrowed into slits.

  “I am barren, you see. I cannot have children and I desperately wanted one. It is the one thing all the magic in the world cannot grant me.” She lifted a long delicate hand and stroked my hair. “You could be the daughter I never had, and I, in turn, the mother you deserve.”

  My heart pounded against my chest, anger and confusion mingling together. “That’s insane.”

  “Is it?” she whispered, her velvety voice lining the shadows of the room. “Or is a mother who casts her daughter away, never to see her again, the true abomination?”

  The words hit home and I sucked in a breath. I couldn’t see this Queen being any better than my mother in terms of morality. After all, she had destroyed the palace and punished anyone who didn’t yield to her will. Still, a mother’s innate nature was to love, protect, and accept her child no matter what. Would this evil Queen, even in her wickedness, hold a shred of love and devotion to her child?

  Her hand dropped to her side, untangling from my hair. “Your mother cast you aside because you were different. You didn’t fit the vision of her perfect little girl, so it was easier to shun you.” She paused, her smirk turning into an angry frown. “I know what that feels like.”

  “That doesn’t justify what you’ve done to this kingdom,” I countered. “I demand you leave this place and these people alone.”

  She laughed, her cackling echoing in the room. “Or what, princess?”

  “Or I’ll use my powers against you.” I was more resolute than ever to end this confrontation at once. I had never used magic to hurt someone, and truly I didn’t want to start now. I didn’t think I’d have any other choice at this point.

  Her laughter died off and she stepped back from me. “Your p
owers are strong enough. As I said, I was impressed. However, you’re no match for me, especially since you haven’t got any Personal Power.” A corner of her mouth lifted in a grin. “Thanks for that bit of information, darling. Now I rest assured you are no real threat to me.”

  I bit my lip, scolding myself for revealing this weakness to her earlier in our journey--no, to Kassandros, the human she was impersonating since fetching me from the Wildlands. With this realization I also pondered the woman’s strength. Impersonating another person, both in body and spirit, was an incredible feat. It was clear I was dealing with a being much more powerful than me. Sure, I could communicate with nature, and utilize the other skills the seven priests had taught me, but they weren’t enough against her.

  Thinking of my training with the priests, I was hit by a sudden thought.

  Priest Kaan had once told me that every great power comes with a weakness. Even the mightiest warlock or enchanter had an Achilles’ heel. What was the Queen’s?

  “Of course, we can settle this in a cordial way,” the Queen added.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You see, there is one person in particular I cannot stand. In fact, I loathe her entirely.” Her face twisted in a snarl, and her skin flushed crimson red. “Your little sister, Snow.”

  “You want me to kill Snow?”

  My blood rushed from my head down to my toes. This wicked woman had no boundaries or morals, not even when it came to a young, innocent girl.

  “You must bring me her heart as proof of her death,” the Queen added.

  “If you hate her so much, and you’re so powerful, why haven’t you killed her yourself?” I hissed.

  She chewed on her bottom lip, hesitantly, but then admitted her Achilles’ heel. “I have the power to control nature, to morph into other people, and to inflict the most atrocious pain. I just can’t directly cause a heart to stop beating, unfortunately. I’ve tried everything to rid myself of her,” she spat, disgust lacing her words. “I tried to poison her food, but after a brief sickness, she recovered. I sent huntsmen after her, but they failed me. I even caused a little slipping accident, yet she endured only but a broken leg. It’s like the child is immune to my attempts.”