by Regine Abel
“Lost something, Queen Astrid?” the dual voices of Hilda and Traxia simultaneously said, while Hilda dangled the medallion from her uplifted hand. “You should come and get it. After that, everything will be fine. No more pain… No more fear... Just peace…”
The shrieking in my head had stopped. I knew I couldn’t… shouldn’t… Eric made me swear I would never open the door or enter the room of my own free will. But I needed that necklace. I couldn’t breathe… and that voice… that sweet… sweet and beckoning voice… so tempting… so mesmerizing.
“Astrid,” the dual voices said, “come to me…”
And I obeyed.
CHAPTER 9
Eric
Four days… Only four more days and the nightmare that had ruined my life for the past eighteen years would be over. When I had chosen Astrid a year ago, I only expected to enjoy the company of a golden goddess for a few weeks or months until my half-sister claimed her life. And in exchange for her sacrifice, I would set her family with a prosperous future instead of the grim one that awaited them. But I gotten so much more.
I never expected to fall in love with any of my brides. It wasn’t until that first time Astrid almost opened the Sealed Door four months ago that I realized the depth of my feelings for her. The thought of losing her then had been unbearable. The thought of losing her now was unfathomable. Astrid was such a strong woman. I could hear the enticing sound of my sister’s summons. As a Halfling, I was immune to its compulsion, but understood perfectly the power it wielded over its victims. I hated leaving Astrid alone in the castle. However, with the trial ending in just a few days, I wanted to prepare her a memorable surprise so she knew just how important she was to me. I wanted the whole world to know there would never be another for me.
The unusually warm late spring sun was streaking through the stained glass windows in Father Osvald’s office at the back of the church. We were ironing out the final details of the sumptuous wedding for Astrid and me. It would take place on the last day of our hand fasting, exactly one year and one day after we first met. I knew how much she had wanted her father to give her away at the altar. Getting the stubborn old man to silence his fearful reluctance and commit to participate in the event had been quite the challenge. He believed that taking Astrid’s success for granted was inviting fate to punish us for our arrogance by dooming her instead. But I believed in the power of positive thinking while also taking every necessary measure to help destiny along the way.
Having wrapped up our business, Father Osvald and I rose from our chairs and headed for the door.
“Mistress Brynhild is putting the final touches to Queen Astrid’s wedding gown,” Father Osvald said. He opened his office door and gestured for me to go through first. “She claims it is her greatest masterpiece and is simply beside herself with impatience to see it on the Queen.”
I snorted at the seamstress’ boast. Mistress Brynhild was without a doubt the most talented seamstress of the realm – and the least humble. I also couldn’t wait to see Astrid wearing it, but for different reasons. Astrid’s sister, Kara, who shared similar height and size, had volunteered for the fittings and ensuring the design would be in-line with Astrid’s tastes.
“There’s no question Mistress Brynhild will outdo herself. It has been too long since a royal wedding was celebrated here,” I said, my throat somewhat choked at the memory of the fourteen painful years prior to Astrid entering my life.
“It has,” Father Osvald said.
We reached the entrance of the church and stopped by the open door. Father Osvald placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Your trial is over, my son. I couldn’t have wished a better queen for you.”
“Thank you, Father.” I extended a hand to him. “I couldn’t have hoped for a more amazing woman.”
When Father Osvald took my hand and shook it, my ring suddenly began to pulsate a bright, pinkish red.
“No…” I breathed, my heart seizing in my chest.
“Your Highness?” Father Osvald said, his eyes searching my face.
I pulled my hand out of his grip and stared at the ring, hoping against hope that it was just a glitch… that it would return to its safe whitish opalescent color. But I already knew…
“Astrid… no... Oh dear God, no!” I ran blindly to my horse, my heart shattering to pieces. I couldn’t breathe from the pain.
“Eric!” Father Osvald shouted behind me.
Ignoring him, I jumped on my horse and rode it hard to the castle, my eyes constantly darting back to the ring. Its current light hue meant one of two things: Astrid had either parted from the necklace or she had opened the Sealed Door.
Traxia hadn’t taken possession of Astrid yet. Once she initiated it, the gem would lose the pinkish hue and become a pure red that would darken over time until it turned black. Should that ever occur, it would mean Traxia was freely walking in a new body, wreaking havoc and destruction. Whether Astrid had opened the door or parted from the necklace, there was still a chance to save her – as long as she didn’t surrender to Traxia. The minute the gem turned red and possession was initiated, she would be forever lost to me. Traxia’s presence would grow until she had completely taken over her victim. The only way to end the threat was to behead the host.
I couldn’t… Not Astrid… She had to hang on.
It was a five-mile ride to the castle. Halfway through, my horse was lathered with sweat and frothing at the mouth. The poor beast was breathing so hard it sounded like roaring from where I was sitting. At this pace, if my mount didn’t die along the way, it would never be the same again, assuming it ever recovered. However, slowing down wasn’t an option. With less than a mile left to go, blood started seeping into the froth as my horse’s lungs bled from the excessive exertion. The gem on my ring was still pinkish. My prayers alternated between Astrid not faltering and my horse’s heart not giving out. The castle was in sight when my mount began flagging seriously. It was only a matter of minutes before it would suffer a catastrophic failure. My horse staggered, its gait becoming sluggish and uncoordinated.
A couple of guards came racing toward me, ready to exchange their mount with mine. I could have stopped and switched, but I was too close to waste any precious minutes, and time wasn’t on my side. By some miracle, my horse made it to the castle and I jumped off midstride. The guards had already opened the door and I ran in, screaming Astrid’s name. I raced down the stairs to the dungeon, stunned that I didn’t stumble and break my neck. I could hear voices ahead – among them Tormund and… Hilda?
“Your Highness, please. Do not enter the room, I beg you. King Eric will be here any minute. He will…”
“Astrid!” I shouted, running to her.
She was standing right outside the door, her hands resting on each side of the doorframe. Astrid looked at me over her shoulder. Her golden skin appeared yellowish and sickly, her eyes glazed over. Her forehead was wrinkled with strain and covered with a thin layer of sweat.
“H–Hel–Help… M–Me…” Astrid begged.
I stopped a couple of feet from her and spread my arms open, beckoning her. “Astrid… my love… come to me… please let go of the door and come to me.”
“I–I’ve fai–failed…”
An evil laughter emanated from the room. My jaw dropped when I saw Hilda within, holding the medallion. In an instant, I realized what had happened. Astrid hadn’t given in – she was still fighting. Hope surged within me.
“You haven’t failed, my love. Hilda tricked you,” I said. “You didn’t open the door. You stayed true…”
“Oh do shut up, King Eric,” Hilda said. Her voice dripped with contempt, but it wasn’t just her voice: it was a mixture of Traxia’s and hers. “You should have chosen me. Now you will lose everything and I will rule the kingdom in your stead.”
“Astrid,” I said, ignoring Hilda, “just give me your hand, love, and I will take care of everything. Come, my darling.”
For a second, I thought Astrid wouldn’t do it,
but then I saw her lift a shaky hand off of the doorframe. I only needed her to lift the second one before I could pull her away. The joint voices of Hilda and Traxia continued to try to entice Astrid, but her eyes were locked with mine. She placed her trembling hand in mine, her gaze fearful yet full of trust.
“Now, the other hand, my darling. Let go of the doorframe, my love,” I coaxed gently.
As soon as she did, I pulled her into my embrace and dragged her away from the door. I wanted nothing more than to haul her back to our room, but only a few feet from the door and she began to spasm and gasp for breath. The necklace… she couldn’t part from it until the seal was complete. Too much distance would kill her.
“Tormund…” I called to my majordomo.
He held on to Astrid for me, after she reluctantly released me. I turned to face Hilda. “You foolish woman. Your blind ambition is now your doom. So many good options would have been available to one of your beauty and rank. But that wasn’t enough for you.”
“Don’t patronize me. We don’t need that pathetic bride of yours. Using her would have hastened things but with my aid, Traxia will prevail against you and make me Queen of Rathlin Islands.”
I marched to the Sealed Room, my emotions torn between pity and contempt. “Is that what she promised you, Hilda? She would give you my throne? And you believed her?”
“Her issue is with you.”
“Is it? Yet who keeps dying? Me or my brides? Have you forgotten how she brought our kingdom to its knees before I stopped her?” I said, standing by the door frame.
Behind her, Traxia’s image was slowly fading from the psyche. I knew why she kept quiet, allowing Hilda and me to converse unimpeded: she needed the time.
“She will give me the same deal the original king had. She will rule the Kingdom of Llys and I will rule Rathlin,” Hilda said, lifting her chin defiantly.
“Wrong,” I said, unsheathing my sword. Her eyes widened in fear. “Traxia never intended to give you anything. If you succeed, your body will sit on the throne, but it will be Traxia’s mind occupying it. You were simply meant to be the vessel.”
“But…”
“Look behind you,” I interrupted mercilessly. “She’s almost gone from the psyche because she’s taking possession of what you so eagerly offered – yourself.”
Hilda looked back and began to tremble when the hollowed image of Traxia laughed at her. Hilda tried to get out of the room but her feet wouldn’t obey. I recognized that look all too well, having seen it so many times before, when Traxia took over control of my brides.
“Stop her! Please… I’m sorry!” Hilda pleaded. “I will accept whatever punishment…”
“Oh I will stop her,” I said, my tone frosty. “But you won’t like how.”
I looked over my shoulder to make sure Tormund kept Astrid’s eyes averted. He knew what was coming next. I would spare her the horror. Bracing for Traxia’s counterattack, I stepped into the room. My stomach churned from the malevolence of the dark magic within.
“What are you doing, Eric?” Hilda’s voice shook with fear.
“What should have never needed to happen again,” I said, raising my sword meaningfully.
“No!” Hilda shrieked, raising her hands in defense.
Not that it would have stopped me. However, it wasn’t Hilda’s defensive moves that concerned me: it was Traxia’s. Right on cue, a wall of corals rose before me, sheltering Hilda from my blade. Hacking and slashing, I plowed my way through the endless waves of defense. It had never been this hard before. Traxia’s magic was stronger, faster. Then again, she’d never had a host who voluntarily let her in before. The others had tried to fight her but had been too weak.
Traxia’s image in the psyche was flickering in and out of existence. I was running out of time. Once her image faded, she would have fully transferred her consciousness into Hilda and would be able to walk out of the Sealed Room. For the first time in fourteen years of face-offs with my Sea Witch sister, I felt true fear that I wouldn’t be able to seal her back in. Hilda was emitting gurgling sounds in a last effort to cry out for help, but Traxia had taken away too much of her control. Hilda would soon be no more than a memory.
Panting, drenched in sweat, I tried to ignore the burn in my arms from the exertion. The attacks became more vicious. Some of the corals were now growing on the floor beneath my feet, knocking me off balance. Sharp, dagger-like shards started protruding amidst the coral. A few of them only gave me slight nips and cuts, but one nearly buried itself in my gut. With a startled cry, I backed up, having never experienced this before. The coral built faster than I could destroy it, and the barbed shards slowed me down further.
Cold dread ran down my spine when the psyche flashed with a brilliant glow before its frame turned a dull, dead color. The corals receded revealing Traxia in the body of Hilda. Without the glow of the dead psyche, the room was pitched into darkness, aside from what light trickled in through the open door. With a wave of her hand, Traxia lit the sconces on the wall, revealing what the shadows had mercifully kept hidden thus far. I averted my eyes from the standing bodies of my previous wives lining the walls like statues; their beheaded corpses eternally preserved within a layer of coral. At their feet, their heads stared unseeing at the psyche.
“Hello, little brother,” Traxia said, her voice chilling.
“I can’t let you walk out of here, Traxia. I know how much damage and destruction you will visit upon my people.”
The Sea Witch laughed. “Your people, brother? They’re mine now. They always would have been had Father not despoiled me of my birthright. Time for you to go, usurper.”
I raised my sword to strike at her, but with a flick of her wrist, she sent it flying right out of my hands. Before I knew what hit me, agony exploded in my back. I crashed into the wall with a loud thud. She had thrown me across the room as if I weighed no more than a stone. Stunned, I tried to get back on my feet. Excruciating pain tore at me when sharp coral shards protruding from the ground pierced my back. Pinned down and weaponless, I watched in horror as Traxia slowly approached, strutting smugly until she stood towering over me.
“Time to die, little brother. Say hello to Father for me.”
She raised her hand to cast the final spell that would end me when an angry shout resonated behind her. Startled, we both turned to see Astrid descending upon Traxia with my sword in her upraised hands. Eyes wide with fear, Traxia open her mouth, probably to order Astrid to stand down, but her head was sliced neatly off her shoulders before she could utter a word.
“Stay away from my husband, you demon!” Astrid yelled at the shuddering corpse at my feet.
Tossing the sword to the ground, Astrid raced to my side, her face strained with worry. The coral shards impaling me receded, tearing a pained shout out of me. It was drowned by the shrill shrieks of Traxia as her essence was pulled back into the psyche. It was so loud Astrid and I had to cover our ears. When the scream finally stopped, I forced myself up, wincing with pain. I snatched the necklace out of Hilda’s limp hand. Seconds later, coral tendrils pulled her corpse and head to a vacant spot on the wall, next to Ariana’s remains, to be preserved as well.
I turned Astrid toward me, so she wouldn’t continue staring at the macabre spectacle, and then placed the necklace around her neck. Immediately, she seemed to breathe better and her sigh of relief indicated whatever pain she had been in had faded.
Fighting to stay steady despite the blood dripping out of me, I led Astrid out of the room. “Come on, my darling. We need to reseal the door.”
Ignoring Traxia’s venomous shouts from within her crystal prison, we stepped out of this den of despair. My eyes full of awe, I watched the most amazing woman, the love of my life, shut the door and re-activate the seals.
“You are wounded,” Astrid said, wrapping an arm around me to support me.
“Astrid… You just saved both of our lives and that of every living soul in both realms, and you’re worried about m
y wounds?”
She stared at me in concern. “You’re hurt, Eric. I saw you fly across the room and crash against the wall. There’s...”
“I’m fine, my darling,” I said, leaning in to kiss her.
She leaned back out of reach and put her palm on my chest, stopping me. “You’re bleeding.” Turning to Tormund, who stared at us with his mouth gaping, Astrid gestured for him to come forward. “Master Tormund, help me get him back to our room and send for the doctor.”
“Y–Yes, your Highness,” Tormund said, rushing to our side. He stole awed glances at Astrid the whole way up to our room. I couldn’t blame him.
Although bruised and bleeding, I climbed my way out of the dungeon the happiest of men.
EPILOGUE
Astrid
Today was the last day of my trial. Three days had gone by since the insane confrontation with Traxia. Three days during which Eric made a swift recovery from his injuries, in no small part due to his merfolk blood. The best part of it all was that Traxia’s plan had backfired in a spectacular fashion. Seeing the man I loved about to be murdered snapped something inside of me. Filled with blind rage, the only thing driving me was the need to destroy the threat. As if in a dream, I had picked up Eric’s sword and made short work of the abomination that had made his life a living hell for nearly two decades.
But severing her head from her body did more than end her rebirth through Hilda as a vessel. Somehow, it also terminated the link she had established between us. It was as if at that specific moment, I had so violently rejected her and everything she stood for that I had erected a wall between us – a wall she could no longer break through. While I could still hear Traxia’s endless screams for me to come to her, her words no longer lured or enticed. Her powers of compulsion over me were a thing of the past.
Eric kept saying I had saved us all, but we had saved each other. I may have given the final blow, but without his steadfast help through the painful last few months, Tormund’s intervention while Eric raced back from the village, and his attack on the possessed Hilda, there is no question I would have fallen. However, today, it would end forever.