by Lucas Flores
The intensity of the crowd escalated as guards tied the servants to the barrels.
The executioner, wearing a black hood and carrying a sharp ax, stepped through the gates and approached the stage. Standing by the condemned, he waited for Blackheart’s orders.
Blackheart shouted, “Off with their heads!”
One by one, each head dropped and thudded onto the ground. The bodies, still tied to the barrels, shook as blood poured out.
* * *
In the forest, Marie soon found the faint resemblances of a trail that ran parallel to the river. The main road was too visible and would be the first route palace guards would take if they were sent out after her.
“The fewer interruptions we have, the easier this journey will be,” Marie whispered to the sleeping bundle she carried.
She tried to not think about the rumors that renegade lepers from the Caterpillars’ Forest now attacked travelers without provocation. She herself doubted the stories, but the lifestyle changes that lepers endured over the years would be enough to turn anyone to desperation. Marie forced such thoughts from her mind and pressed forward along the river.
The river was shallow in this part of the forest, away from the mountains. The water was steady and clear as crystal. But up in the mountains, the water fell into beautiful pools with dangerous undercurrents.
The forest still held a sense of comfort and familiarity. Marie liked how the trail, covered in brush and thick foliage, blended into the forest around her. She felt a little safer knowing that most people wouldn’t be able to see or recognize the path. The ground was hard, compact, and easy to walk on. The flowing sound of the river and the cool breeze reminded Marie of her youth. Life back then was easier and more carefree. People were free to live however they wanted, at least in the forest.
She hadn’t thought about those days in such a long time. These memories put her in such a good mood. She couldn’t wait to see her husband again .. . . her son .. . . her family. She held on to that last thought. She was ready to do this, ready to reunite with her husband and son and add another member to her family.
The more Marie reminisced about her past and loved ones, the quicker she walked and the livelier she got. “Why haven’t I done this sooner?” she asked, but quickly caught herself. The baby she carried was reason enough. “Maybe God kept me in the palace long enough for you, little one. Heaven knows I wouldn’t have mustered the courage to risk my life otherwise. Besides, I probably wouldn’t feel this upbeat if I were walking out here alone.”
The baby lay perfectly still in a sling Marie made out of cloth. “Okay, okay, more walk and less talk,” Marie said. “But I want you to know how wonderful it is out here, outside of the city and away from the palace.” She stopped and took a long and drawn-out breath.
Marie leaned against a tree. Flowers of every color grew in different areas. Vined plants crisscrossed haphazardly over one another along the river’s edge and up the nearby trees. Everything was overgrown and unmanaged. Marie thought this was a nice change from the palace gardens, which were meticulously confined, neat, and orderly. She closed her eyes and dozed off to the sound of wind blowing through the trees.
Although Marie had forgotten to eat, the baby did not. It was feeding time and after a full day of hiking, Marie was too tired to keep walking. She moved further into the forest, away from the river, and cleared a space. She made a makeshift shelter out of branches and leaves for the night, just enough space to cover her and the baby.
This was how Marie spent the next two days, hiking alongside the river during the day, and sleeping among the trees at night. By the end of the third day, just as the sun was setting, Marie diverged from the obscure trail.
“We’re almost there, little one,” Marie said under her breath. “I just hope we can get there before dark.”
The path Marie made took her deeper into the forest where the trees and brush grew thicker. She couldn’t recall the hike being this taxing, but figured it was either from carrying the baby all day or from not traveling through such rough terrain for so many years. Thankfully, her cottage wasn’t too far away from the river.
When Marie finally saw the cabin through the trees, her heartbeat quickened. “We made it,” she whispered. The cabin was in an ideal location, hidden away in a thick patch of forest about half a day’s hike from the closest road, yet near the river.
As Marie got closer, her heart sank. The boards and paint on the house were peeling, cracked, and broken. Even the front door sat crooked on its hinges. The garden in front was overtaken by weeds. “This isn’t good,” she said as she walked around the house.
Signs of life were nowhere to be found. Marie’s eyes filled with tears. What if her husband and son were followed? What if Blackheart’s guards found them?
Marie walked up to the house and opened the door. The house was dark but looked much different inside than it did outside. An old worn coat hung on the back of one of the chairs, dirty pots sat on the stove, and wood lay skewed in the fireplace.
Tears of happiness and relief ran down her cheeks. “Oh, thank goodness.” Marie exhaled. “I don’t know where everyone is, little one, but we’re here. We’re home.”
Exhausted, Marie lay down on the couch and readjusted the baby to lie next to her. She fell asleep almost immediately.
She was jolted awake by the scraping creak of the front door opening.
“Marie!” a voice shouted. “How in the world . . . ” Her husband’s mouth formed a perfect circle and matched his wide eyes.
Marie gasped and jumped up off the couch. She ran across the room and embraced him. Standing beside him was their son, years older than when she last saw him. In tears, Marie kneeled down and hugged him.
She slowly pulled away from her son when he did not immediately hug her back. His eyes were glazed over and his face expressionless. “Don’t you remember me?” Marie asked.
His eyes closed and tears formed at the corners. “Yes, of course I do, Mama.” His voice cracked and tears rolled down his flushed cheeks. The two hugged and embraced tightly.
That night was filled with hugs, tears, and stories as the three got to know each other again. Later, over a warm fire, Marie explained how she saved the life of the baby they now called Red.
Marie’s husband shook his head. “I knew the queen was crazy, but I can’t believe she would let Blackheart kill her own daughter.”
Marie nodded, “I would have never found the strength to leave the palace if it wasn’t for the girl. As much as I wanted to see you and our son again, I didn’t want to escape because I was too afraid.”
In the days that followed, the family repaired the loose boards and hinges, pulled out the weeds from the garden, and worked the ground to plant vegetables. They put in long hours, but enjoyed every minute of it. They were united in a common goal, to be a family again.
* * *
Meanwhile, Blackheart’s search for Marie expanded. She sent troops of guards into the forest. They rode up and down the roadways and trails, interrogated travelers, and raided homes, but always returned empty handed. Though Blackheart’s determination grew as each day passed, she eventually had no choice but to give up her search. Marie was nowhere to be found.
Though life in the palace slowly got back to normal, Blackheart took Marie’s disappearance as a personal defeat and focused her anger and frustration toward Josephine and Therese.
“Oh Josephine, there you are.” Blackheart said as she stepped in front of Josephine’s path and stopped her. “I’ve been meaning to ask how you and your batty old friend are doing. I took the liberty of instructing the foreman to only divide Marie’s chores up between you and Therese. Since you two were so close to her, after all, I thought that would be most appropriate.”
“Blackheart, you wench, that’s not fair!” Josephine growled. “Let me take on all of Marie’s chores.”
“Well, this is your lucky day. You might end up with Marie’s and Therese’s workload.
The foreman just told me that Therese failed to appear at her assigned section of the palace this morning. I’m on my way to look for her right now. I think the extra work is taking a toll on her. Poor thing is moving a lot slower and sometimes even holds on to the walls to keep her balance,” Blackheart said, her voice feigning concern.
“Oh no, really?” Josephine put her hand to her mouth and started off toward the West Wing. “I’ll go check on her.”
Blackheart followed. “Maybe it’s time the old crone retired. She better keep up or I’ll have her . . .”
“Do everyone a favor and just shut up for a moment,” Josephine said. She knocked on Therese’s door. No answer. She opened the door and peered inside.
Blackheart called out from behind Josephine, “Therese? Did you break a hip in there?”
Therese lay peacefully still in bed. The room was dark and quiet.
As the two approached the bed, Josephine whispered a quick prayer.
Blackheart pushed her aside and grabbed Therese’s hand. It was cold. She shook Therese. No response.
Josephine began to weep. “Oh Therese, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t stop them. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you.”
“Ugh,” Blackheart groaned and left Josephine alone with her old friend.
The next morning, the queen instructed Blackheart to allow Josephine and a few others to gather and pay their respects for Therese. The memorial service was small and short. The queen stood at the back of the room but spoke to no one.
After the service, Blackheart stepped forward. “Guards, take her body to the Tower for cremation. Everyone else, get back to work.”
Blackheart and the queen walked in silence back to the court room. Blackheart knew that Therese’s death disturbed her cousin. Out of everyone, Therese was a link to the past, a reminder of how life used to be with the king and, in death, a reminder that it would never be the same again. Blackheart didn’t care. She and her cousin were different in those regards.
Blackheart broke the silence to steer the queen away from her own thoughts. “We have a problem on our hands. Increased security presence in the forest has uncovered a reality that we were unaware of -- lepers are overtaking the forest.”
The queen stirred from her blank expression. “Oh Elzana, stop looking for a fight. Those reports from travelers were just reports, stories meant to scare people.”
“No, this is different. When the guards began their patrols for Marie, they too became the victims of ambushes and attacks. In fact, just this morning, one of my guards came back bloodied, bruised, and alone.”
“Alone?” The queen stopped walking and looked around. In a quieter tone, she whispered, “Where were the others in his company?”
“He said they were attacked and that he was the only one who got away.”
The queen sighed. “Send out reinforcements. Elzana, we can’t let this get out of hand. I’m holding you responsible.”
Blackheart’s reinforcements soon found the bodies of the missing guards. They were hanging off three branches on one of the main roads for everyone to see. This was a clear sign that the queen was losing her grip on the forest.
CHAPTER 5
The frequency of attacks between guards and lepers had increased over the years, as did their severity. Though the element of surprise gave the lepers an advantage over the guards, casualties mounted on both sides. This period of unrest became widely known throughout Wonderland as the Forest Riots.
The queen lost her patience with her cousin’s inability to quell the rioting. The forest rioters were always a step ahead. The disruption and violence became too much for Blackheart and her guards to handle on their own and cost more than the queen was willing to dish out. It took money to pay for armor, weapons, manpower, and transportation. On top of that, the rioting disrupted the trade of food, wood, cloth, and other resources needed to meet the demands of the kingdom.
At an assemblage of the governors, the queen chastised Blackheart. “It’s been six years, Elzana, and you have yet to report any good news. We’re at war with the lepers. Don’t you understand that? This has to end.”
One governor spoke up and said, “If this doesn’t stop soon, Your Majesty, we’ll have a revolution on our hands. Unrest within the city is near a breaking point. The citizens don’t feel safe.”
“I agree,” another said. “Now is the time to go in with force.”
A third governor cleared her throat and spoke from the back of the room. “If I may speak frankly, Your Majesty, why haven’t you gone in with force yet? Why is this taking so long?”
Tall and lanky, the queen stood over the group with her thin frizzled hair spiking through her crown. She mumbled to herself and paced back and forth. Her arms swung in such an exaggerated manner that it seemed as if they were trying to get away from her. Her movement across the court room resembled that of a dangling spider. “If those lepers want a fight, I’ll give them a fight!” she shouted. “Even if I have to go into the forest myself. And don’t you worry. I have just the remedy.”
“Where is this remedy? Where is your army, My Queen?” the governor asked.
“If that’s what it’s going to take, so be it. Elzana has had plenty of time to show her might. Clearly she has failed. Now, all of you, leave at once.” She dismissed the governors and swiftly exited the room.
Everyone steered clear of the queen as she marched down the service corridor to a restricted part of the palace.
At the end of a long, narrow hall, two guards stood watch in front of a large isolated door. The door was simple and made of stone, with no lines or adornments. The queen ordered the guards to open it. As expected, the air around them quickly thinned because she stood too close. In a matter of seconds, the men gasped and choked. Luckily for them, they managed to open the door in time.
Inside, a narrow staircase wound down into an inner room where stacks of human-sized playing cards lay lifeless in piles. The queen walked around the piles to the other side of the room where a scepter rested on a plain, nondescript wooden pedestal.
She hesitated before picking up the scepter. The last time she used it was to put the men to sleep. Did she really want to go through this again? She felt as if she had no other choice. She needed to put an end to the forest riots or risk losing her crown.
She picked up the scepter. The tip lit up and grew brighter and brighter. The queen braced herself.
The floor and walls of the room shook, disappearing into an impenetrable blackness that moved inward toward the scepter. The light, however, pulsed through the darkness. With each burst of energy, the black shroud grew closer and closer. In one final pulse, the black void overpowered the light, swallowing everything in the room.
Standing in complete darkness, the queen swung her scepter in front of her and tore a hole though the void. The black shell that had enveloped the room fell apart, leaving behind an energy that sparked the paper men back to life. The cards, the queen’s army, jumped out of their piles and stretched before shuffling into line. They stood at attention and awaited their orders.
Their footsteps echoed throughout the palace as they followed their queen to the marble foyer. Standing in the middle of the room, the queen shouted to a nearby servant who was cleaning the floors, “Find Elzana and bring her to me.”
The servant fell back after seeing the paper soldiers standing behind the queen.
“What’s wrong with you, girl? Get up and find Elzana.”
“Yes .. . . yes, Your Majesty.” The servant jumped to her feet and ran upstairs.
“It’s about time!” the queen shouted as Blackheart walked down the stairs in the marble foyer.
“What’s all this?” Blackheart asked pointing to the soldiers. “You’ve brought them back?”
“I had to,” the queen replied. “Your incompetence is leaving us in a bind. We need to end the riots now before it’s too late.”
“Too late?” Blackheart asked. “I’ve been asking you for years to bri
ng them back.”
“None of that matters anymore,” the queen said. “Be ready by tomorrow morning. We’re going to reinforce our troops in the forest. I’m going to personally supervise the progress from here on out.”
The next morning, just before sunrise, the queen’s army gathered outside the palace and stood at attention in a simple square formation. As hints of sunshine pierced the horizon, the palace doors opened and a line of highly decorated guards walked out. They stood with all the pomp deserving of royalty and saluted the queen and Blackheart as they emerged from the palace and got inside their coach.
The coach and a handful of guards led a procession through the palace gates and into the city. The queen’s army marched in precise unison behind the royal caravan. Onlookers gathered along the main road, mesmerized by the commotion.
The army, holding their long pointed spears, stopped and stood at attention when the queen’s coach stopped at a newly constructed stage near the city gates. The troops stood perfectly still, not moving an inch, as four generals emerged from the gate outpost.
The army bowed on one knee as the queen stepped out of the carriage and onto the stage. “Rise, my servants. You serve your queen and kingdom well. We are here today to conquer a menace that challenges this kingdom’s sovereign right to protect and serve the people of our home. I carry this,” the queen said lifting her scepter, “as a reminder that it is my responsibility to make sure that our children, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, and future generations have been afforded the opportunity to live a life that is free of worry and fear.”
The queen’s speech to her army of mindless drones was more of a show than some over-exaggerated pep talk. As anticipated, her deep, thundering voice immediately drew in large crowds of civilians. “You have been brought here today by the grace of God to secure our future from a certain evil that lurks in the forest. Look around you and see who you are fighting for. Witness for yourselves whose lives you are saving.” She pointed to the crowd for dramatic effect, but her army did not flinch. They remained in a fixed formation and stared intently at the queen.