The High Queen's Vow [The Mystic Women of The Realm Series Book IV]

by Robbie Collins

  The High Queen nodded, lying down fully upon the sand, having no strength to continue to fight the pain. Ann'wn bent down, “I am sorry, my Queen, but I am about to cause you some pain. Try to relax fully as I lift you. Don't try to help me, as it will increase your pain."

  She looked at Ann'wn for a moment and nodded, but said nothing. As Ann'wn lifted her, she groaned, unable to keep it within her, and winced from the great pain. She placed her head against Ann'wn's strong shoulder as she was carried to her shelter, grateful for her Force Leader, exhausted from having to deal with overly much pain throughout the event. The Healer worked quickly to remove some of the deep pain, then cut away The High Queen's gown so that she could look upon the wound inflicted by the now dead Grandmother. The High Queen was lying on her side, unable to tolerate the pain while lying on her stomach.

  The Healer shook her head as she saw it, seeing that the wounds were inflamed welts straight across The High Queen's back, fully swollen in their anger. The Grandmother had hit The High Queen so hard with her cane that it had broken some of the skin across her back, as it had also broken some of the skin from The High Queen's long-prior back wound. The Healer wasn't pleased.

  "I may speak out of place, High Queen, but that one deserved to die for what she has done to you. There is a law of instant death against any who strike a High Queen, so the deed was correct."

  The Healer began to remove some of the pain nearer to the wounds, but not directly on them, avoiding touching them until The High Queen could better manage her pain.

  "Can you move to your stomach, Highness?"

  "No."

  "How long were you with the Grandmother, High Queen?"

  "Long enough to wish her dead. I guess My wish came true."

  The Healer could tell from her voice that The High Queen was finally able to move away from the greatest of the pains. She continued removing more of the smaller pains for a few moments, then halted, needing her Queen to move so that she could apply an ointment.

  "I need to rub an ointment on your back, Highness. It will cause some immediate pain, but will then help to mask it. Can you move onto your stomach yet if I help turn you?"

  The High Queen sighed, then did as The Healer asked. Sle'nel’ came beside her lover and looked at her as The High Queen turned her head sideways, now lying on her stomach.

  "What do you see, Elf?"

  Sle'nel’ smiled, “The High Queen as helpless. It is a rare moment."

  "Wager no bet on this, Elf. You might lose."

  The Healer was glad for Sle'nel's help, choosing this moment to begin rubbing the ointment onto the wounds, directly.

  The High Queen groaned more loudly than any of them had prior heard, except for The Healer. Sle'nel’ made a funny face at her, kissed her cheek, trying to distract her lover from her pain.

  "Personally, San'lr'in', I think The Healer is correct. That one needed to die, or I wouldn't have felt compelled to call the Sorrows of the Stones."

  "I know all this is truth, and as you say, she was evil."

  "Then why does Sele’ stand apart from the camp, crying and trying to enter into her meditations?"

  "Leave her. She has much to learn this turn. Perhaps she will tell you soon."

  "High Queen?"

  "You have my leave, Ann'wn. What is it you wish from Me?"

  "What did you mean when you said she lives in the UnderRealm. I thought only the Great Beast did as such."

  "Like the Women in the Trees. She lives under the vast lands. Her dwelling in truth, is amazing. If I can ever walk again, and if I could find the entrance, you could see her dwelling. This dwelling was the only reason I remained as long as I did with her, as she used to beat Me this way upon every turn. The First High Queen banished her to the vast lands, and had the dwelling re-built for her. She placed a spell on her, ensuring that she could never leave these lands."

  The Healer and Sle'nel’ both winced at the thought of their Queen beaten every turn by the grandmother. Sam had entered a little prior, wondering as to her sister's condition, now just listening. She also was stunned at the statement.

  "Every turn?"

  "At least. At some moments, two or three moments a turn. I left with My back well in shreds, or so it felt as such."

  "Did you ever hit her, in return?"

  Sam heard her sister's voice seize up with hate from the memory, “Only once. It was one of the gravest mistakes of My youth. It gave her My own powers to use against Me, and she did, fully. I couldn't move for many turns after that. I left just as soon as I could move."

  "I am fully amazed she let you leave."

  "She didn't. I fought My way out."

  The Healer spoke softly, “I wonder if she ever beat Sume’ in this fashion."

  San'lr'in’ thought quietly on the statement, knowing full well that if her sister had remained any moments with the Grandmother, she also had been beaten. All she managed to say was, “Poor Sume'n'tinel'ti'non. She wouldn't have been able to stand against her as I did."

  Sam looked at her sister, “Meera feels like she has not done right for The Realm."

  "I have tried to convince her otherwise, but it is not easy to be the one who rid The Realm of all the prior High Queens’ Grandmother. Perhaps you can help her move through this moment.” She turned her head back over, “Force Leader. When do we leave?"

  "The Sorcerer's Forest is a little further than half-a-turn's hard ride, my Queen. When would you like to leave?"

  "Give Me an incident-free turn, and we can leave as it cools next turn. We can then enter into the Sorcerer's Forest in the early morn the following turn, at first light, and try to accomplish it within the turn. Otherwise, it will be even more challenging to remain through the eve. I doubt if it will be comfortable for all to do this."

  "When would you like to have your meeting in regard to this, High Queen?"

  "Healer. When will I be able to rise?"

  "Not for a while yet, High Queen. Hold your meeting now if you must, but I will keep you chained here for a while longer."

  The High Queen laughed softly, “Call the others to Me, Ann'wn. I will gladly remain with The Healer, as she has managed to make Me feel much improved. You will have to be without her for a little longer."

  Ann'wn blushed, now knowing that her High Queen knew of their union, but smiled lovingly at The Healer, touching her cheek softly as she left, “Yes, High Queen. I will return in a moment with the others."

  Unknowing to The High Queen, The Healer had quietly placed a sleeping spell within her for a moment, so that she could rest. As The High Queen slept, The Healer spoke softly to Sle'nel', “She is hard on the Young One."

  "We know not what occurred, as yet. Perhaps it was needed."

  "She did nothing, though."

  Sle'nel’ frowned, “Oh, but Healer, I think she did. I think The High Queen may be most correct in this. I felt strangely compelled to call the Sorrows to me. But I didn't make this decision myself."

  The Healer nodded, “I do know that The High Queen is seldom wrong, in any regard."

  Sle'nel’ looked upon The Healer, “You look tired."

  The Healer blushed, “A contented and happy tired, I think."

  Sle'nel’ knew that others would be coming, “Should we cover her up? The others shouldn't see her in this fashion. She has nothing on."

  "I'll cover her slightly, but I need her back to remain uncovered for a while longer.” They both covered all parts of her except her back.

  The Healer looked upon The High Queen's back, shaking her head, “Such punishment this Queen and back have gone through. I wish I could make all these scars disappear for her, both the inside as well as the outside ones."

  For many moments, they sat and waited, watching The High Queen as she slept.

  "She said she was beaten upon every turn in this fashion. No wonder she refuses to speak of her upbringing."

  Sle'nel’ nodded, “They trained her to be hard, without feeling. But they were wrong. T
hey selected the correct High Queen and trained her well, but forgot that a High Queen must also have soft moments. Even a warrior has soft moments, do they not, Healer?"

  She blushed again, thinking of her and Ann'wn's morn, as Ann'wn gave in fully to her needs and desires of her. Never did The Healer think that such a warrior as Ann'wn could be so gentle and loving, “Indeed. Even a warrior has the softest of moments."

  "I hope you are not trying to say that I, as High Queen, am soft."

  Sle'nel’ laughed, “Never would we call you such as this, High Queen. You are most definitely the most hard and unmoving of all, in the entire Realm."

  The High Queen nodded, “Good. You finally have it correct. Healer, can I rise yet?"

  The Healer moved to face The High Queen, “No, my Queen. I am sorry for this, but the ointment needs its many moments to fully work. It is a complex potion, and one that spreads across the moments. You will be able to rise and participate fully in a little while, High Queen. Have patience. I think you will be amazed in this potion's healing properties. You will be feeling as if nothing has occurred in just a while, although your back will yet take many moments to fully heal. We will also need to apply the potion upon every turn for a short while, perhaps a few turns."

  "I can tolerate this. The memory of My long-prior back wound serves My patience well in this regard. It is this singular pain that brings Me to my knees, although I wish it wouldn't. It makes Me feel weak and embarrassed."

  "There is no embarrassment in the pain you just went through, High One. All others wouldn't have been able to move from the moment of the blows. This pain was indeed most difficult. I am not yet fully recovered from removing it from you, and in truth, cannot remove all of it. It is why I am so grateful I have found the alchemy necessary for it. It is a new find for me, but I can already see its worth."

  "As can I, Healer. Just refrain from sharing its ingredients. Entertain Me, Healer, since you leave Me in this most awkward of positions."

  "My Queen?"

  "Entertain Me. Tell Me of your newfound love. Is she good to you? Is she a good lover?"

  The Healer blushed again, once again calling their morn's physical moments to her. She had never prior felt so fully consumed by another, yet so fully intertwined, together. Ann'wn touched her in ways that she had only ever prior hoped for, but never received. At one of the moments with Ann'wn, she felt like she would never again step foot upon The Realm, she felt as high as this. And she could tell that when she touched Ann'wn in certain ways, Ann'wn responded fully, giving in even more than she had expected of herself. And she recalled the moment that Ann'wn cried out her name softly, lovingly, as her long release finally came its due.

  "She has been in front of me all these moments, High One, yet I have never seen her. How could this be so? I have never prior felt as such with another, beyond you. It is as if she knows and responds to my every wish."

  "Good. If I could command this as so for you, I would. I am pleased she adores you, as she should. As you say, the two of you have been overly many moments bringing yourselves together in this union. While all others stood by waiting, knowing that it would occur upon one turn, you two remained apart. But all others saw the way you looked at each other. It has been hidden to only the two of you."

  The Healer laughed, fully embarrassed, “No. This cannot be so. Tell me you jest only."

  "You know I don't. This is truth. Tell her, Sle'nel'. Tell her that even the Young One has seen the sparks between the two of you."

  Sle'nel’ smiled and nodded, “It is so. And all the camp knew the moment upon your first eve together. I would guess that many wagers occurred that eve. Is she a good lover for you then, Healer?"

  She blushed again, “She is quite good, Elf."

  "Who is, Healer?"

  Ann'wn, Sam, An'ther'on, the Force Leader for The High Queen's Black Guard, Uthrn, Fon'elnn', Meera and Caitha had all entered the small shelter, hearing The Healer's last words.

  They all knelt and bowed their heads, “Great High Queen. We have come as you bid."

  San'lr'in’ had always enjoyed her quiet moments together with her most treasured ones, but as the journey lengthened, her quiet moments became increasingly important to her. Now that many were upon her, she began the meeting abruptly, “The Sorcerer's Forest is the place where a long-prior sorcerer lost control of her spells, accidentally sending them forever onto the forest itself. No one since has been able to take back these spells, or has attempted such. The Forest is riddled with spells, constant in their attempts to displace themselves onto unknowing recipients. It is all Mystical only, yet it can send the strongest of warriors crazy. Nothing is as it first seems in the Sorcerer's Forest. We can assume nothing is as it seems, but cannot assume nothing is not as it seems. It is as confusing as this."

  "How do we go through such a forest as this, my Queen?"

  "Blindfolded, An'ther'on. Caitha is a human and will lead us through, as none of it will appear to her. As a human, she is impervious to the Sorcerer's Forest Mythical nature. She will see nothing but trees, as any of us would in any other forest."

  "And Meera, here, my Queen. She can lead us as well. She is also human."

  The High Queen hesitated for a moment, then said, “Perhaps so."

  "But she is human."

  "Yes. It is as you say.” The High Queen halted her words there, wondering if what she thought was indeed true of Meera. She suspected that Meera had begun to transition into the Mystical aspects of The Realm, and wondered if other humans, upon such close contact with the Mystics, would do the same.

  "How will we catch this Dark Sorcerer, my Queen?"

  "I will catch him, Force Leader. He is mine. Fon'elnn’ has given Me all that I need in this regard. The First High Queen's sword, My Sword and Sle'nel's staff will bring him to us after we cross through The Sorcerer's Forest. He will roam free upon The Realm no longer. And I will ensure that he will never touch upon This Realm again."

  "What of his son, My Queen?"

  "His son? You mean his daughter? I know not. I must first find with who he has bred. Then I will know what to do with this young one. But first, I will remove the Dark Sorcery forever from this Realm. Whatever it is that this young one now holds, it is not the Dark Sorcery."

  "Perhaps the Future Supreme Sovereign might help in this regard, my Queen?"

  "The Future Supreme Sovereign is making a decision this turn, Ann'wn. What she decides will have far-reaching effects for all of us. We will hopefully learn more this eve. Until then, I know not what she will be able to do for The Realm."

  "You are angered with her, my Queen?"

  "I am disappointed in her. We will learn more on this later, Highest. It is up to her, solely. You all have My leave."

  They all knelt and bowed their heads once again, “Great High Queen.” They then left the small and overly cramped shelter. Ann'wn remained behind to be close to her Queen and to her lover.

  "I am feeling most improved, Healer. I need to rise."

  "It is the moment, my Queen. But allow us to help so that the pain returns not. It is the moment for your eve meal anyway, and you must eat. Otherwise, this potion will become overly strong for your insides, my Queen."

  "As you say, Healer, but spare Me your details."

  The Healer and Sle'nel’ dressed her into her most soft and clean garment. The High Queen flexed herself into various gentle positions, testing her back, “Well done, Healer. There is no pain."

  "Be easy on it, High One. I cannot vow as to its endurance, as yet."

  Sle'nel’ looked at her lover, “Will Sele’ return to us?"

  She hesitated, knowing the worried concern Sle'nel’ was displaying, “I know not. All those with such powers are tested and called by the dark powers. Even your prior lover will face such as this."

  "What if she doesn't return?"

  She looked for a long moment at her beloved Elf, then softly said, “Then I will have to remove her."

  "Remove h
er? What is your meaning in this?"

  She sighed deeply, “From The Realm. Her powers are overly strong to allow them to be controlled by the dark powers. This must not occur. It is why I am so hard on her."

  She saw a look of fright in Sle'nel's eyes. She placed her hands upon Sle'nel's shoulders, then turned her head slightly to her Healer and Force Leader, “Leave Me. I need a moment. I will see you at the eve meal."

  "You will kill her?"

  San'lr'in’ sighed, “This is one of the moments I most fear between us. We stand together as lovers, yet I must stand apart as High Queen, while you must stand close to her as her Birth-Mother. It is an impossible of moments between us. I know this sounds as a harsh decision, but your Birth-daughter is one of the strongest powers in all The Realm. If she allows herself to turn to the dark powers, to the dark thinking, she will become as evil as the Grandmother and the Dark Sorcerer, but with many, many more powers. Such cannot occur. I will have no choice but to remove her while I am yet able to do so. Upon one turn, she will become stronger than I. And what she did this turn was but a mere breath away from Dark Sorcery."

  "But she is so young. She has so much to learn. She is naïve."

  "She is not young. She has the memories of all The prior High Queens. She is an old mind, and should have known better. The Watchers of The Realm are highly displeased this turn. If they could, they would remove her this instant. They give no chances, and consider Me overly soft."

  "Don't you love her?"

  "I do. And this is truth. What would you do if you knew she turned to the dark powers, My Elf? Would you allow her powers to remain in The Realm?"

  "Is there no other choice?"

  The High Queen sighed, “Trust her not so little as this. She has been given nothing but love and honor. If this will not do, then there is little else that we can do for her. But let us trust that she will remain true to her path."

  "What did she do?"

  "She will have to inform you of this herself. And I believe she will do so."