The Fallen Queen

by Claire Chilton

  WHATEVER BECAME OF THE SQUISHIES

  ORIGINS

  THE FALLEN QUEEN

  Tirik’s hand trembled and she tightened her grip on the knife. It must be done. Resolved she set her chin determinedly and stabbed the dagger into the throat of the girl swiftly, with all of her strength.

  The girl tried to scream and her eyes widened upon impact. She began to choke and panic. Blood bubbled out of her throat when Tirik withdrew the knife. She watched the girl’s eyes redden as the small capillaries in them burst. Then the girl’s eyes glazed over, as the life left her body. Tirik lifted the gold encrusted chalice and held it under the girl’s neck to capture the blood.

  The girl’s corpse was strapped to the altar, with thick leather straps across her forehead, chest, hips, knees and ankles. Ancient designs were carved into her belly, and her wrists were both marked with burns in the shapes of stars.

  Tirik drew the dagger down the girl’s belly, cutting a line through the designs and chanted the words on the ancient scroll:

  Life of an innocent, tainted by blood,

  Power removed from one most loved,

  Rites of Karin I invoke thee,

  Take this life, and set me free.

  The ground began to shake as Tirik continued to chant the same lines over and over again. Wind appeared from nowhere and whipped around Tirik, blowing the herbs off the altar and extinguishing the candles surrounding the body. Darkness shrouded the dank dungeon and the wind died down.

  Has it worked? Tirik dropped to her knees and held the chalice out to the darkness.

  “Take this blood and give me your power. I pray to you my goddess.”

  “It has been long since I visited this plane mortal, why do you awaken me?” The voice in the darkness was hollow with age. Its tone vibrated through Tirik’s body and made her shake to the core.

  “Is it vengeance of the heart that you seek?”

  Tirik felt movement as something cold brushed by her in the darkness.

  “Your offering is appropriate, golden hair like hers.” The voice paused and then slyly added, “Golden hair, like yours.”

  Tirik froze in fear as a hand brushed through her hair. She closed her eyes to quell the terror. Does the demon want me too?

  “It is vengeance of the heart, my goddess.” She forced herself to speak to it.

  A cold claw pressed against her chest and the talons dug into the skin above her heart.

  “Not broken, never even used. How does this heart require vengeance? How has this heart had love stolen from it? You invoke me unwisely mortal!” It’s breath in her ear was icy as it whispered angrily to her.

  “My sister.” Tirik gasped. “She took everything from me. I have been nothing for my whole life, because she was blessed with power and I was not.”

  “She does not deserve what she has. She should not be the ruler of these lands. Gifted from birth with magical powers over the hearts of all, she can see what others cannot. She can see inside their hearts and speak of secrets that should not be revealed. She steals love from all under her reign. Secrets of the heart should not be read by another. She is an abomination! It is true vengeance of the heart. Vengeance for the many hearts across this land.”

  The claw still pressed against her chest. “Not my vengeance, not my kind.” Tirik felt the demon’s claws scrape against her skin.

  “Lovers have been lost, stolen by the queen’s words. She leaves broken hearts in her wake. How is she not the worst of betrayers?” She cried in terror. “She took so many of my suitors and broke their hearts. Just because I did not love them, does it mean they should not love me? Look deeper my goddess. Find what you seek.” Tirik braced herself for pain, but none came.

  The demon laughed softly. “So you would have me change the rules, bend them to suit your will.”

  “Only if you wish it,” Tirik bowed her head.

  “Let us see if you wish it as time grows weary on your mortal soul.” The demon laughed again. “I tire of Destiny and her rules. Take your revenge and I shall accept your offering.”

  The demon laughed softly, and Tirik felt the claw leave her chest.

  Silence followed.

  Has it gone? A gust of wind blew Tirik’s hair around her face and then suddenly the candles all lit upon the altar. She blinked and looked around warily. She was alone. The altar was empty. The body of the girl was gone.

  She looked down into the chalice. The once red blood had turned black. The deal had been struck. She smiled, it worked.

  She took a deep drink from the chalice, swallowing the thick liquid eagerly and invoking the demon’s power.

  Queen Arietta smiled as she blessed the marriage. The young couple before her were so happily in love. She could feel it. She had always been able to feel the heart’s desire of others.

  People often mistook it for mind reading, but it wasn’t. She could read hearts, not minds. She would see images flash across her mind of what the person’s heart truly wanted. Sometimes it was another person, other times an object. Sometimes it was dark and evil. She shuddered. Those were the worst ones. But most of the time is was the face of someone they loved.

  It always amazed her how people often didn’t know what they really wanted. They felt it in their hearts and ignored it or denied it. But then she understood that too.

  It’s fortunate that no one can read my heart. Her smile wavered with sadness. She forced it to remain firmly in place, as she toasted the happy couple. Crowds of people cheered and the couple kissed.

  What is it like? She wondered.

  It was with a heavy heart of her own that she resigned herself to the fact that love would never find its way to her. Long ago she had learnt that love was impossible for her. There was no time for it to blossom and grow. She would see into a person’s heart the moment she touched them. So with her own suitors she often saw their designs on her crown long before love ever arrived on the scene. There was no way to move forward from there, the first impression would scar the relationship.

  She had given up trying to find love many years ago.

  In all her twenty-three years of life she had never felt love. As time passed she wondered if she ever would. But life was good, and she knew she was luckier than most.

  She had been crowned Queen of Rhecknaw at fifteen years old, and imbued with the crown and the ‘Gift’. Her gift took its toll, but she could help so many people with it.

  People flocked to the palace to find the right path for their hearts. Every day she had the chance to experience love through other people, and to help them understand what they really wanted.

  Many were grateful and lived happily after overcoming their fears, or simply just realising what was missing. Others were not. They didn’t like what they heard. But Arietta hoped it helped them, and knew it would on the day they accepted it as true.

  All the things she didn’t have because of her gift were a minor loss in comparison to what she gained from helping others. It’s worth it.

  She walked to the carriage awaiting her, shaking hands and smiling at people as she passed them. Their desires flashed across her mind, a safe home, a gallant young man, a woman of consequence. Each one brought about a powerful emotion and a beautiful image for Arietta.

  Her hand connected with a masculine palm and electricity passed through it, but no images flashed in her mind. She glanced up into the seaweed green eyes of the man and something in her chest felt like it dropped to her belly. She tried to read his heart, but she couldn’t. He smiled at her and her legs felt weak. Who is this man?

  She bit her lip and searched his face. It would be plain to the casual observer, but something in it drew her to him like a magnet.

  “Hello.” She said softly.

&n
bsp; “Your majesty,” he released her hand and bowed. She felt bereft as his touch left her.

  “Are you a member of the family?” Arietta didn’t know what she was doing. She rarely stopped to chat with people at these events.

  “No I am Hale Connell a mere soldier, ma’am. I came to see you.” The crowds seemed to fade away and his words melted her from the inside out.

  “Why don’t you join me in the Royal Gardens this afternoon? The view will be better.” She felt like she was babbling and her heart was racing.

  “It would be an honour ma’am.” He bowed with a glint in his eyes that caused her to blush.

  She smiled at him and continued to her golden gilded carriage. She sat beside her sister and stared at Hale through the window longingly.

  “Is everything okay?” Tirik asked her.

  “Oh yes.” Arietta smiled dreamily.

  Tirik smiled. It was beginning.

  “Why are you so upset?” Tirik asked Arietta. “You love him don’t you?”

  “But how can I be with him? He’s a commoner. The council will not allow it.”

  “You’re queen. You rule the council. No one can stop you.” Tirik said.

  Arietta paced the room wringing her hands, it had been four months since she had met Hale and after a whirlwind courtship she knew in her heart that she loved him. He too had declared his love for her. She knew it was meant to be. Surely the fact she could not read his heart was a true sign of destiny at work.

  The only other heart she had not read in years was Tirik’s. After a failed courtship at age eighteen Tirik had begged Arietta to block her powers from reading Tirik’s heart.

  It had gone against Arietta’s better judgement, but Tirik had been so sad. All the power in the world could not make Arietta hurt her sister so deeply. So they had called upon the council to bind Arietta to Tirik. The binding was permanent and would make Tirik immune to Arietta’s powers. A risk, her advisors had told her, but no harm had come from it and now at twenty-one Tirik was a happier person for not knowing her heart’s desires.

  Arietta was happy not knowing them too. Until Hale, Tirik had been the only person Arietta could share her feelings with, without fear of what underlying motivations may be gathering in her heart. It had been a relief, to be normal with someone.

  Now there was Hale and a real chance at happiness for Arietta. But at what cost?

  “I cannot change the law on a whim.” She told her sister sternly.

  “Is this a whim?” Tirik asked her. “You are haunted by sleepless nights because of it. You are weak with sadness and loss. What kind of queen do you give your people? When was the last time you did your duties well?” Tirik asked her sharply. “Marry the man and regain your sanity.”

  She was right, Arietta realised. She had not been a good queen of late. The people of Rhecknaw needed her to be strong and reliable. The wars raging on the Trell borders were getting worse, if they ever needed their queen, it was now.

  “You’re right. I’ll do it.” She hugged her sister, “I don’t know what I’d do without you Tirik.”

  Tirik smiled warmly. “I’m glad to be of assistance in something that will make you so happy.”

  Tirik watched Arietta and Hale get married from the back of the vast cathedral. Her smile was grim.

  Getting to this point had taken longer than she had expected and her patience was running low. She wanted her power, her throne now. Tonight the world would change for the better. Arietta would lose the crown and Tirik would take her place.

  Her eyes darkened. Her sister would likely die when the powers left her. They passed from queen to queen upon death usually. They had never been extracted like this before. There was no telling what would happen. But Tirik expected her sister to die from the process.

  She felt no remorse for this. She had hated Arietta since the binding. Something in her had changed that day, like a fog had lifted and she saw Arietta for the trouble causer she really was. The actions she had taken were going to make everyone see clearly. She was freeing the realm from a misguided daze, a fantasy world where hearts were more important than minds.

  The happy couple walked down the aisle, smiling and waving at the rows and rows of guests as they passed them. Tirik forced a bright smile to appear when they neared her. Arietta grasped her hand. She looked drawn and nervous. Her powers are preparing to leave her body.

  “I’ll see you after the honeymoon,” Arietta told her happily.

  “Have a wonderful time.” Tirik replied, as Hale moved forward taking Arietta with him.

  “Goodbye sister.” Tirik said quietly.

  Tirik couldn’t sleep. She lay restlessly in her bed and waited. Soon everything she wanted would be hers. She wondered what the Gift would feel like.

  It was different for every queen. Different powers, different strengths. She hoped hers was an active power, something that would be useful in ending the war with Trell. That would put her in good stead with the people.

  It was going to be hard for them to accept that Arietta had lost her life so young. But her popularity had been waning since she married a commoner. That is why Tirik had chosen him. After Arietta’s death he would be expendable.

  The sun rose and nothing had happened. Tirik lay in the bed waiting. Why isn’t it working?

  She patiently waited watching the sun rise high in the sky. Suddenly her chamber doors burst open and four guards rushed into her room. This is it! She sat up in bed and tried to compose a shocked expression.

  The guards said nothing to her, which was strange. Then they grabbed her roughly and dragged her off the bed.

  “What are you doing?” She screamed at them. “Get your hands off me!”

  Their faces were set in stone and none spoke to her. She struggled against them. The captain of the guard yanked her arms roughly behind her back to control them. She screamed and bit one of the guards close to her on the cheek and tore his flesh with her teeth, in an attempt to make him let her go.

  “Bitch!” He snarled and pulled away from her, with blood pouring down his face on one side. He swung a large fist at her face in anger. It connected with her jaw and her teeth slammed down on her tongue upon impact.

  Her vision blurred and the fight went out of her body, when a second blow to her stomach knocked the air out of her lungs. She looked up and saw the same fist coming towards her again. Then everything went dark.

  Tirik was bound and gagged, her body bruised from various beatings in the palace dungeons. Her left eye was almost swollen shut, making it hard to see where the cart was taking her. Dressed only in her nightwear, she shivered.

  King Hale’s men had arrested her that morning and she had been tortured for information.

  She was ashamed that she had given it. Her weakness had made the new king very happy. He had grinned at her evilly before he left her cell and then thanked her for giving him what he needed.

  His official sentence was banishment to the Swamplands. Few survived the wildlife there. Vicious beasts roamed the Swamplands.

  Unarmed and alone, Tirik knew it was a death sentence.

  Arietta lay in her bed, weak and feverish. She could hear Hale telling the nurse to leave. She mumbled his name and felt his hand take hers.

  “What’s happening?” She mumbled sleepily.

  “Nothing anymore,” he dropped her hand. “I guess that’s all you had in you?”

  Arietta frowned, all of what?

  “What?” She asked confused.

  “You don’t remember?” He was smiling broadly. “Last night when we touched, your powers fed into me. At first I was confused by it. It was so powerful. The more I touched you the more I took. You seemed to weaken. I was worried you’d die before I got it all.” He sounded happy about it. “But it seems I’ve taken it all now, there’s nothing left in you. So I’ll let you rest in peace now, my queen.”

  Arietta didn’t understand, what about love?

  “What have you done to me?” She was so weak sh
e could barely raise her head.

  Hale stood and looked over her. “I’ve done nothing, it was your sister.” He rubbed his hands together and electricity sparked on them. “She extracted your powers for herself it seems, and unwittingly gave them to me. Now I am King and you are…” He looked at her in disgust, “… a complication. But given your state of health, I’m sure I’ll be mourning your passing soon enough.”

  Arietta’s heart couldn’t take it, the agony ripped through her insides.

  “Where is Tirik?” She cried.

  “I banished her to the Swamplands.” Hale said flippantly as he walked towards the door. “She’ll be dead before morning.” He left on those words.