by Jacey Sturch
“I understand. Will I be responsible for making the tea as well?” If I am to make the tea, then I can easily get Aetheria to ingest the Hyxyl. Alma shakes her head. “No, typically that will be one of the chefs. You only serve the tea.” I try not to show my disappointment so as not to appear suspicious.
“Now, when you serve the queen, make sure that you are quiet and don’t look her in the eyes. Try not to draw attention to yourself. Having the queen’s attention is a very dangerous thing, since she has a penchant for executing servants for imagined slights.”
“Understood. What should I be doing now? Are there any chores needing to be done?” Alma smiles and shakes her head, gesturing to the already clean kitchen.
“Since the kitchen has closed for the day, you may retire to the servant’s quarters. It is through those doors. Just pick a bed and fall into it. Report here in the morning so you can bring the queen her morning tea. Rest well.” As I go to pass her, Alma places a hand on my shoulder. “I am sorry this happened and you were brought here.”
There is a small set of doors in the corner of the kitchen. I walk into the next room, ready to rest. The room I enter is dark and dreary. Truly, the room itself felt sad. The smell of mold hangs in the air. The hall is very cold, cutting through the protection of the clothes, I begin to shiver.
The only thing in the hall are cots for everyone to sleep on. The only light comes from the moonlight streaming in through the windows high up, near the ceiling. Some of the cots have other people already resting in them. Some people are sitting up and whispering quietly among themselves.
When the door closes behind me, the noise from the door makes everyone look in my direction. They stare at me with pitying looks before returning to what they are doing. I avoid speaking to anyone and choose a cot. I lay down, thinking it will take forever for my nerves to settle enough to sleep. I feel too nervous about being in the castle to sleep. But mercifully, my eyes grew heavy as I lay down, and it isn’t long before I drift to sleep.
I am awakened early the next morning by the sound of people preparing for the day. I wordlessly get up and ready myself for the day, trying to come up with a plan in my head. I know that I will have to get access to the tea as it brews, so the Hyxyl will have the strongest effect. But since that is not my job, it will be hard to accomplish.
I move into the kitchens and Alma spots me immediately. She picks up a tray and pushes it into my arms. “Here you go. Go straight to the queen’s chambers for her morning tea. Wait there until she is finished and then come back.” I nod and venture into the hallway.
Once again, I am brought to the queen’s chambers by a guard. As I am guided through the halls, I again notice the eerie silence permeating the halls. All of the other servants who are going about their daily chores don’t say a word. They all keep their heads down, not looking at us as we pass. They flinch as we pass, as though expecting the guard to stop and haul them away.
Despite all of the guards and other people in the castle, I am struck by how lonely and empty the castle feels - as though no one has actually lived here in a long time. I am soon standing before large, ornate doors. The guard pushes open the door and I enter the room quietly, trying not to draw attention.
When I see Aetheria, I cannot believe that this is the woman who has done so many horrible things. Whenever I had pictured her, I had imagined a severe looking woman who exudes strength and cruelty. I had pictured a woman with an imposing figure who could command a room with a simple look.
That is not at all how Queen Aetheria looks. Before me stands a frail, old woman. Aetheria appears to be scared of her own shadow, jumping at every sudden noise. She looks like she hasn’t slept in ages, and she has deep, dark circles under her eyes. Aetheria’s eyes continually dart around the room, keeping a watchful eye on all the women helping ready her for the day.
I remember Alma’s advice and avert my eyes before Aetheria looks at me. I approach the small table near the dressing area and quietly pour the tea, watching the queen from the corner of my eye.
I then carefully approach the queen with my head bowed, trying to look as respectful and demure as possible, so as not to incur Aetheria’s wrath. She wordlessly takes the tea from my hand and drinks, as the ladies continue preparing her. I retrieve the teapot from the tray and stand nearby to refill the cup as necessary.
Everything is quiet for several minutes until one of the ladies-in-waiting pulls on Aetheria’s hair too hard as she is brushing it.
Aetheria yelps and whips around to face the girl who has pulled on the hair. As a look of fear appears in her eyes, and also a touch of madness, Aetheria starts screaming for the guards.
The guards swarm in, looking resigned to what is happening. The girl is dragged out of the room, screaming apologies and begging for forgiveness. The room is still after the girl was taken, everyone staring at the empty doorway.
The queen whirls around on me and rips the teapot from my hands. She throws the pot on the ground at my feet. The pot shatters, the shards flying up and cutting my hands. The hot tea splashes up onto my skirt.
Aetheria turns and yells at the ladies-in-waiting who are still staring. “What are you all looking at?! Get back to work, or are you all conspiring against me?!” That accusation scares the women and they jump back into their work.
The queen casts a quick look at me from the corner of her eye. “Gather the teapot and leave this room now.” I do as she says, gathering the pieces of the pot and quickly leaving the room.
I return to the kitchen, and Alma spots me and the broken teapot. She rushes up to me and takes the tray from my hands. “Oh, my dear, we already heard what happened.”
I stare at her questioningly. She answers my question before I can ask it. “Word travels fast in this castle. Are you all right?” I nod, “Yes, just a few cuts on my hands.”
Alma just shakes her head, looking at the cuts. She helps me clean the cuts and to bandage them as best we can. “At least you survived the ordeal and her majesty didn’t order your execution as well. She won’t have tea again until midday. Why don’t you work on cleaning some dishes for now?”
I agree and wordlessly work on the dishes. My thoughts linger on the poor girl who was dragged from the queen’s chambers that morning.
The rest of the day is spent in the kitchens, helping to keep it clean. The staff whispers all day about the girl from this morning. I am told that the queen will not be taking her afternoon tea, as she is having a private meeting. In fact, the queen is not to be seen by anyone for the rest of the day.
The next few days pass in much the same way. The queen hides in her chambers, having clandestine meetings and refusing to see anyone else. Meanwhile, I keep trying to find some way to accomplish my goal. Little did I know, I will have my chance in the near future.
Chapter 14
The days turn to weeks in the castle. And in all that time, the queen continues to hide in her chambers. My days are filled with bringing the tea tray to her chamber door and bringing the tray back to the kitchen, never seeing the queen.
The staff in the castle grow more anxious with every passing day and no sighting of the queen: almost as though this is the calm before the storm. They do not trust the silence from Aetheria. I can’t say that I trust it either.
After three weeks have passed in much the same fashion, suddenly things change. I wake up to find that everyone has already left the hall. I dress quickly and rush into the kitchen.
The kitchen is bustling with people rushing all around. I find Alma giving orders to everyone, shouting to be heard over the chaos. “Alma? What is going on?”
Alma hardly looks at me, continuing to give directions as best she can as she answers. “I’m not entirely sure. All I know is that we got word that the queen is wanting to host a banquet out of nowhere tonight. Not sure on the details, but everyone is working extra hard. I need you to work on keeping the dishes clean. We are dirtying them up fast preparing all the food.”
I jump into the work, washing dishes until my hands almost bleed. Half way through the day, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around and see Alma looking drained. “Leora, the queen has requested some tea. I need you to make the tea and take it to her immediately.”
“Of course, but I thought I didn’t make the tea.” Alma leads me to where the tea is stored. “Normally, yes, but all the chefs are busy with preparing for this banquet. So, I need you to make the tea.”
Alma hands me the box of tea and leaves me, as she continues barking orders. I think, a I make the tea, “This might be my only opportunity. Now is the time.”
As discreetly as I can, I reach into my pocket and pull out the Hyxyl. When I see that no one is watching, I drop the plant into the brewing tea.
I wait for someone to shout at me - to sound the alarm that I have put something in the tea. But it never comes. Nobody says anything, or sees anything. I release the breath I have been holding and anxiously wait for the tea to be finished.
When it’s done, I transfer the tea into the teapot, along with a bit more of the Hyxyl so it can steep in the tea a bit longer. I gather everything I need on the tray and go to leave the kitchen. As I am leaving, Alma calls out to me. “The queen is waiting in the throne room.” I nod my head and go directly to the throne room.
Having been in the castle this long, I know my way around and am no longer being guided by a member of the guard each time. I walk quickly, anxiety building with every step. Being so close to completing my goal makes me increasingly nervous with each passing step.
All too soon, I am standing before the large ornate doors to the throne room. Since this is the first time I have ever actually been in the throne room; I take the opportunity to admire it.
While this room feels as cold and lonely as the rest of the castle, it is still beautiful. The room is made of pristine white tiles on the floor and white marble walls. The arched ceilings have intricate chandeliers hanging down.
Along the sides of the room are tall columns, also made of white marble. The back of the throne room has beautiful stained-glass windows, depicting the royal family crest. A plush, purple carpet leads the way to a raised dais. And it is there, on the golden throne, encrusted with jewels, that Aetheria sits.
She seems less tired than when I last saw her, but not by much. She gestures for me to come forward. I approach cautiously, trying to appear non-threatening. I set the tea tray down on the small table that has been set up next to the throne. I quickly pour the tea into a cup, trying not to betray how nervous I am.
I wordlessly hand her the tea cup. She takes it from me and takes a sip. I hold the teapot and stand to the side, watching as she drinks the poisoned tea. She drains the cup. And I wait anxiously for the Hyxyl to take effect. I keep expecting her to start fall asleep, but it doesn’t happen.
Aetheria stays alert and awake. Just as I am starting to doubt the Hyxyl plant works, Aetheria finally speaks. “Did you make the tea today?” I jump when she speaks but quickly try to gather my composure. “Yes, your majesty.”
She glances at me from the corner of her eye, before turning her eyes back to the tea cup. “Well, it’s very good.”
“Thank you, your majesty.” She extends the cup to me, and I refill it for her, trying not to let my hands shake. “It is delicious, but it tastes different than before. Is it a different type of tea?”
I freeze, hesitating before I answer. “No, your majesty. It’s the same tea as before.” For the first time since I entered, Aetheria looks directly at me. “Are you sure? Are you sure it isn’t from a different plant? Perhaps, the Hyxyl plant from the Aral ocean?”
I stagger back, shocked at the queen using the name of the plant. Aetheria stands up, drawing herself up to her full height. For the first time, Aetheria looks truly threatening. She stalks closer to me.
“You could say that I have an interest in botany, specifically poisonous plants. I know all about different poisons, including Hyxyl. My mother made sure that I was prepared for an assassination attempt such as this, and she had me build an immunity to most poisons from the time I was young. As such, most poisons do not affect me anymore. Your little plan would never have worked, even if you had managed to catch me off guard.”
Aetheria gives a hand signal, and several guards swarm into the room from a small side door. Two of them grab my arms and tie them behind my back.
“I’ve known about your little plan for a while now. I knew what poison you were going to use. I knew when you arrived in the castle. I even know exactly who you are. You are the one who the First Tree lit up for all those years ago. The one who my incompetent guards missed. The one who cause all my subjects to rise against me. You are the royal child”
I stand in shock as she says all this. I try to wrench my arms from the guards, but they tighten their grip. “Now I will have you executed, in front of the whole kingdom. So, they can see that their last hope of rebellion is truly dead. I will cut your cancerous existence out of my kingdom. And finally, I will be able to live and rule Asinia in peace.”
She smiles coldly at me before turning to the captain of the guard. “The execution will be tomorrow. Send your men to every village and round up the citizens. Their presence is requested and required by their queen.”
She turns back to face the two guards holding me, not even concerned with my presence now. “Take her to the dungeons.”
The two guards start to drag me from the throne room, but I dig in my heels. “Wait! How did you know about all this? Who told you?” Aetheria smirks at me, quietly laughing for a moment, a deranged sound that gives me the chills.
“You rebels really should be more careful who you let into your inner circle.” She gestures to the door at the side of the room, half hidden in shadow. My blood runs cold as a familiar figure emerges from the shadow.
“Geron?”
Before me stands Geron, looking at me with a sorry expression. “I am sorry Leora. You are a nice girl, but I couldn’t risk facing her wrath. Not again.”
Aetheria walks over to Geron, casually drawing her hand along his arm. “Your friend Geron has been filling me in on everything that has been happening since you joined the rebel cause. He told me about your trip to Haelind, and your stop in Dawnfalls. He also told me about the Hyxyl and your plan to steal into my castle through the acquisition.”
Geron flinches as Aetheria draws even nearer to him. “We set up the acquisition in Ambury to draw you out. And then he fed the information right to you all. And you fools actually fell for it.”
I call out to Geron, wanting some kind of explanation. “Why would you do this, Geron? You truly want her to rule?”
Geron goes wide-eyed, shaking his head rapidly. “No, but I can’t risk being on the wrong side of her wrath again. I can’t let what happened to my family and village happen again. If all this rebellion madness stops, she won’t have reason to hurt anyone.”
“She will keep hurting the people, Geron. Asinia will suffer under her rule. You are condemning everyone in this kingdom to her wrath!”
Geron looks guilty for a moment, before composing himself. “I did what I thought was right.” Aetheria smiles at him patronizingly. “Quite right. You did the right thing, delivering this false queen to me. Now I can set things right. Guards, I require that you escort our guest to her new chambers. Now.”
I try to fight against the guards, but they have an iron grip on my arms. I am dragged from the throne room, through a maze of halls, towards the dungeon. Several servants see me as I pass and give me pitying looks as I am dragged into the deepest parts of the castle.
I am tossed in a cell and the guards lock the door. They take the only torch on the wall and leave me sitting alone in the dark. The feeling of hopelessness fills me as the reality of what just happened set in. I failed.
Chapter 15
I shiver as the cold sets into my bones. Sitting in the darkness of the cell, I have no idea how long I have been waiting in the cell alone.
The only noise I can hear is the squeaking of rats as they scurry across the floor of the dungeon.
I lean against the rough stone walls of my cell, not able to get my mind off the failed plan. Gradually, I begin to hear footsteps approach me from the darkness. I see the glow of a torch illuminate the stairs leading to the castle.
As the light draws closer, I see Geron emerge from the stairs. He comes to the bars of my cell, guilt written plainly on his face. “I am sorry, Leora.” “What is done is done, Geron. There is no fixing the damage you have caused,” I say quietly.
Geron turns away from me, setting the torch in the sconce. “I did what was right. If I hadn’t done what I did, and the plan failed, she would have killed you anyway. And she would have also killed Raina, Xavier, and everyone else involved in the plan. At least there will still be people willing to fight.”
I stand, approaching the bars. “You and I know the reason this resistance formed is because the First Tree glowed all those years ago. Before that, people had no hope and never fought against Aetheria. What makes you think this will be different?”
Geron whips around, stalking toward the bars. “This plan would never have succeeded. We were not ready to go directly against Aetheria, and I said as much during your first meeting with us. All this plan would have done is bring Aetheria’s wrath down on us all. I have spared the kingdom her wrath.”
Anger surges through me. “You have resigned the kingdom to her wrath! This kingdom could have been free of her, but instead you have allowed her to keep everyone in the kingdom living in fear. How long will it be after I am gone that she decides a village is working against her and burns it to the ground? How long until a servant just looks at her and Aetheria sees it as a threat? You would condemn the entirety of Asinia to living in fear, so you can feel secure for a moment longer.”