The Queen arrived at the stronghold of the Powers That Be just after sunrise. She found no door for the entrance, just two creatures standing on either side of the end of the path at the end of the path. Behind them an enormous wall of granite. The Queen looked wide eyed and curious at the wall before her. How was she going to get in? One of the guards approached her. For the first time she looked at the creature. It was swathed and wrapped in black and red cloth, every inch. There was a cavernous hole in the hood where the face of the creature should have been. Its most striking feature was the smell. She had never smelled anything so horrifying. It was as if the creature had died in a swamp. The Queen began to back away, but with a surprising quickness the creature grabbed her wrist and dragged her toward the wall. There was no use in struggling. The creature spread the fingers on both her hands and pressed them against the granite wall. The wall cracked, forming an entrance. The granite slid back. The guard shoved her into a cess pool of a village.
She caught herself before she fell in the mud. Briefly the creatures passing by stopped to look at her and then carried on with their business. The Tower of Trials stood before her. She slogged her way toward it. The heavy oaken doors opened without guardians. In the dim light she could see beggars and lost souls clinging to the walls. A large desk with a haggard old clerk stood between her and entering the testing areas. The clerk turned a crusty eye toward her. "May I help you?" he asked. The words came out as a rough gurgle. She stepped up to the desk and inspite of the fear she felt, she bravely stated she was there to appeal to the Powers for the return of her kingdom. The clerk looked at her scrupulously. She had been traveling for sometime. Her hair was tangled, there was dirt on her face and under her nails. Her gown was ripped and filthy. The only finery she had on her was the cloak given to her mysteriously. She certainly did not look like a Queen. She stood up straight and tall. She gave him her hand and he doubtingly placed in on the table. He pricked her finger, she did not flinch. He squeezed a drop of blood into a chalice of murky water and it became clear, proving she was a Queen. The clerk gave her an evil look and told her to follow him.
The clerk lead the Queen up a wide staircase, to a wide hallway lined with heavy wooden doors. He walked her down the hallway to a door flanked by two enormously muscular women. "This is the Queen that seeks her kingdom, " the clerk croaked to the enormous women. Both women made gruesome smiles and each locked a large hand around her arms, kicked open the heavy door, and lifted the Queen harshly past the threshold. The Queen could not utter the slightest objection or move between the women. Behind the door was a spiral staircase in the stone. The women half lifted, half dragged the Queen up the stairs, leaving large bruises on her upper arms. At the end of the stairs was a large door secured with heavy metal locks. The women threw the Queen to the ground and secured her with a boot, the other unbolted the door. The Queen was picked up and thrown into the room, the door was slammed and locked soundly behind her.
The Queen scrambled to catch her breath and assess the situation and her surroundings. It was no use for her to scream, she would go unheard. The room had one high window she could not reach, a cot with a pallet, and rough wool blanket. There was a desk with a half wasted candle. She rifled through the drawers, there was nothing in them. There was a small door close to the floor cut out of the main door. She assumed it would be used to give her food. She looked around some more and found a chamber pot in one corner. She grimaced. At least she would be forced to focus on her trial. The Queen sat on the cot and tried to relax and ignore the pain in her arms and the rest of her body.
It wasn't until late afternoon when someone came to visit the Queen, she had not realized she had fallen asleep. She woke covered in sweat in the overly warm cell. Three burly burst into the room. Two carried a tub of water between them and the other a large bundle. The women set down their loads and came at the Queen. She was not going to fight back. There was no point. The women stripped the rag of her gown off her and untangled her hair. The women pulled her in to the tub of water. It was freezing, but felt nice in the sweltering room. From the bundle one of the women pulled a harsh scrub and soap. The women began to scrub her skin off and pull the hair off her head. The scrub brought tears to her eyes.
When the women were finished her skin ans scalp stung, but she was at least clean for the first time in weeks. They dried her off and slipped a rough undyed wool dress over her. Long bell sleeves and a skirt reached the floor long past her slipped past her slippered feet they had put her in. They left her hair long and loose down her back. Silently they left and a young serving girl slipped past them carrying a simple meal of bread, fruit, cheese, and vegetables. She also carried a large jug of water with a cup. She set it on the desk and look at the Queen. It was as if the girl was assessing the Queen's worth. The girl turned silently and left. She closed and locked the door behind her.
The Queen paced her cell all night. She reviewed everything she could remember. Her mind finally felt numb. If she didn't know the information, she didn't know it. They came for her early the next morning, two small old women. They lead her down out of the tower and twisted hallways. She was finally brought to a large circular chamber. Seats crowded the walls up to the cathedral like ceiling. All was dead silent. One of the old women grabbed her wrist. She was forced to open her right palm. The old woman pulled out a red hot knife and sliced it across the Queen's palm. She pulled back in pain, looking horrified at the old woman who turned and left. The Queen watched in pain as a drop of her blood hit the stony floor.
Suddenly a cacophony of noise swirled around her head. She looked up from her hand and saw she was surrounded by figures robed and masked in black. They filled every seat. Their overwhelming presence made her forget the pain in her hand. She heard a chair scrape back to her left high above her. The masked figure's voice boomed through the hall. The questioning had begun.
Eighty masked figures stood and asked her a question. Then without warning all rose and departed into the walls. Two guards similar to the ones at the gate were at her sides. They grabbed her arms and dragged her to a small heavy wood door behind her. She stumbled down three dirty steps and the door was slammed behind her before she had a chance to say anything or have any idea what was happening to her. She looked around her. She was in a dank cell. A small palate occupied one wall and a window high in the wall opposite the door were the only distinguishing features. Exhausted, scared, and in pain the Queen sank to the steps and cried. What if she didn't pass? What would she do?
"I have faith you passed," said a male voice.
The Queen looked up at the window and there was the lighted voice. She sniffed and tried to smile through the tears.
"If I passed then why did they throw me in here?" she asked.
"Your waiting period remember? They are judging your answers," he answered.
"Where have you been?" she asked.
"Away," he answered.
"That is not answer. Who are you?"
"I am many things. I told you." He glittered more.
"Why do you avoid answering my questions?"
"I have answered them"
"Can I see your face?"
"I must go now."
"Wait! Don't leave me alone!" she begged but he had already left.
The Queen sighed and slumped back on the heavy wood door. She didn't sleep, if she could have eaten she wouldn't have eaten the gruel they gave her. She watched two nights drag by. Half-way through the third day, the wooden door opened. She stood. The old lady who had sliced her hand open appeared. She beckoned for the Queen to follow her. She re-entered the testing chamber the time the seats were already filled with the figures in black. She stood in the middle of the chamber. Her sliced hand burned like fire. She stared at it as it glowed and was suddenly healed. A fine white scar added itself to the character of her hand.
Collectively the black figures spoke: "You have passed your trial."
The Queen felt an immediate sense of relief. She began to cry.
"However for your crimes against your people, we have decided your must serve a penitence." Tears continued to roll down her eyes, her throat felt like it was being closed off and something was sitting on her chest. What more did they want from her? Had she not given them enough? "You are weak and you think you have labored long, but you must learn these three lessons: grace, humility, and patience. None of these have you learned to an effective degree."
The Queen hung her head, she swallowed, "What is to be my penitence?"
"You will earn your kingdom back through work. You will return to the old knight's home. You will work in the town library and serve the knight as he and his lady need. Until we find you have learned to work and patience, learned grace and humility, around your waist you will wear a shackle proportionate in weight to your crimes."
Without warning the Queen's dress was lifted to her breasts. She gasped in embarrassment and tried to push it back down. The burning cold metal pressed against her hips. It wrapped across her abdomen and across her lower back. The weight made her knees buckle. She dropped as her dress fell around her. She was overcome by the weight and the feel of the shackle.
"How will I work or function with this? How will I explain it?" she cried to the masked figures.
"You will adjust and overtime so will it. Eventually you will be free of it. As for explaining, no one can see it but you, unless you explain your crimes, all your crimes, with another. Only then will someone be able to she your shackle."
"I cannot walk back to the Knight's castle with this weight. Please help me," she begged.
She heard the collective scrapping of chairs and watched the masks fade into the walls.
"Please help!" she cried in pain. She pressed her hands and forehead to the stony floor and cried in agony and anguish. Two of the old women picked her up and put her on her feet. The shackle did not just weigh on her body, it weighed on her heart. The women lead her to the front gate of the strong hold. They gave her, her belongings and disappeared behind the granite wall. The Queen looked wildly in every direction for help, but could find none. Desperately trying to keep a hold of her sanity the Queen stumbled weakly toward the forest. She was exhausted after only a few steps in. She slumped on the forest floor and cried. Exhaustion, physical and emotional overwhelmed her and she fell asleep curled in the blue cloak.
She was startled awake by the sound of branches snapping in the forest. She had no weapons to defend herself, she could not fight, she was still so exhausted. She looked to the sky and asked the Lord for her death to be swift and merciful. She peeked out of the cloak and saw no assailant, but a large black stallion. In the moonlight his flanks shone with a tint of blue. He was saddled in blue and gold the color of wheat. The pattern on the saddle matched the pattern on her cloak. She struggled to raise and walk to the great animal. She could not lift herself on his back. She lead him to a rock near the trail back and heaved herself on the stallion. Once she had secured herself and her belongings the stallion started to saunter, then trot on the trail back. It was as if he knew where he was going without being told. After a while he slowed his pace. He drank from streams when he needed, allowed the Queen to alight when she needed. She let him lead when the weight was too much for the Queen, she would rest along his neck. She was in this state when the horse cleared the forest. She sat up and stared at the knight's humble castle. She tried to lead the horse on but he would not go. She took that as a cue to get off and continued on her own. The stallion returned to the woods and she slowly made her way to the castle.
To be continued....
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