The Dark Queen of White 1.16

16.

Gareth stood to the rear of the Dining Hall in the castle of King Thaddeus while the Princess dined with the King and his assembled Lords. They had arrived at the castle for over a week, and despite the Princess was unwell, she had not avoided her duties as the emissary of the Court. She had been with the King' side most times, with her fending off the other suitors if they may be named as one. When the King was not available, she was in the company of the young Princess, Snow White. The young princess of King Thaddeus was still young in her age, and missed her mother who died eight seasons ago.

"Come along, Snow. I would walk with you in the garden." Princess Clarity held out her hand to the younger Princess. Snow had been lonely since her mother's death, and despite the maids attending to her, she was still lonely.

"You want to play with the dogs again?" Princess Clarity asked again. The younger princess was dressed in a sweet gingham dress with her hairs braided to her shoulders. She was in pain since taking the potion from Merlin, but had played her part to know the King, and the younger princess. There were other ladies there; some longer than her, who had the same intention but with a more narrow objective.

"The dogs like you." Princess Clarity played her patience with child. She had brought the dogs, the breed were colliers; lovable dogs for children. Snow White was the younger princess name, looked at the dogs. She had played with them for a few times, and liked them. She looked to the lady standing before her. She was beginning to like the lady and the dogs more. She then nodded and ran to the dogs. Princess Clarity was to follow her when she saw Merlin standing at the side of her.

"Queen Clarity, how are you?" Merlin asked. He had remained at the castle but kept himself from her.

"Merlin, I am no Queen. Not yet anyway." Princess Clarity looked to the wizard. She then looked at the younger princess.

"I like her." Princess Clarity does not know why she said it, but she actually felt it in her heart.

"Yes, you would be Queen. It had been foretold. But what happened after that, remain to be seen." Merlin smiled at the Princess and walked away. She looked at him but he was talking to some other Lord then. She could not determine what he meant, but she was then distracted by the call from the younger princess.

Princess Clarity ran to join the younger princess. After all, she had her role to play if she was to be Queen. Not everyone shared her aspiration. There were some who felt that she was a hindrance.

The most obvious one was Queen Morgana who came over with her niece on hearing of the arrival of Princess Clarity.

"I heed your advice, Queen Morgana, but I am sure the border guards of mine would have told me of any intrusion." King Thaddeus looked well for a man in his middle age, battle mold with the fine frame of his body, was drabbed like the King he was. The Queen had reported to him that King Bannion was careless in allowing his scouts crossed the boundary of the lands.

"I am sure you would had known, King Thaddeus." Queen Morgana in her late fifties, but still sporting a younger look in her body, was dressed elegantly in a long hemmed gown that enhanced her still superb looking body. The only reason she brought her equally elegant niece was that the King was younger than her by some seasons. She doubts the King would find her attractive although she had received many compliments from others. There had been approached since Lord Falstof demise, but she had rejected them. She found the need for a companion was nothing compared to her need for power.

"King Thaddeus, may I have the honor of introducing my niece, Nerrin. She is from ...." But King Thaddeus was not looking at her nor at the niece, but towards the porch looking to see his daughter. Queen Morgana probed her niece to approach the King, but the later had asked to be excused from the Hall. He ignored everyone while he walked past them to the doorway, and out down to the garden. He heard of this daughter laughing and was curious to know why.

"It’s obvious; I am not the interest of the King." Nerrin whispered to her Queen, who gave her a mental probe at the other. Queen Morgana was giving up and proceeded to her assigned chamber. She was met on the way, by Merlin who gave her a fair warning.

"Queen Morgana, I was disturbed by the presence of some spirits and had them removed with some spells of my own." Merlin did deter off some spirits that was brought by the Queen, and he felt that she ought to be warned.

"Good work, Merlin. I am sure King Thaddeus treasured your service, but he had his own wizards to protect him. Shouldn't you be on the trail of a certain King of your own domain." With that, Morgana pushed her way past the wizard.

Queen Morgana entered her chamber and was glad to see her gift for the new Queen. She had it delivered to the chamber and her niece went for it. The younger lady was pulling at the wrapping when the Queen stopped her.

"That is not for you. It’s for the new Queen." Queen Morgana told the young lady but she had unwrapped it.

"I would be the new Queen." Nerrin spoke of herself. "I would win over the King."

"Lady Nerrin, you would not be Queen, but you may end up as the consort of a Lord." The voice from the gift spoke out. Nerrin looked to the gift; it was a series of five small mirrors mounted on a cut off tree trunk with the two branches where the mirrors hung.

"Huh? Did the mirror spoke to me?" Nerrin asked.

"No, Nerrin. The mirrors did speak to you." Queen Morgana told her niece. "The mirrors of Wendell never lied. Its five mirrors read the signs of the five senses in our soul. It interprets them more accurately than any soothsayer. Ask it another question."

The niece looked at the mirrors. They looked like any mirrors placed over the fireplace, or on the family mantle. She thought hard and asked.

"Who would be Queen?"

"The Queen would be Princess Clarity." The mirrors spoke in unison while the lady was shocked by the revelation. She asked the next question.

"What about my future?" Nerrin asked.

"Lady Nerrin, you would not be Queen, but you may end up as the consort of a Lord." The mirrors replied. With that, Nerrin ran off to the corner of the chamber to release her tears. Queen Morgana however re-wrapped the gift and then called in the guards.

"Have this sent to Lady Mitchell. Tell her I brought this extra gift for her to give to the new Queen." Queen Morgana told the guards. Lady Mitchell is the related kins of the King, and was a good friend of Queen Morgana. She then walked to the window and looked out. She saw the King there with his daughter and one other person with the dogs.

"Be cheerful, my granddaughter. You would be soon living my life." Queen Morgana spoke to herself.

At the garden, King Thaddeus sighed in exhaustion from the running with his daughter. He stood there and drew on his breath.

"She's truly a handful, King Thaddeus." The King turned to look at the lady who was following at their heels. He studied her more closely, and was attracted to her. She was younger than his previous Queen, but she was healthier and Snow liked her. His previous Queen was a good companion but she suffered from the pain in the body that kept him from her bed. He was patience with her and his love for her grew when she decided to give him an heir. Instead, she gave him a daughter and never recovered from the birth. She tried to keep up with the baby and soon lost her life a few seasons later. Since then, King Thaddeus had dedicated his life to his daughter. He even had himself made impotent so that he would not crave the companion of another lady.

But his emotions told him, he had made a mistake.

He felt the need to have a companion again.

"Father!" King Thaddeus was alarmed by the shout from his daughter. He looked at her.

"I like the dogs." Snow White smiled at him. "I like her too."

King Thaddeus looked at Princess Clarity and smiled.

The New Queen