The Dark Queen of White 1.25

The Troubled Years

25.

King Thaddeus sat on his throne seat, while his Queen sat at the side. He had just returned from the borders, and was unhappy, that his army had lost a good warrior. That was not all, his wizard adviser had just told the King that he was too old to serve the King.

“My King, I am too old. My bones ache from the travels.” The old wizard had been good but he was no match for the Queen and her servants. He had his suspicion, but his spells were inconclusive. His last attempt resulted in the death of his man servant; hung in his personal chamber.

“I have another wizard for you. He had been in seclusion for some time. He had been in the services of the former King Egan.” The old wizard stepped aside. “I give you, the wizard master known as Corellian.”

The old wizard stepped aside for a wiry old man dressed in the blue cloak and sporting a long staff that he claimed was from an enchanted tree trunk.

“I being away for some time, and had been learning the hidden scrolls.” Corellian replied. “I had read the scrolls from the dwarfs, the elves and also the realm of the magicians.”

The older wizard tapped his staff, and the stream of light shone on the staff, before it rose up to the top and formed a ball of light. It then burst to become colorful confetti. Queen Clarity clapped along with the other Lords at the display of colors.

“You are good, wizard.” Queen Clarity spoke to him. Corellian smiled.

“Thank you, my Queen. I was your King’ wizard, but he had me dismissed after the birth of his twins. I did not know why, but I suspected it was to do with his trust in me.” In actual facts, King Egan dismissed Corellian when he found out that the later was in the employ of Lady Morgana. After his dismissal, he re-joined Lady Morgana to become her apprentice, but he was sent off to learned more.

King Thaddeus welcomed the new wizard, but the Queen had to call for a personal meeting with him. They met at her personal chamber.

“Corellian, why did you arrive here?”Queen Clarity asked him.

“Queen Morgan send me….” Corellian replied but the Queen cut in.

“I had known the Queen and she would not send me a chaperon without my knowledge.” Queen Clarity told him. “You sounded familiar.”

“You may know me as the Gwendel Tree.”

“So the voice behind the tree finally revealed itself.” Queen Clarity smiled. “Get back in the tree.”

“No, I would not. I am the wizard of King Thaddeus.” Corellian protested. “She placed me in there to be her servant. I was a part of a realm where the words become images. I had to tell the truth when asked. I was a …”

“Servant? That you are.” Queen Clarity replied. “The King had a witch to assist him. So be away.”

The Queen called on the spell which would enslave the wizard. She knew it from Queen Morgana, who had explained the whole tree concept. The wizard may had been enshrined by the tree, but it needed a vessel to do the interpretations. Meanwhile then, the other wizard become a misty form and then absorb into the tree trunk. Its face appeared on the mirrors which it spoke.

“Queen Clarity, I would have my vengeance on you, just as I found the way to leave this tree before…..” The voice faded and soon nothing. Queen Clarity then asked the mirrors.

“Mirror, mirror on the tree, who am I?”

“The Queen of the lands. And the most pretty of the Queen in the land.”

It was then Snow White barged in. She marched up to her step mother. Her father, the King was in tow.

“I want you to punish the stable hands.” Snow White was into her age of puberty. “Those jerks forgot to saddle the horse for me. I had to wait for them to do it.”

“Hold on there, young Princess. The stable hands had to attend my horse and the other Lords.” King Thaddeus told her. She glared at her King and stormed off. King Thaddeus looked at the Queen.

“Clare” The King called her that in his personal conversation. “She needed some coaching from you. Like a real mother.”

“I do, but she is…” Queen Clarity explained. She had worked on her role, but Snow White was not any young girl. She was a Princess, with a King attitude.

“Do it, Clare.” The King told her. “I got another battle to contend with.”

With that, King Thaddeus walked out of the chamber, leaving the Queen fuming with rage.

“I never said taking care of a child was easy than managing a King.” The appearance of the dwarf named Influence appeared. He continued on.

“You need to be firm like real mothers.” Influence told her. “Nothing any girls would fear more than the wrath of the mother.”

“Or the love of one.” Queen Clarity sighed. She recalled her own young life without a real mother, but a caretaker who coached her. “I was never raised up by mother…..my real mother.”

“I know. But Princess Snow White had one. You are the one.” Influence smiled. He was surprised at himself for giving her good advice for once. He had joined Ego for the friendship they had, but inside him, he was still missed the other heroes of Mirg.

“Ask Mother Hubbard in the village.”

Everyone knew Mother Hubbard; she had over a dozen children.