26.
King Thaddeus was furious at
his Queen. She had confronted him on his return from a visit to the neighboring
lands. He was away for two seasons and on his return, he had asked for the
companionship of Queen Clarity. She however was not in the mood, for she had a
shouting session with the precious Princess earlier.
“I have returned from a long
journey and just desire…” King Thaddeus stood there in his robe looking outside
of the window. His words were cut off by the irate Queen.
“Your desire was well expired
by the ladies that Lord Mitchell had sent to you nightly.” Queen Clarity had
come on direct. She had not a need to have an informer in his entourage when
her tree with the mirrors would not lie.
“Ladies in my ….” King
Thaddeus exclaimed in surprise. “Did you have someone trailed me? The servants
in your employment too?”
“I had long suspected that. I
was wondering when you would had controlled on my servants.” King Thaddeus
continued on.
“I did not. I would not need
to.” Queen Clarity replied. “I …”
She wanted to say that he was
not as discreet as he appeared to be, not so when the Lords are more open to
gossips.
“You are a witch.” King
Thaddeus uttered in his anger. He bit his own tongue on mentioning the name.
“A witch?” Queen Clarity
mentioned the name back in anger. “You accuse me as a witch. Then burn me on
the stakes.”
Queen Clarity walked towards
the King.
“The night is still early.
Take me down to the yard and burned me there.” Queen Clarity pointed to the
courtyard. The King looked at her and held out his arms.
“I am sorry, Clare.” King
Thaddeus tried to console his Queen, but she had stepped away from him.
“Forget it. I am leaving.”
Queen Clarity left the King alone in the chamber. He stood there with his
shoulders slumped, and then he sat on the bedding. He regretted his words, but
it had come out like a stream of drunken speech. He had long suspected her of
witchery, with her selection of friends but the final score was the tree trunk
with the mirrors. He had once seen her talking to it.
“King Thaddeus, I came as
soon as I got your request.” The voice belonged to Merlin who appeared in the
astral form. “I can’t come in person, as the quest of Arthur had just begin. I
am needed in person to guide him.”
King Thaddeus knew of the
life quest of Merlin but he still appreciated the Wizard coming then. The King
briefed the wizard of his plight with the Queen. He had thought of his old
wizard, but the later had gone missing and so was the successor, Corellian.
Merlin in his astral form stood there and then replied.
“King Thaddeus, I cannot help
you. I have my own quest. I would however sent you another.” Merlin told the
King. “She would appeared to you in her due time.”
With that, Merlin
disappeared. King Thaddeus stood there by himself, and then removed his robe.
He rang the servants.
“Get me my armor. I need to
ride for the borders.”
At least there, King Thaddeus
found peace and his desires satiated.
It also left his Queen the
time to be lonely, and also for her to induced herself in her crafts, when she
was not handling the precious Princess. Her relationship with the Princess had
become more distance, with both their personality clashing. The last argument
with the King made her feeling very insecure. She approached the one item which
she could console her concerns.
“Mirror, mirror on the tree,
who am I?”
“The Queen of the lands. And
the most pretty of the Queen in the land.” That made the Queen smiled. Across
the lands of the King, after a weary ride of three nights the King arrived at
one of his Lords’ castle. He was soon entertained by the Lord with full spread
of lavish delicacies.
King Thaddeus sat by his own
in the tent, soon after dismissing the local Lord’s ladies. They were good and
accommodating beauties, but they were not his real choice of a lover. He still
loved Clare and found herself still a beauty. He was looking at the lake before
him; a scenic spot picked by the local Lord to enhance his mood. He seen many
lakes in his journeys, and most times they crowded by the guards of his army
collecting the water or feeding the horses. He had himself drowned some errant
Lords or Picts
.
The tent entrance flapped
open and snapped his mind thought.
“I had enough. Leave me.” The
King was abrupt in his words.
“I doubt it. If I leave you,
Merlin would be disappointed.” It was the voice of a lady. King Thaddeus turned
to look and saw a tall lady in a flowing white gown with a tinge of green
shades that resembled the long grass on the side of the lake.
“Nimue, the Lady from the
Lake at your service.” The lady announced herself. “I came on the request from
Merlin.”
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