The Queen's Curse (22 page)

‘And if we do not help you?’ Artride dared to ask; risking
losing Tirsa’s sympathy, who obvious had a soft spot for the Woodchildren.
Presumable they remind her of the woods in her homeland.

Shanta looked disappointed at the
queen and then at the frozen waterfall. Her eyes were really mournful now. She sat down with her elbows resting on her knees, still staring at the still ice.

‘I mean
… I am sorry that this is happening to your valley, but our quest is really important and we have to get going –’
So, is she really a cold-hearted person when it comes to it?
Tirsa thought and looked incredulously at her.

‘I just do not want to endanger it; many lives are at stake, do you understand?’

‘Artride–’ Tirsa whispered. ‘I know that you’re in charge here and I will submit to anything you decide, and above all I want you to be safe, but do you really feel this is perilous for our quest?’

‘I have to be on the safe side, Tirsa, too much is at stake. And after all we are given a choice here. This is still The Magical Land and we cannot trust anything even
… your friend over here,’ she added more softly.

‘It is true,’ Tirsa admitted
, ‘that according to Roalda, some Wood-and Windchildren have been abducted, and for all we know she could be one of them, instructed to fool us, but I honestly don’t believe Shanta knows about the whole thing. All she cares for is her valley. I know these delicate, honest creatures; they will never let themselves be used for a mean trick by another, especially not human and not even a sorceress, how powerful she may be.’

‘But what if it concerns her valley and she signed some pact with her? We do have to be aware of every possibility.’

‘Hmm
,’ and she sighed reluctantly, running a free hand through her loose, a little greasy-feeling hair.

‘Fact remains that we spill precious time arguing about this, Artride. You have to decide now.’

What harm can it do indeed?
Artride did ponder and she found herself drawn to look at the luscious green valley with its butterflies and flowers.
They would die too if she tells the truth, and what if she does –
She had to admit she was curious about this as well, even though it were her own heart’s desires – how embarrassing – and Tirsa’s, now that could be interesting.

‘How long will this take, Shanta?’

‘Only a few heartbeats, about three hundred.’

Artride seemed to melt and nodded. ‘Alright
… let’s begin.’

~ ~ ~

Shanta sat in front of the two women with her eyes locked onto Artride. They had installed themselves in a comfortable position with their legs crossed underneath them and their backs leaning against the soft rock by the gleaming fresh pond. The grass felt cool and lovely against their hands and a mild gust of wind blew past them, leaving them at ease and relaxed.

The Truthteller was completely focusing on the
queen; her mind piercing through her aura, ignoring her outer beauty; just her true self was important now, and Shanta would only see that, like all Woodchildren saw only the soul.

And then only after a short moment she began to tell
:

‘I see that you have been given a heavy task at a young age; a burden weighing grievously on you. The task to rule people. Something powerful is holding you back though
… yes … the Law book of your country. You feel like you have no say in the matter. Being powerless frustrates you deeply. Your desire is … to rule; to control without being held back.’ She smiled sweetly at Artride saying, ‘But of course you already told me this much. ‘However … I do not see the curse you mentioned, none … whatsoever.’

That startled Artride and she frowned, shaking her head, saying, ‘Of course there wouldn’t be for that is my desire.’

‘No, I am reading the truth now.’

‘What? What truth; that there is no curse right now?’

Shanta only smiled oddly. ‘There is only one truth really.’

‘But if that is so; we can go home.’ She wanted to stand.

‘I am telling you how it is and already … was, according to my reading.’

‘Already was? What are you suggesting; that there never
was
a curse? You are a bit vague about what it is you are exactly doing.’

Tirsa stared at Artride who was getting more th
an upset.
Why?

‘Please do not ask questions or disturb me, or I will loose contact
,’ Shanta explained drowsily.

You have kept it hidden from everyone. You have many secrets.’

That is the truth.
Tirsa had to admit, and no desire.

‘You have conflicting needs between privacy and passion. You want to truly rule and experience true power. But on the other hand you want to run away and to be left alone. Since the first is no option your true quest is to explore Dochas and find a suitable place to make your home and leave your worries behind. You have taken courses in how to build your own house, how to stay alive in the wilderness, how to cultivate a small piece of land and care for it and so on. You hired Tirsa to protect and guide you until you have found your new home, after that you plan to cleverly set up your own death; so that your people believe you had an accident. Only then you presume you will be entirely free; free of the book, free of worries and free of your people.’

Artride raised one eyebrow and her mouth had slowly fallen open with each new claim. She swallowed hard and suddenly shook her head violently with wide-open eyes. ‘This is nonsense! It is my desire, sort of, I admit, but nothing more, you make it sound as if it’s the truth!’ Artride almost yelled and shot fierce glances from Shanta to Tirsa, who had a questioning look in her eyes.
It is only half-true!
Artride thought in despair.

Tirsa’s mind was raging. Could this be the truth after all and not a desire? A Woodchild is always telling the truth when it comes to Truthtelling, or whatever this is; hidden desires, hidden truths
– only separated from one another until they are carried out. There was no curse in the first place, that could be a desire and Artride escaping to find a safe haven … well she did show some signs of wanting to leave the weight of the responsibility behind, but who would not, considering what she was going through? Nevertheless, she did not really plan to do this all ahead, did she? Maybe it became useful I came along … No … It can’t be true, can it? Moreover, if there is no curse and she would want to rule, why would she still want to run away? She is entitled to have her own heart’s desires, even if she lied to me. It is her second nature, she told me … perhaps warned me.

‘This is what my inner voice tells, Artride, as for you Tirsa
–’

‘Hold on,’ Artride snapped. ‘To run away is perhaps my desire, but you are making it sound like I planned it for real. There is a big difference in that. I know what it is, but tell me what you are doing.
You said you would tell us our desires and then all of a sudden, you are mixing truth with fiction. That means you have been lying to us or mixing things up, which is very confusing. Do we have to guess what is what ourselves?’

‘I am already focusing on Tirsa, for this is taking a lot of energy
,’ Shanta dryly announced.

Artride and Tirsa exchange
d a quick alarmed glance; not knowing what to think.

‘Tirsa
… your life is burdened with many losses,’
Truth.
Artride thought.
‘Your whole life is a struggle, focused on revenge; trying to win back your happiness …You are not really what people think you are. Outsiders only see what they want to see. Secrets again …

All true. Tirsa thought
. And no desires there …

‘The one that matters now is that you have your mind on something else
other than this quest of the queen … Your imprisoned brother’s life, you figured, will most likely be spared if the queen is dead and buried. You have never believed in a curse. You believe it is just a lie, like the rest and the true mission of the queen is to run away.’ Shanta looked up and added, ‘Well, seems that you were right about that, Tirsa.’

Tirsa’s face was white as a blanket, shaking her head with a defiant look.
No.

‘Shanta,’ Artride started to say in an uneasy voice, but the girl smiled and looked happily at the waterfall which was indeed slowly defrosting in answer to the women’s heart
s’ desires; water was dripping from the solid ice and underneath, melting slowly, drop by drop.

‘It works! It actually works!’ Shanta shouted out in pure joy and she jumped up and down, danc
ing in circles. Her joy would have affected the two women, were it not for the things she had said about them; which were not only desires at all, but some sort of deception. Because both of them knew at least some of it to be true of their own reading, and some of it to be a vague thought or desire. Desires or truth, they were more focused on the other; how much of what Shanta told was true, and what was not? Artride knew her desire was to flee and the thought indeed had crossed her mind countless times … until Tirsa came along. And yes Tirsa had thought about killing the queen when she heard about the death sentence of her brother … until she met her in person and learned about the curse story; which she indeed didn’t believe in the beginning, thinking it was another excuse of the queen; however, it was only at that moment, and at that moment alone. But still … it had been true …

‘Well, this proves that it w
as our desires after all,’ Artride conceded, slightly irritated by Shanta who entirely ignored them. In addition, her eyes crossed those of Tirsa.
Is it actually your desire to kill me then? Did you think I lied to you?
she thought while Tirsa was thinking:
could you really set up your own death and vanish on me? Moreover; could you abandon your people and allow this cruelty to continue, without trying the last hope we have? Could you be such a coward?

They both felt betrayed and disappointed
, and Tirsa felt rage building up inside of her; heating her body, making her heart beat angrily; making her want to jump on her and hit her so hard she would bleed, suffer. Her heart was beating faster still and her blood was boiling, coiling her fists, ignoring the nonchalant laughter of Shanta who was running in and out of the defrosting waterfall that had come to life again, and now was roaring and rumbling.

‘Tirsa, we have to talk this through
–’

‘No,’ she answered solidly through gritted teeth
, and stood.

‘No more lies, no more talking
… no more!’ Moreover, she wished she had a sword or at least a knife, and while she wished it, in the corner of her eye she spotted a knife glittering in the sun, shining on the surface of the pool below the noisy waterfall. Without thinking, she picked it up in one movement and the next she stood before Artride threatening her with the knife. Visibly she was shocked, sitting and staring at Tirsa with wide-open eyes.
So it is true, completely? Where did she get the knife from anyway? She must have it hidden from me all along …

‘Tirsa, for crying out loud, you are not yourself. Put away that knife
… please.’ She began to fear and she showed it.

The
bodyguard threw her head backwards and started laughing madly. Artride had never seen her like this before. ‘All of these things she said that mattered were desires, yes, but only some of it is true, all of what I told you! You must know that!’ she pointed out critically.

‘No,’ Tirsa answered grimly. ‘She
was
telling the truth if you think about it. A Woodchild doesn’t lie and after all she is a Truthteller.’ And she smiled wickedly and peered around.

‘You were actually going to stay here, weren’t you?’

‘No, Tirsa. Why can’t it be possible she is lying?’

‘Because when she focused on me
… what she told about
me
was all true.’

Artride’s face showed signs of shock and disappointment
, and that hurt Tirsa. ‘It was? You truly want to kill me?’ she saw the other woman swallow and turn her face away in shame.

‘I can do this quest alone. I don’t need you or anyone
,’ she softly responded, keeping her voice plain and louder, ‘I shall succeed.’ She suddenly stepped towards the queen with the sharp blade of the knife pointed at her throat, breathing heavily, her eyes filling with tears. ‘Why?’ Her voice was breaking up halfway.

‘If you seriously believe she was telling the complete truth about you, not a mixture; you also believe there is no curse, so why would you continue this journey?’

‘I will go back alone and have my brother released! You will have no power over him or anyone anymore! You are cunning, but vicious!’

‘I never had any power, you know that
,’ she stated calmly, but clearly affected by Tirsa’s words; her eyes were big and watery.

‘You have been lying! There never was a curse; it was just an excuse to make me care! I understand now. I was an easy target; perfect to come along and protect you deep into this land. You have been playing with me. Well
, you got what you wanted. You stay here to settle down and do not ever come back. I will tell “your people” you are dead, like you desire; but stay out of my sight from now on.’