The Catastrophe of the Emerald Queen (40 page)

The creature
looked at him for a moment and then replied. “It does, but that’s
where your good news ends I’m afraid.” 

As James watched, helpless, the
creature’s baby blue skin changed to a slate grey and its eyes went
from two pools of gentle peace to twin slits of black evil. It
smiled at him and the grin was one of pure spite and
malice. 

James gasped as the creature
stood in front of him and at the same time noticed that the birds
had stopped singing in the trees and the breeze that had been
blowing had ceased. Time had stopped. 

“
Now,” the
creature rasped, its voice like nails on a blackboard. “Where shall
we begin?”

Chapter
42

Bue and Jared sat on the vast,
ruined lawn in front of the palace steps. Mordalayn’s spell had
scorched the grass to a black and brown wasteland, flashes of
desert-dry earth showing through in sporadic patches. Everyone was
exhausted and knew that while they had won this battle the fight
was far from over.

 
Kloee
flitted around near Jared, concerned about the mess and upset to
see the hurt and pain that had happened.

 
Bue
leaned with back against the scorched marble wall, in the remains
of what had once been a luscious bed of flowers. All the flowers
were gone now, their stalks twisted ash and their petals merely a
memory. The damage was immense and all the Alegrians knew that it
would take many months or even years for the place to be brought
back to its former splendour. The surviving soldiers were scattered
in and around the courtyard along with the rest of the palace
population who had come out of hiding once the battle was over.
There was no fight left in the captured prisoners any more. They
had all surrendered meekly and were now in the palace dungeons.
Mordalayn had instructed that ALL prisoners were to be treated with
respect and without suffering harm unless they initiated it. After
so much loss and erosion of their beloved ruler’s principles no one
wanted to see any more of this wretched descent into brutality and
anarchy. 

Jared was tired. He was still
shocked about Madame Veer. Wherever the trap had taken her she had
gone out with vengeance in her eyes. Jared just hoped that she was
somewhere far from any place she could hurt anyone else ever again.
Her fury just before the trap disappeared was her true rage and the
pleading and tears had melted in the face of her real anger.
 

Mordalayn walked over to Jared.
His clothes were tattered and his jerkin was spattered from the
fighting. Despite his ragged demeanour he still looked fresh and
Jared was amazed at the Caracalic’s stamina. 

“
Jared you
need to rest now. There is no more we can do.”

 “
But
I…I, I saw Sophie. She was THERE.”

 
Mordalayn shook his head and stared at Jared, his face
showing no emotion. “Our Lady is still lost to us. Whatever brief
break from her state you saw was not permanent.”

 “
But…Mordalayn she SAW me, she was out of her coma. She must
have been or she wouldn’t have been able to run away.” Jared was
distraught. They had fought so hard to save everything and it
seemed to have made no difference.

 
Mordalayn placed his huge hand on Jared’s shoulder. “No
Jared. This is not over. Whatever we have won here is just a small
victory. We need to fight to keep what we have reclaimed. There may
be other traitors who will rally their forces and try again. The
Glavers will not come back now, but someone else may appear to lead
them.” 

Jared’s head drooped and he
pulled away from Mordalayn’s touch. He was tired, physically worn
out and now THIS.

 
He
moved to where Bue was resting, one hand protectively placed over
his crossbow, his pack resting in the black ruins of a flower bed
where he had placed his head.

 
Jared
sat down heavily next to him and Bue immediately stirred. He opened
one eye and squinted at Jared. “Alright?” he asked then grinned.
“You look like leftover stew. Get some sleep.”

 “
If
only…” Jared said and stretched out next to Bue.

 
As
Jared lay down, his mind full of the sound of clashing steel and
Madame Veer’s hateful glare as she was taken from this world he was
suddenly startled by Bue yelping.

 
Sitting
upright he shook his head to clear the descending syrup of sleep
and shouted. “What? What’s up?”

 “
Something’s moving under me!” Bue shouted and jumped to his
feet, grabbing his crossbow and attempting to crank it.

 
Jared
stared at where Bue had been standing and saw nothing. Then the
ruined earth rippled slightly as if there were worms moving
underneath it. He stared again and heard other shrieks of surprise
and shock from around the burned garden. The ripples became more
fluid as he watched and with shock he saw a tiny green plant shoot
emerge from the desiccated soil and wind its way upwards. Bue
paused in the middle of fumbling for a quarrel. “What the….?” he
gaped. 

As Jared
gazed fascinated the blackened ground began to slowly transform
into a healthy, rich brown. All across the flower bed the earth
changed and tiny plant shoots erupted from it. He and Bue gazed on
as the shoots became longer and thicker and wound their way
upwards. Then the tips began to form bulbs, one at a time like
watching someone blowing molten glass. The stalks began to swell
and then they suddenly blossomed into petals. The ones in front of
him were white with splashes of pink and they were beautiful. The
smell of the bouquet was intoxicating, like ten times more
wonderful than the aroma of a flower shop back home. The other
flowers burst into petals too, every conceivable colour available.
Purple, yellow, pink, orange and red. He glanced quickly left and
right and saw the most vivid display of colours he’d ever
seen.

 
He
turned and saw the other and people who had been sat or stood
around were now on their feet, gazing uncomprehending at the
transformation occurring in front of their eyes. The grass was
returning too. First of all in small patches but then, like seeing
a Mexican wave at a soccer game, the ripples spread and the
desolate, blighted earth was flushed with lush, green grass two
inches tall. The wave of green spread to the arched gateway and
across the other side of the vast courtyard Jared could see the
same effects as here. 

He turned back to his side and
the flowers were now fully grown, waving gently. Beautiful. The
scorch marks on the marble walls faded like a thumb print on a
computer screen and they shone in brilliance again. Jared stared
and nudged the open mouthed Bue.

 “
What’s
happening Sharpeye?” he asked.

 “
No
idea but at least it’s not trying to kill us,” Bue said, still
looking shocked and glancing around rapidly. Kloee squeaked in fear
and hovered behind Jared for protection.

 
They
looked up to the palace steps and they too were now clean and
glowing bright. Above them an emerald light shone from the huge
windows in the throne room. 

“
Our Lady
returns!” Mordalayn shouted and after a second’s hesitation he
leapt for the bottom of the steps and pounded up them to the main
doorway.  

Jared glanced around and saw
that the whole area was now almost completely restored to its
former glory.

 
The
whole thing reminded Jared of watching the dents in a sheet of
metal being pushed out on time lapse photography.

 
Mordalayn was at the top of the huge stairs now and he
stopped in awed amazement as beams of emerald light sparkled from
the front of the palace. The arched door was losing the nicks and
scratches from the battle and was back to being solid, honey
coloured oak again. The light radiated through the broken windows
and one at a time the glass came back into place, snipping the
light off as each pane was replaced one at a time. The stained
glass patterns returned too, the exquisite artwork was rendered
flawlessly. The myriad figures telling the history of the place,
again acting out their eternal story through vivid
pictures. 

The light
glowed brighter again. Jared, Bue and several others ran up the
vast staircase to stand with the Caracalic who was as opened
mouthed as they were. 

“
By the love
of all that’s pure,” he half whispered as the building continued to
restore itself, a pock mark from a Glaver board filled itself in
and the wall was smooth again.

 
Finally
the restoration was complete and the light gradually dimmed. The
only emerald light now was above them, pulsing from the throne room
windows and from the huge crystal in the main
tower. 

The vast entrance hall,
although untouched in the battle looked as if a team of cleaners
had spent a week on it. Everything shone and sparkled and looked
clean and new. Flowers grew again and the vivid colours were just
as beautiful as those in the courtyard. A huge silver vase of
orange flowers was at the base of the vast staircase and the deep
purple carpet that led up the centre and then forked off to the
smaller staircases left and right practically glowed. The rich
tapestry looking warm and inviting.

 
Mordalayn turned. “You five remain here, secure that door and
check this area. No one is allowed in or out until I look
upstairs.”

 
Bue and
four soldiers murmured their agreement.

 
Mordalayn turned to Jared and to five other soldiers. “With
me,” he said and then drawing his sword he quickly moved to the
foot of the velvet stairs and began to cautiously go up them. At
the junction he moved to the left and signalled the others to go
right. They crept around and Mordalayn flinched as a parrot,
layered in vivid colours flew squawking from the upper level. It
settled on the big crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling
between the two winding stairwells. The crystals rattled slightly
and it began preening itself, cocking its head and casting a
quizzical eye over them. 

Moving to the top they met
again and Mordalayn saw the door to the throne room was half open.
He signalled to Jared and the soldiers to move behind him and they
approached the white and gold-inlayed doors. Mordalayn held his
sword ready and taking a final look around he pushed the door open
and Jared gasped.

 
Standing next to the crystal throne was Sophie. At least
Jared thought it was Sophie but she looked different. Her body was
shimmering like it was covered in sparkling dust and her elegant
robes were vibrant green and silver. She appeared to be like some
sort of spirit as her body was ever so slightly transparent. Her
black hair was braided into a weaving pattern that tumbled down her
back, tied with a purple ribbon where the braids met.

 
Sophie
appeared not to notice them and was looking around the room as if
she was seeing it for the first time in a long while. As she looked
at different things they would change or flowers would bloom from
the formerly barren vases and pots. The throne room once again
looked fit for the presence of a queen. She looked up and smiled,
the dimples in her cheeks moving as she saw them staring at
her. 

“
Mordalayn!”
she exclaimed happily, “my sweet protector.” She moved forward, her
feet not touching the ground as she appeared to glide down the
small flight of mottled marble steps. She raised her arms as she
approached the Caracalic.

 “
Mordalayn!” she exclaimed again, “how I have missed you.” She
smiled and her eyes shone with joy as she approached him. Jared
stared on, unsure of what to say or do now. The soldiers next to
them were also at a loss.

 
As she
stood in front of the towering figure, Mordalayn’s impassive face
softened and he silently lowered his sword and then slowly dropped
to one knee. The other soldiers followed suit but Jared was too
dumbstruck to copy them. No one seemed to notice.

 
Sophie
looked at Mordalayn without saying anything, lowering her arms and
standing expectantly as the Caracalic bowed his head.

 “
My
Lady,” he said softly, in his deep voice. “My Lady…I am moved
beyond words that you have returned to us.”

 
Sophie
smiled again approvingly. “Come my friend, stand and hug me. I have
missed you too.”

 
Mordalayn remained on his knee with his head bowed and he
spoke again after a pause. “My Lady I…I have strayed from the
path.” 

Sophie looked puzzled but her
smile remained as she stared lovingly at the kneeling warrior, her
robes and a few stray locks of hair moving slightly as if in a
breeze, although none was present.

 “
My
most loyal and trusted friend,” Sophie replied. “What could you
have ever done that would earn my displeasure?”

 
Mordalayn raised his head and Jared saw to his astonishment
that he was crying, a single tear on the huge furry
cheek.

 
Mordalayn spoke again and his voice cracked with emotion. “My
Lady I have let you down. I have killed men. I let my rage at your
being taken from us hold sway on my emotions.”

 
Jared
looked on as Mordalayn gently turned the sword over so the hilt of
the weapon was facing Sophie. “My queen,” he croaked, his face
incalculably sad. “I am unworthy to protect you. I failed in my
duty.”

 
He laid
the sword at her feet and bowed his head again. There was a long
silence Jared stared on at this most intimate and precious of
encounters. The other men made no sound, even their breathing
seemed quiet.