PART SEVEN: (Cont'd)
The visions of bliss:
"I believe Debeh is getting married," the queen whispered mischieviously flashing a broad smile with a twinkle in her eye. "What!?..... Who?!" The king almost choked between mouthfuls, as he began to perspire. Why his wife always chose feeding time to release the most shocking and disturbing statements was beyond him. Debeh had been dead for two days now and the arrangement to contact and inform her family was proving frustrating and futile. The king had sent his best scouts to find them. His intention for the sake of his wife and son, was to take care of the burial and everything else that either went with it or needed to be done. But no trace of Debeh's origin, relatives and/or clan could be found in the province or its neighbouring towns. Also the investigation to find her fatal assailant was still ongoing. So far, all they were getting was running them in circles steeped in even deeper mystery. The king could not remember the last time he felt this overwhelmed and internally pressured. Even war times and going to war was almost more predictable than this recent episode that was Debeh's demise.
"Why do you believe that my dear?" Asked the king, trying to sound as composed and as normal as he could muster at that moment. "Well I had a dream, and I saw her wearing a beautiful white flowing gown and she was waving at me with the widest and happiest smile I ever saw." The twinkle was still in the queen's eye as she grinned sheepishly. "I think that is why she really went to her family. She wants to surprise us!" That woman's excitement was palpable, as she clapped her hands gleefully. Before the now sweating king could cut in, she continued: "We would have to go to her wedding. You do know that right?.... A pleasant surprise that would make her day!" The king was coughing and wheezing now as his attentive male privy chamber and panicked body guard rushed to his side. The queen also jumped up from the other-side of the long banquet table, as she half waddled and half walked her way towards her husband.
A tale of two kingdoms:
The witch did a random waving motion in the air to disperse the black smoke that was beginning to form layers of soot in the low ceiling of the small hut. Her modus operandi for the day had involved burning wood. She then cleared her throat, making a loud guttural sound and began to speak; "This does not look good at all." she said shaking her head adversely. "Of course! Nothing could look good in a decrepit hole like this," retorted a now irritated and agitated 'shiny shoes' as she looked around in disgust. "Hush young woman!" Snapped the witch, flashing blood shot eyes. "I would have you know that whoever you think you have become, I have been on this road for a painful and revelatory while." She stated and waited. Watching 'shiny shoes' like a predator waiting to pounce on its prey. That one just rolled her eyes and pursed her lips petulantly. Tussling with an out of touch old witch was not her plan for the day. When it appeared to the older woman, that there would be no more interruptions. The witch continued with her historic narrative.....
"Legend had it that the great king had two sons, twins to be exact. He loved them both. However, the first twin was very reckless and often disregarded his fathers commands and wishes. Infact, it was so bad that he would be caught in the market square discrediting his father. He would loudly proclaim how much he hated his father and brother. On many occasions, the town's people wanted to reprimand him and bring him to judgement. They loved their king and were highly dissappointed at the first prince's behaviour. But the king did not permit their intended action. The second son and prince......."
The witch fell asleep, right beside the glowing embers of flickering and burnt wood. "What an old fool!" Shouted 'Shiny shoes' in unhindered fury. "She can't even finish one story before snoring away? Aarrgghh!!!..... Now how am I supposed to know what is causing the problems in the camp?" She kicked one of the flickering logs and winced in pain as her aide led her raging and cussing out of the witch's hut.
Till we meet again:
Prologue: Reinah closed the casket, and pressed her lips to the cold polished wood. Before the tears could start streaming from her eyes, she stood up and looked around. A gust of battering wind began to blow, as darkness quickly closed in on her. But just as rapidly as terror submitted, she looked up in time to see the sky crack open to an orchestra of celestial and heralding beings. She had the feeling that everything would eventually be alright.
The princess walked into the room where her mother's body lay. The atmosphere was settling and calm, not eerie like one would have expected. She noticed the casket was more than would have been expected for a servant, as she lifted the lid. Also someone had gone through great pains to nicely cover the ghastly looking wound caused by the assailant's savage strike. She was glad to see that the king was doing the best he could, not just to apprehend the attacker. But to also give her mother a respectful and proper burial. She would have to thank him at another time, for the noble and kind gesture. Nobody knew who Debeh was to her and that was very convenient now, more than ever. Someday, they will all see as they had been seen. Someday it will become clearer. However, until then a journey awaited her. A journey that will lead through a narrow, gruesome and eventually rewarding road.
Reinah closed the casket..... When she got back to her room, she hurriedly picked up three items and left just as quickly. No one was outside the palace courtyard, when she ran across it. As she slipped out the palace gates, she never looked back. If she had, she might have seen prince Amil watching from his room with tears glistening in his eyes.
It is a family affair:
Xitus watched his son with an inhumane sense of loathing. His main purpose of siring him, was now proving to be implausible bordering on hopeless. His mother was no better or smarter, but at least her desire and thirst for evil made things doable and bearable. This was why she was chosen. And in a bid to constantly hide all her 'stone-pelt worthy' atrocities, she was an ever ready player for depravity. Oh, for her neighbours to get a glimpse of what she was capable of doing and had already done.
He would create one more situation for the imbecile to redeem himself, then would have to pull the plug. There was just too much at stake now to play nice or 'hide and seek' for that matter. If the Monitors suspicion, that their main enemy had risen from the dead were indeed true. Then these were definitely volatile times that would call for volatile measures. For now he would wait for Heinus' return. The head and most vilest of Monitors, had gone into the deep and darkest of abyss to meet with the 'fly-lord'.
Sleeping with the enemy:
Tufad the fourth magistrate eyed his wife suspiciously as she brushed her hair and whistled a little too cheerily. She was all plastic smiles these days and he had not slept for days. To be precise, he had not slept since the recovery of Debeh's brutally beaten body. To think that everything had happened just hours after his wife had mouthed of her imagined insult and desire to harm the poor woman, howbeit economically. He would have gladly submitted her as the first suspect of those that wanted Debeh harmed, but he was with her at about the time of the assault. Which left him with the question; Did she know anyone else that felt the same way about Debeh like she did? Then if so, the king would have to know about it. There would be no love lost anyhow. They were just really roommates with benefits.
As Tufad glared at his wife and her unnecessarily ceremonious act of hair brushing, she caught him looking through the mirror and turned with an inviting pout. That man ran out of the room so fast, the two servants cleaning the hallway near their quarters almost joined him in the 'sprint for life'. Since an assailant or two were still on the loose, everyone's nerve was on edge. Everytime was a good time to run for your life. Everytime was a good time to be safe and alive.
Tufad came into the magistrates meeting chambers, to look for the sixth magistrate. They were not exactly fast friends, but he had proven easy to talk to over the years. And whenever the king was worried about any disturbing and new development, the sixth magistrate was always the first to come up with suggestions and solutions. So with the suspicions and torment running through his mind lately, he needed someone to talk to or get advice about what to do next. The sixth magistrate it seemed would understand his plight and predicament. Besides he appeared to always want to help put the king's mind at ease.