PART TWENTY-TWO Cont'd:
Stand up for me:
Reinah piled her carefully washed fruits into a piece of sturdy wrap cloth and then proceeded to tie it up. The screams and yells from the group of boys at the other side of the stream got louder and more raucous. She had made a point to ignore them, as she went about cleaning her picked fruits. For the most part, she had succeeded in not being their audience. Dusk was falling and fast. And she needed to get away from there, before the greying skies were blanketed with pitch darkness. She had walked just a little longer than usual to get there this day, because this was her favorite and familiar source of water.
A pain-filled cry, suddenly pierced through her pondering journey. Rudely jostling her from the privacy of her 'world'. While desperately begging and demanding her attention at the same time. Pulling tighter on the knot she had just tied with the cloth, in a bid to ensure that its contents were secure. She then tossed it on the grass gently and stood up from where she had been kneeling. Now that they had managed to get and keep her attention, thought the girl grimly. She hoped it would all be worth it. Looking up, she was just in time to see what appeared to be a tussle ensuing between the rowdy boys standing up and someone or something right below them.
They were poking at and grappling with whatever it was that was on the ground. As their shouting got louder, the girl could still distinguish the whimper she had heard earlier. The same shrill cry that initially made her stand up from her business. Now she contemplated going back to that business. At least it might guarantee her safety, if nothing else. Why meddle with an obviously escalating situation when she so easily had enough of them hunting her down naturally.
After much deliberation with herself, Reinah decided it was the best possible decision to leave the area entirely. Grabbing the small bundle she had just tossed aside, she dusted off the grass from her clothes and made ready to leave. Then it happened again. The faint whimper stopped her in her tracks, as if tugging at her heart. Surprisingly, breaking through and above the din of noise. When the tugging would not stop, the princess carefully lowered the wrapped cloth with the fruits in it to the ground again and started to head towards the group.
At first, her steps were tentative. Motivated by a sense of self-preservation, than it was of fear. But she moved forward anyhow.
"What?!" Exclaimed one of the boys, when he first spotted Reinah coming towards them. "Look what we have here. A girl..." They all turned to where he was pointing. Then everyone of them, started speaking, shouting and advancing towards the girl at the same time. "Who in these parts are you? And why are you here?" Barked the leader of the group, who had now stepped in front of them and was facing the princess. A question to which the she replied with just a look and silence.
An action that appeared to have infuriated the leader. More so, because his peers had now pressed in behind him and were murmuring their disbelief at the perceived slight. As they eagerly geared up for what might also be a showdown.
"I just asked; who are you? And I also asked; what you are doing here?" He began to step towards the princess, whose face at this time was without expression and lips still unmoving. "Alright then," declared the feared and revered head of the ogling pack. "I guess I will have to beat the answer out of you."
The princess' lips moved. Maybe she had said something as every onlooker inched forward. "What did you say?" Shouted the second to the leader, suddenly feeling emboldened and pumped by all that surrounded him.
"I said, you will not touch me." Came the calm but eerie reply from the girl. Everyone went suddenly silent for a moment, as their jeers stopped and bodies froze in place. An uncontrollable sense of quiet had enveloped them. Reinah had not moved from where she stood. And the others were not sure if they had heard right or what was supposed to happen next.
They did not have to wonder for long. For their now challenged leader, lurched forward. Hand raised in a tightly clenched fist and face squeezed in fury. His fist never came down. At least not on the girl as an intended target.
Seconds after he advanced to attack, the leader turned and began to run in the opposite direction. Shouting at the top of his lungs as he went. Leading the way as he had always done, to the horrified group mates that followed suit.
Reinah moved towards whoever or whatever it was that they had been standing over and saw that it was a boy about her own age too. His face was soaked in tears, as he looked up at her. His was a mixed expression of gratitude and helplessness.
Reaching out her hand, the princess said; "Here I will help you get up." But the boy merely looked at her face, then back at her hand. "Come on," reiterated the princess. "I will help you get up and back on your feet." "I can't." Stated the grounded boy simply. "I cannot walk. I have never walked before. I am crippled."
Of searchers, lookers and watchers:
Rifra watched the queen mother's expression from a distance. She was apparently speaking to or scolding the prince's aide. He was convinced, it was most likely the latter. Since her lips looked terse and it was more characteristic of her to upbraid. Moreover, there was no other known way she communicated with the servants. Unless of course she was in a bind and needed something urgently.
He moved further backward, into the sides of the hay barn. Shifting into a hardly fitting space, to avoid detection. He had rushed down there as quickly as possible, when he had heard that the queen mother was in the stables. It was part of his job to know where the royals were in the premises, at any given time. And if any of them was in an unusual place at an unusual time, he was supposed to know why that was the case.
Of course the royals were not restricted in their own home. The palace grounds was their oyster to do what they pleased. However, keeping those tabs was technically necessary to ensure that they were safe and nothing was amiss. He had dropped all he was doing and rushed over to the stables, when he got the information that the queen mother had gone over there. It was a known fact that she did not ride, neither did she visit at all. Having shown up, he unfortunately could not make his presence known to her. It would have been a futile and combative effort. Instead he had hid at the hay barn, to see what might transpire. He could not hear much from where he stood. But he could tell a tense situation when he saw one. The prince looked like he had seen a long lost ghost. And the servant aide....
The housekeeper waited patiently for a couple of hours into the day, to satisfy his curiosity. Until around the time the morning aide handed over to his afternoon counterpart, he hung around idly but inconspicuously at the main and largest hallway of the palace. Pretending to be inspecting the mile long family heirloom of paintings, when anyone walked by. All adjoining hallways to each royal's quarters, intersected at this main passage way. It was impossible to miss the morning aide, when he signed off and headed back to the servant quarters.
As his master, Rifra would have summoned him at any time to find out exactly what had happened at the stables earlier that day. But he felt this would be less suspicious and alarming, especially to the oblivious servant. It was also likely the events would still be fresh in the aide's memory at that time.
"Aaahh.... There you are." Rifra feigned surprise, as soon as the young lad came walking down the hallway.
"A good afternoon to you master." Greeted the aide. Clasping his hands together, as if in anticipation of a new instruction.
"How did everything go with his royal highness the prince today?"
"Very well master," responded the aide with a nod and slight smile.
"And the riding today. All I presume went well at the stables, not so?"
"Yes master, all went well."
"Were there any visitors for the prince today?"
"Visitors? Master," the servant looked uncertain.
"Did the queen mother drop by to see his royal highness at the stables today?"
"Ah yes master, pardon me. Yes her highness the queen mother did stop by the stables this morning." His expression became rueful. As if recollecting a painful ordeal.
"Was there a problem? Did the queen mother want something? You know you should report the inquiries of the royals to me."
"Yes master, I was going to inform you after work." Rifra nodded his satisfaction, as the servant continued. "Her highness the queen mother, wanted to know if we knew who 'Hanad' was."
There was no immediate response or acknowledgement, that what the servant said was heard by the housekeeper. Simply because that one was lost in a thought triggered by what he had just heard and relating to the letter still in his possession.
A particular phrase kept replaying in his mind:
'.... Your father suspected, that what may have transpired in that room that day....'
But he managed to break from the reverie, to ask;
"And do you know who 'Hanad' is?"
"No master. I have never heard that name before." Replied the servant quickly.
Mission likely impossible:
"So, what do think?" Asked 'shiny-shoes' breezily and excitedly, looking from her handiwork to the exasperated witch.
"About what?" The witch turned to her, brows lifted in irritated inquisition. As nearly always, the high priestess' visit at the moment was an unwelcome disturbance or interruption of sorts. "About the total transformation, the ingenuity of my disguise." Supplied 'shiny-shoes' absolutely undeterred in her search for a compliment. "Tell me, does she not look believable for the role?"
The witch turned again and looked over from head to toe, the high priestess' claim to deceptive expertise and then quickly looked away with a nonchalant shrug.
The young lady herself, who was the specimen of boast and inspection. Stared at the witch in expectation of an approval. This whole charade better be working out and leading to some serious involvement, she thought warily to herself. She was tired of waiting at the sidelines, with no mischief in sight. There had been basically no one to cause to trip, no family to separate and destroy and definitely, no hopes to dash and no dreams to trample. It had been dry and boring. The days of waiting for Ethia to come with promised recruitment, had stretched one too many. Rumor had it that the queen mother herself was desperately lost in some secret pursuit. She was looking for something or someone, that many deemed could be non-existent.
Here was now an opening and opportunity that her comrade and long lost friend had found for her. And she had no plans to abort it or let it go. There was royal clout at stake in this instance. All she needed, was to be in close proximity to the king and the rest would be majestic history. The queen could carry the bejeweled crown on her head all she wanted. But she would have to move aside for a hungry and professional snake like her. She had been sitting around for a while now, watching smoke rise from the furnace of sorcerers. That exercise had run its course. She was now antsy and ready to get back to work, doing what she did best.
"You might be wasting your time," sneered the witch. Promptly picking up her bowl of beads and shells and busying herself with inspecting them closely.
"Wasting my time?" 'Shiny-shoes' shook her head in chagrin. "You know sometimes, I think you are just confused about what side you really belong in."
"I am not confused. Just stating a fact. You are wasting your time."
"And why so?" The high priestess wanted to know.
"I don't see you or your accomplice making it into there."
"Then you must be blind," snapped 'shiny-shoes' in rising anger.
"I see a blockage in your way," continued the witch as if her visitor never spoke. "Things are no longer as easy to manipulate as it used to be. It seems they have help now."
The young woman in the center of the exchange, looked from one sorceress to the other in confusion tapered desperation. Slumping to the side, she wondered if the current debate and argument was caused by real events. Or just an ego flaunting contest between two dark counterparts. She sighed deeply as she watched the heated banter. All she really wanted was to be settled in greener grounds. And there was no riper vegetation, than the palace at the moment.
"So what was the other news, you wanted to tell me." Asked the witch breaking the momentary silence and reminding the princess of her initial proclamation when she burst into the coven earlier.
"Oh.... I had an announcement to make." The high priestess started with a wry smile. "But I don't need you putting a damper on it. So I will hold off for now." She eyed the witch disdainfully, before turning to her friend. "Let's get out of here and go about our mission, before she kills everything." The young woman nodded her consent quickly and willingly. Following the high priestess closely as she exited the coven.
The witch never looked up to acknowledge their departure. She was engrossed in a hair-raising vision of the blocking-light that had engulfed 'shiny-shoes' and her companion as they prepared for the palace.
.