Compass of the Nymphs (5 page)

“Do you think that’s a very wise thing to do,
Taisiya?” the queen said coldly. She definitely knew who had broken
into her castle. “You see, I thought you were supposed to be trying
to save your silly parents in my prison. Just how in the world did
you find your way to my bedroom?”

“Come closer and I’ll whisper it in your
ear.” Taisiya smirked. The two guards that had been on duty inside
the queen’s chambers had immediately stripped her of her knife when
she barged in, but if the queen was foolish enough to come closer,
Taisiya was certain she could strangle her with her bare hands.

The queen’s eyes darted around the room in
contemplation. “No.” She eventually replied. Turning her attention
to Zara, she purred. “Zara, take hold of her. The rest of you can
leave…I want the three of us to talk…alone.”

Zara’s heart started beating faster and
faster. “Yes, Adrasteia,” he mumbled, stepping forward and taking a
gentle hold of Taisiya. The other guards had already evacuated.

“Come,” Queen Adrasteia beckoned, turning and
guiding them into her bedroom. She sat down on a lush pink bed and
motioned for them to sit on the two ornately decorated chairs
beside it. “I’ve never understood why you’ve always tried sneaking
into my fortress, little girl.” The queen had turned off her fake
charm, and her voice was now cold and piercing.

Taisiya glared at her. “No one in Solames is
stupid, you horrible woman. Many of the people are weak, though.
Not me. You’ve been kidnapping children for years. The entire town
is afraid to conceive. It’s as though pregnancy is a curse and no
longer a blessing. Why would anyone want to have a child, only for
it to face a certain death at your hands? I want to stop you.”

The queen smiled and turned her phoniness
back on. “I have no idea what you are talking about. I do, however,
assure you that everything happens for a reason. Isn’t that right,
dear Zara?”

Zara nodded in silence.

“Then there must be a reason that I was the
only child not to be taken from Solames, I imagine?” Taisiya said
hotly.

Queen Adrasteia contorted her face in
disgust. “I wouldn’t want you…but yes, I do suppose there is a
reason.”

“The reason is that I was meant to put a stop
to you.” Taisiya said.

“No. The reason is that you are to fulfill
your destiny as a martyr to your people. You will die trying to
save them, only for them to realize that resisting me is pointless.
It is not the business of any lowly citizen what goes on in this
castle. I have a feeling that your death will instill the fear in
them, and no one else will attempt any further breaches of my
security.”

Taisiya fumed. “What are you going to do when
everyone in Solames is dead? There won’t be any more children for
you to steal in the night, you know!”

“I know and have prepared for it. I’m fairly
certain that once you are dead, there won’t be anyone left in
Solames that will able to bear a child. I assure you there are
other towns I can siege.”

Taisiya opened her mouth to speak, but
Adrasteia put up a finger to silence her. The queen turned her
attention to Zara. “My dear and trusted Zara, take this abomination
to the prison chambers. Let her spend her final hours with her
parents. Alert the other guards to draw three chariots. Have one
full of sentinels rush into Solames immediately. At sunrise, they
are to inform the citizens of my impending arrival. Another chariot
will carry me in to town. The other will carry Taisiya and her
parents. When we arrive tomorrow afternoon, I expect to see every
citizen in Solames in the town center to watch and join in the
spectacle. Our poor little Taisiya here will be stoned to death,
right after watching both of her parents’ beheadings. That is all.”
Adrasteia blew the light out of her candle, and the room went dark
as Taisiya screamed and Zara held her back.

Zara grabbed her tightly and carried her out
of the room while she screamed and cursed the queen in the
darkness. “Calm down,” he whispered in her ear, “it’ll be
okay.”

Once they were back in the stairwell, Zara
sat Taisiya down lightly and smiled at her, even though it was
pitch black and all he could see was the outline of her head as a
little moonlight from the closest window fell on her. “Everything
is going to be okay.” He said it not only to pacify her, but
because he couldn’t even believe it himself.  Zara grabbed her
hand and started leading her down the stairs with joy.

“Oh, yes!” Taisiya said, “How could I not see
that my parents and I both being penciled into the queen’s schedule
for a killing as good news?! Do enlighten me!”

Zara let out a laugh for the first time in a
while. They had arrived at the next story down from the queen’s
chambers and paused to catch their breath. “Separate chariots,” he
said with exasperation, “it’s perfect!”

They raced down the other flights of stairs
before finding themselves back in the lit hallways on their way to
the prison chambers. Zara finally let them take a more leisurely
pace, and he explained the good news. “The queen ordered a separate
chariot for you and your parents. If your chariot never makes it
into town, she can’t kill anyone. I’ve seen your fighting skills;
any of the guards that will take you and your parents into Solames
will be no match for you. Overthrow them and escape!”

Taisiya took a couple of moments to mull it
all over. “That would be easy, but you and I both know the queen
will still wreak havoc on Solames. I mean, saving my own skin is
important, but I can’t just run away forever. It’s bigger than
that, Zara.”

He sighed. “You’re right. Still, the most
important thing now is that you’re alive.” They had come to the
entrance of the prison, which was still slightly open from how Zara
left it. He opened the door for her and walked her to the chamber
with her parents. They were sound asleep, but the sound of the cell
door opening quickly roused them.

Taisiya smiled as she saw the look on their
faces as they realized she was entering the cell with them. Her
father, Chariton, rubbed his eyes in disbelief and nudged Taisiya’s
mother, Rhea.  The couple looked rough; despite the fact they
both were quite large people, their faces were gaunt and full of
sorrow. “Taisiya?” Rhea finally murmured. “What have you done now,
and why did the queen kidnap us?”

It was a grave and serious question, but Zara
couldn’t help guffawing. Taisiya’s mother had asked her questions
so matter-of-factly; her asking her daughter why they were
kidnapped was like any other parent asking their child why they
were sent home early from their school lessons for the day. Taisiya
joined in with Zara, giving her parents a smile and walking over to
sit at the foot of their bed.

“It’s quite a long story, mother.” She sighed
in thought, unsure where to begin. It was beginning to get tense
before Zara interrupted.

“A long story indeed. You will have plenty of
time to hear about it on your way back to Solames in the morning.
The more pressing matter…” he glanced over at Taisiya, hoping she
would finish his sentence for him.

She took the hint. “The queen is sending us
back to town in the morning so she can kill us.” Her parents’ jaws
dropped, but she continued. “Mom, dad, you both know that the queen
is evil. She’s planning to use our deaths to put a stop to anyone
that tries to meddle.”

Chariton’s face grew paler. “You…you….” He
gave Taisiya a disappointed look as he struggled to find the words
to show how he felt.

“You’ve let us down, Taisiya,” Rhea finished
for him. They both started to sob in defeat.

Zara walked over and joined Taisiya at the
foot of the bed. “No; it’s going to be okay.” They glared at him in
disgust.

“Can’t you leave?! Go back to doing the
queen’s bidding,” Chariton spat.

Taisiya shook her head. “No, dad, he’s right.
This is Zara,” she said, putting her hand on his leg. “He knows the
queen has been up to no good, and, even though he does her bidding,
he’s on our side.”

Zara nodded. “The queen is actually very
afraid of your daughter and wants to keep her distance. She’s
ordered for you to be taken in to town in a different chariot.
Taisiya can easily take on the guards that will be watching over
you, and all three of you can escape into the forest.”

Both of her parents gave a look of
uncertainty. As nice as the plan sounded, neither of them were as
quick as they used to be. They decided to bite their tongues; a
risky escape into the forest was better than assured death. Zara
left the family to get a few hours sleep and returned to his
bedroom on the third story of the castle. Despite their best
efforts, they didn’t slept well that night.

CHAPTER FIVE –

ADRASTEIA’S REVENGE

Morning came quickly and with an air of
tension all around. While her parents still slept, Taisiya glanced
out the tiny window in their cell and watched as the queen’s
chariot was prepared for them. It was extravagant, as Taisiya
expected. Attached to the main body of the chariot was an enclosed
room on wheels. Kitchen workers were carrying all sorts of
delicacies into the private room for the queen.

After the chariot was ready, the queen
herself made her entrance. A crown bedazzled with jewels and made
of the finest gold rested on her head. She wore a long dress of
matching gold with a train so long it took three guards to hold it
up so that it wouldn’t be tarnished with dirt as she walked to the
chariot. In her left hand, she held an enormous scepter made of
silver and encrusted with what looked like miraculous diamonds. Her
right arm was adorned with all sorts of gold and purple jewelry
that matched the amethyst ornaments dangling from her ears. Her
goal was obviously to look rich and intimidating to the citizens of
Solames, and she had nailed it.

Once Queen Adrasteia was comfortably seated
inside the chariot’s caravan, her entourage joined her. Among the
men was Zara; it was easy for Taisiya to spot him – he was the only
one that hadn’t dressed up for the occasion. He was wearing the
same outfit from yesterday and was noticeably tired and restless.
The other spies were all wearing similar outfits to his, but in
gold. They shut the caravan door behind them, and the chariot raced
to its destination.

Taisiya watched as the chariot disappeared
into the horizon and through the forest. She only hoped she would
have the strength to safely help her parents escape today. The
truth was she was starting to get weak from having not eaten since
the trip up to the castle. On top of that, she had been stripped of
her knife and the potions she had lifted from Zara. Overthrowing
the guards on her chariot would mean a hand-to-hand combat.

Listening carefully, Taisiya heard the sound
of footsteps pacing the pavement not too far off. She traipsed over
to glance out the cell wall and found the smallest of the queen’s
men that she had encountered in the forest not too long ago. He’d
already let her go once, so she crossed her fingers that she
wouldn’t be pushing her luck by asking him for some food and water.
She was taken aback when he looked her up and down and then nodded,
going off to fulfill her requests.

He tossed her some mush and a saucer of water
through an opening in the cell before taking a seat and watching
her as she nourished herself. “Do you remember me?” He asked
cautiously.

“Yes,” she replied through a mouthful of
gruel.

“I really was too kind to let you run away
that time.” He glanced down at his lap wistfully. “She had quite a
nice reward for your captor. I regret nothing, though.”

“I’m glad…thank you,” Taisiya said, her voice
trailing off as she tried to focus on her food.

The small guard let her eat for a few moments
in silence before carrying on. He reached in to one of his pockets
and pulled out a long knife that glistened in the morning light.
Taisiya eyed it warily, unsure of what kind of vigilante justice
the young guard was seeking. He slid the knife through to her and
whispered, “Good luck today.”

Taisiya scuttled over and pocketed the knife,
wide-eyed. “Again, thank you.” She said with incredulity. “How did
you know…”

He smiled. “I’m Zara’s little brother. My
name’s Nathaniel. We share a room together in the castle, and I
told him about my run in with you. He already seemed to know quite
a bit about you, naturally. I figure if he trusts you, so can
I.”

Taisiya gave him a thoughtful smile. “That’s
very sweet. How does Zara know about me, though?”

Nathaniel was about to answer her when two of
the queen’s biggest and most broad-shouldered sentries came
bounding through the prison chambers and pushed him out of their
way. They opened the cell door and bluntly bellowed: “Let’s
go.”

One guard grabbed Taisiya carelessly and
escorted her out of the castle while the other roused her parents
and took care of them. Taisiya glanced back at Nathaniel and
mouthed her appreciation to him as he got up and dusted himself
off. He gave her an encouraging thumbs up as she slipped around the
corner.