Chapter Sixteen
Rillie
Rillie slept all night in Baelan’s arms, dreaming peacefully. Even though her belly was empty and her head was aching from lack of water and food, she couldn’t remember feeling more content. She woke up multiple times during the night and glanced up at the glowing, creamy stars overhead and the green trees of the forest and felt happiness radiate through her body. She was free. As beautiful as Zheka was, Rillie couldn’t wait to leave. Between Queen Zornaya and the threat of Captain Maeraria returning and taking her prisoner once more, Rillie was more than ready to move on to a new life.
So, when she fell back asleep in Baelan’s arms during the wee hours of the morning, she assumed that only happiness and joy lay ahead.
She never expected to wake up and see Queen Zornaya, along with a full army of guards, surrounding them.
“Baelan!” Rillie cried in distress, reaching for her torn shift and pulling it over her head. “Wake up!”
Baelan groaned and rolled over, yawning and rubbing his eyes with both hands.
“Baelan,” Rillie urged, shaking him by the shoulders. “It’s the queen!”
At Rillie’s words of distress, Baelan’s eyes flew open. When he saw Queen Zornaya, his jaw dropped.
The queen was mounted on horseback, and there were at least twelve guards with her. They, too, were on horses and they surrounded Rillie and Baelan in a small circle. The sight of the queen filled Rillie with distress and sadness – just when she thought she was going to escape, the worst had happened yet again.
“What is the meaning of this,” Baelan cried, getting to his feet and quickly yanking his trousers on to cover his nakedness. “What are you doing here?”
The queen bristled angrily. “Why, I should be asking you the same question,” she said angrily. “Baelan, what gives you the right to disobey me?”
Rillie watched as Baelan puffed out his chest arrogantly and shook his head.
“Queen Zornaya, with all due respect, you do not control me,” Baelan said. “And I love Rillie, and we are planning to leave Zheka at once.”
The queen raised an eyebrow. From where she sat on horseback, she looked tremendously intimidating. The look was heightened by her luxurious purple and gold robes that trailed behind her and fell nearly to the ground.
“I see,” the queen said curtly. She turned to Rillie with an odd smile on her face. “So, Baelan, did you heed my request?”
“No,” Baelan said sharply.
Rillie narrowed her eyes and got to her feet. “Baelan, what is she talking about?”
Baelan ignored her. “So, please, queen, leave us – for I renounce my Zhekan citizenship, and thusly, you are no longer my queen. I intend to marry Rillie as soon as possible – whether here, or somewhere else, somewhere that is more accepting of my beloved and her gifts.”
Despite the tense situation at hand, Baelan’s words made Rillie flush.
Queen Zornaya sighed. “You are a fool, Baelan,” she said softly. “Your mother was right about you – you are clearly incapable of making your own decisions.”
Baelan bristled at the insult. Rillie rushed to his side and clutched his hand, gripping it tightly in her own. She squeezed Baelan’s fingers and leaned in close to his ear.
“I love you,” Rillie whispered. “Remember – we are to leave, and all will be well.”
Baelan swallowed and Rillie could tell that he was nervous.
“I will not have that,” Queen Zornaya said. She gracefully dismounted from her horse and walked closer. Rillie felt ashamed of her bedraggled appearance – even though Baelan had still found her lovely, she knew that the queen was taking note of her tattered dress and dirty face.
“Well, then what should we do?” Baelan asked defiantly. “If you will not have us – and you will not have us leave – then I see no choice.”
The queen looked as if Baelan had slapped her across the face.
“Guards!” Queen Zornaya yelled loudly. “Seize them!”
Baelan turned to Rillie and grabbed both of her hands. He leaned in close, pressing his forehead to hers.
“You know what to do,” Baelan hissed under his breath. “Sing!”
Rillie glanced fearfully at the queen. Despite Baelan’s strength and reassurance, she still felt frightened – what if the queen was working with Captain Maeraria? What if she would again be thrown in the dungeons, never to see her love again?
“I know you can do this,” Baelan said quickly. His voice was heated and passionate, as intense as it had been when they had made love. “I believe in you, Rillie!” He pulled her closer and kissed her quickly. “I love you,” Baelan added when the kiss had been broken.
Rillie closed her eyes and opened her mouth to sing. She was trembling in fear and her heart was thudding in her chest, but she knew that as long as Baelan was beside her, she had nothing to fear.
An evil king ruled the lands far away,
Keeping everyone in fear, so they did not go astray
His teachings were fearsome, his voice was like poison,
And all were afraid, no one dared defy the man!
Queen Zornaya’s guards stopped dead in their tracks. Their eyes glazed over and their weapons fell to the ground, their armor clanking noisily as they shifted slowly from one foot to the other.
“What is the meaning of this,” Queen Zornaya cried. “Don’t listen to her! Attack!”
But the guards didn’t listen. They stood there, enchanted, as Rillie’s beautiful voice carried through the trees and air.
Queen Zornaya’s face was purple with rage. She turned on Baelan and brandished a small glass bottle from a bag at her waist.
“In this bottle is a potion that will put you and your beloved creature into a sleep for a thousand years!” The queen bellowed loudly. “And I will not allow you to leave! She is a monstrosity, she is a terror!”
Rillie watched as Baelan stood defiantly before the queen. He wasn’t shaking, or afraid – he looked brave and proud. He took the dagger from his waist and brandished it in the air, pointing the tip of the blade right at Queen Zornaya’s throat.
“You may do exactly that,” Baelan growled in a low voice. “But nothing will destroy the love we have for each other!”
The queen stared. Even Rillie was taken aback by her response to Baelan’s words – it was clear that no one had ever spoken to her in such a manner before. The queen blinked.
“I will fight you, if I have to,” Baelan continued. He stepped forward, waving the dagger in the air. The blade glinted in the rays of the sun and Rillie shivered, thinking of how frequently she’d seen Captain Maeraria use it on the unruly crew.
“Baelan,” Queen Zornaya said. She tossed her head. “If you think you are capable of defeating me, you are wrong.”
A rustling sound from the edge of the forest made Rillie jump. When she turned around, she saw a group of young men. They were all well-dressed with angry expressions on their faces. When Baelan noticed them, he gasped.
“Aerdan!” Baelan yelled. “Huen! Phaelenx!”
The men nodded, stepping into the clearing.
Queen Zornaya went white in the face. “Aerdan, my own son,” she said softly, shaking her head. “What is the meaning of this? What are you planning to do?”
“Selene told us everything,” Aerdan said calmly. His resemblance to Queen Zornaya was so strong that Rillie realized he must be her son. “And I’m sorry, mother – you cannot do this. You are being paranoid, you are not yourself!”
The queen’s face was soon contorted with an ugly anger that made her resemble one of the evil sorceresses in Rillie’s songs.
“You cannot attack me, I will have you all put in the dungeons!” The queen shrieked hysterically. “Aerdan, you cannot betray me! I am your mother!”
The other two men – Huen and Phaelenx – stepped forward with grim looks on their handsome faces. One of them was the largest man Rillie had ever seen – his muscular bulk alone would fill a small cottage.
Aerdan took a sword from his waist and brandished it at the queen. “I am sorry,” he said. “It pains me to do this.” Then he whirled around in the air. His sword made contact with one of the frozen guards, slicing his throat in a clean line. For a moment, the man was silent. Then he began to scream in pain as the wound opened like a floodgate and crimson blood came pouring out, drenching his armor.
“Aerdan!” Queen Zornaya shrieked. “What have you done?”
Baelan leaped quickly to the side, grabbing one of the guards and twisting his arm behind his back. The guard dropped his shield and fell limp against Baelan’s muscular body. Rillie watched with her mouth open as Baelan held the blade of the dagger to the guard’s throat.
“I’ll kill him,” Baelan threatened. “We’ll kill all of your precious guards if you don’t allow me to escape with Rillie!”
Rillie felt like she was in the middle of some horrific dream. She watched as the guard briefly struggled in Baelan’s arms. Phaelenx and Huen grabbed two more guards.
“We’ll kill them all,” Baelan repeated.
Phaelenx growled and grunted, pulling the guard close to his body. He grabbed the guard’s wrist and snapped it with one easy motion. With a scream of pain, the guard fell to the ground.
“Stop this!” Queen Zornaya yelled.
“Not until you agree to be rational,” Aerdan called back. Rillie could tell from his mixed expression that the idea of confronting his mother like this was painful. But she admired his strength.
All of these men, why are they defending me, she thought as she watched from the edge of the trees.
Baelan dropped the guard and launched his body towards the queen. She flung the small glass bottle at the ground and purple and green fumes swirled into the air. Rillie coughed and choked, but Baelan leaped on top of the glass shards until the fumes had faded.
“You will not hurt us,” Baelan said. “Not me, not Rillie – not any of us.”
The queen looked stricken. “You cannot do this,” she said.
“Mother, please,” Aerdan called. “You are delaying the inevitable!”
Queen Zornaya didn’t reply. She merely stared, as if unable to believe that her own son and the royal cousins would betray her like this.
“Your majesty,” Rillie said in a meek voice as she stepped forward and bowed her head in a sign of respect. “Please, do not let them fight you – do not let them kill these guards.” She looked up and made eye contact with the queen. “I know you know I mean well – I would never harm a single person in this country!”
Queen Zornaya was silent for a long time. Her eyes hardened as she stared at Rillie.
“No,” she said after a pause. “I am sorry, but I cannot trust you. I cannot risk my kingdom losing everything we have ever known.”
“Then, my queen, I am sorry,” Baelan said. He held the blade of the dagger out again, pointing it at the queen. There was a loud shriek as Baelan leaped at Queen Zornaya, grabbing her by the waist and pinning her down in the grass. The queen cursed and spat, but Baelan dodged each curse with skillful grace. The air was filled with smog and smoke and clouds of purple fire that Rillie had never seen the likes of, but she couldn’t watch anything but the queen and her lover as they tussled on the ground.
Finally, Baelan pinned Queen Zornaya down and held the blade of the dagger to her throat.
“I do not wish to do this,” Baelan said. “But you are giving me no choice.”
The queen closed her eyes.
“I surrender,” she said softly.
The dagger fell from Baelan’s hand and he rose off the queen as if lifted by magic. The queen got to her feet.
“Aerdan, Baelan, Huen, Phaelenx…” She trailed off, holding her chin high. The men assembled in front of her, flanking each other at the shoulder. The silence was enough to make Rillie sick with anxiety as she wondered what would happen. She didn’t want to be the cause of murder – especially not the murder of the queen, no matter how badly the queen had treated her.
To Rillie’s astonishment, the queen bent her head to the men.
“Aerdan, my son, I am no longer queen of this great land,” Queen Zornaya said in a soft voice. She stood up straight, still managing to look as regal as ever before. “You are now High Commander, and Angelica will be queen.”
Rillie turned to Baelan in shock. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but certainly, it hadn’t been this!
“Yes,” Zornaya continued. “I have seen that I am no longer fit to rule.”
Rillie waited with baited breath for Aerdan to rebuke his mother. Surely Aerdan would refuse! After all, what was he supposed to do?
“Mother, I accept,” Aerdan said. He took a deep breath and stood up straighter than before, looking quite noble himself.
Rillie’s jaw dropped and she blinked with shock.
“Ever since the evil sorceress Namaya came to Zheka and put all of us under her spell, you have not been well,” Aerdan said. He spoke clearly.
Zornaya’s face was a mixture of emotion that Rillie couldn’t decipher.
“Come,” Aerdan said. He offered his arm to Zornaya and she linked her hand through his elbow, resting her fingers on his muscular forearm. “Now we will go to the castle and make the announcement.”
Rillie could hardly believe it. Aerdan helped Zornaya mount her horse, then instructed everyone to meet at the castle. Rillie waited behind, until Baelan was alone, before launching herself at him.
To her surprise, Baelan didn’t look pleased.
“What is wrong, my love,” Rillie asked. She stroked Baelan’s forehead. “Are you unhappy?”
Baelan shook his head. His lips were pressed together in a thin line. He reached down and took Rillie’s hand, twining his fingers with hers and lifting her fist to his mouth before gently kissing the back of her hand.
“No, my love, I am not unhappy,” Baelan said in a low voice. “But it does seem to me that perhaps it would have been easier for her to let us go. I did not intend to bring about such change…or threaten a woman who, for the most part, has ruled with dignity and grace.”
Rillie nodded. She rested her head on Baelan’s shoulder. “I understand,” she said softly.