The Resistant Queen, page 9
“Do I need to make it one?”
The warrior sat back down next to Maggie and sighed. “This is your first trial. If you send witches to investigate every story that comes along, we will soon be left defenseless. You must use better judgment.”
Maggie slouched on her throne. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought.
OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS, a blur of faces, problems, complaints, and yelling were all Maggie dealt with. She had a hard time keeping everything straight. After the ramblings of the old, sick witch, everything else seemed trivial and petty. Some witches were only there to complain about their neighbors or that they did not have sufficient room to grow the herbs they wanted to. Others tried to get previous bans lifted so they could grow lethal herbs for poison making. However, most of the issues were resolved with a stern reprimand and a suggestion to see through another’s eyes. All in all, though tedious, Maggie thought she had done a fair job, even if Belle and Helena stepped in when things had flustered her, which happened more than she wanted to admit.
“What did you think?” Helena asked Maggie as Emma and Zoe closed the doors after the last witch left.
“I don’t think I want to do this again,” Maggie said, rubbing her temples with her thumbs. “How often does this happen?”
“Once every two weeks,” Belle said. “More often if needed, though it rarely is. I am surprised we did not get more complaints about you.”
Maggie grimaced. There had been a few witches that stormed in and only wanted to tell her how unfit of a queen they thought she was and that she should abdicate the coven seat to someone with more experience. Alyssa’s name had been thrown around more than once. The words hurt but she could not help wondering if they were true. Maybe she would be better off, and Priama safer, if she did find someone more qualified for the coven seat. The thought had crossed her mind at least once a day since her mother had explained her plan to defeat Alyssa’s claims. She had had a quiet life back in Lakes Hollow, though if she even decided to run off in the middle of the night, she had no doubt she would be quickly found.
“I still want to do something about the first witch we saw,” Maggie said, trying her best to push her doubts from her mind. “She has been in my thoughts all day.”
“We do not have the resources,” Belle repeated. “I already told you that. What she said was most likely the ramblings of an insane mind.”
A whisper at the back of Maggie’s thoughts screamed at her to press Belle on the issue, to follow her instincts, but instead, she silenced it. Belle had more experience in matters like this. She would have to learn to trust those closest to her and not waste Priama’s needed resources. Hanging her head in defeat, she rose from her throne and brushed the wrinkles from her dress.
“Are you hungry, Highness?” Helena asked.
“Starving. I thought we would at least get lunch at some point.”
“These trials do not usually work that way,” Belle said. “The queen must put her wants and desires aside for the needs of her coven, no matter how immature they might be.”
Maggie paced the hall as she sorted through the list of immature matters running rampant through her mind. She needed to remember everything that had happened today so that if the same issue came up again, she would be able to handle it better. Yet, that small voice would not relent. Thoughts of the old witch forced their way back to the forefront of her mind, overshadowing everything else. Why could she not let it go?
“Emma,” Helena said, distracting Maggie. “Bring the food in, please.”
Emma nodded then slipped out the door, allowing a freezing blast of arctic air into the room. Shivering, Maggie stepped closer to the fire in the corner and warmed her hands. She dreaded the walk back to her yurt. The clothes she wore were ceremonial only and did not provide any warmth.
A few moments later, Emma returned with an armload of food. Six young witches followed behind her. Two of them gripped a large tray of steaming bowls while the other four managed to carry in a long wooden table laden with bread, fruits, vegetables, cheese, and pies. The aroma was intoxicating, causing Maggie’s stomach to growl. She stepped closer, breathing deep and anticipating every bit. She reached out to take a soft, warm roll but Belle pushed her hand out of the way before she could.
“Not yet, Highness,” Belle said, examining everything. “It must be checked first.”
“Checked for what?”
“There are too many outliers in Priama today. Many of them are not happy that you are our new queen. It would be unwise to eat anything without the proper precautions.”
“Are you saying that someone might want to poison me?”
The look in Belle’s eyes confirmed it. When she had scoured everything, she nodded at Helena who then stepped up to the table, a small talisman held tightly between her fingers. She chanted a few words that Maggie did not understand. As the words were spoken, a fine, blue mist formed over the table and settled on the food. When nothing happened, Helena let go of the talisman. It floated in the air for a moment before vanishing from view.
“We are ready to eat,” Helena said, handing Maggie the roll she had reached for.
“What did you do to it?” Maggie asked.
“I cast a blessing. Had the food been tampered with, by poison, spell, or by some other nefarious means, the blessing would have revealed it.”
“How?” Maggie asked, amazed at how much magic could accomplish.
“Just as we watched the blessing cover the food, a black filament would have appeared around anything tainted. At that point, we would have been able to identify the guilty party.”
“How?” Maggie asked.
“The filament would retreat to the caster. All we would need to do is follow it.”
Maggie looked at all the food in front of her and wondered how easy it would have been to slip something in it at any point of the preparation. “Do other witches know about the blessing? If they do, and they knew they could get caught, why risk it?”
“Magic has its limitations and counter-balances. Some witches believe they can prevent the finding through darker methods. Others do not care if they are discovered,” Belle said.
“Does the blessing always work?” Maggie asked as she stared at the roll in her hand. She had already eaten two bites. “Is it ever wrong?”
“Magic is not perfect,” Helena said. “But I have spent my entire life improving this blessing. It has never failed me.”
“Can I learn to do that?” Maggie asked.
Helena pulled a bowl of soup from the tray and sniffed it. “It depends on your branch of magic. My ability comes from a combination of mind and nature magic.”
Before Maggie could ask any more questions, Belle, Zoe, and Emma sat down to eat as well. The girls who had helped Emma bring in the food rushed back into the cold evening air. Maggie’s stomach rumbled again as she surveyed everything. Warm rolls, steaming bowls of thick noodle soup, a tray of autumn vegetables, and a large cake. Without further discussion, Maggie calmed the hunger that had been growing all day.
The witches ate in silence. With each bite, Belle glanced at the doors as if she expected an attack. When she finished, she stood and paced the hall, her hands pressed firmly against her hips. Maggie watched her muscles twitch with each step.
Maggie took a final bite of her soup then walked over to Belle. “Is everything okay?”
Belle nodded. “I am fine. Go and finish your meal.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
Maggie did not believe her but she did not press it either. She returned to the table and picked up another roll, which was now cold. Shivering, she prepared herself for the short trek back to her yurt.
“Is it okay if I return to my quarters?” Maggie asked.
Helena swallowed what was in her mouth then wiped her lips with a thick napkin. “That is fine. There are no other duties to attend to today.”
“Good,” Maggie said as she turned to leave. She stopped when Belle grabbed her shoulder.
“I will accompany you to your chambers, Highness.”
Maggie nodded then turned to the others. “Good night,” she said to Emma and Zoe then addressed Helena. “Will I see you tomorrow?”
Helena stood and bowed to Maggie. “Sleep well, Highness. I will meet with you again when I can.”
“Enough talk,” Belle said, pushing Maggie in front of her. “The queen needs her rest.”
The air burned Maggie’s lungs as Belle pushed her through the doors. The sun had set and a few stars blinked through the gaps in the winter clouds.
“We have an urgent matter to attend to before you retire for the evening.”
“What?”
“Like you, a darkness has been stirring in the back of my mind all day. I fear you are right. We need to spend more time investigating your first trial.”
“You mean the old witch who warned us of an attack?”
Belle nodded.
“I thought you said we don’t have enough resources to spare on that?”
“We do not, but my heart has been troubled as well since hearing her tale.”
Maggie stepped away from her, dancing in the snow to warm herself. “You said the old woman was crazy.”
“It was better for her to appear that way to prevent a panic. This is a sensitive time for Priama. However, we must deal with this threat quickly and quietly.”
“Why didn’t you say that in the meeting?”
Belle glanced around the empty compound. The cold had pushed most of the witches in doors for the night. “One day you will understand how fragile the politics here really are. Had we given the issue attention, word would have spread around Priama, for good and evil. Now, no one is going to press it.”
“And what are you proposing we do about it?” Maggie asked.
“That is for you to decide. As queen, you must do what you feel is in the best interest of Priama.”
Maggie did not miss the sound of urgency in Belle’s voice.
“Then we must meet with her as soon as possible,” Maggie said. “Where was she taken?”
“I had her sent to my quarters. Come quickly.”
“I’ll need a coat first,” Maggie said, shivering in the open air.
Belle glanced at the moon shining through a break in the clouds and nodded.
CHAPTER 7
Belle lived on a small hillside overlooking a frozen pond outside the city wall. Towering pine trees surrounded her cabin, protecting it from the wind and snow. A narrow garden was nestled near the door. Turning around, Maggie could no longer see the burning torches and fires of Priama.
“This is isolated,” Maggie commented.
“That is how I like it. I am not home often, but when I am, I do not wish to be bothered.” She said it so matter-of-factly that Maggie did not question it. She trudged silently through the snow behind Belle to her front door.
The smell of earth washed over them as Belle pushed the door open. There was no floor, just exposed and packed dirt. With the exception of the floor, it reminded her of her home in Lakes Hollow. The interior consisted of one large room and a long work table running along the back wall, buried under an assortment of books, weapons, armor, and dry roots. A tight alcove to the right of the table housed the rest of Belle’s belongings. Her clothes, a tall stack of books, more weapons, preserved food, hanging herbs, and a few things that Maggie could not identify. To the left of the table was a squat wood-burning stove, red with heat. The witch they had spoken to during the first trial sat in front of it, a heavy blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She glanced up as they entered.
“Oh,” she stammered when she saw Maggie, struggling to rise to her feet.
“No,” Maggie said, rushing over and sitting on the floor next to her. “It’s okay, you don’t have to get up.”
The old witch looked into her eyes and smiled. “I did not know your mother well, but what I did know of her, I hope you emulate.”
“I wish I could have gotten to know her better,” Maggie admitted. “I was finally reunited with her the day she died.”
A single tear traced a line down the old witch’s face. “I know you have had to deal with more than any young witch should have to, and I fear my burden now rests on your already over-encumbered shoulders. I do not think I will be making the journey back to my village to warn them.”
“They are my people as well,” Maggie said. “I will warn them. But you must tell me what you know. What is going to happen?”
“The voices warn me, Highness. They speak of danger and death.”
“But as of yet, your village has yet to experience any of this?” Belle asked.
The old witch shifted on her stool. She glanced at Belle and shook her head. “I believe I saw the beginning of what is to be. The thick winter fog is wicked this season. I fear it brings something evil with it.”
“Did the voices tell you what the evil is?” Maggie asked.
Again, the witch shook her head. “No, my queen. I only know that the cold will be dangerous this winter.”
At the world cold, Maggie perked up. She gripped the old witch’s hand, squeezed it, then stood and faced Belle. “Can we speak outside for a moment?”
When they were back out in the frigid night air, Maggie took a long, deep breath, held it for a few seconds, then slowly released it. She watched the white mist dissipate in the darkness.
“What is it, Highness?”
“I didn’t tell you what the Sisters told me on the Shattered Isle.”
“No, you did not.”
Maggie’s body shook in the cold as she rubbed her hands together. “They warned me about the cold and that I should fear what came with it. What if this is what they were warning me about?”
Belle glanced over her shoulder at the storm clouds lingering on the horizon. “I have never met the Sisters before but from what I have been told, their messages are metaphorical and cryptic.”
“What if this one isn’t?” Maggie asked. “Sure, at the time it didn’t make any sense to me, but what if this hidden danger lurking in the cold is what the Sisters were talking about?”
Belle paced circles in the snow, packing it down into a thin layer of ice. “If danger is coming, it is our duty to protect the covens. However, I am needed here. Alyssa still has followers hiding among us. I fear that in my absence, you would be in danger.”
“What if I go?” Maggie asked.
“You?” Belle cried, coming to a sudden halt. “No. Priama needs you right where you are.”
“Priama needs me to be wherever I can do the most good,” Maggie said. “Right now, I believe the best thing I can do is look into this witch’s claims.”
Belle bowed her head. “You are the queen and I would never dream of issuing you an order, but I must advise against this unwise course of action.”
“It won’t take me long,” Maggie said. “No one will even know I’m gone. I am a fast runner. I can take Loravain with me. He will keep me safe.”
Wind howled through the trees, blowing the snow resting on the top boughs to the ground. Belle shuffled closer to her door. “I will support you in your decision if you desire to do this, but I cannot allow you to go until we have more information.”
The warrior turned her back on Maggie and returned to her cabin, holding the door open for the queen. The old witch stared at them, hope burning brightly in her eyes.
“Please tell me that you will do this for me,” she pleaded.
“I have some questions for you first,” Belle said as she retrieved two more stools from under the table. She handed one to Maggie and then sat down next to the stove.
“Yes, yes. Ask me anything.”
“Where is your village? How far is it from here?”
“At my pace, it is a three-day journey to the north. You would make it much faster than me. A day at most.”
“Does your village have a name?”
“We are mere outcasts who don’t deserve a name but I can show you where it is on a map.”
When Belle moved to the table to find one, Maggie scooted closer and once again took the old witch's frail hands in hers. “What is your name?”
“Talia,” the witch said. “But most just call me Lia.”
“You must be terribly worried for your friends and family, Lia.”
“I am. When I left, the fog was getting worse. I fear for them greatly.”
“Why did you not send someone else to warn us?” Belle asked over her shoulder. She was leafing through a large stack of papers on her table. “You were in no condition to make the trip on your own.”
Lia’s face blushed and her gaze fell to the dirt floor. “No one else believed me. I knew that if I wanted to save them, I would have to be the one to come.”
“I believe you,” Maggie said.
“Thank you, Highness. I know I sound crazy with age, but I can assure you that I am not. My gift allows me small glimpses into the future. Never in my life have the visions been as vivid as they are now.”
“You can stay here until we make sure everything is safe. Then, when it is, we will take you home.”
Lia nodded, heavy tears falling from her eyes. “I do not know if that will be possible. The way home is hard and my body is old and frail. Coming here has only quickened my death. It seems fitting though. I was born in Priama and I will die in Priama.”
Pain coursed through Maggie’s heart. She had only just met Lia but she did not want her to die. “I have a talented healer who might be able to help you. Her name is...,” Maggie started to say but Lia cut her off.
“No, Highness. Thank you for the offer but I am just old. It is my time. My body aches and my memory grows weary. It will be a relief when death finds me.”
Maggie placed her hands on her hips. “How can you say something like that?”
Lia smiled and patted Maggie’s hand. “You are young and still have much of your life and energy ahead of you. I have seen most of what I care for slip from my grasp. I long to be with my dear Tomas again. He waits for me on the other side.”
The emotions on Lia’s face made Maggie long for the same experiences. She could hear the love and tenderness in her voice, especially when she said the name Tomas. Maybe not all witches used men only for labor and other menial tasks.
The warrior sat back down next to Maggie and sighed. “This is your first trial. If you send witches to investigate every story that comes along, we will soon be left defenseless. You must use better judgment.”
Maggie slouched on her throne. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought.
OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS, a blur of faces, problems, complaints, and yelling were all Maggie dealt with. She had a hard time keeping everything straight. After the ramblings of the old, sick witch, everything else seemed trivial and petty. Some witches were only there to complain about their neighbors or that they did not have sufficient room to grow the herbs they wanted to. Others tried to get previous bans lifted so they could grow lethal herbs for poison making. However, most of the issues were resolved with a stern reprimand and a suggestion to see through another’s eyes. All in all, though tedious, Maggie thought she had done a fair job, even if Belle and Helena stepped in when things had flustered her, which happened more than she wanted to admit.
“What did you think?” Helena asked Maggie as Emma and Zoe closed the doors after the last witch left.
“I don’t think I want to do this again,” Maggie said, rubbing her temples with her thumbs. “How often does this happen?”
“Once every two weeks,” Belle said. “More often if needed, though it rarely is. I am surprised we did not get more complaints about you.”
Maggie grimaced. There had been a few witches that stormed in and only wanted to tell her how unfit of a queen they thought she was and that she should abdicate the coven seat to someone with more experience. Alyssa’s name had been thrown around more than once. The words hurt but she could not help wondering if they were true. Maybe she would be better off, and Priama safer, if she did find someone more qualified for the coven seat. The thought had crossed her mind at least once a day since her mother had explained her plan to defeat Alyssa’s claims. She had had a quiet life back in Lakes Hollow, though if she even decided to run off in the middle of the night, she had no doubt she would be quickly found.
“I still want to do something about the first witch we saw,” Maggie said, trying her best to push her doubts from her mind. “She has been in my thoughts all day.”
“We do not have the resources,” Belle repeated. “I already told you that. What she said was most likely the ramblings of an insane mind.”
A whisper at the back of Maggie’s thoughts screamed at her to press Belle on the issue, to follow her instincts, but instead, she silenced it. Belle had more experience in matters like this. She would have to learn to trust those closest to her and not waste Priama’s needed resources. Hanging her head in defeat, she rose from her throne and brushed the wrinkles from her dress.
“Are you hungry, Highness?” Helena asked.
“Starving. I thought we would at least get lunch at some point.”
“These trials do not usually work that way,” Belle said. “The queen must put her wants and desires aside for the needs of her coven, no matter how immature they might be.”
Maggie paced the hall as she sorted through the list of immature matters running rampant through her mind. She needed to remember everything that had happened today so that if the same issue came up again, she would be able to handle it better. Yet, that small voice would not relent. Thoughts of the old witch forced their way back to the forefront of her mind, overshadowing everything else. Why could she not let it go?
“Emma,” Helena said, distracting Maggie. “Bring the food in, please.”
Emma nodded then slipped out the door, allowing a freezing blast of arctic air into the room. Shivering, Maggie stepped closer to the fire in the corner and warmed her hands. She dreaded the walk back to her yurt. The clothes she wore were ceremonial only and did not provide any warmth.
A few moments later, Emma returned with an armload of food. Six young witches followed behind her. Two of them gripped a large tray of steaming bowls while the other four managed to carry in a long wooden table laden with bread, fruits, vegetables, cheese, and pies. The aroma was intoxicating, causing Maggie’s stomach to growl. She stepped closer, breathing deep and anticipating every bit. She reached out to take a soft, warm roll but Belle pushed her hand out of the way before she could.
“Not yet, Highness,” Belle said, examining everything. “It must be checked first.”
“Checked for what?”
“There are too many outliers in Priama today. Many of them are not happy that you are our new queen. It would be unwise to eat anything without the proper precautions.”
“Are you saying that someone might want to poison me?”
The look in Belle’s eyes confirmed it. When she had scoured everything, she nodded at Helena who then stepped up to the table, a small talisman held tightly between her fingers. She chanted a few words that Maggie did not understand. As the words were spoken, a fine, blue mist formed over the table and settled on the food. When nothing happened, Helena let go of the talisman. It floated in the air for a moment before vanishing from view.
“We are ready to eat,” Helena said, handing Maggie the roll she had reached for.
“What did you do to it?” Maggie asked.
“I cast a blessing. Had the food been tampered with, by poison, spell, or by some other nefarious means, the blessing would have revealed it.”
“How?” Maggie asked, amazed at how much magic could accomplish.
“Just as we watched the blessing cover the food, a black filament would have appeared around anything tainted. At that point, we would have been able to identify the guilty party.”
“How?” Maggie asked.
“The filament would retreat to the caster. All we would need to do is follow it.”
Maggie looked at all the food in front of her and wondered how easy it would have been to slip something in it at any point of the preparation. “Do other witches know about the blessing? If they do, and they knew they could get caught, why risk it?”
“Magic has its limitations and counter-balances. Some witches believe they can prevent the finding through darker methods. Others do not care if they are discovered,” Belle said.
“Does the blessing always work?” Maggie asked as she stared at the roll in her hand. She had already eaten two bites. “Is it ever wrong?”
“Magic is not perfect,” Helena said. “But I have spent my entire life improving this blessing. It has never failed me.”
“Can I learn to do that?” Maggie asked.
Helena pulled a bowl of soup from the tray and sniffed it. “It depends on your branch of magic. My ability comes from a combination of mind and nature magic.”
Before Maggie could ask any more questions, Belle, Zoe, and Emma sat down to eat as well. The girls who had helped Emma bring in the food rushed back into the cold evening air. Maggie’s stomach rumbled again as she surveyed everything. Warm rolls, steaming bowls of thick noodle soup, a tray of autumn vegetables, and a large cake. Without further discussion, Maggie calmed the hunger that had been growing all day.
The witches ate in silence. With each bite, Belle glanced at the doors as if she expected an attack. When she finished, she stood and paced the hall, her hands pressed firmly against her hips. Maggie watched her muscles twitch with each step.
Maggie took a final bite of her soup then walked over to Belle. “Is everything okay?”
Belle nodded. “I am fine. Go and finish your meal.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
Maggie did not believe her but she did not press it either. She returned to the table and picked up another roll, which was now cold. Shivering, she prepared herself for the short trek back to her yurt.
“Is it okay if I return to my quarters?” Maggie asked.
Helena swallowed what was in her mouth then wiped her lips with a thick napkin. “That is fine. There are no other duties to attend to today.”
“Good,” Maggie said as she turned to leave. She stopped when Belle grabbed her shoulder.
“I will accompany you to your chambers, Highness.”
Maggie nodded then turned to the others. “Good night,” she said to Emma and Zoe then addressed Helena. “Will I see you tomorrow?”
Helena stood and bowed to Maggie. “Sleep well, Highness. I will meet with you again when I can.”
“Enough talk,” Belle said, pushing Maggie in front of her. “The queen needs her rest.”
The air burned Maggie’s lungs as Belle pushed her through the doors. The sun had set and a few stars blinked through the gaps in the winter clouds.
“We have an urgent matter to attend to before you retire for the evening.”
“What?”
“Like you, a darkness has been stirring in the back of my mind all day. I fear you are right. We need to spend more time investigating your first trial.”
“You mean the old witch who warned us of an attack?”
Belle nodded.
“I thought you said we don’t have enough resources to spare on that?”
“We do not, but my heart has been troubled as well since hearing her tale.”
Maggie stepped away from her, dancing in the snow to warm herself. “You said the old woman was crazy.”
“It was better for her to appear that way to prevent a panic. This is a sensitive time for Priama. However, we must deal with this threat quickly and quietly.”
“Why didn’t you say that in the meeting?”
Belle glanced around the empty compound. The cold had pushed most of the witches in doors for the night. “One day you will understand how fragile the politics here really are. Had we given the issue attention, word would have spread around Priama, for good and evil. Now, no one is going to press it.”
“And what are you proposing we do about it?” Maggie asked.
“That is for you to decide. As queen, you must do what you feel is in the best interest of Priama.”
Maggie did not miss the sound of urgency in Belle’s voice.
“Then we must meet with her as soon as possible,” Maggie said. “Where was she taken?”
“I had her sent to my quarters. Come quickly.”
“I’ll need a coat first,” Maggie said, shivering in the open air.
Belle glanced at the moon shining through a break in the clouds and nodded.
CHAPTER 7
Belle lived on a small hillside overlooking a frozen pond outside the city wall. Towering pine trees surrounded her cabin, protecting it from the wind and snow. A narrow garden was nestled near the door. Turning around, Maggie could no longer see the burning torches and fires of Priama.
“This is isolated,” Maggie commented.
“That is how I like it. I am not home often, but when I am, I do not wish to be bothered.” She said it so matter-of-factly that Maggie did not question it. She trudged silently through the snow behind Belle to her front door.
The smell of earth washed over them as Belle pushed the door open. There was no floor, just exposed and packed dirt. With the exception of the floor, it reminded her of her home in Lakes Hollow. The interior consisted of one large room and a long work table running along the back wall, buried under an assortment of books, weapons, armor, and dry roots. A tight alcove to the right of the table housed the rest of Belle’s belongings. Her clothes, a tall stack of books, more weapons, preserved food, hanging herbs, and a few things that Maggie could not identify. To the left of the table was a squat wood-burning stove, red with heat. The witch they had spoken to during the first trial sat in front of it, a heavy blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She glanced up as they entered.
“Oh,” she stammered when she saw Maggie, struggling to rise to her feet.
“No,” Maggie said, rushing over and sitting on the floor next to her. “It’s okay, you don’t have to get up.”
The old witch looked into her eyes and smiled. “I did not know your mother well, but what I did know of her, I hope you emulate.”
“I wish I could have gotten to know her better,” Maggie admitted. “I was finally reunited with her the day she died.”
A single tear traced a line down the old witch’s face. “I know you have had to deal with more than any young witch should have to, and I fear my burden now rests on your already over-encumbered shoulders. I do not think I will be making the journey back to my village to warn them.”
“They are my people as well,” Maggie said. “I will warn them. But you must tell me what you know. What is going to happen?”
“The voices warn me, Highness. They speak of danger and death.”
“But as of yet, your village has yet to experience any of this?” Belle asked.
The old witch shifted on her stool. She glanced at Belle and shook her head. “I believe I saw the beginning of what is to be. The thick winter fog is wicked this season. I fear it brings something evil with it.”
“Did the voices tell you what the evil is?” Maggie asked.
Again, the witch shook her head. “No, my queen. I only know that the cold will be dangerous this winter.”
At the world cold, Maggie perked up. She gripped the old witch’s hand, squeezed it, then stood and faced Belle. “Can we speak outside for a moment?”
When they were back out in the frigid night air, Maggie took a long, deep breath, held it for a few seconds, then slowly released it. She watched the white mist dissipate in the darkness.
“What is it, Highness?”
“I didn’t tell you what the Sisters told me on the Shattered Isle.”
“No, you did not.”
Maggie’s body shook in the cold as she rubbed her hands together. “They warned me about the cold and that I should fear what came with it. What if this is what they were warning me about?”
Belle glanced over her shoulder at the storm clouds lingering on the horizon. “I have never met the Sisters before but from what I have been told, their messages are metaphorical and cryptic.”
“What if this one isn’t?” Maggie asked. “Sure, at the time it didn’t make any sense to me, but what if this hidden danger lurking in the cold is what the Sisters were talking about?”
Belle paced circles in the snow, packing it down into a thin layer of ice. “If danger is coming, it is our duty to protect the covens. However, I am needed here. Alyssa still has followers hiding among us. I fear that in my absence, you would be in danger.”
“What if I go?” Maggie asked.
“You?” Belle cried, coming to a sudden halt. “No. Priama needs you right where you are.”
“Priama needs me to be wherever I can do the most good,” Maggie said. “Right now, I believe the best thing I can do is look into this witch’s claims.”
Belle bowed her head. “You are the queen and I would never dream of issuing you an order, but I must advise against this unwise course of action.”
“It won’t take me long,” Maggie said. “No one will even know I’m gone. I am a fast runner. I can take Loravain with me. He will keep me safe.”
Wind howled through the trees, blowing the snow resting on the top boughs to the ground. Belle shuffled closer to her door. “I will support you in your decision if you desire to do this, but I cannot allow you to go until we have more information.”
The warrior turned her back on Maggie and returned to her cabin, holding the door open for the queen. The old witch stared at them, hope burning brightly in her eyes.
“Please tell me that you will do this for me,” she pleaded.
“I have some questions for you first,” Belle said as she retrieved two more stools from under the table. She handed one to Maggie and then sat down next to the stove.
“Yes, yes. Ask me anything.”
“Where is your village? How far is it from here?”
“At my pace, it is a three-day journey to the north. You would make it much faster than me. A day at most.”
“Does your village have a name?”
“We are mere outcasts who don’t deserve a name but I can show you where it is on a map.”
When Belle moved to the table to find one, Maggie scooted closer and once again took the old witch's frail hands in hers. “What is your name?”
“Talia,” the witch said. “But most just call me Lia.”
“You must be terribly worried for your friends and family, Lia.”
“I am. When I left, the fog was getting worse. I fear for them greatly.”
“Why did you not send someone else to warn us?” Belle asked over her shoulder. She was leafing through a large stack of papers on her table. “You were in no condition to make the trip on your own.”
Lia’s face blushed and her gaze fell to the dirt floor. “No one else believed me. I knew that if I wanted to save them, I would have to be the one to come.”
“I believe you,” Maggie said.
“Thank you, Highness. I know I sound crazy with age, but I can assure you that I am not. My gift allows me small glimpses into the future. Never in my life have the visions been as vivid as they are now.”
“You can stay here until we make sure everything is safe. Then, when it is, we will take you home.”
Lia nodded, heavy tears falling from her eyes. “I do not know if that will be possible. The way home is hard and my body is old and frail. Coming here has only quickened my death. It seems fitting though. I was born in Priama and I will die in Priama.”
Pain coursed through Maggie’s heart. She had only just met Lia but she did not want her to die. “I have a talented healer who might be able to help you. Her name is...,” Maggie started to say but Lia cut her off.
“No, Highness. Thank you for the offer but I am just old. It is my time. My body aches and my memory grows weary. It will be a relief when death finds me.”
Maggie placed her hands on her hips. “How can you say something like that?”
Lia smiled and patted Maggie’s hand. “You are young and still have much of your life and energy ahead of you. I have seen most of what I care for slip from my grasp. I long to be with my dear Tomas again. He waits for me on the other side.”
The emotions on Lia’s face made Maggie long for the same experiences. She could hear the love and tenderness in her voice, especially when she said the name Tomas. Maybe not all witches used men only for labor and other menial tasks.
