chapter 10

Queen Margaret made sure the window was properly closed. Eleanor was tensed. She sat quietly, staring ahead. Trying to place what the queen wants to showed to her that it would demand she closed the carriage window completely.

She breathe in deeply. Not wanting to show any sign of anxiety. She could feel the queen's gazed on her. Piercing her softly. Why did she feel strange all of a sudden.

"My princess you look nervous".

" Just wondering what you want to show to me". She said in a rush.

" Calm your nerves. It something enchanting".

They were seated side by side at one end of the carriage seat. As queen Margaret rose to the opposite side, the princess breathe flutters . Their eyes met.

Queen Margaret let her lips curled up in a smile, her eye lit up leaving the princess in a maze. She could never see to the end.

The princess thoughts was diverse. "what was amusing the queen?. What was she hiding?. What is she thinking?. Is she planning to harm me" she thought.

She felt heaviness on her lips as she parted it to asked the queen to showed to her what she wanted her to see and not keep her waiting.

There was a distraction. they heard a knocked on the carriage door.

"My queen, my princess... I have the bread we bought from the inn if you are hungry".

None answered. The knights called again.

" I'm thirsty" the princess managed to say after shifting the carriage window blinds with her right hand. Still maintaining an eye contact with the queen. Queen Margaret tilted her face gracefully. She lifted it a little above her shoulders and reclined on her seat.

"Okay my princess". The destrier rider responded and left to the carriage behind to get water for her.

Princess Eleanor break the gaze. She gulped and purses her lips. The carriage was beginning to feel too hot for her. She drifted to the window and jutted her head through it.

Letting the breeze calmed her tension. She was looking at the moving trees. The wheels of the carriage churning into her ears. The sky being so calmed and blue. Then the breeze caress her hairs distributing it to all four cardinal points. North, south, east and west. It fell over her face. She could see no more.

She pulled her head back into the carriage. One after the order. She pulled the hair off her face. Slowly, like she was in pains. Queen Margaret offered to helped but she declined. Wanting to take her time to digest her fears.

The knight whips his horse to catch up with the carriage the princess was in. He gave the water skin to her. She took it and drank as if she was starving. Not minding that the water bathe her to her corset. The water made a water skin out of her pink dress.

"Take it easy Eleanor. You are messing up your dress". The queen said. She stopped drinking and gave the water skin back. Not looking at her.

"Closed the blind" . She heard the queen ordered. Her heart began throbbing in her chest again.

Reluctantly, she closed the blinds again. "Showed me" she said to queen Margaret. With a commanding tone. Queen Margaret knitted her brow at her. Few moment ago she was nervous. Now she speak so calm and brave.

The queen gave her a smile. Eleanor looked into her emerald eyes. Her blue eyes teasing the queen. The queen could see her self in it. She chuckled.

The princess was oblivious, she raised her shoulders opening both her palms apart.

"What?" she asked still maintaining the shrugged. She hate to be kept in suspense.

Queen Margaret opened her right palms and left it in the air in between them.

Princess Eleanor's gaze traveled from her eyes down to her palms.

Light emerged. The princess flinched. White light that burns with orange and green and lilac glows in-between her palms.

"Don't be afraid princess. It won't hurt you".

What... Who are you?". She asked. Her legs sat with her on the seat. Tightly she hugged her knees to her chest".

"what are you". She asked again.

"I am a legacy".

"legacy" she repeated. "Yes legacy"

" W…what do you mean by that?" she asked still shivering. She didn't understand why she was so scared

"I am the daughter of a demigod. If you are born of a demigod. You are their legacy ".

" You mean your parents are not humans". The queen nodded. She was looking at Eleanor plainly.

"And…and your mo…mother you said she was sick..., gods! do they fall sick?"

Princess Eleanor heaved. Her adrenaline was high. She shifted to the door. Removing her hands slowly to the carriage handle. She was still not sure if the queen wouldn't harm her.

She began to worried for self. Maybe her father was right. She was making a mistake following this woman to her kingdom.

They were already too far away. There was no turning back. She was at the verge of regretting but she held her peace.

"My mother is a human" queen Margaret said. Her voice as sonorous as it could get. Sweet and enticing.

Princess Eleanor's eyes were popping.

"From..." she gulped ".wh..which kingdom?" All this while she was over excited about traveling with queen Margaret. She never knew the kingdom they were headed to.

"I am from Serpent Land" queen Margaret said. Immediately her blonde hair turned blue. Her eyes gleaming yellow. She possesses a different aura. Of strength and godly. A scent so strong that choked the hot air in the carriage.

Princess Eleanor shivered but then put her self together. She is not know to be feeble. Even though she must take extra precautions. She shifted the door handle to see if it would opened.

It did turn. She was now convinced that if anything goes wrong she shall throw herself out of the carriage.

Queen Margaret turned to looked at her.

"Leave the door handle princess" Her skin was white and moist with luster.

Eleanor let go slowly. She knew little about demigods. From what she red in books. Their appearance might be different from humans. It means this might be her real self.

If she was a child of both a demigod and human. She shouldn't have much power. Why did she ignites the light?. She seems strong. So many thoughts paraded her mind.

"Do possessing the blood of a demigod makes you any different from humans"

"It depends on what you inherited and how powerful your demigod parents are. If not you are no different from an ordinary human being".

Princess Eleanor was beginning to relaxed. Though not completely.

"You said your mother is a human. And no human looks like this. So it means your fathers looks exactly like this". As she was communicating with the queen, she was looking at the ceiling of the carriage. She couldn't looked into her eyes. The were too bright for her to stared

"Yes. I took after my father". For some moments they were silence. She was a lot relaxed now. Still searching her mind for what to say or asked.

" So...so why were you different?". She finally found another question.

"This is how I am. What you have been seeing and what you knew me for was a disguised".

She heaved and swallowed her saliva. Maybe she would love to know more about her. May be she won't hurt her like she had earlier imagined. Just maybe she was a lot more different from queen Charlene and queen Daniella who looked for any little opportunity to hurt her. Now that queen Margaret had her all to her self. What would she do with her. Eleanor thought.

"You mean the long blonde hair and emerald eyes. Your fair skin and more where mere disguised".

She nodded and turned to her. " I promised the king that I was not going to used my powers when I'm in his kingdom. I had to disguised so I won't be obvious". Eleanor covered her eyes with the back of her palms.

"please look away. I still need my eyes intact".

"Sorry Eleanor" she chuckled

"My father" she pointed at herself "knows about your" she pointed at the queen "powers". She looked at the queens face from under her eyes. oblivious.

And again the queen nodded. Princess Eleanor was unable to looked into her eyes because it was gleaming.

If her father knew about her strange looks and didn't bother. Then she wouldn't harm her. Her trust for the queen rose to two percent. She was not meant to trust any one except her late mother. This, her father always tell her to not trust even him on some judgement.

"by trusting too much you becomes weak Eleanor". So, that she trusted the queen with two percent. It means she trusted her a whole lot.

"Relaxed princess I cannot hurt you. If you don't relax I shall return to my former self".

" I..I...am re... relax". She breathe in and out deeply.

" I am relaxed.

"I let the veil fell off because we are no more in Golden Hill. I kept to my promise".

She looked at the princess waiting for her to come around.

" We can go out of this carriage".

"Really?" Eleanor said with dilated eyes

" Yes".

She was excited that she could finally see the world without obstruction. Without protocol. But she suddenly withdrew like tortoise into it shell.

"But how?". She asked.

"by teleporting". Queen Margaret said lively.

Eleanor was looking at her indifferent.

"what?" she asked when she saw the obvious looks on her face. She thought she would be happy hearing that. After all she was the one who wanted to see the world.

"why go through this long journey. Why didn't you teleport your self to your kingdom?". She asked her thoughtfully.

Queen Margaret blinked at her question and her emerald eyes returned but her hair was still blooming blue and her skin white.

"my kingdom is not like all other kingdoms. I'm not so powerful to enter into my kingdom by teleporting. I can only stopped by the nearby kingdom. Like I told you before. I completely forgot about my powers when I married your father".

Eleanor nodded.

" But before we te…le…port" princess Eleanor lifted her index finger in the air and withdrew slowly.

"Let's begin with your name. She tried to relaxed on the seat. "I'm sure Margaret is not your real name. What is your name?".

" You are very smart Eleanor". The little compliment brought smiles to her face.

" My name is Jessica"

" Which demigod is your parents?"

"The serpent god. Now no more questions… let go". Give me your hands. She asked for the princess hands but she was feeling reluctant.

"Your hands. She gave up and gave her her hands. They vanished away.

Their carriage was still going under the bright sky. The troops following them didn't allowed any to passed until they did. No birds perched on the carriage without the knights permission.

They were still tracking their way ahead until they fell into the hands of this angry villagers who blocked their path.

The were many of them carrying woods and planks. First the two knights inside the carriage in front alighted and stood by the carriage of the queen and Eleanor. Their hands against the handle of their sheathed sword. The ones on horses drew their swords, they made sure none of the villagers passed through them.

And behind, they barricade firmly too. Fifteen knights guarding an empty carriage with their life. The path was a T- junction. They were surfacing from one end when they got block at the centre.

The captain and two other knights went to the villagers and demanded for the leader amongst them.

"my name is Gabriel. We are the indigenes of this village. We demand to know who you are and where you are headed" the man said turning to look at his brothers. They all concurred. They were dirty looking peasants who from their sight one could tell they were under bondage.

The just found their freedom and they were parading the village to deal with people whom the suspected to be the mastermind behind their captivity in their own land.

"we are knights from Golden Hill kingdom and passing by your village. We mean you no harm". Captain Ken was shouting so that the message can get across to them. The stood roundabout, blocking the boundary into their village where the knights were heading to. Sealing their every chance to get ahead

"Lies". one of them spoke. He was frail and hungry looking but his voice was heard from afar.

"The men from Black Dust Empire came and destroyed our crops, raped our women and murdered our sons. They have kept us in bondage for the past months. We are just breaking freed. So don't blame us for not believing if you speak the truth. We demand a proved". The first man, Gabriel spoke.

"Yes!" they chorus. " Give us reasons to believe you.

"prove that you are not warriors of Black Dust Empire disguising as knights of the highly protected kingdom, Golden Hill". Another man in green peasant clothing said.

Seeing that this villagers were serious. They might keep them here for long if the don't do something. And what would they do other than negotiates with them. Ken looked at them.

They villagers were with sticks and they had metal sword. If the were to fight they could easily defeat them but he was not ready to spill blood. Not when the could be another way out. Another thought came to his mind. That some of them might be hiding in the bush.

"The uniform should tell the difference. Black Dust Empire warriors are know for their gothic wear. What has good got to do with black". Ken told them boldly staring into their eyes.

They saw sense in what he said. They put heads together to come into a conclusion.

"We demand that the nobles whom you guard addressed us. Then and only then shall we give you way to pass".

Ken was not willing to accept that but the two knights spoke something into his ears and his glare soften. The knights later agreed to present their queen to addressed the villagers. Ken went to the carriage window.

Meanwhile princess Eleanor and queen Margaret were on a hilly plain in a certain kingdom. Eleanor was giggling and jumping like a kitten that was let loose. The large landscape staring her in the face. The sky was blue beyond the horizon but white where she was.

"It looks as though I am in a large case. Or an egg perhaps, where I can see the edges". She told queen Margaret who was still holding unto her hands.

"look over there the sky meet the earth". She pointed to the queen.

"If you go close Eleanor you will see that the sky is as high over there as it is here. That is the horizon".

She kept looking admiring every time she spent on the plains. The soft grasses which she walked on. The air here was different from that in the carriage. Cool and fussing .

She let go of the queen's hands and ran some distance. Leaving her hands to float as she run. Her hair came after her.

Queen Margaret was smiling at her. Loving every moment they spent together. She sat down near the creeping juniper still tracking Eleanor with her eyes. Suddenly she heard her name.

"My queen". He received no answer "My princess" still no answer.

"My queen, queen Margaret". His blood boiled up. His head was at stake if anything goes wrong.

"My princess". He called again. Louder than before. Yet no response came.

" I shall opened the carriage door and looked inside my queen and princess if neither of you shall response". He was stunned and worried at the same time if they were fine. Other knighit were staring at him. Questioning in their mind what was actually going on.

"Eleanor come here quickly. Our attention is needed back in the carriage"

"righteous! Eleanor exclaimed. She was spinning around under the mild evening sun. Just like in her kingdom and in her father's garden. "I don't want to return just yet. It boring in there".

All eyes were on Ken and the carriage. The villagers murmured why he was taking so long to bring forth the people in the carriage.

"it must have been a proud one who doesn't want to step on the same sand as the poor". Another of the villager spoke.

"For the last time my ladies. If you do not permit then I'm compelled to opened the carriage door".

Queen Margaret felt hot pees pressed her bladder. Eleanor shall let her little secret in the open. The knights would report her to the king. She didn't want that but Eleanor was too stubborn to listen. She was laughing heartily at her new found freedom.

"Eleanor you shall be dizzy if you spinned for too long a time".

"I would love it".

"come let's go"

" If you want us to go back, come and get me". She giggled again running down the moderately sloppy hill.

The queen ran after her but she was too fast for her.

"Where is your powers" Eleanor teased. Queen Margaret stood still and gave a heavy breathe. She was going to catch her right. She sprint towards her. Swift and steady.

Eleanor couldn't contest. She dropped on the ground and shout and laughed and clapped at her speed. Immediately the queen got hold of her. They found themselves in the carriage. They were sweating and panting. They still had the mirth in their eyes. Queen Margaret had returned to her normal self.

Ken opened the carriage... And there they were!. They tried to maintained their cool. By giving Ken a questioning look with a frown.

"Forgive me my queen but I have been calling and there was no response".

" We were too engrossed in our talks that we didn't ear you call". Queen Margaret lied. Eleanor nodded biting her inner cheeks to suppressed her smiles. She looked away and down her gazed went to her fingers.

Ken almost suspected something. He was looking at Eleanor with a confused stare. When Eleanor lifted her head. He looked away. The queen clears her throat.

"Why were you calling and why is the carriage not moving". She asked

Ken seems surprised that she didn't notice the carriage had not move for quite some time now. but waved it aside and responded.

"my queen. We have been blocked by an angry villagers about an hour ago. They demanded that you stepped down".

She looked at the princess. Eleanor squint her eyes. The queen bite her lips and faced her front. Raising her head so high.

" Please my queen… you shall stepped down and addressed this villagers blocking our path. They demand your words as a ransomed for us to moved ahead"

Ok". She looked at princess Eleanor again who was overly excited. She chuckled. "Go on my queen". The queen stepped down.

When she came before the villagers. Seeing this pretty woman. They were intoxicated by her beauty. They started smiling sheepishly. Some of them drooled at her but shoved it to avoid consequences. She could never be their match.

" This is the queen…".

"I can speak for my self". She told Ken.

He gulped and bowed, apologizing.

"my name is Margaret. The fourth queen of Golden Hill kingdom. My knight had made it clear that you hold us hostage". Her tone was precise staring them in the eye.

"no my queen. We dare not". The frail looking man who had earlier spoken bowed.

The queen turned to Ken who was now dazed. The queen might consider him a liar. He thought

Eleanor had stepped down also. She was beside the queen. Queen Margaret felt nothing but pity for this hungry looking peasants. She wished the was something she could do to soothe their plight.

"My lady. We demanded to see you in person to be sure he was not lying to us. Now that we have, we apologized for the inconveniences and request that you continued with your journey in peace ".

She wanted to give them something but must take permission from Eleanor since the king specially parked the carriage because of her. She turned to her and crouched to her level.

"this people needs our help". She said in a whisper.

"do to them as it pleases you my queen". Eleanor said and bowed to her.

She then straighten and turned to looked at them. " The sky is setting very quickly. You need to return to your homes because even the Black Dust Empire warriors whom you seek, if they stumbled into you. You all shall be dead men".

Ken was numbed with shocked. Few moments ago. She asked what was going on. Now she is saying exactly what these villagers were fighting against. Even Eleanor was surprised but when she remembered what happened back in the carriage. She let it slip.

Queen Margaret unsheathed Ken sword. Every one of the villagers stepped back. They were all staring at her. She took some metres closer to one of the peasant.

She point the sword at him at first he stood blank but when she kept stepping closer he pulled his log of dry wood at her. She cut it into two halves. She turned away from him.

"Look what you carry. They carry metals of sword, axe, spear, and lots more. Everything iron". She was walking among them. "Return now that you can to your homes before you become meat for their feast".

They dropped their weapons and was about leaving when she told the knights to give to them the food and fruits in the two carriages.

At first Ken was reluctant to give the order but Eleanor gave him the go ahead.

The villagers got what they could and returned happily. They continued on their journey passing through the village.

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