Broken beyond repair

Eva's POV

I opened my eyes to a new morning. I sat up and stretched. My skin itched even though we had not slept on the bare ground. I scratched my leg and hands until tiny bumps started to develop. The mosquitos at night were brutal. I looked to my side to Rosé still deep in her slumber. I shook her a bit which only made her stir and turn to her side. I shook her again.

"It is morning," I said into her ear.

She mumbled something incoherently but still did not wake up. I shook again, this time a bit more violent. "Hey, wake up sleepy head."

"Uh..." She sat up and rubbed the sleep off her eyes. "What...?"

I got up. "We have to continue, we are going to the Fortis river," I picked up my bag. "remember?"

"Oh, yes," She was finally on her feet but still a bit disoriented. She looked around confused. "Where is my bag?"

"What bag?" I asked, amused. "We only took one bag."

She blinked at me. "Oh..." She smiled and rubbed the back of her neck. "Forgetful me."

I laughed as she bent down to pick up our clothes and folded them. I put the bag out for her and let her put it in. Once we had everything packed up again, we went on our way. "How could you sleep so soundly with those mosquitos? Didn't they sting you?"

"They actually did." She shared. "I was just that tired."

"Understandable." I agreed.

She stopped in her tracks and me being behind her, did the same and before I could ask what was wrong, she spoke up.

"Do you know who that man was last night?" She inquired,

I shook my head. "No, do you?" I asked.

"She turned around and faced me, her hickory orbs fixed intensively on me. "He was a witch hunter." She revealed.

I felt my heart stop for a second. He had been so close to us. What if he had thought of looking in the bush? Why had she taken such a long time to tell me? She read my mind.

"But he is just a recruit so we were really lucky." She added. "I am surprised, you didn't know that." There was an unmistakable tint of disappointment in her voice and I didn't know how much it affected me until I tried to speak. "I didn't... really... go out... much." I croaked, unable to stabilize my voice. I looked down not wanting to look her in the eyes. I hated that I had become so fragile. A year ago I wouldn't have flinched at that comment but here I was holding back tears. It made me wonder how exactly broken I was. Was I just deceiving myself thinking that I would return to how I used to be?

I didn't know too much about the kingdom, its royals, its knights, or its witch hunters. If not for what Cecilia had told me, I wouldn't have known that only witches and royals wore clothing that was colour purple. When Thomas was alive, he never let me wander too far away from the wilderness we called home. He always had his reasons but I always wanted to explore. I had an adventurous spirit and Thomas had known that. He would always bring me books to tame it. It always transported me from my bed to many places intricately described in their brown pages. They always added colour to the dullest of things. I used to want to go to those places with Thomas, Lisa and Cecilia. So we could share those experiences first-hand as a family at least as the family we once were. Once he died, I was finally allowed to go out, for multiple errands of course but the adventurer in me had been buried with Thomas. I lost a chunk of my soul to the depression and the remaining part I had been holding on to with my life, Cecilia and Lisa had ripped it away from me. I knew that they had lost a husband and a father too but did they need to hurt me the way they did? I had been a sheltered child once but now I had been left in the cold.

"Stop it!" Rosé's panicked voice slashed through my thoughts. I looked up at her and before I could react she pulled me into a comforting bear hug. "It is spreading." She said softly.

I let myself sink into the embrace not knowing what to say. I didn't even know what she was talking about.

"It is ruining your aura." She explained. "I shouldn't have said that. I apologize." She pulled away and wiped the tears I didn't know I was shedding. So much for holding them back, I thought.

I didn't still trust my voice so I kept quiet.

"I'll be careful next time so that it does not spread," She promised. I noticed something as she spoke, the part of the tree where she placed her hand was growing little vegetation. It looked like her touch was causing seeding to sprout. 

She was talking about the gray growing in the center of my aura. I wiped the rest of my tears and nodded. "It is okay. Let us go." I tried to walk on but she held me in place. I did not bother asked her about what I had just seen although I found it enchanting. I could not allow myself to get distracted again.

"No wait, let us check the map," She said. "She took out the map and spread it out. She pinched her fingers on a spot on the map, spread it out and the location she had pinched increased in size. Now more details of the things on the map became visible. I could see the movement of the leaves, the texture of the tree barks, and the little berries on some of the bushes. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen.

"This is amazing!" I shrieked.

"Here we are," She zoomed in more and I saw two people on the map. They were us. I couldn't speak because it was just so unbelievable. I waved my hand in the air and the me on the map did the same. "This is our current position." She used her fingers to swipe to another point on the map and now she had moved it to the river. The Fortis river. The water was moving on the map, even in front of the map I could tell that the current was strong. "Not too long now." She looked at me and put the map out to me. "Do you want to carry it?" She asked with a smile.

"Are you sure?" What if I mishandled it?

"Yes, come on take it." She affirmed and pushed into my shaking hands. I held it but was careful not to squeeze it, we continued due west to the river.

****

Queen Seraphine scurried towards the jailhouse with some guards by her side. She entered it and was greeted by the jailer.

"Where is Martha?" She asked after acknowledging his greetings.

"This way my queen?" He led her to the farthest room where Martha was being kept.

Martha rose the moment she realized who it was. "My queen." She bowed.

The queen gave no reply, instead she looked to the jailer. "Let her out."

The jailer was unable to react as his mouth was agape. "Mmmm... my queen... but..." He stuttered at the Seraphine's request. She had to be joking, he thought. Not only had she killed two kids, one being a royal, but she had also taken away her child.

"Let her go, she is coming with me." The queen repeated, not taking cognizance of the man's shock.

The man looked at the guards as if they had the answer before he did as told. Martha, just like the jailer, was confused and flabbergasted. She could not step out, her survival instincts told her not to come out. The queen might have a dagger, her mind told her. She wanted to finish it personally. Her eyes dashed to the queen's hands but to her surprise saw them both empty.

"Martha, come out." Her voice was as quiet as always but her eyes told a different story. They held a fire that dared Martha not to follow the order.

Martha clenched her hand into a fist and walked slowly until she was directly in front of the queen. Seraphine gestured to one of her guards. "Shackle her." He obeyed with immediate effect. Once that was done she turned to the jailer. "We will be taking our leave." She turned on her heels and walked with the guards, one of them handling Martha's chains.

They reached the inner bailey where the horses and the troops were ready for their next order before the search. Seraphine turned to the guards as everyone around spoke to each other in hushed tones, wondering what the queen was doing with a murderer.

"Mount her on one of the horses, she is coming with us for the search." She told the guard holding on to Martha's chains, who was quick to follow the order.

"And the rest of you are to stay behind,"

"Yes, my queen," They said in unison before leaving.

Seraphine made her way to her horse and took a deep breath but before she could mount her horse, a voice came from behind her.

"Seraphine," It was the queen mother. "Why is she mounting one of the horses?" She didn't need to elaborate on who she was talking about.

Seraphine mounted the horse before answering. "She is coming with us,"

"I forbid that," Rhea was quick to say and then said in a low voice. "What will the people say?"

"As of now, I really don't think it matters, she is the only one who knows where she left my child."

Rhea was quiet for a moment as she studied Seraphine. She had changed a lot since the midwife confessed. The woman that would barely ever show her face to the public was now mounting a horse and taking a murderer along. In her eyes, it was something that had never been there before. It was anger and determination and it was so vivid that Rhea was surprised to find herself intimidated by her formally timid daughter-in-law.

"Alright then," Rhea said, folding her hands behind her back. "Be careful" Rhea turned and left with her guards.

Seraphine held the reins of the horse and led it to the front of the troops. They were assembled in six rows as she had ordered. She cleared her throat.

"Good morning, I am sure you know what we are for?" She said in a strong voice that commanded attention.

"Yes, your majesty." They replied. Their voices are loud enough to show their enthusiasm to serve the queen. It was the first time anyone had seen her like this. She wore her long hair in a single braid. She had on a green mid-length gown, that was far from befitting for a queen but was also in a colour that they knew symbolized something important in Merynia. The dark green she wore meant warfare. The witch hunters wore uniforms of the colour and the knights' gambeson was no different. Yet she had no problem carrying it with such grace and power that it made them respect her even more. Seraphine was not just a queen, at the moment she was a mother on a quest to find her child.

"We will split up into three groups. Two rows will go to Kadon, another two will search in Cerdon and another group including myself and the midwife will search Thandon. Are my words clear?"

"Yes, your majesty." They said in chorus.

She divided the troops herself after which she reminded them to use the paintings in the search. Soon they were ready to leave when a messenger came.

"My queen, a letter for you." He bowed.

"From who?" She inquired.

"From prince Darius."

She collected the letter. "Thank you."

"You are welcome, my queen." The messenger went on his way.

Seraphine spread out the letter to see only to see. 'Good luck, my queen." It meant a lot. She looked up at where his chamber was and smiled.

She kept the letter and took her horse's reins and led it to the gates which opened for her and her troops to exit. They reached the outer bailey and the drawbridge was lowered for their passage. They crossed over the moat and left on their mission.

****

Eva's POV

It was afternoon when we got to Fortis. The sun was shining brightly overhead and radiating its heat. We were both exhausted and so was our water.

"How are you holding up?" Rosé asked me.

When I turned to answer her, I noticed wrinkles on her face that weren't there before. Her body was conserving its energy already.

"Could be worse," I answered. I took a good look at the water and got more tired. It was worse than I had thought. One toe it that thing and one was a goner. I looked at Rosé for a solution since there was nothing we could use to cross in sight. She had a deep frown on her face.

"If only they chose me." I heard her mumble to herself.

I waited a bit before asking. "How do we cross the river?"

"Maybe you should ask Nadia." Her tone was sarcastic and aggressive, it reminded me of Lisa. She turned to me with the same aggression, it was also clearly written on her pale face. "Because I don't know what to do."