The Fallen Queen (2)

Raquel stared at Ryker and his mother as a silence fell between the mother and son. They looked as though a nightmare had come true.

Not able to bear the silence any longer, Raquel asked, “What are you two going on about?”

“Your curse marking…” Duchess Westerwyn said before falling silent again.

“It’s ugly isn’t it?” Raquel joked nervously, placing her mask back on. “I guess it’s why the emperor forces me into hiding it. He hates looking upon my deformed face.”

“No, it’s not that. You look beautiful, even with the curse marking.” Ryker exclaimed. “Well…I mean…Ahem. What I’m trying to say is, it isn’t your mark that shocks us, but rather who placed that mark on you.”

“You mean Lady Diana?” Raquel asked, still confused. “I could have told you that. Taking off my mask was more to know what exactly my curse is…”

“Adath help us.” Duchess Westerwyn muttered in a panicked tone. “She’s been hiding in the emperor’s harem.”

“Mother calm down.” Ryker said. “She wouldn’t be hiding if she still had all her power.”

“Ahem…” Raquel coughed.

Ryker looked at her sheepishly. “Ah…sorry. This must be confusing.”

“Yes, it is.” Raquel agreed. “So, could I get an explanation on all this?”

She waved her hand around in the air to show what she meant. As Raquel did so, there was a sudden knock on the door. A voice then called out.

“My lord…I’ve brought some refreshments.”

Ryker got up. “Mother, I think you should explain everything to her highness. I’ll be back with the refreshments.”

The duchess nodded her head in understanding and Ryker left, leaving the two alone. Raquel then turned to Duchess Westerwyn, waiting for her to speak.

“I’m sure my son has told you that Westerwyn has been a safe haven for witches ever since the witch hunts began 500 years ago.” Duchess Westerwyn said.

“Yes, I do recall that. But what does it have to do with my curse?” Raquel questioned.

“Well, all witches must belong to a coven. It’s how we learn and share spells. And in Westerwyn, there are five main covens. One for each element.” Duchess Westerwyn explained.

“Water, Fire, Air, Earth and Darkness.” Raquel murmured, recalling what she had learnt about witches.

“Yes. We have more covens of course, but all obey the five main covens which each have a queen witch. And normally the Queen Witch is the most powerful witch of that element.” Duchess Westerwyn continued.

“And you are the current Queen of the dark witches.” Raquel murmured.

“Yes…But 40 years ago, it belonged to someone else.” Duchess Westerwyn was silent for a moment. “My twin sister, Lavinie, was the former queen.”

It didn’t take long for Raquel to see where this was going. “Lady Diana is really your sister?!”

Duchess Westerwyn nodded. “My sister got into the forbidden arts and… she began experimenting…”

Duchess Westerwyn fell silent again, a look of shame and sadness falling over her face. But even then, Raquel understood what she meant by “experimenting”.

It was the whole reason the witch hunts had begun and why being a witch alone was enough for a person to be sentenced to death. No matter what type of witch you were.

“So, I take it that something happened?” Raquel asked. “For you to take over as queen that is….”

“Yes.” Ryker answered, taking a seat and placing a gold tray on the table. “People started seeing whole villages get destroyed, many having horrific curses placed on them.”

“I tried to stop her but she went too far. The witch hunts began again but it was worse than before. Mages and priests with divine magic were targeted too…” Duchess Westerwyn stopped again.

“In the end, the four queen witches and my mother got together to end her.” Ryker said. “My mother dealt what was thought to be the death blow.”

“But instead, she lived and joined the harem.” Raquel’s eyes widened as everything fell into place. “She met the emperor and became Lady Diana, helping him with her magic. And it’s why he wanted me to hide my curse marking. It could have been easily recognized seeing as she went on a rampage...”

“Yes… But I don’t know how it happened. How she survived… Her body was destroyed. I..I watched it turn to ash…I…” Duchess Westerwyn held her head in her hands, guilt clear in her voice.

Suddenly Duchess Westerwyn looked up and cried out, “Hale’s Text!”

Raquel watched Ryker’s eyes widened as he exclaimed, “If she really did find it…Only Adath can help us.”

“Hale’s Text?” Raquel asked, lost again.

“It’s an ancient scroll containing some of the most forbidden spells, including that of reviving the death.” Ryker explained. “It was said to have been broken into pieces…Each piece held by those who could protect it from being put together again.”

“No… There’s still a chance. She couldn’t have recovered fully. She’s missing a piece of the text.” Duchess Westerwyn murmured. “Otherwise, she would have risen to power again. When her body was destroyed, a part of her soul was destroyed too… Her magic is still weak like you said, Ry.”

“But where would that piece be?” Ryker asked his mother. “Gods above… This changes everything.”

“Hmmm…” Duchess Westerwyn was silent for a moment. “Your highness, what was your mother’s role in the north before she became empress?”

“She was the leader of a nomadic berserker tribe.” Raquel answered, lost again. “But what of it?”

“Magic of the witch, guidance of the priest, talent of the mage, willpower of the human and strength of the berserker.” Ryker murmured. “United by Hale to form one piece.”

“Enteral life granted with the power of the gods….” Duchess Westerwyn finished. “Your mother’s tribe likely is the keeper of the last piece.”

“That can’t be?!” Raquel cried out. “My mother would have told me if there was some powerful artifact.”

“Your highness, it’s likely that your mother didn’t know either.” Duchess Westerwyn said. “When the scroll was broken apart, pieces were hidden across the continent. Those that hid it formed a way of protecting the hidden pieces, soon taking their lives once their job was complete.”

“Seeing as your mother’s tribe were nomadic and seen as guardians of what was seen as a wasteland…” Ryker added.

“It’s likely they were unknowingly protecting the hiding spot of the last piece.” Raquel’s eyes widened in understanding. “And when the emperor threatened the land, my mother used her power to protect, forsaking her home and becoming empress.”

Suddenly everything her father had done began to make sense. Why he forced her to attack the temples. How he was constantly sending his men to the north, despite saying her mother’s tribe were free to keep the land.

“The emperor was after the last piece of Hale’s Text this whole time… It’s why he used my mother’s tribe to control her and…” Raquel stopped, not wanting to say the last part.

“And why he cursed you. It was to freely search for the last piece without having you stop him.” Duchess Westerwyn murmured. “I guess we have bigger problems to deal with than just the Pellan King.”