Majesty

Chapter 8: The Queen

The world seems hazy; a cacophony of colors, like a splatter painted canvas. As the ambience comes into focus, I see I'm in a grand, vast room. The walls and ceiling are gold and marble; the furniture silk; the toadstools small. Wait, toadstools?

A tiny mushroom bounds over to me, the blue cap dotted with stars and a pair of green glasses perched on it. "Sarah Courtier of Majesty, you are privileged to a visit to the Queen. She is expecting you."

The mushroom tilts its head to a set of heavy doors. I thank it, and slowly make my way over. A pounding pain is set in my head, making concentrating difficult. Eventually, the doors loom over me. Too quickly. Who is this Queen? Do I really want to meet her? Despite these worries and anticipation, a light, like one of a candle, sprouts. Hope and curiosity. Taking this as an auspicious sign, I shove the doors open with my left shoulder.

The walls and ceilings are the same as the room I came from. However, this one lacks the toadstools, and in their place is a massive throne, an intricate carpet starting at me feet, leading up to it. On it seats the woman from the textbook. From my dreams. From my past. From my friends' worries. The Queen's thick, shiny, bright red hair flows over her shoulders, neatly parted, and onto her ivory-colored hoop dress. A tiara of twisted silver branches perches on her head. She's built like a willow tree, long and lean. Her chin is high, but not enough to seem the least bit pompous. However, the most noticing thing are her eyes. They are the color of the sea, then switch to a baby's blanket as the light shifts over them; all shades of purple and blue. A wave a déjà vu startles me.

"I, Queen Emmeline Maxwell, welcome you to the Cloud Castle," the Queen announces, fixing her gaze on me as I stumble on the carpet. "I've been expecting you. Oh, and beautiful dress."

"Thanks, but you have? But I thought I was just another guest?"

She smiles benignly. "Sarah, you are. Except, you are special. Or should I say more special than the other guests?"

"How am I different though? Why is everyone saying that? Drake, Ro, and everyone!"

"Because you are different. Ro, that dear girl, is correct that you have extraordinary powers, except you haven't discovered them. But she was wrong about not trusting me."

"Wait, you know about my conversation with her?"

The Queen gestures around her. "My lovely toadstools are keeping me up to date with the talk of Cloud City. Apparently, the talks is about me."

"My friends and siblings order me not to trust you. Well, I suppose you know that. Why do you have such a bad reputation? And why, again, am I special?"

"My reputation is merely something remembered from my past. I fought on the good side in the battle, but doing so resulted in my infant daughter stolen. I was heartbroken, and fled, and our side lost. The society has been building ever since, but apparently my despair has not been forgotten. As for your talents, they will become most extraordinaire to match one of a more powerful being. Perhaps a god or Great Ruler."

"I hope not. Imagine all that pressure and power that's all yours?"

"That responsibility is mine, unfortunately or fortunately. I'm Goddess of Toadstools, and the Greater Ruler of Cloud City. And advisor of all Majesty. Now, for this information, I require a favor. The level of difficulty depends on your stubbornness."

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

She looks at me sternly. "My request is that you trust me. Your allies and friends will say otherwise, but I know the most about you. The past is the past, we must remember it, but forgive.

"I deeply regret leaving my only daughter to kidnappers to save others, then coming back for her, only to cause defeat. Both sides were equal, but the lack of my assistance resulted in their downfall.

"Every night, I go to bed with guilt. Guilt of leaving my daughter and the battle. Couldn't I have left her with her father who was going to disappear into the heavens, just at least to insure her safety? No, I was too worried and didn't trust him enough. Her father has disappeared into the heavens, but will return if I relocate his daughter and show her to him."[ah][ai]

"That's really a pity. I promise, partly out of pity and partly out of trust, to trust you no matter what others tell me."

The Queen smiles. "Thank you, but I'm a grown up. I'm strong."

"Yes, but even adults suffer through grief and loss."

The doors open abruptly, and Drake, Nin, Amber, and Early dash in. They spot me standing before the Queen. "We need to leave," pants Nin, grabbing my arm. "Plans for tomorrow. You need some sleep."

He drags me out of the throne room as I bid the Queen a goodbye. He looks at me steely. "Tell me everything that happened. Not here. Back in Majesty."