The Portal of Anaya - Book 1 - The Origin

Chapter 16 - The Fairy Village

The Fairy Village

Queen Zerda sat at the dresser, smoothing her long ears in front of the mirror while her maid finished tidying her sandy hair in a hairstyle mounted high in her head. The maids hands trembled and she had sweat on her forehead. She was the fifth maid of the Queen this year. All others had been killed in a cruel way for having displeased her at some point. The last, a young orphan, was beheaded in a public square after a strand of the Queen's hair detached from the hairstyle while she was shopping in one of Wicnion's hottest markets.

In addition to the maid, there were three more slaves in the room to take care of the huge chests Queen Zerda brought with her personal belongings. It was the second time that King Rufus invited her for a season in his castle. In the first part, the episode with the fairy who had fallen on the table during dinner, let her thoroughly angered, more than usual, leading her to cut the tongue of a slave who helped her break away from dirty dress only because the unfortunate creature said it would be very difficult to remove the dark stain from the fabric.

Realizing that a drop of the maid's sweat had fallen on the back of her hand, Queen Zerda prepared to determine the punishment for her servant, when, to the terrified maid's relief, the door opened abruptly. From the doorway emerged the redhead and yellow eyes figure of King Rufus.

Queen Zerda rose pushing the maid to the floor, going over her and stepping in her like a carpet, not caring that the thin heel of her shoe painfully pricked.

- Rufus King, how dare you come into my room unannounced? That's how you treat your guests, denying them the right to privacy? And if, by chance, I was in inappropriate attire for a Queen being seen in public? I consider your posture an offense and an invasion, as if I were in my own castle! – The Queen turned to increase the distance between her and the King and noticed her maid on the floor. She went then to her, discharging all her indignation at the inappropriate behavior of King Rufus, kicking her face with the metal tip of her shoe. – Get up, useless! What do you think you're doing there on the floor, you stupid creature?

The maid dragged herself feeling the hot blood running down her nose and struggling to suck it with her own mouth, knowing that if the Queen saw drops of blood on the floor, it would leave her even more prone to beat her.

The King, ignoring the scene, but trying to calm her for his own sake, bowed to her and, head down, talked to her with a soft, gentle voice:

- Queen Zerda, I apologize for the invasion of your quarters. I acknowledge my lack of manners to steal your privacy. In no way I want you to think that this is the treatment I give to my guests, especially to such a noble and elegant lady. However, you are aware I have for you the deepest feelings and that I intended to ask you to marry me during our last dinner. For this reason, I take the blame for the embarrassment caused by the lower creature that put you in such an unpleasant situation and beg you to give me a chance so I can redeem myself.

- A chance to redeem yourself? In what way? – The Queen walked over to the dresser and sat back down.

- The next day after the dinner, – said the King rising – as I noticed your absence during brunch, I imagined the size of your disappointment and that, possibly, you would have returned to your kingdom without giving me even a farewell.

- That's exactly what I did. – She sneered.

-That's why I invited you again, so we could have a new chance. Please accept this gifts I have chosen personally to please you. See!

The King stepped aside and leaned out of the room, giving way to a few guards who brought ten half-naked slaves, chained by feet and hands.

Queen Zerda didn't bother to examine them and limited herself to saying: