Wicked Stepmother

Fools or free spirits

As we rode home, Kiora (of course) told me her plan. We would tell my Father the truth, he had all but accepted that she was not really a "wife". Orion would be raised as an illegitimate son and Father would be free to marry again or not as he chose (no doubt like most kings he had mistresses). She would become my companion or adviser or a witch and work on her magical arts.

"I want to stop lying" she told me.

"And how will you ensure Orion has a future when you are not queen?" I asked her, "You will lose your influence over my father and for what? We can be lovers just as easily..."

"I cannot be your lover if I am married to you father" she said angrily

"Why not? You have admitted the marriage is meaningless and you had no choice in it!"

"I do not like his attentions, I do not want him in my bed." she said. I felt sympathetic. My father was too old and fat for Kiora that was for sure.

"But you will be nothing if you cast him off" I pointed out, "when I am queen I can protect you but fr now my father in angry and unlikely to humour me in anything small or large. And although everything will be easier once he dies I..." I stopped. Would it sound childish and weak to admit I still loved my father even though he had got Kiora with child against her will (which sickened me to think of) and even despite the way he had betrayed me.

"I won't even consider killing him" Miss High-and-Mighty said of course.

"Good" I said coolly, "because I wouldn't let you." I said Kiora should have "headaches" whenever my father tried anything and just be too focused on Orion for him to think of visiting her, but stay married to him so she would be queen. I said she and I should be lovers but both also have other lovers and she was angry at this idea and called me all sorts of terrible names.

While we were still in the forest I stopped Seagull and turned on her back, knowing I could trust my horse not to move. Kiora was surprised at this manoeuvre, she was sitting behind me so that I was between her legs, but when I slid around I was in her arms and I kissed her properly on the lips. After a split second of indecision she kissed me back, in the kiss everything she wasn't saying about how much she had missed me and worried about me. 

When I broke off the kiss I continued gazing at her.

"I know you love me" I said to her, "because you never gave up on me even when I didn't play things the way you thought I ought to."

"You're stubborn." she said, "but so am I. If we don't tell your Father the truth then whatever this is between us is going to have to stop!"

"Try to stop it" I laughed, "You won't be able to help yourself."

"You underestimate me" she said in a quietly terrifying voice and I thought of the way she had calmly helped me get rid of the baby, the times I had seen her working at her magic and the rumours that she could be hard, even violent when crossed. Perhaps I had underestimated her and she was more witch than girl after all. But then she wasn't always fully aware of the queen she was dealing with either when she thought of me as a silly girl.

"I haven't cast any bones, or gazed into any crystal balls" I told her, "so I can't predict the future. But I think the kingdom will one day see a powerful alliance between a queen and a witch."

"Witches are generally supposed to be celibate." she said thoughtfully

"People don't have to know everything" I laughed and turned back to let Seagull continue on her way.

"There is a tarot card, the Fool. He is blind and walking off a cliff" Kiora told me

"Does he look worried?"

"No he is a fool, so he smiles"

"What does he symbolise?" I asked

"New beginnings, the unknown, a free spirit."

"Then no wonder he is smiling" I said and her arms around my waist tightened slightly.