Queen Zezanna

Queen Zezanna - Chapter 8

The following day proceeds without anything important happening. It sure goes by slowly, though... The entire day my mind is on Ysana.

The sun goes down, and I meet up with Heroth and Emma behind the castle.

"Are you prepared to head out?" Heroth asks.

"Of course." I nod my head.

"What exactly is the plan?" Emma asks.

"We'll see when I get there." I shrug.

"You don't even have a plan?" Heroth asks.

"I want us to talk this out. I want to hear everything she has to say, and I want her to hear everything that I have to say."

"I'm certain you've thought this through carefully." Emma says. "I believe in you."

"My mind is wild right now. I haven't thought anything through. Let's get going." I tell them.

Heroth groans in frustration, but he follows us.

Heroth has already paid off two guards near the back so we can sneak out without anybody knowing. The same two will be on guard when we get back, so nobody should even know that we were missing.

"And this will be the last time you sneak out." Heroth mutters.

"It's not the first, and it won't be the last." I tell him. I've snuck out of the castle plenty of times to go mess around in the woods or with a guy I like. Heroth doesn't need to know about all of that, though...

We walk carefully, with Heroth leading the way. We manage to get to the clearing without seeing any wild predators or anything.

Ysana is leaning against a tree at the far end of the clearing. She's wearing a tattered dark red dress, a black pearl necklace, black eyeliner, and no shoes.

"So, you came." She says, looking towards us.

"Yes. Emmaline refused to let me come alone, so we brought Heroth. He will not do anything so long as you are civil." I tell her.

"Works with me." She shrugs, then starts walking towards me.

I start towards her, but Heroth stops me.

"We can do this from a distance." He tells her.

"Whatever works." Ysana tells him. She then waves her hand, and makes some chairs appear. "We may be here a while, so take a seat if you want."

"We cannot know for certain that this is not a trap. I apologize, good ma'am, but we will pass on your generous offer."

"I understand." Ysana nods her head. She sits down on one of the chairs, then waves the rest away.

"So, Ysana, have you reconsidered where you stand?" I ask.

"Zezanna... You've made me think a lot. I've been stressing over this a lot, but I do believe that I have come to a conclusion. My father has been pushing me to kill you, but my heart just wants me to stand beside you. I... It's tough."

"Your father?" Emma asks. "Isn't he dead?"

"The spirits of the undead. They're fairly easy to reach, especially for a witch. Of course, that is no substitution for years and years of being without them to guide you... To miss their guiding hands and loving hugs during some of the most vulnerable years of one's life... I lived a tough life. You three who grew up in the castle could never understand, not even you, Emma, though you come from peasant parents. The fields and the woods are two very different places."

"I don't claim to understand." Emma says.

"You do seem like good people, but my father also warns of your trickery. The nobles often befriend those who they believe they can use and abuse. To either steal my power for your ill gains, or at least get me the hell out of your lands... You have good reason to be kind."