The Mad Queen

Chapter Seventeen: Fallon

The Slave trade thrived during the First War. It was the Humans and Fae who were the culprits. In order to keep the Centaurs in line, the two creatures would work together. Raiding centaur herds deep in the western woodlands. Fae and Human soldiers would overpower the older centaurs with their numbers. But they wouldn't kill them.  Instead, they'd tie them up and make them watch as they stole their young.

These young centaurs would be taken to the mines and forced to work. Centaurs were strong beasts, even as children. The best creatures to lift and carry the stone over and over again. The Centaurs left behind in their homes also became useful. The Fae and Humans blackmailing them to do their bidding. Threatening their captive children if they did not do as they instructed.

The Centaurs could not fight back in fear of their young. So they did as was commanded by their kings. Becoming his woodland toys to use as he pleased. Even being made to enter different centaur herds to either kill all or take their young.

Some of the free herds tried to fight back, to save some of the centaur children held in captivity. Most of the time, with little success. Together, the Humans and Fae had turned a race against each other. Resulting in the near extinction of wild centaur herds.

~The History of the First War of Vivelle. Volume One. Verse sixteen, Chapter One-hundred and twelve.

The Palace is in chaos. Last nights plan had gone better than I could have expected. Illyana is out. Myself, Master Audwin, Emlyn and Juliet had all been working on it since Illyana told us about the part of the Mad Queen's contract that we'd never been taught.

The fire had been a coincidence but proved to be the perfect distraction. I was fully aware of the protocol during an attack. Thankfully, the four of us were together at the time, planning Illyana's escape for the next night. Master Audwin had two maps in front of me. One was the original plans of the building. The other was the new plans. The new plans showed all the secret passageways. At least, that's what we thought. Which explains how my father managed to put guards at all the secret exits we thought he didn't know about it. What he really didn't know, however, is that when Nikalus remade the new palace maps, he kept some secrets off of it. Such as the passage that leads to the little spy hole over the council chambers. Also like the passage that leads from a small door in the courtyard, virtually next to the stables. The old workers entrance to the sewers. That was supposed to be the way Illyana would take. The old toilet drop we deemed too much of a risk if the current was strong. However, the fire blocked the way out into the courtyard. 

When the alarm was raised, we thankfully had everything we needed and knew it would be the perfect opportunity.

"Illyana will be in the Library," I had told the Master. I knew that she always struggled with mathematics and would want to study.  

"I know, I saw her there before we met up here," he told me as he rushed out going to find her. Taking the eyepatch and white eyeglass with him. Emlyn had rushed out too, grabbing the bags we'd just finished packing. He was to go to the stables and take Illyana's warhorse, Trouble, down to passage which would lead down the cliff and into the farmlands.

"Are you sure?" I asked Juliet. She nodded her head.

"Good," I said. I grabbed out the black wig and pulled some spare nightwear from my wardrobe. Thankfully, Juliet is the same height as Illyana and me. She pulls the white hood around her face, allowing the black braid of the wig to dangle from the side. We rushed over to the rug on my floor. Quickly, I opened the little door that was cut into my wooden floor. A passage I'd always known about which lead directly to the stairs of the tower where Illyana's room sits. She slides into it.