The Mad Queen

Chapter Thirty-Five

When the gods left us, the creatures across Vivelle came up with plenty of different beliefs. Some, like the Sons of the Pure, believed that the Goddesses were to blame. They thought that as women were moulded after the goddesses, all women in Vivelle should pay for the crimes of the goddesses. They wrote into their holy texts that no woman should be allowed in a position of authority. That their fathers, husbands, brothers or uncles must be their keepers. To watch over them so they could not manipulate or trick those around them as the Goddesses had. No woman could be trusted. They were impure.

Where the was an extreme on one side, there was an extreme on the other. An older religious order than the Sons of the Pure and just as dangerous. They called themselves The Daughters of the Tainted. They followed and worshipped the Goddesses. Believing that the Goddesses were the only ones who could rule us all. That the Gods and the men shaped in their image were unworthy. They worshipped the death and the darkness of the Goddesses magic. They believed that all women should be worshipped by men.

~History of Religions across Vivelle

Nianzu and I continue the same routine for a week. Travel during the day. Stop at night, gather food, make a fire, I watch first then we swap. The days pass by in one big blur as they all mould together. Nianzu and I talk often. Sometimes he asks me about my sisters and my life before the Trial. I ask him about a little about the forest but I mostly talk about Visara. He was there when she united all of Vivelle. He was by Visara's side. Seeing as I am trying the same thing, it would be silly not to question him over her tactics and decisions. Over the last few days, the terrain has stayed mostly the same. Rolling green hills with occasional woodlands. We pass a few towns and villages but it is mostly wilderness or farmland.  The weather, thankfully, has been great. Warm and sunny most of the time.

"Can we stay in a village tonight?" Nianzu asks as one appears in the distance. 

"Okay," I reply. Nianzu stops and I jump off his back. Once I am off, he transforms back into his human form. He takes the backpack from me and carries it as we walk to the village.

My shoulders have been healing nicely. We've been changing the bandages every night and cleaning. That and I've not been holding the bag on my shoulders which has really helped. They don't hurt as much any more and are now scabbed over. As we get closer to the village, I think about my blonde form. I watch in amazement as my black hair gets shorter and lightens. I look at my slightly darker skin and smile.
"Still freaks me out," I say. Nianzu looks at me and smiles. "Have my eyes changed?" I ask.

"Unfortunately," he smiles. I chuckle. He too has changed his eyes. Making them both the same brown colour. 

We reach the village, only to realise it is actually more of a large town. It is pretty busy and my guess is the end of a market day. I spot a large crowd standing around a man. I frown and lead Nianzu toward it. We push our way to the front so we can see. The man wears dirty, torn clothes. A simple muddy top and stained brown trousers which stop just below his kneecaps. There are no shoes on his feet. His clammy white skin is stained with more mud and stubble lines his ageing face.

"Even now," he says, continuing his conversation. "The young princess defies the gods. She does not understand her place in this world. I understand. She may believe it's unfair. She may believe that she has a right to sit on the throne and rule over us all. But, that just proves her naivety. The Dulavelle daughters have more of a burden than the other women in this world. They don't only have to repent for all the crimes of the goddesses, but the crimes of The Mad Queen. All women were shaped and moulded after the goddesses. The creatures who manipulated and tricked us. Who used their cruel and dark powers to bring about war and death. How can we allow that to sit on the throne again?" Nianzu takes my hand and squeezes it. I look at him and he smiles softly at me.