Chains breaking, bodies burning and an unshakeable feeling of dread. I wake with a start. What was that dream? What a cruel thing to behold. As I was trying to come to terms with myself, assuring an invisible companion that I was fine, a single name passes through my lips, as silent and fleeting as the dream I had of the Man behind it.

“…Keith…”

I lie in bed feeling despair, awake but not aware; alive but only just. I force my limbs to move, urging my fingers to take a hold of my bed so that I may help myself up but they prove to be as lifeless as they seem. My legs refuse to stretch and move, my muscles neither contract nor make any forms. I am trapped in a prison of my own design. I am a helpless spirit chained to a lifeless body. I stay flat on my back with my auburn eyes fixed on my ceiling, magicked to imitate the outside sky. A trapped bird’s dream of freedom, I think to myself. I feel a tingling sensation near my abdomen. It’s warm. I must be urinating. How ironic for a Queen obligated to serve her People to not even be able to help herself, to not even be able to act on behalf of her betrothed. What was with that dream? Was it an omen or with what little mercy they had for me, the Gods decided to ‘bless’ me with a vision of what has already come to pass? I ponder to myself these questions that probably do not have any real answer. I need to get the word out. I need to ascertain Keith and Alicia’s safety yet I cannot move nor do I have the influence or authority to send out a scouting squad to determine their whereabouts. I am a mere figurehead used by the Governors to control Valiante. A Queen helpless in the face of the Machinations of Man. I knew that I was born for greatness, that I was born to serve and to love but luck was not on my side. When I was younger, I suffered a horrible accident that disfigured my spine. I loved riding horses and I loved taking them out for a ride every afternoon after practicing both the Sword and the Magical Artes. I especially loved riding with Keith and Alicia, as I had done so in my youth, one can say that riding was my way of reliving the happier days where we could simply frolic about in peace. The faithful day came suddenly. I was finished training my body so I went for a ride around the Royal Hunting Grounds. As my Horse was galloping, preparing to make a jump over a fence, it suddenly collapsed. I was found buried under the horse, my back shattered. That day robbed me of my body. I can no longer walk, I can no longer run but worst of all, I can never be able to hold ‘his’ hand in mine ever again.

The doors to my room burst open and my friend Artesia enters my room bringing with her the scent of mushroom soup and tea. I call her my friend yet there is more to Artesia than most care to admit. She is a servant of the Royal Family but in truth, she is my half-sister from one of my Father’s many affairs. She was given a job as a Maid and a home by my late Mother but I decided to keep her close to me as a confidante, a friend but most importantly because she is my Sister, regardless of the circumstances of her birth. She seems chipper as usual, she’s humming her favorite tune and is walking towards my bed with a skip in her step. I smile at her like I always do and she smiles at me like she always does. Without saying anything, having without the need to, we communicate our love for each other with that simple familial gesture that you would give a friend, but to us both it means so much more.

“Good morning, Artesia.”

“Good morning, Your Majesty” as she bows towards me. “It’s time for breakfast.”

As usual, she is polite and rigidly meticulous, just the way she likes it. Artesia was trained by the Ladies of our Convent to the strictest qualities of a Lady of the Royal Court in terms of conversational skills, studies and etiquette and she has since lived by and through her training. I try to tell her that she need not concern herself with formalities and customs but she gives me a glare that makes me want to just quiet down and forget whatever concern I had with her overly professional decorum. I look at her and I nodded, signifying that I was ready for breakfast. Artesia removes my sheets and seeing what I had done in my moment of weakness, she gives me a sad smile.

“I apologize for making a mess of my sheets, Artesia. I think I am starting to lose control of my bladder as well.” As I smile weakly.

She just stares at me and I notice a faint tear run down her face. She soon starts crying, kneeling at my bedside putting her head on my chest. I try to hug her back but I cannot. I can only stare in weakness as my Sister cries for me.

“My Queen. My Sister. Why do the Gods test you like so? You have done no harm to anyone that did not deserve it. You are a stalwart of Justice, an enemy of oppression and a patron to the poor, so why you? The Gods know of my wish to trade places with you yet they do not grant it. Why must life be so unfair? Why you? Why my beloved Sister?”

I am touched by my Sister’s love for me but she gives me far too much credit but to think that she felt this way, to think that she wanted to exchange places with me, for this alone I am thankful.

“Artesia, you must never wish to take over my disability. This is my burden to shoulder and mine alone. I am merely carrying the sins of my Father and of the Kings before him and for a single member of the royal family to carry the burden of this curse is more than kind. I believe that we all have our roles to perform in this world and I know for myself that you are going to do great things in this world one day but for now, I kindly ask for you to keep on looking after me, though I am but the anchor that weighs you down.”

I sincerely share my honest feelings with Artesia but it affected her more. She started crying more but now, she was tenderly hugging me as though she was a younger sister who just got scolded. How cute.

“My Queen, if taking care of you is a burden then allow me to carry it for the rest of my life. As long as I am with you, the Queen I admire and the Sister that I love, I am happy to live the rest of my life in servitude as long as it is in service of Your Majesty. This I swear on mine honor.”

“If we want to live for a long time together then I would like to eat my breakfast first. I believe I am dying of hunger.”

I smile at her and she looks up at me and she starts laughing and of course, I start laughing with her. To be showered by love and care by this Sister of mine is enough for me, at least it should have been enough for me. Deep in the darkest recesses of my heart, I feel anxious, worried… Keith. Where are you?

“My Queen?” She wipes face with a handkerchief “Is there anything that pains you?”

How perceptive. “Yes, Artesia. I had a dream. I saw Keith surrounded by dread and war.”

“A…a dream, you say?”

“Yes. I have never felt this anxious before.”

“I…I see. Well, for now let me feed you this soup that I made. It’s starting to cool down enough to eat!’

“Yes, please. Let’s eat.”

What was that hesitation just now? Just what are you not telling me, Artesia?

I look to my window and soon find my thoughts racing towards the man that I love, the man that I am to marry. Marrying Keith has been my dream ever since I was a young girl but all of that was put on hold when his parents were framed for rebellion towards the crown. My father, the late king, ravaged their land with magic and alchemy which led to its collapse. Keith’s parents who strongly believed in noblesse oblige or in the noble’s obligation fought the insurmountable odds but they too suffered from disease and famine until they eventually died. The shock of losing his parents and everything that they owned caused Keith great trauma which damaged his temporal lobe making him susceptible to memory loss. By my count, Keith has lost his memory once. Luckily for me, Alicia found Keith one fateful day and declared him her Knight. Although I was anxious about Keith’s malnourished state, I was happy that Keith himself was alive. That was enough for me. I know of Alicia’s great love for Keith and I have no intention of handing him over to her, that much I know to be true.

I was originally what people called a prodigy in the use of runes but without the use of my limbs, I have but one ability left which is the ability to read the future through my dreams. I am what people believe to be an oracle of sorts, with most of my dreams heralded as either a sign of blessings to come or a harbinger of death and tragedy. Right now, my dreams have shown my beloved surrounded by death. I have to bring him back. I just have to.

I obediently allowed Artesia to change my sheets and feed me my breakfast. She then gave me a bath. I love taking baths and if anything, I find baths relaxing. My favorite scent is honey lemon, something Keith described to be the smell of his idea woman when we were younger. I giggle to myself and I find Artesia smiling at me though it was short lived.

Seemingly fumbling with her thoughts, Artesia gives off a feeling of anxiety. “My Queen,” she looked at me seriously, “I have terrible news.”

Thump.

My heart is rapidly beating. I can almost hear it through the aroma infused water I was bathing in. I hold back my worry and I tried putting on a brave face. I earnestly looked at her. “What is it, sister?”

“It’s Keith.” Artesia knelt beside me and held my hand. Of course, I cannot feel it but I can feel the empathy flowing from her body to mine. “We received a communique from Lady Belle.” She paused, “It seems as though Governor Seras has made his move.”

I could feel my heart breaking. “Is” I stammer and I can’t find the words to describe what I am feeling nor can I complete my question. I don’t think I can bear to know.

“My queen, he is alive but missing. Lady Belle believes him to be with Reaper of the Iron Maiden Squadron of the Republic of Pantheon.”

So he’s with ‘that’ woman. Fine, at least he is alive. But Seras cannot be forgiven.

With resolve in my eyes and fire in my heart, I declared the following. “Artesia, Anthedon cannot be forgiven. Mobilize the army and demand for his arrest. The fool has violated the treaty between our nations having attempted to murder the blood of a noble of the Kingdom of Valiante.” I paused as I watched her nodding. “I do so order as the Queen of the Kingdom of Valiante. Let the fires of justice raze the garden of its weeds and vermin.”

Having received my orders, Artesia nodded. “For the glory of the kingdom and her dominion, let your will be done my Queen.”

I will see you soon Keith but only after I rid the world of the scum that dared to harm you.

_________________________________________________________________________

Author's Note

Two in one day. Merry Christmas everyone - is what I would say had I posted this earlier but it has now been edited and improved for your viewing pleasure. Anyway, Astarte is one of my favorite characters in this work. I think that she is sweet and that she will always resolve things through fair means. She's one of the truly pure characters in the series but unfortunately, she's completely paralyzed from the neck down. Anyway I hope you don't let her disability get to you and enjoy her for what she really is, one hell of a woman! Hope you enjoyed one of the more dramatic entries in Trouble!

Alizoned