DAMEISELE CWĒN (Damsel Queen) 2

[sidhe_faerie]

 Escape

Taralen grew to be a beautiful child. She was as strong and stubborn as her father. Her blonde hair showed the silver strands of Royal blood early. Her wings were edged in gold like her mother and she had her mother’s large dark grey eyes.

Dagda did as he promised and took his daughter to the temple of the Mother Goddess as often as he could. Taralen enjoyed the time at the temple. Dagda hoped she would become a Holy Sister when she was of age.

Deidra had to remind her husband that their daughter was a princess and most assuredly would be forced into an arranged marriage. Dagda refused to believe it and kept his hope that she would take the veil as he believed she would. 

In the middle of Taralen’s fourteenth year, Dagda’s fear of war came to be a prediction. The Fae of the outer villages rose up against their Queen and a civil war started throughout the Realm.

As a captain of the warriors, Dagda led the battle to the east. The battle was bloody and many Fae on both sides died in the battle. Once the uprising to the east had been subdued, the warriors came home with their dead.

Deidra stood with the other warrior’s wives as the troops came through the castle gates. She looked everywhere for Dagda but she couldn’t find him. She assumed he was at the back of the column and waited as patiently as she could.

“My Lady?” One of the other captains came up to her. He looked down at his feet before he spoke. “I have news of your husband.”

“What is the news?” Deidra assumed he had stayed behind to secure the front. She was not prepared for what followed. 

“Dagda fought bravely and it was an honor to be in his command.  He died in battle. We have brought his body home to be entombed with honor.” The captain said.

Deidra didn’t hear anything else as the world went suddenly black. The captain caught her as she fainted. He called the guards to take her to her chambers.

Two guards came forth and one picked the fainting princess up in his arms and took her to her chambers. 

Taralen sat waiting in her parents’ chambers when the guards came in. The one carrying her mother put her on the bed and gave her a pitying look. They left as quickly as they came. 

“Mother! Mother!” Taralen tried to wake her by gently shaking her. Taralen looked around to see if her father was behind them but he was not.

Deidra slowly opened her eyes. “Taralen how am I here?”

“The guards brought you. You were unconscious. I thought Father was coming home today. Where is he? We must make plans to go to the temple to make offerings.” Taralen said.

“Your father fell in battle, my child. There will be no offerings made to the Mother Goddess. She has taken my husband. She deserves no more. Deidra said as a tear made a path down her cheek.

Taralen sat back and let the words her mother just said sink in. Her father was gone and it left a dark place in her heart.

“We need to leave this place as soon as I can make the arrangements. We are no longer safe here.” Deidra said.

“What are you talking about?” Taralen was confused.

“Please ask me nothing now. Just trust me as you always have. I will explain when we get where we are going.” Deidra said.

“When are we leaving? Will I have time to say goodbye to my friends?” Taralen asked.

“No! You must tell no one we are leaving. Swear to me.” Deidra demanded.

“I swear it.” Taralen realized there was more to this than her mother was saying. “But where are we going?”

“Atlantis. We will leave after you father is entombed. The warriors are preparing him now. Pack quickly and take only what you cannot part with. We must travel as light as possible.” Deidra told her.  

Taralen nodded and left to do as she was told. Along with her clothes, she packed the dagger her father had given her on her last birthday and the prayer book she had had since she was a small child. At the last minute, she grabbed her jewels and put them in her bag. They could sell some of them when they needed to, she thought.  

Taralen stashed the bag in her cupboard and dressed for the burial and returned to her mother’s chambers. She heard raised voices as she approached.

“She needs to be sent to the Midsummer Court. I have waited long enough. She should have been sent years ago but Dagda requested that I break with tradition and let her stay with you a while longer.” An angry voice said behind the door.

Taralen was surprised when she realized it was the Queen speaking to her mother.

“She is my only child. Sister, please don’t take her from me.” Deidra said. Don’t take her now that I have just been widowed.

“The marriage has already been arranged.” The queen said. “She will marry when she is of age. You know this already. Our mother looked the other way and let you marry that commoner because he was a skilled warrior. I will not look the other way as she did. Taralen will marry the Prince of the Midsummer Court and that is final.  

Taralen burst through the door. She bowed out of habit upon seeing the Queen. She stood straight and defiant. “I do not wish to marry. I want to take the veil at the temple at Tara.”

“Explain to your daughter that a princess of the Royal Court must do as she is told by her Queen.” The queen faced Taralen. “Your father is dead. His dreams for your future were just that, dreams. They died with him and as you entomb him today let them be entombed with him. A Royal Princess does not tale the veil. That is for the common Fae who have no duty but to their faith. It is time to do your duty as a princess and grown up. You leave at the end of the week.”

The Queen left the room and Deidra looked at her daughter. Taralen was near tears. Deidra went to hug her but Taralen moved away.

“This is the reason we are leaving, isn’t it?” Taralen whispered.

Deidra nodded. “I fear for you daughter. I have other reasons but the marriage to the Prince of the Midsummer Court must never happen. Your father raised you to be a brave and virtuous young woman. I will not see you sullied by the debauchery of the Midsummer Court.

Taralen nodded. “I am ready to leave.”

“They will come for us soon to take us to the tombs. Help me with my packing. We must be quick.” Deidra said.

With Taralen’s help the bag was packed and stashed before the guards came to the door.

The guards came to take them to the tombs. Deidra and Taralen held hand as they walked behind Dagda’s body in the procession. There were more mourners behind them following the bodies of their loved ones.

The ceremony took hours and when it was done Deidra walked Taralen back to her chambers.

“I will come for you when the moon is high. Be ready my daughter and be watchful. The Queen is determined but so am I. We are leaving place tonight.” Deidra whispered in her ear as she hugged her.

“How? We have no transportation.” Taralen asked in a whisper.

“Leave that to me.” Deidra said. Deidra left her.

Taralen pulled a blanket over her travel clothes as she sat on the settee by the fire waiting for her mother. She had no idea how the plan would work but she had to have faith in her mother.

Deidra came when the moon was high. they quietly left the castle through the iron gates and walked deep into the forest. They stopped in a clearing in a valley just beyond the deepest part of the forest. There was a well-worn path used by many travelers there.

“We are here.” Deidra took a crystal out of a bag on her belt.

“What is that?” Taralen said.

“It is a traveling crystal. It will take us where we want to go.” Deidra told her.

“It will take us to Atlantis? But that is far away across the seas. I don’t understand.“ Taralen was confused.

“We will make a portal with this and then we step through to Atlantis.” Deidra explained. “The Queen has forbidden the use of these since before you were born. She fears the freedom that they give. My mother gave this one to me well before she died. I have kept it hidden all these years. Are you ready my daughter?”

Taralen nodded. She was fearful but she trusted her mother to explain all this later.

Deidra held out the crystal and closed her eyes. “Atlantis!”

A large swirl of light appeared and Deidra took Taralen’s hand and they walked through. They stepped through to a clearing outside a sparkling city. The portal closed behind them. 

“This is Atlantis. I haven’t been here since I was your age. Come. We cannot stay here. We must find a place to stay.”  Deidra started walking towards the city.

“Wait Mother! Will they not follow us?” Taralen said.

“They think we have fled through the forest and onto the road. They will look for us there.” Deidra assured her. “The Queen does not know I possess a crystal. She thinks they are all well hidden in the vaults. She never knew our mother gave one to me. Come we must go.“

Taralen followed her mother into the bustling city. They stopped at an inn just inside the city gates.

“We need a room please.” Deidra said to the innkeeper.

“Fae this far south? You must be going to the new colonies.” The innkeeper smiled. “I have one room left it is small but clean.”

“We will take it. What are the colonies you speak of?” Deidra asked as she put a gold coin on the bar.

“There is a group of travelers heading to the new colonies in the land to the east called Ogham-Duir. They are looking for a fresh start in a new land. I don’t see many Fae come through here so I just assumed you were going there too. He said.

“Where do we book passage for this Ogham-Duir?” Deidra asked.

“The quartermaster at the docks will assign you to a ship. The boat leaves at the end of the week.” The innkeeper said as he picked up the gold coin. “Ogham-Duir is a wild place. There are very little civilized areas there.”

“Thank you for the information and the warning.” Deidra said.

“Your room is at the top of the stairs at the end of the hallway. It is marked with the number five.” The innkeeper said. “I will have water and food sent up shortly.”

“No flesh please. We do not consume the spirits of other animals.” Deidra said.

“I know I have had a Fae or two as guests. Fruits and grains only.” The innkeeper smiled.

“We also consume milk if there is any about.” Deidra said.

“I have a cow in the barn. I will send one of the barmaids out to get some.” The innkeeper said.

:Thank you. That is most kind.” Deidra said. She took Taralen by the hand and they went up the creaky wooden staircase and found the room at the end of the hall. The number five was in a style of lettering Taralen had never seen before.

“Is this the right room, Mother?” Taralen asked as they went inside/

“Yes that is the written language used by the Atlantis scholars. I studied it when I was younger.” Deidra said. “I wish you had known my mother when she was Queen. It was such a different Court. My sister is afraid and has kept us all trapped in her fear.”

“You must tell me stories of her. I want to know about the Court when you were my age.” Taralen said as she put her bag on the floor next to the bed.

“I will tell you everything.” Deidra said with a smile. “I will tell you how to be a Queen like my mother.”

“I will never be queen, Mother.” Taralen said.

“We shall see my daughter. We shall see.” Deidra said cryptically.