LEGEND OF ZANAR: CHRONICLES IF JARREN

CHAPTER 10 Defiance

In the Kingdom of Trover, excitement was brewing. The king and queen had received an invitation to the Kingdom of Vanesly. For decades their two kingdoms hadn't been talking politics. Let alone sending invitations to visit. The queen of Trover was elated. It was her idea to set things right between the two kingdoms. She'd pleaded with her king to let her send a present to the queen of Vanesly's son's birth as an olive branch. Since the prince's birth, the kingdoms had been very friendly. Since the prince's birth, many years had passed. Queen Jacqueline and Queen Derna had been entertaining each other over lunch and dinners. Queen Jacqueline had been looking forward to this invitation. It was an invitation to announce the marriage of the prince of Vanesly to the princess of Trover. There had been negotiating for the last few months. Since the dissolution of the marriage agreement to the goddess Lisa, Queen Derna had been considering strengthening their two kingdoms with this marriage. This marriage would bring more power to the region and balance the farming community. Zanar had made many promises to the Kingdom of Vanesly. She didn't follow through on any of her promises. Which left the kingdom starving and weak. She had promised to control the weather, bringing mild weather for their crops. Soon after the marriage agreement, the weather turned for the worse. Freezing most crops and bringing drought to others. In order to save the kingdom, food had to be purchased from neighboring kingdoms to keep his villagers alive. While his kingdom was starving, he received the announcement dissolving the engagement between the goddess Lisa and the prince of Vanesly. All the king had hoped for was destroyed. He'd known for a long time the gods were cruel. He watched them treat his father poorly for years. Only to have his father taken from him by a dragon on a mission to take the gods their ransom. He offered to send a messenger with their reparation. The gods demanded he bring it. When he didn't arrive with their demands, they attacked the kingdom, bringing endless drought, floods, and freezing snow. The gods were relentless in the pursuit for revenge. The gods didn't care that the dragon killed the king. They only wanted their ransom, and it wasn't paid. Since the king was killed, the reign of terror began. King Trine had hoped the marriage arraignment would resolve their kingdom's punishment. All hopes for a bright future ended when the gods recanted the marriage arrangement. Queen Derna and Lady Jacqueline had been conspiring on a new arrangement. They were planning the wedding of the century. Since the gods may have changed their minds, but the wedding would go forth. With a date already set and invitations sent, the wedding would continue. The only change would be the bride. King Trine was uncertain about this new marriage arrangement. He knew what happened when you crossed the gods. The gods may have changed their minds, but he was uncertain about making the announcement for the new engagement. How would the gods respond to a new engagement? The king was elated for the new engagement. His queen has never been as happy as she was now. Her relationship with Lady Jacqueline had brought her much joy. Both Lady Jacqueline and Queen Derna had found friendship together. No longer alone to raise their children. The first engagement banquet was arraigned by the gods. Every detail was chosen in advance. King Trine's only duty was to make sure their demands were met. This time the banquet would be to the demands of his queen. She began planning the first engagement banquet. Only to learn the gods had specific demands for the banquet. This time she had been planning the banquet with Lady Jacqueline. They had chosen decadent entrées from both regions. Their menu would both elate and entice the guests at the banquet. Excitement was building in the kingdom. Never before had both kingdoms agreed on matters of state, and now they were merging their kingdoms. The king was nervous. He couldn't remember why their kingdoms were at odds for so long. It happened before he was born. It was something he needed to get to the bottom of before the marriage took place. Since the prince and princess were only toddlers, he had plenty of time to figure it out. He was heading out to see the dragon to make arrangements for the decorations. The engagement banquet was to be the event of the century for both kingdoms. The king had made arrangements to have Davina pose as a decorator. She was not happy about her facade but willing to play along. She was willing to do anything for her chance to seek revenge against the gods. Their plans could only be successful if she remained anonymous. So for now she'd be Tavara, a decorator. It was the best disguise the king could think of on the way back to the castle. He couldn't tell his queen who she really was. The king told her they found her carriage wrecked along the road. She was unconscious, so they brought her back to the castle, ending their hunting trip. When the king returned without the merchant, the queen was curious but figured he was in the dungeon. The king was always doing things she didn't understand. Davina's alternate identity would be easy to keep a secret in the castle. The queen would have plenty of decorating to do around the castle. This would keep Davina in the castle for a long time as Tavara. While Queen Derna and Lady Jacqueline were working with Tavara on the banquet, the king was on his way to the dragon's lair. He had a list of items Davina gave him for the banquet. She planned on leading the queen to pick these items for the banquet. The king set out with the treasurer to the dragon's lair. He took with him the original guards that went with him the first time they went to the dragon's lair. While they left, the queen would be designing her banquet with Tavara. Queen Derna was expecting Lady Jacqueline to arrive at any moment. She sent her an invitation for lunch to discuss the banquet. Their kingdom was only a few hours' carriage ride away. The queen had sent a messenger to the Kingdom of Trover in the morning. She knew Lady Jacqueline would be arriving on time. She wouldn't miss planning the banquet for anything. The king had arranged a meeting with Tavara this afternoon. "Queen, Lady Jacqueline has arrived. She is waiting for you on the terrace," her maid announced as she came running into the queen's chamber. The queen turned toward her. She was anxious for the lady's arrival. "Good. Let her know I'll be there shortly. Also, send for Tavara and have fresh fruit and tea brought to the terrace. I need this to be the perfect lunch. There is a lot riding on this lunch." The maid knew what the queen was hinting at. Since their kingdoms started talking, everything was riding on them getting along. Not just the engagement banquet, but the future of the two kingdoms. The maid left the room and headed for Tavara's room. She was staying in the guest quarters that were originally for Zanar. She never even used them. Zanar came and went as she wanted. Never staying in the castle. Sleeping in castles made her feel mortal. She dreaded invitations from dignitaries. The invitations usually preceded banquets that would last for days. As they tried to sway her to help their kingdom. The queen continued getting ready for lunch. Her dressers had chosen a bright blue dress for lunch. The dress was covered with tiny flowers laced all over like vines. The queen's excitement mirrored that of her own engagement. She was like a child with a fire in her eye. With the first engagement, she had no say at all. Every detail was chosen in advance. Designing her son's banquet would be fulfilling, and it would be what she wanted the first time. Lady Jacqueline had been waiting for a while, and the queen didn't want to keep her waiting. "Hurry! I need to attend to my guests," the queen demanded. This sent her dressers into full panic. They began to dance around the room. Getting both the queen and her son ready for lunch with Lady Jacqueline. While dressing the prince, he began to cry. The queen ran to him. She couldn't remember if she fed him or not. "Has the prince been fed this morning?" the queen shouted as she held him to her breast. "Yes, my queen. He has already eaten breakfast and will be fed lunch with you and Lady Jacqueline." She set him down to let her maids finish dressing him. The queen couldn't believe how fast he was growing up. To her, it felt like just yesterday he was trying to stand up on his own. Almost as if time passed without a memory. The midwife told her memories would be fleeting at times. Mostly she felt like this under stress, whether the stress was caused by happiness or not. The queen could remember almost everything about her son when she was sitting in the garden. Now he was almost five and growing into a person every day. He was going to meet his future queen today. Introducing them today in hopes that love would blossom. If love blossomed, the arrangement would be all the more wonderful. "Maid! Maid!" the queen shouted. The maid she sent to make her demands known hadn't returned. She should have returned by now. The queen would have to attend to lunch herself. She wasn't very happy with her maid. Soon she would learn what kept her from attending for the queen. She headed down the hall with her son in tow. He was lagging behind just a bit. One of her dressers followed behind them to ensure the prince didn't get lost. He had a way of wandering about. Often the prince would lose himself in discovery. Each time the queen would be frantically looking for the prince, thinking he was lost. He wasn't lost but lost to his mind. As he got older, his explorations have happened more and more often. So the queen had taken to having a maid follow him. Today wasn't a day the queen wanted to be searching for the prince. He'd never gotten really lost. Within a few minutes, he could get himself far away and in parts of the castle, nowhere near his objective. He used to amaze the queen when she found him. Once they were walking out to the stables. Most of the time he was right beside her. Then without warning, he was gone. The queen looked down to make sure he was still there, and he was gone. A day of riding was ruined. The guards had seen him with the queen, but none remembered seeing him without her. He was stealthy. He could elude the queen and all her guards. The entire castle and village were put on a search. Everyone was looking for the prince, and no one could find him. This concerned the king a great deal. What could happen to him when he disappeared like this? The king didn't like to consider the outcome. Mostly he would lecture his son on the importance of safety as the future monarch. He even told him to take a guard with him for protection if he was going to be gone too long. The prince told his father that he would find him before he would ever be in danger. Most times he would find him very quickly. This time seemed to be the worst. Hours went by, and there was no sign of the prince. It wasn't until one of the queen's maids asked a question that they knew where to look. "Where would a little boy want to be?" she asked her friend. The queen heard her. "Yes, that's it. Where would a little boy want to be? It's sunny and warm. Where would he want to be?" Before anyone could respond, one of the guards took off toward the lake near the stables. He remembered seeing ducklings near the stables. His only thought was what he would have done when he was a boy. He loved playing in the lake near his home. He would often follow the ducklings to the lake. Getting himself into trouble every time. He wasn't a prince, and most of the time he had chores he was not doing when his father found him in the lake. Everyone took off after the guard. At that moment the guard had no idea this act would change his life. As well as his position in the castle. He would become the prince's guardian. This moment would define his career and gain him a lifelong friend. As the guard neared the lake, he could see the prince in the water. He didn't know the prince was near death. "Prince Shawn!" the guard called to him. Usually, he would sprout to attention. Knowing he was in trouble when he didn't, the guard threw down his staff and armor. He jumped into the lake just as the queen and king made their way to the lake. As the guard jumped in, the queen started to cry. She knew something must be wrong since the guard went in after him. Most of the time the guards would wait along the bank for the prince. She buried her face in the chest of the king. The king consoled her. There was nothing he could do to help and wait. As the guard reached the prince, he could see blood coming from his head. This wasn't the only thing wrong. The prince was unconscious, floating facedown. If he were there much longer, he might've drowned. The guard turned him over and started to pull the prince to shore. He didn't know what to do when he got him there. There appeared to be no hope for the little prince this time. If the gods hadn't canceled the engagement, they wouldn't have a groom anymore. It looked very bleak for the prince. When he reached the shore, the guard pulled the prince out. "He doesn't look like he's breathing!" the queen shouted, shrieking into the king's chest again. She started crying uncontrollably now. The king passed her off to one of her maids. He needed to help his son. As with the guard, the king had no idea how to help his son. Whatever can I do? he thought. As he did, one vision came to mind. It was of him as a boy. He nearly drowned, and his nurse at that time turned him over and hit his back. When he asked her why, she said, "I need to get the water out of you." There was no time to explain. The king turned his son over on his knee. To the onlookers, it appeared that the king was going to beat his son. The king started to pound on his son's back in a rhythm. After a few moments, the prince started to cough. The crowd cheered, and the queen ran to her son's side. Ever since that day at the lake, the prince has had a shadow everywhere he went. On long trips, the guard that saved him accompanied him. It seems the prince was very adventurous and needed someone to keep an eye on him till he got old enough to take care of himself. The queen had clung to his side since that day. She didn't want to miss a moment. She almost lost him once and didn't want to leave him alone. The king would have to get her to leave him be, eventually. He was hoping the decorating would take her mind off him a little. He'll start training to be king soon. Some of his battle training will not be to the queen's liking. She would be mortified at how he'll be treated. He'll be learning how to protect himself in battle. Some of the situations he'll encounter will put him in danger. He needed to learn how to avoid dangerous situations. The only way he could learn was to first be in danger. The guard that saved him will also teach him how to defend himself. As soon as he turned five, he'll begin his training. The queen looked back to see if the prince was still behind her. She was pleased to see he was still there. With the maid behind him, he behaved himself. The prince was walking slow, but he was still following her. He had no idea who he was about to meet or why he should be excited. "Come along, Shawn. I need you to hurry. We are meeting Lady Jacqueline and Princess Kelva for lunch. I'm sure you will enjoy yourself once we start lunch," the queen stated. Prince Shawn was struggling with his outfit. He didn't like the tie around his neck. It was tight and itchy. "Mommy, why do I have to wear this? It hurts!" he pleaded as he pulled his collar. The queen didn't care how much his tie bothered him. She wanted their first meeting to be perfect. She didn't want him to embarrass her today. Lady Jacqueline was already aware of how defiant the prince is. The last thing she wanted was for her to see his defiance in person. There will be plenty of time for his true colors to show themselves. "Shawn, today you will be a perfect gentleman. The entire kingdom needs you to be a prince today. I need you to stop playing with your tie and behave. There is someone I need you to meet, and you will behave," the queen demanded. The queen had never talked to Shawn like this before. He was shocked. His mother had never raised her voice, let alone demanded he behave. He was old enough to know when his mother was serious. This was the first time she'd ever been serious. At least when it came to her son. He snapped as if he were a statue. He stopped fidgeting with his tie and walked calmly next to his mother. As they stepped onto the terrace, Shawn hid behind his mother. There were people he'd never met before. He was scared and curious at the same time. Queen Derna grabbed his hand, bringing him from behind her. "Shawn, I would like you to meet Lady Jacqueline and her daughter, Princess Kelva." Shawn was shy for a moment, until Princess Kelva smiled at him, and he melted. Then it was all over. Princess Kelva smiled at Shawn. They sat down to lunch. While the queen and Lady Jacqueline discussed the banquet, Shawn and Kelva were staring at each other. Both were silent and barely touched their lunch. When Tavara joined them, the maid would take them through the garden. At this moment Shawn understood why his mother was so concerned about his behavior. If he could tell his mother he understood her, he would. There was only so much he could say at four years old. When he could, he'd thank his mother for everything she had done for him. It wasn't long before Tavara arrived. She was working on her presentation for the ladies for some time. She wanted it to be perfect. Everything was riding on her presentation. She already gave King Trine a list of items for the banquet. The king was on his way to the dragon's lair. He wanted the banquet to be perfect.