Chapter Fourteen
Eternity
The girl goes dancing there
On the leaf-sown, new-mown, smooth
Grass plot of the garden;
Escaped from bitter youth,
Escaped out of her crowd,
Or out of her black cloud.
Ah, dancer, ah, sweet dancer…
Sweet Dancer-William Butler Yeats
As dusk set over Grayeveire Manor, Marit still tended to her queen before she went to sleep herself. She tucked the blankets around Lysander and left the room but stopped when a noise stood out around her. She heard a sharp gasp behind her and turned to see her Queen, eyes open, sitting up, fully alive. Marit stood for a moment, shocked, but stumbled out of it. She rang the bell crazily, running through halls.
“She’s awake!” She called repeatedly, searching the manor for the sisters. Her voice was hoarse by the time she found Sable angrily stomping down the hall where her old room was, the place she was staying for now.
Marit grabbed her arm, breathing heavily. “Lysander…is…awake,” she huffed out.
“What?” Sable spun around, almost knocking Marit over. She ran down the hallway and brushed past Devodie causing her to stumble back against the wall.
“What’s going on?” The servant and the queen ignored her and continued to run down the hall. Devodie followed. “Wait!” She struggled to run with her heavy gown clutched in her hands and she hurried after them. Her long dark hair tumbled out of its messy bun, pins littering the stone. She kept running, ignoring it.
The other girls were not far ahead but the kept a fast pace as they weaved through the halls. Sable burst into Lysander’s room first to see her sister sitting by the window, her knees drawn to her chest.
“Oh Lysander,” Sable cried and burst into tears. She ran to the other girl and swept her up in her shaking arms. Lysander laughed softly and wrapped her arms around Sable.
“Careful sister, I am not fully well yet.” Sable jumped back a bit and smoothed her sister’s hair.
“Sander.” Sable stepped aside at the sound of Devodie’s voice as the Winter Queen ran to the frail girl. She clutched her hands before hugging her close. “I knew you would wake up.” Devodie whispered in Lysander’s ear. The Spring Queen just clutched her tighter.
“How could I leave you Devi?”
Devodie gave Lysander a rueful smile and stood, kissing her on top of her head. Tamsin stepped into the room.
“What’s all the commo-” She stopped and smiled at Lysander. “Look who is up.” She hugged her sister softly and stepped back, a little nervous around the others. Lysander saw this and surveyed the scene.
“What happened?” Her blue eyes narrowed as her sisters shifted uncomfortably.
“Nothing dear, you have to rest. You are important right now.” Sable helped Lysander to her bed and tucked the blankets around her. “Are you ready to tell us what happened? I’m afraid we’re all still in the dark with that one.”
Tamsin laughed slightly. “Give her time to breathe, Belle.” Sable huffed and fixed the blankets around Lysander.
“I’m sorry Lysander, whenever you feel like talking.”
Lysander laughed softly. “I’m fine sister, I’m able to talk.” She took a deep breath. “But before I start, I want you all to know that I am not blaming anyone. This is only what I know. And I don’t want anyone interrupting.” She gave a stern look to Devodie and Tamsin before looking at Marit. “Marit, could you run and inform the messenger that I am awake and I will be returning to Marcha soon?” Marit nodded, curtseyed, and dashed out the door.
Lysander sat up more in the bed and leaned against the pillows. She closed her eyes and clasped her hands together before speaking.
“Devodie was visiting, and it was early in the morning. We were walking through the fields in the Spring Outskirts of the Eternal Forest, or just the Meadows as we call them in Marcha. Devi was walking painstakingly slow so I ran ahead some to where the flowers grew best.”
Devodie looked down sheepishly.
“Rain and Sorrow Star followed close behind, and most likely would’ve sensed any danger. But this, this surprised us all.”
Lysander paused, looking out through the window to where the Spring Kingdom was.
“I bent down and snapped the flower’s stem before standing again to sniff the petals. Suddenly, a sharp pain spread across my body and I gasped and clutched my side, only to find something I had not expected protruding from it.”
“What was it Sander?” Devodie said softly.
She took another deep breath. “It was a poisoned golden arrow, and etched into the arrow head was Storman’s emblem of a blazing sun.”
Devodie shot up from her perch on the end of the bed and turned sharply on Tamsin. “You!” She snarled, pointing a finger in her sisters face. “You did this? How could you?” Her voice lost its ferocity, and instead filled with a heartbreaking sadness. Lysander tried to calm the frantic Winter Queen.
“Devodie, calm please, you don’t k-“
“Oh, Lysander, don’t be foolish, of course it was her. How can you not see it?” Devodie’s voice was harsh. “I never knew they found an arrow on you, why did no one tell us?”
Lysander looked surprised. “I thought they would have told you.”
Tamsin stood in stony silence, hovering in the doorway. “Don’t you have anything say for yourself?” Devodie shouted in Tamsin’s face. Tamsin narrowed her eyes.
“Devodie, control yourself.” Sable said sternly. “This no time to-“
Tamsin put up a hand to stop her. “No Sable, she’s right, I do have something to say for myself. Do you want to know the truth Devodie? Do you really want to know? Yes, it was one of my soldiers. It was a disappearing arrow, something they created. And you want to know something else?” Her eyes blazed with fury as she stared at Devodie, her body shaking with anger. “That arrow was meant for you!”
The room grew silent. No one moved, no one spoke, until Devodie whispered the words that would change their lives forever.
“From this moment on, Decca declares war on Storman. Prepare for defeat, Tamsin.” With that, she stepped around Tamsin, and left the room. Tamsin stood for a few moments before she spun on her heels and walked away in the opposite direction. The silence left behind was unbearable as the other sisters sat in shock. Slowly, Lysander began to weep. The sorrowful sound filled Sable’s head and she held her sister close as they cried together.
♦•♦•♦
As twilight fell over the castle, the sound of carriage wheels caused Lysander to climb out of bed and go to the window. She stood and looked through the glass, tear stains on her pale face. Devodie’s carriage pulled away from the castle and traveled along the beaten path that connected the four regions. Tamsin’s followed suit but took the opposite direction towards Storman. Lysander watched until the carriages disappeared on the horizon. The world she knew was falling around her.
The rap of knuckles on her door startled her and she spun to see who it was. Marit stood in the doorway with Sable behind her. “It’s time for you to rest, your highness.” Marit said softly. “I brought your food.”
Lysander didn’t answer.
“Please Sander, eat for me, I have to leave soon and I don’t want to leave you like this,” Sable said.
Lysander sighed and grudgingly took the bowl of soup but didn’t eat. Instead she set it on the windowsill beside her.
“Any news?” She asked eagerly.
“No, nothing, but by now all of Eternity knows of the war.” Sable shook her head sadly. “Both sides are preparing for battle.”
Lysander sighed. “I wish they weren’t so rash. Their bad decisions only destroy.” Sable grimaced.
“One could only hope.” She walked to where Lysander stood and wrapped her in a hug. “Goodbye dear. I will be checking in on you. Expect a visit.” Lysander smiled and hugged her sister tightly.
“I’ll be waiting. Have a safe trip.” Sable nodded and backed away, slipping out the door. Marit walked over to the window and put her hands on Lysander’s shoulders.
“Time to rest. We have to leave tomorrow.” Lysander nodded and climbed back onto the bed. “Let me know if you need anything your highness.” Lysander smiled at Marit and picked up a book. Marit stepped out and started down the hall.
When she was gone, Lysander returned to the window and sat down on the ledge as rain began to pelt the window pane. She rested her forehead against the glass and for the first time that day, regretted waking up from her slumber.