The Queen of sunlight rose from her seat in the shade and stepped forth into the light. The jewels that adorned her glistened under the sun. Her fierce eyes and proud smile exuded regality, she commanded respect and adoration.
"So it is true, Katherine of the mountain is in my city, how far you have travelled." Thea's voice was thick and rich like lavender honey. Katherine and Lily curtsied lowly under the Queen's dark gaze.
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Katherine pronounced the appropriate pleasantries with a slight nervous stutter.
"And yours my dear, now come you must have quite the story to tell, my ladies and I adore a story. Join me." They stood on the Queen's personal terrace, overlooking a vast expanse of flat desert, a sea of orange under a sky of crisp blue.
They joined Queen Thea under her silk gazebo, the Queen sat in a carved wooden chair while her ladies in waiting gathered around her on the floor. There were cushions and blankets piled high for their comfort. Golden trays of fruits and cold lemony water were set out, there were cards and books and embroidery. A young bard stood to the side and played such a beautiful melody on her lute.
"Ladies, this is my niece from the mountain and her handmaid. They have travelled all this way by themselves."
Queen Thea's ladies in waiting were a haven of diversity, her favourite was the elf. A painter disgraced from the elven city, she continued her practice under Thea's banners. There was a noble woman from every kingdom, the mountain lady recognised Katherine from the royal unveiling. The rarest of Thea's collection sat half in the sun, flora crawled up her legs, she was not weak to the sun like the others. Katherine and Lily had thought all the dryads extinct yet there she sat, alive.
"Yes please do, we barely ever leave the city." A teenage duchess from the meadows crooned.
So Katherine and Lily seated themselves at the Queens feet and slowly unravelled their tale of spirits, elves, and fairies. They spared no detail of Queen Isolde's cruelties and were met with gasps of astonishment and wonder from the brood. They tried to describe the occurrence at the seat of Kings but found themselves lost for words. How could they ever explain that. Katherine wondered if the elven artist might have some insight.
"How interesting that Saturn should visit you and show you what she has shown you." Agathe the eleven girl commented on the story, she seemed to be lost in deep consideration. "Did the goddess mention why?"
"To learn from the mistakes of my ancestors, she wants me to reforge the seat of kings."
"Well the timing is certainly right, you will need allies." Agathe's blonde hair lay straight down her back, she wore blue elven robes and green jewels.
"What is the seat of kings?" A princess from the deep north enquired, she was short and strong, her body was made to withstand the harshest winter and she felt weakened in the sun.
"The way Fayrith was once governed, in a parliament of kings. Fortitude, temperance, faith, charity, hope, justice and prudence." Agathe listed the seven pillars of the ancient council. "We had peace, for a while."
"It sounds lovely." The northern girl, like all others present, craved peace.
"Consider me an ally Katherine, I will play my part when you ask it of me." Queen Thea announced, she had long studied the harmony of unification. The diversity and tolerance of the city of sunlight owed much to the Queen's ideologies and Agathe's tender whispering. Together the King was their puppet.
"There is one problem you may be able to advice me on?" Katherine asked the Queen and she gestured for Katherine to continue speaking. "How do we rid ourselves of Isolde, I know she will not stop till she has complete power." Thea tapped her fingers on the wooden arm of her chair in thought, the sun was beginning to set and the sky glowed violent pink.
"What mistakes did Fayrith make before, when fighting Hans? If there is to be a war we must win it." Her voice was fierce.
"Division." Katherine replied, courtly politics were well within her comfort zone and she found herself in her element.
"Then we will be united." Each of Thea's ladies in waiting were ideal political pawns, other than Agathe they all had influence over the regions Kings and Queens. "But first you must learn your own power, your betrothed must cooperate." Thea took a sip of water and took in the magnificent view, the colours were bright and luxurious.
"What is my power?" The Queen laughed at Katherine's youth and ignorance.
"Your femininity of course! You must manipulate him into submission. You have the powers of a woman's body now." Queen Thea spoke matter of factly, not considering how her words might effect Katherine.
"I'm not sure I want that power." Katherine saw it more as a vulnerability, she was some fragile creature to be desired who could defend herself from no-one. Thea smirked, she understood too well the double edged sword that Katherine grappled with.
"You must use it or have it used against you. I will teach you, but for now let us watch the sunset and play cards." The dryadic grove keeper produced a deck of strange cards, they were ornately illustrated and all the suits were changed. Silently she placed the deck into Lily's hands,
"Shuffle." She whispered her instruction, her intense eyes met Lily's and Lily felt a phantom shiver. She did as told and passed the deck back to Ixia of the forest who touched it only with her fingertips, she blew over the cards and spread them out before Lily. Thea watched with intrigue, she held much faith in spirituality.
"Pick three." Ixia spoke and Lily looked down at the backs of the cards with careful consideration. Instinctively she hovered her hand over the spread deck, over the cards she needed there was a pull or a cool tingle that beckoned her. She pulled three.
The queen of pentacles, the chariot, and the ten of cups. Lily understood nothing of the images placed before her. Ixia smirked sly at the divination and Queen Thea looked to her excitedly for an explanation.
"The Queen of pentacles tells me that you have found yourself thriving in a caring role, perhaps you were also paid for it. The chariot alludes to a challenging journey, you are having to apply yourself with courage and determination. Finally for the future card, the ten of cups shows us peace and harmony, perhaps you will start a family."
The truths of the cards were unnerving, but they gave Lily hope, if what they said was true then good things were coming for her. The Queen's ladies in waiting giggled at Lily's dumbstruck reaction, they had all been the same the first time Ixia had done it to them. Those women played with destiny so lightheartedly, spinning it from thin air and reading its secrets for parlour games and tricks. They were mistresses of fate.
It was Katherine's turn next, she pulled three cards from the pile. Her pulling technique was more instinctual and less tentative than Lily's, she trusted herself to get it right.
The ten of swords, strength and the six of wands.
Katherine's results were even more fascinating than Lily's to the gaggle of spectators, they leaned over to view the illustrations, diamonds dripped from their ears.
"The ten of swords." Ixia looked at Katherine with searching eyes, she was trying to see through the wall of strength. "You have encountered devastation, absolute emotional turmoil. But you are being strong," Ixia tapped the strength card, a lion proudly guarded a maiden with a sword. "You have overcome your horrors, the ten of wands shows us that you will be victorious in your mission."
"Oh what wonderful news." Queen Thea announced, even at ease she was stately. Then the noblewomen and Queen asked for their own readings. They lounged under that gazebo, gossiping and playing parlour games until the sun set over the vast horizon.
After some time Queen Thea requested that the ladies of the mountain be readied for the evening feast, though their attire was the most extravagant that the commander's wife possessed it was not nearly enough for the palace. Ixia led them through the golden corridors, up and down spiralling stairwells and through vast chambers filled with books and art. They arrived at the guest wing, a large three bedroom apartment with the most dazzling desert views. Everything was extraordinary, everything shone with gold and rubies.
"What is your colour?" Ixia asked the women, opening a walk in wardrobe containing silken gowns and jewels in every shade. They were in awe, they had never seen anything like it. Everything was silk and velvet, the gowns were far more ornate and shapely than even the clothing Katherine had worn on the mountain.
"White." Katherine replied, it was the colour of home. Ixia pulled out a gown of fair white silk, the bodice was tight and embroidered with diamonds. The neckline was low and square to best display glamorous jewellery.
"I don't know my colour." Lily confessed, she was lost while gazing at the mountain of silk. All so beautiful. She had never once in her life stopped to consider her own vanity, she was a servant to Katherine's. Ixia eyed up Lily carefully, taking in her auburn waves, her fair skin but not as pale as Katherine's, her freckles and her blue eyes. She pulled out a gown of emerald green, the bodice was three shades darker than the skirt and stitched with gold.
"This is your colour." Ixia responded, holding the dress up to Lily's complexion and nodding at her own decision. "Wear rubies with the white dress and amber with the green, I'll be back in an hour or so to take you to dinner. Wear your hair down so people know you're with the Queen." Ixia herself wore naught but the flowers that climbed her frame, she was home to many a rose and ivy. The dryad girl left Katherine and Lily to recover from the journey and dress themselves, they were exhausted and hadn't had a proper rest for weeks. There was no time to sleep but they could not help but lay on the sofas in the window and gaze across the orange sand dunes as the sun finished setting in the west. For the first time on their journey they felt a sense of ease, Queen Thea would protect and deliver them to Maequil. They were in good hands, at long last.