Tethered By Fate

Prologue

Electricity lit up the sky, the roar of thunder following quickly behind.  The cry of a frightened toddler could be heard in the brief time between the tempest’s howling and whip cracks, where the only sound was the steady downpour of rain.  A cloaked figure emerged from the tree line, holding the soaked, sobbing bundle.  The woman pulled her hood further over her head and wrapped her babe as best as she could with the weighted fabric.  Another loud clap sounded just overhead as a streak of blinding white struck a nearby bough.  It crashed just off the side of the road a few yards away and the child wailed louder, inconsolable now.  The mother hugged her baby tightly to her chest and kept moving, eyes never wavering from their destination ahead.

“Shhh, it’s alright… hush, my darling.  We’re almost there.”

The words did not soothe either of them, but she whispered in her little one's ear just the same.  The stormy night wore on as they stumbled along in the dark.  She could see a soft glow in the distance.  Her body pleaded for respite; her energy had been depleted to the point of exhaustion hours ago.  But still, she trudged on, fueled only by her determination to get the child to safety.  After what seemed like an eternity, she finally reached the fortified gateway and slumped into a muddy puddle before it.  The infant was still pressed tight against her bosom, gripping the bodice of her gown with pale, tiny fingers.  She leaned against the grated gate and allowed her eyes to slip closed, her free hand clutching the iron grille for extra support.  They had made it.  They would be safe here.

“Hey!  You there!  You’re trespassing on royal grounds!  Leave now or I’ll have no choice but to apprehend you.  Imprisonment in the dungeon is not a penalty I think you wish to pay.”

The woman lifted her face towards the boorish guard towering above her.  He was a giant, and presumably hairy.  Very hairy, if the back of his hands were any indication.  The torch he held cast long shadows on his face, making him appear almost inhuman.  The corner of his lip was pulled up to show partially bared teeth as he scowled at her from the other side of the portcullis.  She looked through him in a daze as she struggled to comprehend his words.

“Are you deaf?  By order of the queen, all trespassers will be prosecuted according to the law.  You will leave here at once, or suffer the consequences!”

He shifted impatiently for a few seconds before letting out an annoyed grunt, then turned to alert the other palace guards of a security threat.  She reached through the bars and called out, her voice weak and rasping.

“Cara…”

The guard froze, then quickly whipped around and came back towards her, crouching down until he was at eye-level with her.  They were inches away from each other now, and she could see their breath mingle as she gasped for air and he snarled.

“What did you just say?”

Her throat was on fire as she forced herself to speak.

“Queen… Cara… I must… speak… with the queen…”

The guard spit at her.  His saliva hit her cheek and she flinched as he sneered.

“The queen does not consort with miscreants, wench.”

He rose to find another guard again, but, not a moment later, lightning tore through the black sky and a sickening explosion fractured the atmosphere.  The baby began to cry again.  The guard stared in bewilderment at the pitiful figure cowering before him, scrutinizing her frame as curiosity grew.  His gaze soon fixed upon the small hand and bright, shiny eyes peeking out from the safety of the dark, bulky coat that covered them both.  The woman stretched her hand out and strained once more.

“Please… tell the queen, I humbly request… an audience with her majesty… I’ve come for hel-"

A sudden fit overtook the woman, racking through her body and stabbing at her throat as each cough violently rattled her chest. She swallowed harshly and held her breath until the choking sensation passed, then tried again.

"Please, tell her... Anais has come for her help… It’s an urgent matter… of life… and death.”

The guard leaned forward and narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“And what, pray tell, is this 'urgent matter', that you presume to be granted such an entitled request in the middle of the night, eh? An audience with the queen at the behest of a commoner, and at the peak of the witching hour, no less?  Exactly who do you think I am that I might be so easily fooled as to believe that you are a personal acquaintance to her majesty, the queen of Aurelia?”

The woman peered into the guard's dark eyes as his expression cycled through deepening shades of agitated indifference. After a pregnant pause, she dipped her head in a submissive nod, nearly imperceptible in the wavering light. She struggled with great effort to reposition herself, tucking her knees beneath her as the child clung to her for dear life.  She began to work at the clasp of her cloak, a difficult feat with just one hand.  Her breaths were not as labored now that she was sitting more upright.  A second wind unexpectedly rushed over her, coursing through her veins like wildfire and giving her the strength to lock eyes with him and speak with confident authority.

“Tell Queen Cara that the Duchess of Veriscant has come to deliver grave news.  We came under attack.  Our people have been scattered. Blood has been spilled and now stains our streets, mixed with tears amidst the anguished cries of our women. Wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters. Our dead and wounded are many, young and old alike. The kingdom of Veriscant… has fallen.”

The woman popped the clasp open and hastily shed the heavy material, tossing it towards the guard.  He lowered his torch to examine the cloth, now crumpled in the mud as the rain beat down on them.  The dim, flickering light was just enough to reveal the Veriscanti coat of arms embroidered on the part of the cloak that would rest directly over the wearer’s heart.  He bent down and grabbed hold of the heavy garment, mouth agape as he blinked rapidly and studied the elaborate design.

“I don’t understand.  Where on earth did you…”

His words trailed off as he attempted to process what his eyes were showing him. She made her plea once more as he continued to stare and began tracing the stitched pattern in disbelief.

“Please.  Tell the queen… that Princess Anais seeks asylum… for the last living survivor of the House of Maroubi…”

The guard turned his attention to the frail woman once again, his eyes widening as he identified the jewel encrusted headpiece that signified royalty, which adorned her head.  She met his awed gaze with resolve and determination, holding her head high now, with the air of one who could inspire and command an entire people with a single nod.

“I seek asylum for the sole heiress and future queen of Veriscant…”

He immediately dropped the torch and knelt on bended knee, bowing his head low in reverence.

“Your highness.  Please… forgive me, for I have greatly dishonored you, myself, and my family.  I knew not to whom I was speaking.”

The duchess gently rested her fingertips against his arm, startling him.  She waited for him to meet her gaze.  She was growing weaker, but she managed an empathetic, knowing smile, hoping that was assurance enough that all was forgiven.  Her voice was nearly inaudible now, barely above a whisper.  He leaned forward to hear her.

“Please… my daughter… grant my daughter sanctuary… she is our last hope…”

The guard looked from her to the child, then back again.  She was still smiling at him, wearily.  Realization struck him quicker than the lightning that rent the air, and he briskly nodded and made haste for the winch that controlled the portcullis.  He yelled out to another guard across the courtyard, and soon, the gate was raised, and Anais and her daughter were carried safely through the gatehouse.  She heard footsteps approaching from a distance.  Frantic voices communed with each other in urgent, but hushed tones.  Then her child cried out as two motherly arms tenderly pulled the girl from Anais' embrace.  Someone called her name, but she was too far gone to notice. Delirium had at last taken over.  As the world spun and faded into darkness, she whispered a name.

“Reinette…”