Thorn Queen Chapter Four

We left as soon as etiquette class we could. I try using Shayas argument more or less eccentric queens doing whatever they valued, but it didnt work on her. She state if we didnt nonplus a certain amount of era, Id appear intimidated by Maiwenn. So, we stuck nigh a minute of arc durable than I equald before fin altogethery making formal farewells to the others. Kiyo was preoccupied with a stem of well-wishers, but he looked up at my departure and smiled. He mouthed the word soon.My group rode moxie in a subdued mood. The urgency was gone, and I think my glum attitude threw a cloud everyw here(predicate) everyone. Seeing Maiwenn and Kiyo had bo in that respectd me more than I analogousd to admit, and Dorianwell, that was another story. For now, I wanted nada more than to cross over to my own world, throw on pajamas, and watch mindless TV. Possibly magical spell eating ice cream.And as our journey continued, ice cream sounded more and more appealing in one case we cro ssed gumption into the a stomachtha Land. The sun was sinking, but heat still radiated off the sand and rocks. It wouldnt sever for another pair off hours, and even at midnight, the temperature probably wouldnt drop below seventy. Id changed back to my shorts and dark glasses before leaving Maiwenns, so again, the heat didnt bother me as much as it did the others. Dorian had claimed my sundress would pick up on as a fashion trend I wondered if shorts would as well. theres a settlement ahead, murmured Rurik.I snapped out of my daydreams and followed his gesture. Sure enough, a small cluster of buildings darkened the horizon. Like my castle, it was round intimacy more suited to a medieval British landscape than the desert. Considering how infrequently I visited my kingdom, this was the first settlement Id gossipn outside of the castle. It unnerve me a little, my discomfort growing when I saw that our road went straight through the town. Damned commotion Otherworld. This vi llage hadnt been here on our earlier trip.And for that reason, I knew better than to suggest we go around it. With the mood this world worked, a slight deviation could toss us into the Rowan Land or make consciousness hours onto our trip. Steeling myself, I tightened my grip on the reins, deciding that this place looked small and wouldnt take long to clear.When we entered its outskirts, though, I observe something that made me lose my resolve. The road was lined with race. It was like everyone in the town had come out to exit us pass through. They s in any cased along the sides, staring at my party and again looking like extras from some medieval movie. Except, it must stick been a low-budget movie. The peoples clothes were ragged and landy, their faces gaunt. Everyone seemed too skinny, even the children and babies held in parental arms.My unease grew as we rode deeper into the heart of the village. I hated crowds and having eye upon me. There was something discomfiting abo ut this particular proposition group. Their expressions were either completely blank orwell, terrified. Everything was dead silent.What are they scared of? I whispered to Rurik.He gave me an amused glance. You, of course.Me? I squeaked. Glancing at my attire, I tried to imagine how out of place I looked here. Was my foreignness that frightening?Youre their queen. Everyone knows how you slaughtered Aeson-and that isnt a particularly heartwarming tale. Likewise, Storm Kings legacy of terror lives on after all these years. Youve inherited it.So, what, they see me as some physique of tyrant?He shrugged. Youre their queen, he repeated, as though that explained everything.Id never wanted to be queen. I certainly didnt want to be seen as some resistant of despot queen either. I didnt want these eyeball upon me, these eyes that all seemed to be fill with apathy, judgment, and a kind of weary defeat. I breathed a sigh of relief when we reached what looked to be the halfway point. each o f a sudden, a man stepped in front of us, bringing us to a halt.He was an former(a) gentry, tall and gray-haired. He was skinny and clothed whole a little better than the tranquility, though there was an air of dignity and authority that made him stand out. When he saw he had our attention, he brush me a bow so low, his face nearly touched the dusty road.To Eugenie, great queen of the vertebral column Land, I offer the most humble greetings of your servant, Davros.At least, thats what I think he said. He was dead set(p) so low that his words came out muffled. I glanced uneasily at the others in my group, unsure what to do. They all remained silent and looked at me expectantly. Oh, sure. They were full of advice back at Maiwenns, but when it came to peasants crawl in the road? That was plainly all me.Please, um, stand up, I man aged(a) at last. Um, Davros.He rose, clasping his hands in front of him, looking on the whole overwhelmed that Id used his name. convey you, your maje sty. I am the mayor of this village. Words cannot express what an honor it is to have you among us.Considering what Rurik had unspoiled told me about my re puzzleation here, I wasnt entirely sure I believed Davros words. I forced a smile.Thanks. Were except passing through on our way back to the castle.Davros spread his hands wide. I hope, then, that youll consider resting and fetching a brief refreshment in my home.Oh, well, thats really nice, but-Shaya cleared her throat loudly. I glanced over at her. She gave me a pointed look that gave no question to what she wanted me to do. Grimacing, I glanced back shine at poor, groveling Davros. Damn. I wanted nothing more than to get out of the Otherworld right now. I didnt want to disclose for teatime. My expression must have looked scary because Davros blanched and lowered his head meekly.I sighed. Wed love to.city manager or not, Davros didnt have a very big house. Only Shaya, Rurik, and I joined him inside, piece of music the res t of my party milled around outdoors. From the village, Davros had invited a few other important officials, as well as his wife and two handsome sons. We sat at a round oak table while his wife served us red wine and something that reminded me of baklava. I sipped only a little of the wine, not abstracted to risk dehydration in this weather.I wasnt much better at making conference here than at Maiwenns, but fortunately, there was no need for me to do anything. Davros and his associates kept the talking going, most of the conversation centering on how glad they were that I had come by, what an honor it was to meet me, how they hoped Id call on them if I needed anything, et cetera, et cetera.Which was why it was a bit shocking when Davros wife suddenly asked, entirely if you would, your majesty, enthral tell us what it is weve done to displease you. Well do anything at all to make amends and gain your party favor once more. Anything.I almost choked on the honey cake. What do you m eandisplease me?The villagers change glances. Well, said Davros at last. There must be something. Youve placed a blight on the land, stripping us of our wet and food. Surely weve done something to warrant your most righteous displeasure.You need only let us know what it is, piped in someone else. We will do anything you require to lift this fellow from us.This was the most astonishing thing to happen to me all day-which was saying something. I looked at Shaya and Rurik for help, having no touch how to respond to this. For a moment, I supposition they would once again make me fend for myself, until Shaya finally spoke.The residents had strengthened their lives around the shape of the land when Aeson ruled it, when it was the Alder Land. When it transformed itself to you, their old ship canal no longer worked. Their crops dont grow in this weather. The wells have run dry.I stared at her in shock. Never, never had this occurred to me-but then, it wasnt like Id spent a whole lot o f time thinking about the Thorn Land. Most of my expertness had been spent on figuring out how to avoid it. Studying Shaya, I wondered how long shed known about this. I somehow doubted there was much that went on around here that she didnt know about. From the looks of Ruriks averted gaze, it appeared as though hed known about this problem as well. Both knew how upset I got when forced to deal with any sort of queenly issues. So both had spared me the details while these people suffered.I turned back to Davros. Its not a curseits, I dont know, its dependable the way the land is. The way I wanted it to be.Astonished looks met me, and I could only imagine what a freak I sounded like. When Aeson had ruled, this land had been green and lush, filled with forests and fertile farmland. Who in their right mind would turn it into a desert? Davros confirmed as much.But this landthis land is impossible to survive in, he said.Not where I come from, I told him. This is like the land I grew up in. People live and flourish there.People also had modern ways of bringing in water and shopping for whatever other stuff they might need. And that wasnt even pickings air-conditioning into account.How? he asked.I didnt know how to readily answer. I didnt really understand the intimate details of my worlds infrastructure. I turned a faucet and water came out. I went to the grocery store and bought milk and Pop-Tarts. Desperately, I racked my judgment and tried to pull out elementary school lessons about Arizonas history.Irrigation, I said lamely. Squash, I think. And, um, corn. Had the natives grown corn? Or was I getting confused by stereotypes? Shit. I was so ignorant. The only thing I felt confident of was that Pop-Tarts were not cultivated natively in Arizona. The looks the others gave me told me I wasnt helping this situation any.I glanced at Shaya and Rurik, but this time, no help came. The full weight of what Id done started to sink in. Maybe I hadnt wanted this land. Maybe I hadnt intentionally turned it into a mirror of wild Tucson. The point was it was done. The Thorn Land was as it was, and taking in these ragged and starving people, I realized it was all my fault. Only, I had no clue how to fix it. I was too much a product of modern innovation. There was nothing I could do.Scratch that. There was one thing I could do.I abruptly stood from the table, contractable everyone by surprise. As custom dictated, they all hastily scrambled and rose as well. Without explaining myself, I headed outside, back out into the village. Behind me, I could hear Davros babbling something, apparently thinking theyd again caused offense. They probably thought I was about to send lightning bolts from the sky.As it was, that might not have been a bad topic-if I actually had that power. These people could certainly use rain. But one rainstorm wouldnt fix things, and I could hardly do it day after day. Instead, I walked out to the middle of the street and came to a halt. My guards straightened up, awaiting my orders, and other residents stopped to see what was happening. Those from Davros gathering soon poured out of the house and joined everyone else.I closed my eyes, opening myself to the world around me. I smelled the clean, fresh scent of the desert and the faint, faint breeze blowing through it. The setting sun change my skin. Then, I pushed deeper, reaching out to that which the magic within me instinctively bonded to. I felt the minuscule water vapor in the air, but that wasnt what I wanted. I had to go further. I sent my magical senses into the ground, pursuance water throughout the village. None. I remembered what Shaya had said about wells drying up, which meant the surface wasnt going to yield anything. That meant Id have to go deeper still.There. Back in the direction wed entered town, I felt a hit. I opened my eyes and strode toward it, the water calling to me. I was vaguely aware of a crowd following me, but I paid them no attention. Only the water was my goal. When I reached the spot, I found that it was plainly on the towns outside edge. A mesquite tree grew nearby, which should have been a tip-off. They had deep feelers that penetrated the earth in search of moisture.I too sent my power into the ground, trying to summon the water up. There was a lot of dirt between me and it, and I realized it wouldnt do these people any good in the long full term to just suck it to the surface right now. I turned around and found Davros right screw me, face anxious. I pointed to the ground.You guys need to dig here. Right now. Theres water here.He stared at me, mouth agape. A moment later, he snapped out of it and turned to those nearest him. You heard the queen Fetch shovels immediately. And find anyone who can work with the earth.Earth magic. A smart idea. Gentry didnt have bulldozers or drills, but they did have people who could throw around huge piles of dirt, which was pretty sweet for this kind of thing. Dorian-who was probably the strongest earth user in the Otherworld-could cause earthquakes and level buildings.In minutes, a group had assembled. I tried to take a shovel and help, but that nearly caused Shaya and Davros to have a heart attack. Queens didnt do that kind of work. Instead, I stepped back, observance as the other villagers used magic and manual labor to dig where Id indicated. When the hole grew too deep for shovels, the villages two earth-magic users took over. Even combined, they were nowhere near Dorian in strength, but they definitely sped the attend along, kicking up towers of dirt along the sides. Finally, I heard a great cheer. Everyone else and I move to the holes sides, peering down. It was deep in the ground, but muddy water was slowly filling up the bottom.I looked at Davros. Can you guys turn this into a well? I certainly hoped so because I sure as hell had no idea how to do it. I imagined it involved stones and a bucket, but maybe that was just my nave fairy-tal e images.His head bobbed eagerly. Yes, yes, your majesty. Thank you, your majesty.After that, it was nearly impossible to leave. I was regarded as a miracle worker. I was no longer the tyrant queen. I was their savior, the generous and wonderful monarch who had brought life to their land. I declined their pleas to stay and celebrate but told them Id be back with other ways to save their town. Admittedly, I had no idea what that would entail, but mentioning such a minor detail would have seriously brought down everyones mood.When we were finally mount up and able to head out, I suddenly felt a tug on my shoe. Surprised, I looked down and saw a middle-aged man gazing up at me. A similarly aged woman stood close beside him.How dare you touch the queen gasped Davros. From his face, it looked like he was seriously afraid I might level the town.I waved him off. Its okay.The man whod pulled my leg regarded me pleadingly. Please, your majesty. My wife and I have a grace to ask of youThats a favor or a request, said Rurik helpfully.I know what a present is, I snapped. I looked back down at the couple, unwilling to make any promises yet. What is it?The man put his arm around the woman. Weve heard that youre both a great warrior and a great magic user.And intelligibly kind and compassionate, added his wife.And? I asked.And very beautiful and-No, I exclaimed. I mean, whats your boon?Our daughter has been taken, the woman said, eyes filling with tears. We beg you to help us get her back.Whoa. That might be a little beyond my reach, I told them. When you say taken, do you mean, like, kidnapped?They both nodded, and I was swept by a crazy sense of deja vu. Id first stumbled into this Otherworldly mess when Id been hired in the human world to also find a missing girl. The girl had turned out to be Jasmine, though Id had no clue at the time that she was half-gentry, let alone my sister. Was my life destined to be filled with missing girls?Davros stepped forward, looking up set and embarrassed. Your majesty, please ignore them for troubling you with something so meaningless. Their daughter was not taken by anyone. She ran off to Highmore with her lover from a neighboring village.I glanced at Shaya and Rurik. Whats Highmore?Really? asked Rurik dryly. I thought you already knew everything.I glared at him.Its a city, said Shaya. The largest in this kingdom.Wait, what? I have cities? I asked, feeling my eyes go wide. The distraught couple interrupted my new revelation.Davros is wrong, the woman said. Our daughter did not run off. She was taken by the bandits who live in the passes.Everyone knows theyre there, added the man. He eyed Davros. Them and their beasts. Even you wont deny their existence. Theyve been there for years, and she isnt the first girl to disappear.I turned to Davros. Is that admittedly?He shifted uncomfortably under my gaze. Well, yes, your majesty, but such brigands are nothing you need to concern yourself about, just as King Aeson did not.Wait. Aeson knew there were bandits going after you guys and didnt do anything?Such petty concerns were beneath him, said Davros. To my astonishment, he seemed to believe that.I dont know, I said slowly. If a monarch doesnt take care of that kind of thing, Im not really sure what theyre supposed to do.Truthfully, I didnt want to deal with this any more than I wanted any other Thorn Land responsibilities. But the mention of Aeson had stirred my blood. Aeson had been a self-serving asshole, and it pissed me off that he would have left these people to fend for themselves. The only thing I wanted less than to be a ruler was to be a ruler like him.Furthermore, the homogeneous fury that Jasmines abduction had stirred in me flared up. Maybe it was my own experience with always being chased down by aggressive men, but I hated the thought of any girl facing shock or abduction. It didnt matter that these were gentry girls and not humans. The principle was the same. Brigands and thieves taking advantage of young girls, of preying on those weaker, had to be stopped.Ill send people to take care of these bandits, I said finally. Behind me, Rurik made a strange sound. But I cant make any guarantees about your daughter.The couples faces lit up, and they fell to the ground in gratitude. Thank you, your majesty the woman cried.Her husband chimed in. Truly you are generous and magnanimous and-Yeah, okay, theres no need for that, I said hastily. Or to kneel. Youre going to get all dirty.We had just started to ride away when Shaya leaned toward me. Youve made a lot of promises today.I thought about it. She was right. Id promised to help them get food, rebuild their infrastructure, and rid themselves of those who preyed upon them. Yeah. I cipher I did.She gave me a bemused look. And how are you going to accomplish all of this?I glanced around us, noting that the faces watching us leave town were no longer blank and afraid. They were grateful and adoring. I sighed.That, I to ld her, is an gauzy question.