It was near sunset in Hagsgate. The king and queen had not been seen
walking together all day, and no one had seen Queen Amalthea at all. There
were many whispers among the servants as King Lir was going up to his
chambers. He overheard many snippets of conversation; some were funny,
others just disturbed him.
"Well he couldn't have murdered her, there was no sign of struggle when I cleaned their room."
"Molly's been minding the princess all day outside the castle."
"Perhaps Her Majesty's run away."
Hearing about his wife's possible abandonment cut into him the deepest. 'Could she have left. Did Schmendrick even change her back?' He opened his chamber door and found the magician sitting on the bed speaking to a pure white unicorn that was looking down at the sea.
"The Bull is back, magician, is my daughter safe?"
Schmendrick gave a give nod to Lir before speaking to Amalthea. "Molly has taken over her nanny's room. She will be sure of the princess's safety, my lady. Forgive me, but I am more concerned about yours. I'm almost certain the Bull cannot travel any farther into the castle than his cave, but there may be a small chance."
Amalthea turned around and looked at her husband for the first time since morning. "Hello, Lir."
Lir bowed after a brief moment of hesitation. Here in his room was a unicorn. He almost forgot that he was married to her; he was struck by the quiet way she looked at him. As if she was seeing him for the first time.
She stepped forward, the golden orange and pale purple of the sunset highlighting her shimmering white body. She spoke very softly, in an almost whispery voice.
"Lir. I have to do what I came here to do. I must free to my brothers and sisters. And then I will go back to my forest. I don't belong here."
"The devil you don't! What about our daughter? What will you tell Aurora, or will you just leave and leave me to deal with it?" Lir exploded, and then turned his anger on Schmendrick. "You betrayed me! You wanted peace with me only to stir up new trouble!"
Schmendrick rose from the bed in preparation to defend himself and Amalthea quickly stepped between the two. "It wasn't his idea. I forgot what I came to do and became too human. I was almost lost and was lied to for too many years. It will break my heart to tell Aurora I must leave, but perhaps she can come with me."
"Perhaps she can come with you?? And what about me? Do you care about me at all anymore, Amalthea? Or am I 'too human' as well."
Her eyes softened and the magician could feel her sadness like a knife through his heart. "I did. But you lied to me. You claim yourself a hero but you are nothing more than a coward. I am going to say goodbye to my daughter now. You may make up whatever fanciful story you please to explain my disappearance. You're quite good at that."
Schmendrick walked behind Amalthea and said quietly to Lir, "I did not want this to happen. I wanted us to remain friends this time. But it has to be this way. Unicorns must be in the world. You must lose your wife to fix the damaged your wicked father caused to the world."
Lir pulled his sword out and Amalthea stopped in her tracks and turned. Her soft eyes met his hard, angry glare. He turned his back on her and threw his sword out the window.
It landed on the beach with the hilt straight in the air. As it hit the sand, a dark red cloud formed. The ground shook and a loud, angry roar was heard as the shape of the Red Bull came into view. Lir was transfixed on the beast that he did not see his former wife and friend leave the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Molly was in her charge's room when the Bull roared. Aurora screamed and hugged her tightly.
"It's alright little one, I'm here." The older woman's voice was shaky despite her words. She looked up as the soft patter of hooves was heard. Molly was struck by Amalthea's expression that she could not speak. She left Aurora's bedside and was given a soft nod of thanks. Amalthea stopped by her daughter's bed and smiled as her daughter clung onto her.
"I'm afraid Mommy. I heard the Bull."
"Sweetheart. This is very hard for me to say, but I must leave you for a while. I have to find the other unicorns. Schmendrick is coming with me. I will need his help. You must do something for me though."
She stopped speaking and looked at the young girl. Aurora had put on a brave face but her eyes were shining with wetness. She nodded and looked at the magician. His normally smiling face was solemn and he was speaking quietly to Molly. Molly let out a choked sob and clung to her love. "Molly is staying with me, isn't she, Mommy?"
"She is. I need you to behave for her and listen to her as if you were her own daughter. Your father and I have said our good byes, he's not happy with my decision, but he doesn't understand. Your grandfather did a terrible evil and now it is up to me to try and right it. You must never go outside at night. Not until I return. It isn't safe. Could you do that for me, my angel?"
A tear fell down the young girl's cheek and she nodded again. "Yes Mommy. I'll be a good girl. I'll miss you so much!" And she threw her arms around her mother's neck. Amalthea felt torn at not being able to huge her daughter when a silvery blue light enveloped her. She was in her human form again and she wasted no time in wrapping her daughter in a hug. "I will miss you so much. I love you."
Schmendrick tapped his friend on the shoulder gently and looked truly sorry. "My lady."
The human woman closed her eyes and wished her hardest, the image of her brothers and sisters clear in her mind. She was a unicorn once more.
"I know, Schmendrick. Molly?" She looked at her dearest friend, who had dried her eyes and now held her child. "Yes, my lady?" She smiled sadly, fearing she would never see her lover or friend again. "Please take care of my baby." "You have my word."
She ran to Schmendrick and hugged him tightly. "Please come back to me." She said through tears. The magician smiled and kissed her. "I will." He reluctantly released her and he and Amalthea disappeared in a silvery blue flash of light.
"Well he couldn't have murdered her, there was no sign of struggle when I cleaned their room."
"Molly's been minding the princess all day outside the castle."
"Perhaps Her Majesty's run away."
Hearing about his wife's possible abandonment cut into him the deepest. 'Could she have left. Did Schmendrick even change her back?' He opened his chamber door and found the magician sitting on the bed speaking to a pure white unicorn that was looking down at the sea.
"The Bull is back, magician, is my daughter safe?"
Schmendrick gave a give nod to Lir before speaking to Amalthea. "Molly has taken over her nanny's room. She will be sure of the princess's safety, my lady. Forgive me, but I am more concerned about yours. I'm almost certain the Bull cannot travel any farther into the castle than his cave, but there may be a small chance."
Amalthea turned around and looked at her husband for the first time since morning. "Hello, Lir."
Lir bowed after a brief moment of hesitation. Here in his room was a unicorn. He almost forgot that he was married to her; he was struck by the quiet way she looked at him. As if she was seeing him for the first time.
She stepped forward, the golden orange and pale purple of the sunset highlighting her shimmering white body. She spoke very softly, in an almost whispery voice.
"Lir. I have to do what I came here to do. I must free to my brothers and sisters. And then I will go back to my forest. I don't belong here."
"The devil you don't! What about our daughter? What will you tell Aurora, or will you just leave and leave me to deal with it?" Lir exploded, and then turned his anger on Schmendrick. "You betrayed me! You wanted peace with me only to stir up new trouble!"
Schmendrick rose from the bed in preparation to defend himself and Amalthea quickly stepped between the two. "It wasn't his idea. I forgot what I came to do and became too human. I was almost lost and was lied to for too many years. It will break my heart to tell Aurora I must leave, but perhaps she can come with me."
"Perhaps she can come with you?? And what about me? Do you care about me at all anymore, Amalthea? Or am I 'too human' as well."
Her eyes softened and the magician could feel her sadness like a knife through his heart. "I did. But you lied to me. You claim yourself a hero but you are nothing more than a coward. I am going to say goodbye to my daughter now. You may make up whatever fanciful story you please to explain my disappearance. You're quite good at that."
Schmendrick walked behind Amalthea and said quietly to Lir, "I did not want this to happen. I wanted us to remain friends this time. But it has to be this way. Unicorns must be in the world. You must lose your wife to fix the damaged your wicked father caused to the world."
Lir pulled his sword out and Amalthea stopped in her tracks and turned. Her soft eyes met his hard, angry glare. He turned his back on her and threw his sword out the window.
It landed on the beach with the hilt straight in the air. As it hit the sand, a dark red cloud formed. The ground shook and a loud, angry roar was heard as the shape of the Red Bull came into view. Lir was transfixed on the beast that he did not see his former wife and friend leave the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Molly was in her charge's room when the Bull roared. Aurora screamed and hugged her tightly.
"It's alright little one, I'm here." The older woman's voice was shaky despite her words. She looked up as the soft patter of hooves was heard. Molly was struck by Amalthea's expression that she could not speak. She left Aurora's bedside and was given a soft nod of thanks. Amalthea stopped by her daughter's bed and smiled as her daughter clung onto her.
"I'm afraid Mommy. I heard the Bull."
"Sweetheart. This is very hard for me to say, but I must leave you for a while. I have to find the other unicorns. Schmendrick is coming with me. I will need his help. You must do something for me though."
She stopped speaking and looked at the young girl. Aurora had put on a brave face but her eyes were shining with wetness. She nodded and looked at the magician. His normally smiling face was solemn and he was speaking quietly to Molly. Molly let out a choked sob and clung to her love. "Molly is staying with me, isn't she, Mommy?"
"She is. I need you to behave for her and listen to her as if you were her own daughter. Your father and I have said our good byes, he's not happy with my decision, but he doesn't understand. Your grandfather did a terrible evil and now it is up to me to try and right it. You must never go outside at night. Not until I return. It isn't safe. Could you do that for me, my angel?"
A tear fell down the young girl's cheek and she nodded again. "Yes Mommy. I'll be a good girl. I'll miss you so much!" And she threw her arms around her mother's neck. Amalthea felt torn at not being able to huge her daughter when a silvery blue light enveloped her. She was in her human form again and she wasted no time in wrapping her daughter in a hug. "I will miss you so much. I love you."
Schmendrick tapped his friend on the shoulder gently and looked truly sorry. "My lady."
The human woman closed her eyes and wished her hardest, the image of her brothers and sisters clear in her mind. She was a unicorn once more.
"I know, Schmendrick. Molly?" She looked at her dearest friend, who had dried her eyes and now held her child. "Yes, my lady?" She smiled sadly, fearing she would never see her lover or friend again. "Please take care of my baby." "You have my word."
She ran to Schmendrick and hugged him tightly. "Please come back to me." She said through tears. The magician smiled and kissed her. "I will." He reluctantly released her and he and Amalthea disappeared in a silvery blue flash of light.
