Malachite
1
Month Earlier
Meeting
with my Queen had to be the second scariest thing I ever do on a
daily basis. I walked through the dark stone halls of Her castle. The
desolate landscape of the asteroid it was perched on didn't give
much of a view, though the sight of the Earth may have attracted the
Queen to this location.
"She
does act a bit hastily," I
thought, approaching the door to the throne room. My stomach trembled
inside me at the prospect of having to suffer another night of
torture due to a mood swing the Queen was going through. She was
vile, loathsome, and cruel, but if he didn't subject to Her
demands, his family and home planet would be destroyed. Besides, She
had long ago turned his heart black with hatred. There was no room
left for fear. I stopped before the thick doors of volcanic rock and
waited for Her permission to go through.
"Enter," She crooned,
and the heavy gates swung forward as if they weighed nothing more
than a piece of paper, when in fact they could crush a man with one
wrong movement. Treading lightly I came forward toward the throne.
Kneeling down on my right knee, I bowed my head in submission.
"Malachite, have you forgotten your Queen? I do not enjoy
playing these games with you. Have you succeeded in your quest for
the Prince?" She asked. Though She need not have. We both knew the
answer.
"No, my Queen."
She fingered her staff, her nails
clicking against the orb. I waited for her next words apprehensively,
while trying not to let it show on my face.
"Well, no matter."
She said finally. I glanced up, shocked by this response. Never
before had she taken news of failure so easily. It had to be a
distraction from something else. Or perhaps she had another idea…
"I
have another plan, a new one. So listen closely," She sat upon Her
throne and looked down on me.
"We are to find the Moon
Princess." She stated, and then glared down at me.
Once again,
shock.
"But, Queen, our goal is to find the Prince. Not that
little brat from the Moon! How is this to-" I started but was cut
off by her ferocious roar.
"SILENCE!"
I bowed my head again, and shut my mouth, but my mind was racing
with questions.
"Do you dare to question me?" She growled.
Then in a mocking tone; "Have you no devotion to your queen?"
I
looked up to her, my face as emotionless as a rock.
"No, never.
I am your loyal servant, your Majesty."
She took a fleeting
look, at me.
"Yes. Now pay attention, if we can get to the
Princess, the Prince will come running to save her. And there, we
have our solution."
I thought this over in my mind. It could
work…though if the Prince can be so elusive as to evade me, the
Princess would be an even harder challenge. Women, I have learned,
can be somewhat more deceptive. Though, if it was able to work and I
could bring back the Prince, I could negotiate my freedom from this
rock-castle of horror.
"If it is your wish, it shall be done."
I declared.
"Then go, you will report back to me with updates
weekly until the job is done. You may begin." And with that She
dismissed me, turning her back. I stood up, my knees sore from
kneeling for so long, and backed out of the room. As the gates of
doom closed behind me, I heard her last command.
"Do not fail me
again, Malachite."
"Of course not" I responded.
Walking
away through the dark hallways, I thought through my options on how
to track the Princess. Failure is not an option. Before, that was
stupidity. Now, I will not let trivial things get in the way of the
mission. Glancing back at the door, I recalled the Queen's beauty.
Her image burned into my mind, Her voice ringing in my ears. "No,"
I thought, "Not
again. I refuse to fail you. My Queen. My love…Beryl."