A Fickle Fingered Fate
Chapter 12
Hands of the Queen
Mia bit her lip with a soft hiss as she grasped the rough bark of the large log, lifting it into her arms. She could only manage three at a time, the thickly cut pieces of wood were larger around than her arm, and the low light of the predawn morning made it hard to see exactly what she was doing. Clutching the logs to her chest, the queen stepped away from the towering woodpile near the back entrance of the kitchen, carrying her burden inside.
It was her eighth trip for wood, and despite the cool air of the early morning, sweat beaded on her forehead as she wrestled with the logs that threatened to escape her grasp as she stumbled towards one of the ovens. She slowly crouched, gently setting the wood down onto the cold floor before opening the oven and removing the metal rack inside and setting it on the nearest countertop.
Faint whispers teased at her ears as she grabbed an empty pale and an iron spade to clean out the ashes from the previous day's fire. Barely anyone was awake yet, only a few guards and maids who prepared the castle's fires and lit the lights in the hallways and common rooms. But the kitchen staff was the first group to begin their daily tasks, and they were often up over an hour before anyone else. Currently there was about a dozen ladies going about the kitchen along with Mia, and not one of them had spoken to her since she'd arrived.
Yet they hadn't stopped talking about her, that much she knew. After a mantis-like monster had curtly instructed her to clean and stock the ovens, the others had retreated to the other end of the kitchen, casting her cold glances and making hushed whispers as they peeled, chopped, and stirred. But they weren't quite as quiet as they thought, for she heard things as she worked, none of it pleasant.
She ignored it as best she could, but her ears disobeyed her wishes and strained to hear everything they growled behind her back. The words almost hurt as much as her hands. The gloves she'd been given yesterday hadn't helped once she'd been assigned to clean dishes, and after the other three women had left and never returned, Mia had wordlessly spent her entire day scrubbing enough dishes to cause blisters along her fingers. She'd returned to her rooms to change out of her wet and smelly clothes before going to dinner, only to fall asleep the moment she sat down. Her husband had apparently left her to rest and tucked her in, a fact that made her face burn with embarrassment at the mere thought of it.
Once the ashes were cleared out, she set the logs and rack inside, then grabbed a fire stick. It was one of the many things she'd been overjoyed to discover amongst the gifts her mother left; a fire stick was a short white rod, like a long piece of chalk, and just scraping it against any surface would set it ablaze. Striking it like a match against one of the logs, she watched as flames leaped to life and rushed over the bark eagerly. She closed the oven as she stood and headed back out to grab more wood, ignoring the sudden laughter behind her as she disappeared through the back door.
The silence outside felt like a welcomed relief, along with the slight breeze that blew past her, teasing at a few loose strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail. Faint hints of light began to color the sky to the East, pale rosy pink pushing back the dark purple and blue as day began to devour the passing night. If she had had the time, Mia would have stopped to admire it for a few moments, but she didn't have a minute to spare as she burdened her arms once again.
She flinched as she felt a splinter sink into her finger, biting her lip to ignore the discomfort. 'Just get this last oven filled and then you're done,' she told herself. 'Then you can dig the nasty thing out and-'
A yelp of shock flew from her lips as something wet splashed over her, soaking her entire front. It felt oily, and bits of who knew what clung and drip from her body. "Whoops." The voice made her raise her ducked head, finding a familiar squirrel monster standing in the doorway holding a now empty bucket. "Somebody forgot to dump the garbage pail last night, so I was tossing out the trash. You should really be careful around doorways in the kitchen."
Before Mia could reply, the squirrel quickly disappeared back into the kitchen and the faint sounds of laughter drifted out as the Queen stood there soaked in filth and filled with embarrassment. A tightness gripped her throat like an invisible hand trying to choke her. Even if she had wanted to say anything, she couldn't force out a single sound.
Cruelty was to be expected-it was foolish not to think it would happen. They hated her, they wanted to attack her in any fashion they could get away with. But even knowing this, Mia still felt a terrible emotion inside her as sickening as the garbage that coated her. It was difficult to describe, but it felt a twisted cocktail of bitterness, anger, sorrow, and worst of all, hatred. Most of it she could understand, but the hatred was confusing because she wasn't sure just what she felt it for. All she knew was these horrible things were trapped inside her, and she couldn't-wouldn't-let any of it out.
She wouldn't be like them, no matter how tempting it was to lash back.
O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O
Freshly tilled soil crushed softly beneath Toffee's boots as he dismounted his unicorn, dust swirling around his ankles as he stepped lightly across the dirt. A monster resembling a sloth bear with antlers and long ears like a dog turned to him as he approached, holding seeds in his massive paw-like hand. "The field has been prepared as you instructed, my lord. All that remains to be done is the fertilizer and the seeds themselves."
"Very good," he murmured, plucking a seed from the monster's hand. "Then all that's left is to do as my Queen instructed. Is the water ready?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Then let's begin."
Many of his subjects scattered across the field, expertly spreading their seeds while water carriers followed quickly behind them. In no time, the field was planted and prepped. Normally planting so late into the season would have resulted in their failing, leading to withered and wasted crops. But thanks to his mother-in-law's gifts, the field would be harvestable within minutes and continue to grow until the first fallen leaf of autumn touched the ground.
The fertilizer glittered in the sun as the bear-like monster opened the large bag, like shavings of silver and chips of quartz crystals. It felt like sand as the king took a pinch between his fingers and approached the nearest plot, sprinkling it over the damp earth. The seeds began to move, burrowing into the soil as greenery began to sprout. Leaves and tiny flowers bloomed over the plant, petals falling away as bright red fruits grew, plump and heavy.
Toffee plucked a strawberry from the plant, the sweet aroma teasing at his nose as he inspected it. It looked perfect, without a sign of flaw. "Only a pinch is required," he stated as he stood, cradling the fruit in his palm. "Once the field is grown, begin the harvest."
Leaving them to their work, the king turned to head to the edge of the field where his wife was waiting beneath the shade of a tree. With a click of his tongue, his unicorn abandoned the tuft of grass it was currently devouring to follow him. She had her peach skirts arranged over her cream beeches as she leaned lightly into her mount's side, her leather riding gloves replaced by the white silk ones he'd noticed she wore whenever she had a book in her hands.
Briefly he wondered if she was taught to wear them to avoid paper cuts on her hands, as Mewnians were very vain about their royals-especially the females-gaining so much as a blemish. His mother had complained about it before, and had encouraged Toffee to not worry about scrapping his knees or being afraid of getting a little cut here and there. She'd even been proud to show off a small scar on her upper arm.
She looked up as he approached, smiling softly as she closed the book. "How did the planting go?"
"See for yourself," he replied, holding out the fruit. Her eyes lit up at the sight, her fingers delicately taking the strawberry and lifting it to her nose. "I never knew they were quite so fragrant."
"Have you never had one before?" she asked curiously, then blinked. "Oh...I suppose not. I still forget just how privileged I'd grown up." She lifted the fruit up to his lips, gesturing to it with her eyes. "Here, try it."
He hesitated for a moment, mildly surprised, but bit gently into the offered fruit. Sweet juice flooded over his tongue, it's flesh a pleasant texture in his mouth. Tearing off the leaves, Mia bit into the rest of the fruit, her lips forming into the shape of a kiss as the pale red juice lingered upon her painted lips. Her tongue darted out to reclaim the escaping taste, and Toffee's own tongue mimicked hers without thought.
"Well?" she asked, drawing his attention away from that perfect little mouth and up to her sparkling blue eyes. "To your liking, I hope?"
"Very much so," he replied, pushing himself to his feet and offering her his hand. As he pulled her up, he didn't miss the slight flinch in her expression. "Are you alright?"
She shook her head. "I'm fine, my hands are just a bit tender. Likely it's from soaking them in all that water in the kitchen." Pulling her hand free, she moved over to her mount, who had also come to its feet, and stored her book in the saddlebag while retrieving her riding gloves. "We're to meet your Council this afternoon, yes? Should we get going?"
"We still have time," he stated. Moving behind her, he slipped his hands around her waist and lifted her into the saddle. A blush colored her cheeks, just as it did every time he seemed to pick her up, and it was a reward he was starting to secretly enjoy. "If you would like, there is a place I'd like to show you."
She nodded as she adjusted her skirts. "I'd love to. Lead the way, dear husband," she said with a teasing smile as she quickly changed her gloves. "I'm sure Duke would enjoy a little more time out and about regardless."
Toffee arched a brow. "Duke?"
Mia patted the porcupine's head as the beast panted happily. "Duke McFluffle, to be precise."
The reptilian shook his head. "You've been talking to Buff Frog, haven't you?" She shrugged with a girlish giggle, bringing a lopsided smirk to his lips as he mounted his unicorn. "Come then, it's not far from here."
"Lead the way."
The corner of his lips curled. "Then let's see how well you ride, shall we?" With a click of his tongue and a flick of the braids, he spurred his unicorn into a run, casting his wife a challenging smirk over his shoulder.
Mia blinked owlishly, then grinned, tapping the beast with her heels. "When we catch him, lick him," she chortled.
O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O
Mia had been used to men chasing after her for most of her life. Some times it had seemed impossible to escape them at parties and special celebrations. But never once had Mia herself been pursuing the opposite gender. Now she was grinning from ear to ear as she raced after her husband, feeling giddiness swell each time he glanced back to see just how close she was getting.
Dappled sunlight fell over them as they followed a trail beneath the trees, the leaves rustling in the wind. The two rode so close that if she reached out, Mia could brush Toffee's leg. Beneath her, Duke tugged slightly at his reins, trying to pull ahead of her husband's mount.
A whistle drew her attention to her king, he gestured to the right and the two turned off onto another path. He gestured for them to slow down as they cleared the trees and entered a grassy field, the porcupine panting from excitement. "It seems you've grown use to your mount," Toffee commented as they trekked down a slope.
A large pond lay nestled at the bottom, tall reeds choking the far bank, while the woods wrapped around beyond that. But the side they had come to only had one tree, a network of flowering vines girdling the trunk and branches. The fragrance from the pale yellow blossoms drifted through the air, swirling around them in a cloud of perfume.
"He's been wonderful," she replied, affectionately petting his head. "I can't thank you enough for him."
Without waiting for his mount to fully stop, Toffee dismounted, grabbing Duke's bridle to gently pull him to a stop and lifted Mia out of the saddle. She slipped her hand around his elbow, patting Duke's back to signal him to wander off as they headed to the tree. She inhaled deep, breathing in the scent. "It smells nice here."
He nodded. "The vines are in the height of their blooming season. The local butter bees make a very flavorful butter honey from their nectar," he replied as they stepped under the shade of the tree. "Do you like butter honey?"
"Oh yes, a spoonful in warm tea or spread across fresh scones is delicious." She slipped her hand free of his arm to approach the tree, cradling a flower as she lowered her nose to it. "Do we have any of these growing closer to the castle?"
Reaching up, Toffee plucked a blossom from the vines, slipping it behind Mia's ear. She smiled shyly, her cheeks turning pink. "As pleasant as they are, the vines tend to spread a little too much to bother trying to domesticate. So we just mark the places we find them and our local butter bee keepers bring their hives to their locations to gather their nectar."
She tentatively brushed her fingers over the petals nestled in her hair. "And what brings a king out here?" she asked, turning to lean lightly against the tree.
"I used to fish in the pond," he replied, folding his arms casually behind his back as he looked out over the calm water. "This was also a favorite picnic spot of my parents, especially during the late summer."
Mia giggled softly. "I can just imagine you trying to catch tadpoles along the banks." She paused in thought. "Or, perhaps it would be Buff Frog you were trying to catch."
The breeze picked up, rattling the branches of the tree, petals raining down around them. Ripples danced across the pond's surface, the reeds bowing in the wind as Toffee suddenly held out his hand. Mia blinked at him, and hesitantly placed her hand on his palm. "You've been pushing yourself," he murmured, slowly peeling the glove from her hand. The palm was reddened and peppered with blisters and scraped skin.
She flinched as his fingertips carefully ghosted over the abused skin. "I'll be fine. It's just a little scrape."
"You don't have to do this, Mia," he stated. "You have nothing to prove to anyone."
The queen pulled her hand away, halfheartedly glaring at her palm. "Maybe not to you, but to them-to myself-I do." Dropping her hand to habitually clutch a fistful of her skirts. "Every since I was born, I knew what I was suppose to do. Marry another royal and secure my family's wealth and maintain our alliances. I accepted it-being a piece in a bigger picture, even if it felt unfair. But things are different here, even if it's still similar. I'm not a traded ally, a dowery to boost their economy. Here I'm a foreigner, a sacrifice to prevent war."
Her glare that had been drilling holes into the dirt softened. "I'm a stuck up princess." She raised her eyes to his, her shoulders sinking. "I want to be more than that. I want to be a part of this-I need to be somebody worth something other than my weight in gold. I want to be a part of my own life."
A hand gently cupped her cheek, a thumb stroking over the crescent moon. Toffee reclaimed her hand, lifting it to his lips, kissing the crystallized blood that adorned her wedding ring. "When I put this on your finger, when I took you onto my unicorn, when I pulled you up off the floor, I committed myself to you. We may not love each other, Mia, but I would gladly call you my friend and my wife, and as my wife I will do my best to ensure your happiness and wellbeing."
His eyes flicked briefly towards the pond, and before Mia respond, the hand on her cheek suddenly guided her head into a kiss. She let out a soft squeak of surprise, her face flaming red as her back met the tree. Her heart pounded in her chest as he pulled back, just barely enough to break the kiss, but close enough that his lips still touched hers. "I-I thought you said-"
"We're being watched," he whispered, gesturing with his eyes as he stroked a hand over her hair. "Stay calm, and act like nothing is wrong."
Cold dread began seeping through the startling the unexpected kiss had caused. Her heart now beating for a different reason. "Someone?" she whispered, forcing herself to not look away from his face. "Not one of ours?"
"None of them would try to hide." His arm slipped around her waist, drawing her to him.
"You think they-"
Her feet suddenly left the ground, the world spinning in a whirl around her. Something tugged on her hair, pulling for a brief second before Toffee jerked and swung them behind the tree. He kept her crushed to him as he gave a shrill whistle. His steed whinnied, barreling towards them with Duke close on it's heels.
He reached out, grabbing the unicorn's mane, pulling them both into the saddle as he pointed towards the pond where the reeds shook violently. "Duke-Veesra!"
The porcupine beast snarled, charging in the opposite direction as Toffee spurred his mount back into the trees. He held Mia tight to his chest, guiding the unicorn in a zigzag path through the forest.