When the conversation atop the platform came to a lull, the Queen unconcernedly suggested they head down to stretch their legs before they gathered for the meal.
As if the ladies were all granted amnesty, they agree that the idea was good. And in two and threes, they headed to all corners of the garden to chat; presumably to discuss about the lovely greenery and not the heinous words said before.
"Please watch your step, my concubine." Chasmi excused herself from the group for a few moments of quiet. No one dared to argue with the soon-to-be mother of the next prince.
As she descended, her maid offered her hand to Chasmi. In no hurry, the two went down. From the side, the shine of polished coppery hair inlaid with jewels passed, a wide girth between them. Behind the Queen, a small promenade of servants followed.
Neither woman acknowledged the other. Such tacitness had been habitual by now.
At the bottom of the staircase, the Old Duchess's eyes lowered when the group went by. Her lids only lifted when her daughter drew near.
And before Chasmi knew it, the old lady took hold of her arm, replacing the position of her maid. This was the first time in years that the mother and daughter had been close. The last time being when Chasmi revealed her pacifism after the miscarriage of the Queen.
Disappointment did not only come from her mother but from the Duke, from her brothers, elders, nephews. Everyone who was tied to their family. They turned their backs to her for wishing to live a peaceful existence.
Funnily enough, when this happened, the relationship between her and the King rounded out, becoming a static comfort.
No longer a child, the concubine held no expectations for her family, but desire from the heart cannot be erased so easily. The touch seemed simple from the outside, but Chasmi felt the complexities from years gone by.
The old mother leaned into her daughters ear. Her voice was quiet, but rang clearly. "You must protect yourself and the prince well. At your age, it will be harder to give birth. Your father and brothers will do their best, but their hands can only stretch so far before angering the King. You mustn't lax in the critical time."
Chasmi's heart tightened. These were the first words her mother said to her after so long. A slight jealousy formed toward the child in her stomach.
The Duchess went on; her voice softening even more. "God has granted you a gift. A child will be closer to your heart than a husband, your siblings, even me and your father. You will see that peace will no longer work. You will see."
The moment, too, passed.
The old mother kissed the daughter's cheek, sealing away anything that wasn't said. Then, all too soon, she pulled away. Crows feet that weren't there before framed the oldeyes and the concubine's own began to water.
She watched the Duchess walk away toward the west end toward her niece and sisters.
~
A short while later, her feet took her to the tall maze of roses; the one to follow her was the maid from before. The maid's name was Katzel the only servant who she kept with her from the Duke's mansion. From childhood to adulthood, Katzel was the one to know all of her secrets.
The fresh fragrance of roses filled the air, covering the smell of mellow grass. Just as so, her heart and mind were muddled.
The joys of pregnancy started to dissolve with just a few words from her mother. And like the little girl she once was, fears began to abut her. "I've wanted for nothing else... Even this child, I didn't wish for him. Yet, everything has been planned since the very beginning." Between the two of them, she freely expressed her thoughts. "I'm glad to carry this life, but I cannot be like them and design for this child... They want him to fight a bloody war in his future."
Katzel listened on. Her concubine softly ranted as the two looked at a cluster of roses. In them, only one flower was fully bloomed. The petals were velvety white.
Chasmi handpicked a stem, cutting it off from it's life source, and placed it in the wicker basket.
"A prince is better than a princess who can only live under the command of her husband the rest of her life. But now... I think I may have been wrong." Stopping in place, Chasmi looked to her maid. "Do you think I am wrong?"
The maid hadn't any words of advice. The master's choices were her own. All she must do was serve, just as she had done since they were children.
They walked a while longer and reach an area of fruit trees. The winter was mild and allowed for the spring blossoms to be plentiful. Wishing to use a branch in the crown, the concubine reached out.
She did not notice the black eyes watching her from above. Chasmi's smooth hands extended when the predator sprang forth.
A frightened scream and a fall from grace.
The concubine retracted her hand and stumbled backward into the maid. The wicker basket tumbled. Flowers scattered about.
In stiff fear, the master and servant stared at the snake whose scales glimmered like armor. Its mouth shut closed while the forked tongue hissed, pointing toward them.
The two were raised in boudoirs and had rarely seen bugs, let alone snakes. The tiny thing the length of one of their arms might as well have been called a beast.
"Lev eos!"
And the one to break the trance was a voice from a short ways away.
Alone and with a smile of indifference, the Queen ambled toward them. Her eyes remaining on the snake. The tiny beast was still paused in the air; its tail wrapped on the branch.
Again, the Queen repeated her words, closer this time. Authority weighted in the air.
This time, the snake backs down slowly, it inches back into the tree and hurries away from the scene.
Still a little stunned from what just happened, the maid and concubine righted themselves.
Chasmi wipes the remnants of dirt from her skirt and bowed her head. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
The Queen stops before them. Her peaceful radiance pouring from her like the pictures of saints in the temple. "In Terran, they say you shouldn't fear a garter snake. At most, their poison will cause irritation and swelling near the wound."
Feeling calmer, Chasmi eyes fell to the small wound on her hand. Two tiny beads of blood flowed down her thumb. Katzel's eyes widened at the injury and hurriedly took a handkerchief wipe it.
"Your son's status is special. I imagine that how conflicted you must feel right now." The Queen went on. It seemed as if she was going to speak in another tandem again. Like she had been doing for decades now, Chasmi wanted ignore and play stupid.
"As long as the child could grow up safely, I will be happy."
The indifferent smile turned sarcastic. A small laugh escaped the Queen's lips. "You say this now... but what will happen in ten years? Twenty years? When you and I are dead and the world had changed?"
Walking two and three steps, the Queen reached for the hanging branch and breaks it with a punctuated snap. A soft lilt laced into her accent, she said, "The eldest prince is kind. Smart. Loyal. But just as you said, your family will never let go of such an opportunity."
Chasmi's spine chilled hearing that the Queen had been spying on them. Rarely had she made the mistake of exposing herself, but years of practice does not make perfect. Luckily, what she said wasn't anything disagreeable.
Fingers just as soft and delicate as hers handed over the branch.
Through her discomfort, the concubine took it. For a moment, their connection was a mirror of another. "I've never fought you. Your Majesty believe me."
Knowing this, Queen nodded. She knew her enemies all too well. "And for this I'll always be grateful..." Then, just as she broke the branch, the Queen once again broke all benevolence. Shedding her mask, she revealed her disgust. "Just be aware that if you truly care for your son, you cannot remain as weak as you are now."
~
The words flowed through the ears of the maid and master....
Little did they know that one more pair of ears listened to the conversation. Raven hair that fell to his shoulders and skin deep from the sun's kiss.
Above the branches seen from below, the boy watched. A soft hiss sounded in his ears, a larger snake than the one from before slithered up. But while its muscles wound up for the strike, the boy's hands moved fast, grappling the head of the snake in one swift motion.
The slitted eyes closed and the grip on the branch loosened. Mercilessly, the boy let go, letting the snake fall to its death.
Once again, screams arose in the garden.