“So, what did he give you?” Jabberwock indicated the clumsily wrapped package clutched in Eluned’s left hand. They were walking, had been walking for hours, side by side, down the great road that led out of King Seraphim’s castle and into the largely cultivated lands that surrounded it. Mostly groves and groves of fruit trees—plums, pears and cherries—that in a few months would be covered with a fairyland of blossoms.
The Princess stopped, dropped her satchel on the hard pack, and ripped and shredded the gossamer tissue of the package her father had pressed into her hand as she fled her home of eighteen years.
Her fingers, stiff from hours of gripping the small box, fumbled at the lid. Throwing her head back, she took a deep breath and tried again. She could already feel the tears stinging behind her eyes. Why did she have to cry so much? The ornate ring and stone nestled on a bed of purple velvet inside the box broke the dam. She could barely see the ring’s design through her flood of tears. She swiped them angrily away so that she could study the contents of the small container. Like her valise, the golden ring abounded in mythical creatures: a miniscule knight battled a dragon, lovely maiden at its clawed and horny feet; a beautiful virgin (for only virgins can see unicorns) embraced the one-horned creature beneath the mourning boughs of a weeping willow; and, what was this? The Bandersnatch?! Sitting upon a rock in the middle of a forest in apparent discussion with a young princess clutching a golden ball to her flat chest?
She looked at Jabberwock in awe. He looked rather nonplussed, himself. Maybe puzzled was a better word.
“Are you not going to read the note?” he asked, impatiently. She picked up the box at her feet, retrieved the thrice-folded parchment.
My dearest daughter,
It breaks my aging heart to see you leave these walls to seek the mostly cruel wonders of the outside world. I have long teased your mother, and in your presence, that you get your ways—passion deeply felt and hunger for adventure—from her side of the family. But that has never been true. I have always known well from whence came those generally unacceptable characteristics. My grandmother fled these very walls in the company of your little pet, leaving her husband and son to fend for themselves. I had this very special ring (it has been in the family for centuries) engraved especially for you. A plain gold band didn’t seem appropriate. I am sure the gods won’t mind. Be careful my darling, and remember that we love you, as your mother no doubt told you, desperately.
Your loving father
Eluned’s head was reeling. Her great-grandmother (she’d heard the whispers—it was a forbidden subject in the castle) had known the Bandersnatch, had headed off on a similar adventure?
“What, where, wh…,” she sputtered.
“Pull yourself together,” Jabberwock replied, crossly. Count on the king to be the first one to throw a monkey wrench into his journey, although no doubt she had a right to know.
The Princess closed her eyes and took a deep, imperial, breath. She raised her head on its long, delicate neck and peered, aristocratically, down at the Bandersnatch. “I think you have some explaining to do.” A storm raged in her regal eyes, pearly teeth clutched sovereign lower lip in suppressed wrath.
Never piss off a princess.
Plopping herself down in the middle of the road, Eluned crossed her legs and waited.
“Well, we’re off to a mighty good start,” Jabberwock drawled.
The Princess stared at him, perplexed. Where the hell had that come from? Her lips thinned and lightning flashed in her eyes. “Cut the crap,” she returned, tartly. She had read the line in a book she had discovered hidden beneath the floorboards in the storage space beneath her window seat in her bedroom. It had her great-grandmother’s flowing script:
This book is the property of Queen Fuchsia of Zion
A script that did not look dissimilar to her father’s. She had read the book a dozen times since she had discovered it. She had found it whilst looking for her own secret hiding place. It was a book of adventure, of mythical beasts and fearsome dragons and knights in shining armor. It had always filled her with excitement. It spoke of other worlds and other ways of living. At any rate, her reply was enough to catch the Bandersnatch off guard. He surveyed her for a second, with an odd expression on his furry face, and then sighed, and lowered himself to the pavement, front legs crossed before him.
“Are you ready?” Eluned asked, honey voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Quite so, your highness,” Jabberwock replied, his own eyes sparking with annoyance. “We’ll be lucky if we make tonight’s lodgings,” he muttered under his dog breath.
“What?”
The Bandersnatch scratched, absently, behind his long, pointed ear. The left one. The Princess was growing impatient and frustrated. If she didn’t need Jabberwock to make it, make it, wherever the hell it was they were going, she’d leave him right now.
“It was long ago and far away,” the Bandersnatch began his tale.
“And the world was younger than today . . .” Eluned interrupted. She had heard him start more than one fairy tale this way.
Jabberwock glared at her. “Would you like me to recount the story or not?”
The Princess sighed and rolled her eyes. “Pray, please continue, kind sir.”
“Patience is definitely not one of your virtues, my dear.” The Bandersnatch grinned (or was he growling?).
Eluned studied the scuffed toes of her boots, concentrated on stilling her wildly beating heart. Did it really matter that she was following in her great-grandmother’s footsteps? And what about her great-grandmother’s great-grandmother? Had she, too, skipped along this wide, white, track, Jabberwock at her young side? She was her parent’s only child. What did that mean for the Kingdom of Zion? If she had to marry Uriel, then who would rule Zion when her father and mother were gone? Would the two kingdoms join or would they rule them jointly? Would she be able to produce another heir to the throne, or thrones, for that matter? She was actually the current heir to the throne. Queen Eluned. Why was nothing ever simple? This was an aspect of her adventures that she had never considered; that would now constantly tickle at the back of her mind.
“But I’m young,” she whispered to the Bandersnatch. “There’s lots of time, right?”
“Plenty of time,” he replied. “Do you still want to hear about your great-grandmother?”
“Of course.” She stood up, stretching. “But, we shouldn’t be wasting time sitting here.” She looked at him as if it had all been his idea. “You can tell me while we’re walking. If we don’t get a move on, we might not make tonight’s lodgings.”
Jabberwock was forced to suppress a smile. Had he really expected her to grow up overnight?
“Oh, and what’s this?” She had slipped the golden ring onto the ring finger of her right hand where it seemed to fit perfectly. But, as she returned the note to the box, she noticed the stone again. She carefully picked it up and studied the gently glowing stone. “Moonstone?”
“I believe so,” Jabberwock agreed. The stone had the pearly glow of a full moon. Mysteries and their answers seemed to swim in its depths. Despite the fact it was no bigger than the smallest coin of the realm, it was nearly hypnotizing. Jabberwock cleared his throat.
“Why did he give me this?” Eluned’s brow creased in perplexity.
The Princess stopped, dropped her satchel on the hard pack, and ripped and shredded the gossamer tissue of the package her father had pressed into her hand as she fled her home of eighteen years.
Her fingers, stiff from hours of gripping the small box, fumbled at the lid. Throwing her head back, she took a deep breath and tried again. She could already feel the tears stinging behind her eyes. Why did she have to cry so much? The ornate ring and stone nestled on a bed of purple velvet inside the box broke the dam. She could barely see the ring’s design through her flood of tears. She swiped them angrily away so that she could study the contents of the small container. Like her valise, the golden ring abounded in mythical creatures: a miniscule knight battled a dragon, lovely maiden at its clawed and horny feet; a beautiful virgin (for only virgins can see unicorns) embraced the one-horned creature beneath the mourning boughs of a weeping willow; and, what was this? The Bandersnatch?! Sitting upon a rock in the middle of a forest in apparent discussion with a young princess clutching a golden ball to her flat chest?
She looked at Jabberwock in awe. He looked rather nonplussed, himself. Maybe puzzled was a better word.
“Are you not going to read the note?” he asked, impatiently. She picked up the box at her feet, retrieved the thrice-folded parchment.
My dearest daughter,
It breaks my aging heart to see you leave these walls to seek the mostly cruel wonders of the outside world. I have long teased your mother, and in your presence, that you get your ways—passion deeply felt and hunger for adventure—from her side of the family. But that has never been true. I have always known well from whence came those generally unacceptable characteristics. My grandmother fled these very walls in the company of your little pet, leaving her husband and son to fend for themselves. I had this very special ring (it has been in the family for centuries) engraved especially for you. A plain gold band didn’t seem appropriate. I am sure the gods won’t mind. Be careful my darling, and remember that we love you, as your mother no doubt told you, desperately.
Your loving father
Eluned’s head was reeling. Her great-grandmother (she’d heard the whispers—it was a forbidden subject in the castle) had known the Bandersnatch, had headed off on a similar adventure?
“What, where, wh…,” she sputtered.
“Pull yourself together,” Jabberwock replied, crossly. Count on the king to be the first one to throw a monkey wrench into his journey, although no doubt she had a right to know.
The Princess closed her eyes and took a deep, imperial, breath. She raised her head on its long, delicate neck and peered, aristocratically, down at the Bandersnatch. “I think you have some explaining to do.” A storm raged in her regal eyes, pearly teeth clutched sovereign lower lip in suppressed wrath.
Never piss off a princess.
Plopping herself down in the middle of the road, Eluned crossed her legs and waited.
“Well, we’re off to a mighty good start,” Jabberwock drawled.
The Princess stared at him, perplexed. Where the hell had that come from? Her lips thinned and lightning flashed in her eyes. “Cut the crap,” she returned, tartly. She had read the line in a book she had discovered hidden beneath the floorboards in the storage space beneath her window seat in her bedroom. It had her great-grandmother’s flowing script:
This book is the property of Queen Fuchsia of Zion
A script that did not look dissimilar to her father’s. She had read the book a dozen times since she had discovered it. She had found it whilst looking for her own secret hiding place. It was a book of adventure, of mythical beasts and fearsome dragons and knights in shining armor. It had always filled her with excitement. It spoke of other worlds and other ways of living. At any rate, her reply was enough to catch the Bandersnatch off guard. He surveyed her for a second, with an odd expression on his furry face, and then sighed, and lowered himself to the pavement, front legs crossed before him.
“Are you ready?” Eluned asked, honey voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Quite so, your highness,” Jabberwock replied, his own eyes sparking with annoyance. “We’ll be lucky if we make tonight’s lodgings,” he muttered under his dog breath.
“What?”
The Bandersnatch scratched, absently, behind his long, pointed ear. The left one. The Princess was growing impatient and frustrated. If she didn’t need Jabberwock to make it, make it, wherever the hell it was they were going, she’d leave him right now.
“It was long ago and far away,” the Bandersnatch began his tale.
“And the world was younger than today . . .” Eluned interrupted. She had heard him start more than one fairy tale this way.
Jabberwock glared at her. “Would you like me to recount the story or not?”
The Princess sighed and rolled her eyes. “Pray, please continue, kind sir.”
“Patience is definitely not one of your virtues, my dear.” The Bandersnatch grinned (or was he growling?).
Eluned studied the scuffed toes of her boots, concentrated on stilling her wildly beating heart. Did it really matter that she was following in her great-grandmother’s footsteps? And what about her great-grandmother’s great-grandmother? Had she, too, skipped along this wide, white, track, Jabberwock at her young side? She was her parent’s only child. What did that mean for the Kingdom of Zion? If she had to marry Uriel, then who would rule Zion when her father and mother were gone? Would the two kingdoms join or would they rule them jointly? Would she be able to produce another heir to the throne, or thrones, for that matter? She was actually the current heir to the throne. Queen Eluned. Why was nothing ever simple? This was an aspect of her adventures that she had never considered; that would now constantly tickle at the back of her mind.
“But I’m young,” she whispered to the Bandersnatch. “There’s lots of time, right?”
“Plenty of time,” he replied. “Do you still want to hear about your great-grandmother?”
“Of course.” She stood up, stretching. “But, we shouldn’t be wasting time sitting here.” She looked at him as if it had all been his idea. “You can tell me while we’re walking. If we don’t get a move on, we might not make tonight’s lodgings.”
Jabberwock was forced to suppress a smile. Had he really expected her to grow up overnight?
“Oh, and what’s this?” She had slipped the golden ring onto the ring finger of her right hand where it seemed to fit perfectly. But, as she returned the note to the box, she noticed the stone again. She carefully picked it up and studied the gently glowing stone. “Moonstone?”
“I believe so,” Jabberwock agreed. The stone had the pearly glow of a full moon. Mysteries and their answers seemed to swim in its depths. Despite the fact it was no bigger than the smallest coin of the realm, it was nearly hypnotizing. Jabberwock cleared his throat.
“Why did he give me this?” Eluned’s brow creased in perplexity.
to be continued...
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