The Queen's Curse Read Online Free Page B

something about those guards; better training, better protection and most definitely a much better lock on the castle door, Your Highness,’ he raged while Tirsa heard him pacing the room back and forth.
    ‘If I cannot trust my own army anymore …’ her voice sounded dubious and absent.
    ‘Times are changing. If your army is plotting against you, we will have to see to that. I start the investigation of course. We could arrange for spies and –’
    She sighed. ‘We will discuss that later. I will query this one first, but … I doubt she came to take my life.’ The anger she showed me when she came storming through that door I recognize all too well … She came to ask for help; she came to ask for freedom. How could she explain that to her guard? ‘You are dismissed.’
    ‘But Your Highness, what if –’
    ‘That is all, Jaromir,’ she demanded without looking at him. She did not have to. He knew when to obey.
    ‘As you wish, my Lady.’
    Tirsa heard hurrying feet, then a door opening and closing.
    She could hear her sigh again more closely and the ruffling of a dress, and as the woman sat down, Tirsa felt herself moving to one side a little.
    ‘You can open your eyes now.’
    Tirsa felt a little exposed as she did not really believe she could lift her heavy eyelids, even if she wanted to. When she tried; everything seemed a blur and the vague face before her eyes was bouncing up and down; as if she was on a ship on a stormy sea. It was not the first time she had been knocked out in her career, and she had been drunk a few times; which felt a little like this, without the pain. She could not seem to think at all. Tirsa shut her eyes again with a small moan.
    ‘It’s alright. I know you can hear me, just try it slowly. Try to focus your eyes on one thing first.’ Her voice sounded courteous and kind , and her warm hand seemed to give her new strength and energy through her forehead. It seemed to help to fight the pain.
    Tirsa did as she was told; she focused on the eyes of the mysterious woman. It worked; her face no longer bounced before her; it even seemed familiar, but then again it was not a face you saw every day. It was unearthly divine; with those intelligent slightly slant ed midnight ocean blue eyes; as if they understood all, and her scarlet wonderful mouth, which curled up in a faint smile. There was compassion in her face and something sad and wise at the same time. It was like looking into the face of love and life itself. Every worry seemed to slip away from Tirsa, like getting rid of an overweight chain mail after a long hard day. Feeling bare, light and flowing, she continued to stare at that divine beauty without any thought, any worry. If she wanted she could lose herself completely, right now …
    Tirsa felt a tear slowly rolling down her cheek, which took her out of her dream state; as if that drop of soul water did not belong to her. All of a sudden she was feeling so much that she was weeping soundlessly. Weeping for the fact she had awakened finally; after months of living without seeing; without noticing things around her, without emotions, just doing her job in order to forget her pain and loss, avoiding any contact, any thoughts, and any feelings. Now she was not thinking either, only feeling; allowing herself to truly feel again, something she had blocked out for so long.
    If she hadn’t just moments ago heard that discussion before, she would have thought she was on the other side and this was a goddess. That wouldn’t have surprised her at all. She didn’t really lead a safe life, especially over the last couple of years; she had been quite careless.
    At that exact moment she was aware of who she was again; and most of all where she was , and that this unearthly enchanting woman wasn’t just any woman, but the Queen of Ceartas herself. Being Tirsa’s country as well, she was therefore her queen. She quickly wiped away the tears with the back of her hand.
    This was the first