the roaring river nearby.
Tirsa was already attending breakfast and did not look sleepy at all. Artride assumed she herself must look a bit ruffled with her braid having come loose.
When she stood, stretching her stiff limbs she smiled at her companion, who met her eyes.
‘Good morning, slept well?’
‘Good morning, I slept like a rose, thank you.’ Tirsa gave her a cheese sandwich and a cup of hot tea. They sat down on their folded blankets and ate in silence with just the birdsong around.
Tirsa was very much a night person; craving the stillness and clarity of its dark but enlightening hours. It bothered her she had fallen asleep while she was on night watch, but she did not want to inform the queen of her foolish and dangerous mistake; ashamed as she was.
‘I must say, Tirsa, you look quite relaxed; but you must be exhausted ,’ Artride remarked, examining her bodyguard.
She only grinned slyly and ate slowly; as if she was not really hungry.
‘Oh, I nearly forgot.’ Tirsa suddenly remembered, jumping to her feet to hurry off to the grazing horses. She searched through her saddlebags and when she got back handed a small package over to the queen. ‘It’s for you, from a servant who didn’t tell me her name.’
Artride raised her eyebrows and looked surprised. When she opened it, seeing the loaves of bread and biscuits she threw her head backwards, laughing aloud. ‘Ezra!’
Tirsa watched her , feeling happy too.
‘Do you want some?’ she asked her, seeing the surprised look on the other woman’s face.
‘No, thank you.’
‘Me neither, let’s save it for later.’ And she wrapped it up again quickly.
Tirsa nodded, stood up, stretching her limbs and widening her arms, ‘I hope you are not disappointed with the camp, I know it is not exactly what you must be used to.’
The queen glanced at her with wide, astonished eyes. ‘Of course I am not disappointed. This is what I call life! Do you think I enjoy living in a castle; stuck between four cold walls?’ she shook her head violently. ‘I resent it, always did. Not being able to go anywhere without being followed by some guard or servant. Or alone in my room peering through a window and seeing life passing you by? Tirsa, you have no idea how much I enjoy this!’ She glanced around at the trees and the gleaming river reflecting the red golden, early morning sunlight, and took a deep breath.
‘Permission to speak plainly?’
‘Certainly.’
‘Why don’t you do it more often then?’ She sat down again; not wanting to stand taller than the queen.
With a sad look, she retorted , ‘I am not allowed, remember?’ and she thought about the times she had denied the Law Book and had gone out to be alone in the wild, even if it was for a few hours; she felt utterly happy and free.
‘You always have to bring a guard, even in your spare time?’
Artride nodded. ‘Not in the castle gardens of course, but as lovely as they are it is not the pure, untamed wild.’ And she feared the question that would definitely come from Tirsa:
‘What happens when you disobey; have you ever done that?’
She turned inward and closed her eyes, remembering the incredible pains that followed when she stayed away on her own long enough, as if calling her back. Without fail every time upon her return, she would be violently sick the following hours as punishment. The book always knew, always.
‘Oh yes,’ she remarked sadly, but also with a faint undertone of pride. ‘I often wander alone in the woods or mountains. The rule does not stop me from going, though. The longer I am away for; the more pain in response I receive , and once back, it is even worse. Nevertheless … even the hurt cannot take away the happiness of those short moments of freedom I experience. It is worth it.’
‘You are punished too?’ Tirsa’s mouth hung open and she almost stood from her sitting position as if she was about to face an enemy. She stiffened in anger and coiled her
Tirsa was already attending breakfast and did not look sleepy at all. Artride assumed she herself must look a bit ruffled with her braid having come loose.
When she stood, stretching her stiff limbs she smiled at her companion, who met her eyes.
‘Good morning, slept well?’
‘Good morning, I slept like a rose, thank you.’ Tirsa gave her a cheese sandwich and a cup of hot tea. They sat down on their folded blankets and ate in silence with just the birdsong around.
Tirsa was very much a night person; craving the stillness and clarity of its dark but enlightening hours. It bothered her she had fallen asleep while she was on night watch, but she did not want to inform the queen of her foolish and dangerous mistake; ashamed as she was.
‘I must say, Tirsa, you look quite relaxed; but you must be exhausted ,’ Artride remarked, examining her bodyguard.
She only grinned slyly and ate slowly; as if she was not really hungry.
‘Oh, I nearly forgot.’ Tirsa suddenly remembered, jumping to her feet to hurry off to the grazing horses. She searched through her saddlebags and when she got back handed a small package over to the queen. ‘It’s for you, from a servant who didn’t tell me her name.’
Artride raised her eyebrows and looked surprised. When she opened it, seeing the loaves of bread and biscuits she threw her head backwards, laughing aloud. ‘Ezra!’
Tirsa watched her , feeling happy too.
‘Do you want some?’ she asked her, seeing the surprised look on the other woman’s face.
‘No, thank you.’
‘Me neither, let’s save it for later.’ And she wrapped it up again quickly.
Tirsa nodded, stood up, stretching her limbs and widening her arms, ‘I hope you are not disappointed with the camp, I know it is not exactly what you must be used to.’
The queen glanced at her with wide, astonished eyes. ‘Of course I am not disappointed. This is what I call life! Do you think I enjoy living in a castle; stuck between four cold walls?’ she shook her head violently. ‘I resent it, always did. Not being able to go anywhere without being followed by some guard or servant. Or alone in my room peering through a window and seeing life passing you by? Tirsa, you have no idea how much I enjoy this!’ She glanced around at the trees and the gleaming river reflecting the red golden, early morning sunlight, and took a deep breath.
‘Permission to speak plainly?’
‘Certainly.’
‘Why don’t you do it more often then?’ She sat down again; not wanting to stand taller than the queen.
With a sad look, she retorted , ‘I am not allowed, remember?’ and she thought about the times she had denied the Law Book and had gone out to be alone in the wild, even if it was for a few hours; she felt utterly happy and free.
‘You always have to bring a guard, even in your spare time?’
Artride nodded. ‘Not in the castle gardens of course, but as lovely as they are it is not the pure, untamed wild.’ And she feared the question that would definitely come from Tirsa:
‘What happens when you disobey; have you ever done that?’
She turned inward and closed her eyes, remembering the incredible pains that followed when she stayed away on her own long enough, as if calling her back. Without fail every time upon her return, she would be violently sick the following hours as punishment. The book always knew, always.
‘Oh yes,’ she remarked sadly, but also with a faint undertone of pride. ‘I often wander alone in the woods or mountains. The rule does not stop me from going, though. The longer I am away for; the more pain in response I receive , and once back, it is even worse. Nevertheless … even the hurt cannot take away the happiness of those short moments of freedom I experience. It is worth it.’
‘You are punished too?’ Tirsa’s mouth hung open and she almost stood from her sitting position as if she was about to face an enemy. She stiffened in anger and coiled her
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