As the smell of the burning bodies and ruins hits the nerve, she wakes up inhaling the ash infused smoke and coughing her breath out. Her eyes gleam of the distant fires still flaming up. The grey sky is covered in black clouds. She struggles to stand up but fails several times. The steamy air around burns her skin. Her lips are chapped and bleeding from the dry cracks. Her clothes are all torn. She’s got scratches all over her body. Her nails are broken mostly. She’s choking. The surrounding disturbs her emotionally. She can't comprehend anything at all.
She gasps in awe and terror at the sight of a half-burnt body rising up next to her and trying to say something. She is too petrified to help. All she hears are the moans of burning people trying to scream aloud in pain and of people mourning over the dead ones.
The crows are cawing eerily and feeding on the dead. Few injured dogs are attacking the half-burnt bodies which are still struggling to breathe.
'What has happened? Oh my God, where on Earth am I? Who are these poor souls?' A train of questions clouded her mind.
Her water trickling eyes are trying to look for someone, 'anyone' familiar. She musters up the courage to move forward but is too stunned to walk past those bodies and debris.
'Hey girl, what are you doing lying down here? Give me your hand,' an unknown ash-smothered man in armour says.
She tries to look up but is too scared. She doubts, ‘Who is he? Am I getting arrested? Why is helping me? Is he going to take my advantage? No, he seems to be a good person. I think I should trust him.’ She raises out her hand immediately on noticing his attire.
'He must be a soldier. Thank God,’ she thought.
She asks him, 'What has happened here? Where is this place?'
'Girl, are you kidding me?'
She stares back blankly.
'Whaaat! What is your name? Where are you from?' he asks impatiently, holding a weapon against her.
Scared, she stammers, 'I...I...I don't really know. I don't seem to remember anything.'
His gaze is one of surprises. He thinks that the girl must have lost her senses due to the series of huge bombardment. He walks her through the carpet of ruins and destruction. As far as the eyes could see, there’s no living man or animal around except the ones she saw feeding on the dead. She gazes at the scattered body parts which are stuck under the collapsed buildings. The sound of the flames burning is giving her chills and is lost in the trance. Suddenly, an old woman in tattered clothes falls down on her knees asking the soldier for help, ' Please help me find my son. I can't find him anywhere.'
'Move old lady. He'll eventually come if he's alive. Come with us now.’
She keeps sobbing, 'Please find him'.
The soldier moves past ignoring her.
'Please help the lady,' she pleaded.
'Girl, there's many who are lost and long gone. Take a look.'
Coughing, she asks again, 'How did this happen?'
The soldier decides to walk without even bothering to answer.
She follows with lots of queries in her mind. Her face is full of curiosity and empathy yet she feels helpless.
Two lads come running towards them, weeping bitterly, asking 'Soldier! Please help us find our home. We can't find it.'
Patting them on the head, the soldier says, 'Kids, come with me. There's nothing left anymore.'
She hugs them and holds their tiny hands as they walk through the barren lands into the unknown destination. A trail of people follows the soldier but the girl is exhausted. She says, 'I need to drink water. Stop!'
'Don't even think of stopping. There's nothing here. We're nearing almost. Just hold on.'
After a difficult walk, they reach the huge iron gates which were surrounded by many soldiers armed with huge weapons. The soldiers seemed to whisper amongst each other on seeing them.
As they enter, the soldiers open the gates for them. The girl seems to feel uneasy. She stares around in awe. It looks familiar to her but she can’t seem to remember. They enter inside the huge yet broken castle.
The smell of ash fades as they near the empty courtroom with only few people standing at the end.
The injured victims follow the soldier until they nears the most beautiful and gallant woman standing there, gazing at each of them.
‘Your Grace,’ saying the soldier bows.
The Queen says nothing but looks back at the girl who didn’t bow. Noticing it, the soldier turns and pulls the girl down to bow.
Hesitating, she bows and is stunned at the Queen’s beauty.
The Queen waves her hand for them to rise up. They stand up straight.
‘Were you all the people of the Dooms Kingdom?’
All of them nod in sorrowful tears except the girl.
The Queen looks at her.
‘What about you?’
‘I…I…I don’t know, Your Grace. I don’t remember anything. ‘
Annoyed, the Queen commands, ‘Shelter them in my kingdom, the Leviathan Kingdom. Offer them clothes and food. Send them right away.’
‘But your grace…,’ the Queen’s Advisor interrupts. As the Queen stares back, he whispers, ‘Shouldn’t we interrogate them first?’
The Queen's stare said It all. The Maids accompanied them to the Shelter.
After they left, the Queen angrily demanded the soldier, ‘What about the amulet?’
‘Your grace, these are the last people I found here. Rest all are gone. The bodies were searched for but no sign of amulet at all.’
‘It has to be somewhere. It’s not going to vanish. Find it at any cost if you want your head attached.’
Saying this, she storms out of the courtroom. The others follow but the Advisor suggests the soldier, ‘Find it soon for it needs to be in the good hands.’
The soldier departs in search of the amulet. Meanwhile, in the bath, all the people alive including the girl takes a warm shower and gets new clothes to wear. In the bath, all the women share their miseries.
‘I lost my children. I lost them because of my husband. Had he surrendered earlier, at least, we would’ve been spared but men’s ego…’
The hag interrupts, ‘Shut up! You insane…you should be thankful enough for our men fought till their last breath to protect their King and his Kingdom. It is their sheer bravery that…’
Another lady speaks, ‘Huh! Bravery? What did it give us? Ashes? The king was dissolved in his own happiness. He didn’t even think once before kicking his own blood out of the kingdom for his sheer lust. The lady he married was a witch. She brought this doom upon us all along with the king.’
‘Sorry to interrupt but what do you mean by witch?’ the girl asks.
‘Who are you?’
The old lady answers, ‘She lost her memory in the war.’ Looking at the girl, she continues, ‘My dear, we belonged to the Dooms Kingdom before the war. Our King Hugo Dooms, after getting married the second time, decided to send away his first child to avoid any clashes with his new wife who was of the same age as the child. But before he took charge, the child disappeared one day. Rumour has it that the child eloped with the king’s previous sister-in-law’s widower. No one has ever seen her since then. The king bore another daughter with his new Queen but she too disappeared one day all of a sudden while they were on their way, returning from the wedding feast of the Leviathan Kingdom. The Queen doubted that the Leviathan’s could be involved in her daughter’s disappearance. So, she convinced the king to wage a war against them. That’s how the peace disrupted and war continued until this day. People insanely think that the Queen was a witch who came to destroy the royal future of this kingdom.’
‘But why did she doubt them?’
‘The Leviathan’s asked the hand of the king’s daughter for their only heir, their son, the King Louis Leviathan but the Queen denied simply because she thought her daughter was way too younger than Louis. She’d get much better heirs for her. King Louis was supposed to be believed to get anything at any cost if he wanted something. He had an eye on our Princess Sapphie Dooms. Hence, the doubt…’
One of the maids come running to the bath, ‘Ladies…hurry up! Come, get dressed…the Queen has send the best clothes for you. Be grateful!’
They rush out and get dressed in all sorts of silk and precious jewellery.
All the ladies stare at the girl and one of them even passes a remark, ‘You must be some royalty, you know. How graceful you look!’
She shies away and smiles. The maids come over again and take them away to dine.
A huge table of various kinds of platter is served. People rejoice in good meals and drinks. They longed for some good food and good moment for the past few months. Once again, the dining hall bursts into chatters and laughter. People are dancing and singing merrily. The children are playing joyfully. The cooks are preparing dishes constantly once again.
Amidst all this happiness, the girl seems uncomfortable as she can't recognize anyone or this place even. She is fidgeting with her clothes.
'Come on, dear. Eat up. You need to regain strength,' an unfamiliar voice turned up. She looks up only to find that hag trying to cheer her up. She tries to fake a smile.
‘What should I call you, dear?’
‘Umm…I don’t….’
‘She doesn’t remember, ‘ the soldier interrupts, ‘Let’s give her a name.’
‘Someone’s getting a title, huh?’ the Advisor asks.
‘Yeah! I should be named…’
‘So, who’s being titled?’ asks the Queen.
‘Your Grace!’ everyone rises and bows before her Majesty.
The Queen waves her hand and all sit down. She makes an announcement, ‘My people, I hope you are enjoying the meal. Please have as much as you desire. Gather strength for we are to rebuild this city again in a modified way now. I know most of you belong here from the beginning of your life and I admire your surrender. Your sacrifice will be rewarded more…’
‘Your Grace! Forgive me. But how can we be rewarded? The ones we’ve lost in your bloody war…will they come back? Our whole roots are destructed. I have no family. I lost them all. All of them whom you burnt with the help of your bloody soldiers. What about that…?’ the hag weeps bitterly.
The Queen angrily remarks, 'If you’re not happy here. I command you to leave and never come back.’
The hag continues, ‘What kind of a ruler are you? You take everything away and ask me to leave now. How could you, a woman, say that to another? Oh! Wait … of course, you, of all, who have no family are bound to say such utter nonsense…’
Seeing the Queen huffing in anger, the Advisor interrupts, ‘Lock her in the dungeons immediately.’
As the soldiers drag her away, she continues, ‘You’ll forever be alone. No happiness will ever come to you…I curse you. A mother curses another mother…’
Her voice fades away. The Queen thumps her fist against the wall. The Advisor controls her, ‘Your Grace…everything will be fine, please. Be seated and … and … let’s name the nameless girl.’
The Queen settles down and asks the nameless girl to come forward. She rises up and bows in front of her Majesty.
‘How do you like it here?’ trying to be as calm as she could.
‘Your Grace…’, stammering as she says, ‘it’s just that I feel really depressing and terrified with all that is going on here since the time I came to consciousness. Moreover, I don’t remember anything. No one here knows me. Neither your people nor the people remaining here.'
‘Well, you all are my people now. Those who swore allegiance to me shall be showered with blessings. Anyway, I find your beauty as profound as a pearl. So, I would like to name you Pearl. What do you think?’
‘Oh! Your Grace…I’m delighted. Thank you so much for thinking about a commoner like me.’
‘Blessings be with you.’
She bows and steps back.
The Queen then starts dining with her elite members. Rest of the crowd continues to enjoy. Pearl, now, notices the Queen from proximity. She admires every piece of jewellery she’s wearing, the emerald necklace, the ruby ear drops but the sapphire ring on her finger attracted her the most.
The night ended well for all.
Pearl too goes to sleep. She feels a bit relieved yet awful. She finds the hag awake. She sits up and asks her, ‘So, what happened to Princess Sapphie? Were she found later on?’
‘No, my dear! But if she returns, then it’ll be the end of our new ruler.’
‘Why?’
‘She possesses powers which are unheard or unspoken of.’
‘How do you know that?’
The hag kept laughing weirdly. Pearl kept staring at her in awe. She asks, ‘Tell me.’
‘She has something which no one ever had before here. A one of a kind. She’s the chosen one.’
Suddenly, the hag turns into a cloud of fire and crawls at her legs. Pearl screams aloud and trembles. The ladies in the room come rushing to her.
‘What’s the matter? Why are you shouting? Is it a nightmare?’
Pearl looks around, looking for the hag.
‘Where’s the old lady?’ she asks.
They all stare at her in surprise. One of them answers, ‘You must’ve dreamt her. Go to sleep. You must be tired.’
Then she realised that the is locked away. She feels awkward. She keeps thinking about the nightmare until she passes out.
Next morning, the Queen calls for the soldier in charge of the amulet.
‘Your Grace!’
‘Did you find it, Sir Emu?’
‘Your Grace, we found it nowhere. But I’ve one last place to search for if I have your permission.’
‘Where is it?’
‘Here, in the castle, Your Grace!’
‘Permission granted.’
As the Queen leaves the courtroom, Sir Emu asks the Advisor, ‘What about it? What’s in the amulet?’
‘You fool…keep your voice down. Come with me for a walk.’
They leave for a walk in the sea shore.
The Advisor begins, ‘This amulet is no ordinary one. It is a magical one.’
‘Who does it belong to?’
‘It belongs to the rightful heir to this throne.’
‘Who’s that supposed to be, Jorah?’
‘Our Queen.’
‘Did she lose it?’
‘No! Her Majesty’s father had a bastard son. He hung that amulet around his neck and send him far away long back.’
‘How on earth is it possible for that son to be found! How does it look like?’
‘It shines likes a diamond. It becomes invisible in daylight but glows when the moonlight falls on it. That’s all we know.’
‘What’s so special about it?’
‘It protects its owner against all kinds of natural or supernatural occurrences. In other words, it makes you eternal.’
‘Oh! I see.’
Jorah departs. Sir Emu ponders over.
Jorah and Emu had been good friends since their childhood. Jorah gives his best always to protect him against all the odds.
He notices a girl with long curly brown hair dressed in a beautiful gown walking by along the shore. Her long lean hands stroking the petty jewellery she’s wearing. She looks flawless as the Sun shines upon her beautiful face. As she approaches, it becomes clearer that she is none other than the pretty Pearl.
‘Hello! Sir…how are you?’
‘I’m good. How about you?’
‘I feel much better but can you please tell me when the old lady shall be released?’
Sir Emu looks tensed.
‘You should mind your own business, girl.’
‘Please tell me. I had a weird dream about her last night. Can I at least speak to her?’
‘Pearl! She is dead. She’s been executed the moment she threw insults at our Queen.’
‘Ohh! My….’
‘Yes, Pearl. You should stay away from the people who disobey our Queen.’
She weeps sorrowfully and thinks of her weird dream last night ‘Why did I see her in my dream?’
Sir Emu departs leaving her all alone.
The whole city is being rebuilt. Every man is toiling hard whereas the Queen is hell-bent on finding the amulet. She has already bestowed the task of the search to several others who in secret are living in the different kingdoms looking for it. One such spy comes over,
‘Your Grace! I found someone in the Means Kingdom who could give me only the details of the amulet.’
‘I’m all ears.’
‘There’s this witch who says such amulets are supposed to keep its owner eternal but the owner forgets the past each time he comes back alive.’
‘Then he could have thrown it away as well, right?’
‘Uh…uh! The amulet is magical. It never leaves its true owner unless he time travels.’
‘Time travel?’
‘Yes! It allows you to travel in time only once and then the amulet gets destroyed in the travel itself.’
‘What nonsense is he saying, Jorah?’
The Advisor interrupts, ‘James, are you sure of what you are saying?’
‘Yes, my Lord!’
The Queen asks him to leave and turns towards the Advisor, ‘How on Earth is that possible? All my search will go to vain … find the amulet maker. I want one of such amulets.’
‘My Queen, there’s no such amulet maker alive anymore. Your father was gifted by an Egyptian Prince on his visit but I regret saying it that there’s no one alive in Egypt anymore due to the war.’
‘Find me a witch. I know what to do. Go away!’
The Advisor leaves straightaway.
The Queen thinks about it the whole time until the witch arrives.
‘Your Grace! You summoned me?!’
‘Yes! I need you to find me the details of an amulet. Find out if there’s any amulet present on Earth that gives you eternal life and protection.’
‘I’ll need some time and…’, she grins.
‘You will be rewarded once the work is done.’
‘Your Grace.’ She bows gracefully and departs.
She is pondering over it still and thinks that if the amulet is not there anymore then that means it is destroyed but even if it is there then he must have forgotten everything by now. She is safe. But she can’t take risks. Meanwhile, the Queen decides to take a walk along the shore. The beautiful waves come rushing against the feet. The roar of the waves feels soothing. The moonlight makes everything visible under the night sky but what’s that shining so bright in this darkness! A pendant? Who’s that wearing the pendant?
The Queen comes closer to Pearl and finds it around her dainty neck. She smiles and asks her where she got it from. She answers, ‘It was there around my neck since my consciousness.’
‘May I see it?’
‘Yes, sure.’
She unlocks and gives it to the Queen. The Queen ponders over once again and asks her if she could keep it. She finds it weird but gives it away. The Queen rushes to the witch and asks her to find its real owner. The witch touches it and chants some mantra. She says the real owner of this amulet is Pearl herself but how’s that possible. The witch Sheila says more.
‘Pearl owns the amulet. She was gifted by her father, the late King Hugo. She is the third child just like you …… you are the first but..’
‘Yes! The time I eloped with my uncle, he sold me away like a slave but I found my way back by marrying the King Leviathan. But my father had a son I heard.’
‘Yes, he had twins. They both have the amulets. Pearl survived the fire because of it. And that’s the reason she forgot her past but the son may have time-travelled.’
The Queen feels relieved. Now, she knows that Pearl is her sister but cannot be revealed. She is contented now that she has an amulet but wait! She can’t use it because it never leaves its true owner. She rewards the witch for her convincing readings. The witch departs.
‘Jorah, what do you think?’
‘My Queen, I think you have nothing to be worried about. As for now, let’s focus on rebuilding this city.’
‘Yes! I am glad,’ she says reluctantly, still thinking of the possibilities of her brother time traveling and coming to attack her for the throne in near future.
They depart peacefully.
Pearl, on the other hand, lays asleep on the shore only to be awaken by a stranger who seems to sail for a long time till he reached here. His hair is all rough. His face looks starved. His attire is one of a merchant’s. He takes her hand and asks, ‘How are you, sister?’
She gasps and asks, ‘Who are you?’
‘I’m your brother, the rightful King-to-be of this kingdom as I promised you earlier.’
‘But…’
‘There are no buts…’, a familiar voice says, ‘I, being your sister, promise you both to take the last walk and get what is rightfully ours too.’
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