Endless Winter - 6

INFALLIBLE WEAPON

"Wildflower, you must understand Prince's situation as well." One of the trees around her tried to reason with her.

One fierce look from her and the Tree fell silent.

"A person like him deserves to die. A coward. A hypocrite." she spat with her face screwed in disgust and contempt.

"What are you saying..." the Tree said in a small voice.

"I say it right. I wish I could go to the Palace and slash his throat." she said scathingly.

I had been observing for several weeks. All she ever talked about was killing him. Hatred dripped from every word she said. Every time I heard her venomous words, hope erupted in my mind like a snake drawing its hood.

I thought the first thing Prince would do after returning from the battle would be to go to this girl in the Forest. When the Prince did not go to the Forest for weeks, it did not really surprise me. I knew it all along that it was nothing but a fling. A Royalty could easily do such things and get away with them. They were the law-makers. They defined the right and the wrong. They considered themselves Gods of Justice. Sanctimonious hypocrites!

"Wildflower." I called her name at the riverbank, out of the earshot of the Trees.

"Who are you, Gentleman!"
Her impertinent tone did not match the respectful title she referred me with.

I extricated the crumpled and torn pieces of letters and a thimble from my pocket and put them in front of her.

She flinched a little but stared at me defiantly.

"These are yours." I said quietly.

"They aren't." she said, picking them up in her hands. Then she tossed everything in the river without any second thought, "It's nothing but rich hollow words. Bullshit!"

"The Prince abandoned you, didn't he?" I said in a slightly mocking tone.

A pulse on her forehead throbbed ominously and her upper lip curled with disdain.

"A royalty does it all the time. Women like you are the things for recreational purpose for them. Their thrill for some time." I said.

"Who are you and what do you want? You don't seem to belong here in the Forest." she said quietly.

"I don't; but you don't need to know who I am. Let's talk business."

"What business?" she asked suspiciously.

I smiled and lowered my voice, "I know you want to kill him."

She looked at me in bewilderment and shock.

"I know. I have heard you. I have been watching you." I whispered under my breath.

She stayed speechless for a few moments and then gave me a long curious look before speaking finally.

"How can you help? I had been planning to go to the Palace soon anyway." She said raising her eyebrows.

I laughed.
"All by yourself, girl? You think you will be entertained? You won't stand a chance!"

She considered for a moment and she seemed to understand it would be impossible for her to even enter the Palace without an aid.

"Then?" she asked narrowing her eyes.

"I can make your entry easy. I happen to know the Palace very well, plus I have two accomplices."

She looked at me closely, buried in thought.

"Why me?"

I sighed, "No other weapon is as sharp as the vengeance. You seem fierce and brave. You look frail but you are a nimble Forest-Dweller. Plus you deserve justice."

Also, if at all you get killed in the process, nothing would trace back to me, I thought, some wild girl the Prince ditched trying to murder him would be a totally convincing story in such a case.

She paused for a long moment, taking in my plan.

"What's in it for you?" she asked finally, staring at me and scoffing, "Wealth, is it? Or is it the higher position you seek? Like all the other people in the world."

Her sarcastic words stung a bit. Wealth and position, I did not desire any of it.

"The same what you seek- vengeance." I muttered.

"For whom?"

"My son." The memory of my son brought angry tears that stung my eyes.

An understanding seemed to dawn on her face. Everybody who hates connects with the feeling of vengeance.

"He cheated me. He will have to pay." she said with her head high, looking at the distant minaret of the Palace, "Guide me."

A content smile spread on my lips.

My infallible weapon was at my disposal.

-- To be Continued...