Inktober Day 26: Remove

 Chapter 21

Magda looked up from her tears to see four figures approaching the bank on the other side of the lake from her. Two men in dark cloaks flanked a woman who walked a bound man to the edge of the water and thrust him to the ground.

“Greetings, your majesty!” Kandra called. Magda saw that it was Wendell whom Kandra held bound. They had him gagged so he could only grunt as he struggled.

Without thinking, Magda stood up and stepped forward, her hand to her circlet’s golden glow.

“No, no, no,” Kandra said, and she gripped Wendell’s hair, pulling his head back so she could easily hold a dagger to his throat. Magda realized then that she had left the dagger in the barn when she left. She felt like a fool.

“My dear princess,” Kandra called. “I do not want to hurt your man here. But he has been somewhat of a nuisance to us.” She looked down at him and smiled as she said this. “So, I would like to offer you a deal. Your pretty circlet, and I’ll give you your precious knight back all in one piece.”

Wendell struggled and grunted more vigorously at this, but Kandra held the dagger closer to his skin and he held still.

Magda looked this way and that, trying to think of what to do. She thought of her father then. What would he do now? What was on the line? If Wendell died, what would happen to Magda? She was pretty sure the circlet would protect her from Kandra, but doubt was beginning to creep in. What if she let Wendell die and then the circlet failed her? It hadn’t kept her safe when it brought her out here, so maybe it wasn’t a good force after all.

What if she gave Kandra the circlet though? Wendell would live, though she couldn’t imagine Kandra would be merciful to them after she had the circlet. Maybe she wouldn't kill Wendell right now, but what was going to stop her from killing him after she got what she wanted? What was going to stop her from killing Magda, for that matter?

Magda looked into the sky, trying to find the evening star that had guided her here, but a cloud had passed over and the silvery connection was gone. She was on her own now.

There was one thing she knew for certain. If she agreed to give Kandra the circlet, that would at least give Wendell more of a chance. And she had no choice but to take even the smallest chance.

She looked at her feet and saw a toad jump into the water. She turned around and saw more toads clustered around the shallow muddy puddles littering the bank. She closed her eyes and thought of her father. He would want her to take this chance. She took a single deep breath and opened her eyes.

“Alright,” she called out, her voice as strong and loud as she could muster. “If you can come to my side, I can give you the circlet.” She could not make out Wendell’s eyes from this distance, and he did not make any noise, but Magda could imagine what he must be thinking.

“You are a natural negotiator, your highness.” Magda could picture the mocking smile that must be sporting Kandra’s face at this moment.

“First,” Magda called out. “You must promise you will untie my knight and let us both leave after you have what you want. Promise you won’t lay a finger on us!” Magda’s voice shook as she made these demands, but she closed her eyes and pictured her father’s most stern face.

“Oh, you have my word, princess,” Kandra said. “I will not lay a single finger on you, and you and your knight are free to make your way home after I have what I want.”

Magda heard shuffling on the other side of the lake and it looked like Kandra’s men were dragging a small boat out of the woods. Had that been hidden nearby? Had they brought it? 

As they rowed across, Magda’s heart raced. She could see them more and more clearly as they came closer to her side. Within two minutes, they were pulling up to the shore in front of her, and she could see the despair in Wendell’s eyes. Clearly, he had decided she made the wrong decision. She tried to catch his eyes, but he did not look at her.

As they stepped out of their little skiff, Kandra shoved Wendell off to one of her men, who held a sword to his neck. Kandra approached Magda, he black cloak billowing behind her. She smiled still, but it seemed more forced now than it had when they met her.

“Now,” she said. “Your circlet.” She held out her hand.

“My knight,” Magda said, looking in Wendell’s direction. Kandra turned and tutted. The man who held Wendell cut his bonds, but still held him at swordpoint.

“Of course, princess. Once it is in my hand, I will call my man off.”

Magda looked at Wendell and he finally looked up at her. She knew she would find something there she did not like, but was not fully prepared for the sadness that swam in his eyes. He thought she had failed. Perhaps she had.

Magda looked back at Kandra and removed the Power of the King from her head.