Palace Walls

Part Three

          Splendora, Kingdom of Giants

August 1956 (several years earlier)

As my husband's female avatar, it was only natural that I fell in love with Lady Keturah Djere de Djere. When we first met, we were but fifteen-- I was still stocky and ruddy, plain as a peasant, and she was this slender, freckled fairy of a woman with his long red hair, cute bucked teeth, and large pale-blue eyes. She was assigned as one of my hairdressers and "beauty providers", separate from my ladies-in-waiting. I use them for hairstyles occasionally, but they are not as good with nail-painting or brushing wigs-- which is why I hired the Lady Keturah. You see, at one point in my reign it was fashionable for us ladies to shave our heads and wear long, curly wigs. Why-- I do not know, but I fell deeply in love with the ritual. I had no hair to wash or brush-- it was a relief, actually-- though I still missed the cloak-like feeling of my own thick, straight hair.

She was such a sweet little thing-- a shy lamb who kept her head down, but the more I spoke to her, the more she warmed up to me. I told plenty of jokes-- that's what Father said helped Mama warm up to him. Now, Keturah had this high, tinkling laugh-- like a little silver bell. I wanted to kiss it-- but no more than I wanted to kiss her.

(Not until she betrayed me, the rabbit-faced gargoyle!)

Looking back, I fear the role did little to satisfy her potential. She had some magical powers-- telekinesis, clairvoyance, and limb-switching, so her arms became her legs and vice versa. They entertained me on the Ladies' Fire Nights in the Autumn, my vision blurred by the crackle of golden firelight and the crunching of fragile red-brown leaves.  I would take a sip of  brashberry tea, and she'd clap her "feet" loudly before flipping backwards-- thrice in a row! If only my acrobats were that capable...! But she never used telekinesis around me, almost as if she feared a jealous rage. I used my power around her...why did she feel so threatened?

Regardless, we spent much time together, and I dreamed she could become my dougeggi bride. She would make delicious spiced stews in the crunchy, orange autumn months, and I would bake  fluffy chocolate cakes. I would braid her hair the way Mama would, and she'd sweep mine up into an elaborate bun, with little wispies curling at my cheekbones. She would laugh at the way a squirrel shoved a big green nut into its mouth, and I would laugh at the way she laughed. (All in good fun, of course.) It was easy to hide the relationship from my husband; she was my hairdresser, after all, so of course she was at my side! But what they never saw was the fire between our lips, and certainly not the twin glow forged from our hearts.

We would sneak into the forest at night, just her and I between the pines. Our voices swirled into the glittering black sky. Each one sang a differentverse, but the words were so gentle and warm, they pulsed into the same sonorous rhythm. I closed my eyes and inhaled cool fresh air. When I opened them, there was nothing but us and the sky.

--from the diary of Queen Clotilda Prasnigenita Hua

"I've never been one for pageantry," the Queen groaned as her lover painted her nails, "Why must everything be a competition, especially between us giants and fairies?"

Lady Keturah stopped painting and smiled.

"It's more than just giants and fairies, my dear Clotilda," she purred, "Also, vampire ladies will be competing, along with Cyclopes from the cavelands. You remember them, don't you?"

Queen Clotilda sighed as Lady Keturah set a curly chestnut wig on her bald head.

"How could I not? The Goddess bless my Hua Dynasty, but there's no denying I've made some reprehensible decisions. As my father would say, 'yesterday has tomorrow's eyes.' "