The water monster, however, decided that the poor prisoner was not worth his attention. And in the coastal villages there are still legends that watermen are fond of womens beauty! Apparently, if hes no ordinary water-boy, but the king of the sea himself, he wants nothing more or less than a princess.
Though, on reflection, its even good that he didnt like her. After all, the watermen drown their chosen ones. Whats better: drowning or burning? Fiona had an unenviable choice.
The firebrands hissed unhappily at the ceiling. The proximity of the water tsar displeased them. A shout of summoning came from above the castle towers:
«Seal!»
Ornella seemed to be shouting. Fiona was not mistaken in her hearing.
She kept hoping that the water king would come back and smashed the dungeon wall with a single blow of his powerful fist, but he went under the water slowly, as if descending a ladder. The last to disappear in the waves was his pointed crown, like a starfish of gold and coral. She wondered if she was dreaming. Theres no such thing as creatures with blue skin, shell ears, and a crown that grows right out of their heads.
It was easy to see if she was dreaming or not. The decapitated body in the royal robe would have been left on the beach. Except the bars were so narrow you couldnt look out through them. One could not see the shore. Only the sea and the thin edge of the surf are visible. The water seems to turn scarlet closer to the shore. Or maybe its the rays of sunset.
Curiosity leads to a dungeon and a fire
Fiona was awakened by the sound of quiet conversation. The talkers were unaware that she was already awake and watching from beneath half-closed lashes.
Ornella and one of her brothers came into the cell. They seemed like two evil ghosts in the glare of the orange glow cast by the fire fairies actively crawling on the walls and ceiling.
Fiona was used to the regular hiss of fire overhead, but the sound of Ornellas arrogant voice was disgusting. Who would have thought the sight of that silk-clad lady would make her sick.
«Fathers gone!» Ornella said. «I cannot, as the present Queen, go out and tell the people that the Sultanit does not have the strength to reach down and behead a supernatural murderer. Such a gesture would be seen as helplessness. I will be overthrown! Better to find the culprit, who is already known to the people as a witch. You know you cant get a sea fortune-teller.»
«But shes not a witch!»
«How would you know, Orvel! Youve never been able to read minds. Thats my talent. I agree that each of my brothers has their own special gift, but Im still the most gifted. That is why I will rule! Remember your place!»
«This you say to the eldest heir of the Sultanit?» Orvel was indignant.
«You gave me your place on the throne.»
«I had no choice,» he scowled.
«Yes, you did. And you have none now. I am the queen!»
«The death of my father at the hands of the water king seems to have been good for you. And everyone knows that the Sea King was your admirer. Maybe theyll think youre a witch.»
«Not unreasonably, as you know! But everyone also knows that I rejected the Sea King because of his not standard appearance and lack of gifts worthy of a Sultanits princess. Apparently hes already spent it all on the withered Occylvanian princess Lilothea, who he dragged off to the bottom, so theres no money left for new courtship.»
«Whats your point?» Orvels worried.
«That killing our father might be an act of revenge on the part of a spurned suitor. Its not a pretty story! I suppose someone might accuse me of provoking the wrath of the sea on the Sultanit by my intransigence. Wed better execute one witch and close the case. The people will be glad, and so will I.»
«And all your brothers wont! Shes perfect for us to close the circle.»
«And Im not good enough for you?»
«She has a special purpose,» Orvel said. «I just dont know what it is yet.»
«You must be mistaken!» Ornella barked back at him.
«Then were all wrong!»
«Thats why I rule, not you. All my brothers, unlike me, were not smart enough to be in charge of the country. And here I am, the first woman to pull the Sultans power. And you still contradict me!»
The firemen hissed angrily, sending up a shower of sparks.
«They report the watermen are watching us. A whole regiment of morgens under the windows,» Orwell translated the fire fairys tongue. «Soon theyll bring the worst of the storm.»
«And it is good! Executing a witch at a time like this will distract everyone. Ive already ordered a bonfire to be built in the square.»
«Execute such a pretty girl!» Orvel was indignant. «Give her to me!»
«Didnt you claw the last minion with your claws during love games?»
«Ive been more careful.»
«I wont let you do that to this one. I could catch and send some old gypsy fortune-teller instead of her to tonights bonfire. But that redheaded girls no good for your clawed amusement anyway. You cant have her!»
Ornella cares about her? Theres something fishy going on here. Fiona had trouble waking up to what was going on and who was running the country since the Kings death. But the word «bonfire» gave her a fright. She shuddered violently.
«Shes waking up!» Orvel determined. «Ill take her upstairs to my ex-fiancées quarters.»
«You swore you wouldnt take any more harlots.»
«This ones innocent. I can smell it.»
«Shes a witch,» Orvnella said stubbornly.
«No, she isnt. Theres something magical about her, but not witchy.»
«But shell burn at the stake as a witch!»
«Why dont you leave her to us?» Orvel was begging. «The room of the Crown Princes dead bride is still empty, and apparently it will be empty forever.»
«You dont want to marry a commoner, do you?»
«Well, no, of course not,» Orwell hesitated. «But she might amuse us.»
Fiona was frightened. For some reason she invariably associated amusement with scratches and claws and savage pain. Oh, why had she gone in the mountains? If she hadnt gone there, she wouldnt have ended up in a dungeon.
Ornella leaned over her and ran her fingers through her tangled hair.
«She is a redhead and she has no freckles!» For some reason Ornella was alarmed by this fact.
Yes, Fiona had no freckles. So what is of it? Redheads usually had them, but someone got away with it. You should be happy, not sad! Freckles and pimples were all skin blemishes. Fiona was glad she didnt have to cover her freckles with homemade flour whitewash, not enough for the market. Ornella, on the other hand, was even angry.
«Remember the prophecies about the redheaded beast who» She clutched at her brothers sleeve.
«Ch-ch-ch!» he glanced at Fiona, who couldnt stand it and opened her eyes.
«After a fire, memories turn to ashes too, so let her listen!» Ornella waved her ringed hand and straightened up stately.
«But it wouldnt hurt to put the plugs in!» Orvel remarked.
Fiona felt a blockage in her ears, but not for long. She couldnt hear anything at first. All she could see was Ornellas pursed lips opening aggressively, and her brother shaking his head negatively. Then fragments of phrase began to be heard again.
«What do you mean, you cant? You could! You have to learn better!»
«It is Sephora. She is a bad teacher and she is too flaming.»
«Shes the best, thats why shes fiery.»
Isnt that the firebrand theyre talking about? That one hissed in a web of fire, hovering over Ornellas head. A moment and her redheaded fingers reached for the crown on Ornellas head, causing the metal to glow. Ornella shuddered, and quickly stepped back into the shadows. Smoke billowed from her strands.
«You are thieves!» She hissed at the fire fairies. «Ill have you burned at the stake for disrespecting the Queen!»
The fairies merely laughed evilly.
«Then Ill drown you! Give you to the Morgens as tribute!»
The flaming fairies kept silence, and scurried away. It was dark without them. Only Ornellas jewels exuded a little golden glow, and the torches of the guards gingerly glowed behind the bars in the distance.
«I will invite Sephora again,» Ornella promised to Orvel.
«But dont invite her dragons again!» He exclaimed.
«They are like her train. They are always around.»
«You dont own us!»
«Yes, I do!»
She showed her claws. Birds claws on womans hands! Fiona shuddered.
«Yes, I see, I see!» Her brother brushed her off.
Fiona seemed to have lost her only protector. Orvel gave up. The newfound Queen of Sultanit bent over Fiona again and tugged her hair painfully.
«She is a redhead! All redheads are sorceresses. They must be tortured and burned.»
Fiona did not have time to object, and no one would have listened to her. Ornella had already summoned the guards.
The guards here were empty-headed in the literal sense. It was as if they had been turned into sleepwalkers. They moved like machines.
«Go to the bonfire!» Ornella ordered. «And go quickly!»
«Its not fair!» Fiona screamed. «I am not a witch! You are the witch!»
Ornellas face grew icy as she stepped toward the troubled condemned woman. Only her anthracite eyes flashed furiously with anger. Now shes going to attack!
«My dear!» Ornella lifted her lips to her ear as if to kiss her cheek. «Never confuse witch and werewolf!»
And a birds claws slid across her shoulder, marking her like a brand.
Fiona cried out in pain, not outrage. She was dragged up the stairs and down the luxurious corridor of the castle, which appeared to lead through an intricate network of galleries and balconies, all the way to the front door.
On the way she ran into Condor. He was handsome as the dawn and as angry as the devil himself.
«What does it mean!» He shouted in fury.
The guards and Ornella all fell to their knees. They were frightened of him, werent they? Are they afraid of him? Fiona held her breath. Maybe he could help her out. He didnt like her at first sight. But she saw him, and her heart leapt at him like a bird in a cage.
How handsome he was! And how inaccessible! Ornellas other brothers like her, and she is attracted to someone who doesnt care about her.
«It is just the execution of the witch who has worn out the king with her black magic!» Ornella commented.
«Is it just one witch?» Condor looked at Ornella as if he expected her to be dragged to the bonfire. «Really, the greatest evil is letting a witch get so bad that she sits on the throne and runs the whole country.»
«Shut up!» Ornella shushed him. «Remember the arrangements!»
Condor weighed his chances of winning the debate and nodded silently. Fiona was dragged along.
The fire fairies were already flying over the square and spitting fire, forming a large bonfire. The executioner stood idle. And in such a witch land they still burn witches! Magic is everywhere.
What on earth possessed her to go up into the mountains and encounter an entire witch royal community? Curiosity is a nasty trait! It was curiosity that had led her to the bonfire, and to unrequited love. She tried to twist herself in the hands of the guards so that she could get another look at Condor. She wished that the last thing she would see before she died was him, not the evil fire fairies.
«Send for Rokuela, or go yourself!» Condor whispered, addressing someone who was hovering outside the gallery windows.
Fiona did not have time to get a closer look. She was tied to a thick pole and literally thrown onto already burning piles of straw. Flames were about to rise to her ankles. The firefighters laughed merrily, a red-headed circle circling the square. For them, the execution was a feast. The flight of fiery bodies was like a dance or a monotone firework display. Sparks flew off in all directions. Someone in the crowd scolded angrily when a shower of sparks hit his family. Everyone came to see the witchs execution, though it was late, and a storm was brewing on the sea beyond the square. Ornella herself watched from her high balcony. She had no shortage of regal grandeur. The people respected her and took off their hats in front of her. Women curtsied, hoping she would notice them. She really was the local leader.
With a wave of her hand, the firewomen obediently rushed to fan the flames, crawled over piles of straw, and dived for the pole to which the witch was tied.
Fiona felt her feet burn. She was on fire. Tongues of flame licked at her shoes. The flames were biting. The Condor watched indifferently from the tower. At least he would be the very last thing she would ever see. His face is as beautiful as a mural of an angel. Even more beautiful! And he himself is even more soulless than the cold celestial creatures. It is as if he were not looking at an execution, but at an empty square. He could at least put on a look of sorrow as a courtesy.
Ornella wasnt hiding her feelings. She was ready to applaud the fire fairies. They were so successful in burning one witch that they could ignite the whole square. If such a selfish woman ruled Sultanit, the country would turn to hell. It already was hell. Fiona cringed at the pain in her shoulder. Only a werewolf could have left such deep wounds that were now scarlet on her skin. Ornella had bird claws, after all! What if she really was a werewolf? Then it was a good thing her scratches were contagious. She wished she could turn into a bird and fly away from the fire now!
The flames licked at her feet. Suddenly it rained. Slanting streams began to put out the fire. The firebirds hissed in displeasure, but could not resist the downpour. They had to fly back to the castle. The wind from the sea carried the murmur of the waves. Thunder and lightning heralded inclement weather, and a woman dressed in white flashed through the crowd. She looked like a sea ghost. Gray curls framed her young face. Heavy strands were held together by combs of large seashells. Her cheekbones and forehead themselves also resembled the shape of seashells. Her eyes sparkled like two magical sapphires.
It was she who was causing the rain, Fiona determined. Unknown how, but definitely her!
The rope burst. Just in time! The hangman and the guards had just had to clear the square, which had been flooded by waves from the sea. There had never been such a flood. Though Fiona was free, she could not swim.
However, the white woman beckoned her. In the empty square she looked even more like a ghost.
«Follow her!» Voices whispered out of the rain.
Fiona gasped. In the streams came the outlines of figures. They were the ghosts of the rain, so much is said. If she saw them, there would be disaster. Only Fiona was already in trouble. She had nothing to lose.
Ornella disappeared from the balcony. Probably didnt want to get her hair wet. The firebrands hissed discontentedly at the spirits of rain, peering out of the castle windows-boys. Here they found worthy opponents. The rain spirits were no less mischievous. They danced around the walls and spat frozen water at the fire fairies. Some of the rain ghosts clung to Fiona.
«Redhead, like fire,» they howled. «Fire must be put out.»
They threw water on her.
«Let her go!» The white woman commanded as they tried to drown Fiona in the puddles.
The spirits obeyed.
«Come on!» The stranger held out her hand. She herself did not walk, but treaded on the water that flooded the square.
It was frightening to walk with her. She is surely a sorceress! But how else could she be saved? What if they send a chase after her from the kings castle? She must run! But where could she run? There was only one way. She could throw herself into the waves. But the waves were rolling with something that looked like a shell or a fancy rook. Fiona was pulled into it by a stranger. As it turned out, the shell was able to move.