Välsurstägt: The Fight for the Throne, part 1

The clouds were gathering over Välsurstägt. The Queen was ailing fast, and no one knew how long it might be until the trial of Vanderlak might be held to appoint a new one.
The whole realm was stirred by this. I felt it strongly, living in the palace, for if one is only a maidservant, such as I was, nobody curbs their tongues. I thought I knew a good deal more of events than most of the nobles.
It was the first day of midwinter, the start of the new year. The First Day is a great celebration in Välsurstägt, but it wasn’t a day of celebration for me.
I was on my feet all day, cleaning, polishing, fetching and carrying for what seemed like millions of people. I wasn’t even actually allowed into the banquet halls. The housekeeper felt I was far too rustic and common. She often said this, which irritated me. I only worked at the palace because I had too. My parents died when I was very small, and the only relation I had at all was my brother. He didn’t like me much, which didn’t bother me. I didn’t like him much either.
When the sky was darkening, I was sent to clean the large fireplace on the second floor. I despised cleaning fireplaces, and as soon as I had knelt down in front of it, an enormous gust of wind came whistling down the chimney and scattered ashes all over me.
I spat out a mouthful of coal dust, and tried to wipe off my face with my sleeve. It didn’t do a bit of good, just created a large black stain on my dress. Sighing with frustration, I picked up my brush, and began to sweep the ashes into a pan.
Just as I had got to the horribly dirty part at the back, I heard a door shut down the hall. Looking up, I saw one of the ladies’ maids hurrying toward me. I turned back to the fireplace. The ladies’ maids have no use for the servants, such as an under housemaid like me.
But then I heard a voice calling my name. “Anya! Anya!” it said, breathlessly. I dropped the pan of ashes with a clatter, as I turned again to look in amazement.
“You were calling me?” I asked incredulously.
“Yes! Come, quickly!” she said, grabbing my sooty hand and pulling me to my feet.
“What in the kingdoms is the matter?” I asked, as I was pulled along down the hall.
“The queen is worse, she wants you.”
“Why would she want me?” I gulped. “I’ve never even seen her.”
“I don’t know, all of a sudden, she just said ‘please, find Anya and bring her to me’, you are the only Anya around here that I know of.”
I couldn’t think of anything to say, and just tried to wipe a little more of the coal dust.
We came to a door. The ladies’ maid opened it and gave me a shove. I wasn’t expecting this, and lost my balance. I staggered into the room and across the floor in a most undignified fashion, not at all the first impression I would have liked to make on the queen.
She was lying in an enormous, tapestried, four poster bed. To my great astonishment, she was not a bit old, between twenty and twenty-five. Also, she looked very much like me. The very same dark gold hair, and the same, strange eyes. One a deep, forest green, and the other a dark, velvety purple. I had never seen someone with eyes like mine before
I walked tentatively toward the bed. The queen turned, and smiled at me. I made a flustered curtsy, remembering the royal etiquette, and said, “Your Majesty,”.
“Please,” said the queen. “Call me Tatyana,”
“I shall,” I said, surprised, and very much pleased. I snuck a look at the other maid, feeling smug.
Tatyana gestured at a chair. “Please, Anya, sit down. And Golnya, you may go.”
The other maid left. I sat down in the chair, and looked at Tatyana. She reached out, and took my hand.
“Were you surprised when I sent for you?” she asked.
“Well, yes,” I admitted. “I didn’t know why.”
“Because I have something very important to tell you, that will be a great surprise. You are destined to be the next Queen of Välsurstägt.”
“WHAT? I gasped.
“I thought you would be surprised,” said Tatyana, with a hint of a smile.
“How.., I mean, why...but,” I stuttered desperately.
“You are half of the fay folk, just as I am,” she said calmly.
“How do you know?” I asked.
“The eyes, you have the fay eyes, just as I do. And the fay ears too, I think.” I put a hand to my head. My ears were pointed at the tips, but I was careful always to comb my hair over them so nobody would see. “You shall be the next queen, for you are the only such person in Välsurstägt, I know.”
I was silent for moment, thinking. The possibility swam before my eyes. The next Queen! The ruler of all Välsurstägt! I knew from Tatyana’s tone that she was speaking the truth, not simply teasing me.
“But what about my brother, he is older than me,”
“He is only your half-brother. He is not of the fay.”
“But the trial, how will I pass it?”
“You will pass the trial, but you may not even make it there. You must be wary.”
“Why? What is wrong?”
Tatyana sighed heavily. “You know the duchess Maornya da Kulstey?”
“I have seen her,” I said.
“She is a very ambitious woman, ruthless and power hungry. She also works magic.”
I gasped. It is strictly forbidden for humans to work magic, it causes so many problems. “But is that not against the law.”
Tatyana laughed bitterly. “Maornya has never and will never care anything about the laws. I know that when I die, she will try to seize the throne, although she has not a drop of Faerie blood. She wants the silder mines, she wants power, she wants wealth.”
“But-, surely she can stopped!”
“No amount of force will conquer Maornya. She will kill anyone who tries to challenge her.”
“But she doesn’t know about me, and she won’t know until it’s too late.”
“She knows. She knows that you are the only half-faerie in Välsurstägt. She, in fact, holds what will stop you from having contact with the Faerie side of your nature. She holds your kivae.”
I was silent. I had heard of the faerie stone Kivae, a charm which every Fay received at their christening and wore until their death.
Tatyana reached under the collar of her night dress, and brought out a necklace. It was silver, with a green stone as a pendant. The stone throbbed with light, and threw beams across the room. I gasped.
“This is my Kivae.” said Tatyana. “While I wear it, no evil magic can harm me, such as the sort Maornya practices. Without it, she would have destroyed me long ago.”
“And she holds my kivae,” I said, slowly, beginning to realize the danger that I was in.
“Yes, you must find it, and go, far away from here, until the trial of Vanderlak, and until you can claim your rightful place as Queen of Valsurstagt.”
My head was spinning. In five minutes my life had changed so dramatically that it left me dizzy. A faerie, the next queen, a woman who wanted my life, how could I do it?
“You can do it, Anya,” said Tatyana. “I know you have the strength. Here is what you must do.” She pointed to a wardrobe. “Go and find the white cape.”
I got up, and went over to the wardrobe. Inside were many beautiful gowns and one, pure white cape. I brought it over to the bed.
Tatyana put it over my shoulders. “This is made from spun silder. It is one of the most valuable things in this kingdom, for no weapon can penetrate it. It has belonged to every one of Välsurstägt’s queens. It belongs to you now. It will protect you from any physical attacks.”
“Thank you,” I breathed.
“This very night, you must go and find you kivae. It will not be far from Maornya, she guards it obsessively. However, she will be out late at the party, and will likely have left it in her room for safekeeping. After you find it, you must leave the palace.”
“How shall I do that?” I asked.
“I expect that with your kivae, it will not be difficult. You must go far from here, and when you hear that I am dead, come for the trial.”
“Surely.., you won’t die soon,” I ventured.
“Yes, I shall die soon, but I am not afraid.” said Tatyana. “And when my human body is drained of life, I shall be with the fays again for all eternity, for the fay side of me is immortal, it shall never die.”
“But-” I said, feeling as though I might cry.
“No,” Tatyana caught my hand. “Don’t worry, you shall do very well on your own. It is your destiny to rule, and never forget that. You are the rightful queen.” she paused a minute. “But, when you need help, think of me, and I will be with you, by your side to guide you.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“Now go,” said Tatyana. “And do not forget what I have told you. Maornya’s room is along this corridor, five doors down from mine to the left.” I knew that room well, I had cleaned it many times.
“Goodbye,” I said, desolately, standing up.
“Goodbye,” said Tatyana. “And good luck.”

I opened Tatyana’s door, and shut it behind me carefully. In a daze, my feet carried me down the hall toward the rooms of the Duchess da Kulstey.
There was the door. I reached for the knob, opened it, and walked in. The room was empty of people, which was a relief, but still, I was nervous.
Where would she keep my kivae? I wondered. The first place that occurred to me was the dressing table drawer where I knew the rest of the jewelry was. Then, I reasoned She could pretend it was ordinary jewelry.
The room was dark, and I had not thought to bring a candle. I felt my way over to the dressing table, managing not to knock anything over. I opened the drawer. I had dusted it so many times I knew it by heart. Reaching in, I felt about in the duchesses jewelry. I felt nothing out of the ordinary, I was sure I would know my kivae if I touched it.
My fingers explored the bottom of the drawer. Smooth, cold wood. But then, I felt a ridge. Feeling along it, I came to another that intersected it. Digging my fingernails into the wood, I lifted a piece about the size of my palm. As the panel came away, a gleaming purple light filled the room, radiating from the drawer. Trembling with excitement, I reached down, and drew out my kivae. It was exquisite, dark purple stone, that sparkled and gleamed, giving off an eerie, unearthly glow. The stone was cut it the shape of a many pointed star, and mounted in a silver frame, attached to a silver chain. I turned it over. On the back there were carved three words, Anya La Fay. Anya the fay.
“Anya,” I whirled. Maornya was standing in the door, holding a dagger. She spat out the word as though it pained her to say it. “I thought this time would come, when you would be so foolish as to challenge my power. You shall regret this descision.”
I clutched the kivae. “I will not regret it,” I said evenly. “You can keep it from my no longer, it is mine,” With that, I fastened the chain round my neck.
Maornya shrieked, a mixture of rage and terror. “Stay away from me, Fay!”
When I fastened the chain, I felt protection drain into me from the kivae, it felt hot against the skin of my neck, throbbing and glowing as magic spread through me.
“I shall allow nothing to interfere with my plans,” Maornya said, regaining her composure, and advancing on me with the dagger raised.
There was no doubt in my mind that she was going to kill me. I threw out my hands instinctively. The dagger fell to the floor, burning and dissolving into a purple flame. Then it disappeared with a bang. I drew back my hands, horrified. Was that magic? Have I broken the law? But no, the law is not to use magic against other people who cannot defend themselves, I would have been killed if I hadn't. It was the kivae that had done it, not me. The magic the law referred too was the sorcery that people like Maornya used to bring evil to other people, and power to themselves. It said nothing about the magic that the faeries used to do good.
I had almost forgotten the duchess in this contemplation, but now I was yanked out of my thoughts.
“You think you have defeated me, but my powers are infinite, and I shall destroy you!” she shouted,
I knew that she would, if she could. A bolt of blue lightning shot through the ceiling toward me, I turned, shielding my eyes and holding out my hand again. And the light saved me again, blocking the lightning. It struck between us and a burned black patch in the floor and a produced cloud of dark blue smoke
“You cannot destroy me,” I said, glaring strait into her cold gray eyes. I want to get away! I thought desperately. How much longer can I last? But Maornya was between me and the door. I put a hand on my kivae. Please!
I felt a very peculiar sensation, as shivers ran through me, and my feet seemed to leave the floor. Then they touched again, but this time on grass. I looked about. I was now standing in a mountain valley, in a small stand of pine trees. It was dark, and very cold, but I had never thought a place so wonderful in my life.
I sank down on the ground, pulling Tatyana’s cloak around me. For now I am safe, I thought