The Queen's Curse Read Free

glanced around. Fortunately nobody had witnessed the commotion.
    The two men lay on the floo r in rather awkward positions, so she placed them both into sitting positions against each side of the castle door. It was quite a heavy task, but in a matter of moments she succeeded. It looked as if they were asleep; which probably did happen, because normally nothing really threatening occurred around here. Perhaps that was why they responded so slowly.
    The real threat lives inside the castle! she thought grimly.
    Tirsa breathed in deeply; she knew there was no turning back now. A serious penalty hung over her head if the queen found out. She might even lose her job, but she couldn’t care less. Oh yes, she will find out soon enough!
    Blind anger raged through her body like a furious flame as she thought about the merciless queen. She struggled to think clearly. With a lot of effort she lifted the heavy iron bar, which barricaded and held the massive doors shut. It slipped and fell with a loud metallic crash on the stone floor and she looked nervously around.
    A ll was quiet in the courtyard. With all her strength she pushed against one of the doors and after a moment it slowly opened inwards and she hurriedly slipped inside, closing the door behind her with the same effort. She was in!
    Wi th a rapidly pounding heart, wide-open eyes and a dry mouth she stood with her back pressed motionless against the closed door.
    She was in the Welcome H all of Tarac; she could see dark high wooden chairs standing along the walls with red leather seats. It was calm in the huge hall with its green and blue carpets, oil paintings hanging from the walls, and highly embroidered tapestries which showed old scenes of crowds of people. In the middle was a perfectly round unlit fireplace surrounded by big grey round stones. It all looked very ancient and wealthy to Tirsa compared to her simple soldier’s quarters.
    The place was lit by the orange light of the rising sun shining through a large oval window to the left of her. In the air there was a scent like a mixture of cold stone and old wet wood. The smell of apathy.
    At the end of the hall , close to the wall, she noticed a white marble winding staircase covered with the same green and blue carpet.
    She swallowed hard and searched her mind for familiar sights. Where was the l arge Hall where she received her medal? She could see the hall ending in a corridor opposite her, which surely led to other rooms. The castle was truly huge; and now she knew why people could get lost in here. This hall in itself was already so grand!
    She had to find the queen quickly and Tirsa didn’t think she would be on the ground floor at this time of day. The kitchen would be here somewhere and the dining room with maids perhaps walking around preparing breakfast. She did hear a few muffled sounds coming from the far end of the corridor.
    Artride would most likely be in her bedroom in one of the towers, her bathro om or dining chamber; perhaps in her library or … in the dungeons watching the prisoners suffering. Queen Artride would love that according to the popular rumours she had heard about her. It was she who decided the fate of the condemned; it was a well known fact that she always had the last word in convictions.
    Tirsa realized she had no idea where she could be, because she didn’t know her habits at all, except from the bizarre stories she had heard. The companies were not really expected to know what the queen’s habits were; only what she demanded and how her kingdom was supposed to be organized and ruled.
    I bet she is in her personal quarters; wherever they may be. Tirsa glimpsed the winding staircase and in a few seconds she was ascending it.
    If I meet anyone; I’ll just say I have an audience. They should not suspect anything .
    S he tried to tread a little slower and behave naturally to avoid suspicion.
    She cam e across the first floor and noticed many closed golden doors. A little voice