Chapter Two

The moment all went wrong and its subsequent consequences.


I made Gran promise me that Millie would only stay until the end of next week. The sooner she had left, I felt, the sooner I could return to my daily routines without her bumping into everything. She wasn’t unkind, but she seemed too flashy for this village. Somehow, her wavy red hair and that pink dress got on my nerves. Me, I’ve always been rather unobtrusive in appearance. You could say that I had a pleasant face, though nothing striking. My hair had always been rather dull, not quite blonde and not quite brown. It wasn’t exactly straight, nor was it flatteringly wavy like Millie’s. I comforted myself by thinking that I, at least, was practical in nature and that I would never make such mess of a simple cooking as Millie had done last night. Honestly, I know she was trying to help, but I’d rather wish she hadn’t. I still felt slightly sick.

Other than that, nothing remarkable happened until the last day of her trespassing on our hospitality. Gran had gone out to the one pub our town possessed and I escorted her. Not because I fancied a drink, but rather to make sure that she did not overdo it. She liked her brandy, my Gran did. Since it was Millie’s last night with us, I had figured it would be kind to invite her along. Thinking myself safe since she would leave immediately next morning, I was in an optimistic mood. I even had some cider myself, which was unusual. If I were to be completely honest with you, I should say that I was secretly afraid of alcohol. Not because of my father, but it caused men (and women, as Gran had often proved) to do some pretty stupid stuff. I was terrified that I might one day lose my sensibility, which was, as far as I was concerned, the last thing that Low-of-the-Road needed, what with all people marveling at Gran.
We shared a table with three or four other townspeople. I knew them to be hardworking farmers, a little richer than me and Gran were, though all of us had to stretch ourselves to make ends meet. We made some small talk. I expressed my concerns for our mischievous sheep, and how our apple orchard seemed to be bearing less fruit than previous years. All was well until someone nudged me and I noticed how Gran was staring into her glass as if she was trying to look through the depths of a lake. She had been unusually quiet, and now I recognized the glassy look that always sailed into her eyes whenever she was about to make one of her predictions.
‘Perhaps we should go,’ I said, standing up fast. I wasn’t in the right mood for this, and whatever she said could only be fuelled by the royal amount of Brandywine. ‘Let’s go, Millie. We should get you to bed early anyways.’
‘No, no,’ said one of our drinking mates. He was leaning on his shoulders, his face a little red. ‘Let us hear what Berrie has to say, Daffodil. It might be useful.’
I made a face. ‘Like that time when she said all our cows had disappeared and we had to wear green socks so as to please the Fairy Folk in returning them to us?’
‘They did return then, didn’t they though? When we checked the fields next day, all flock was complete.’
‘Yes, because they never left, Brandon! Honestly, do all of you wish to hear what nonsense Gran’s going to produce right now?’
They all nodded. The pub had silenced somewhat, more faces where curiously turned in our direction.
I sighed. ‘Alright then. I see myself outvoted.’ And I sank back on my chair, relenting to the fact that I was the only rational person in the room.
‘Now listen,’ said Gran. Her voice had become eldritch; though I was pretty sure she was faking it. ‘This has been revealed to me before, when I was younger and my love was devoted only to a man of Fairy - I say: the plain flower will aid the rose to unfurl!’

Silence followed. Every person was looking at my Gran. I felt irritated and ill at ease. ‘Splendid,’ I said, trying to break the revering hush. ‘We’ll make sure it does that, then. Come on now, Mi-’
But before I could finish my sentence, Gran snapped at me: ‘You! Daffodil! You be silent now.’
This hit me. Well, not literally, but just the same. Gran had never snapped at me before, even though she had scorned my lack of faith in her prophetic gifts. I felt blood rushing to my cheeks and burning, I closed my mouth.
‘You, child,’ Gran said, pointing at Millie now. I glanced at her. She was flushed too, and looked remarkably awkward. ‘You have a very special weapon, fit to save us all from ruin.’
‘No way,’ I blurted. ‘Gran, you definitely have had enough of that Brandywine. Clearly, it -’
‘Daffodil,’ Brandon said, gesturing with one hand. ‘Will you shut it?’
For the second time I closed my mouth, pressing my lips together hard.
‘What weapon?’ Millie asked. Her voice had become no more than a whisper. ‘Is it the sword?’
I felt a dab of annoyance. How could a tattered and busted old thing like that save anyone from ruin? What ruin?
‘It must be,’ Millie whispered, as Gran had not replied. ‘After all, I pulled it out…Yes, it has to be.’
I ordered another drink.
‘With them,’ Grans voice rang out once more, startling me. ‘With them she will go forth into her kingdom!’
‘A kingdom,’ said Brandon. ‘That’s interesting.’
‘Yes, it is,’ I said, after taking a large gulp of my new drink. ‘I wonder what kingdom this is. Surely not Archeon.’
If they had sensed the sarcasm in my voice, they ignored it.
‘Perhaps,’ said the barmaid, who had lingered by our table to listen, ‘Does it mean that someone is sent to save us from…you know. Her.’
Now everyone was staring at her. She balanced the platter on her hip, running a hand through her ash blonde hair. ‘We all think it. Someone should say it. She’s horrible.’
And this was it. Right here, this was the moment that caused the rest of this tale to happen. Everyone had started to murmur things, shaking or nodding their heads, while Gran was annoyingly still, still sporting that hazy look.
‘Who are you talking about?’ Millie asked, looking from face to face, but everyone seemed suddenly too caught up to answer her. Finally, she looked at me with a pleading expression.
I put my glass down, feeling that I owed her at least this much. ‘They are referring to princess Merope,’ I said.
  ‘Who is that?’
‘Isn’t that obvious? She’s in charge of Archeon. Rumor has it that she is exceptionally harsh to those that cross her.’
‘Not rumours,’ Brandon growled. ‘’t Is true. She’s a tyrant.’
‘Alright,’ I said. ‘So she is. We usually don’t speak of her. As for me, I’m happy to live well away from Redwood.’
Millie had gone rather pale. ‘What is Redwood?’
I looked at her. ‘You really are foreign, aren’t you? Redwood’s our main city. It’s where she lives. I’m surprised you’ve not heard of this, even though you come from a foreign land. Where exactly did you say that was, by the way?’
‘I didn’t,’ she said. ‘Say, that is.’
‘Did too,’ I urged, a little impatiently. ‘You mentioned the name of this place. New Something.’
‘It’s only a city,’ Millie said. She did look a bit discomforted.
‘Yes, but a city to what?’
She inhaled a large gulp of breath. I saw her fingers twiddle with her empty glass. I had actually made her nervous. ‘If I tell,’ she said. ‘Will you promise not to burn me for witchcraft?’
Brandon started to laugh, which seemed to startle Gran out of her reverie.  She looked up in mild confusion, as if she wondered what the joke was.
‘Yes,’ I said, trying to decide whether it was okay for me to laugh as well. ‘I don’t mind promising you that.’

Of course, in retrospect I can say that she was absolutely truthful, but at that moment it was hard to digest. None of us had ever heard of a place called America, and even Brandon was little prepared to take this news in. Gran surprised me by shaking her head wearily, like she was listening to the incomprehensible babble of a four-year-old.

Eventually, I had to ask how the hell she had managed to cross over. Millie, who seemed to be reassured by the fact that no one had jumped up and accused her of dancing with demons, reached inside her pocket to reveal the same posy of flowers I had seen her carry before. They looked even more withered now, with the buds hanging down limply, their stalks weak like a thread of green wool.
‘Primroses,’ she said. ‘They’re also very rarely called Keyflowers, and a bouquet of the right amount pressed at the right stone is said to open the doors to…’ She glances about. ‘Well, that part didn’t work out exactly.’
‘I’ve just had enough of this,’ I said resolutely. ‘Millie, unbelievable though your story is, it’s just that: impossible to believe. I don’t know what your plans are exactly, but I do know that you’re going to fail, especially if you’re thinking of bringing down princess Merope. Let me advise you to go home, as I’m going to do right now.’
‘Hold on a minute,’ Brandon said, looking more red-faced by the minute. I glanced around the table. They were all looking at me like I was doing something incredulously blasphemous.
‘What?’ I asked.
‘The plain flower will aid the rose to unfurl,’ Brandon said, speaking like his tongue had swollen remarkably thick.
‘So?’
‘Don’t you think,’ the barmaid, who had returned to us, said, ‘that if Millie here is to undertake some sort of quest…you should be helping her?’
‘No,’ I said. ‘That thought has not crossed my mind even once. And I’m not allowing it in now.’
‘But don’t you want to get rid of Merope?’ she asked.
‘Honestly? I don’t care!’ I had raised my voice now, because some part of me undoubtfully already knew where this was heading to and that I had lost, utterly lost, though the other part in me was putting up a good fight of denying it. ‘All I really want is to keep track of all my sheep, nurturing my apple trees back to health and enjoying a peaceful evening and a good night’s sleep. If I have all that, I will be a very happy Daffodil.’
‘You are the plain flower!’
I jumped, for I had almost forgotten about Gran. She looked quite lively again, with eyes gleaming of excitement over her new discovery. She pointed a bony finger at me, which I found rude. ‘I always knew that your mother had named you thus for a reason!’
‘Well, personally,’ I said, feeling indignant, ‘I always thought it was a bit silly of her. She could’ve called me Rose or Violet or even Berrie after you. But nooo, it had to be something that makes me look awkward and silly.’
‘All the same,’ Gran said, ‘it seems clear that you and young Millie have a quest set out for you.’
‘Notnotnot,’ I said, momentarily incapable of thinking of a coherent sentence to utter, which I found fair in the given circumstances. ‘You can’t do this without my consent and I am not giving it, either. I’m not going anywhere, least of all to princess Merope. I refuse to be Triple Tortured. No, don’t say a thing, Gran. You’re an old drunk and Millie’s suffering from something more severe, I do not know what. But I’m healthy and sensible, and I’m not going.’

I meant that to be final. In a way it was, although it turned out I was on loser’s end after all. That next morning, I stood packed and waiting to say goodbye to Gran. Millie had nothing to take with her, but had offered to carry the rucksack later. I had told her grudgingly that I would force it upon her, whether she’d wanted to or not.
I was so furious that I didn’t even kiss Gran goodbye. I wouldn’t need to, I told myself. I would lead Millie in a deceptive circle, leave her somewhere in the hills and return straight home. That was the plan. Unfortunately, the world was against it.
‘And remember, Daffodil,’ Gran said, as I gave her and the rest of the villagers a curt nod, ‘Your prince will rescue you from a-’
‘Dark place, I know. I wish he’d hurry up,’ I grunted. Without granting her another look, I grabbed Millie by one arm, rather more roughly than she deserved. ‘Get walking then. If we’re going to be soaked with rain within the next coming hours, I’ll personally blame you for it. Just so you know.’

During those first hours of walking away from Low-of-the-Road, Millie chattered my ears off, hardly allowing herself to catch breath in between sentences. I spent my time being silent and trying to think out the best way to ditch her without having to grab her, tie her to a tree and leave her at mercy of whatever dwelled in these hills at night. It seemed best to sneak out on her when we were camping for the night. That meant having to cope with her throughout the day and giving up my night’s rest. If there’s something I thoroughly hate, it is having to spend a night doing stuff a person is designed to do during day time. It makes me cranky.

‘Daffodil?’
I looked up. ‘What?’
‘I was asking you where we’re headed. Are you much preoccupied?’
‘Headed? Why don’t you tell me? This is your quest; I’m just your sidekick.’
She looked crestfallen. ‘I’m not so sure Miss Berrie is right in all this. This Merope person seems dangerous.’
‘You don’t say?’ I stopped walking, making her halt as well. ‘I’m just gonna take this opportunity to tell you,’ I said, ‘that I have no intentions of going all the way to Redwood. I’m not going to wager my life just because Gran said I should.’
‘Oh,’ she said.
‘You don’t have to answer that,’ I told her, a little less unfriendly. ‘But do take my advice and stop acting like a moron with megalomania. Best thing you could do right now is turn back and leave the way you came.’ I looked at her face expectantly.
‘I can’t,’ she said.
‘Yes, you can. You just don’t want to.’
‘No,’ she said. ‘Well, yes, that too…But even if I wanted, I couldn’t. I tried to get back as soon as I arrived and it failed.’
‘How did it fail?’
‘Not sure. I pressed the flowers to the stone, but it wouldn’t budge. Maybe entrances are only one-way?’
‘Yes,’ I replied sighing. ‘Maybe.’
‘So!’ she said, instantly back to her beaming self. ‘Where are we headed?’
‘I have a map packed up somewhere,’ I said, if only to be rid of her constant questioning. I got it out, spread the paper and smoothed it. ‘Pick your spot and we’ll go there, if that really makes you happy.’
She took one look at it, but then turned her gaze away.
‘Oh, for crying out loud,’ I said. ‘What is it now?’
‘I can’t read it.’
‘I’m sorry. You are illiterate?’
‘No, I just can’t read it. I’ve never seen this script before.’
‘Well, that’s convenient,’ I mumbled.
‘Can’t you read it for me, then?’
‘Sorry,’ I said. ‘I actually am illiterate. Luckily I know my way around here pretty well.’
As I folded the map back into my rucksack, I thought how convenient this really was. Without Millie having a clue of the local geography, I could easily lead her to another hamlet or village and then leave. This meant I did not have to be so cruel as to desert her in the middle of the woodlands, and I still could get out of all this relatively unscathed. ‘Shall I lead the way then?’

The landscape in these areas is pretty unwavering. Lots of hills, all moderate in height and quite friendly really, especially during summer, when sunlight strokes the pale green grass and a myriad of wildflowers. The land is fertile and inviting to settle on, with the forest ensuring enough wood to build our houses and feed our fires. Further to the west, woodland and hills gradually make place for the level fields. I had never been there, however, and didn’t care much for it. As far as I knew, the rural areas of Archeon were much more pleasant to live in these days. At least with princess Merope terrorising the urban parts.

It turned dark before we could reach a different settlement and I reluctantly prepared for camping outdoors. Gran and I had never had a tent, so it was just us, some blankets and the starry sky. I was so bold as to consider the stars to be an omen of good luck: at least it would not rain anytime soon.
‘Say, Daffodil,’ I heard Millie say from her own pile of blankets.
  I had my eyes closed already, thinking of my sweet warm bed. ‘Hm?’
‘This princess Merope - what’s she like?’
‘I thought you had paid attention,’ I said. ‘Didn’t you hear what Brandon said? She’s a tyrant and a woman at that.’
‘What’s that got to do with anything?’
‘Well,’ I said, suppressing a yawn. ‘I may be wrong, but it seems to be that being a guy and a tyrant mostly results in ridiculous tax heights and operating a secret service network. Maybe locking some girls up in his personal harem, you know? Showing off his muscles, his power. Something like that. ’
‘Hm-hm.’
‘But women…they’re vile. They’re like a weasel; waiting for the right moment to bite its victim in the artery and sucking its blood right out. I’ve heard that she keeps to herself in her castle, nobody’s ever seen her.’
‘What, are you serious?’
I heard by the rustling that she had gone to sit up straight.
‘I am. We could be meeting her this very moment and not know who she is. You could be her. I could be.’
‘You’re terrifying me,’ Millie said, ‘stop it.’
‘I think not.’ I opened my eyes. ‘I warned you before, Millie, this is not the right person to meddle with. Neither are you to do so.’
But whatever I said, her intent on believing that she was capable of this task only grew. I told her that she had nothing to base this upon, and she replied that the sword was proof enough. And though it frustrated me, I could not oppose this with a satisfactory argument. The truth was that I had no idea how she had managed to pull the sword out.