Goldest and the Kingdom of Thorns by Joanne Durda Page B

cold the castle hasbecome since he has left. There is no love to warm it.”
    The princess pushed her soup away and walked slowly to her room feeling heartsore. Her heart felt heavy within her bosom and she felt chilled to the bone. She had Sabira put mounds of woolen blankets on her bed. She lay in bed and still shivered with coldness throughout the night. The listless fire burned in the fireplace without passion. The flames did not dance their normal fiery dance of ardor.
    “Why am I so cold?” she whispered to herself, wondering if Ushi was as chilled as she was.
    The first colorful rays of light appeared on the horizon and brought out the full gleam of the spectrum on the marble ground within the Kingdom of Marble. With it came some warmth. A giggling Goldest hopped out of the marble cave and into the clear glass lake with the colorful glass fish. This time, the fish swam right up to her and looked at her strangely, face to face. She sunned herself on her back in the water. The fish swam around her, unafraid. They had grown use to this gold piece that kept intruding in their waters with her tantrums of splashing.
    A very stiff and sore Ushi walked out of the marble cave and stretched as he tried to loosen his joints up. He had passed a cold, sleepless night. He felt like ice and let the sun’s rays warm him and his heart before he saddled up Niciu and put their supply pack on their packhorse. “What I wouldn’t do for a good night’s rest! This heart of marble was made for sculpturing – not to be slept on,” he shouted to Goldest, as she lay in the water, choking on her croaks and giggling.
    The bright golden sun was fully awakened and up. The Thorn Army stood at attention – stick figures of fleshless organisms who looked like creatures of the undead. Massive, thick thorns stood aggressively throughout their dark, colorless, harsh bodies. The bright gleam of the sun’s rays gave their deadly thorns a glaring sheen, but their bark still retained a damp look about it.
    Savagio paraded slowly around and through these rows of militant thorn creatures as the Monks watched with apprehension mounting within themselves. Theo, Octagon and Meek anxiously waited for Savagio’s remarks about this army that he was to train.
    Savagio touched some of their sharp thorns, his fingers cutting easily at just so fine a touch. He looked strangely at the Monks. As anxious as they were, they had satisfaction at what they had grown written all over their faces.
    Theo walked forth towards Savagio with Pentangle and Xnug following. He turned and motioned for two strange faces, Sectangle and Decadence, whom Savagio had not recalled meeting or seeing around the castle or its grounds. Some of the other Monks followed who were out in the field with Theo and his favorites. Savagio had taken notice that the Monks were clothed in darker grayish woolen robes today instead of their normal white woolen or light grayish robes. They also changed their white woolen socks to black woolen socks with even darker colored bark sandals. Their change of look seemed to have taken on a new meaning today for them, Savagio summed up to himself.Savagio left the rows of the Thorn Army and met up with the approaching Theo.
    “Our Brothers, Pentangle and Xnug, are to be the keepers of our Thorn Army. Sectangle and Decadence are to be their caregivers and make the decisions on when to bath them in their steaming herbal baths filled with vitalism,” Theo explained to Savagio.
    Sectangle and Decadence bowed their heads in respect to Savagio.
    Theo continued on, “All my Brothers here will help them when needed. In the meantime, Pentangle and Xnug are to help you into turning our thorns into fighting warriors. You may command anything from them, and they shall obey – always!” Theo looked sternly upon a robust Pentangle and Xnug, who threw out his hefty chest.
    Pentangle and Xnug reluctantly bowed their heads in respect and acknowledgment to Savagio. The