I can feel earth, wet and damp all around me. I can almost see the outline of a woman wearing a crown of leaves. Her hands envelop me—safe. Then, darkness. I am buried. Deeper and deeper I grow as the earth shifts above me, thickening, hardening.
Memories, not my own but held somewhere beyond its ruddy base, swim in my mind.
Then, the sensation shifts. It becomes more of a tug. Two buds sprout and I quickly pull my hand away, holding it to my chest.
“I’m sorry.”
Willow stares in awe. “Don’t be sorry; this is magnificent.”
“What?”
“Usually the plant takes three hundred years to mature. What you’re waiting for are the flowers. Those are what can cure any poison. Heartroot only produces them at a certain age.”
“Oh.”
“This is magnificent.” He beams at me. Willow saw something wondrous just now. I saw yet another sign of my magic out of control.
“Does… Do other properties come out at a certain age?” I ask. “Perhaps the memory ones?”
“I doubt it. But we can test it.”
“No… I should go.” I push the phantom sensations from my mind and look at the plants sadly. If I had just been Luella the herbologist I would’ve spent hours in this place. But I’m now Luella the Human Queen who can accidentally make plants grow. Will they be good plants like the heartroot? Or nasty plants like the vines I made in the lunch nook?
I shouldn’t stay and find out.
“Wait.” Willow grabs my shoulder, stopping me from leaving. “There’s something else.”
“Willow, I’m sorry—”
“Journals kept by the past queens.” He beams, knowing that I’m certainly not going to say no to that. “Poppy told me about them when we were talking about your situation. I thought they could help make you feel more at home here…maybe even help with your magic?” He starts heading back to the laboratory as he speaks and I follow. Willow goes over to a bookshelf in the corner and retrieves a stool from between it and the wall. “Top shelf. Help yourself.”
I inspect the top shelf. There are twenty-five journals of all shapes and sizes with names written on each spine. Some names are duplicated with ordered numbers beneath them. The last one in the line has “Alice” scribbled in ink on it.
“Did you always know these were here?”
“Truth be told, I never look at that shelf.” He laughs. “But I was talking with Grandmother Poppy about you and she mentioned she was thinking of asking you to help us here. I wondered if Eldas would allow that…but she said there was precedent.”
“Precedent for the Human Queen to help?” I don’t dare get my hopes up. I’ve had them dashed too many times here already.
“It’s actually been rather common. Which makes sense, when you think about what the queen’s magic does.” Willow grins and it’s a bit lopsided. Just the sight of it tugs a smile onto my own lips.
“What would I be doing?”
“You could help tend the plants. Or mix things for us as you’d like and if we need.”
It’s a start. “Would I go into the city?”
“Maybe after your coronation.” His expression is now worryingly uncertain.
“Could I have patients?”
“I…doubt it.” He frowns and my expression mirrors his. I look back to the journals longingly. How were they happy here? Were they happy here? I guess there’s only one way to find out. But I can already tell that if my journal lines this shelf, it will not be filled with joy as long as my days are spent merely watering plants.
“Anyway, the other queens kept those records,” Willow continues. “You may find something useful somewhere in these journals that would help you get acclimated. Poppy gives her permission as well.”
“There are some queens missing.” Namely the first five.
“I guess the earlier ones didn’t keep journals? Or maybe they’ve been lost or destroyed. That was three thousand years ago. We’re lucky to have the journals we do.” He shrugs and starts for the exit. “It’s almost lunch time. I think I’ll go grab us food. Do you have any preferences?”