Once, during her tale of acquittance with the Queen, Diana had lied. Actually, it was her first statement.
She had lied about how long the training had been going on, and I had watched with widened eyes, as the energy around us had compressed on her until she had difficulty to breath, until ripples of pain popped around her face, until her teeth clattered, out of the drastic effect of the energy on her body system.
I had told myself that I would never experience that because I would be telling the entire truth this time around.
Diana had said that she had been training with the queen for just six months, before the truth energy had done its work. Then, after her father had commanded a release, she had said a year and two months.
Laura’s mouth had dropped open in shock. Turns out that since Diana had started her classes, she had been recruited by the queen.
As a matter of fact, according to Laura’s calculations, the queen had created the palace training just because of Diana, to denounce any suspicions that Laura and Peter would have, knowing their misgivings about her.
Aforetime, according to Laura, the children had their learning section in the magic school I attended, but the queen had brought up some theory and the children had taken up one of the big halls in the palace for their training.
Laura had reclined into her chair in disbelief, not believing that her young daughter could lie to her. She must have wondered what the queen had told Diana, what the queen had done to convince Diana not to trust her parents. It had broken Laura’s heart.
I knew that it was what pained Laura and Peter the most. The fact that their young daughter had kept this away from them, hadn’t trusted them. It even overthrew their anger for the queen.
I could see the sadness swimming in their eyes now. I was sure Diana could see it too, for that would explain the reduction in the confidence that she had started the tale with.
When she had started at first, I had sighed softly, at the energy which she had used to craft the tale in a way that put the queen in the good light. It had made me certain to expose the recording here. For that would be the only way to knock Diana back to her senses, and perhaps salvage the relationship that we shared.
She had talked about the queen like the woman was a god, like she was privileged to get lessons from her. She had talked about the training as if they were tenants of life that she couldn’t do without.
“Father, please reconsider your earlier statement. The queen wouldn’t be too happy about me missing classes. We have just gotten to the best part of my powers.”
Peter stared at his daughter like she had grown two heads, like she had become someone that he couldn’t recognise again. She never called him father. Not really. Just Dad.
Laura noticed this too, but she made no comment, rather she looked to the ceilings. I wondered if her mind had returned to Zande, and the role the queen might have played in the latter’s death.
“Diana, if I have my way, which I believe I will, you will stop your training with the Queen.”
Diana shook her head. “That’s impossible, father…”
“Since when do you call your father, father? Or is that what the queen had taught you too?” Laura queried, unable to take it any more.
Diana kept mute, as if realizing what she had just said. “I’m sorry. She muttered.
“But if Dad were to speak to the queen, and I stay at home, how do I cope with my studies? I will be left behind.”
Peter shook his head, but said nothing. How could he convince the Queen to return the children’s classes to the general magic school.
The recording.
I sighed. I might be using it far earlier than I thought. But then, anything for family.
“Maya, do you have anything to say?” Laura asked me.
I jerked, then swallowed, not aware that she had seen the decision on my face.
“Do you have anything to add?”
I nodded my head, ignoring Diana’s sigh of unbelief.
I would really need that recording.
“Let’s hear it then. And remember the ball of energy around you.”
How could I forget that?
“I actually have a lot to say, starting with my story, and ending with how we can get the Queen to do our bidding, or rather to return the children’s classes to the way they had been.”
Peter and Laura darted glances at each other, and I could feel Diana’s gaze puncturing holes in my head. She must be wondering what I was talking about.
“However, I have a question that I need a truthful answer to, before I start.”
There was a pause, during which I pleaded with my eyes that Peter would accept my request. I didn’t want to talk above him.
“Okay, go ahead. We are listening. What is the question?”
A beat of silence where the tension in the room cackled further.
“Is it possible to keep your lies to yourself? Is it possible to hide your lies or truths from the Queen?”
No response.
“I have managed to keep my memories away from the queen somehow, someway in which I am not even aware of. Nevertheless, she can tell that I am not saying the entire truth. Yes, she knows that I might have something to do with the lycan’s pack, and knows that I didn’t completely lose my memory, but that is it. She can’t really read my mind now, at least never again. She had tried it when she had been speaking about my classes. I had felt her in my mind poking, but I knew that she hadn’t gotten anything.” I said, finally exposing one of the things that the queen had done tonight that had solidified my distrust of her.
The surprised looks on the faces of my family showed that they had been unaware of it.
That was how subtle the queen’s magic was.