16 16. Torren down

"Freya what have you done?" Tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Something I have always wanted to do" Freya said without remorse at all. I stared at her in confusion.

"Oh don't look so confused Diana, I only accomplished my mission here. I'm sure you would do the same to me gladly" Freya went on "I was banished for your sake but you were never concerned about me or my mother. You never visited my mother for a day, you didn't even notice she was dead Diana. What kind of friend are you?"

"Shut up Freya, I was locked up the whole time, I couldn't see her even if I tried to" I said in tears.

"Huh, even if you tried, so you never tried Diana. I hate you, and I promise I will destroy you and everything you stand for"

"Guards" I called out but Torren had always kept the guards away from his chambers so no one answered me.

"Go on, you can't face me without your guards can you?" She looked at Torren who was still unable to get up or speak "soon my dear queen Diana, your husband will slowly pass away. But I promise it's going to be a swift death for him once he looses all his vampire vitality and no one can save him, trust me Diana..." Just then someone hit her on the head with a jar and she slumped, it was Kahlan. I rushed over to Torren not even minding Freya who was lying motionlessly on the floor.

"My lady" Kahlan rushed over to help me lift Torren.

"He has lost so much blood my lady, someone may need to die to save him" Torren was bleeding terribly. I was so scared.

"I don't want him to die Kahlan" I cried with Torren in my arms and his blood all over my cloth.

Before we could realize it, Freya's body was gone. Did she leave or disappear? I didn't know but of course I cared less about it. I had something more important to care about at that time. A man who had decided to give up his life for Torren came but that didn't move Torren, though the man had blood all over his body. I even ordered the guards to get the blood of an ape but that also didn't move Torren.

"What is going on Kahlan?" I asked so worried. It was already two days since he was stabbed.

"I'm sorry my lady but we can't save him, no amount of blood can"

"Why, how dare you say such a thing?"

"The dagger with which he was stabbed is poisoned" she paused for a while "with magic"

At this point I felt defeated, how did Freya get entangled with Qarinah, I knew deep down it was Qarinah who has poisoned it. Why did Freya let her anger and quest for revenge blind her.

"Don't we have sorcerers in Darca? Can't we find someone who can save him?" I questioned Kahlan and other servants.

"I know a powerful sorceress my lady, only she can save Kahlan, I will get her right away" sir Magnus assured me and left immediately. We waited for him and her finally arrived with the sorceress who was quite old. After examining Torren she started "my lady, Lord Torren has been poisoned with a very powerful spell made from the combination of two dangerous black magics, and the curse from the combined power of black magic is unbeatable. I'm sorry my lady, nothing can save him, sooner or later he will died. No one has ever survived this curse" she said and bowed down.

I was totally speechless. "How long,...how long would he still live?"

"3 days, 4 days at most" she replied.

"There must be a way, there should be a way somehow to save her" I cried out.

"I don't know of a way to save him but I know of a way to keep him alive for longer than 4 days" I turned around to see Loiusa, I quickly rushed and hugged her. "How did you get in here"

"I have been practicing my magic, I knew I'd need it someday" Louisa responded.

Louisa always had my back and she always felt it when something was going wrong with me.

"I don't think we can trust anymore visitors my lady" sir Magnus warned. I looked at Kahlan to seek approval. "She can help sir Mag us" Kahlan replied.

Soon the sorceress left and I was alone with Torren, Kahlan, Sir Magnus and Louisa. "Mother is going to attack Darca soon, I know it"

"That's why we have knights and guards to protect the kingdom" Magnus replied.

"You don't get it, do you? You're out numbered 6 to 1, Empress Liah can penetrate Darca. It's magic is fading with lord Torren down, you have to protect the citadel, if they conquer the citadel, Darca is theirs" Louisa explained.

"How are you so smart?" Kahlan asked

"I'm not so smart. I hear all of my mother's conversations with empress Liah and king Stephan, they are in cohorts" she turned towards me "Diana, my magic has grown stronger, I was locked up in the dungeons and that gave me enough time to think of how evil mother is, I would have stopped her but I couldn't. Diana, I promise to keep lord Torren safe no matter what"

Looking at her and listening to her tiny voice made my heart melt away. "Thank you Louisa, I wonder what I will ever do without you". I turned to Kahlan"Kahlan what brought you back that night?" I asked her realizing we hadn't even talked about it. Sir Magnus was no longer present at that time.

"I left but then I realized Freya was up to something, I felt it my lady so I had to come back, but too bad I was late"

I felt sorry for asking her to leave the palace "I'm sorry Kahlan, I shouldn't have listened to Freya"

"It's okay my lady. It's not your fault, I think she had your mind under her control, I hate to say this my lady but I warned you about her, her evil signs were clearly showing in all her actions"

Back in Galtelo, Freya was lying down unconscious as Queen Qarinah watched her. Soon she groaned and opened her eyes.

"Welcome back" Queen Qarinah said sarcastically.

"How did I get here?" Freya asked sitting up and rubbing her head.

"Your mission was to stab Torren with a dagger and leave at once. You're lucky I came to your rescue in time Freya, you would have been executed"

"I'm sorry, I thought I could also get back at Diana"

"Anyways, I saved you because I still need you Freya" Queen Qarinah said and smiled devilishly.