The condemned man's hand closed strongly on the handle of the door on the left, but despite his secret knowledge, he inwardly trembled. Could his loved one ever forgive him for appearing to doubt her word, especially with the havoc his choice of doors would soon wreck on the lives of so many? He quickly pushed his doubts to the back of his mind, it wouldn't do to let anyone realize he wasn't as sure of himself as he appeared to be. With that thought firmly in mind he threw the door wide open.
Out into the arena stepped a tawny haired, lithe limbed creature, one of the most beautiful in the whole kingdom. The crowd's initial exclamation of horror at the sight of the deadly tigress quickly turned to stunned amazement at the animal's inexplicable behavior. The tigress slowly, gracefully walked up to the man. When she reached him she nuzzled the hand he extended to her, then sat with her tail curved around her legs staring in an extremely disconcerting manner at the King and his daughter.
The absolute, dead silence that had settled over the arena was shattered by a single, anonymous voice crying a short phrase with mixed awe and fear, "A Druid!" The chaos that followed lasted for several minutes as the crowd surged at once in many directions. Some people fled in a blind panic. Others pressed toward the arena's wall, trying to approach the man standing calmly in the center of the confusion, although the tigress' presence prevented them from entering. There were two spectators who sat unnoticed, observing the crowd, and especially the King and his daughter. When the crowd had quieted considerably, the Druid walked toward the King until he was just below the royal balcony.
"Greetings! Oh mighty King. Do see a surprised look on your countenance?" The sarcasm in the Druid's voice turned to anger as he continued, "You should not be surprised. You must have known that your betrayal of the faith could not remain unavenged. Your reign is at an end." With that the tigress leaped into the stands and stalked toward the King.
The King searched desperately for a weapon or for help but all of his personal guards had backed away from him and refused to answer his commands. The tension had reached an unbearable level as the tigress prepared to spring, when the Princess shouted a war cry and leaped between her father and the beast. The tigress hissed in surprise but she appeared quite ready to devour both the King and his daughter. The Druid, whose very soul had shaken at the thought of the Princess's death, softly voiced a Command.
Everyone in the arena was instantly frozen, held in thrall by a power they could not comprehend much less resist. The tableau held for several seconds, until the Druid and his two apprentices, moved toward the royal platform. When they arrived, the Druid ordered one apprentice to hold the King and the other the tigress, while he restrained his lover.
One more word of command from the Druid and the power that had held the arena was gone and chaos once again ruled the crowd. Many more fled this time. Those who remained had such looks of devotion on their faces it was obvious the Druid had secured control of the fortified town and the kingdom. He ordered the King and the Princess to be kept imprisoned under guard until he decided their fates. Followed by the tigress, He left the arena and the town in search of the quiet and solitude of the surrounding forest. He left the task of restoring order to the town in the capable hands of his followers.
This day which should have been one of glory for him was quickly becoming more horrible than his worst nightmare. On the one side his years of Druidic training compelled him to end the life of the King who had so betrayed the Druids in times past. Equally heavy on the other side was his love for the Princess which would surely be lost if he were to have her father killed. He had his duty to his teachers and ancestors but he also had his duty to his loved one. The Princess had overcome her jealousy and chosen to lose her lover to another woman rather than condemn him to death. How could he betray such love? Then memories of the night the Romans had stormed the temple and massacred the Druids pushed to the front of his mind. They had been led to the hidden temple by the very King whose fate he held in his hands. The Druid's eyes closed and his head dropped as he fought to decide. The tigress slept by his side and complete silence settled over the small glade they had stopped in.
Finally the Druid's head rose. He stood and started walking toward town, his decision made. The tigress silently padded along behind him.
Copyright 1997 by Andrew M. Salamon