The Clown Assassin

The Queen's Champion

Norah kicks her feet off the grand marble steps. Her small, soft fingertips trace along the cool, grey veins stretching out into branches. She sighs lightly to herself as the wind danced gracefully through the budding trees. Each tree was exploding with pink and cream blossoms. Some of the flowering trees were so vibrant they burned Norah's eyes. She drew her gaze back downward to her pom-pom feet.

"Norah!" The shout startled Norah out of her reverie. She sprung to her feet; her knees kissed red by the sun. She could feel the elastic of her pant legs and sleeves digging into her soft flesh. With her small fingers she scratched away the pain. Her little legs bobbed her up the giant steps. She ran up straight to a crystalline window.

Her small, round face had a beautiful glow about it. She reached her arms up and straightened her pointy pom-pom hat. She made certain she smoothed down any wrinkles that had gathered in her polka dot costume. She nodded solemnly to herself and then forced a wide toothed grin.

She skipped happily to the queen. When she arrived, the queen was sprawled over the golden throne. Norah immediately began juggling. The queen waved her thin, bony hand dismissively. Norah tried to make herself smile even wider. She hoped that maybe if she was happy enough, it might rub off on the queen.

It was at that point that Norah decided she would have to go to drastic measures in order to cheer up the queen. She went to the work chest and grabbed a beautiful aqua ball, hand painted with glittering, silver stars. Norah's eyes wondered at the wonderful piece of plastic. She thought of someone that might be her mother sitting down with her to paint those stars.

That someone, who she had claimed as her mother, made certain that each star was precisely wonderful. She thought that perhaps her mother would even put some of that glittering silver paint on Norah's nose and cheek, saying that she glowed. Norah would love to own some sparkly paint like that one day.

The ball was fun because it was larger in every way compared to Norah. Norah kept hold of her juggling balls and jumped up fearlessly to the top of the ball. She had seen Clown Darlene jump and balance on this ball hundreds of times. Darlene made the balancing and juggling combo look effortless and graceful. She always managed to look lighter than air as she spun and jumped around the room. Norah wanted to be just like Clown Darlene.

The queen actually sat up from lounging and looked attentively to Norah when she was atop the giant ball. Norah giggled and felt the happiest she had ever felt. A small smile sat in the corners of the queen's lips. Norah knew she had to work only a little more to get a laugh.

Norah then threw her juggling balls into the air and kicked up her left leg straight. To Norah's surprise, the ball completely shifted underneath her. The world began to move too fast like a wet painting, all colors smearing together. Norah's little foot had lifted from the ball and couldn't find a suitable hold. Norah began to struggle and stuck her arms out on both sides of her in to find some sort of balance. Norah heard her juggling balls bounce against the ground. Her eyes were locked onto the queen as she felt herself fall.

She did not realize quite how large the ball had been before she hopped up on it. The world all at once seemed so much bigger than she had remembered. The queen rushed forward with outstretched arms.

Norah fell heavily into the thin, pale arms of the queen. It was in the moment of being cradled by the queen that Norah realized just how heavy she really was. She felt incredibly cozy, here, being fussed over by someone. The queen smelled of a soft, delicate rose. A small warmth creeped up into Norah's cheeks as her sparkling emerald eyes gazed into the queen's swirling, stormy eyes.