Pay this "Queen" a visit.

Your dreams are plagued by unpleasant nightmares about horrible fates befalling you at the hands of demons, Succubi, monsters, and worse. During one particular intense nightmare, you suddenly wake with a start. Sweat covers your body and after blinking the sleep away, you look around. It would appear as if Tara was already awake and downstairs.

Following along after you dress, you find Tara sitting at one of the tables in the common room. There's a half-eaten breakfast in front of her. She's speaking to a farmer there and before you arrive, she hands him a small vial. He gives her a nod and says a few words before leaving past you. On his way by, you hear a haggard wheezing sound coming from his throat. You inquire, "A friend of yours?"

Tara smiles, "Whenever I come into the village word gets around and people come here to visit me to help with illness or injuries. It's fortunate that it is still early, or there would be two or three others waiting."

You sit across from her. " You are kind, Tara." A blush crosses her cheeks and you continue, "I was thinking that maybe we could take a trip back into the Forest and seek council from this 'Forest Queen' you were speaking of last night."

"I will show you the way to her..." Her expression becomes serious, "But I can't promise that she will help you."

Leaning back in your chair, you ask "Why not?"

She shrugs, "That is just her way. She does not like to meddle in the affairs of anything outside of the forest and prefers her isolation. She doesn't even like it when her own denizens bother her with things she considers trivial. However, even if she doesn't help directly; her advice may be invaluable. So knowing this: Do you still want to go?"

"As long as she doesn't kill me, or turn me into a newt if she deems me not worth of her advice. The worst thing she could do is refuse me." You nod, "I still want to go."

"Well, that settles it then. Eat up and we'll leave. Hopefully before too many people hear that I'm here." Tara turns her attention back to her meal.

You order your own meal and while eating two more people show up asking Tara for help. None of them stay long, or cause any major complications and the two of you have turned to head back into the forest before noon. It almost seems like backtracking or an unnecessary detour. The longer it takes you to retake the throne; the longer people will suffer under your mother's rule. Hopefully the advice of this self-proclaimed Queen will be useful to you.

As the trees thicken, you take one last look at the sun before the dense trees blot it out. The sunlight diffuses down through the leaves well enough to see during the daytime even in the thickest parts The Forest, but seeing the rays of sunlight shining down upon you likely won't happen until you leave the forest again. Time to go meet this "Queen of The Forest"