The Faerie Queen

Amala meets at last with Queen Eioldth

13.

The Faerie Queen

 

They left the church and walked up the main avenue of the city.   Already the funeral ceremony was coming to a close and the citizens were slowly making their way back to their homes.   Since the defeat of the Necromancer’s Guild years ago, burials had resumed and the King’s interment in the Royal crypt would be a private ceremony for the Queen and her closest family and friends, the following morning.  

 

She had only just been reunited with her mother and other siblings when a herald wearing the royal crest came up to them as they stood outside the Cathedral and politely requested that Amala accompany him to an audience with the Queen.  

 

They all were surprised at the request, so soon after the funeral ceremony, but Amala, accompanied by her father, followed the herald.   He led them through the royal palace gate and past guards and servants, up stairs and down halls to the royal audience chamber.   She glanced at her father and he nodded, seating himself in the hallway on a richly appointed chair after first giving her a reassuring squeeze of her hand.  

 

With a deep breath, Amala followed the herald into the audience hall to meet with the Queen.

 

***

 

She stood across the room, underneath a huge painting of King Haroldris, painted many years ago.   His kind face, beneath fiery red hair and neatly cropped beard stared down at Amala as she entered the room.   Queen Eioldth stood staring up at the image of her dead husband and turned slowly when the herald announced Amala’s arrival.

 

Although she had seen the Queen hundreds of times over the years, she, like most people, were always taken back a moment upon seeing her.   She was racially a Faesidhe Elf, though her father had led a group of the elves away from the Faesidhe kingdom centuries ago in protest of their people’s hatred of everyone not Elven.   Tall and regal, she was truly majestic in her graceful beauty.  

 

“Amala,” the Queen said, her blue eyes sparkling for a moment before returning to a sadder expression.

 

Amala’s heart was beating out of her chest; how could she lie to the Queen, of all people?   She curtsied respectfully and slowly approached the lovely Elven lady who seemed to not be much older than she was, though she was about 6 centuries old.

“Your Royal Highness” she spoke with a slight break to her voice, “I… I am so very sorry.”

 

She fiercely fought more tears, her eyes swollen from days of crying, but when the gentle Queen came forward and embraced her, she could not stop it and once again wept.

 

Eioldth said nothing but held her in the hug for a long moment and then, taking her hand, led her over to a pair of chairs and had her sit in one as she sat in the other one.

 

“I want to know what happened in Orc Pass, child.”

Her crystal blue eyes seemed to pierce her, but not in a threatening or baneful way.

With great stammering and trembling, she forced herself to recount the tale, diplomatically recasting the prince as a tired, but respectful general who very graciously refused their offer of a coach ride out of humble empathy for his cavaliers who would not have the luxury.  

 

The tale came out, sounding horribly awkward and full of holes to the girl, but she plowed through until she came to the heart of her created lie; being captured by the Orcs and bound in the guardhouse before the prince, who had avoided being taken in the ambush, came to her rescue.

 

As she stammered through it, the Queen suddenly held up her hand, leaned forward and with a slight knowing smile asked, “Amala, what you have just told me is not at all what really happened.   You’ve lied to me.   Why?”

 

Amala sat there absolutely paralyzed with terror.   Her mouth fell open but her lips just quivered as she stared blankly with wide red eyes at the lovely blonde Queen who patiently waited for her answer.

 

“I… I-I just… didn’t w-want you to know all the details.”

Eioldth nodded as if she suspected just that and still smiling slightly said, “Amala, I already know everything that happened.”

 

 

The Drow girl’s trembling hands went to her mouth, “You do?”

“Yes, child.   Magic comes very naturally to my people.  I have always used devices to monitor people I care about that are far away.  ‘Spying’, Edwarren would have called it, though I was careful not to let him know that most of my ‘spying’ was on him.”

“He had a signet ring with his royal crest which was how he sealed documents.   That ring, unknown to him, had an enchantment on it that allowed me to view by scrying device, whatever the wearer of the ring was doing as if I were standing there beside them.    As the ring was a mark of his royal status and his signature, so to speak, he never took it off.”  

“While King Haroldris lay dying, I monitored my son from time to time.   I witnessed magically your arrival to meet him and his horrid treatment of you.   That is one reason I asked your coach to go meet him.”

 

Amala was completely confused, “You wanted him to act like that?”

 

“No, no, child, of course not!   But I knew he would show his true colors around you better then he would around your parents, who still intimidate him.    My dear, you seem so surprised.   I’ve watched my son for 10 years as he grew from a slightly spoiled and proud young half-Elf prince to a very arrogant and ruthless Imperial general with great ambitions to rule not only Northmarch but the whole world, if possible.”

“He considered this kingdom as merely a stepping stone to the Imperial throne.   I heard him speak many times very harsh and even horrid things about both his father and myself.   But he remained our son and I could not tell my husband what his only son had become.”

  

“You see, there were two reasons I sent for you to offer him a coach ride, instead of dispatching our fastest airship to retrieve him.   First, I wanted to see how he would respond to a member of the nobility that he was most prejudiced against; which was your family. “

“I knew you, from among all of your sisters, were the most able to handle his abusive tongue, and when I learned that you were serving as a coachman anyway, that made up my mind.    Secondly, I didn’t want him to arrive until after his father’s death.”

 

This greatly surprised Amala, “You didn’t?”

“I will explain my reason in a moment, but no, I didn’t.   After I witnessed - magically-  his reaction to you, I certainly wanted to monitor him, which was very, very difficult as King Haroldris was dying and my loyalties were torn.   I thank Yesh I was able to do both, and was at the King’s side when he passed.   But I also was watching magically when he was ambushed by the Orcs and Baron Bristane.”

 

“Amala, I knew Bristane and a handful of other barons were determined to pull the throne away from my son, though the ambush was a great surprise to me.   I witnessed the whole affair and knew he was in terrible trouble.   My husband lay dying and my only son was in terrible peril as well.   It was horrible anguish to witness.”

 

“I was stunned when you rescued him, the use of your father’s Drow stones of silence and darkness was ingenious.   It took me quite a while to figure that out.   Child, I was so relieved to see you burst on the scene.   Never in my life have I ever seen someone fight as you did.   My heavens, do you realize how many Orcs you fought single-handedly?   But when Edwarren refused to come to your aid, I am greatly shamed to admit it, but at that moment I hated my son.”

“I don’t know what happened after that, or how you got out of that situation, but I can tell you what the prince did.   He and his three men lowered themselves over the edge of the guardhouse and killed a handful of Orcs guarding the path to the Orc village, then ran to the village and stole horses, hoping to ride out of the southern end of the pass while passing as Orcs.”

 

“Amala, during their taking of the horses, they killed an Orc woman and her baby who happened to be in their way.    They weren’t threatening them in any way; they just had no thought of the mother and child as anything but enemies.”  

 

“I saw what they saw when they were riding down the village path. They saw you trying to raise the portcullis alone.   I saw my son nearly ride you down and then hinder your escape by destroying the gate’s locking clip.   I heard his arrogant mocking words to you.”

 

“Oh no… Yesh preserve me!”   Amala shook her head, horrified.

“He and his men rode down the hill in their stolen Orc garb, arrogant as ever, and rather then stopping and identifying themselves to the Southgate garrison coming up the path to the rescue, they thought of themselves as too important to stop and were shot out of the saddle.   I saw my son fall off the horse and then I saw no more and I knew that my son was dead.”

 

“Oh, God!   Oh, I didn’t know… oh, Yesh have mercy…” Amala just trembled at the news, the thought of the Queen’s pain breaking the Drow girl’s heart. 

 

Queen Eioldth collected herself for a moment, wiped away several tears, and with a deep breath, continued, “Amala, I understand why you have perpetuated this lie about my son.   History is very hard on those who fail and often on those who succeed.   Edwarren had changed since he went to the south to serve in the Imperial army.”

 

“I had not seen my son in ten years, and I suspect that the man who would have returned would not have been the same son I dearly loved.   You see, Amala, it is more than just my scrying that brought to me news of my son.   I would often hear reports of his actions as a general and of his ambitions.    More and more I did not at all like what I heard.”

“Your Highness, perhaps that was not all true.”

“Sadly, it was, I fear, for my scrying did nothing but confirm most of what I heard.   It alarmed me as well as the council of Barons.    We felt something would have to be done.”

“ ‘We’, your majesty?”  

 

Eioldth understood her question, “Yes, I meant myself, not the King.   You see, Amala, King Haroldris’ mind was lost to old age about 12 years ago.  He lived, but his senility kept him from effectively running the Kingdom.   I have in effect, ruled Northmarch for 12 years.”

 

Amala was surprised at the information.   Perhaps it had been foolish to think that the King would keep his keen mind into his second century of life.

“At first, the Barons were very much against my regency.   But that slowly changed, and in the last few years, all but the handful led by Baron Bristane became very enthusiastic about my capabilities.”

“But, your Majesty, I thought there were laws that prevented you from reigning after the death of the King.”

 

Eioldth smiled sadly, “Child, they were passed before you were born and all those Barons are long gone.   Laws change when there is a change in those who govern.  Our Kingdom is vastly different than when that law was passed.    Then, the vast majority of the people were humans, and while this still remains the case, there are much larger minorities of other races.”

“Orcs to the south, Halflings throughout the kingdom, Dwarves to the north, and Elves to the west; all subjects of Northmarch.   The Barons realize this change and actually welcome it - except for Bristane’s group.  But like Bristane, all the Barons were very concerned with any monarch that sought the Imperial throne while still reigning as King of Northmarch.”

 

“They were so concerned that they decided a change to the laws of the Kingdom was required.   You see, Amala, last week, the Barons - minus Bristane and three others who were absent- voted into effect, two new laws.   First, they passed a law that any monarch of Northmarch could not, at the same time he reigned here as King, also reign as Emperor or King of any other monarchy.   Second, they lifted the ban on me.   I was officially allowed to succeed to the throne if Prince Edwarren chose the Imperial throne over Northmarch.   He would not be allowed to hold both.”

 

“The slow coach trip was my attempt to bring him in touch with the Kingdom again, to hopefully recall his childhood and rekindle his love of his nation.   I did not want his arrival to bring chaos to the time of passing of his father.   But I suspected he might grow enraged at the new law and that his fury might burn against me as well.   I dearly hoped that he would choose Northmarch and abandon his Imperial ambition, for I do not covet the throne.   But now that worry has been taken from me.”

The Queen’s shoulders slumped slightly and she softly began to weep.   Amala instinctively embraced the grieving woman and Eioldth accepted her comfort.  

“Thank you, child,” The Queen said after a few moments of expressed grief, “I am touched that you would gamble a lie to save shame coming to the name of a royal prince and his heart-broken mother.”

“Your Royal Highness, you have always shown such kindness to my family, I didn’t know what to do, but I didn’t want you to hurt.   As it turns out, that didn’t work.”

 

Eioldth sighed, “Sometimes, Amala, pain is a healthy thing, as it purges bitterness and can restore peace.”

“What happens now, Your Majesty?”

“Well, I will be named the successor of King Haroldris tomorrow morning.   After that, I really don’t know - we take each day as it arrives.   Baron Bristane was captured earlier this morning in the Lakes District and brought back to Southgate by the garrison.   I have mages in each city that can contact me quickly in emergencies or with pressing news.  That is how I know this.”

“The other rebellious barons will be removed, and their fate will lie at the feet of the Council of Barons.   Then we will look for a new Baron to replace Bristane.   Now, I have a question for you, child.”

“Okay” Amala answered, wondering what the Queen would ask.

“I want to know if you will be okay?   I know that the burden of the lie weighed heavy on your heart, and the grief of the loss of the King as well, but I sense something else.”

 

Amala shrugged, not sure exactly what weighed her heart down.

“It was your blood-letting, wasn’t it?”

 

Amala didn’t answer; she just stared at her hands, which still trembled.

“It’s not easy to take a life, child.”

“It seemed easy at the time, Your Majesty.   That is what horrifies me.   It should have been difficult and awful.   Instead it was just like one of my father’s drills.   I’d see them fall at my feet and I wouldn’t even think about it but only focus on the next opponent.   Now I can’t stop seeing their faces and wondering if they were just deceived by Bristane.”

“Perhaps, Amala, but ultimately, they made the decision to rebel.   I have known many Orcs in my long life, and most of them are easily provoked to violence.   Only a handful have the discipline to lead noble lives and those that do -like my Queen’s Guard- are shining examples of what that discipline can do to change that aggressiveness.”

“You took the lives of those who would most certainly have taken your life.   There is no condemnation in that; I know your parents will tell you that as well, but rest assured that this is what I believe as well.   Yesh knows you only killed to avoid being killed.”

 

“It scares me how efficiently I was able to do that.”

“You were trained very, very well, child.   Your father is the best knight in the Kingdom, and even your mother was amazingly skilled with the sword.   Don’t be ashamed of your skill; just know what it is for.   It is for the cause of good, for justice and to defend the innocent, never should it be used for gain or aggression.   I am confident you know this.”

 

Amala nodded, “I really just want to go home with my parents, sisters and brother… I never knew how much I really loved them until the last few days.”

“Family is precious, child… as is friendship.   I am very honored to call your parents my close friends, as well as their fine children.”

“Your Majesty, who will succeed you now that…” She trailed off, not wanting to complete the thought.

“Amala, I don’t know, but I know I have plenty of time to decide.   I will never marry a human again, and perhaps I will never marry at all.   I loved Haroldris dearly, but to watch one whom you share your very soul with grow older as you remain unchanged, is horribly sad.    Immortality is not the great blessing it seems, sometimes.”

 

Amala nodded, sharing her feeling, “Your Highness, I know Yesh, the Merciful will not forget you and will bring you happiness again.”

 

“In its season, I think so too, child.   But for now there is the time of pain and mourning and I intend to embrace it and then completely purge myself of it, with the help of Yesh.”

 

The two Elven ladies spoke for several minutes longer.    Later, when the door to the audience hall opened, Duke Dullerm jumped to his feet, but was greatly relieved to see both the Queen and his daughter smiling.  

“Duke Dullerm, you have a precious, wonderful daughter who serves her Queen very well.   I commend you on your parenting.”

“Thank you, Your Royal Highness.”

“Amala, I will see you sometime soon; be well and know that I am quite alright.”

 

Queen Eioldth turned and disappeared into the interior of the palace, leaving Amala standing with her father.

“Are you also alright, sweetheart?”  The Duke asked gently.

“I am now, dad.”   She hugged her father and together they left the palace, to join their family and head for home.

 

 

 

 

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