After his father’s death, Nazur returned home to care for his mother who had fallen into deep despair. Under her son’s care, she began to eat again and regain her strength from six months of staying in bed, and in time the sorrow lessened in her broken heart. Alwbrath, his mother, became herself again.
It had become her custom to bathe before going to the market at Mithar’s main gate. On one such occasion, as before Nazur brought in hot water and drew his mother’s bath. As she soaked Nazur added more water commenting, “Mother your beauty has come back but your neck looks sore, may I?” But before she could answer or refuse, her son began massaging her neck and back. She enjoyed that her youthful beauty had returned and that her son’s eyes followed her form. In seeing this, he too began to act on his feeling of her returned touches. She enjoyed him as she once did her husband, and she became his lover for no maiden caught his eye. Many times, they were seen by their servants and even in public where they would be hand in hand and embrace with kisses.
In time, Alwbrath, Nazur’s mother became pregnant and gave to Nieme, their daughter. Nieme grew into a lovely young maiden who worshiped her brother and could see no wrong in him for he cared for her deeply and defended her always. One day she asked her mother, “Where is father?”
To which, Alwbrath would answer, “My husband died from a horrible illness sweet child of mine, and for its sadness, we do not speak of such things.”
As the sheltered maiden grew, she fell in love with her brother, Nazur and later they grew intimate and had relations. When Nazur no longer visited his mother’s bed but his sister’s instead, Alwbrath became suspicious and saw for herself that the two siblings carried on as lovers. In an angry, out-burst Alwbrath yelled, “What sick thing is this, that I find you having intercourse with your brother!”
Nieme recoiled, off to the side of the bed wrapped in covers in fright and shame, at which Nazur shouted back, “There is far more shame in you mother in seducing your husband’s son and then bearing this child!”
Nieme was so shocked and distraught, she darted from the room still wrapped in sheets, where her servant embraced to calm her, leaving the two arguing behind. Later that afternoon the three sat at the same table as though nothing were wrong, silent as their servants served the meal. As was their custom they held hands with bowed heads as Alwbrath thanked the gods for the meal. It was then Nieme went to her feet, and with a knife in hand, she slit her brother-father’s neck, then jumped toward Alwbrath in shock, stabbing her multiple times before slicing her neck. All the while the events played out before the startled servants Nieme then cut her own neck, bled out, and died alongside her family.
The names of Alwbrath, Nazur, and Nieme became spoken only as bywords of such offensive deeds and never again were such names common as they were mentioning tragedy and sorrow.
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