“The bridge between Lindol and Mithar, my lord, is in desperate need of care to avert a grave disaster,” informed the Lord Mayor of Lindol, who had traveled the long distance over the river Shallun, to the divided city’s lower portion to the Tower of Varlendur.
The bored and dismissiveness of Korale leaned forward with a smile flirting with Anatarish, “And what does her Lady’s handmaiden think of such a trivial matter?” Emily’s face grew red with anger but swallowed her thoughts.
“My Lord,” the mayor injected, “our city’s spanning walkway is far from a trivial matter. For –.”
The handmaiden leaned back in her seat beside the queen, away from the king’s longing gaze, she echoed the nobleman’s words, “My Lord, our city’s spanning walkway is far from a trivial matter.”
Korale shouted, “I agree!” Then jumping to his feet, added, “Send seven Master Masons and four of their highest-ranking inspectors to review what must be done and then without question fetch the laborers and cost is no object, so it is ordered by the Crown.” Then he began leaving the chamber for a side doorway. His vizier clapped his hands as aids fled the court to carry out the King’s word. Korale abruptly stopped at the door, and then turned about with, “Oh, and my dear, do you have anything to contribute?”
Emily sat in brooding silence even as her maid slipped away without being dismissed. Silence.
“Court is dismissed.”
Then the Queen questioned, “Dismissed? Nobles from across the realm are here and the mayors of Kathos and Elosh have pressing matters just as important as ours.”
Standing at the doorway smirking, the king replied, “Since you have found your voice my dear, now would be a good time to let the court hear the mind of its Queen – just leave something in the treasury for my future heir. I am off to enjoy – the fresh air along the Garden paths of Finol.”
At his exit, the king ignored the clamoring calls of, “Your Majesty!” A fading echo answered from the stairwell, “The Queen hears you!”
To the hushed court, Emily spoke up, “My lords, I shall grant you all, your request, for I know your honest hearts are eager to fulfill your oaths and offices, let there be enough resources and required coin for the task at hand, and upon completion of the petitions I want signed and sealed documents of the accounts in detail with nothing lacking. If this does not satisfy your requests, then add it to the list you will submit. Dismissed.” The hushed chamber became a boiling murmur of leaving men discussing the details of what had just transpired, “Nothing of the sort has ever happened before.”
Moments later, the seated Queen and Captain of the Guard were all who remained in Varlendur’s great hall. “Tormendro,” she spoke above a slow whisper for his hearing alone, “That matter we spoke of earlier, is now at hand. This time tomorrow ensure it occurs, and on these very steps. Do you understand?”
Beneath the closed visor of his helm came, “Yes, my queen.”
………………….
Near dusk, before the setting sun clipped the rampart’s wall King Korale came up the patio’s stairs and upon seeing his wife seated at a small table, with a wine bottle and two goblets, “My lovely bride eagerly awaits –.”
“I would say –.”
“You would say what my love, that court duties were far easier than wifely duties?”
Her smile ignored his, “Your stroll – was a pleasant one?”
“As always. I would have had you by my side of course but knowing your ‘sorrows’ keep you bedridden – it is indeed a surprise to see you greeting me with such a treat.” Uncorking the wine and freely filling his glass, he stopped short as her hand covered her chalice. “Not joining me? Was I away too long?”
As he began washing away his thirst it was her turn to smile with, “The task gets briefer with every – walk.” Then added, “There must be something more than a womb that refuses to bear fruit to keep my lord from beneath the sheets of my bed.”
He laughed with a retorting smirk, “Well, the Crown does need an heir, and the laws made no matter of whose sheets get entangled or by which number the Queen is.” Korale’s eyes suddenly enlarged with panic at the inability to breathe.
It was Emily who now smirked, taking her leave with both glasses and bottle in hand, “Neither does the court mind which lord the queen replaces who wears the crown once the old one is gone.” She stepped over the body of Korale who had slumped to the ground from his chair. Leaving his red hands clutching a purple-throated face, whose mouth spouted something like seafoam.
………………….
The following day when he showed up in the towered court of Varlendur, Ti-kul found the royal chamber vacant of all but the weeping king’s mistress, Anatarish. “My lady, why do you weep alone at the steps of the King?”
“Are you the lone Fool of the realm who knows not of the lord’s sad state?”
“A fool indeed I must be for in returning from abroad I have heard nothing of the Crown,” said Ti-kul.
“Fallen ill, and slept gravely, then unable to be awakened and this very morning is he being laid before the Gardens of Finol - to ever rest,” she said still lying on the ground crying, added, “I weep alone for he shall visit my bed chambers no more and a cursed outcast surely, I shall become.” She stood up from where she lay and gasped upon seeing the stranger face to face, “Looking at you now sir I behold no mortal man for your face is as mixed marble even with blackened cold eyes, have you come for me?”
“Take hold of my sleeve and accompany me unto that lover you seek. Look now, there, without denial and protest and speak - truth.” He pointed to the very steps leading up to the throne.
Looking back from her glance, she saw her own, bleeding corpse where it lay and calmly spoke without tears, “The Captain of the Guards sliced my throat and then ran a sword through my belly into my unborn child, all by the Queen’s order, then said, ‘A bastard shall not usurp the crown!’”
The ice-cold stranger replied, “Now, shall I take you before my Queen of the Netherworld, where all mortals come in time.” Looking down at the corpse he added, “No matter their station or manner of departure, death makes all equal.”
The woman looked down at the naked newborn daughter in her arms, it made no sound, “Then we shall go together to see her father.”
“Where we go there is only the thirst of silence and the everlasting dread of being forgotten, for therein lies the true death which mortals fear most.”
A blink later they stood before the Queen of the Dead who was telling Anatarish, “Another chance, by my oath, a better life, mine for the child – you have indeed lived out all of those lifetimes in your last breath, and no matter whichever path you might have been gifted, still you have arrived here in the end. Only now, you mortal thing, do you understand that everyone stands where you are – in the city of the Dead. Behold what lies in store for you –.”
A blink later and the marbled, black-eyed messenger was once again walking the road of life to meet a stranger who lived his entire life.
e running from death.
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