“In many ways, the unexpected stance you took today has helped your Queendom. While I remain curious about the source of your sudden knowledge of our ways, we all noticed your le-feer’s clear, unspoken support. Your le-feer, the pulse you feel from your connection to Sunstar, revealed itself fully in its glow today. It helps us to know in critical decisions that you, as our leader, are listening to that divine guidance. But while that may be enough for an Agarb Eld, the other houses may need much more.”
My le-feer…so that’s what the pulsing is called…
Yara wondered if he knew she could also hear Guidestar speaking to her, but she was more focused on a now greater concern.
“What do you mean, Master Nox? Why is that not enough for all of the Houses of the Eld?”
“Before Sunstar’s royal marking passed to the Agarb line, it belonged to the House of Spreuken. They have been our wise, strategic leaders for as long as the Eld have existed. But the Spreukens, along with the Eld army, the Bravads, took matters into their own hands and began to use their intelligence to manipulate the other houses. They rejected the pulse of the le-feer, and thought themselves wiser than Sunstar. But a century later, Sunstar retaliated. The Spreuken Eld King was brought to judgment and stripped of his royal marking. The royal line passed to the House of Agarb, and it has remained with the daughters of Agarb ever since.
“The Spreuken leaders were never pleased about this, and the Bravad army was not comfortable following us – the ‘reverential’ Agarbs. When rumors of the renewed threat from the Hack’amads against the Eld first came to us, we sought a peaceful solution. Agarbs are merciful, and therefore slow to war…but the Hack’amads were not. It is the belief of many within the other Houses that had the Spreukens still carried the royal mark, Mira would have stood firm and won. The catastrophe has much bitterness surrounding it as there are many assumptions about your Eld mother’s actions, including the fact that no one, not even the House of Agarb, knew of her pregnancy.”
Yara’s eyes filled with sorrow, finally understanding of how deeply unsettling her presence must be to the other Houses. She had neglected to spend time with the rest of the Eld as the Agarbs were solely responsible for her month-long orientation. While all of the Eld were polite to her, the flashes across their faces of the trauma from thousands of years of entrapment were unmistakable. She knew that her instincts had been correct. Yara was a painful reminder of what they believed was her Eld mother’s…
Betrayal…
“Master Nox… thank you for sensitizing me to the true plight of our people. But please…please…answer me this, not as an Agarb liege but as someone who knew my Eld mother: do you think she betrayed you, betrayed all of the Eld?”
His face contorted with many mixed emotions before he finally responded.
“I will say this much, my Queen. Your mother…Maia…was the most honorable Eld I have ever known. If she betrayed her people, it would have been with great reason. My true anguish is the thought that she may have been killed while trying to save us all… and if she was, that a powerful threat may still be in existence here on Mira…”
Chapter Three
Yara’s walk with Mibery dragged along in the loudest of silences as they made their way back to her quarters. Her handmaiden was a quiet girl with large, intense eyes that radiated from them many screaming thoughts. Yara wondered if it was because of her respect for royalty that she did not express them.
There were many things Yara did not understand about the traditions of the Eld. She knew there were probably many times that her words and actions had been offensive or at least very nontraditional. She did not want to be received in ways she did not intend. It bothered her to her very core. She hoped that Mibery would eventually talk to her about the things she didn’t know, but she understood that trust had to be built first.
“Mibery, I need to ask you something…”
Mibery jumped slightly with the break of the silence but quickly composed herself.
“Yes, my Queen?”
“I saw the look on your face when I spoke of my decision in the Agarb meeting, and I would like to know your thoughts on what I had to say…”
Mibery’s eyes widened in utter horror and shock, locking with Yara’s for only a moment before looking away.
“I respect all the thoughts of your Royal Highness,” she softly responded.
Yara knew she could not accept that as her answer. She refused to, but she also knew she had to craft her next words with wisdom. If a steady push of latent power that Grandam spoke of was in fact an Eld Queen’s best approach to communication, perhaps the theory could be applied here.
“I know Mibery, and I appreciate your kind respect. But I am giving you permission…in fact…” Yara took a deep breath before continuing, “Mibery, I am… ordering… you to speak your mind.”
Mibery’s reaction verified the old Skotad’s coaching. Her eyes watered and she seem to quiver as a look of sorrow flashed across her face. She was silent for a few moments as they slowly walked along the deserted tunnel until she paused mid-step. Turning to face Yara, she lowered her head.
“My Queen… I had my doubts about your reign. You are very unlike the Eld in many ways. But…I have come to see that those ways are more refreshing than I initially felt…more than I would like to admit. You are so…free…in the way you deal with things, like the freedom of a child…
“Today, however, you were a Queen. You were like… your mother. The le-feer glowed through you and touched all of us. We know when your words are guided because your glow enhances them even more. But…I could tell you weren’t aware of the true power you displayed, or that your markings were glowing brighter. Your mother was never aware either…and in many ways, that made it even more of a humbling sight to behold.”
Despite Mibery’s gentle stammering through the creature’s tongue, her words melted Yara’s heartstar. It was the most vulnerable any of the Eld had been with her. Yara wanted to know more, especially about her Eld mother. She needed more.
“So, you…you knew my mother well?”
“I was the daughter of her handmaiden, my Queen.”
“Your mother? But where is she? I don’t believe I have met her.”
“Handmaidens are loyal to their Queens, even to the death. My mother stayed with the Queen when the rest of us were cocooned. Queen Maia begged her to stay with me, but she would not. It is not in our nature… to abandon our duties. To serve the Eld Queen is to be a servant of Sunstar’s will. So, my mother stayed with the Queen…and she told me goodbye in a way that I knew it would be the last time I would ever see her again…”
Mibery broke into little tears as the recollection that she seemed to have been trying to push away flooded back into her mind.
“Mibery…I didn’t know…”
Yara impulsively reached toward her to embrace her, but Mibery fell back in fear and looked up and down the tunnel with a panic-stricken expression.
“I am sorry, Mibery. I did not mean to offend… I am still unused to the ways of the Eld, so please don’t misunderstand my intention. I meant only to offer comfort as I too know what it is like to lose a mother… well, I guess to lose both of my mothers…”
Mibery’s eyes widened, and then she slowly stepped forward and hugged Yara with a small, guarded embrace. Yara could hardly bear to admit it, but she needed that hug more than Mibery could have known.
“You are so kind, my Queen. Your mother was also kind… but she was too kind… she too thought fondly of the creatures. She grew close to them. She wanted to free both the Skotads and the Photaks, from their…curses and their submission, but it was going to cost her everything…”
“What…Mibery, what do you mean?”
The faint noise of footsteps rattling through the tunnels startled them both. It was clear that there were Eld approaching.
Mibery shook her head in alarm.
“I can’t…I’ve already said too much. They will punish me if they kn
ew. it is Photak law…there won’t be anything even you can do…”
Yara, burdened with compassion for the revelation in her pained whispers, saw hints of Mila within Mibery’s eyes. There were so many things locked within Mibery’s mind that could help, so much knowledge, context, and perhaps even wisdom. If only Mibery also had Mila’s bravery…
“Mibery, I promise… I will never speak of what we spoke of to anyone and, if you so desire, I will never ask you to share anything that will compromise your safety again. I am sorry to have ordered you, to have forced you, to reveal these things in such a manner. From now on, I will protect you, even from myself. You have my word…”
Mibery nodded with gratitude. She wiped her face quickly as two Eld men appeared, going in the direction from which Yara had come. One older and the other much younger, they were purple-haired Spreukens and they walked with dominance in their strides. They seemed taken aback to see Yara there, and slowed as they grew close. The Spreukens both gave the salutation of Sunstar, bowing below the level of Yara’s heartstar.
The older one spoke, and only in the creature’s tongue. Rumors of Yara’s inability to speak Eldish had evidently spread to all the Houses.
“Greetings, my Queen,” he said with effortless fluency, “I am Master Lucerne of the House of Spreuken and this is my son, Atlase. I am surprised to stumble across you here but perhaps it is Sunstar’s blessing. I have been looking forward to a moment to speak with our magnificently birthed Eld Queen. I would like you to know that my family and I serve at your pleasure, and should there be anything you need from the House of Spreuken, I will be delighted to execute it on your behalf.”
Yara felt a bit startled at the unsolicited expression of support to her Queendom. She also felt a wisp of another inexplicable emotion as the eyes of the son, Atlase, stared with hints of awe into hers. Her heartstar skipped a little beat while her marking pulsed back weirdly in response, and confusion immediately clouded her mind.
What was this strange feeling? And why does my le-feer feel so different?
She forced herself to concentrate on a response in the way that Grandam instructed her. She found it strange to see them in Agarb territory, perhaps because the Elds of other Houses only seemed to cross paths in the common areas.
So why are the Spreukens here?
“Thank you for your kind and respectful support, Master Lucerne. May I ask where you were going when we interrupted your journey?”
“Of course, my Queen. We received word from Master Nox of a decision that had been made regarding the Photaks’ judgment… a decision made by you. We, the House of Spreuken, are the strategists behind the execution of your Queendom. We will ensure your orders are followed to the precise symbol, or, uh… letter.”
Master Lucerne paused, seeming unsure, and then continued.
“My Queen, please excuse the boldness of this request…but perhaps, when this ordeal has been handled, your Highness will join my family for a traditional Eld dinner? We would love to host you as we did many times for your Eld mother and father. Your father, in fact, was my very best friend, Sunstar rest his spirit. We grew up together, side by side, in the old Eld castles that are now in ruins on the other side of Mira. I have so many stories about his life as an Eld boy that I would love to share with you…I am sure you must be curious! And I would be honored to have his daughter, our Queen, commune with us.”
Yara’s heartstar pounded once again as mentions of her Eld parents flowed so easily from Master Lucerne’s mouth. Mibery seemed frozen in shock by it but Yara didn’t notice. Instead, she felt distracted by the pull of the stare of a young, handsome Eld with the physique of a masterful warrior. Unable to resist, she glanced in Atlase’s direction. His eyes bored into hers once again, and they were brimming with anticipation.
Yara felt a slight blush trickle across her face. Annoyed by it, she felt inclined to decline the invitation; but Master Lucerne’s words were true. She was dying to know more, and no one had spoken of her Eld father before. Still, as she rapidly recapped his words in her head, it took only a moment for her to realize that something didn’t make sense… at least not according to the limited Eld knowledge she had.
“Excuse my lack of knowledge, Master Lucerne, but how is it that you and my Eld father grew up together? Don’t the Houses grow up among their kind?
“Yes, of course, Queen Yara. But from the confusion in your tone, am I to assume that no one has told you?”
Yara glanced toward Mibery who immediately looked away.
“Told me what, Master Lucerne?”
“Your Eld father was Spreuken, my Queen. His love affair with your mother led to an even greater alliance between our Houses, although such Eld attraction is…unusual. Not against our laws, of course, but definitely different to what is normally…well, you understand. In fact, we had all wondered if their eventual offspring would be Spreuken or Agarb. It is clear, however, from your Sunstar-blessed existence, that your father surrendered his marking to your mother’s. A true love story, is it not Atlase?”
“Indeed,” Atlase’s one spoken word sent another rush of pulses down Yara’s spine. His voice was thick with intensity and strength, but there were also hints of kindness.
“He…surrendered his marking?” Yara asked slowly. It wasn’t uncommon for Photaks or Skotads of different markings and lines to mate, but there was no control over the marking of the offspring. Nature, it seemed, usually made the choice between the marks of the parents.
“Ah, yes my Queen,” Master Lucerne continued, clearly pleased to be a source of education, “Unlike Photak or Skotad matings, Eld mates who choose a mixed-House path must also have one mate choose a path of surrender of their marking to the other. Such conceptions are sacredly complex and both Houses hope to be chosen. Perhaps that is why it is an unusual combination – we are all proud of the markings we are born into, and we would love to pass them on to our kin. Children of such mixed markings are blessed with qualities of both Houses, of course, but they can only belong to one. So you can understand why we see it as such a beautiful love story. Your father was always taken with your mother…he would do anything for her. His passing caused much pain to us all…”
“Quite a love story indeed, Master Lucerne.” Yara agreed breathily, with a wisp of sadness.
My Eld father sounds incredible…he must have loved my Eld mother so much…I wish I knew them…
“And we would be happy to share even more with you, should you accept our invitation…” Master Lucerne urged with a smile.
Yara could sense she was being baited but she felt no harm could come from knowing more, from finally getting some answers. Answers were what she had journeyed through the Skotad mountain to find when she was an unmarked outcast. And there was something else that had her hooked. She hated the lack of control she felt over her body’s reactions to Atlase. She wanted to understand what it was, and why it was happening.
Still, curiosity was not enough to justify the decision. She didn’t want to seem reactive to the offer. She thought of Grandam’s words that urged her to always anchor to what she had called “diplomatic progression for all” – an Eld Queen ideal. She didn’t quite grasp the concept, but she sought to find such an anchor through all of her overwhelming feelings. Her mind flitted back to Master Nox’ revelation regarding the discomfort of the other Houses with her Queendom.
Perhaps this is an alliance I need...
She knew she was searching for a strong excuse to justify her acceptance, but the lure of the knowledge and the effect of Atlase combined were nothing short of irresistible.
“I accept your invitation, Master Lucerne. It is important that we build the alliances between our Houses, and all of the Houses of the Eld. For that reason, we will schedule it when the time is right.”
“As you wish, my Queen. We will be honored.”
Both men saluted and bowed again, and Yara saw a smile creep onto Atlase’s lips. Mibery, who had been silently poised in her resp
ect, also seemed to notice it as her eyes darted to Yara and back to him before looking down once again.
As they walked past, Yara tried to resist the urge to turn around to see him one more time. Failing, she stole a glimpse as she and Mibery rounded the corner. Her heartstar panged as he too had turned to stare while his father, steps ahead, seemed oblivious. He smiled softly, until the moment disappeared and the tunnel walls moved between them.
Chapter Four
After returning to her quarters, Yara dismissed Mibery but waited only a few minutes before sneaking out again. Checking the tunnel as she peeked through her door, she was relieved to find it both empty and silent except for the gentle babbles of the Sapstream. She pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and stole out, mind racing, knowing she desperately needed help.
It was all too much. She was projecting the body language and speaking the words that Grandam had instructed her to, but they weren’t coming naturally from her. They couldn’t, because she did not know the Eld traditions or what they expected of royal leadership. She needed to learn how to be an Eld Queen. She knew it would not take very long for her improvising to be exposed, revealing the truth behind her sudden upsurge in communication and understanding.
Taking a less populated route, she made her way toward the Skotad territory. She traced her hands against the rough, marking-filled walls, noticing slight changes in the ways the markings appeared. It was hard to explain it, but there were new feelings coming from Mira. Tiny sights and sounds began to creep into the passing of time, none of which she had ever experienced before. She wondered if it was due to her senses being heightened since her markings appeared, but she had also seen the wary expressions of the Skotads in response to the same shifts. She understood what the signs meant – the planet was coming back to life, and the Eld were the only ones who had experienced the nights of Mira.
The Eld Queen (The YaraStar Trilogy Book 2) Page 3
