by Robin Roseau
"Yes," said the king. "Perhaps not quite in those words."
"You will not ask for reparations for what has happened here," I continued. "You will not berate the princess or the queen. Everyone knows who started this."
They bowed their heads but nodded.
"Good. I will beg Ralalta to accept and to be as reasonable as she is able to be. I suspect, politically, she needs to slap your wrists. Will you let her?"
"Yes," said the queen softly. "We're very sorry it came to this."
"Maybe it was necessary. I don't know. This is now politics and it is definitely well beyond what I am able to negotiate."
"We know, but you put a good start to it," said the king. "Perhaps a far better start than months of envoys traveling back and forth."
"All right. Good. I think the Goddess wants something more, but I'm about to go demand the same of Juleena I just demanded from you. However, I do not think she can make a promise for the queen."
"Not at this point," said the king. "It is better it be from Queen Ralalta herself."
So I nodded and stepped away, returning to Juleena. I pulled her aside, the Goddess watching on with what seemed an amused expression.
"When we get back, you will help me convince Ralalta to forgive them. She can demand reparations if she must, or whatever she needs politically, but we will put both countries back together as friends. Promise me."
"It is Mother's decision."
"Do you support the basic plan?" I asked.
"As long as they live up to their end..." She paused. "Is there really a god here?"
"Yes. She's watching us, standing near the table. What is that lump of metal?"
"I'm not sure I want to tell you."
"You are going to keep your end of the bargain. I travel when and where I want, with whomever I want, and that begins here, right now. Am I clear?"
"You're clear."
"Good." I leaned up and kissed her quickly. "When we're done, you need a bath."
"Don't I know it."
I turned back to the Goddess. "You said there was more."
"Ah, Yallameenara," she said. "Please speak words I understand."
"Oh. I'm sorry," I said, switching languages again. "My head is beginning to hurt."
She stepped forward, and I held still as she laid her hands on my head. A deep sense of calmness, of serenity filled me, and it was wonderful.
"Oh," I said. "Thank you."
"You are welcome." She stepped away then moved to the pile of metal sitting on the table. It was blueish black and appeared twisted and melted. "Do you know what this is?"
"No."
"It is my statue!" she said, and she sounded hurt. "I made this myself, a gift to the Framarans two centuries ago, and look what your Queen Ralalta did to it!"
"Oh. Oh, and it was so beautiful."
"It was," she said. Then she brightened. "It is no matter. She had cause." Then she lifted her hand, and the entire thing rose from the table. She gestured, and it sank to the floor in the middle of the room.
"Oh, you know how to get their attention," I said. "I think they wondered if I was lying."
The Goddess smiled at me. Then she gestured again. The metal flowed together, then it began to grow.
It had originally been a small statue, perhaps only two feet high. But then, more metal began flowing in thin streams from the walls of the cavern around us, six, ten, fifteen tiny streams of liquid metal. And it should have all glowed with the heat that must cause, but it didn't.
And the form grew, and grew, until it was the height of the Goddess herself. And then she gestured again, and it began to form, first into a rough shape, then increasingly defined.
Then she stopped, stepped forward, and examined it critically. She gestured, and there were more changes, small changes, and then she smiled and turned to me, posing beside the statue. "Well? How did I do?"
I stepped up and looked back and forth between them. "It's perfect," I said. "As best I can tell, it's perfect."
"Of course it is. Your princess has a letter waiting, and I wish you to write another. There is paper."
She pointed, and I moved back to the table. Behind me, several people in the room converged on the statue, and maybe there was tension in the room, but Juleena, the king, the queen, and several others assembled around the statue, staring.
"You have no time to say more," said the Goddess. "Write to your queen Ralalta. Tell her I will wish a temple to me in her palace, but to wait for your return. Tell her I will be vexed if she is disrespectful of my statue a second time. Did you understand all that?"
"I did."
I wrote the letter in Arrlottan. At the end, I told her I loved her and would see her soon. The Goddess stood behind me, and when I was done, she said, "That is not Framaran."
"Arrlottan," I said.
"Oh, the language of the horse people! Please read it to me."
And so I did.
"It says what I asked?"
"It does."
"Very good. Write her name on the outside so everyone can see." So I folded the letter and wrote, "Queen Ralalta" across the outside. "And on the one from the princess as well." She pointed, so soon I had two letters, folded informally.
"Now put them in my statue's hand."
Together we moved to the statue. "Let us through," I said. It took a moment to put the letters in place. They kept falling loose. So the Goddess gestured, and the statue very gentle closed the fingers around the letters.
"There. Ask the princess if I may send this statue to the palace in the place of the other one."
I turned to Juleena and asked the question.
"There was something else there," she said.
So then I had to translate back. Oh, this was getting beyond old.
"Tell her I don't care, but I cannot invade the palace without permission, and it is too far for me to put it anywhere else. It must go where it once stood. But I can move anything else aside."
"Of course," Juleena agreed.
That was all that was needed. The statue shimmered, and then it -- with our notes -- was gone.
"Very efficient," I said. Three times.
The Goddess turned to me. "I want a nice temple. It does not need to be large, but it should be inside the palace and not in the basement somewhere. Windows. I haven't windows here. My statue should move and look out the windows. Maybe they can be over the gardens. I would like that. It should be pretty. There should be places to sit and to study. And you will celebrate the festivals there, when you are not here. Will you do this?"
"I will. I do not know what place is available. There are no gardens, but it could look over the sea. Would you like that?"
"The sea. Oh, yes, I would like that. Yalla, I will not be able to come so far, but when you speak to me, I will hear you. I do not know if you will hear me. But make a place near my statue, a place that can receive letters, and maybe I can write to you, if I need to."
"I will."
"Do not worry more about what I would like. Think about what you would like. You are my high priestess, and if you are pleased, I will be pleased."
"I cannot make something like the Heart of the Heart."
"Like you, I do not require gold and gems." She smiled. "You do not covet material things, in spite of your upbringing. This is like your affinity with Zana and Hamper. Do you see?"
"Oh," I said slowly.
"If you are pleased, I will be pleased," she continued. "It should be a happy place. This place is beautiful, but it is stark. So make it different. Make it soft and sweet, like my followers. Make it a warm, safe place. Make it a place you will bring your children to learn of me. And I will be pleased."
"It will be so."
"It should be close, Yalla, so if you wake in the middle of the night, it is no chore to sit with me. Do you see?"
"I see. We'll make a place."
"Thank you." She smiled again. "Now, I need you to say my words again, and then ... well, and then we have other things to
do. First, to the king and queen."
So we moved to stand before them.
"You will need help," she added. So I called Terél to me. Vérundia and Larien also joined us, standing near me.
"Say my words now. I will help you." She paused and turned to the monarchs. "Take your soldiers from my temple. Send most of them home. Leave behind only as many as are necessary as to escort Lady Yallameenara and Princess Juleena to Framara. In the future, treat them as friends."
She had to say some of the words carefully, but Terél figured it out, and the king and queen bowed.
"Go now," she told them, "but leave Yallameenara's lovely maids."
They backed away, and then turned.
"Good," said the Goddess. She walked to Juleena, who straightened as we approached. "Naddí may need to help you," she said. "Princess Juleena, I wish your forces to leave my temple. You may remain, if you desire, or you may go with them. I wish them to descend from my mountain and wait at the foot. They will be safe, and Yallameenara will be safe. I will let her leave in the morning, three days from today. I require her that long."
"I would like to stay," Juleena said. "I will send the rest."
"Shortly," said the Goddess. "Give the king and queen time. Perhaps your soldiers could set this room to rights while they wait."
And so Juleena nodded to that.
We turned to Vérundia. "If they will go, I wish you to send Larien and Terél as Yallameenara's tutors. In the future, there may need to be others. Please select books to send with them." Vérundia nodded.
"Yallameenara and I are going to take a little walk. I wish to meet her little horses. Perhaps one will offer a ride to me. When we return, we will begin the rites."
"Of course."
Vérundia hurried off. The Goddess and I stood together, watching the soldiers return the room to order, as best they could. It definitely looked worse for wear.
"I am sorry about this," I said.
"I am not."
"Do you know? Is my mother still living?"
"She is," she said. "But she is very far. There is no rescue for her."
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure. She has a different horse to ride, as your people might say. Yallameenara, I wish the father of your first child to be Framaran. The father of the second should be Altearan. After that, we will see."
"I do not wish to lie with a man."
"Vérundia knows other ways. If the Framarans do not, then Vérundia can help."
"What happened to my mother? How did she come to The Hippa?"
"Here they believe she was betrayed."
"You know better."
"In a way, she was. She had a good life here. And her life on The Hippa is not good."
"What happened, Goddess?"
"I sent her away."
"Why?"
She turned to me, her hands on my shoulders. "To produce you."
Bonding
The Goddess led us from the caverns. We walked with quite the train, Juleena, all her soldiers, Vérundia, Larien, Terél, Naddí, and Féla. We climbed out into the sun and stood, blinking, until our eyes adjusted.
"Tell your princess to send her forces down the mountain."
And then she turned and walked the other direction. I spoke briefly to Juleena and then hurried after the Goddess. It took a minute, but a much smaller group caught up to us.
"A beautiful autumn day," she said. She led me to the field that was Zana and Hamper's home. We passed through the gate, and I whistled for the horses, and whistled again.
They whistled back, and then they came thundering around the corner. I spread my arms, and they came to a stop, Hamper in front of me.
And Zana in front of the Goddess, nudging her with her nose.
"She sees you!"
"She does," said the Goddess. "I wasn't sure she would. Introduce me."
And so, I gave introductions, and both horses bowed their heads, then snorted. Zana actually reared, pawing the air for a moment, then came back down, immediately in front of the Goddess, and nudged her again.
"I think she likes you."
"Of course she does." She turned to me. "I have never ridden a horse or any creature like it. It would not do if she throws me."
"Oh, I suppose not." I turned. "Juleena, would you get the saddle?" I pointed.
We saddled Zana, and then I said, "Do you want to ride together? I can ride bare upon Hamper. Zana won't throw you, but she has spirit."
"I would like to ride alone."
"All right. You climb atop here, and then here. Have you seen before?"
"Yes, I have just never done it."
Juleena held Zana's head, and the Goddess climbed atop. I handed up the reins, and as soon as Juleena released her hold, Zana began dancing around. But I stepped in front of her and said, "You be nice." I blew into her nostrils and spoke gentle Arrlottan to her. "You will give her a nice ride, you sweet girl. And then we're going home to Marport, where the grooms spoil you and the other horses all bow to you."
Perhaps they didn't bow, but she snorted agreement anyway, and she calmed down.
Then I released her and turned to Hamper. Oh, I was going to be embarrassed if I fell on my ass climbing on top. I turned to Juleena. "I might need a hand."
She raised an eyebrow. "I have seen you jump atop them bareback a hundred times."
"I know. I might need a hand."
"Yalla?"
But she stepped over, and Hamper behaved. Juleena gave me a knee up, and soon I found myself in place.
"I don't understand," said the Goddess. "She is upset. Because you asked for help?"
"I haven't needed help getting on a horse since I was five."
"But you have no saddle."
"To the horse people, the saddle is not a step stool."
She was quiet at that. I turned Hamper with a lean, and moved closer to the Goddess. "You can try guiding her, but frankly she's going to stick with me."
"I will ride comfortably," said the Goddess.
I turned Hamper again, and we walked away, the others following behind to watch. We reached where the valley widened, and the Goddess said, "I know they go faster. I have heard them make a different sound." And then she produced the sound of a horse trotting. "It is faster."
"It is also not learned the first time. You will fall."
"Oh."
"A run, however, is easier. Lean forward and put strength into your legs." Then I called out, "Hamper! Hai! Zana! Hai! Hai!"
The two horses leaped forward together.
* * * *
She didn't fall off.
* * * *
The Goddess turned to Juleena. "You may not come."
Hearing the translation, Juleena looked stubborn.
"You're going to be difficult now?" I asked. "You need sleep. After a bath. Get someone to show you the baths." I turned to Féla. "Would you see to Juleena?"
They eyed her. "We'll show her the baths, but we're not her maids."
"Fine."
"But-" said Juleena.
I put a hand on my hip, and she backed down.
And then the Goddess led us to the Heart of the Heart.
* * * *
"You must lie there," the Goddess said, pointing to the altar. "It matters not which direction."
"You're sure?"
"Of course I am sure. Lie there."
"I'll cover some of the words."
"I know this."
So with a little help, I climbed onto the altar and lay down on my back, staring at the lights above us.
"Tell Vérundia she may begin when she is ready. Then let whatever happens, happen."
There were eight of the priestesses, including Vérundia, Larien, and Terél. They surrounded me and touched me the way we had touched Larien earlier. And then they began not to chant, but to sing.
I didn't see where the Goddess went. I lay quietly, staring at the ceiling, or looking around now and then.
I didn't feel anything, not at
first.
Then the Goddess was there, climbing onto the altar, beginning at my feet. With the lights swirling around us, she crawled up my body, resting atop me like a lover, looking into my eyes.
"What are they doing?"
"You do not yet have enough words," she said. "You are my high priestess, but you have no magic. Do you know that word?"
"Yes," I said.
"You become the center," she said. "I cannot explain in the words you have. You must trust me."
"I do," I said.
"This is intimate," she said, "for both of us, and for them as well." She leaned forward and kissed me, not quite as a lover might kiss me, but not as a mother would, either. It was something in between both, or perhaps more than both.
I felt my body responding, and I felt tingling. When she pulled away, the tingling continued. I opened my eyes, and the world was bright.
"Do not be frightened," said the Goddess.
"It's beautiful," I said.
Between us it glowed. And when I looked, it also glowed between me and each of the priestesses.
But the Goddess caressed my cheeks, both at once, while she leaned over me. "Look only to me," she said. "Open yourself to me."
And then she kissed me again, a kiss that lasted hours.
* * * *
I lost all track of anything, long before it was over. But then the chanting faded, then stopped entirely. The Goddess had stopped kissing; I couldn't have said when. My eyes fluttered open.
The lights were gone, but the Goddess was still there. She looked almost as rumpled and disoriented as I felt.
But she caressed my cheek once more. "We have begun," she said. "But we have not ended. They can go on no longer today. We will continue tomorrow. And I must... recover."
"I understand."
"You must not be intimate with your princess tonight. It would disrupt the magic."
Then, before I could say anything else, she faded and was gone.
That was when I realized the priestesses surrounding me were slumped as well, leaning heavily on the altar, still touching me.
"She's gone," I said. "She said we continue tomorrow." I craned my head. Vérundia was there, her face nearly beside mine. I reached my hand up and cupped the back of her head. We brushed cheeks.
She left tears behind me, but I brushed them away.
"I don't know if I can move," I said.
