by Luke, Monica
“I will be fine.” She tried to ease his rising worry.
“Rest this night,” Orhan said, as he looked at the king, “In the morning we will see.”
“So be it,” King Rone said, and gave Orhan leave.
After he watched Orhan close the door and sent the servants away, King Rone removed his tunic and began to undress himself.
“It is early,” Seda said, “Do not come to bed just for me. I will be fine.”
“I am already half undressed,” he said and smiled; then came to bed and pulled her close to him, “Sleep.”
Late in the night, King Rone eyes not once closing, he held Seda close and bore the sounds of her whimpers, as she tried to sleep.
“Seda,” he finally whispered, as he soothingly rubbed her stomach, “You must sleep.”
“I cannot,” her reply, “Never have a felt so strange.”
“Strange or pain?” he questioned.
“Both, husband.”
Gently, he kissed her lips, which were soft, but cold, and as he pressed his to hers, he thought of Queen Nohla and how just before she died his kiss to her was the same.
“Rest, my love,” he whispered, as now more fear filled him.
As dawn approached, his eyes still open wide, he leaned over to Seda who had finally gone to sleep, yet as she slept, she still whimpered.
Another gentle kiss upon her soft cool lips, quietly he eased out of bed not to wake her; then went into the outer room of his chamber and called for a servant.
“Bring Orhan to me at once,” he ordered, “The queen’s state is unchanged.”
**
As everyone went about his or her duties in the meal house, Rena got eggs from the hen house, but as she prepared to leave, she heard male and female voices whispering by the window.
At first giving them no heed, she became curious of what was so dire that brought about such intense whispers, and squatted below the windowsill to eavesdrop.
“Did you get rid of them?” a woman asked, “There can be none left.”
“As he carried her away,” a male answered, “I hurried to the table and took the bowl.”
“And then what?”
Nothing but silence now heard, she thought they were gone and began to raise her head, until sounds of moaning and heaving breathing filled the air.
“And then what?” she continued, “Speak.”
“By the animal pits,” he said, as again heavy breathing started, “I threw them out.”
“You fool,” she suddenly insulted, “Anyone or anything can come across them and eat them.”
“Then what would you have me do?”
“You must get all of them and burn them.”
“First, give me something for all this toil,” his request. His voice low and deep, as both moved from window and went into the hen house from the other side.
Quietly, Rena got onto her knees; then crawled to the other side, careful to breathe softly to keep anyone from hearing her, and once their moans became louder, she sneaked around back and hurried way.
Still curious who it was, she looked this way and that way to see if anyone saw her; then hurried behind a tree to wait to see who walked out the hen house.
After a time had passed the first to leave Dan, a food carrier, he walked out adjusting his clothing; then hurried into the forest, but as she waited for the woman, someone came up behind her.
“There you are!” Olea said, “Where are the eggs?”
“Here,” Rena said, then gave her the basket and again stared at the door.
“Come along,” Olea said, “You have chores.”
“Only one moment more,” Rena pleaded, as she looked ahead.
“You have been gone long enough,” Olea urged, “Or shall I speak words of this to Bethe?”
As Rena slowly moved; then began to walk away, she took one last glance at the door and saw Anla walk from it.
“Dare I believe my eyes,” she mumbled, “But I should have known who would behave in such a way.”
“What are you babbling?” Olea asked.
“It is nothing,” Rena answered quickly, and followed her.
Quickly, Dan raced to the animal pits, and once there he looked around, but saw nothing on the ground.
“Curses!” he cried out, but as he kept looking, he heard two men talking while walking in his direction and hurried away.
As the two men walked a shorter path back to the animal pits, an odd sight in front of them made walk faster.
On the ground young boars dead, they looked at them and reasoned an animal attacked them, but when they saw no signs of them gnawed on or tracks reasoned otherwise.
“Who could have done this?” one man asked the other.
“Or why?”
At once, both informed Eron who was over the care and keeping of animals, and when he heard what had happened, fearing it could be from a disease, hurried to look.
Curious, he checked around them; then looked at them more closely.
“They all have eaten something,” he said, as he moved from one to the other, “That killed them.”
“Who would want to do such a thing?”
“I do not know, but boars lay dead,” Eron said, “Why is unknown. This should be made known to the king.”
**
Inside their chamber, King Rone paced back and forth, as he watched Seda pant and moan deep in her sleep. Every second of her anguish that passed as if time taken from his own life. His agony great to see the one he loved suffering, he would have given all that was within is power to take such a burden from her.
Although greatly in pain, stoically Seda made no complaints, as she rested on her back; then after Orhan again came to the king’s chamber, both rushed to her side.
Carefully, Orhan felt Seda’s forehead, which was hot to the touch, then as he felt her stomach, noticed it hardening only seconds apart.
“The time has come.” Orhan suspected.
After ordering the male servants to leave the room, Orhan examined Seda, and although her pain already starting early the night before, her womb had not opened at all, nor did any water leak from it.
“Orhan,” King Rone said, as he watched, “Her pain has been great from some time.”
“That it has my king,” Orhan agreed, then stood and felt her stomach again, “But her womb will not open to release the child from within.”
King Rone’s faced turned pale, as Orhan’s words swept through him like a bone chilling wind.
“What curse is there upon me?” he exclaimed in dismay, “That I must again live to grieve over the loss of one I love deeply in the same way!”
“King Rone,” Orhan said and turned to face him, “Such words of despair you speak.”
“I speak them as I live them,” he said anguished; then went to his chamber window, “Once before I have looked upon a face filled with pain as this, and I beg not to relive such an end.”
“One is not the other,” Orhan assured him.
“I pray not.”
“Should the king hold such gloom already,” Orhan said, “Queen Seda is not Queen Nohla.”
King Rone move to sit as he listened to Orhan, but rose with haste with he heard another deep moan from Seda, and as he looked at her, his mind filled with thoughts of his love for her.
“She is my queen, as well as the people’s queen,” he murmured humbled, “As I let myself love again, she rules me, as well. I will confess the years have softened me that my love is much deeper with her than with Queen Nohla who was a queen in my youth. I will curse my days until life is no longer within me should she be taken from me.”
As no less than five servants sat around her, wiping her brow constantly as sweat formed and fell off it like that of a waterfall, the room filled with an eerie hush, as all watched her worriedly including the king.
As he looked at her face, he remembered the face he saw walk to him when he made her queen. Lovely her face was then and still is, as with just a glance o
r long stare, she could sway him to her will.
He thought of their nights together in the other’s arms or embrace, and how never had he known such passion even with Queen Nohla, as Seda’s very whisper filled him with a torrent from deep below just as the feel of her body would no matter how slight.
“Orhan,” King Rone said, his patience tested, “Something must be done.”
“I have seen this before as Queen Nohla bore Bayl,” he confessed, “A child who fights from being born.”
“Queen Nohla did not sleep or burn.” King Rone remembered as fear gripped him.
As he spoke, he went to her side and listened to her only moan, saying nothing.
“Seda!” he said, but still she said nothing back.
Again, King Rone looked at Orhan, but as Orhan began to speak, someone knocked on the chamber door.
“Enter.” he said; then walked away from the bedchamber.
“Father,” Bayl said, as he entered the room, “How is she?”
“Dare not ask!” he anguished answer, “Dare not!”
“It is beyond me,” Orhan said, as he thought of his long years of healing, and of the other great loss, one that he fought not to remember, “I know of nothing that will open a womb other than time without bringing harm to the mother.”
Bayl’s eyes widened, as he thought of his wife who often spoke of her grandmother’s special gift of healing. Old and wise, he gathered she would know well about birthing children and its troubles.
“My wife’s grandmother Tela,” he said pulling Orhan over to the side, so his father wouldn’t hear him and have false hope, “Has a gift for healing. She is from the lowland tribe and the women give birth by themselves in birthing huts with their help.”
“Bring her!” King Rone, who overheard anyway commanded, “With haste!”
Hurriedly, three guards went to get Tela, and as she walked, impatient because she moved to slowly for their liking, two of them picked her up in their arms and carried her to the king’s chamber.
Once there, they put her down in front of the king, and as she bowed her head, he told her to raise it.
“Before you, is the queen,” King Rone said and pointed. His face filled with worry, yet his voice remained controlled, “She has taken ill for the reason her womb will not release our child. Can you help her?”
Tela gasped at such a request, fearing if she could not the wrath that may come from the king, even if her granddaughter was wedded to his son.
“Such is my fear,” Tela confessed, “Cures of the lowland tribe may not be enough for a queen.”
“It comes to me,” King Rone said, “That you seared my son’s wound.”
Tela nodded. “Yes, my king.”
“Again you are asked for your gift in such things,” he said.
“I beg that if fate takes the queen or your child,” she said, “I not be killed in a fit a rage and sorrow. I have no hand over fate.”
“So be it.” King Rone agreed.
“Send all but two servants away.”
As asked, King Rone sent all the servants away including Bayl, other than two; then he watched as Tela sat next to Seda, following her every move intently. Her moans now soft, they had become short, as if she had trouble breathing.
Quickly, Tela looked at Seda’s eyes, her tongue, and her lips, and as King Rone and Orhan looked at the other curiously, they began to wonder.
Now as Tela looked at Seda’s fingernails and her toenails, King Rone became inquisitive.
“Speak, what do you see?”
“Such is her breathing.” Tela suspected, “Bearing a child is my other worry.”
“Speak,” King Rone said; slightly irritated that he had to keep urging her, as he hurried beside Seda.
“She has not spoken, nor as you look into her eyes, does she see anyone back,” Tela said, as she touched her brow, “And she burns.”
“Seda,” King Rone said, as he looked at her, “Speak to me. Speak to your husband. Speak to the king,” yet Seda still said nothing.
Both frustrated and worried, he turned his head from Tela and Orhan, and walked to the end of the chamber bed.
“Reveal to me,” the tone in his voice expressing how clearly shaken he was, “What is wrong with her?”
“My king,” Tela now revealed, as she turned and looked at him, “It is poison.”
His eyes seemed to lose focus from Tela’s words, and as if all his strength had left him too, he leaned to rest himself against to bedpost to keep from falling over.
“Speak your words again carefully old woman,” he said, his breathing now becoming coarse, and his words coming from low in his stomach to his throat, “I pray I heard you wrong. What were your words?”
“Someone poisoned the queen,” Tela revealed again.
**
Studiously, Eron piled the dead boars; then went to speak of what happened, but as he entered WorrlgenHall, when a guard told him the king would not hold court or do a daily account, left.
At first, his plan to give an account; then burn the boars, curious and concerned something could happen to the other animals, he went back and looked at them, and all looking healthy, decided to gut one.
After he cut into one of the boar’s stomach to see what it had eaten, at first seeing nothing other than the normal scraps of food. He noticed numerous pits, seeds, and pieces of undigested cherries, and after he gutted the others, noticed all had eaten the same thing.
“Cherries?” he mentioned aloud, “Eaten by boars as they grazed. Such a fruit is only for one in a high place. How did they get here?”
When Dan returned to the pits, he saw Eron burning the boars and both known to the other; he questioned him casually between friends.
“Such a stench,” he said when he approached Eron, “Why are you burning whole animals?”
“Some small boars have died,” Eron answered, “And all have eaten the same thing.”
“What?”
“Cherries.”
“Who have you told of this?”
“No one,” Eron said, as he began to walk away, “The king is not holding court this day. I will speak of it in the morning or when he does.”
Dan’s palms sweated and he felt his heart quicken from Eron’s words; then as he looked this way and that way, when he saw no one, asked for a word with him.
“Speak as we walk,” Eron said, and began to walk away.
“They are just boars that ate cherries,” Dan said, “Why speak of it?”
“There is no place for cherries to grow here,” Eron said, “Someone went to the trouble of throwing them here, and now I know why.”
As Dan followed, again he looked this away and that way, then when he was sure no one was near, pulled out his knife.
Causally, he touched Eron’s shoulder; then when he turned, stabbed him in his side.
His inhale deep, as a loud gasp came from him; Eron looked at Dan completely surprised.
“Why?” he groaned as he fell to the ground.
“Did you not just answer your question?” Dan asked, before he stood over him and stabbed him again.
Right away, Dan ran to the meal house; then when Anla saw him standing by the door, quietly went to him.
“Well,” she whispered, but pretended as if she was doing something else, “Did you get them?”
“No, the boars ate them and died.”
“Tell me why I favor you again?” Anla questioned angered, “You are truly slow to reason.”
“Slow to reason or not,” Dan said, “There is more and now we are in this deeper.”
“What do you mean?”
“Eron,” Dan whispered, “Found the cherries in the stomach of dead boars. He was going to give an account of it in the morning so I killed him.”
“Curses!” she said. Her jaws clenched, “Where is his body?”
“I left him in the forest.”
“I hope no one saw you, if so your fate is sealed.”
“Me,” he said,
“What of you? My fate shall be yours,” he then argued.
“Meet me in the forest,” she huffed.
When he left, Anla doubled over and held her stomach.
“Such pain!” she cried out, “I must go inside!”
“What is wrong?” Olea asked, when she came to her.
“There is a pain in my stomach,” Anla said, as she hurried from the meal house, “If I lay down I will feel better.”
As Anla walked from the meal house, Rena watched her closely; then when she saw her meet with Dan behind the barn, then go towards the pits, decided to follow them.
Quietly she, as close as she could followed, then when they stopped for a moment to argue, as she hid behind a tree, she jumped startled when something touched her leg.
After she impulsively gasped, she quickly looked out to see if they heard her, then when she realized they hadn’t, looked down and saw Eron on the ground bloody.
“Goodness…” she said shocked, as she kneeled and put his head in her lap, “Eron, who did this to you?”
“Dan,” Eron groaned knowing he was dying; then stretched out his bloody hand and gave something to Rena, “For these …”
Curiously, Rena opened her hand and looked at the cherry pits and stems.
“Eron!” she said, as she tried to get him up, “We have to get inside.”
“It is to late,” he said, as he fought to talk and breathe, “Leave me and get word of this to a king’s guard.”
Her dress bloody, frantically Rena ran towards the entrance into WorrlgenHall and once inside, she screamed as loud as she could, making many, including inner guards hurry to her.
“Speak why you screamed girl,” a guard demanded.
“Eron!” she cried out, then opened her hand, “As I speak, lays dying by the animal pits because of these!”
Once all learned what happened to Eron, they searched for him and when Anla and Dan heard horses approach, knew someone else must have found him first.
“They come for us,” Dan said fearful.
“We must run and hide,” Anla added, and both fled.
**
After Tela spoke of the queen’s state, at once King Rone left the room to regain his composure and speak to one of his guards; then when he came back, he kissed Seda tenderly on her head, then looked to Tela.
