Revelyn: 2nd Chronicles - The Time of the Queen

by Chris Ward

  ‘Yes, that’s right,’ Rubii replied. ‘We are kept separate and we work for ourselves and because of what we offer in Svalbard we are treated well enough, but...’ she sobbed quietly, ‘I thought I would not be chosen, I thought it was worked out.’

  ‘What do you mean Rubii?’ Rayven asked.

  ‘It is law that if we marry young and have children then we are allowed to live and breed and will not be taken. I was to be married...soon... to a good boy. We thought we might be together and... and...’ she hesitated for a while and could not continue; and Rayven knew she was too young to fully realise that she would only save her life to have her children taken. No wonder you ask, why bring new life into this world, she thought.

  ‘But I was taken this morning.’ Rubii finally whispered, ‘I was told that I was honoured to be the next sacrifice of the cycle of the seven. My kindpa refused to let me be taken but he was beaten. My brother too.’ She sobbed again. ‘Oh Rayven I am to die and I will never know love or be free. We are cursed we Varanii.’ She shook violently and all the while Rayven comforted her but without knowing what words to say for she knew it was beyond her.

  ‘I too Rubii,’ Rayven whispered at last. ‘It is not much comfort but I am to be sacrificed to Ungarit on the full moon of the summer solstice. We have this much in common. ‘At this news Rubii stared long at Rayven.

  ‘I am sorry Rayven,’ she said. ‘I thought perhaps you were just one who had done the wrong thing and upset those who rule in Svalbard. It is easy enough. I did not know that you were to be sacrificed too.’

  ‘And why should you?’ Rayven replied warmly.

  ‘Are you afraid Rayven?’ Rubii asked innocently.

  ‘I think I am,’ Rayven replied, ‘but I have not yet given up hope that I will escape this place. At this Rubii just stared at Rayven as though she were mad.

  ‘No one has ever escaped from Lord Zydor, Rayven,’ she said quietly and slowly, ‘He has such powers that mortals cannot fight.’

  And Rayven nodded but said nothing.

  Two further days passed. Days in which Rayven and Rubii became close friends and Rayven found herself enjoying looking after the needs of the young girl. They talked of many things and in the end Rayven shared the story of her life in Ramos, and something of her quest to find a way to stop the sinking of the land, and the spreading evil that accompanied it. She strictly charged Rubii not to speak of it, but she told Rubii that she was in fact the daughter of the White Queen of Revelyn who ruled in Ramos far to the south. At this Rubii’s eyes went wide and she exclaimed...

  ‘The White Queen! We know of her here in Svalbard. It is said she is a witch and wields great power...’

  Rayven laughed loudly. ‘Oh Rubii, my kindma Sylvion is no witch. She is a good person and has ruled fairly for a long time...’

  ‘Do you miss her?’ Rubii asked so suddenly that Rayven felt an ache in her heart. She nodded.

  ‘I miss her deeply Rubii,’ she replied and felt a tear run down her face, and now it was Rubii’s turn to comfort her. ‘We did not part on good terms,’ Rayven continued, ‘but I love her and I believe she will come for me.’

  ‘She will come here?’ Rubii whispered incredulously.

  ‘I know she will,’ Rayven said trying hard to sound convincing. ‘She will come.’

  ‘Will she save me too?’ Rubii hardly dared to ask.

  ‘Of course she will,’ Rayven said. ‘I will not leave without you. You can be my sister and come live with me in Ramos in the White palace...’

  ‘Then I will be a princess too, like you...’ Rubii said with a wonderful simple pleasure at the thought of such a possibility; and so they laughed and talked and did not talk further of the sacrifice.

  Rubii too told Rayven many things about her life in the prison town which was her home. She talked of the hopes and despairs of her people but Rayven was amazed when she revealed that the Varanii believed they would one day be delivered from their slavery, and the misery and burden of grief which was their duty to Lord Zydor and his god Ungarit.

  ‘We have a prophecy,’ she said and it is taught to us from our earliest days, when we can just begin to speak...’

  ‘And what is the prophecy Rubii?’ Rayven asked, greatly intrigued.

  ‘We believe that a flood will come and we will be taken to safety upon a boat.’ Her words struck Rayven like a thunderclap and she could hardly restrain herself, for she suddenly remembered some words of the ancient prophecy she had taken from her reading of the books of the Wisden long ago.

  She could not remember all but instead asked Rubii to explain just what this meant for her people.

  ‘You will think us fools,’ Rubii said shyly.

  ‘No Rubii, on the contrary I think your hope is well founded.’

  Rubii stared at her.

  ‘Really?’ she said.

  ‘Really I do,’ Rayven replied. ‘Now tell me what has this meant for your people the Varanii.’

  ‘Well,’ said Rubii, who clearly wanted to share her belief, ‘we have at the centre of our town, within the walls which separate us, a huge house, a meeting place and it can hold all the people and much more. It is built of timber and sits upon a mighty bed of logs and trees which are bound together and will float up, bearing the building when the flood comes.’

  ‘Rayven was amazed at this.

  ‘How long has it taken to build this thing?’ she asked. Rubii thought for a while.

  ‘I have been told it has been going on for five score years, I think. ‘Rubii replied finally and Rayven could only marvel and try to remember what she could of the words of the Wisden which dwelt deep within her memory.

  ‘Do you think us foolish?’ Rubii asked and it seemed to Rayven that it was a very important question for her to ask, so she thought much before her reply.

  ‘I think, Rubii, that it means the Varanii are well prepared.’ She said finally with a smile, and Rubii seemed happy enough with these few words.

  ‘I hope the flood comes soon,’ she whispered sadly, and then they sat in silence for a long time, each bearing the secrets of the other in their hearts.

  That night Rayven lay awake and tried to remember what she knew of the Varanii, for the name seemed to resonate within her head, and she was convinced there was some teaching of them in the books of the Wisden. She looked across at the small and fragile body of Rubii, fast asleep and perhaps dreaming of her beloved family and her love for the boy who almost saved her... A great anger rose then in Rayven at the thought of so many innocent lives stolen by men of evil such as Gryfnor and Zydor.

  ‘I swear,’ she whispered softly into the cold night air, ‘that if I ever get to rule in Revelyn I will use the Shadow Blade to rid the land of all evil.’ And then she thought of her kindma, Sylvion, the great White Queen who had spent her life doing just that, and had failed. ‘Perhaps I have judged you harshly Kindma,’ she continued tearfully, ‘why should I have any greater success than you?’ And her heart felt sad and still her mind would not give up the secret of the Varanii she knew she held in some deep memory. At last sleep came to her, and it was deep and dreamless.

  When she woke the next morning, Rubii was gone.

  Rayven thumped upon her cell door and demanded the guard speak with her, but the dull brute would not say much, only he shrugged his shoulders and with complete indifference said,

  ‘She is Varanii,’ as though this was sufficient answer to her demand.

  Rayven felt greatly anxious and wondered what had happened. Surely the sacrifice is not due this day she thought in panic, but her track of time and days was not clear so she feared the worst and spent much time worrying what might have come to pass without her knowledge. Toward evening the cell door suddenly opened and Rubii entered with Girdon, who stood arrogantly before them both. Rubii was crying and would not look at Rayven.

  ‘What have you done to her you foul beast,’ Rayven said in a voice which was full of contempt, but Girdon just laughed cruelly.

 
‘You should perhaps ask her what she has done to you?’ At this Rayven shook her head in puzzlement.

  ‘What stupid words are you uttering?’ she said, but Rubii interrupted her tirade against the awful Girdon.

  ‘I am sorry Rayven,’ she sobbed. ‘I am sorry, they promised me that I could return to my family and be married and escape the sacrifice if I....’ and she started crying so much that Rayven went to hold her, but Rubii pulled away.

  ‘No, you must not touch me for I have betrayed you,’ she cried, and then Rayven knew. She turned upon Girdon with a fury he had never had visited upon any other before.

  ‘You are not human you animal,’ she said, each word full of venom and hate. ‘You take a child and play with her. You take innocent children and murder them and speak of what is good for the land. Your hands drip with blood which you can never wash away. You will be avenged and soon.’ Girdon was about to reply but Rayven turned from him and spoke to Rubii.

  ‘It is not your fault Rubii. These evil animals will promise anything.’

  ‘But I promised you Rayven, that I would not speak of what you said.... and I did, when they said I would not die...’ and the poor child dissolved into further tears and shaking, overcome with a guilt which Rayven sought to relive as best she could.

  ‘Rubii, you were right to tell, for what of it; they learn that I am heir to the throne in Revelyn, that I am of the royal line and will rule one day. This is nothing compared to the suffering of your people, and Zydor had already made up his mind that I will be sacrificed, so nothing has changed. Nothing...’

  ‘But still I betrayed you...’ Rubii sobbed.

  ‘No Rubii,’ Rayven said most gently, ‘No... you looked to save your life and your parents grief, which is of far more value than that one evil sorcerer should know my status in a far off land.’ She held Rubii close. ‘No child you did the right thing, and they will set you free and you will soon see your family again and will surely live a long life and see freedom soon. I am sure...’ but at that moment she looked up at Girdon and saw the evil smile upon his face and knew in an instant that Rubii had spoken in vain to save her life. And Rubii did not know.

  ‘Will you forgive me?’ Rubii asked so pitifully that Rayven smiled and squeezed her tightly.

  ‘There is nothing to forgive, Rubii.’

  ‘I will tell my kindma and kindpa about you,’ Rubii whispered, ‘and when I have a child it will be called Rayven...if it is a girl.’ And with these words she quietened and Rayven felt her heart break for she knew what must now be revealed, and she saw that Girdon was anticipating it with a growing pleasure.

  ‘Rubii,’ Rayven took the child’s lovely face and turned it to her, and so stole Girdon’s moment, and made it as gentle as she could. ‘Rubii, my lovely friend, they did not mean it.’ and Rubii suddenly knew it and her face contorted with the horror of what she understood. Rayven had no words but was astounded when Rubii took a mighty breath and stood and faced the brute Girdon.

  ‘I am so much greater than you,’ she said, ‘for I am loved, and no matter what you do you cannot change that; and you are not. You only love yourself and serve evil. You are nothing and I am great.’

  These words hit Girdon like a charging bull and for an instant he paled, for it seemed they found some mark deep within him. He went to speak but could not and so he stood there dumbstruck, and Rayven and Rubii pitied him despite their plight. Finally Girdon hissed some final words.

  ‘Tonight. There is a half moon... and you, woman, will watch.’ He snarled the last words at Rayven who was silently grateful, for no matter what might come to pass, she did not want poor Rubii to die alone.

  They sat in silence then and held each other, and found the sincerity of those moments to be most wonderful.

  That night a perfect half moon rose over the caldera, into a night sky which was still and cloudless, and full of countless shining stars. Rayven and Rubii had held each other all the time since Girdon’s angry departure until the cell door was thrown open and he entered with two huge guards. Rayven was roughly handled and her hands quickly bound behind her. Rubii was treated well and spoken to softly, but she was given no choice. She was clothed in a thin purple gown and her long hair tied back away from her face. She trembled but did not cry, instead she looked hard at Rayven and with love in their eyes they seemed almost apart from what was happening...until the command to follow was given, and then they were separated and Rayven made to walk behind. They climbed many stairs and finally arrived at the highest point of the fortress where a flat timber roof was joined by a solid bridge to the mountain behind on which the town was built, and which rose still further into the air. They walked then upon a winding path and were soon much higher than any other structure in Svalbard. Rayven could see clearly now far across the plain to the sheer outer walls of the Caldera which surrounded the central mount on which they climbed. The plain seemed mostly farmed, and in the soft moonlight all seemed quite peaceful. The moon was now high above the horizon and seemed huge indeed, its bright white light giving them more than enough illumination to walk without any fear of stumbling. After a time they arrived at a high stone wall built precariously on the steep slopes in a simple half round fashion, but with elaborate iron gates at its centre. These were open, and upon entering they encountered an assembly of hooded people who joined their sombre procession, until within a short space, by climbing a flight of wide stone steps they arrived at the very top of the mount.

  There Rayven took a sharp breath. She saw now the terrible sight before her and her heart was in sudden anguish for Rubii, standing alone now before the hideous Zydor, who had been waiting for them, ghoulishly resplendent in his gown and jewels and a face much whitened with powder.

  And they stood on the edge of a fearsome drop.

  Rayven saw the mount was indeed the remains of a smaller volcano, and far below them, she thought near a thousand cubits, was a dark lake. From that mighty height it appeared the blackest of black and its cold hard water seemed to strangely beckon; indeed Rayven felt a mysterious attraction to it, as though some sinister force close by was wanting them to leap into the void and fall endlessly to a terrible death. The rocky shaft down to the lake was near vertical and just opposite where Zydor stood, a stone platform jutted out over the void, and Rayven knew it was just like the one she had seen in the sunken city, in the evil temple where Lars had been left, and she shuddered involuntarily at the sacrifices she had been forced to witness in that place.

  ‘Courage Rubii,’ she called to her new friend, and then staggered as a blow from one of the guards almost dropped her to the ground.

  ‘Silence woman!’ he hissed and Rayven shook her head to rid herself of a fearful ringing in her ears.

  Zydor began the ceremony, but Rayven refused to listen. She knew it would be the same as those she had witnessed in the sunken city, and so in order to block out the evil chanting and offensive words she sang to herself, over and over a simple song which Sylvion her kindma had sung to her many times as child when she was going to bed.

  ‘Peace little one, Peace little one, rest in my love,

  Sleep little one, Sleep little one, you are my love.’

  The brutish guard hissed another warning to Rayven but he seemed unwilling to do anything to cause further disruption and risk bringing wrath upon himself, and so she sang on in outright defiance. As Zydor worked into a frenzy of gesticulation and praise to his demyn god Ungarit, Rayven sang louder and louder and it seemed the words of peace and love calmed Rubii. Zydor soon found that he could not concentrate and so became more worked up and louder, but he too did not want to stop his ceremony and give the woman any acknowledgment of what she was doing to disrupt him. He boiled and fumed and cursed inwardly and then to his horror he found he could not summon Ungarit, and so in a mighty rage he ceased his evil mutterings and screamed at Rayven.

  ‘Silence woman. You will not speak!’ And such was his rage and his sorcerer’s power that with a simple flick of a
hand Rayven found herself struck dumb and frozen in an instant. Zydor however found his anger was too great to return to his ceremony, and so he stood breathing hard and cursing all about him in the foulest manner.

  Suddenly Rubii took up the simple song and the lovely words were as blasphemy to the ears of Zydor who tore his hair and went to silence her, but as Rayven watched in mute amazement Rubii did the most unexpected thing. She turned to Zydor and tore off her robe. She pulled her hair free and spat in his face.

  ‘You are doomed Zydor, the flood is coming and you will be washed away. She turned to where Rayven stood like a statue. ‘I have seen it Rayven, just now. It is coming.’ And she gave her the most beautiful smile.

  Zydor seemed unable to comprehend that one so young and helpless had spoken to him in that manner. He was about to reaffirm his priestly authority when Rubii ran. In the few steps it took her to reach the end of the stone platform high above the void, she was free, for the first time in her short life; completely free! And in that moment no sorcerer or any other had hold of her will or her life. And then she fell, and Rayven saw her go, tumbling over and over until she was lost to view and not even a sound came up from the black depths to mark her passing.

  Zydor was dumbfounded.

  Despite her immediate grief, Rayven laughed mockingly, not out loud, for she was held by Zydor’s spell, but her eyes gave enough for him to know that he, the great Zydor, High Priest of Ungarit has been utterly humiliated by two women, and one but a child. He looked about in abject fury, and his gaze fell upon the unfortunate guard who had tried to keep Rayven quiet, and needing some creature to vent upon or better to hurt and destroy, he gestured powerfully at him, and before the brute could resist he was caught by his master’s will. To his horror he began to walk out the stone platform from which Rubii had just leaped, unable to resist.

  ‘Nooo, My Lord, please!’ He begged, but then he too fell and no one in the assembly looked for he was of no value to any.