by YatesNZ, Jen
Taur rolled, drawing her body close and her head onto his arm. The cart and its occupants trundling away in the distance was already forgotten.
‘Me too,’ Gynevra whispered. ‘All I knew was I'd had an amazing experience. But I brought three words back with me—‘unlocks your destiny’—and I've sometimes wondered whether we didn't make a pact with someone, promise something. Then I fall to wondering whether I've kept it or not—and whether I'll ever know. One thing I'm sure of though. That was the moment I knew I loved you—and always would.’
Their mouths came together with more of reverence for the power of their feeling for each other, and less of the heated passion that usually assailed them. Taur leaned back and trailed a finger down the bridge of her nose.
‘I want to give you something to commemorate that day I first saw you and knew you were made for me. You're of the emerald ray, the same color as my eyes, yet you were pure gold from the top of your head to the tip of your toes.’ Delving into the small pouch attached to the inside of his belt, he brought forth something that he held in his closed fist. ‘I had this made for you. Gold for your eyes, emerald for mine, it's the embodiment of our togetherness.’
He opened his fist. In the center of his palm lay an exquisite ring, a wide band of intricate filigreed gold set with a deeply glowing oval cabochon emerald. Lifting her right hand he slid it onto the middle finger.
‘Wear it always, alara, and know every time you look at it that I love you’.
Gynevra only had to look at the ring on her finger to be reminded of the euphoria of that day on the beach. They'd made love in teasing leisure on the cloths, romped naked like porpoises in the sea, and loved again on the wet sand at the edge of the breakers, dissolving into spluttering laughter when a big wave splattered them with water and sand.
Heavy rain fell blotting out the setting sun as they rode for home and they arrived at the Castle looking, so Difleer said, like a pair of half drowned fowl from the farmyard.
Sitting in Greater Council with Taur a few days later Gynevra thought longingly back to that day and wondered when they would again know a time so free of care. Council had been discussing the issue of the Breeding Flabria for most of the day now and were more or less evenly divided on the matter. Basically those who weren't Sons of the Dragon supported the abolition and among those who were opposed it was a sullen Magus Marek who showed no sign of having been ill.
The surprise was Lord Maden, the King’s rabon. He'd just concluded a very bitter speech in favor of maintaining the status quo. He'd not been allowed to sire his own children, his sacred partner was too old and refused to bear any more, and he couldn't see why he should be instrumental in giving that right to others when he'd not benefit from it himself. There had been many impassioned speeches for and against and it was obvious the people wouldn't let change happen easily. Every speaker spoke from a personal agenda and not one addressed the greater good of the nation or the mental health of future generations.
Taur hadn't spoken once beyond introducing the subject for debate by reiterating his decision to abolish the Ramegram and his reasons for doing so. Every councilor had now spoken and feelings were starting to get heated. Gynevra hit the table with her gavel to indicate her desire to speak. Since she hadn't yet done so, there was instant silence.
‘Maluti and Piaca of the Council, I'm disappointed not to have heard anyone speak about the impact the Breeding Ramegram is having, or could have, on the future of Nyalda. No one speaks of the violent or unbalanced behavior of many of our Paggi children who are now all sired by Sons of the Dragon. Perhaps a survey should be undertaken to ascertain whether or not behavior problems are more prevalent in children with Dragon parentage on both sides. These children are our future ruling class. They are the future of Nyalda and if the decision to reverse the Ramegram is not made now it will never be made for every other bloodline in Atlantis will have died out.
‘I believe that to be a criminal waste of generations of traits, talents and skills not found in the Dragon bloodline. A huge portion of our nation is about to become extinct because of this Ramegram and once those lines have died out we can never get them back again. Where then will we get new blood when the faults of intense inter-breeding become untenable?
‘I also have a personal agenda, as do you all. I'm the sacred partner to a Son of the Dragon very much in demand for his sire services. I love this man and watching him make babies with other women is not something I can do. But by far my greater concern must be for the future of our people.
‘I have a suggestion which may ease some of your concerns. I suggest we abolish that part of the Flabria which states it's compulsory for all Paggi children to be sired by a Son of the Dragon, but let the Ramegram stand for those who wish, or need, to take advantage of it for whatever reason. If the majority were to agree with this concept we'd need to set up a working party to look at the re-wording of the Flabria.’
A hubbub of discussion broke out then. Taur rapped his gavel for silence and ordered them to speak one at a time. By the end of the afternoon when the King indicated he was prepared to accept the compromise the majority decided in favor of it also. Three notable abstainers were Lord Maden, Magus Marek and Archinus Varia.
These three formed the core of a growing movement of unrest among the Paggi. The abolition of the Breeding Ramegram wasn't their only contentious issue. The Star Path pyramid was another very bitter thorn in their side. Working within the energy of the pyramid was doing much to raise the vibration of many a Temple initiate. But why, they asked, create a building which initiates of the Ennead and beyond could use to communicate with the stars, if they couldn't do so because of the energy web which was in place to imprison a Queen who patently didn't want to be more than a few paces away from the King's kondemon anyway?
Or so went the story Taur related to Gynevra in the privacy of their bath one night after the annual Castle dinner for the Harborside Business Fraternity. There were few Sons of the Dragon in the business world of Heceuda, especially port-side. Consequently the Fraternity was almost one hundred percent in support of the abolition of the Ramegram. Thus Taur had easily been able to lead one or two into a revealing discussion of the current opinion of the Star Path, from which he'd gleaned the interesting piece of information.
Gynevra leant her head back against the edge of the pool and surveyed his recumbent body beside her in the water.
‘Can't think what I'd find so amazing about the King's kondemon,’ she teased. ‘It looks remarkably mondecon to me!’
‘Dangerous talk, woman,’ he growled, immediately setting out to prove her wrong.
Some time later as they rested back against the clagrenon on their bed and looked out on a dark, rain-lashed night, Taur said, ‘There seems to be quite a bit of feeling about the Star Path. Another thing old Parfal let slip is that some are saying it’s the cause of the weather changes. I'd like to know who starts these rumors for I'm sure someone does, purely to discredit me and all that I seek to do here.’
‘Could you find out?’
‘Possibly but it means setting spies on people and I've no desire to go down that road. It has set me thinking though about whether I should sponsor some emigration expeditions then perhaps some of the trouble-makers would leave.’
‘You could lift the energy web at night,’ Gynevra offered, ‘from sunset to sunrise. Then the Star Path would be so full of Enneads trying to communicate with the stars there'd be no room for me—supposing I could get past the guards! Anyway, as has been so carefully observed, you do have a powerful attraction for me and I only get to indulge it mostly at night. Besides which when I'm with you, you are in effect, my jailer.’
Taur looked at her for a long considering moment, then said, ‘I really think you should talk to Dogon about this obsession you have with the prophecy. We could make our first tandem trip and apportate there right now since we're both wide awake.’
‘He may not be.’
‘Put some
clothes on and I'll telondem him.’
‘What has he got to say to this discussion?’ Gynevra asked with a mulish twist to her mouth Taur had come to recognize.
With a sigh he dropped back beside her.
‘We talk of Electra's prophecy quite often, he and I. He works very hard at remaining unbiased and offering support for neither of us while I, of course, am Paggically biased as Hyades! I tell him I'll not let you go whatever he thinks! But he has said he believes it would make no matter what course you took, whether you were in Qurazil or here in Castle Heceuda.’
‘Make no matter to what?’ Gynevra asked with a touch of belligerence.
‘He wouldn't say. Just that ‘it would make no matter’.’
‘Then there's no need for us to go see him.’ Gynevra hunched down on her clagren. ‘I just need my jailer to hold me close so I can't get free for no matter what Dogon says, Taur, I can't feel easy about it. I feel as if I carry on my shoulders responsibility for every living soul in Atlantis.’
Sliding down in the bed, Taur drew her into his arms and tucked her head under his chin.
‘Ah, alara, why would the Gods put so much responsibility on one pair of shoulders? Do you not think They would see that as unfair? Don't you believe the Gods have a sense of justice?’
‘I believe in Electra's prophecy,’ Gynevra reiterated stubbornly.
One outcome of this conversation was the lifting of the energy web from sunset to sunrise, and as Gynevra had surmised, the Star Path was very popular with the Ennead priests and priestesses. Cielcif and Loganda, her two closest friends in Hecanil, talked of its energies ceaselessly and even Varia was moved to talk of the wonders she'd seen during meditation in its powerful inner chamber. Taur had described it for her but Gynevra never wearied of hearing more. Cielcif especially, understood her need to know and happily fed her the minute details her soul hungered for.
The floor, it seemed, was of glowing red quartz, with the ancient symbol for life, the cross within a circle, inlaid upon it in gold. A hematite chair sat at each point where the cross met the circle and in the center of the cross an aquamarine statue of a mermaid held Merwin's Crystal aloft. Cielcif said there was no way she could describe the sense of power and God-presence one felt when seated in one of the hematite chairs.
Gynevra wanted to experience that energy for herself, just once. She was now an Ennead priestess, after all.
Coming back from the Temple with Cielcif's descriptions still vivid in her mind and the desire strong within her, she could scarcely wait until she and Taur were alone in their rooms before it was time to dress for dinner. Nudon had taken Ugo away to his bed and Taur was sitting at a desk sifting through some breskina Maden had given him with the suggested new wording for the Breeding Flabria.
Wearing only a cobweb fine linen dressing-gown which Taur called a teasing-gown for the pretense it made of covering her delectable body, she wrapped her arms round his shoulders and pressed her cheek to his.
‘I collect my Queen desires something of me,’ he said, half his attention still on the breskina on the desk.
‘Mmm, I do,’ she murmured, smoothing her hands across the broad, muscular expanse of his chest.
‘Would it have anything to do with some part of my kingly body?’
‘No.’
‘Then leave me be, woman! I've got to study this and whether or not your request has anything to do with my body, the response you get will have.’
Gynevra chuckled.
‘I could ask you the time of day and the response I'd get would have to do with your body! It seems we have no other way of responding to one another.’
‘You're complaining?’ Taur growled.
‘No! But I do have a request to make of you and I'd like you to give it serious consideration. So could you please give me all your attention for a moment?’
Slowly Taur turned on the stool and with his back to the desk drew Gynevra between his knees. His hands cupped her buttocks and with his nose he nuzzled open the front of her gown.
‘You have all my attention. What is it you desire?’
Tugging herself free and dancing a few steps across the room, Gynevra tossed her head and said, ‘Not you.—At least not at this precise moment,’ she hurriedly added, as his face darkened.
‘Huh!’ he snorted, and resting an elbow on his knee and his face on his hand he watched her from under crooked brows.
Gynevra stopped by a bowl of polished stones on a small side table and selected one, a large piece of rutilated quartz in the shape of a dolphin, and held it to the light to admire the golden threads of rutile encased in the stone. Then rolling it in her hand, she lifted her head and fixed Taur with a straight, determined gaze.
‘I want to see the inside of the Star Path. I want you to take me there.’
‘No.’ His gaze never flickered, his body never moved. ‘Ask me anything else and I'll gladly consider it. But take you in the Star Path? Never.’
With that flat refusal he swung straight back to the breskina on the desk.
For a second or two, Gynevra stared at his back, her desire escalating alarmingly in the face of his stark denial.
‘Don't you trust me?’ she snapped.
A breath of stillness hung between them, then Taur swung back to face her.
‘Perhaps I do, perhaps I don't. Either way I'm not going to risk it. The energy in the pyramid is too volatile and you're too receptive to such energy.’
In a flash the legendary Dragon fire, which Gynevra usually had under tight rein, uncoiled from her belly and lashed with the speed of lightning.
‘You great selfish pig!’ she cried. ‘You just want to keep all the energy to yourself!’
With the suddenness of wildfire leaping from brush to brush, the flame of rage leapt from her eyes to his.
‘Yes, I am and that's how it'll stay! If I find you anywhere near that place I'll beat you black and blue and then rape you until you'll wish the priests had had you instead!’
Rage coalesced into white-hot fury in Gynevra's belly.
‘You can go kurn a post or a rock for all I care but you're not coming near me again,’ she hissed, and spinning on her heel left him, a tower of classic Draconian rage shooting spears of fury between her shoulder blades.
The wall of ice between King and Queen at dinner that night was almost visible. The Castle tattle-vine quickly spread the news the King slept in the guard-room and whenever he came near the Queen she hissed at him like a cornered feral cat. The whole Castle, likely the whole city, knew fury reigned in the royal love nest.
On the third night, weary of the knowing glances, smirks, frowns, and wariness of his courtiers, Taur returned to their rooms after entertaining silk merchants from a country northwest of Nyalda. He'd ordered generously of any exquisite bolt of cloth the Queen had appeared to appreciate.
She knew he'd meant for her to know and recognize the gesture as an olive branch but refused to be placated. Whenever she thought of the cruel threats he'd flung at her, fury burgeoned within her anew.
‘Crawl back into whatever delilah's bed welcomed you these past two nights. If you don't I'll go find someone to welcome me!’ she snarled with such venom he left without speaking.
Such was the quality of her mistress's fury even Difleer didn't try to breach the depth of it.
Waking alone in her bed in the early hours of the third morning in a row and knowing that wherever Taur slept, he'd be rising to go to the Temple for Dawn Ritual, Gynevra was dismayed to find tears rolling down her cheeks. Once or twice over the last two days she'd been aware of a sliver of fear in the darkness of her anger, fear that she might not be able to find her way back to the sanctuary of the love she shared with Taur. Fear that it was lost forever.
As she acknowledged those fears, the terror burst up from her heart and deeper, in great tearing sobs which she buried in the clagren. She'd learnt Difleer had little patience with lover's tiffs. Life was too short to argue, Diffie said. That though
t only brought more tears. What if something happened to Taur before she could apologize for her own harsh words and beg his forgiveness? Why had she sent him away last night when she knew he'd come hoping to make amends? What woman had been giving him the comfort she herself had denied him?
By the time she was able to calm herself her face was a blotchy red mess and she crept along the hallway to the bathing cavern hoping to forestall Difleer and bathe her face back to normal. As usual Difleer was there before her laying out cloths, soaps and oils.
‘If I 'ad any sense I'd keep my thoughts to myself,’ Difleer commented tartly, observing Gynevra's reddened eyes and cheeks. ‘But that's one thing I never learnt to do. So—I collect my Lady 'as finally worn out 'er fury! It must've been some sin 'imself committed for you to be in such a snit.’
‘Don't make me think about it, Diffie, or I'll be as furious as ever. Oh! I never want to feel like that again. It hurts—worse than—worse than anything I can think of. Just help me bathe, Diffie, and say nothing.—Please.’
Difleer smiled her old cocky grin and Gynevra knew she was relieved things were coming back to normal. There was a way to go yet but at least she was of a mind to work towards it. Studying in circle with the other Enneads in Hecanil that morning was a struggle. Keeping her mind absolutely clear of earthly concerns was difficult when all she wanted to think about was how she was going to stage her reunion with Taur. She thought of begging off the healing clinic that morning too but knew that was totally irresponsible when the Temple was packed every morning with people coming for healing for the mental stress attacking many along with the strange weather.
When she stepped back into the common room after her first client had left, Nilidra who was manning the desk that morning, said a message had come for her from Lord Dogon.
