Back to the start...
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| Young Hope | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chilandrea woke up in a warm fur blanket. She sat up and looked around. A large well-furnished room surrounded the canopy bed she sat in. A great fire burned in the hearth across from the foot of the bed. Hefty tapestries hung from the walls and the corners of the bed posts and an immense balcony window kept out the harsh wind from the storm. "Hello?" she called out. "Is anyone there?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A young woman with blonde hair entered the room from the door across from the balcony. She held a silver tray with food on it. "Good morning, High Priestess Chilandrea. Did you sleep well?" She came over and set the tray down beside Chilandrea. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Where am I? Why aren't I dead?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The girl looked at her sadly, and sighed. "My name is Elenta. I'm one of the young priestess apprentices here. The girls in our order believed you should be saved, and that is what we did." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yes, but where am I?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "This is Tel'Sindavathar, home of the Shadow Alliance. Once the tale of your love reached our ears, many of the young priestesses felt it was wrong to punish you, so we broke away from the order and formed our own. We know the rules, the spells, the knowledge of a priestess, but we rule over how they should be used. Instead of a holy code, we teach a moral code. We want to live our lives free of restraint, free of authority. Our authority is the only one that matters." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "But, why did you save me? What use am I to you?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "There are two reasons we wanted to save you: your truth to yourself and will to love is admirable and we would like for you to teach us." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "And the second?" Chilandrea asked, knowing that she could not teach what she was. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Many of us have had visions of you, Lady. We've seen your child. She is to be very powerful -- more powerful than you -- and she will lead this world into a new light. Your daughter must be born, Lady, or we are all destined to live under the thumb of our narrow-minded elders." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "And how are you to keep them from finding me here?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "We may be children no older than you, Lady," Elenta said smiling, "but we are powerful. We know the ancient spells -- the ones they do not teach us. They believe them to be false and outdated. You know as well as we that the ancient spells are more potent than those they use. They could not find us here for months, why should they find us now?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If they could find me at Varadorn, then anything is possible. I let my guard down once and I was punished for it. It will not happen again." Chilandrea stood and went to the balcony window. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You must believe in us, High Priestess--" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Stop calling me that! I am no longer a priestess and you know it! I have no power, I have no companions, I have... no father for my child." Chilandrea turned to Elenta. "I have no reason for hope." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yes you do. Our prophets have foreseen that your daughter will be more powerful and influential in our fight for life than any before her. She will have all your knowledge and beauty, Alexander's skill for combat, both your will stubbornness, and above all the power to make anything happen." Elenta pointed to Chilandrea's finger. "That ring has not left your finger since he gave it to you and caused your vision, even during your marriage. It is the symbol of your passion, your strength. Your love for Alexander and his for you will be reflected in your child's eyes. Can that not bring you hope?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chilandrea stared at the ring on her finger, turning it gently and watching it shine in the firelight. "Once my daughter is born I will leave here. I refuse to stay afterwards to teach you girls what you can only learn for yourselves." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "As you wish, Lady. We will care for you daughter as we would--" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'm taking her with me. I will not have her brought up as a priestess under your counsel, do you understand? She will learn what she needs to know from the right people and from her own heart." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "But Lady--" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "She is coming with me, is that clear? She is my daughter, not yours." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yes, Lady," said Elenta, bowing her head and backing away. "It is your choice." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Horace sat in his throne, the room around him empty save a few servants sweeping the dust away. The sound of the torrents of rain echoed throughout the halls. Storindrake had been denied any future priestesses because of the fiasco two years earlier. The kingdom had gone into disrepair, most of the people had left because of Molandra's fury. She had been so angry that she destroyed half the execution stage in a flash of lightning. They had set out a search for Chilandrea, but they had given up later that winter. Horace's father had died leaving the kingdom to him, but since then not much else had happened. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Many of the priestesses to remain loyal to Molandra's ways had withdrawn from the public eye. The common people either feared them or thought them to be evil because of Molandra's outburst. Those who had broken from the order and formed their own had been in hiding even before the incident. Horace hadn't seen or heard from Chilandrea since that day, and no one he knew had seen her either. He assumed she was dead. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Suddenly, a young servant boy came running into the room, skidding to a halt before Horace's feet. "What is the matter, boy?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Begging your pardon, Your Highness, but a carriage just arrived and they sent me to fetch you straight away. They say it's urgent," the boy said breathless. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What about?" asked Horace getting to his feet. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'm not sure, but they were carrying a bundle that looked like a body, Highness." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Take me to them." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The boy led the way to the entry, where a well-dressed man stood at the bottom of the stairs holding something covered in a thick cloak. The man bowed at the sight of Horace. "Forgive my intrusion, Your Majesty, but may I have a word with you in private? Somewhere with a fireplace." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "This way." Horace led the man with the bundle to the chamber next to his own and ordered a servant to light the fire. "What is this all about? Who are you?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The man set the bundle down on the bed and said, "Who I am is not as important as this. You need to see this." He waved Horace over and pulled down the hood of the cloak. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh Lord. Where did you find her?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "She was walking in front of my carriage blocking our path. When I stepped out and asked her to move aside, she collapsed. I couldn't leave her there in the storm, and once we got her inside the carriage she said, 'Storindrake, Horace,' and passed out again. That's why we brought her here. But that's not the most shocking thing. She was clutching this and wouldn't let it out of her grasp," he said, opening the cloak further. Clasped in her arms was a baby about one year old. "Your Majesty, I must ask, do you know who she is and why she was so desperate to see you?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Do you know Storindrake's history, sir? This is the Child Priestess that made this kingdom famous." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The man's eyes went wide. "This is the Child Priestess? I'm terribly sorry, I--I had no idea..." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Don't worry, she is no longer a priestess. Touching her will bring you no harm. You may have just saved her life." Horace leaned over and pulled Chilandrea's matted hair off her face while the baby made a small gurgle. "She's safe here. Thank you for bringing her to me." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Chilandrea awoke in the room next to Horace's. She remembered it vaguely. She moved her arms to stretch and froze. Sitting up, she shouted, "Meladae?" She glanced around and found no sight of her daughter. "Meladae!" She leapt out of bed, grabbed a robe and ran out of the room. She ran through the halls of Storindrake castle as if she'd never left. She ran straight to Horace's room and found it empty. She turned from the South wing and into the great hall, finally down the East wing and burst through the door to her old chamber. "Where is she?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Horace sat on the bed holding Meladae on his lap. He had dressed her in a tiny elegant gown and had combed her beautiful silver hair so that it sparkled in the dimmest of lights. "Relax, Chilandrea, she's safe with me. I wouldn't hurt her." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chilandrea heaved a huge sigh and slumped down to sit beside him. "I thought we'd never make it. I've been traveling for months now hoping that I could reach you before it was too late." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Too late? Too late for what?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chilandrea looked at Horace, her once crystal-like eyes dulled and aged, her hair flat and tangled, her skin grayed, and her limbs thin and stick-like. "Horace, you have no queen, no heir, and barely any kingdom left to matter to anyone. I want you to take Meladae as your own and raise her." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Why? Why can't you care for her?" Horace asked astonished. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Because if you raise her, then she will learn what she needs to know without any biased opinion. I would raise her to rebel against any sense of authority and the order would surely search for her to raise her as blind as I was when I first started. She is a gifted child, more gifted than I am... was. You can see it in her face that she is special. She wasn't born from obligation. She was born from love, and love is all I want her to know. She cannot live life as a priestess." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You know you can stay here for as long as you like, Chilandrea. You can stay here with Meladae, teach her what you want her to know as well as keeping her safe." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "But if I stayed, they would know that she is my daughter. I cannot let her be taken. She's all I have left." Horace stared into the lively teal eyes of the baby who giggled at him. "She likes you, and I know you would keep her safer than I ever could. We were lucky that man found us when he did, or we would have died on that road. She cannot die, Horace. Our world's future depends on her. Please." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Horace was silent for a moment, staring at the child before him. "What would you want her to know?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Go to my library and give her my books to study. The most important is the one called 'History of Storindrake.' Inside it, there is a small book that will teach her the ancient language and spells that could help her in the future. Also, if you could, help her train for battle as well. She'll have Alexander's skill with weapons and hand to hand combat and I want to be sure that her knowledge and strength are well refined." She brushed some stray hair away from Meladae's eyes, took the ring off her finger, tied a loose string around it and make it into a necklace, placing it around Meladae's neck and laid her hand on Horace's arm. "Most of all, I want her to know about her parents. Don't ever let her forget that she is special." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Chilandrea, I always looked up to you, you know that?" She nodded in response. "I would rather die than see your daughter in the wrong hands. I will guard her with my life, my soul, and everything I can. And if I die, I will make sure that there is someone to take care of her in my place." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A tear appeared on her cheek. "Thank you, Horace. Alexander would have been proud. You were like a brother to him." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yes, but not like his real brother," he chuckled. She hugged him tight and he kissed her in return. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| She pulled back, tickled Meladae, and walked over to the balcony. Horace watched her stare out with sad eyes. He turned his attention back to Meladae to make sure she was entertained. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chilandrea began to cry remembering the events two years before. Everything that led up to the birth of her beautiful daughter was like a dream and a nightmare all at once. She glanced back at Horace. He was bouncing Meladae on his lap while she giggled and gurgled away. She smiled and climbed difficultly onto the balcony railing. Her arms stretched out beside her to keep her balance as she turned back to face the room. "Goodbye my sweet Meladae. Namaarie. Aa' lasser en lle coia orn n' omenta gurtha," she whispered and leaned back. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Horace heard a small whoosh from the balcony and glanced over just in time to see a sliver of black cloth disappear beneath the railing. He grabbed onto Meladae and ran to the balcony, shouting after Chilandrea. "No! Chilandrea, no!!" He reached out to catch her in vain, but watched her fall. Meladae reached out, giggling at her mother, and Horace quickly pulled her into the room away from the sight. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He shuffled slowly to the center of the room and fell to his knees. Meladae grasped her chubby little hand around his curly red hair and giggled. Looking at her, he realized that Chilandrea had planned this from the moment she'd disappeared. "...Guard her with my life." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| On to Part 2! Back to the start... |
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