Post by Christi on Dec 29, 2008 21:58:14 GMT -5
It was her mother’s favourite spot. She had often seen her sitting here under the towering willow on the stone bench that was nearly concealed by the flowers that grew in abundance. Over time, she herself had taken to sitting in the gardens to relax and clear her mind after her lessons. Sometime her mother would join her and they would talk and laugh until each had to return to their duties.
For now though, she was alone, enjoy the gentle fragrances the blossoms produced. Her mentor had been especially harsh that day, drilling subject after subject into her mind. It was understandable though. Everyone had become increasingly tense with her father on his deathbed.
Her attention snapped to the hurried footsteps she heard coming in her direction, finding her hand-maiden, Keri, coming to a stop before the gardens. “Lady Mira, you must come quickly,” she said, frantically, barely giving herself time to catch her breath.
The tone in the girl’s voice troubled her and she stood hastily from the bench with a small frown, “Has something happened?”
Keri shook her head, tears welling up in her auburn eyes. “No, its your father. Our beloved king…” She trailed off with a choked sob.
Mira understood then. Her father’s condition must have become worse. Without further word, she raced from the gardens for her father’s room, finding her mother and brothers gathered around already. Her eldest brother was knelt beside the bed as he held their father’s hand, his expression that of sorrow though with a slightly odd gleam in his eyes that made Mira pause to study him further.
“…My rose… where is my little blossom…?” wheezed out the dying king, letting go of her brother’s hand to reach out blindly. Mira’s brother moved out of the way for her as she hurried over, grasping her father’s hand gently within her own. “I’m here father,” she replied softly, heartened to see the old man smile.
“Ah… but you have bloomed haven’t you…” her father claimed before falling into a coughing fit. Her eldest brother immediately reached for the nearby glass of water to offer it to their father, pausing when he noticed Mira’s calculating gaze follow him. Their father recuperated from his fit, taking Mira’s hand and pressing an object into its palm before closing her fingers around it to hide it from view. “I have… decided,” he claimed, taking in a rattling breath. “Do well little blossom… I have faith in you…” he managed to speak out before giving his final breath as life escaped him. His Rakar, the little weasel that had been curled up solemnly on the bed beside him, gave a keening and sorrowful cry before it was snuffed out from existence like a spark from a flame.
Mira uncurled her fingers, finding that the family amulet which bore their crest rested there upon her palm. To have given that to her could only have meant that her father meant to bypass tradition and name his successor instead. Viewing the colour her elder brother was turning now, she had come to understand why.
“What did father mean by that? What has he given you sister?” her eldest brother demanded, reaching for whatever it was she held. She quickly moved the amulet from his grasp as she stared him down, noting her brother’s quickly reddening face. Her father trusted her enough to take rule over the kingdom and she would respect his wishes, though it worried her about what troubles this would entail, even if she felt honoured that he had chosen her over her brothers.
“It is nothing of your concern, Aidan,” Mira addressed him, watching his reaction carefully. This could turn out horribly wrong quite quickly if he chose to try and take the inheritance from her by force.
“He gave it to you, didn’t he… He intends to have a little girl run this kingdom does he?” Aidan claimed, working into a rage, “I am the eldest son, the inheritance belongs to me! It is tradition!”
“You forget brother…” Mira replied coolly, “The current ruler may choose his successor should the eldest son prove to be unfit for rule.”
Aidan turned a furious shade of crimson, glaring at her as his raven Rakar eyed her balefully. Her mother and brothers watched the scene in shock at what was transpiring and at her outspoken suggestion. “Are you claiming me to be unworthy sister?” he spat out in a near snarl.
“Yes. At least I am not so greedy and power hungry that I would hover above our father’s deathbed like a vulture waiting for its prey to perish so that it might feast on its carcass,” Mira countered, “As his time grew near, you became more foolish and he saw through you and outwitted you… you will never have rule because of this.”
Aidan paled at her claim, disbelieving that the youngest of the royal family, and a daughter at that, would chastise him so and proclaim her spot as the new ruler. “Do not think this ends here sister,” Aidan hissed out, “My influence runs deep. The throne will be mine before you can even so much as take claim before the council.”
“That is what you think brother,” Mira said, fixing him with a sweet smile, “I will outwit you at every turn.”
He turned to storm from the room, leaving a silence in his wake as everyone else came to terms with this turn in events. Mira massaged at her temples in an attempt to thwart the headache that was coming upon her.
“If this is true, then the council must be notified at once,” the second eldest claimed, “Father’s funeral rites will have to be taken care of before your anointment… you had best watch your back little sister, there will be many who will not agree with this and would seek to usurp you in favour of someone more suited to their liking.”
“I’m well aware of this…” Mira sighed. Surely the nobles would not be too fond of learning that the youngest of the family had been chosen to take the throne, and that it had been the daughter at that. They had had female rulers before, but never one so young. If she could succeed and bring about a prosperous and bountiful age, then no doubt she would be well remembered in the histories.
“Mira,” her mother said softly, cupping her daughters face between her hands, “Such weight for one so young… I knew nothing about this or I would have convinced him to chose another of his sons… what’s done is done.”
“I know mother… I will do my best no matter what hurdles I must overcome,” Mira claimed, bringing a smile to her mothers face.
“I’m sure you will,” her mother said, placing a kiss upon her brow. “Don your cloak and take Avery with you,” she said, referring to the old general that had been a close friend of her husband, knowing that if there were trouble then he would be able to keep her only daughter safe. “Don’t stay out too long, but take some time to relax… you will not get many chances once you have been anointed.”
“Yes mother,” Mira said, grateful for the advice as she hurried off to find the general and head out to the city with plans to browse the shops and sample the fine foods.
For now though, she was alone, enjoy the gentle fragrances the blossoms produced. Her mentor had been especially harsh that day, drilling subject after subject into her mind. It was understandable though. Everyone had become increasingly tense with her father on his deathbed.
Her attention snapped to the hurried footsteps she heard coming in her direction, finding her hand-maiden, Keri, coming to a stop before the gardens. “Lady Mira, you must come quickly,” she said, frantically, barely giving herself time to catch her breath.
The tone in the girl’s voice troubled her and she stood hastily from the bench with a small frown, “Has something happened?”
Keri shook her head, tears welling up in her auburn eyes. “No, its your father. Our beloved king…” She trailed off with a choked sob.
Mira understood then. Her father’s condition must have become worse. Without further word, she raced from the gardens for her father’s room, finding her mother and brothers gathered around already. Her eldest brother was knelt beside the bed as he held their father’s hand, his expression that of sorrow though with a slightly odd gleam in his eyes that made Mira pause to study him further.
“…My rose… where is my little blossom…?” wheezed out the dying king, letting go of her brother’s hand to reach out blindly. Mira’s brother moved out of the way for her as she hurried over, grasping her father’s hand gently within her own. “I’m here father,” she replied softly, heartened to see the old man smile.
“Ah… but you have bloomed haven’t you…” her father claimed before falling into a coughing fit. Her eldest brother immediately reached for the nearby glass of water to offer it to their father, pausing when he noticed Mira’s calculating gaze follow him. Their father recuperated from his fit, taking Mira’s hand and pressing an object into its palm before closing her fingers around it to hide it from view. “I have… decided,” he claimed, taking in a rattling breath. “Do well little blossom… I have faith in you…” he managed to speak out before giving his final breath as life escaped him. His Rakar, the little weasel that had been curled up solemnly on the bed beside him, gave a keening and sorrowful cry before it was snuffed out from existence like a spark from a flame.
Mira uncurled her fingers, finding that the family amulet which bore their crest rested there upon her palm. To have given that to her could only have meant that her father meant to bypass tradition and name his successor instead. Viewing the colour her elder brother was turning now, she had come to understand why.
“What did father mean by that? What has he given you sister?” her eldest brother demanded, reaching for whatever it was she held. She quickly moved the amulet from his grasp as she stared him down, noting her brother’s quickly reddening face. Her father trusted her enough to take rule over the kingdom and she would respect his wishes, though it worried her about what troubles this would entail, even if she felt honoured that he had chosen her over her brothers.
“It is nothing of your concern, Aidan,” Mira addressed him, watching his reaction carefully. This could turn out horribly wrong quite quickly if he chose to try and take the inheritance from her by force.
“He gave it to you, didn’t he… He intends to have a little girl run this kingdom does he?” Aidan claimed, working into a rage, “I am the eldest son, the inheritance belongs to me! It is tradition!”
“You forget brother…” Mira replied coolly, “The current ruler may choose his successor should the eldest son prove to be unfit for rule.”
Aidan turned a furious shade of crimson, glaring at her as his raven Rakar eyed her balefully. Her mother and brothers watched the scene in shock at what was transpiring and at her outspoken suggestion. “Are you claiming me to be unworthy sister?” he spat out in a near snarl.
“Yes. At least I am not so greedy and power hungry that I would hover above our father’s deathbed like a vulture waiting for its prey to perish so that it might feast on its carcass,” Mira countered, “As his time grew near, you became more foolish and he saw through you and outwitted you… you will never have rule because of this.”
Aidan paled at her claim, disbelieving that the youngest of the royal family, and a daughter at that, would chastise him so and proclaim her spot as the new ruler. “Do not think this ends here sister,” Aidan hissed out, “My influence runs deep. The throne will be mine before you can even so much as take claim before the council.”
“That is what you think brother,” Mira said, fixing him with a sweet smile, “I will outwit you at every turn.”
He turned to storm from the room, leaving a silence in his wake as everyone else came to terms with this turn in events. Mira massaged at her temples in an attempt to thwart the headache that was coming upon her.
“If this is true, then the council must be notified at once,” the second eldest claimed, “Father’s funeral rites will have to be taken care of before your anointment… you had best watch your back little sister, there will be many who will not agree with this and would seek to usurp you in favour of someone more suited to their liking.”
“I’m well aware of this…” Mira sighed. Surely the nobles would not be too fond of learning that the youngest of the family had been chosen to take the throne, and that it had been the daughter at that. They had had female rulers before, but never one so young. If she could succeed and bring about a prosperous and bountiful age, then no doubt she would be well remembered in the histories.
“Mira,” her mother said softly, cupping her daughters face between her hands, “Such weight for one so young… I knew nothing about this or I would have convinced him to chose another of his sons… what’s done is done.”
“I know mother… I will do my best no matter what hurdles I must overcome,” Mira claimed, bringing a smile to her mothers face.
“I’m sure you will,” her mother said, placing a kiss upon her brow. “Don your cloak and take Avery with you,” she said, referring to the old general that had been a close friend of her husband, knowing that if there were trouble then he would be able to keep her only daughter safe. “Don’t stay out too long, but take some time to relax… you will not get many chances once you have been anointed.”
“Yes mother,” Mira said, grateful for the advice as she hurried off to find the general and head out to the city with plans to browse the shops and sample the fine foods.