Two Of The Same Piece || Book 1 (The Beginning)

CHAPTER 40

Taiskin had gotten messages from both Aurilean and Mow. Both of them would be ready soon at the other end of Thinlin. Aurilean's letter had a little thing that he had balked at. Rave's finger. How news of it spread so quickly, he didn't know, only that Bellayong was up in arms.

More of the lords and minor noblemen arrived with supplies, soldiers, or both. Bellamin, despite the grim situation, was full of people. The city was lively and bright, as lively and bright a city preparing for war could be.

But word of this incident had dimmed all of it. Now, as people prepared for war, they also prepared for a funeral as well. Word had reached the queen consort's quarters. Taiskin was found of his second mother, whom he called 'mama' affectionately. She had sent him a summons. He honestly did not want to face her, because he would have to face his own mother and father too.

Taiskin wondered how he would explain to his mama how awfully hurt Rave may be. While he had tormented Rave for much of her life, and he had suffered quite a few punishments because of it, he had made it mostly out of love. Or so he told himself. She was still his sister, and she was a royal princess. She needed to be treated with respect.

As her maids opened the door for him, he found the queen consort sitting with his parents, in her antechamber. She was resting her head on his mother's shoulder. She looked exhausted, her eyes had sunken in and they were red-rimmed.

His father gestured for him to take a seat with them at the small table, a decanter of wine on it. "Is it true?" She asked as he sat.

Taiskin sighed, "Yes."

She took a deep breath, her eyes glittering with tears. "Oh, my poor children."

Queen Orisa took her hand and squeezed it. "You can't lose hope, Ida. Rave needs your prayers, you need to be strong for them. They will need you once they are back."

"Mama," He took her other hand in his. "I will do everything to save her, to save them both. I promise." Taiskin squeezed her hand.

She didn't appear to hear him, "She is my only child. She is my only one. If she-" Her voice faded. "I refuse to bury all of my children. I will take my own life before I bury my Rave."

"Ida, my darling. Please." His father pleaded, "Don't say that. Rave will be fine."

"Yes, mama. Don't say that. Rave will be alright. She will be back to you. I promise, mama." He kissed her hand. "I promise."

She caressed his cheek, "Oh Taiskin, how much they must be suffering. My baby girl." Her voice cracked. "You remember how Rave hated getting hurt? How will she be alright?'

"Rave is a strong girl, Ida. She is very strong." His father said. "It will take more than some lowly royal to break her." He wiped the tears from her face. "I know our girl, she is strong enough to survive this."

"She is strong, but these memories will plague her for the rest of her life. She will not return to us. The Rave we knew will never return to us."

"Taiskin, I am sure they need you for the meetings now. Go on." His father dismissed him, picking up the sobbing consort in his arms.

His mother joined him. "Ida is so worried. I don't think she will be the same either."

"Rave will be fine, won't she?" Taiskin asked, "She has to be. She can't lose to Josephine."

"Taiskin, think of all the awful things Josephine has already done. Just the ones we know of." She sighed. "I fear Ida is correct. The Rave we knew, she is gone."

"Her distress, it is-" Taiskin couldn't think of a word for it. "How can you and father take it?"

"You aren't a parent yet, Taiskin. When you have children, you will understand. Ida has lost all of her children. Rave is her only living child. I can't take all this pain myself, I can't imagine my pain if it was you or Irene." She said. "Ida loves Rave, of course, she can't take hearing all of this."

"I don't even know what to do." He ran a hand through his hair. "Do I kill Josephine? Do we spare her?"

"Whatever you do, don't let it be a Bellan hand that takes Josephine's life prematurely." His mother advised him.

"Why?"

She chuckled sadly. "I was a general in your father's war councils as a young queen. Let the others do your dirty work. Don't let revenge ruin Bellayong's reputation. Let others take the blame. Keep your own hands clean. Because if you get caught with bloody hands like Josephine, they won't hesitate to turn on you too."

--

Rina uncomfortably continued embroidering. The sour-faced chief lady-in-waiting that had been assigned to her was a hard woman. She didn't smile, she rarely did anything other than glare at Rina.

She hadn't seen Taiskin since he had come to tell him that he was taking another wife. Rina convinced herself that it didn't matter. She was still the first wife, Taiskin's seed was in her womb first. Whoever this other woman was would be the queen consort, a pretty term for a concubine.

Rina huffed as she put her embroidery down. Despite her low opinions of this woman, she was curious as to who it was. "Who is Taiskin's new wife?"

The woman narrowed her eyes at Rina as if deciding whether she would sell this information to Josephine. She exhaled and rolled her eyes as if annoyed with Rina. "High Priestess Hanara of Ravi." She said in a heavily accented voice.

"Who?" Rina had never heard of this priestess woman.

"Sister of Raib Leo, woman of talent." The woman clearly didn't speak Thinlinyte well.

"Will she be queen consort?"

"No. Only foreign person consort. Bellan woman queen of the people." The woman looked very smug.

"But I married Taiskin first." She exclaimed.

"Not matter. You are not wanted in Bellayong."