Tempest and Tide [Nikolai Lantsov]

~ The Blood of Beyovina ~

I've been listening to the Myths and Legends podcast so I thought I would try my hand at creating my own. Here is the full story of the Blood of Beyovina, my original legend, that was touched on in the last chapter.

Long ago, before the Darkling, before the fold, in a country that has long since passed from memory, twins were born. First a Princess, then a Prince.

Years went by and the twins grew side by side, he a wandering soul who craved the freedoms of the world beyond the place walls, she the beating heart of the country with all the strength of her people. Though they were different, the twins loved each other deeply.

The girl, being firstborn, knew she would inherit the throne. She was bright and loyal and the people rejoiced at the knowledge she would one day be their ruler. 

But all was not well. Her country was on the brink of war with its neighbor, a Kingdom poised to attack the second she took the throne. For the rival King did not believe a woman was strong enough to defend her land and people.

Though the Princess insisted that she could handle war, her father had other plans. He sent word to the rival King that in exchange for peace between their realms, he could have the Princess's hand.

The rival King agreed and the Princess, despite her protests, was shipped away to his Kingdom, her twin brother named King in her stead.

But neither the Prince nor the Princess favored this arrangement. The Prince felt caged in without the winds of the countryside around him. The Princess was enraged at the separation from her Kingdom,

Worse still they were cut off from one another. The twins had never gone more than a day without speaking, but now, forced apart by the will of their father, they were never to see one another again. 

Though she was distraught with the knowledge that the life and the only people she loved had been ripped from her grasp, the Princess did not weep. Instead, she began to plan. The rival King grew suspicious and locked his future Queen away, refusing to release her from her chambers until she swore to him that she would be loyal to him.

But the Princess was not truly alone, for her brother sent along a wedding gift. A falcon he had captured on one of his travels in an ornate golden cage. It was her only companion and as the weeks wore on she found the only thing to lift her from despair was the sight of the bird that reminded her of home.

One night, she was admiring the falcon, longing for the company of her family, when it shifted and she noticed something new. A small parcel tied to its leg. Unlocking the small latch, the Princess allowed the bird from its cage for the first time.

As soon as the clasp was freed the falcon burst forth from its golden prison, twice the size of a normal bird. It circled the room in graceful arcs before coming to rest on the shoulder of its new master. The Princess, overtaken by curiosity, unwrapped a note from the bird's leg. It was from her brother.

The falcon was from a far-off land and was said to be tied to the wishes of whoever could capture it. This bird had been her brother's and his last command had been for the bird to stay with her, to do her bidding.

The Princess wanted nothing but companionship. She had been locked in the King's palace for weeks, cut off from her brother and Kingdom. And so she sent the flacon away with a message, desperate for word from her home, and fell into a deep, fitful sleep.

The next day the Princess awoke to a rapping on her window. She ran to the balcony, throwing the doors wide and the bird flew in. It rested on the shoulder, extending its leg with a message.