Tales of Light

RESCUED BY LOVE

This was a short story entry for a challenge initiated by an acquaintance of mine. #LoveExperience

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Once upon a time, before the earth turned into the despondent specie we now know it to be, there was a beautiful, virgin kingdom located in the far east, the orient land that the sun kissed first before any other part of Earth.
It had the lushest of green fauna, the most crystal of waters, the brightest of stars at night, and the most sonorous harmony of both animal and human sounds.
The name of that kingdom was "Camorhit-ile", pronounced /Kæmu:itl/.

The north, east and west regions of the land were under the blissful rulership of the Great Queen Sarayu. She was the monarchess that governed the entire estate.
Full of grace and beauty, there was no flaw whatsoever found in her. She was fierce and bold, one that would rather fight side by side with her army to protect the land rather than sit back in the palace and eat the juicy Wahery berries that grew in the royal vineyard.

However, the dark side-the south region-had been conquered by the Dekolws, evil scavengers that took over that spot in a moment of the kingdom's weakness. They were an hybrid of giants and dwarfs at the same time, if they could be described as that. Very bloodthirsty destroyers from the southern desertlands, beyond the boundary defined by the four rivers and the rugged mountains.

The battle that prevented them from ravaging the entire land was where the Queen Sarayu lost her lovely husband and king of the land, Great Monarch Elyon I. Without having an heir or heiress, he died, leaving her heartbroken but not in too much despair. She swore to protect the land with her very last breath, hence she had no time for romance.
It wasn't that she didn't have any suitors. Many eligible kings from all over had tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to win her hand in love. The guilt of so carelessly losing her husband, who she had loved so immensely, in the war, restrained her.

At the same time, the uncertainty and fear of what would be of the land once she died tormented her constantly. She was in desperate need of a child.
Still, unruffled by her predicament, she ruled, and all the land loved her.

On a very beautiful spring morning, the Queen had the strong urge to go for a walk through her land borders. After leaving orders in the palace to her trustees, she set off with her muscular guards and bevy of lady-servants to the east part of her land in her chariots.
Her subjects bowed and curtsied as the royal horses pranced forward. Her smiles and waves warmed their hearts.

When she felt she had gotten to a serene outskirt space suitable for a peaceful stroll, she alighted from her horse and started walking in a wide expanse of maize field.

As she was breathing in the clean air, mind cleared of all the impending governing issues she had to attend to, she got startled by a muffled, but distinct sound of a cry.
Her warrior instincts took over and she crouched low. Her guards must have heard it too, because they drew near, eyes round, ears perked and hands on their weapons, awaiting a direct instruction from their queen.

She motioned for them to follow and they did, in the direction of the sound that was growing louder with each step forward, prowling like hunting cats.
The cry was thin and so shrill that it caused her hair to stand on end.

On getting close enough, shoving aside the tall stacks of maize crop, Queen Sarayu was the first to see a pink, pale bundle of flesh drenched in blood screaming its lungs out.

It was a baby! A freshly born baby that, by her calculations, was only hours old, obviously dumped here by a heartless woman who didn't even bother to cut off the umbilical cord.
Blood, amiotic fluid, placenta, all the stuff that came with a baby was there. If the hungry wolves in this open place didn't eat up this child, definitely the mother was exposing the child to death by starvation or a venereal infection.