Artemis and Caspian: The Spy

Chapter Ten

Lady Kendra waited patiently as the sun set softly over the trees just beyond Calatan's blood-soaked field. She squinted against the light and saw the outline of thousands of soldiers camping a few leagues outside the border shared with Meridan. Stalemate, she hated the quiet before the storm. Lord Terrowin scanned the horizon and placed a hand on Kendra's lower back.

"Come on," he nudged her, "Let's go in and get started, they'll be here soon."

She nodded curtly and followed him inside. The two didn't speak as they made their way across the castle to the south yard. They really hadn't said much of anything since the body was found. Kendra chose to focus on the task ahead, walking briskly across the sandstone floor with sharp determination. The King deserved a grand burial, and she intended to give him just that. Lacking a gruff exterior, Terrowin had a harder time hiding his grief. The Lord let his long hair hang over his eyes as he kept his head down, praying for the King's soul. He hoped the moon goddess took him in a blaze of glory.

Once outside, Kendra handed her torch off to a nearby attendant, taking one look at the mourners before ceremoniously taking her place beside the King's funeral landing. To her right, Tristian lay in a gold lined coffin atop a bed of stone raised above the earth. A few meters to the Lady's left a larger funeral pyre was at the ready with kindling, for an ascent to the moon goddess's sweet embrace. There was a hush descending over the gathered crowd. The soft orange light of torches lit up the cool night air, reflecting on faces glistening with tears. Smoke from all the burning torch wood softly snaked their way to the sky, creating curling patterns in the air before dissipating into the heavens. Kendra took a moment to look for the gods. She asked them for a sign. Thousands of stars streaked across a blanket of blue slowly fading to black. They smiled down at the Lady of Calatan, reflecting silver light onto the mortal world, silently reassuring her with their bright sparkles. She watched as one shot across the sky, winking at her in a trail of pure silver stardust that marked a fiery descent across the night. Kendra smiled as she watched it burn back into the atmosphere. Tristian was here.

Lord Aileron was already at the King's stone bed when the couple had arrived, tenderly placing a wreath gently in Tristian's folded hands. Today marked his last day in the realm. The Lord would pay his respects to the fallen King before returning to Heliatra to continue his duties. He was useless to the war effort in Calatan with his old age and his realm needed their leader back sternly at the helm. Aileron made brief eye contact with Kendra before doddering back down the stairs to his place, allowing her to begin the ceremony. Lord Terrowin passed a large burning torch to his wife and she took it in a grand gesture, climbing sullenly to the top of the King's funeral landing.

"People of Calatan, friends," she addressed the growing crowd, who stood in unsettling silence, "We come here to say goodbye to our commander, our confidant, our King. King Tristian is..." she stopped herself and looked her King's body lying peacefully there. Just there, if she reached out and touched him-

Lady Kendra fought back tears. Maybe, he'd wake up. "Was a great leader, a fearless warrior and a dear friend," To hide her perceived weakness, she looked towards the sky and distracted herself again with stars streaking across the sky. Her King was up there, somewhere among them. "May the moon goddess embrace him as one of her stars." She raised her torch and the crowd did the same. "In Calatan it is our tradition to burn our heroes at the funeral pyre. Meridan has requested we send his Majesty's body back whole, so we will bestow the honor on the Meridian gaurds who gave their lives unearthing the identity of his murderer."

She crossed over to her left to place a hand on the larger pyre that held the bodies of the two guardsmen, each with Meridan's crest placed proudly over both eyes. She dipped her torch on the kindling and watched as the fire consumed their bodies, ashes and sparks rising towards the sky, returning home to the moon goddess who lay in wait with outstretched arms. The crowd watched in silence, some with heads bowed, other fighting tears, all prayed. Lady Kendra marched down, returning to her place next to Lord Terrowin's side. He placed his hand on her lower back for comfort but she remained cold under his touch, refusing to rip her eyes away from the raging fire engulfing the soldier's silhouettes. Under the Lord's signal, a few generals approached the King's coffin and pushed it closed, heaving it onto their shoulders and carrying it sullenly down the stairs. Lady Kendra watched them leave for a short while then abruptly turned and walked away, ripping herself from her husband's grip. The Lord's weary eyes trailed after her as she disappeared into the crowd. He knew how deeply she was hiding her grief and it didn't sit well with him.