The Heart and The Sword ~Part One~

Chapter Two : The Young Queen

Sylvia sat next to her niece's crib and simply looked at her. She absolutely adores all of Thalya's children and she is sure she will love Julyan's just as much. It had become a tradition of sorts. The morning after Thalya's labour she spent an hour or two with the baby. She did it with Hartley, she did it with Artur and she did it with Daevon as well. She sat next to all three of them and now she was sitting and admiring her niece, Celestia. She was a chubby little thing, her cheeks round and full.
 
—Your Majesty, may we enter?
 
Sylvia nodded, but did not take her eyes off Celestia.
 
—She is certainly beautiful, said Thynan.
 
—And fat, Conan added, though he felt his heart skip a beat when his eyes landed on the new addition of his family.
Thynan hit him playfully with his elbow, but Sylvia giggled at her cousin's comment. She agreed with him.
 
—You know, when she opened her eyes Thalya and I almost started screaming in delight. She has mother's brown eyes.
 
Celestia, just like her mother, had a shade of brown most exquisite. The color mimicked that of a sunstone and once the sunlight hit it, it became mesmerizing. She always admired Julya's eyes. She was even jealous of Thalya when she was a little girl.
 
—About your mother, Conan said in a grave voice and his cousin's heart sank.
 
—What did you find? she asked, dread in her tone.
 
A moment of hesitation, in which the knights looked at each other. Thynan and Conan became fast friends when they met and after all the time they spent together one glance was all that it took for them to understand each other.
What they were about to share with their queen could potentially send her into a very dark place.
 
—A fisherman found her dress. It was floating about an hour away from the shore, Thynan finally spoke.
 
Sylvia didn't take her eyes off Celestia. But she wasn't truly looking at her. Her mind was spiraling. Someone had found her mother's dress. Or maybe not. It could have been any dress and they just thought it was the former queen's.
 
—He's in the throne room, Your Majesty, Thynan continued.
 
Sylvia shot up and quickly made her way to the throne room with Thynan and Conan close behind her.
 
—Your Majesty, the guards posted at the throne room doors said in greeting, but the queen paid them no mind. She was focused on the man whose back was turned to her.
 
—Sir, Her Majesty, Sylvia Valentinius has arrived.
 
The man turned to face her and quickly kneeled at the sight of her. She told him to get up and approached him.
 
—I understand you found something belonging to my mother.
 
The man nodded with a grim face.
 
—What's your name? Sylvia asked.
 
—Mercus, Your Majesty.
 
—How can you be sure the dress belonged to my mother, Mercus?
 
Mercus looked down to his feet for a few moments.
 
—Your mother asked me to retrieve something for her from the northen caves and she was wearing that dress. I-I remember because a child complimented her dress.
 
Sylvia swallowed the lump in her throat. He was sure it was her dress and until she could see it, she'd have to take his word for it. Either way, something else caught her attention.
 
—What did she want you to retrieve?
 
The northern caves were a week's journey. It must have been important.
 
—I don't know, Your Majesty. All she told me was that it was in a blue box and buried in the farthest point to the west in the main cave. B-but I never got to it. The caves were swarming with pirates. I-I was by myself a-and...
 
Sylvia raised a hand to stop Mercus.
 
—It's okay. Your life is much more important than whatever my mother had hid in the caves. You made a wise decision.
 
Mercus nodded in appreciation.
 
—I'm truly sorry, Your Majesty. I should have brought you the item. Or at the very least told you about it. I just, when I got back I had heard what happened and I couldn't believe it. I have no excuse for waiting this long to tell you. Please forgive me.
 
Sylvia took a few steps towards him and grabbed his hand.
 
—Mercus, it's alright. There is nothing to forgive. Thank you for bringing back my mother's dress. I will make sure you will be rewarded.
 
She turned to Conan and without having to say a word, her cousin told the fisherman to follow him. On his way out, Mercus turned to face his queen again.
 
—Thank you, Your Majesty. And, again, I am truly sorry.
 
And with that, he was gone.
 
—Your Majesty? Thynan asked, not really expecting any sort of answer.
 
She felt her insides fighting in her throat to come out. She had to see the dress.
 
—Five years, she said. Five years and all we found is her dress. An hour away, no less, Sylvia murmured.
 
Thynan wanted to wrap his hands around her, comfort her, but he couldn't. The two guards at the doors were watching. All he could do was look at her and hope she didn't fall apart.
 
Sylvia straightened her back and walked away. She needed to see the dress.
 
In the council room, Julyan sat in his sister's chair and looked at the wet purple dress. He couldn't remember if it was truly his mother's or not, he was too young to notice what she wore the day of the attack. Mercus said it was her dress, but Julyan wasn't sure.
 
He remembers the chaos, the yelling, being picked up and left in a dark, cold room with Thalya and Hartley. They sat there, his sister and Hartley holding him in their arms for hours. What he remembers vividly is seeing Sylvia crying that night. Once a knight came to retrieve them, he took them to their chambers. They passed the throne room and he saw his oldest sister hitting Thynan's chest and screaming.
 
He dreaded seeing Sylvia's reaction. He didn't want to see her fall apart again.
 
—Julyan?
 
The prince got up and walked to her. She seemed... fine.
 
—What are you doing here?
 
—I was there when Mercus arrived. I hoped I had heard wrong. I hoped...
 
—I know, she cuts him off.
 
She walked towards the table. She touched the dress ever so softly. It was still drenched. Mercus must've rushed to them as soon as he found it. It was hers. She remembered perfectly. The few moments it took the attackers to kill her father and take her mother were very clear in her mind. She remembered the purple dress, embroidered with roses and stars, tied at the waist with pearls. Pearls, which now were missing, most likely broken in the struggle.
 
It truly used to be a mesmerizing dress. And it fit her perfectly.
 
—Don't lose hope, little brother, she spoke, her mind spiraling out of control, trying to find a way to tie the dress to any location.
 
—Like you have?
 
Sylvia whipped her head to Julyan and her heart broke as she looked at his expression.
 
—What do you mean?
 
—I know you've stopped looking for mother. I'm not sure if Thalya knows, but I figured it out.
 
The queen swallowed. She always thought that if either of her siblings found out they'd be angry, disgusted, ashamed. But Julyan, he just seemed to pity his older sister.
 
—You assume she's dead.
 
—It's not something I wish for, Julyan, but...
 
—But five years is a long time, he cuts her off, leaning against the table and crossing his arms across his chest.
 
Sylvia nodded. She stopped the search after two years had passed. She had lost hope, but she didn't want to take that away from her siblings. She wanted to keep that hope alive until the very last possible moment. So she kept updating the two of them. She never fully lied, they truly never found anything, but she assured them that the knights were still looking.
 
—I'm sorry, Julyan. The knights were not only exhausted, but they were also needed across the kingdom. Most of them had families, as well. I couldn't keep them searching day and night. They still had orders to keep an eye out for anything suspicious, she reassured him, even though she knew that once given a task, most of them focused on that task alone.
 
While she spoke, Julyan nodded, glancing at the dress over and over.
 
—Truly, Sylvia, I understand. You do not have to explain.
 
Sylvia couldn't help the proud smile that bloomed on her face. She always made sure Julyan was kept safe and mostly ignorant to the problems of the kingdom. She couldn't stop seeing him as the small child that cowered behind the former queen every time he had to meet new people. But no more. He's proved again and again that he is more than capable of handling himself and looking at problems objectively. He had a bad habit of eavesdropping, and because of that, she failed to keep everything from him. However, he always tried to help the best he could.
  
She was sure that her reign would be a lonely one. She wanted no husband and no children, but she did worry about who her successor would be. Thalya didn't want the throne and she didn't want to put its burden on her little brother. However, it seemed she would have to reconsider Julyan.
  
—So, where exactly did Mercus find the dress? It could help us find something.
  
—An hour away from the shore, Sylvia answered, her little brother frowning at the information.
  
—That doesn't give us much. It could have come from any of the islands, but the knights already searched there and found nothing. Unless they were hiding underground and the knights missed an entrance.
  
—We never searched the islands, Sylvia confessed.
 
Julyan turned to face his sister. He didn't believe her.
  
—What do you mean you never searched them? It should have been the first place you sent the knights!
  
—After the attack knights followed the men that took mother, but they vanished in thin air. Without any orders they spread across the kingdom and waited at every possible exit to the sea and borders. They waited for a month, Julyan, and nobody left. So I had them search the kingdom.
  
Julyan's knuckles turned white due to the sheer pressure he put on them when balling his fists.
  
—Gods, Sylvia, you cannot be this foolish! If they did cross the sea it could have happened in the time it took the knights to organize themselves or they waited for a month until the knights left!
  
Sylvia kept calm. Julyan was right, but she could not change the past. She was young and devastated. She had held her father's dead body in her arms, she couldn't sleep through the nights and if she did she would wake up in cold sweat, screaming for a father that was no longer alive.
  
—I was inexperienced. Father's funeral needed my attention, as did you and
Thalya. The kingdom needed my attention, Julyan, she spoke in a low tone. There was no point in dwelling in the past.
  
—So did mother. Gods know what she has been through, if she's still alive.
  
Sylvia's heart sank. She had thought of everything Julyan was saying. It crossed her mind to search the islands, but it had already been too late. It had already been two years since her mother's abduction when the thought came to her in the middle of the night while she was looking at the empty grave underneath her window. She didn't think it was necessary to send men to the islands after two years. Her mother would have most likely already been dead, if she even was on one of the islands, and she wasn't prepared to fill that grave.
  
So she let the years pass.
  
—Whether or not she's alive today doesn't change the fact that her dress was found an hour away. Five years is too long for it to have floated here from the islands, or even Jeweksill. It must have been discarded at least a week ago.
  
Julyan took in a deep breath and tried to relax his body. He had to keep his composure. Sylvia was right. Back then she didn't know how to properly be a queen, much less lead an investigation. Besides, she must have been heartbroken after the attack. Gods knew he probably would have been just as unable to focus on the thing that hurt the most.
  
—Then let's search them now. It isn't too late. Worst comes to worst, we can at least give mother a proper burial.
  
—We will. And I would like you to lead the search.
  
It could be dangerous, yes, but she knew her brother well. If she hadn't said it, he would have offered and most likely wouldn't have taken no for an answer. Besides, she wanted to lead another search.

*

  
—What do you mean you're both leaving? I do not want to be left in charge!
  
Julyan and Sylvia shared a glance.
  
—I should be away for a little over a month. Hopefully, it takes less.
  
Thalya rolled her eyes and looked at her older sister.
  
—I told you I want nothing to do with the throne or, more importantly, the dukes.
  
Sylvia took in a deep breath. As lovely as her sister was, she could be so stubborn. Too stubborn for her own good.
  
—You won't have to deal with the dukes, Thalya. The next meeting will be next month and I will be back by then. All you have to do is listen to those who seek help from us and show your face at the temple and orphanage, Sylvia explained.
  
—No! I want nothing to do with any of that! You are the queen, you stay here and deal with it. Send Julyan wherever you need to go as well.
  
Sylvia sighed. She could do that if Thalya proved to be impossible to deal with. Which was already happening. It wouldn't be too much of a waste if Julyan was away for longer. She would send a few extra knights with him for protection.
  
—No, Thalya! Julyan's deep voice thundered in the garden. We both need to leave! Gods, this kingdom is your home as well, the people aren't only Sylvia's, their yours as well. I understand you've been through a lot with Celestia's birth, but you need to step up. What if, Gods forbid, Sylvia and I die someday? What will you do then? Let the knigdom fall into ruin? You will take Sylvia's place and that's that.
  
Pride filled Sylvia's chest. Julyan had the makings of a king. A good one. She turned to her sister and spoke in a calm voice, contrast to Julyan's irritated one.
  
—Look, Thalya, all you have to do is sit in the throne for a few hours every day. If you truly do not wish to visit the temple and orphanage, you can tell them you're still in pain from the hard childbirth. Nobody would blame you, certainly not the women at the orphanage and certainly not the priestesses. They have all experienced the dangers of childbirth. It should get you out of it for at least a few days. 
 
Thalya looked at the two of them. They seemed set in whatever they were after. She sighed and leaned back in her chair. If only Hartley would have been back. She would have made him do everything her siblings were asking of her.
  
—Fine. Could you, at least, tell me what you're both after?
  
The two of them exchanged glances. They had come to an accord to keep their mother's dress and Julyan's search a secret for now. If Thalya knew, it could give her too much hope. While Sylvia wanted to keep that hope burning in her younger siblings, if Thalya knew Julyan was going after their mother, she could expect him to bring her back. There was still a chance their little brother might come back empty-handed.
  
—I'm not sure, Sylvia spoke first. It was something that belonged to mother. She hid it in the northern caves and I'm going to retrieve it.
  
Thalya nodded and turned to Julyan.
  
—And you?
  
—I'm going to find a place for me and my future bride. I've come to a decision and I was hoping to have a house built for her as a gift.
  
At that, Thalya's face brightened and she began asking endless questions about the lady Julyan picked.
  
Sylvia smiled and excused herself. She had to make preparations.

To be continued on 25.10.2024...