The archive of the forgotten

Everlasting duty

'All is forgiven' a sentence my ears will never have  the pleasure of hearing. Or perhaps they will hear it but they won't believe it. I've done unspeakable things and faced unknown fears. All for my this country that I must watch as everything it once stood for disappears, slowly, but surely. I miss the fresh summer air in the city full of life. Yes, ther city is still full of life. The city will never lose it's spark but the air has become far from fresh. It is really quite strange, so many years you feel young, you understand the world, you understand the difference year by year but now it is as if I have slept or skipped 20 years.

The world is so different with it's floating devices that breathe out black smoke. Sunships, that's what they call them, but here in the city; where the people can't dream of ever stepping foot in it, they refer to them as smokeships. Which is a name I agree with.

I myself have been in a smokeship. I've been to balls, to banquets, I've seen the unfaithful bourgoise wander around in their wealth for decade after decade. Every time the same families, the same words out of their mouth and the same arrogance. They leave me uninspired and hollow. They have always left me with a bad taste in my mouth. But I do not have the power of judging people. It is not something I am supposed to do.

I have a duty of care, a duty of protection, a duty of mercy, But only to my, or better said, their people. regetfully the Bourgoise is a part of that.

I hide my face under my black cloak as somebody asks whether I would like to buy apples. I decline as softly as I can as I take a deep breath and briefly close my eyes. When I open them and I see the magnificent palace of the family I have sworn to protect and be faithfull to. I sigh.

I am nothing but a promise, a secret, a weapon.

I am soldier

I look out of the window of the palace. The smoke obscures the view I used to love as a kid. On a good day I can see the whole city. But those days are not frequent anymore. I straighten the skirt of my dress with my hands and take a deep breath. I turn around and see Cyfrin staring at me. His black dress simple, with the golden details and crests of his family. His black hair is just long enough to touch his jawline. He walks up to me. 

"You'll learn eventually to see this as normal" He says as he grabs my hand. He kisses me on the forehead. Cyfrin and his family have always felt like my real family. I always spent the summer at their magical house, a house full of magic and before his mother died, It was also full of laughter.  "A queen must do her duty, even if she is not certain on what to do or what her duty is." He says as he hands me the crown. His golden eyes reflecting the sun.

"Cyfrin, you're my advisor, what do you advice? Do I say yes to the potential of ruining my country?" He smiles, "You must see it differently my queen. You are simply opening the door for more oppurtunity. These new routes will ensure that there will be more jobs, more wealth, more trafing." He looks out of the window. "We only do not know how many more jobs or wealth the world can take." he says while gesturing to the black smoke. I bite my lip.

"Cyfrin?" He looks up. "What if I give them the information about the stone of the saints?" He looks at me. Confused and maybe slightly mad. "Rhiannon, you have promised something. To your dad when he died and to your family when you took the crown. That vow included sheltering the world from magic that is possible to abuse. The stone of saints is one of the most corrupting powers of the world. If they know we had it they would blame us for keeping it hidden. We cannot end the cycle. It would only cause trouble Rhiannon." I nod, but strangely I hope that the talented sorcerer will listen to me in a few months. I do not know if I believe he will or if I only hope.

"What I actually wanted to tell you is that the soldier has arrived again my queen." I nod and walk into the hall of kings. There he stands, the soldier, dressed in his black clothes, the brown leather is the only thing that stand out. "Garrick, Lift your hood." The shadow smiles as he lifts his hood. His long white hair falls off his shoulders as his green eyes look up. His face is riddled with scars, his eyes know the secrets of the universe and his mouth savours the taste of blood. He smirks. "You're more strict than your father, My King." 

I realise that he is right, I am duty, I am secrets.

I am king

I look at the flowers blooming in the greenhouse. I feel a tear in my eye as I wipe away my dark locks. I look at the empty page, the page I wish to fill with words worth saying. It feels like none really are, but they are. My mother always liked my poetry, my father wants me to be more like my brother. Because my brother is so talented, so graceful. He is a mirror to my father's best qualities and my mother's appearance. He is the perfect son.

And then there's me, hopelessly trying to understand the feelings I am so afraid of losing. I am too scared to use the magic our mother has taught us. I am too afraid to tell my father I am afraid. So I will settle for being a spoiled child of a duke. But I want to be so much more. I want to be an artist, a crafter of words, somebody that peaks the intesests of people.

"I am home" The soft voice Cyfrin says. I look up, the thin expensive fabric of his black dress seems to float as he gracefully walks up to me. He hasn't worn any colours since our mother died two years ago. I smile as I stand up, he looks at the purple irises standing in front of us. "They are beautiful this year" He looks at me. "They match your eyes" He says with a smile, my mum would call me iris, exactely because of that. I start to cry. Cyfrin hugs me.

I dry my tears as we sit down and look at the sun which is slowly setting. He grabs the notebook where I have been writing in and reads a few pages before I get the chance to take it back.

"Tadgh, you are such a poet" He says with a smile

Hello everybody, so inspired by the soldier poet king song I once started this, never finished and I have now finished it. I would love to know more about Garrick, Rhiannon and Tadgh. I quite like it. I wanted to focus a lot on duty and choices. Let me know what you think!