Mars Underneath The Sceptre of Eternity

Dark Sea

There was no end of water; Sailor Alden looked across the horizon. Neither land, nor a mast of a ship was visible. He thought that their ship might have lost the path in the Dark Sea. He went to the cabin, studied the map very carefully and re-examined the compass direction. The ship was heading towards the north. According to his calculation, the ship should be near Port Odena within the nightfall. Sailor Alden looked confused; he again checked through his binoculars and confirmed that there was no sign of land.

Suddenly a knocking sound on his door distracted him; Alden cleared his throat and said, "Yes"; the half closed door was opened outward and a small boy of four years entered. Alden stared at Prince Deoes of Terra-Aquillaan Kingdom, the only living heir of late King Synus, but the boy was no longer looking like a prince in old grey breeches and dark brown doublet. Only the old ratty scarlet cloak was showing the emblem of Karzond Dynasty. The royal emblem was stitched with red and golden threads on a lozenge shaped piece of cloth on the back of his cloak. An Eagle was looking downwards, sitting on a triangular red mountain, holding the conical summit of it with its claws and spreading its wings on both sides with the tips pointing upwards; the bird's body was stitched with golden threads and eyes with red ones. The people of Terra Aquillaan worshipped Eagle as a sacred bird, because, the Ancient Colonisers' legendary winged chariots often displayed eagle emblem. Seers believed that, five thousand years ago, five kingdoms on Mars were actually created by the Ancient Colonisers, who came from the Earth and made the planet habitable. Eagle sitting on a triangular red mountain indicated Karzond dynasty's possession over the Mountain of Fire, which delineated the kingdom's southern boundary and separated it from Terra Tenebris or the Land of Darkness.

Though the boy's appearance was dull, but the trace of his noble blood was depicted through his attitude. There were fury and confusion in his green eyes. The boy's fleshy nose was looking red, he might have rubbed it hard to hide running nose. His chubby cheeks and pink thick lips were depicting impatience and annoyance. He had a wooden sword in his left hand as the little prince was left handed and with his free right hand, he set aside his dark red hairs away from his small forehead.

Sailor Alden stood up from his black wooden chair, came forward, leaving his atlas, compass and charts on the trestle table and knelt down before the boy, "My Prince"; he uttered the word with respect. The little prince asked him restlessly, "Mother is asking when we are about to reach? How far is Odena?"

Sailor Alden looked at the boy and replied, "We will reach very soon, My Prince; please tell Queen Deodara that we'll reach sharp; do not lose patience."

"Mother said that we should be very close to Odena."

The Sailor had no answer to provide; suddenly the Prince pointed his small wooden sword at him, "You too a traitor? Spy of Ergonn?"

"Prince Deoes;" The Sailor blinked nervously and told in a trembled voice, "I'm one of the most trustworthy men of your late father, King Synus; I have taken an oath to keep you and your mother safe from any danger."

"Deoes; come here and put down your toy sword, my boy." A shrill female voice echoed across the cabin. Sailor Alden saw a young woman of average height and built entered through the cabin door; the woman shared same eye and hair colour with her son. Her waist long straight red hairs were tied in a single braid spreading over her right breast. The Queen of Terra- Aquillaan had draped her body in a worn grey broadcloth which once had attractive, colourful floral embroidery over its bodice and expensive laces on its fringes, but now those threads and laces were loose enough to look the cloth less attractive. Her oval shaped calmly face, high cheekbones, aquiline nose, and sharp chin were depicting her serenity in grief. At this tender age, her face had developed some fine wrinkles. Dark patches under her eyes had made her appearance older than her real age. She would not be more than sixteen or seventeen, Alden guessed. She had no jewellery except a gold ring on her ring finger; it was her wedding ring given by Late King Synus. The gold ring had an oval shaped ruby bordered by ten small white gemstones. The ring was probably the only jewellery she possessed.