The Naiad Queen

Chapter 22

The Naiad Trilogy

Part 3: The Naiad Queen

The sound heard from the balcony overlooking the Grand Courtyard was the saddest song ever played. The contrapuntal melodies of the dual trumpets were not of the usual, regal fanfare; they were somber and lamenting, floating through stone walls and penetrating the deepest hearts. Every ear that heard stopped their immediate action and turned their eyes to the castle. The women stopped cleaning. The men stopped working. The dogs stopped barking. Even the children stopped playing.

It was a song, that while beautiful and awe inspiring in its own accord, struck a chord with every Narnian and brought tears to every eye. It was a song heard not just through the streets and halls of Cair Paravel, but it was carried on the wind and heard by every Narnian, in every home, through every wood, and in every river, stream, and brook. Every squirrel came out of their burrow. Every Faun came out of their den. Every Naiad left their waters.

Its timbre was melodious and mellowing. There could be no mistaking the song's message; a royal was dead. After years of peace, tragedy had struck Narnia at its heart.

XOXOX

Cair Paravel was silent for days. Hardly a word was ever spoken above a whisper for none had the strength to speak louder. Voices were dry and hoarse, as though from suffering much crying. The Queen's death was mourned by all, and her services would be unlike any other and not easily forgotten. The King did not want to make any decision regarding the body of his wife; that responsibility fell onto the shoulders of the Princess.

"What do we do with the body?" Drinian asked quietly late one night.

Since her death, Ava's body had been moved into an isolated room, but the final decision for a service had yet to be made. Rhea was in consultation with her mother's closest friends, Drinian, Rhince, Helaine, Gael, and Orlich. Caspian was there too, but he only stared out the window and said nothing. Rhea had tried to get her brother to attend, but he never left his room. Rhea had given much thought to her mother's service over the last thirty-six hours, and at last she believed she had the fitting idea.

"My mother was a Naiad of the Great River. Her parents were Naiads. From the water she came to us, and to the water her body will return."

"Ava would like that," Gael said.

"What do you propose we do exactly?" Rhince asked.

"We build a vessel, place her body inside it, and seal it off. We set it a drift at sea, and we then we sink it."

"You want to toss her body into the sea?" Rilian suddenly asked from the doorway. Rhea turned around with a start; she had not been expecting him to show.

"I believe it is what she would want, Rilian. And we would not simply toss her over."

"No. You're wrong. Mother would want to stay here; she'd want to be near her family. We should put her in the mausoleum."

"What? And lock her way in some cold, stone prison? Mother would not want that. She'd want to be free; she'd want to be in the water."

"Just because that is where you wish to live does not make it Mother's choice too. Or do you forget, Mother gave up the water to be with us."

"Rilian..."

"What does Father say?" Rilian cast a cold stare to Caspian's back.