Caledonian advocates

1

After the departure of the messengers, King Arvid, also called Joran,  traveled together with his concubine Lydia towards a remote village in the Caledonian highlands. The village was used by sorcerers to contact Celtic gods. The village was inhabited by Druids and their families. Why did Joran visit the village? He wanted to go away from the tensions at the capital. He was stressed out by all the conflicts between the Caledoni clans. Joran's wife, Silvana remained at the court with their sons Aerios (17), Jairos (16), Kevin (15), Aerol (14), Wilhelmus (13) and Viresh (11). Joran's son with his concubine Arminius (17) and their daughter Cyra (16) lived together with their siblings. After arriving at the village, the Druids brought him to an underground apartment build inside on of the hills. There was fresh water from an underground stream and fresh air from the winds in the highlands. Joran decided to spend time with Lydia because he knew she would die soon. She was already 98 years of age, despite having a strong, healthy body with youthful looks. Nobody would believe her age when they saw her. Lydia explained her whole life unto her two latest children and made plain unto them that ''everyone was born to day one day''. Lydia had two children with her first husband, Joran's father Arvid, one child due to an affair, one child with her half-brother from Savaria and two children with Joran. All her children she begot after age 50. 

''Lydia... do you regret anything in your life?''

''What should I regret?''

''You are almost one century on this Earth. Most people never reach your age. Your body has no wrinkles and you still look like you're in your twenties. You have seen generations come and go.... ''

''I regret not letting go...''

''What did you hold unto?''

''I kept hoping for a better past. It hindered me from breaking free from cursed relationship. It held me hostage to cursed people who had bad spirits attached to them. I didn't realise it at the time.''

''When did you let go?''

''I didn't. Until I met you...''

''What about Dad?''

''I was reaching 50 and I was never married, never involved with a man and no children. I didn't want to end up alone. Your father was married to a beautiful Korean woman. They suggested me to marry him too. So, I did. And I was happy. But still the past kept haunting me.''

''You were happy with Dad.. so why did you conspire against him?''

''I admit. I was easily manipulated. So, I thought by joining them to make hem abdicate... He would have more time for me.... instead of for his Korean wife. But...''

''But...''

''That didn't happen. He got murdered. I felt guilty. I grieved a lot. I married shortly afterwards, but both the husband and the baby I begot died by a disease. I was left behind....I decided to seek out a young girl to have some adventures with. I know it was wrong.. but .. at the time I didn't care. I couldn't care less. That's how Silvana came into the picture. She ended up using me to get a higher standard of living and I became the unwanted outcast around here. It was her that pushed me to sleep with you... and here we are 17 years later..''

''Would you have done the same?''

''I don't know. Probably not... but it doesn't matter now. I'm almost going to depart from this world. I don't know where I will end up after this body perishes.''

''I'm inspired by your ability to endure...''

''I endured a lot of hardship during my life Joram.''

''You sure did. Your father was also a quite ambitious man.''

''Please, let not speak about him. It makes me sad. It has been almost 6 decades ago that he passed away. Nevertheless...''

''You will join him soon.''

''I hope not to see my mother at the other side..''

''You're still angry at her?''

''No.. I'm not. I just understand that she was a wicked reprobate woman who never intended to change her ways. In the afterlife, whatever will be there, she will be still the same old negative sour woman that she was during her lifetime on the earth. I don't want to encounter that after this lifetime.''

''Where do you want to be buried?''

''I don't care.''

''Our kids will..''

''Scandinavia. At the side where Yehuda town was stationed. Bury me over there.''

''All right. That's settled.''

''Enough about me. What about you? What are your future plans for Caledoni?''

''I have no idea...''

''You should be more adventurous Joran. You will need that.'' 

Back in the capital Queen Silvana held a big feast where there was much nude drunkenness and loud music. At the court some of the Caledoni veterans became annoyed with the wild lifestyle of Silvana. They were afraid she would set the wrong example for the Caledoni women.