Mars Underneath The Sceptre of Eternity

The Death of Love

Amerik did not expect the king to forgive him so easily; especially when he attacked his nursemaid whom he valued like his own mother. Though the King could not reply to his queries regarding Volga and indifferently said that he had never heard that name in his lifetime, but Rurzda felt uneasy. Amerik had spent the 'Three Days of Mourning' in his own dormitory and he was not allowed to leave the room for a second. His roommates too left the room and guards were posted outside the door.

Blazerrick, the hot headed young man collected his belonging at that night only and his brother Zephyr followed him. They could not finish the task in time; so, they were not allowed to compete anymore. Emereon, the affable boy had finished it on time; but he decided to stay in the first floor dormitory with Arold for the rest of the week. Amerik realised that all of his roommates had thought him lunatic and were fearing of sudden attack from him.

Those three days, Amerik also feared of hard punishment; but when he was asked to meet the King, he feared that the king would either behead him or put him into the jail. Two guards accompanied him to the throne room where Ergonn was sitting on a gigantic throne with a vast Eagle at its back. Amerik had no idea whether the throne had a name or not, but he named it Eagle Throne. Today, Ergonn was looking different in a neck fastening cloak and doublet made of red panne velour trimmed with white furs and white silk breeches. However, he had no other jewelleries, except his ruby embedded circlet crown and a gold chain which probably had a pendant but concealed inside his inner white shirt. He had his legendary white sceptre in his hand. Ergonn stared at him suspiciously.

Those two soldiers knelt before the King and compelled him to do so; but Ergonn asked him to rise. Today, Ergonn was not looking affable like earlier; he was looking a bit angry as well as confused.

"Why did you attack Rurzda?" He asked Amerik.

"I wanted to ask her something. Please, allow me, it is very important." He gasped.

"Tell me what it is." Ergonn said coldly.

"I wanted to ask about Volga, my lady love. We came here together and I lost her. She was here, I'm sure." He said in the high speech voice. Those two soldiers asked him to speak politely, but Amerik hardly listened to them; "Please Your Highness," he screamed and forgot how to address an Eagle King in Terra Aquillaan.

Ergonn raised his hand with his white sceptre and asked those soldiers to send a message to Rurzda for coming to the throne room.

"Stay calm" He coldly said; "But don't attack her; otherwise, you'll see my evil side."

Amerik realised his mistake; he apologised and thought that how different Ergonn was from his father, King Nachoa who refused to hear the plea of an alien. He did not wait for long; Rurzda entered the throne room and her expensive dress caught Amerik's attention. For the first time he saw a former thrall in silk, velvet and expensive jewelleries. She donned a purple coloured floor length, high necked gown with lace- sleeves which covered up to her wrists; her waist had a large golden belt dotted with several colourful stones. Amerik noticed a white garland on her neck; he knew it was one of the traditional attire of her community which was made up of bone pieces of her ancestors. When he and Volga visited their village; they learned that peculiar ritual. By putting this type of garland, they showed respect to their ancestors. Apart from the traditional necklace; the woman had a long gold chain; broad golden wristlets on her both wrists and two square shaped solid gold earrings dangling peculiarly from both of her ears. Amerik noticed that the woman also had a pair of expensive leather slippers embroidered with jewels and gold threads. Really, Rurzda had got a good place in the palace; she was moving like a dowager queen. Amerik also realised that the king valued her like a real mother; so, he should speak to her politely.

Rurzda did not show any sign of recognition; she nor even knelt before the king. She set her big hollow like black eyes on Ergonn and revealed her grey teeth with sharp canines; she smiled.

"Ergonn, why did you call me, my son?" She asked in a shrill voice.

Amerik really amazed to see her place in the palace and envied Rurzda. 'She was the woman whom Volga wanted to save from slavery; she was the woman who always followed Volga at her heels; she was the woman who sought help from their settlements; she was the woman who used to carry fuel and fodder for them in return of pure water; she was the woman who sought medical help from them during her pregnancies and....'Amerik could not think more.

"This Earthman wants to ask you something, Rurzda; please answer him, if you know." Ergonn politely replied to his so called nursemaid. Rurzda trembled, but her pale white skeleton like face did not reveal any expression.

"I don't know him." She said.

"Please listen, Rurzda." Ergonn requested, he asked Amerik to repeat his question.

"Rurzda; you may not recognise me; but I can. Do you remember, you came to our settlement for seeking help. A girl agreed to help you; do you remember her; a brown haired girl? Please try to remember. We came to your village and tried to save your family from torture and slavery; but could not win finally. When you all were imprisoned, my friend Volga followed the King's retinue in disguise; I also followed her. Do you remember, we crossed a causeway across a magma river and entered an underground road network to reach here...."

"Stop; I don't know any girl." Rurzda screamed.

Amerik knelt before her and requested like a beggar, "Please try to remember; she was my dearest person in the world. Just like you, she too has a family; parents, brother, lover and many others. If she is alive..."

"Dead; she is dead." She again screamed and ran towards the entranceway without taking leave from the King. However, the King did not bother to mind. Amerik stared blankly at the empty place where Rurzda was standing and remained speechless for some time. He had no power to cry or scream.

Ergonn broke the silence, "Death is a universal truth, it takes both Earthian and Martes people alike. Accept the truth and concentrate in your next trial, which will be held very soon."

"NO"; he screamed.

King Ergonn asked his soldiers to call Alvaira; Amerik could not understand who he was; but he did not get afraid. If the Eagle King killed him now; it would be a mercy to him. He had no intention to go back to the Earth.

Alavaira, a novice seer in a floor-length, full sleeved purple robe entered the throne room. He did not bend down his head before the King, but Ergonn gave him a standing ovation. The novice seer politely asked him to sit on the throne because an empty throne was as inauspicious as the Evil Moon in the sky.

Amerik did not bother to mind about all those funny words; he was still weeping silently for Volga and trying to visualise her. Suddenly, he felt a soft hand on his left shoulder and he lost his sense.

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