Dura Tree Tales The Quest

Chapter 3 - The Fairy Queen funeral

With that Alberich raised up from the bed and pulling Rupert up with him. He nodded his head and the group split open. Jacob stepped over to him and Alberich gave him the instruction to prepare a stretcher for Queen Maeve's body to be carried behind him. Jacob signalled over to some guards and they spread off only to return a few minutes later with a royal standard stretcher. Alberich walked over to Maeve, wrapped the fur around her lifeless body and lifted her gently up and placed her on the standard. The guards raised the standard on their shoulders and out of nowhere some drummers appear starting to march in front of royal standard drumming the beat of a dead Queen. Alberich and Rupert followed the standard and behind there were a group of more guards and then the servants and fairy folk until they reached the Tree Dura where they were met by the people from the great hall with the four royal children on the helm. On the standard they could see the figure of a woman wrapped in fur. "What is going on, why the drums?"

The procession stopped right in front of them and then their father and brother appeared from behind the standard. The guards slowly lowered the standard to the ground. When their father walked over to them Thomas noticed that he and Rupert must have been crying. Then it clicked with him. That figure on the standard was his Mother. And the drums meant the beat of death.

He let out an all mighty cry and fell on his knees, only to gently be lifted up by his father.

'Be brave now, Thomas. I am so sorry that I couldn't bring you back your mum alive.'

Udo started sobbing quietly and Leah shook her head. No, that was not Mammy, never.

Little Molly just stared at the scene with wide open eyes not really understanding what to make of the whole scenario. Udo put his arm around her shoulder and pressed her more towards him.

Then Alberich lifted her up into his arms and all the whole group walked over to the standard.

And there she was, Queen Maeve, so beautiful and calm. She looked so peaceful now and there was even a smile on her lips. Leah bent over her and gave a kiss, like she could wake her up from her sleep. Followed by Udo and Thomas who both kissed her forehead. Last it was Molly's turn and she put her little arms around her neck given her mum a little shook.

But of course nothing make Mammy get up again. She was gone.

Molly pulled at Rupert's sleeve and he picked her up now.

'Why isn't Mummy getting up?'

'Molly, Mummy is gone to the sky elves now. They needed her so much that they called her.'

Molly said nothing more and started silently to cry on her big brothers shoulder.

Alberich took Thomas and Udo by their hands and Leah did hold on to Udo. Then Alberich nodded his head and the guards lifted up the queen's body on the standard again and the procession entered the great hall. This time a uillean piper led instead of the drums, followed by the royal standard and then the King with the children. All the fairy folk stood as guard of honour on both sites of the procession. They started throwing white flowers onto the standard with the Queen. Now the piper played a lone tune, which sounded to sad and lonely that it seemed that even the trees started to cry. Everyone bowed their heads and tears fell onto ground like they could clean the sorrow away they all collectively felt at this moment. At the platform they gently lowered the queen down, with her feet pointing towards the door. The six guards took their place around her to provide the last vigil. Alberich and the children sat down on chairs behind her head and all the fairy folk passed by to pay their last respect.

All the flowers that had been setup for the inaugurations were taken down and placed over the queen so that in the end only her beautiful face and jade black hair was visible.

Soon the darkness of the evening surrounded them like a comforting blanket that would keep out the sorrow and pain from them and Alberich knew it was time to let his beloved Wife, Mother of his children and Queen go onto her last journey over the enchanted lake. He rose from his chair, walked over to the standard, fell on his knees and gave her one last kiss.

Rupert, Thomas followed his father, Udo laid a small doll onto his mother's chest and kissed both her cheeks. Leah took of an amulet she had got from her mum at the last Winter solstice and wrapping it around her face. Molly was last and she stroke her mums face and kissed it over and over again. Rupert gently had to remove her and lifted her into his arms. The guards lifted the standard up and walked down the aisle passing the rows and rows of fairy folks who stood there lowly humming a tune. It was the melody filled with sadness and hope, darkness and sunlight at the same time.

Alberich with the children followed the Queen out of the great hall, out of the fairy Fort and onto the path towards the bog with the enchanted lake. It was clear moonlit night and the lake was very quiet and smooth. The water reflected the moon and stars above and in the distance you could make out the shapes of an island which was always shrouded in mist. This is where the body of the queen would go to be with all the others members of the royal family who had gone before her.

When they reached the lakes shore there was already a barge anchored with four Shee's all shrouded in white flowing gowns at the helm. Alberich stepped forward and exchanged some words with them and they answered him with some shrieking sounds. Alberich bowed his head and the four figures took over the royal standard from the guards and lifted it carefully onto the barge. But Molly noticed that one of the Shee's dropped something out of her sleeve onto sand at the shoreline of the lake. She would investigate what this was as soon barge had gone.

No further word was spoken, no farewell song provided. The only noise you could hear was the shrieking sounds the four figures made while they lifted the anchor and the barge started gliding over the water towards the misted island.

While the fairy folk, Alberich and the children stood on the shore and watched Queen Maeve disappearing from their eyes forever, Molly started searching shoreline for what the Shee had dropped and she soon discovered something shiny laying just at the water's edge. She knelt down and picked up two white stones that glowed in all colours of the rainbow. She must ask Rupert what they were and with that she put them into her skirt pocket....