Prince of Time

Chapter Fifty-One - Saying Goodbye

 

The grave was in the cemetery, where graves belong. It was one mound of freshly turned earth in lines of them. They all had the same rounded stones at the head, all had the official badge of a warrior carved into them. It was like all the rest.

 

 The words on the headstone were the way they were for all warriors. There was a name, a date and a detail of death. There was no list of accolades, no “dearly beloved” or “will be sorely missed”.

 

 Maple remembered her grandfather’s grave, calling him a beloved father, son and brother, declaring that he should be missed by all and finally stating “the sea calleth him home”, which was a family tradition. This grave wasn’t like that.

 

Peppermint Skye

 

Smoke Inhalation Whilst Saving The People Of Etheron

 

That was it. That was all. There was nothing else about her there. It was a warrior’s grave.

 

  Maple had brought flowers. She had wanted to bring ones symbolic of something, perhaps containing a memory or at least being Pepper’s favourites. It turned out, upon reflection, that flowers didn’t play a big part in their lives. She had brought roses, because they were the easiest to find.

 

  The cemetery of the warriors was far from empty. There were no great funerals. They weren’t that sort of people. But a few would gather, stand briefly, place a flower or a marker or something of significance on one mound amongst so many.

 

  Maple looked at Pepper’s grave again and wondered if it would feel different had they been able to found her body. If there was a corpse beneath the earth, would she feel the presence of her best friend watching over her? A sense of peace?

 

  She highly doubted it. Maple didn’t believe in afterlife, despite evidence in the contrary. Death was final. There was no oblivion. No sleep. No paradise. Not even nothing. Just an ending.

 

  It occurred to her, briefly, that Pepper had never returned home to her family since that day in the square when they had been chosen nearly six years ago. Maple wondered if she should go and inform the family but decided against it. They weren’t Pepper’s anymore.

 

 Maple was aware when Tobiah came to stand beside her but she didn’t look at him. She was dealing with her grief. It was a complicated process but she was determined to succeed. It was taking time.

 

 Eventually, she turned and smiled at him.

 

“Your royal majesty,” she raised an eyebrow. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

 

“Cut it out,” Tobiah sighed. “There’s been too much of that lately.”

 

“Not adapting to kingship?” Maple asked, with mock sympathy.

 

“I thought I had a few more years,” Tobiah said, wistfully. “A few more years to be reckless and alive and have adventures and see the world. Now all I hear it about paperwork and politics and treaties and marriages of state.”