Peacebringer

Chapter Forty Two - the Burial

The King chose to bury Valda with four items. The first was the dagger that he himself had given to Raza, placed in her clasped hands. The second was the headband that she had been wearing when she died, which Gairadon immediately recognized as Raza's handiwork. He wasn't quite sure how she had it, but decided to include it anyway. The fourth was a necklace with the royal seal, to show her birthright. Gairadon had given it to her when she turned sixteen, the minimum age to ascend the throne by Kardan law.

The fourth and final object had been the hardest to find in the castle. Gairadon wanted Valda to have something of Asha's, but there weren't many of her belongings left in the castle. He decided to enter Asha's bedroom.

Asha's room had always been right next to Valda's, but Gairadon had sealed the door when he thought Asha died. It hadn't been opened in fourteen years.

Prying open the door had been a challenge, but he eventually forced it open, sending a cloud of dust raining down over the doorway.

There was a thick layer of dust over everything, obscuring the pale green and rose coloring of the walls and bedding. While there was a full sized bed, there was also a crib in the corner where Asha had slept. She hadn't been here long enough to need the bed, or most of the other furniture. Raza had even picked out a full length mirror for when she was older.

He remembered how much time Raza had spent making sure both girls had perfect rooms. She incorporated the rose theme into both to honor the royal crest, but she made sure to include artifacts and motifs from Sayreen as well. That was part of why she had been so adamant that reading be a part of their lives. Storytelling was a highly valued part of Sayreen's culture that she wanted to pass on. Storytelling was considered a noble profession. Sayreenians believed that the storyteller was one of the most important parts of the story. They still do to this day, actually. I as the narrator feel honored to tell this particular story, even though hearing about Valda's funeral was painful. I almost feel like I actually knew her based on the stories from Asha.

Gairadon poked around, remembering all the gifts she had received at birth, both from Kardans and Sayreenians. There were toys and books everywhere, but none of them seemed quite right. The King stopped a moment to look at some of the picture books that were on Asha's shelf, remembering story times from when she was young. Valda was just starting to read the picture books herself and took great pride in reading them to Asha.

Gairadon spied something glittering out of the corner of his eye as he was finishing the story of the lonely tiger, one of Valda's childhood favorites that she had gladly shared with her baby sister. There was a mobile hanging over Asha's crib that had a myriad of fantastic creatures on it. There were dragons, and unicorns, and even mermaids.

The smallest creature on the mobile was phoenix made of colored glass. Its tiny perfect beak and miniscule eyes were a deep black, and the rest of it sent flame colored reflections in every direction. Its tail feathers curled so delicately. It had been a gift from one of the ladies in the court, one that Gairadon remembered he had eventually sent away for being a fire spinner. Asha had loved watching the fantastic magical creatures spin and dance in the sunlight. It was probably one of the few things in this room that Gairadon could be sure that Asha actually liked from her time in the castle.

"Asha, out of ashes." The King smiled as he looked at the fragile glass bird. The phoenix was a symbol of renewal. Maybe Asha would bring renewal to the kingdom of Karda, like the prophecy foretold. It was perfect.

A few hours later, the small burial service was ready. Valda looked beautiful in a white gown, the Kardan color of peace. It was also the color associated with funerals. The tiny phoenix was attached to the hilt of her dagger. One of the ladies from the kitchen staff that Valda had been particularly fond of had even wrapped some of her braids in glittering white thread. She looked beautiful, like she was asleep. Her dress covered the hole in her chest that the arrow had created.

The entire staff of the castle was there to watch her casket laid in the ground in the courtyard. Even though the castle had been such a dismal place, Valda had been a small source of joy for all of them. Some kind words were said, and memories shared. Gairadon remained almost silent. Valda's place was marked by a white rose bush for now.

Gairadon spent the rest of the day in a fog, directionless and without feeling. He wished he had been able to mourn with the rest of his family there. He wondered if Asha would ever consider talking, or if he would always remain an enemy in her eyes.