The Kingship

Chapter 6

I meant to stay with the chieftain for only a few weeks and ended up staying for a whole year. At first, I tried to watch things grow from bad to worse for the Islands. But in matter of three weeks, things became so bad that I couldn't bear the sight of what was happening. So I threw myself into being a part of the village and the chieftain's family in an attempt to not know what was happening. I became very disconnected with the state of Islands, almost to the point that I nearly forgot who had proclaimed himself king. While my connection to my home had fallen apart, I became very close to Valentia. She really was the closest thing I had ever had to a sister- not to mention a younger sibling who really does love you and want to spend quality time with you. She and her siblings showed me that it is possible for siblings to all get along with each other without plotting each other's downfall. They restored my faith in what it means to be a family. We had many long talks during my stay. One that I shall never forget was the one that drove me to go back to Millcou and face my brother. We were lounging about in my room when she asked me for the one-millionth time, "Llama, when will you go back to Millcou?"

"All in good time, Val." I said flippantly having no desire to have this conversation again.

"You've said that every time I've asked you." Valentia persisted.

"That's because I honestly don't know when I'll go back. But I do know that it will be all in good time."

"What's wrong with now?"

"Now is not a good time."

"Now is always as good of a time as any!"

I had been lounging in a sealskin and polar bear fur hammock (quite comfortable things actually) with my hands behind my head and my eyes half- closed. When Valentia said that to me, I sat up and said in a tone that said I was clearly annoyed with her, "What's it to you when I do go back?!"

"When we first met, you said you would see to my protection. It's exactly what any king would do."

"Except that I'm not the king right now. Nociv kind of proclaimed himself king after I ran and if I go back to the palace guess who's going to seize the opportunity to stick a blade right through my chest."

"Coward. You really are Llama the Lazy." Valentia mumbled quietly.

"Thanks a lot," I said sarcastically preparing to re-lie down in the hammock and get comfortable.

"That wasn't sarcasm, by the way. It was the truth."

I jerked back up and looked at Valentia with surprise and a face that, I hoped, would burn ice on sight.

"You really have no idea, do you?" Valentia said.

"Idea about what?" If she did not stop talking momentarily, I was going to lose it.

"What your brother is like as a king. He's worse than Hashish ever was."

She had my attention now, if only for a minute. How could anyone be worse than my father was?

"He has levied heavy taxes against everyone, including the winged guardians- those sacred beings who are not bound to our laws. The laws are fifty degrees above cruel so that it almost seems like people have to pay to be alive. He hoards food and riches for himself. More people have died this past year than at any other time in the histories of the first years of the kings of the Islands. He tortures people because it's fun! Even the life of the rich as they know it is threatened. He uses his dark magic to his advantage and has desecrated the holiness that magic posesses. If you don't do something right now and fulfill that prophesy, we are all going to die!"

"Wait a minute and back up. How do you know that there is a prophesy about me?" I hadn't said a word in that whole year I had been with her family and had almost forgotten the prophesy myself.

"My friend, Lissandra of the clan of the White Foxes, is the granddaughter of the prophetess who spoke it over you. You know, the one I visited on Malas last week. She told me about the prophesy her grandmother had spoken over you in despair of you being supposedly dead. That is also how I've seen firsthand what Nociv has done. I had to interact with it all throughout that trip. Anyway, don't you want a good excuse to take back the kingdom and avenge your mother's death?"

"Don't you think I want that more than anything in the world?"

"Then what is holding you back?!"

"You said it yourself! He has grown strong in black magic. And I don't know how or if I can take down someone like that."

Valentia was about to say something else when the Chieftain Silvanus came into the room. "I'm sorry, my children, have I interrupted something?"

"Not at all, Papa," Valentia said glaring at me and giving me a we'll-talk-later-but-I'm-not-done-with-you-yet glance.

"If that is the case," Silvanus continued. "There is a young woman who has just arrived, a fugitive from Millcou. I would like place her in your charge, Valentia."

"Bring her in."

Silvanus stepped aside and almost immediately, in walked a young human girl. She was dressed in rags and it was amazing that her feet hadn't become frostbitten yet as she did not have any shoes on. She couldn't have been much older than fifteen but her face seemed to be etched with pain that comes with years far beyond her own. The poor girl was obviously pregnant, perhaps due any day now, and hung her head in shame with her stringy, dirty blonde hair hanging loosely about her face and falling out of her messy bun. I stared at her bruised and saddened face for a few moments and before Valentia could wrap her arms around the girl I exclaimed "Athaliah!"

She timidly looked up at me and recognized who I was in an instant. "Oh Sire, help me! I beg of you!" she cried throwing herself on the floor in front of me as best as she could and grabbing my hand to kiss with tears streaming down her cheeks. I was up out of my hammock and down on the floor with her immediately.

"Hey, hey, hey. It's okay. No one's going to hurt you here. You're alright. You're safe."

"Help me, Sire, please! Help me!" she wailed. "He'll kill my baby."

"Who's going to kill your baby?"

"Nociv. Your brother. He is the father of my child. You were right to never trust him. Sire, don't let him hurt my baby!"

"Hey, hey, he can't find you here. Listen, Athaliah. This is my best friend, Valentia. She is Chieftain Silvanus's daughter. She is going to take you to your own room give you a bath, food and drink and fresh clothes and let you rest for a while. But you have to be calm. Okay? You're going to be all right."

Valentia gently took the trembling, frightened Athaliah by the shoulders and led her out of the room. I sat on the spot I had been kneeling before Athaliah for some time longer as if I had been her servant instead of her having been mine. Isn't that what a king technically is: a servant to his people? She was deathly scared of my brother. If he had done something to scare Athaliah and make her run like she had, what unimaginable things had he done to other servants, let alone the subjects of the Snow Islands? The prophesy came floating back to mind as clearly as if my mother was reciting it to me for the first time.

A babe born to change his home

With no blood-born heir to follow.

A lineage to defeat one evil

Starting with this newborn child.

Four dignitaries yet to follow,

With one evil to defeat.

Five who stand for what is right

Starting with this newborn child.

Change. There are those who don't like it and avoid it but there are those who also don't like it but go through with it all the same. Either way, in the end it all works out for the good of the people. Why do women have to be the smart ones?