The Hill-King's Bride: an Allegory for the Modern Church

Retribution

Bryn stood in the center of the square, holding his helmet in one hand, his sword in the other. He was surrounded by villagers all seated or kneeling on the ground. Hill-folk ringed the entire square, making a thick, human wall that parted to allow Maple and her little procession to enter the square. "My Princess, is that all of them?" the king asked her.

Being addressed that way, in the tone he'd used, affected Maple more than she'd expected it to. It was what he almost always called her, with the same admiration and affection as always, but for some reason it hit Maple deep inside and made it difficult for her to breathe fully. She wanted to take him somewhere private and kiss him the way he'd kissed her under the maple tree.

Instead, she forced herself to think. "No, My King, but the girls tell me that the missing animals were butchered last winter. I did find everyone that wishes to go with us though."

"And where did you find them?" asked the king, sounding as if he already knew the answer.

Maple realized he was asking for the benefit of those around them, so she answered slowly and clearly. "Blossom found me. She unbarred the cabin door so I could get out. Sugar and Rosemary were tied inside Sugar's cabin. Patchouli and Comfrey were locked inside Elder Resin's cold cellar."

Patchouli, a young woman in her late teens, shot a glare at the offending elder. "The roof was on fire. Comfrey kept us from being burned, but Princess Maple got the door opened just in time."

The king studied the girls with interest. "Comfrey, how did you do that?" he asked.

The girl blushed and dug one toe into the dirt of the square. "There was bucket of water, so I poured some on Patch and the rest on me."

"And you laid on top of me so I wouldn't stand up and breathe the smoke," added Patchouli. "I was so scared, but you were so brave." Overcome by her emotion, Patchouli threw her arms around her friend. "Thanks, Comfrey."

The king gave the two of them a moment to compose themselves. "Sound travels best up the hills," he said finally. "I have heard my beloved call out to me every morning and every evening. I also heard you." He paused thoughtfully. "Little Blossom, you were the first to join my bride, but unlike the others, no one stopped you. Does this mean you have no reason to stay here?"

Blossom's expression turned guilty. "I have a Da," she admitted, then hurried to add, "but he's marrying me off next spring so he don't have to deal with me. The boy is my cousin. Please, Hill-King, don't make me marry my near-kin."

Rowen spoke up in an outraged tone. "Married! But you're too young. How old are you, Child?"

Blossom looked over at a man seated in the press of villagers. "She's near on ten, I think," he mumbled. "I figured if she married kin, she'd have a ma until she's old enough to be on her own. I married her ma, but she's not my kid."

"But I don't want to marry Hale!" Blossom protested. "He's mean to me."

The king cleared his throat. "Is that the only reason you want to come?" he asked the little girl, interrupting what appeared to be a familiar argument between the two.

"No, I want to go be like Maple. I want to learn to fight; to be strong. I want to marry someone who loves me and be free . . . and eat meat."

The king nodded, accepting her answer. "And the rest of you?" he asked the four adolescent girls.

"We have families, but we want to be free like you all are," answered Patchouli for the group. "We are all spoken for, but we want men who would fight for us and let us fight for ourselves. We want to live where we don't have to be afraid of noises in the dark."

"And you know why we're not afraid?" questioned the king with a warning in his voice.

Patchouli opened her mouth, but Sugar beat her to it. "We know; Maple told us. It's because everyone pitches in to keep the village safe."

"Please, King Ma'ar, please can we come too? We'll change our names and learn whatever we need to." Timid Rosemary, blushing crimson and looking ready to cry, could barely be heard over the murmur in the background.

The king nodded. "I would never leave you behind after everything you suffered over the last month or so on account of my name. I just wanted to be certain you wouldn't want to come back once you get into the hills. I will meet with my elders tonight to discuss who you will live with until you each wed."

Maple looked at her friends. Blossom looked excited. Happy anticipation reigned supreme on her face as she petted the mountain sheep she was supposed to be looking after. The rest of the girls looked scared.

"I'm on the council of elders," she reminded her friends. "Don't be afraid. The last time there was an orphan with nowhere to go, we looked first toward families that had lost a child of the same age. Whoever you live with will want you there, I promise."

"True," agreed the king. "In the meantime, Wynd, Jestyn, Enid and Venora, you help the girls gather their things. Cade, Bowen and Rowen, see to the livestock and help Maple gather the rest of her possessions. The animals are hers, to replace what the elders here stole from her." He paused to eye the elders.

As the five girls with her followed those assigned to their safety from the town square, Maple stayed where she was, not wanting to leave the sight of her betrothed, her king, standing tall in the midst of those who'd attacked and left him for dead. "On that note," Bryn Ma'ar continued, "you dare gather firewood from my hills and hunt from the same. Since the elders seem to approve of the measure, I intend to gather a tax.

"The animals are merely the beginning. One-third of all firewood found in each home will return with us." Maple watched the reaction of the valley-dwellers seated on the ground. Anger was quickly replaced by fear and resignation, though outrage ruled the faces of the elders.

"As you do that," the king called to the warriors who started off to do his bidding, "confiscate every weapon you find; bows, arrows, knives and swords, but leave the axes so they can collect more firewood for us to tax." Maple restrained a chuckle but couldn't contain the wide grin that his sally had brought to her face. She'd not had the luxury of even a stone hatchet when she'd been trying to gather wood on the night she'd first met Bryn Ma'ar.

The king hadn't been finished yet. He nodded, obviously a signal, and crossed his arms. Maple hadn't seen his expression so grim since that first night. Warriors went through the crowd. "Who are your elders?" the king demanded.

"I can help with that," offered Maple immediately, guessing what the king wanted them for. She walked through the square, pointing out everyone she knew to be on the council of elders. Each one she pointed out was immediately wrestled to his feet by grim hill-folk. The high-elder, no one needed to point out.

"And do you know the names of everyone that took you from our hills?" the king asked as soon as she'd finished. Maple did. As soon as they were rounded up, the king laid one gauntleted hand on Maple's shoulder. "Go with your family, My Love," Bryn said quietly. "You won't want to see this."