A Tale Of Queens

Queen Inuo

They arrived at Yrsa in the early hours of the morning.

Sa-Alti noticed that it was a relatively small kingdom with compact, well-designed buildings and was surrounded by large trees and vegetation. The people she saw from the window were dressed quite similarly to her people. Their hairstyles however, were a different story. Some men and women wore elaborately done braids that were decorated with beads or cowries, others wore their hair in thick, full dreadlocks while most people left theirs in low or high afros. She had yet to see one person with straightened hair or the low cut styles which was akin to Khelet. She truly admired the beauty of variety.

The carriage halted in front of the palace and they were immediately greeted by an array of servants, coming out to take their luggage. A portly man introduced himself as Basu, the head servant. Basu was pleasant and jovial, asking them how their journey went and entertaining them with interesting snippets about their kingdom as he led them to their rooms.

Sa-Alti and Qasahn were surprised and thankful for the genuine hospitality of the servants. They told him so and Basu waved them off, insisting that they were special visitors.

As she prepared herself in her arranged chamber for dinner, Sa-Alti felt nervous, yet excited to meet the Queen. She wondered what her impression of her was, if she was truly as friendly as her father was, if she would even be willing to help her.

By the time it was time for dinner, Sa-Alti was nearly throwing up with anxiety. Knowing that she was on her own here made it worse. As per Yrsan protocol, Qasahn would not be joining them for the first night.

When she reached the hard wood doors of the dinning room, Sa-Alti steeled her heart – and stomach.

And waited for the guard to open them.

+*+*+*+

Queen Inuo was already seated in the dimly lit dinning room when she walked in.

Sa-Alti could not help but stare at her. The Queen was an old woman, maybe in her late seventies. Her hair was a startling white and was intricately braided into cornrows that reached the middle of her back. She began to stand and Sa-Alti realised how tall and imposing she was. Despite her age, there was nothing frail about the way she moved. There was a certain confidence and elegance about her that reminded her of her mother. All queens, she supposed, moved a certain way. Sa-Alti almost laughed at herself, knowing for sure that she lacked any form of elegance. Focusing her attention back on the queen, she noticed that her eyes were dark brown, large and expressive and there was a mix of mischief and cunning in them. Her smile was wide and welcoming. Overall, she exuded a maternal and friendly air. But this did not take away from the stories her father had told her. Sa-Alti was more than sure that this woman was a no-nonsense ruler and a cut-throat negotiator.

“My Queen,” she greeted, attempting to bow.

“Nonsense. None of that,” Queen Inuo quickly stopped her. Her voice was rich and deep, with the undertones of a person given to laughter.

Instead, she brought her into a tight hug. Sa-Alti was surprised but pleased by this gesture. She did not know how much she'd missed maternal warmth of any kind until the tears sprung from her eyes. She felt embarrassed and tried to avert her face when they separated.

“What is it, my dear?”

The woman held up her chin, her tone full of worry.

Sa-Alti shook her head. Where would she even start? It felt like everything she had been bottling up was trying to escape all at once. She felt incompetent, alone and weak. Her sister was being held hostage in another kingdom, she was ruler in a palace where only her mother's word was law, she did not know who her mother was anymore.

And she felt like as Queen, she was already failing.

How did she tell this to a stranger she had only just met?

“Well darling, why don't we sit and eat? Afterwards, we can talk about it.”

Sa-Alti sniffed and nodded gratefully. She liked the sound of that.

+*+*+*+

The food was wonderful.

Sa-Alti noticed that the servants served fruit juice and not wine. There were meats in roasted and boiled variety, rice with a sauce that she later learned was eggplant, roasted yams and plantains and a wide array of breads which the Queen insisted that she try. She tried them all and liked the one made with coconut best. She made a mental note to bring some back home.

As they ate, she found herself almost choking with laughter at the stories that the Queen entertained her with. She had many children and grandchildren and it was only normal that she had the most amusing tales of their  shenanigans.

Sa-Alti noticed that she talked about a certain grandson of hers with a particular fondness. She was a bit curious about him but decided not to show it.

The table was cleared after they were through and Sa-Alti made sure to praise the food and ask for the chef to thank them personally. She was told that he had retired for the night but was assured that her appreciation would be passed on. One by one, the servants began to disperse.

Her stomach was full and her mood was lifted. Now, it was time for them to discuss pressing matters.

“My Queen, I must apologize again for bringing an unexpected guest along. I hope that it was not too much of an inconvenience.”

“Of course not. You said he is your brother-in-law?”

“He is. An attempt was made on his life while he was in Noyn. I had no choice but to bring him here. I assumed he'd be safer in your care. Please forgive me for not asking beforehand.”

“It is no problem. I am glad to be of assistance. You know, your father, my husband and I were good friends.”

“I'm aware of that.”

“We were heartbroken when we heard of his passing. We tried to attend the funeral but travelling at our age can be a hassle. Our emissaries informed us that they could not meet with your family personally. Please, accept our condolences.”

“I'm sorry. We were not chanced to meet with all the visitors that day but I appreciate the gesture. I noticed the King's absence?”

“Oh yes, he is out. Escaping his duties under the guise of visiting family.” There was a smile on her face as she said this.

Sa-Alti answered with a smile of her own.

“Sa-Alti –”

“Please, call me Sati.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. It's a nickname from my sister.”

“Your sister. You sound very fond of her.”

“I am. But I feel as though I have failed her. Vileytna looks up to me a lot.”

The Queens eyes widened. If she'd heard correctly...

“I'm sorry dear. What did you say her name was again?”

Sa-Alti was puzzled by her reaction but she shrugged it off.

“Vileytna. A foreign name. Her mother was my aunt so I wonder why she chose such a name.”

Phelon raised the child as his own? Why?

The old woman took Sa-Alti's hands and when she spoke, her tone was careful.

“Sati... Vileytna is a Yrsan name. I knew your sister's mother.”