(no subject)
“Queen of Queens, Great Queen, Lion of the North, Lady of the Four Winds, we have found this…person in the act of thievery from your palace; indeed we would have already applied the usual penalty, but she is one of your people….”
At this the prisoner looked up at the Queen, broke free from her captors. “Maura?” she said, her voice loud enough to be heard through the hall.
Eshurinal XIV, Queen of Queens, looked at the prisoner. “Release her,” she said, “and bring her to my antechamber; I take her into my protection. Let her person be as sacrosanct as mine.”
The noise in the throne room was like the buzzing of bees in summer, but the Great Queen ignored it all, her face returning to its statue-like calm.
*
“Maura! Tell me how all this happened!” She spoke in the quick mountain tongue, which the preist who accompanied the queen did not understand. Eshurinal was silent for a little while, and then spoke in the sonorous, rolling speech of the plains.
“I was chosen by God,” she said. “You may not know, Elin, that upon the death of the Great Ruler, the people are assembled in the square before the palace. The priest releases a falcon, the bird of God; and whoever it chooses is the next Great Ruler.”
“You can’t believe that…Eshurinal,” Elin said, still in the mountain speech. “The priests game the system somehow, train the hawk…”
Eshurinal shrugged, spoke in the mountain speech. “So I believed. But the priests seem to be genuinely annoyed; yet they have given real power into my hands.”
“Great Queen,” said the priest, “who is this person, whom you grant so much familiarity to, though she is ignorant of our -” he used the inclusive “we,” and Eshurinal winced, taking his point -
“language and customs?”
“She is my…star-sister.” The last word was spoken in the mountain tongue; the plainspeople had no equivalent. “We read the stars for each child born, match him or her with a child born on the same day with complimentary signs. Elin is mine.”
*
There came a fierce knocking on the door. The priest opened it, admitting a messenger, who made the half-genuflection that signaled haste.
“Great Queen,” he said, “the Herumal are massing on the eastern border; we fear war…”
The priest gasped.
Eshurinal looked at him in amazement. “Ordas, do we not have the largest, best trained army in the world? What is there to fear from a rabble of barbarians?”
Ordas swallowed nervously. “Great Queen, our army’s weapons are as yet untried…we have never fought…the generals are all there because of their families…”
Eshurinal slammed her fist into her palm. “Send someone for General Eshalas.”
The general was sent for, and arrived quickly. She was a tall woman, especially for the plains, and moved with leonine grace and confidence. Making a full genuflection, she said, “What troubles you, Great Queen?”
“Ordas tells me that your great army is a worthless toy,” Eshurinal snarled.
“If he means that we have never met a foe in the field, so much is true. But there is no heart in the army that would dishonor this empire - would dishonor you.”
“Hearts are all very well,” she said, “but experience is more. It’s one thing to drill, another to face someone who’s trying to kill you.” She buried her head in her hands, not caring about the paint on her face; the jewels by her ears swung wildly.
“Elin, God has sent you well on the wings of the storm. Ordas, get in contact with the Speaker on the northern border, in the foothills; I know my people have made raids, so they must have some experience. Eshalas - I trust you, but the other generals… bring me a list of the ones you find untrustworthy.” She called another servant. “Make sure this messenger is well rewarded and taken care of,” she said.
*
“’God has sent me well’?” Elin said, raising an eyebrow.
“You will help your star-sister, won’t you?” Eshurinal drank wine neat from a golden goblet by her hand. “I intend for you to general one half of the army, while I take the other.”
“I am not your subject, Maura, I don’t intend to get killed for you.”
“I beg of you,” said the queen, though her tone did not implore.
*
Ordas broke in - “I have contact,” he said.
“Good.” Eshurinal spoke to the Speaker directly. “Send anyone who has any experience in battle to the capital. That is all.”
The answer came through Ordas’ mouth, but not in his voice, and Elin shuddered. “Yes, Great Queen.”
*
“Elin, I need you. You’ve been captaining raids since you were fourteen; you’re the best strategist among us. Truly God has sent you, in our time of need.”
“You’ve really become one of them, Maura, haven’t you?” Elin said in disgust. “I will help you. But pray to your new God that I survive this war, or my ghost will weep by your bedside every night.”
At this the prisoner looked up at the Queen, broke free from her captors. “Maura?” she said, her voice loud enough to be heard through the hall.
Eshurinal XIV, Queen of Queens, looked at the prisoner. “Release her,” she said, “and bring her to my antechamber; I take her into my protection. Let her person be as sacrosanct as mine.”
The noise in the throne room was like the buzzing of bees in summer, but the Great Queen ignored it all, her face returning to its statue-like calm.
*
“Maura! Tell me how all this happened!” She spoke in the quick mountain tongue, which the preist who accompanied the queen did not understand. Eshurinal was silent for a little while, and then spoke in the sonorous, rolling speech of the plains.
“I was chosen by God,” she said. “You may not know, Elin, that upon the death of the Great Ruler, the people are assembled in the square before the palace. The priest releases a falcon, the bird of God; and whoever it chooses is the next Great Ruler.”
“You can’t believe that…Eshurinal,” Elin said, still in the mountain speech. “The priests game the system somehow, train the hawk…”
Eshurinal shrugged, spoke in the mountain speech. “So I believed. But the priests seem to be genuinely annoyed; yet they have given real power into my hands.”
“Great Queen,” said the priest, “who is this person, whom you grant so much familiarity to, though she is ignorant of our -” he used the inclusive “we,” and Eshurinal winced, taking his point -
“language and customs?”
“She is my…star-sister.” The last word was spoken in the mountain tongue; the plainspeople had no equivalent. “We read the stars for each child born, match him or her with a child born on the same day with complimentary signs. Elin is mine.”
*
There came a fierce knocking on the door. The priest opened it, admitting a messenger, who made the half-genuflection that signaled haste.
“Great Queen,” he said, “the Herumal are massing on the eastern border; we fear war…”
The priest gasped.
Eshurinal looked at him in amazement. “Ordas, do we not have the largest, best trained army in the world? What is there to fear from a rabble of barbarians?”
Ordas swallowed nervously. “Great Queen, our army’s weapons are as yet untried…we have never fought…the generals are all there because of their families…”
Eshurinal slammed her fist into her palm. “Send someone for General Eshalas.”
The general was sent for, and arrived quickly. She was a tall woman, especially for the plains, and moved with leonine grace and confidence. Making a full genuflection, she said, “What troubles you, Great Queen?”
“Ordas tells me that your great army is a worthless toy,” Eshurinal snarled.
“If he means that we have never met a foe in the field, so much is true. But there is no heart in the army that would dishonor this empire - would dishonor you.”
“Hearts are all very well,” she said, “but experience is more. It’s one thing to drill, another to face someone who’s trying to kill you.” She buried her head in her hands, not caring about the paint on her face; the jewels by her ears swung wildly.
“Elin, God has sent you well on the wings of the storm. Ordas, get in contact with the Speaker on the northern border, in the foothills; I know my people have made raids, so they must have some experience. Eshalas - I trust you, but the other generals… bring me a list of the ones you find untrustworthy.” She called another servant. “Make sure this messenger is well rewarded and taken care of,” she said.
*
“’God has sent me well’?” Elin said, raising an eyebrow.
“You will help your star-sister, won’t you?” Eshurinal drank wine neat from a golden goblet by her hand. “I intend for you to general one half of the army, while I take the other.”
“I am not your subject, Maura, I don’t intend to get killed for you.”
“I beg of you,” said the queen, though her tone did not implore.
*
Ordas broke in - “I have contact,” he said.
“Good.” Eshurinal spoke to the Speaker directly. “Send anyone who has any experience in battle to the capital. That is all.”
The answer came through Ordas’ mouth, but not in his voice, and Elin shuddered. “Yes, Great Queen.”
*
“Elin, I need you. You’ve been captaining raids since you were fourteen; you’re the best strategist among us. Truly God has sent you, in our time of need.”
“You’ve really become one of them, Maura, haven’t you?” Elin said in disgust. “I will help you. But pray to your new God that I survive this war, or my ghost will weep by your bedside every night.”