The Sun Kingdom: The Sword of Myn': I : Eventide

Image by yyryyr1030 from Pixabay

Broken dreams and fragmented memories. That’s all there were, Earthiana thought, eyes lowered unseeingly on the book open in her lap. The wind rustled the pages and drew her distracted gaze across the pond, the sunbeams reflecting and dancing across its surface.

Too many nights of nightmares she could never quite remember once the sun rose, save for the fear she had felt, of memories she was sure she could almost touch, yet the door never opened. Unrelenting confusion, fear. . . she would never know. She shuddered a little.

And then, she was reminded of another pet peeve. A voice, gentle but firm, at last broke the lock of her gaze and the silence of her mind burst into the singing of the birds and the breeze upon the bright leaves.

“Amira. . . .Princess. . .you know it’s time to go,” the soldier reminded her, stepping forward from the gardenway behind her.

Earthiana sighed quietly and closed the book. It had been ever since she could remember - whenever that was - that no one left her alone. Even in the safest of places, someone was tenderly guarding her. She loved them for it, but in the heart of the peaceful princess burned a pent-up longing for independence. She had learned to stifle it.

She glanced up with a smile, half turning her head to acknowledge him. “Ämhaer, William. Thank you for keeping track of time.”

William nodded slowly, not that the princess could see. She was reluctant to rise from the marble bench where she had been seated, with the intention of studying.

Her eyes roved the landscape once more. These weren’t the palace gardens, as beautiful as her own territory was; she had gone to the lower terraces of the city, with its many quiet parks and streams. Everywhere, the blush and sighs of Solaria’s treasured flowers adorned the landscape. This was where many came from near and far, even outside Achird’s system, to paint and praise the rare beauty.

Earthiana glanced down at the velvet gloves that covered her arms, procrastinating by pretending to adjust them. She could never look at them without remembering that they matched the mask covering her face. Yes, she was a sight for everyone, but that was alright; they still loved her, and besides, it hearkened back to ancient royal tradition, that mask; so sometimes, strangers didn’t ask questions.

“’Miraaaaa. . . Sabé!” William was laughing a little. He was the only one outside the family who called her by her informal and senatorial title, and it always made her smile. “Please, you know your parents will scold me if I don’t have you back by eventide, and besides, we can take repast, and that will help you study, won’t it?”

She offered him a smile and he smiled back. William had been her voluntary guard for several years now, whenever her eldest brother, the Crown Prince Mercir, or her true brother, Bran, weren’t with her. For his part, William was happy to accompany the kingdom’s sweetheart, readily playing brother to her.

Earthiana shook her hair over her shoulders and considered William’s words. The pond hadn’t helped much, not after last night’s faded memories. She did need to study; it was nearing the end of her year of Soleam, and had a final examination, given by the priestess, the abbey’s father, and the Queen, her mother, not far in the future.

“You are right, in truth,” she said, and rose to straighten her skirts.

Running footsteps and a silvery sound announced the coming of a Comet Messenger, the swiftest youths in the city.

“The King and Queen urgently request your presence at the Palace,” he reported, echoing William’s thoughts, and before either the princess or the soldier could give a reply, the youth was off once more.

Earthiana bit her lip at the news, though she was remembering her older brother, Bran, who had been just like that – always excited and never thinking to wait for answer.

“It seems odd -” she began, then stopped her musing, for she and the ever-dutiful but sometimes mischievous William had often tarried a trifle too long.

“It’s probably nothing but the risk of being late for supper,” William said encouragingly. “Hurry, Princess, and we’ll make it in plenty of time.”

Earthiana shook herself out of memories of Bran, tucked her book under her arm, and hurried after her guard.

At almost fifteen, the young princess had lost several years with her brother already, due to his enrollment in Vestar’s Universe-City. He was nearly seventeen, and had graduated his studies young.

He was always the mature one, she thought. Lighthearted and sweet, but there was a gravity underneath, one which she understood. Those memories which she had not unlocked – he, it seemed, knew what they were, and deemed it wiser not to tell her.

They were outsiders, that much she knew. They had been adopted by King Solan and Queen Saturnia after the events which had erased her memory; she had only been six, and Bran, eight. As much as that emptiness ached, perhaps it didn’t matter now. They had the best of families, and Solaria couldn’t have been a more lovely place to live.

She glanced at the glittering marble and granite expanse of the Temple in the distance, set amongst the green of gardens and fountains; sister to the palace.

Six years were missing to her, but her earliest memory was of a dark room, with a shaft of firelight coming from a chamber beyond, with the murmuring of voices and running water. A woman in blue had bent over the girl as she lay in a cradle, wrapped in confusion. The star glittering on the woman’s brow and her soft singing kept Earthiana content; but the woman had vanished as a dream. Earthiana had never seen her again.

A second woman in white and gold had entered, braided tresses glowing like embers in the lamplight, with a tender smile and soothing hands. This woman Earthiana had thought of as a second mother ever since that moment. She had been in the care of the high priestess, Liralei Diae, for a little time before the Royal Family had formally taken her in.

The Faith Earthiana had known, even in her lost memories, didn’t stop her from loving and confiding in her second mother even now. Eya had been homeschooled by Saturnia for the most part, but sometimes had lessons with Liralei when Saturnia’s hands were full.

As far as Bran’s absence went, thankfully, his hard studying and accelerated curriculum had paid off; his graduation was at hand. She would be unable to attend, as usual. As the princess – or was it as herself? - her place was on Solaria at all times, and she would likely never leave. It was always posed as optional and yet she knew she was being guarded.

At least Bran would be home soon. That was when her heart was lightest.

The girl sighed again, wondering how her thoughts always managed to be in a thousand places at once, and yet always come full circle. . . she adjusted her mask, a sudden pang of longing stabbing at her heart as she did so. She wished she didn't have to wear it. Makeup hadn’t worked. Too many times it had irritated her skin to a worse degree.

But, again, there was the comfort of Bran. He had always been so good to her! Even to the point of adopting the ancient, outdated royal custom of wearing a half-mask such as her own, so she would not feel alone.

“Hey. Sabé?” William’s voice snapped her out of her daydreams. “Stairs.”

She nodded her thanks at the warning and gathered her skirts to save herself a rough trip. She jumped and skipped from step to step as she always did. The palace rose above them to crown the landscape, pristine with its iridescent stellanene trim. Yet, it never ceased to feel like home, for all its formality. That made her happy.

At last, the breathless princess arrived at the top of the stairway and made a mad dash for the door. She blinked and jerked to a stop to allow her eyes to adjust to the dimmer lighting of the carpeted reception hall. Making her way to the throne room, she found one of her favorite guards, Jamèz, who was William’s shift companion when he wasn’t looking after her. He flashed them a smile but there was something behind it that made Earthiana almost stop. Perhaps there was more to that message than the lateness of the hour.

Thanking him and leaving William, Earthiana bounced inside. She saw her father first, despite the blinding afternoon backlight from the tall windows behind the throne.

“Perei!” she cried. She ran lightly, doelike, and King Solan caught her up.

“There you are, Sunshine!”

He gave her a kiss on her brow. He wasn't known as the Sun King for nothing, Earthiana thought affectionately, looking into her giant, bearded father's laughing eyes. He was a powerful warrior, a level-headed king, a faithful husband and father, and a gentle shepherd of his people with a persona of joy and mirth constantly bubbling under the surface. And yet, there were lines there now which he couldn’t hide.

The smile faded from Earthiana’s eyes as she then hugged her gentle mother.

“Little Eya!” the Queen murmured with a small smile. Most called the princess by that nickname.

With an anxious frown, Earthiana turned to her siblings. Her adopted brothers were all there: the Crown Prince Mercir and the mischievous twins, Martin and Nepier, the hot-headed Juniper, and the would-be priest Plutarch. The latter was only a toddler, but he insisted on celebrating “Mass” for his siblings every morning with his toys.

“Why, where are Aphrodelle and Auranessa?” Earthiana inquired, noting quickly the absence of her sisters. Was that the reason for the worried look in her parents' eyes?

Saturnia sighed shakily, glancing at her husband.

“Auranessa took ill today, and we fear that-” she stopped and Solan laid his hand on her shoulder, murmuring softly. A tear slipped down the Queen’s cheek as she took Eya’s hands in hers. “We think it’s Star-Sickness.”

“No!” Earthiana cried in horror. “You’re not sure?” She anxiously searched their eyes. “It could be something else?”

And yet, seeing Saturnia cry was one of the worst omens the girl could think of.

Saturnia sighed a little, smoothing the wrinkles in the velvet glove as Earthiana’s left hand curled in fear.

“Aphrodelle is having the tests run,” she answered quietly. “So far. . . the results align with those cases reported in the southern territories.”

Star-sickness. The ancient curse was only too well known on Solaria, hearkening back to the days when the thought-to-be goddess Solaria had sent the Sunstar to her ailing people. The illness had passed into legend until only recently, when a few incurable cases had cropped up, filling the atmosphere with the scent of foreboding.

Death. That’s what Star-Sickness usually ended with. It began by rendering the body weak, dizzying the mind, tearing the lungs, destroying the heart. . . those who did not die, it was said, had passed on into another realm. They had come to be known as Sky Beings, permanently infected, afflicted by the Dark Spirit. Roughly half had managed to retain their faith in God; the other half had been seduced by evil.

As for a cure -

“We pray it’s more than mere legend,” Mercir whispered to Eya.

The Sunstar was broken. That Eya already knew. She’d get to that when she had spare room in her mind, and that was not now. Not now, when Aura, everyone’s precious stone, was quickly fading. Not now!

She could feel her hair starting to flame and shut her eyes, trying to breathe evenly.

“Sssh, baby girl!” The king wrapped an arm around her, smoothing her normally-dark hair. “It’s going to be alright. There’s a way, we just need to find it.”

“Where is Aura now? Can I see her?”

“She’s in her room,” Solan answered gravely. “Aphrodelle has been keeping her quiet.”

He took Earthiana’s hand and the family left the throne room immediately. Turning down a corridor, they were confronted by a sliver door inscribed with Auranessa's name and her heraldry.

Inside, all was dark. Earthiana stepped to the foot of the bed and looked upon the young sleeping princess with concerned affection. She bent her head and a tear glittered briefly like a diamond before dropping upon the sick girl's hair, clinging like dew.

It was well known that Eya had some skill as a healer; it was supposed that she had some elvish blood in her. There was a chance that she could at least help her sister a little.

She had Aphrodelle bring her a bowl of Elle'mas, a rare herb used to heal and soothe many different maladies; there was a chance that it could help with this. Earthiana crushed it between her fingers, then mixed it with a little warm tea and slipped it between the restless child's lips.

Earthiana began to sing a lullaby. Slowly, the beautiful song seemed to call the sleeping girl back from her dreams. Her breath evened. The song came to an end, and Earthiana dropped a kiss on Aura’s fevered forehead. The child stirred.

“Eya?”

“I’m here, sweet.”

The little one reached one hand out. “Can I see?”

Earthiana shifted her hair over her shoulder for the child to see. What once had been deep rose-gold highlights in a mane of brunette now colored her hair nearly to the roots.

Yes, the fear inside her was intense. And this, was how everyone knew. . . always knew, no matter what she did to fight it.

“No worrying about me anymore,” Aura whispered, stroking the locks. “Promise?”

Eya could only smile and pretend to answer her.

For now, Aura was better. But it wouldn’t last.

If only Bran would return in time!

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To reference the lore and background information on Solaria and its inhabitants, visit the Planet Profile, located here:

Planet Profile: Solaria

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