"The Queen then spoke to me. I still remember her words for they were spoken with such intense sorrow." The tone of Kewero's voice changed. There was boundless respect and tremendous sorrow in her accent as she recalled the words of the long-dead Queen. "She told me that it had been foretold at her birth that she would live to see her world destroyed, her child taken from her and that she would know the suffering of all the children of her line - the suffering only a mother can understand and endure. She was named for the suffering she would know for Kwenth in the Old Tongue means suffering."
Kewero paused and lowered her eyes. It was obvious her memories brought pain into her heart.
Flindra reached over and grasped her arm in a gentle and supportive touch. "You loved her, didn't you?"
"Very much." With a sigh, she looked at her pupil. "I told you once that you looked like your mother. You also look a great deal like Queen Kwenth. You could be her daughter."
She smiled. "You take after her in many ways, Flindra. Her auburn hair has marked all the children born of her line. It is a stamp of royalty. You share some personality traits with her, too. My Lady Queen was much loved by my people for she was so kind and good. I think you will match her kindness when you become Queen."
"Thank you," she answered with a shy smile.
"Having you here has done much to ease my sorrow. You remind me of her and it makes it seem that it wasn't so long ago when I shared deep discussions with my Queen."
Kewero patted Flindra's hand, which was still resting on her arm. "The Spirit has extended my days so I can be the connection between you and the King and Queen."
"Are you immortal?" Flindra asked in an awed tone.
"No, not at all. I have aged over the years, just more slowly and I'm sure I will know death when my purpose here is ended." The old woman sighed. "I have no wish to be immortal, Flindra. It is the natural order of things to die and rejoin the Spirit."
No comments:
Post a Comment