A Queen's Duty

Queen Arya of Sandhirahn Forest never expected to be faced with this difficult situation. Can she balance her duties to her family and to her kingdom?

 

Queen Arya Liadan of Sandhirahn Forest paced restlessly up and down the polished oak floors of the enchanted hollow tree that was her palace and home. Her delicate ebony brows were knit together in anxiety and she was nibbling her pinky nail, which was extremely unbefitting of a queen. Arya realized this and dropped her hand to her side with a sigh.

"Arya, if you keep at it, you’re going to wear away the polish on the floor," King Caelic Firesword of Chisel Mountain grumbled moodily, stroking his braided beard. "You know your servants won’t appreciate unnecessary work." The graceful elf shot an exasperated look at the gruff dwarf who was her closest friend and most trusted political ally. Her emerald eyes were filled with worry.

"The servants already dislike me, Caelic," she sighed, seating herself on an ornately carved armchair across the long glossy table from her friend. Her gown and embroidered cloak swept around her in a dignified manner. The queen was always the picture of grace and elegance, even when she did not intend it. "The entire kingdom thinks I’m an unfit queen," she murmured. Caelic’s hard brown eyes softened and he walked over to the forlorn royal to place a hand on her shoulder.

"It’s only natural that they are wary of you. You are not your mother’s daughter by birth. Queen Illonya’s decision not to marry and adopt you at birth from a poor village elf instead was a very intelligent move, but it was different. It will take time for your people to realize that different is not always a bad thing," he told her. Arya gave Caelic an amused smile.

"If I didn’t know you better, I’d say you were being sentimental just then," she teased. The dwarven king’s expression hardened and he crossed his arms across his broad chest, grumbling about his friend being too observant. Chuckling softly, Arya stood up and playfully patted the dwarf on his head. "I’m off to bed, Caelic," she told him. "I’ll have Gershwin prepare your sleeping quarters for you... and thank you," she smiled, gliding out of the dining hall and towards her personal living quarters.

* * *

"Your Majesty, there is a young peasant man at the gates. He is seeking an audience with you. I have told him that you would be most pleased to speak with him during the regular hours, but he insists that this is of paramount importance and cannot wait," Gershwin informed the queen, bowing graciously before her. Caelic grumbled.

"I don’t see how this man can’t wait a mere two hours to speak with you," he muttered. Arya held up a hand to silence him. As close as they were, these were still Arya’s lands, not Caelic’s; he was bound to obey her in political and official matters concerning Sandhirahn Forest.

"Caelic, this man may need my help. If that is the case, I cannot bring myself to deny him. Gershwin, please let the man in and treat him as a guest," Arya told her personal servant. The little gnome bowed once again.

"Yes, Your Majesty," he replied and hurried to carry out her request. A few moments later, a young man who looked only a decade older than Arya’s one hundred and twenty-three years walked in and fell to his knees in front of Arya, kissing the polished floors at her feet. Arya frowned and motioned for him to stand.

"Please, don’t," she told him kindly. "Such antics are unnecessary around me." The man nodded and gulped nervously, wringing his tattered rags of clothing in his filthy, but strong elven hands. “Your request for an early audience with me is rather unusual, I must admit. What is your name?”

            “Tobeis Strohan, Ary- Your Grace,” he stuttered, tripping over his own words and shamefully looking down at the floor. “I know it’s rather strange teh be askin’ somethin’ like this, but it’s very important,” he rambled, his voice seeming to tumble over the sounds he was making in a breathless, anxious sigh. “I don’t know if there’s a proper way teh be sayin’ this, Your Grace, so I’m just gonna say it… I’m your birth brother. I came here teh tell you that our birth ma is very ill. She’s dyin’, in fact. She don’t got much time left here in the Realm of the Livin’ an’ it was her last wish teh see you. She sent me here teh ask you if you’d visit her afore her time’s up.”

            A very long silence stretched on after Tobeis finished speaking. Arya felt very hot and suffocated. It was Caelic’s firm but kind grip on her forearm that grounded her enough to speak; however, she still took in a deep, steadying breath before she spoke. “This is… rather unexpected news,” she managed to gasp. “Of course I will see our mother.” Caelic jumped up.

“Arya! Think about this!” he protested. “We don’t even know if this man is trustworthy or if he means to harm you! You! Strohan! How can we be sure of your honesty?” the dwarf barked at Tobeis. Tobeis trembled at the king’s temper, but found the courage to look up.

“I’m afraid I don’t got no proof, King Firesword,” he responded, but both Arya and Caelic gasped when they saw the elf’s face. His resemblance to the queen was striking. His eyes were bright emerald and luminescent; Arya’s eyes. His nose was long and slender; Arya’s nose. His jaw line and facial structure were exact replicas of Arya’s. There was no question that they shared a blood relation. Caelic gulped and nodded.

“I’d have to be a blind fool not to recognize the resemblance. Arya, I’d still like to come with you, to be safe,” he told his friend in a brotherly tone. Arya gave him a weak smile and nodded.

“Very well,” she replied softly. “Tobeis, will you take us to our mother, please?” she asked.

“O’ course, Your Grace,” he answered.

“Please… address me as Arya. You are my brother, and have the right to speak to me as your sister,” she assured him.

Tobeis beamed.

                           * * *

            Arya stepped inside a small hut that reeked of sour meat and sickness. On the way to the home that would have been hers if Queen Illonya had not adopted her, Tobeis told Arya that she had four other siblings, one sister and three brothers. When Arya expressed her shock at an elf having more than two children, Tobeis explained that poor elves tried to have many children, because there was a high chance that most of them would die before adulthood. He also told her that their mother had had three other children who died after Arya. “Our pa died o’ heartache af’er Lalasa went. He jus’ couldn’t take no more o’ his babies dyin’, I suppose,” Tobeis finished as they stepped inside the hut.

            Arya wiped the tears that were already pooling in her eyes with a long, slender finger and composed herself. Six pairs of eyes locked onto her and Arya caught her breath. Every elf in this cramped, wretched living quarter looked just like her. Thick, raven-coloured hair that would have shone like Arya’s, had it been washed recently, bright emerald eyes, long slanted noses and small delicate butterfly-shaped lips.

            “Your Majesty? S-Sister?” Kylindre, Arya’s only female sibling, murmured hesitantly.

            “Sister,” Arya assured her. “Please… don’t bow,” she added, for her five siblings had all started to lower their heads. Arya trembled slightly beneath her lovely silk cloak, but a comforting hand on her shoulder from Caelic gave her some strength. She slowly walked forward, unsure of how to greet these people, the family she never knew.

            “Is… is she here?” the feeble elf from the filthy cot gasped. Tobeis murmured softly that her name was Lynnassah. One of Arya’s other brothers, Tameris, cupped Lynnassah’s hands in his.

            “Yes, Mama,” he hushed. He beckoned Arya forward and the queen gingerly knelt beside the cot.

            “I’m here… Mother,” she whispered. The word sounded strange to her, as if it didn’t fit quite right in her mouth. She had called another woman mother all her life. Lynnassah’s glazed, feverish eyes rested on Arya and she smiled, tears spilling down the sides of her aged face.

            “Arya… that’s what Queen Illonya named you, right?” she asked breathlessly. Arya nodded numbly. “Yes… beau’iful name. It suits you,” she murmured, reaching out a shaking hand to gently finger the side of Arya’s smooth, youthful face. “Couldn’ta named you meself o’ course… wouldn’ta been able teh let you go if I did.”

            “Why did you?” Arya asked. There was no accusation in her voice. She merely wanted answers. “Why did you give me away? After over a century without contacting me, why did you wish to see me now?”

            “Look ‘round you, Arya. This ain’t no life for nobody. When the queen came an’ asked me teh give you to her, I saw a chance. A chance for at least one o’ my babies teh grow up an’ be a somebody… not just a somebody… a queen! How could I deny you that chance? Ain’t no kind o’ mama that don’t wanna see her babies do great things, that don’t wanna see her babies happy. You wouldn’ta had neither if you’d stayed with me.” Lynnassah started to cough violently and Arya looked to her eldest brother, Cyrnas.

            “Water?” she asked. He handed her a goatskin filled with warm water of debatable quality. The queen lifted Lynnassah’s head and tipped the goatskin to her mouth, allowing the water to trickle steadily down her throat. Lynnassah’s coughing ceased and she took in a rattling lungful of air.

            “As for why I wanted teh see you now… I had teh know,” she explained, gripping Arya’s hand tight.

            “Know what?” Arya whispered.

            “I had teh know that I did the right thing, givin’ you up. It damn near broke me poor heart, it did, but I knew you was goin’ teh a good home. You was gonna be a princess, and now you’re a queen. Never thought I’d see the day when one o’ me babies grew up teh be a queen,” she chuckled. Arya’s delicate lips twitched in the faintest of smiles.

            “I hope I don’t disappoint you with that.”

            “You’ll be fine. You’re beau’iful an’ smart, an’ you care. You’ll be a fine queen, indeed… I did do the right thing,” she added, almost as a musing to herself.

            “I suppose you did,” Arya agreed, although tears were flowing freely down her face now.

            “Answer me one las’ thing,” Lynnassah requested. Arya gave her birth mother’s hand a gentle squeeze and nodded. “Are you happy? That queen been a good mama teh you an’ all?” For the first time since Tobeis’ arrival at the palace, Arya smiled genuinely, although it was through a blur of tears.

            “Yes,” she answered. “I am very happy. I have always been. Queen Illonya was a wonderful mother to me before she left the Realm of the Living. She loved me very much.” Lynnassah smiled and gave a sigh of relief, patting her daughter’s hand lovingly.

            “That’s good,” she murmured. “That’s me good girl… I can rest now. I love you… all me babies,” she sighed and closed her eyes. Another breath and she was gone.

            “No… Mama!” Kylindre wailed in grief. Tobeis hugged Kylindre fiercely, tears glimmering in his eyes as his sister sobbed bitterly into his chest. Tameris and Cyrnas somberly draped a dirty sheet over their mother’s lifeless body. Cormack, the youngest brother, stared blankly into space, a numb expression in his emerald eyes but his bottom lip trembling slightly.

            “Come,” Caelic’s gruff but soothing voice murmured to Arya. He took her hand to lead her out into the fresh air. Nodding bleakly, she followed. “Steady,” he mumbled, balancing his friend. Arya stumbled slightly, a very rare occurrence in the queen’s usually elegant and graceful movements. “Are you alright?”

            “I- I’m not sure,” Arya sighed. Caelic helped her sit down. The dwarf king was concerned for her. She was breathless and shaky.

            “You’re in shock,” Caelic told her. “I’m going to find you some clean water.” Arya nodded, but didn’t actually hear what her friend was telling her. He left and she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw it was Tobeis, with Kylindre still leaning against his shoulder. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. He had red rims around his eyes, as well.

            “Thanks for comin’… Arya. Mama wanted the see you real bad,” Kylindre nodded.

            “She always talked about you, you know. She’d always say when you was out and about with Queen Illonya, ‘Look there! That right there’s your sister. Look how beau’iful she is… a princess. Your sister.’”

            “I never knew…” Arya replied softly.

            “You gonna go back teh that big ol’ palace o’ yours now?” Tobeis asked. Arya searched his face for a trace of resentment or bitterness. There was none.

            “I still have my duty to Sandhirahn Forest ,” she told him truthfully. “But no, I don’t want to forget about all of you, if that’s what you were asking.” Kylindre smiled.

            “See Tobeis? I told you she wouldn’t leave us and forget that we’re fam’ly,” she beamed. “Told Cyrnas, too, didn’t I?” Arya slowly stood up. Her breathing was starting to come easier and she wasn’t shaking quite so badly anymore.

            “I can offer you a place at the palace,” she told them. “All of you. You would have your own bedchambers and living quarters and servants. You would have enough food to eat and clean drinking water-“ she tried to explain, but Tobeis cut her off, shaking his head.

            “That’s sweet an' all, Arya, but this is where we all grew up. I know it don’t look like much to you, but it’s our home. I couldn’t leave it. It'd break m'heart.” Arya nodded. She would be devastated herself if someone tore her away from the palace, which was what she had called home all her life, but she couldn’t just leave them with nothing. They were her family.

            “I understand, but please, there must be something I can do for you. Anything at all,” she offered. Kylindre went red and looked down at the ground.

            “Well… I’d like teh give Mama a nice Farewell Ceremony,” she whispered. “We can’t afford teh have one an’ she deserves it.”

            “Of course,” Arya granted instantly. “I’d like to have your home made fit for all five of you to live in as well, and to have enough food and good water brought to you for your meals. Please accept it.” Tobeis and Kylindre nodded with thankful smiles. “Is there anything else you would like?” Tobeis shuffled his feet awkwardly and cleared his throat.

            “Well… I always wanted teh learn how teh read an’ write… an’ to speak proper an’ learn about the rest o’ the realms,” he muttered sheepishly. Arya smiled.

            “You will all be taught how to read and write and have a proper education,” she told them. She grasped both their hands. “Thank you. You’ve taught me so much.”

            “Arya, I have some water,” Caelic interrupted, returning. Arya smiled.

            “Thank you, Caelic, but I’m well now,” she replied, giving the fresh water to Tobeis and Kylindre instead. She turned back to her siblings. “I need to return to the palace, but you are always welcome there. I will see you often,” she promised.

* * *

            “This complicates everything; you realize that, don’t you?” Caelic grumbled to Arya as they rode back to the palace.

            “I know,” she agreed. Arya knew that there would be further struggles with this new family. Such upheavals like this one hardly ever ended with “and they all lived happily ever after.” Only fools and human children on the Material Plane believed such a thing existed here. Balancing her duty to rule Sandhirahn Forest and her duty to this poor, peasant family will present obstacles, of that she was certain. “I will find a way to make it work,” Arya told the dwarven king. Caelic grinned and chuckled heartily.

            “I know you will. I’ve never doubted you, Arya. Never.”