Confinement

Amala is returned to Westmark, as Carn and Aedric broker a peace treaty with the Faesidhe Elves.

61.

Confinement

 

“What’s going on?!”  Aedric asked in alarm as Nansea burst into their quarters.

“It’s Amala - Snoe is needed!”   His cousin said to the albino girl who was reclining half-dressed against her husband’s chest.

Snoe leapt out of the bed as if expecting such a summons and grabbed a cloak.

“What’s wrong with her?”   Aedric called to his wife as she was halfway out the door.   Snoe paused for just a moment, “It’s something that Drow women experience sometimes.   Don’t worry, she’ll be alright.”

“Wait, I’ll come with you-“

“No, no " it might be embarrassing for her.   Don’t worry, just stay in bed and pray to Yesh for her.   Don’t worry, my love, she’ll be alright.”   She smiled at him, but he sensed that she was far from certain that she believed what she had just said.   She closed the door after her and Aedric was alone in the dark.

 

Carn heard the commotion and looked out of his door, seeing Snoe and Nansea running across the Clearing of the Ages in their nightclothes.  

He called out to them in alarm, and after the two women had a brief conversation, Snoe continued on, running toward where Amala, was staying.  

Nansea came over to him, “Hi." 

“Nansea, what’s going on?”

“I’m not quite sure, and I’ve been asked not to tell you anything more.”

“What?   Why?”

“I can’t tell you that either.”   The girl tried to ease the censorship with a slightly nervous smile, “Sorry, Carn - really, I am.”

“It’s Amala, isn’t it?”

“Uh…” She hesitated, which only confirmed it for him.

“What’s wrong with her?   Is she sick?”

“Carn, she didn’t want you to know.”

“I don’t know, Nansea; I have no idea what is going on.   Only that Amala has avoided me since I regained my natural shape again.”

“Listen”, she glanced around as if making sure no one else could hear her, “Don’t tell them I told you this, okay?   I really don’t know what is going on with her, but she’s… sick.    I’m not sure how else to categorize it.   She’s sick, as if tormented by something that she is fighting.   I’m told it is something Drow women sometimes experience.”

“Yesh, preserve her!   The poor girl!   Ssinssrigg-Chath!   God help her!”   Carn exclaimed.

“What?   You know what’s wrong with her?”

“Yes, it’s called ‘Ssinssrigg-Chath’.  It means ‘Burning Lust’.    It is a terrible time of madness for some Drow women - usually those of noble birth.    Not all of them experience it, but it is sort of a… well, it is a ‘coming of age’ condition.”

“Coming of age?”   Nansea asked, not understanding what he meant.

“They awaken… sexually, and it is sometimes very powerful for them.    Some of them are actually locked up or sent far away to keep them from embarrassing their family.   Others use spells to keep the lust at bay.  The intensity varies.    Some go quite insane, or become so wild during this time that they totally ruin themselves.”

“Really?”   Nansea gasped, “I’ve never heard of this.   How did you know about it, Carn?”

“I lived among the Drow for a long, long time.     I saw several cases.    One time a very aloof Drow noblewoman of the primary noble house was affected and she… ah…mated… with just about every male she encountered.   Which were many, as she actually prowled the streets looking for partners.    The fire wouldn’t subside after each lover she took.    Finally she began looking for other races - Trolls, Orcs, demons… even Bugbears.”

“Oh no, really?”   Nansea understood now exactly what he meant.   Carn just shook his head grimly.

“She tried to seduce me, and I had the form of a Bugbear then.   She was crazed looking and completely naked.    I turned her down and she spit upon me, and then just resumed prowling the streets.   I was told that later that same night she found a demon in a back alley.   They found her the following day, torn to pieces.”

“Yesh, preserve us!”   The Sylvan girl gasped, “Will Amala go through that as well?”

“I don’t know.    It is possible, I guess.    You must watch her at all times!    Don’t leave her alone, for if the burning gets too much for her, she’ll sneak away.   She needs spells cast upon her to keep her sedated and calm.  Keep men away from her, no matter who they are, or she may go after them.”

“Alright, we’ll monitor her.   She wants to go back to Westmark and is calling for her mother.”

“Duchess Aurei is said to have gone through a mild case of the madness when she was slightly younger than Amala is now.    She would know what needs to be done… or Matron Zeatt, perhaps.”

“Alright, I’ll tell Grandmother.   So you’d recommend taking her back to Westmark?”

“Anywhere there are men, she’ll be in danger.   Keep her quiet and preoccupied when she’s not sleeping.   For God’s sake, make sure you don’t leave her alone for any reason!”

“I’ll tell them… Carn?”   Nansea hesitated a moment.

“Yes?”

“I think this… condition… is why she’s been avoiding you.”

“Oh.” It suddenly made sense to him, “You’re probably right.   Tell her that I understand and… I’m sorry she’s going through this.    I’ll check on her as soon as that is possible.”

“Okay - I’d better go, then.”   Nansea bowed slightly to him for some odd reason and then just turned and ran back to join the other women helping Amala.

Carn just sighed deeply, “The poor dear girl.    Merciful Yesh, help her through this.   Keep her sane, Lord.”

He went back into the house, but wouldn’t sleep a wink for the rest of the night.

 

***

Snoe’s presence greatly comforted the feverish Amala, and she cried almost hysterically, clutching her sister to her.    Snoe just sat and rocked her older sister, softly speaking comforting words to her.   

“What can we do, child?”   Mathlyn asked as she and Nansea stood by helplessly.

“I don’t know if there is much you can do, Queen Mathlyn.   I think Amala would feel more comfortable back in Westmark.   Can you find a way to teleport us back there?”

“We could use the teleportation platform in the clearing.   Yesterday, the rebels dispelled the ward of blocking that they had placed on it, as part of their gesture of peace and reconciliation.   I can cast the teleporting spell to the platform at the edge of the forest near Westmark.”

“That would be wonderful, Mathlyn.    I can take her back to the Ducal Keep.   We may still have Faesidhe tea left.   That is said to help reduce the urges.”

“We’re going with you, child.   You will probably need help.    I could try to contact your mother by scrying device-“

“No”, Amala replied, looking up from Snoe’s shoulder, “Don’t bother her… the negotiations are too important.    I’ll be okay until she gets home… I think… if I can just… hide out in my room.   If… if you will all stay with me.”  

Her voice was so unsure that it was amazing to think it belonged to the same woman.   

 

***

 

An hour after dawn, after making hasty preparations, the four women stood on the teleportation platform as Mathlyn chanted the spell to send them to Westmark.

None of the men were allowed to be present, at Snoe’s suggestion, though she was quite sure it was only one man that would have disturbed Amala.

As soon as they vanished, Carn was joined by Aedric, Mattleos, and Linel Demmet, who all seemed to share his mood.

“Are you alright?”   Aedric asked him gently.

“Me?   Yeah, I guess so… why?”  

“Well… I know you and Amala have… grown close.”   The young Sylvan King explained very carefully.

“Oh, that.   We’ve grown to be close friends, that’s all, Your Majesty.”

Aedric left the discussion at that and only nodded.

“I, however, should apologize to you, sir.”   Carn told him.

“Really?   Why do you say that?”

“Well, your Queen had to leave with her sister.”

“I would expect her to do so.   Snoe is probably the closest to Amala.”

“Yes, but I worry that you haven’t had any private time with your new bride, Your Majesty.”

Aedric laughed, “Well, you are right about that, Carn!    Last night we were becoming a bit more amorous, but Nansea’s summons ended anything from happening.”

“So…?”  Mattleos asked without mouthing the words.

The King looked at his cousin, shaking his head, “Not yet.   We both just don’t feel that this is the right time and place for that.   Things keep happening that keep us from relaxing enough to go through with it.”

“You certainly know restraint!”    Mattleos kidded.

“Not really, dear cousin - we both want to.    But we’ve already united in our dreams.”

“Aleiryid,” Carn said, labeling it, while wistfully thinking of Amala.   He wished that she had experienced this instead of the horrid Dark Elven time of lusting.

“Have you ever experienced that?”  Mattleos asked him.

“Aleiryid?  That usually only occurs once in an Elf’s life.”  Carn responded.

“Is it just shared dreams?”

“At first, this is usually what occurs.   Then there are times where a couple almost has a form of telepathy.   They know what the other is thinking.”   Carn remembered the time he had sat on the boulder and had known - somehow- that Amala was behind him.  

“Carn?”  Mattleos said, noting the far-away look of the bard.

“Huh?  Oh, sorry, Mattleos.    Anyway, yes, it is quite a bit more than just shared dreams.”

“So in the eyes of Yesh, Aleiryid is a type of marriage?”

“Well… yes, I guess you could say that.”

“And when a man and a woman share thoughts and dreams like that, it is a sure sign of Aleiryid?”

“Yes.”   Carn responded, his mind  wanting to analyze his relationship with Amala, but he wouldn’t allow it, not now.

“It must be wonderful to share that.”  Mattleos said to his cousin, but Carn sensed that he was aiming the remark for Carn’s benefit.

“It’s wonderful.”   Aedric answered.

“Well, then waiting for the time to be right to come together physically would not be so bad, as you know that you belong to each other.”

Aedric agreed, but again Carn felt that Lord Matt was subtly trying to reassure him about Amala.

“We have a lot to do today, Gentlemen, so let’s make ourselves ready.”   He said to the three Elven men and that changed the topic to the day full of treaty signing with the Faesidhe Rebels.

But though the day was extremely important and even historic in magnitude, Carn’s thoughts dwelt on Amala’s well-being for the entire day.

By sunset, it had been finalized, and the Faesidhe Elves rejoiced in the new treaty.  They found it to be respectful to their proud heritage, while still supporting the creation of a new Kingdom which they would be part of from the beginning.

As Carn sat with the other three men of his delegation throughout the feast thrown by the Faesidhe to celebrate the treaty, he could hardly focus on the wonderful food or the lively entertainment.    Somewhere he knew that Amala was suffering from the terrible Ssinssrigg-Chath.   Nansea had said that she was avoiding him because of it.   She was probably scared and shameful of what had overwhelmed her.   

He couldn’t let her go through that without helping her.   But he couldn’t go around her or she might fall into temptation.   Unless he used magic to ease her symptoms.    But would she want him to see her weak and helpless?    She had seen him weak several times.

 

No, he thought, I need to offer my help.  I’ll visit her and ease her agony with a spell-song.    We are finished here, until Duke Eleazar and Duchess Aurei sign the treaty.   Why wait any longer?   I cannot teleport, but I’m sure that certainly one of the Faesidhe knows of the teleportation platform and how to send me to Westmark...   I will go there tonight, privately, so the others will not try to talk me out of it.    I’ll leave them a note, and then pay a Faesidhe to send me off later tonight when the others are sleeping.

Satisfied with his decision, Carn began to formulate his plans, with a smile on his face.

Reviews

[Elina]

"...or sent far away from their families to keep them from embarrassing their family." You might reduce redundancy, here. Mayhap, "...or sent far away to keep from embarrassing their family." ?
"Her voice was so unsure of herself..." You can probably leave out "of herself."
"By sunset, it had been finalized, and the Faesidhe Elves rejoiced in the new treaty, which they felt strongly to be respectful to their proud heritage, while still supporting the creation of a new Kingdom which they would be part of from the beginning." This is a run-on sentence.

[Eddie Davis]

Thanks, Elina.