The High Queen's Vow [The Mystic Women of The Realm Series Book IV] (20 page)

Sam shrugged, not understanding the full meaning of it, “Is this truly a punishment?"

The Healer responded, “Indeed. Most severe. To remove her powers from her is similar to removing your eyes from you. She was born with these powers and knows no way to function without them. It will be as if she stands naked and blind in The Realm."

All were stunned at such a possible punishment, but waited silently, wondering what The High Queen would do. San'lr'in’ felt the weight of this decision fully, realizing it was similar to the same decision she had made with Ann'wn. She knew her answer to the request, but hesitated, knowing she didn't like her own response.

She looked upon the Young One for many long moments, thinking through her decision carefully, not wishing to give further damage to her, but wishing to instill a valuable lesson. Not even Sle'nel’ could guess as to The High Queen's thoughts.

She looked back to the others, “Her offense wasn't given to Me directly, but to the Great Warrior Woman of The Realm and to her Birth-Mother. Do either of you have anything to say prior to My final decision of this request?"

Meera shook her head, “I leave it to you, High Queen."

Sle'nel’ looked sadly upon her, but also shook her head, “I trust you to make the most correct decision for Sele', for you, and for The Realm."

The High Queen closed her eyes for a moment, then re-opened them slowly, “So be it.” She softly chanted a few words in some long-prior language, calling the Circle of Power to her. She placed her hands close together, as if forming a small ball of air within them. After a few short moments, a small glow of light could be seen. As the moments passed, the glow grew more intense and the form of a ball could be seen. The ball was alive with its own energy, pulsing its own heartbeat.

When the Circle of Power was completely formed, she let go of it, allowing it to remain in the air where she had left it. She looked at the others, and to Sele', “I agree to this request. The Young One's powers will be safely stored within the Circle of Power until our trust has been restored in her."

She sighed, then looked fully upon Sele', “I do this not for the punishment it will so strongly feel as, but for the knowledge this lesson will provide to you. The Mystics and humans of this Realm know little of such powers, and struggle across their lifespans without such abilities. These powers are as great a gift as they are as heavy a responsibility. You are the first Mystic to be born fully aware of these powers. As such, you know nothing of what it means to be without them, what it means to have to draw them to you, or what it means to never have them. It also means you rely overly on their usage, seeing them as nothing special. This must not be so."

She brought the Circle of Power in front of her, examining it, “Never prior have I called this power to Me. I hope I call it back soon to return these powers to you. You stand as special in this Realm, Young One. Good or bad, your path has been set for you. While some will envy this, it comes with a most heavy of burdens. It requires that you remain ever strong and perfect, an impossible feat, but one for which you must strive. The trust that all will come to place in you must be re-justified upon every turn, without fail. Your strength must never waiver. Your choices must always be correct. And your decisions be fair, yet uncompromising in their dedication to The Realm. You must learn to never compromise your position. It is not the powers that make the leader, Sele'm'tinel'ti'non'n. It is the way in which a leader uses those powers that all will remember. Who you are as a leader without powers should be more telling than who you are as a leader with powers."

She came close to Sele', then crouched down to her, “I care not for punishment, and you have already had enough of it. But I do care that you see The Realm as it is in its true nature. You already rely overly on your powers. While this will ultimately become far better than I can now do, you must also know what it is to be without them. The decisions you make without the powers should be the same as the decisions made with the powers. If you had no powers, Young One, could you have made the same decision this turn?"

"No, my Queen."

"You would have had to take the action yourself, and that is the point. Your powers are meant to be used by you as your own decision, not for another to take on the responsibility of their consequence. The consequence of using a power is yours alone. So, I agree to your request only so that you may truly experience what it is to take the consequence for your own actions. When this is learned, tell Me, and your powers will be fully returned to you. I have no desire or need for your powers, on this you can trust."

"I do trust this to be so, my Queen."

She stood, yet looking at Sele', “The Realm is a harsh teacher, and I am truly sorry that you must learn this overly young. But your powers are great and must be earned and used well for your subjects, not on them.” She looked up at the stars and the moon, “I hope that by the passing of three moons from now, we will look upon you with your powers and our trust in you fully restored."

"Yes, my Queen. I will be diligent toward this goal."

"Place your hands on the Circle of Power, Sele'm'tinel'ti'non'n, and show all who now sit before you that you come fully to The Realm, willing to take on its harsh consequences."

Sele’ placed her hands on the Circle of Power as San'lr'in’ chanted a few words over it. The High Queen then placed one hand on Sele's head and her other hand on the Circle of Power. While no one could see anything occur, both Sele’ and The High Queen could feel the surge of power that left Sele', as her powers moved into the Circle of Power. The High Queen removed her hand from Sele's head, then placed the Circle of Power fully within her own hands. She said another short chant, and the Circle of Power began to disappear, moving back into her.

When it was over, she looked at Sele', “See this not as a punishment, Sele'm'tinel'ti'non'n, but as a challenge to you. Face this challenge as the leader you are meant to be. This is the first of many tests now before you. Grab it fully to you. Learn from it. Take it on willingly. Allow yourself not to fall into the depths of self-pity. Be brave and stand tall in this challenge, as if you do this, all will begin to regain their trust of your abilities."

She crouched down to her once more, looking into her eyes, “Show us the Sele'm'tinel'ti'non'n you want to be, Young One. Defy our present thoughts of you. Defy the dark powers. Show us that your powers are less important than the Supreme Sovereign who stands before Me. Show Me that you can be greater without your powers than you can be with them. Show Me this, Sele'm'tinel'ti'non'n. Can you do this for Me? Can you do this for yourself? Can you do this for all The Realm?"

Sele’ was crying softly, but maintaining. She felt alone and abandoned without her powers, but she returned The High Queen's look, and tried to stand tall before her, “Yes, my Queen. I will do so."

San'lr'in’ nodded, “It is done. Master Apprentice Ern'seln'. I give you charge over our Future Supreme Sovereign. She faces a most difficult of tasks, and will need your full support and guidance. I expect much patience from you in this regard, but also much strength in helping her to remain on her path. Upon each turn, you are to help her through her first three meditations. Only these, as she will now be unable to go any further. Even now, the first three meditations will be most difficult for her. And upon each turn, you are to teach her the Master's ways in the sword, remembering that she has no powers to match yours, and that her body is yet overly young."

Ern'seln’ knelt and bowed her head, “Yes, Great High Queen. To your will."

Sle'nel’ had accompanied Sele’ to her shelter, with Ern'seln’ directly behind. She quietly helped prepare Sele’ for bed, knowing that Sele’ needed some comfort from her, “How are you feeling, Birth-daughter?"

She sniffled, “I am embarrassed, and sad."

Sle'nel’ wiped her tears, “You need to place these events away from your mind and look to your new challenges."

"I am frightened, Birth-Mother. I feel overly abandoned without my powers."

"What would your High Queen do?"

"She would face it bravely."

Sle'nel’ smiled and nodded, “She would. Most bravely. As you must now do."

"I am not like her."

"None of us should be as another. You need to become who you are. The best of who you are."

"But I make overly many mistakes. I have never seen or heard High Queen make a mistake."

"Perhaps we should ask her about this, as I would wager that she has upon many moments."

"You do?"

"Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone, without exception. I am just gladdened that you are making yours while you are yet young."

"I fear I will be able to contribute little during this moment of no powers, and I have become most useful in helping High Queen."

"Even she will have to manage differently now, Sele', as will you. But the moments will pass by more quickly than you can imagine, and then your powers will be restored to you. But by then, you may no longer recognize them."

"I cannot imagine as such, Birth-Mother. If your eyesight were taken from you, and then returned to you six moons later, would you not welcome it back?"

Sle'nel’ sighed, “I would, as you say, but I would have also learned other ways as well that I would hope I wouldn't lose. Perhaps my sense of hearing and smell would become much more powerful. And you will also develop other senses in this regard that may become most useful to you later."

Sele’ hugged Sle'nel', “I will sleep because of the comfort you have given, Birth-Mother. But I am sorry for what I did and for what I said to you and High Queen. I shouldn't have said such things."

"She is not your Birth-Mother, Sele'. You must always remember this. She is High Queen and is vowed to protect The Realm from all possible danger."

Sle'nel’ made certain that Sele’ was prepared for bed, then left, returning to her lover. She thought that Sele’ would manage for the next few moons, but hoped that it wouldn't be overly easy for her, as she needed to always remember this moment.

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She went to their shelter, but didn't find San'lr'in'. She looked outside the shelter, and at the fire ring, but couldn't find her. She looked about, trying to find her boot prints, but couldn't see through the darkness to separate them out from the others. She looked for many moments longer, then began again from the fire ring, guessing that The High Queen had first left the fire ring, going in the direction toward their shelter.

Ann'wn approached her, “I am looking for The High Queen, Elf. Have you seen her?"

"No. I do as well. She is not in our shelter or at the fire ring."

Ann'wn instantly called for more guards, becoming concerned over The High Queen's whereabouts. Sle'nel’ was going to tell Ann'wn about her own search, but hadn't been given the moment, so she continued on alone.

With the help of a small torch, she finally found her boot prints. She followed those to just prior their shelter, then saw that they turned and headed off in another direction. Meera had seen Sle'nel’ examining the ground, wondering why she did so.

"Sle'nel'. What do you look for?"

Quietly, she responded, “The High Queen. I cannot find her."

"I will go alert Ann'wn."

"No, Meera. Ann'wn is already gathering many guards to her. She knows that The High Queen is missing. But you and I can find her. I have her boot prints just in front of me."

"Perhaps she is in danger though."

"Give me just a few moments, Meera. Come. Help me track her."

Meera was a superb tracker, the best in Woden, and now the best in all of these guards now about her. And Sle'nel', having been trained by the Sorcerer Women of the Mountain, was also an excellent tracker. Together they followed The High Queen's tracks with great skill, both ensuring they didn't lose them. After many moments, and far longer than Meera had patience for, they saw a large trap door opening into the ground and guessed it to be the entrance to the Grandmother's dwelling.

"She shouldn't have entered alone."

"She assumes that others follow her. A safe assumption in that they always do, except at this moment."

"She could be in danger."

"Meera, the guards lost her. They should have followed her better. When she is used to being followed about at all the moments, then she would assume as such at this moment, as well."

Neither spoke as they descended under the vast lands. Sle'nel’ was amazed at the largeness of the tunnel, seeing that it could fully allow horses to travel down into it, guessing that such was made so as to deliver any supplies that were necessary. As they went lower into the tunnel, they noticed the air becoming cooler around them. Upon two occasions, Sle'nel’ saw that the tunnel broke off into other paths, but followed San'lr'in's boot tracks that kept traveling down what looked like the main one. After many moments, they came to another door that had been left opened. They looked into a very lit dwelling, and into what looked like a large receiving hall.

They were in the first room, but yet didn't see San'lr'in', so moved into the next room. Sle'nel’ could see that it was the first real room of the dwelling, being a sort of sitting room. The room contained richly colored woven carpets, some soft chairs, and some assorted-sized tables. There were also many cases filled with alchemy testings, books, journals, notes, artifacts from The Realm, assorted weapons, dead and stuffed animals, jars filled with a liquid and animal parts, mortars and pestles, a long table with benches on each side of it, and other such relics.

"I will keep looking for her, Elf."

"I hear her voice. She is speaking to someone."

"My greatest fear. Quickly. Lead me to her."

Sle'nel’ led them to the next room, a sort of bedroom, down a long hall and through another room, then, almost running by now down some stairs and into another room where they finally found The High Queen. With great relief, Meera and Sle'nel’ were surprised to see that The High Queen was speaking to a young woman, perhaps of seventeen cycles, who was standing in a corner, shackled by her wrists to large rings in the rock wall. Except for a small waist and hip covering, she was unclothed. Meera and Sle'nel’ saw that she had a large ring placed through each breast, another smaller ring placed in her nose, and many scars across her legs and arms. Her face was tattooed on one cheek, her head was shaven clean, and two of her right-hand fingers were gone, apparently painfully removed as indicated by the rawness of the scabbing. Sle'nel’ winced as she saw a puddle of blood at the young girl's feet. When she looked to its cause, she saw the inside of the girl's legs caked with dried blood.