Where the outside weather of Ero was freezing despite the lack of snow and plentiful sunshine, the inside of the castle was warm and inviting, with large tapestries covering the walls, thick carpets on the floor, and a warm fire blazing in every fireplace they came across. They didn't have much time to observe the intricately woven tapestries or the fine carvings on the furniture they came across, as Seras giddily rushed them to the throne room where Isabella awaited them. However, undenounced to them, the group was being watched by Ratun from behind one of the thick tapestries. Hungerly, he observed the guests, his pale eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets as they racked over the women in the group. His eyes immediately fell onto Will; with her chest that seemed flatter than a plate, short red hair, and common features she appeared more like a farmer's daughter dressed as a Queen than anything else. She wasn't beautiful; he didn't even consider her attractive enough to be a rose maiden, however, there was a scent on her that intrigued him. She smelled of wild iris and that other world; the smell of the other world stung his sensitive nose and churned his stomach. There was something filthy about the smell of that world made him wish he would never have to see it for himself. Still, even if she wasn't pretty and reeked of that other world, he wouldn't have denied a taste of her had she been an untouched virgin. Sadly, she wasn't Ratun could smell the scent of her husband all over her; it was a smell that reminded the boy, who had grown up in the perfume sector of Ero, or roses and cedarwood.
Princess Elyon, however, was more to his liking. Though she too reeked of that strange world, she was still untouched, and her looks were soothing to the eyes. Though he desired Princess Myra the most, he wouldn't mind having Elyon as one of his rose maidens, if she survived tomorrow's events. From where he hid, she smelled of honeysuckles, fresh rain, and a warm summer breeze. Next, his sights fell onto the other woman in their group. She was prettier than Will, but not as radiant as the princess. For a moment, Ratun thought she was one of the King's concubines, but dropped tat thought when he didn't detect a single hint of the King on her. She was pretty enough that he considered her another concubine for himself, but the smell that clung to her was enough to turn him off her good looks; she smelled of cats, which were creatures Ratun despised more than anything else in the world. Soon, the royals were gone from his view and Ratun was left alone again. Part of him pitied the group since they'd have less than twenty-four hours left to live, but he didn't let that sway his loyalty to Armana.
The throne room, unlike Meridian's, was a large, circular room with a domed ceiling and windows reaching from floor to ceiling all around the flooded the room with light. In the center of the room, holding their little girl, stood the current King and Queen of Ero. Isabella was even more beautiful than Will remembered; with the silk-like dress that hugged every curve of her form and crystal crown on her head that reflected the light in a scattering array of colors, the Ero Queen appeared more like a goddess than a human. Isabella, once she saw their guests, handed her daughter over to her husband, and quickly ran and embraced first Phobos and then Will.
"It had been too long since I've seen you." Isabella's voice was as sweet as honeysuckles and Will couldn't help but feel envious when she hugged Phobos. She couldn't tell why, but something inside her, told her that Isabella was more worthy of Phobos's attention than she was and Will hated that feeling. However, she swallowed the sensation and smiled at Isabella as warm as she could.
"I agree, it has been too long." Replied Phobos as Isabella moved to embrace Will with a similar strength to Queen Seras. "Had you written, as you promised, then it wouldn't have felt as long."
"Myra and I did write, but we never received a letter from you, so after a while, I gave up. Myra and mother continued for a while, but we all stopped after a year of no replies." Responded Isabella before turning their attention to the man holding the toddler. "Now, if I may, this is my husband Victor and my daughter Elizabeth."
"Pleasure meeting you, sir." Victor's voice was loud and sharp when he shook the royal's hands and smiled at them. "Isabella and Myra told me a lot about you. I wish there had been more time at the wedding to introduce ourselves, but I didn't want to hog your time from the other guests. Perhaps now, we can catch up?"
"It would be a pleasure," responded Will and noted how, though he was handsome, Victor wasn't as good looking as her husband. Where Phobos's hair was a pale blond, Victor's was almost brown. Where Phobos's eyes were blue with streaks of brown and green, Victor's were a simple brown; basically, if Will had to pick favorites, which she was, she'd pick her husband over Victor anytime. Then again, maybe it wasn't his looks that drove Isabella to him; after all, it wasn't his looks that attracted Will to Phobos, though they did play a decent part in it.
"May I introduce our daughter Elizabeth? I can't believe she is almost a full year old; feels like yesterday that I held her in my arms for the first time." Victor proudly presented the young princess to the royals. The infant, who didn't know better, simply cooed and tried to stick her whole fist into her mouth. "One day, she will be Queen of this kingdom and I both await and dread that day."
"She is so adorable." Cheered Elyon and squeezed past Will and Phobos to get a better look at the little Princess. "She looks just like you, Victor and she has her mother's eyes." And what Elyon said was true, Elizabeth did possess her mother's glowing sapphire-blue eyes.
"Yes, she sure is something." Interrupted Seras and lightly ticked her granddaughter, who squealed in response and kicked her tiny feet that were covered in tiny, blue, silk boots. "And she holds the promise of magic as well. She can levitate, not well, but enough to escape her crib and wonder about the castle."
"Especially into my study." Came a voice from behind the group. When they turned around, a raven-haired, ruby-eyed, beauty rushed through the doors of the throne room and greeted the group with a warm smile. She didn't hug them like Seras, and Isabella had, but her greeting was just as warm and inviting. Will deduced that this, had to be Myra and she was just as beautiful as her sister. Full of reproach, she stood before Will and Phobos and continued her warm smile; Will could tell she wanted to hug them just as much as the rest of her family had but kept herself at bay. "It has been so long since I've seen you."
"It has been a long time since we have seen you, Myra. We missed you at the wedding." Replied Phobos and returned the smile at his cousin. "Honestly, I half expected you to burst through the doors and lift me off the ground with one hand while doing the same with Cedric."
"Well, if this means you give your permission." She responded and quickly wrapped her arms around Phobos's middle and tried to lift him off the ground. However, a few years had passed since she last saw her cousin and his muscle weight combined with her tall, yet petite form prevented her from lifting him off the ground even an inch. Failed in her efforts, Myra huffed and grumbled, "If you hadn't grown like a beanstalk, I could easily lift you off the ground without breaking a sweat."
"It would also help, had you lifted anything other than your books over the years." Responded Cedric. Myra spun around on her heels and glared at the Lord.
"You are just as much at fault." She snapped and compared her height to that of Cedric and Phobos as though they were children again. "I used to be taller than either one of you and now I am a good head shorter. You boys had no right to grow taller than me."
"Oh hush Myra, that is no way to greet our family; besides, you knew they'd grow taller than you one day, so there is no need to be bitter." Chided Seras and gave her daughter a light slap on the back.
"I knew they'd grow taller, but not by so much. I am older than them, so why shouldn't I be mad?" Myra grumbled, but a grin tugged at the corner of her lips, indicating that she wasn't as angry as she claimed to be. Just then, another voice echoed through the room and it was that of a young girl.
"Are those our guests from Meridian?" the voice belonged to a young girl that looked to be barely older than Elyon. Her straw-blond hair was fastened in tight curls similar to Seras's and her form promised to every bit like Seras's once she grew up. Still, there was a snobbish undertone in her voice that Will despised; then again, perhaps that was part of being royalty.
"Korinthia, come close and meet your cousins Phobos and Elyon." Seras either didn't hear the tone in the child's voice or didn't care. She simply smiled at the girl and ushered her closer. The child named Korinthia stepped closer and eyed the visiting royals as though they were a loaf of bread or piece of cloth she considered purchasing.
"So, you are my cousins? I can see the resemblance between the both of you." She meant Elyon and Phobos, "But I don't see it between mother and you. How exactly are we related?"
"Korinthia, that is enough." Hissed Seras and shooed her youngest daughter away before addressing her guests with a tired smile. "Please excuse her, she has suffered from raging mood swings since reaching womanhood. In another year, she is set to marry Duke Morpheus of Cina, and she has been switching between loathing that day and looking forward to it. She has known him since she was a baby, but she doesn't like the idea of moving away from Ero. I hate the thought as well, but the birds eventually have to leave the nest."
"Oh, no offense taken." Replied Will and felt a little sorry for the little girl. Will could only relate how she must feel since she herself was frightened of moving away from Heatherfield to live in Meridian.
"What is the matter, Will. You seem a little tense?" indeed, Seras was right. Will had expected a completely different reception to the one she got. She had prepared herself for a royal reception with grand announcements, instead, she was greeted with the same warmth she expected from a family back on Earth.
"Everything is fine, just a little rattled from the long journey. I expect a ride with wind stallions to be a little smoother than it actually was."
"Tell me about it." Interjected Myra as though she too, recently traveled with these beasts. "They may look graceful, but they are anything but that." She then smiled and walked towards the doors of the throne room. "Good thing that I know the exact cure for such a thing. Phobos, Elyon, and Will please come follow me."
"What about Orube and I?" asked Cedric. He too had missed Myra and felt left out when she wanted to speak with the others in private.
"I'll catch up with you later, Warrior Snake, but I have been working on this for years and I won't wait much longer," she called back as she waited at the door for her cousin and his family to follow.
"But-"Cedric was about to protest, but Phobos cut him off.
"Cedric, you know how useful it is to argue with Myra. Just stand by and I'll fill you and Orube in on what you missed once we get back." With that, he ushered Will and Elyon to follow Myra. Cedric only glared daggers at his friend's back. Once again, he was left out of something he would have been a part of had, Will, not been there. Victor and Pegan didn't seem to notice the angry stare in the Lord's eyes and so, Pegan patted the young man on his shoulder.
"Come now, my boy." His voice seemed to carry the chuckle of a man that has seen many hardships and wanted to spend the rest of his days enjoying the pleasures life had to offer. "Let us have a drink while we wait for your King and Queen to return."
"You boys enjoy a drink." Added Seras and took her granddaughter from Victor's arms. "I'll take Orube with me. Since she is Wilhelmina's personal guard, she must know a bit about her. I'd like to learn a little more about her since she is part of the family now."
XXXXX
To Will's and Elyon's dismay, Myra led them back outside where another carriage awaited them, this one drawn by two Hoogongs that snapped at each other as they waited for their passenger. Myra jumped into the carriage with ease and the girls let Phobos, begrudgingly, lift them in after her. Though this ride was more luxurious than their last, neither Will nor Elyon were looking forward to another journey; especially since the castle promised more comfort.
"Myra, we had quite the journey to Ero and would, at least, like to know where you are taking us?" Phobos knew Will and Elyon were tired, but since there was no use to argue with Myra, had allowed the Princess of Ero to lead them away from the Castle. Myra kept the smile, like that of a child on Christmas Day, and patted the book that had been placed in the carriage on her orders. The book was as thick as pumpkin and the leather cover was worn thin with age.
"As you know, I have been studying the Creation Theory of Metarmoor and all legends connected to it. Now, many of these legends mention a temple dedicated to the old gods. I am proud to announce that my people have unearthed said temple and it is in remarkable condition."
"You took us out of the castle and into another bumpy ride to show us a bunch of old rocks?" Asked Elyon with a frown. She didn't mean to be rude, but the lack of sleep, lack of food, uncomfortable seating, and recent revelations have made her crankier than she ever thought possible.
"Not just any old rocks," Countered Myra as she had expected this from people who hadn't spent as much time as she had with the legends. "They are THE old rocks. Many legends feature the temple and when I say that it is remarkably well preserved, then I mean it. All of the statues still carry their titles engraved on their base."
"And this couldn't have waited until later because?" Elyon still wasn't convinced that a trip to some old ruins was worth leaving the castle for. Phobos, unlike his sister, was eager to hear what Myra had to say.
"Elyon, are you aware of the legends behind the Light of Meridian? I am after the true legend and their meanings and not what people claim to be the meaning behind it." Now, Myra had even caught Will's attention. Both girls had heard plenty of lore surrounding the Light of Meridian, but all had either come from Kandrakar or Meridian itself; hearing about it from a place other than those two, might shed a little more light onto it and why both Elyon and Phobos's lives have been so grim. When Elyon didn't reply, Myra saw that as a cue to continue. "The founder of Meridian was a King by the name of Oro. In the early legend, he was a wise and kind ruler that knew right from wrong and helped his people. It was said that Meridian was a shining star amongst a sea of uncertainty. He kept the peace in Metarmoor and we would be nowhere if it hadn't been for him."
"If that is the case, then why do only women wear the crown of Meridian and are considered it's light?" asked Will, for her Myra was rambling and she was too tired to keep listening.
"I am getting to that," replied Myra and opened the book to a page marked with a red ribbon. When she looked at it, Will saw that it was a depiction of a family tree. "All gods stem from one being that visited Metarmoor when it was but a rock floating in space. This being somehow birthed seven children, one for each element, as well as one for light and one for shadows. The goddess of light was named Solas and she became a human after falling in love with one and gave birth to Oro. Now, Oro still had the other six gods and goddesses as family members, and all seemed to love their nephew; all except one, that is." She paused for dramatic effect, but her guests didn't seem to appreciate it, the bumpy ride didn't help the matters, so she quickly continued. "The goddess of shadow was named Inaska. Now, by all accounts, Inaska isn't evil. She was created to fill a role and she played the part. She was a trickster being that took joy in meddling in the affairs of the mortals around her."
"What does all this have to do with the Light of Meridian?" Elyon's nerves were wearing even thinner than Will's and she just wanted Myra to get on with it.
"Fine, I'll get to it. This next part was just a theory until the temple was discovered; At some point in the legends, Oro went crazy and started killed all that he perceived to be a threat. He went so crazy that he even married his eldest daughter, who was the only one who he believed wasn't out to kill him. Now, his daughter did eventually gain enough power to kill him and she became the first Queen of Meridian; earning the title of Light of Meridian for similar reasons. Since her, there have only been three other kings, one of them being with us today, and none of them were appreciated by their people, even though they did fantastic work with what they were handed. Now, no one knows exactly why Oro went crazy. It couldn't have been power, since he was already King long before his descent into madness. Now, my theory was that an outside force influenced Oro and made him become the monster people remember him as."
"And you believe that Inaska, the goddess of the unwanted, someone who has no control over people's minds, influenced Oro and made all of Meridian fear another male ruler?" By now, even Phobos was growing tired of Myra's history lesson. Especially since he already knew the legends and what the gods were capable of and what they weren't. "Does this temple contain any evidence to your claims?"
Just then, as though Myra had planned the timing perfectly, the carriage lurched to a full stop, nearly throwing Will off her seat if Phobos hadn't been there and caught her. With a grin as though she held all the winning cards in a poker game, Myra swung open the door to the carriage and jumped out. "As a matter of fact, I do. Come and see."
Though Phobos jumped out right after Myra and helped Will and Elyon out of the carriage just as fast, Myra had already climbed the withered steps of the temple and awaited them at the threshold that used to be closed by two massive doors, that had rotten away with time. When Elyon gazed around, she saw that they were in the middle of the woods and that trees, as thick as she was tall, had been cut down to create a clearing for the excavation of the temple. The woods were so thick at no sunlight made it to the forest floor, so Elyon wasn't surprised that the temple lay hidden for years. The temple itself was massive, made of white marble, and circular. In a way, its' structure reminded her of a wedding cake, if it hadn't been covered in dirt and roots from cut-down trees hadn't slung their way around the structure like wooden pythons. As though she were in a trance, Elyon climbed the old steps of the temple and gazed within it. The domed ceiling had partially collapsed in a few places and was held together only by moss and vines from the trees; still, she could see faint remnants stars and their constellations that had been painted on it with blue and gold paint. The floor, which was once as smooth as a mirror, was cracked, chipped, and dipped in a few places where the elements had gotten to it, but she could still tell how splendid it once was. The biggest impression, however, Elyon got from the statues that surrounded her. Entering the temple, the first she was faced with was that of the goddess Solas. She knew it was Solas by the wind stallions that pulled her chariot. Though the stallions were missing their snouts and one was missing both front paws, she could still tell what they were. Behind the statue of the goddess stood a large, circular, disk that had once been covered in gold to resemble the sun. Though most of the gold had been worn off by the years of sitting in the ruins, enough remained that Elyon could tell what it was and the remnants of the gold glowed in the light from the open door as though the disk were a shred from the sun itself. The statue of the goddess was missing its' arms and the nose, but Elyon could see that she must have been a true beauty and she thought she saw a slight resemblance between herself, her brother, and that statue. Then again, without a nose, many people looked alike. The statue's eyes had been set with blue sapphires and, though most had either fallen out or lost their shine, enough remained that the statue's eyes glowed in the sunlight.
"Wow." Was all the managed to escape Elyon's lips. Though the ruins were nothing more than old rocks, she could practically feel the history that slept within them. Behind her, Will let out an impressed whistle.
"I hate to admit it, but this place was worth the trip." Will gasped as her eyes moved from statue to statue, never settling on one for long enough as she was eager to see as much as possible.
"That is not all." Myra's voice echoes through the temple and her voice seemed to come from every corner because of the way the temple had been constructed. "The proof that exonerates all future male Meridian royals lies within the title engraved on this statue."
the group turned to see Myra kneeling at the base of a statue that they had missed since it stood in the blind spot of the door. If Myra hadn't pointed it out, they wouldn't have seen it until they left. It didn't help that the statue was little more than feet and the base; the rest of the statue was missing, and Will could tell by the markings on the stone, that this was caused deliberately. Someone wanted the statue gone from the existence and simply left the base and its' engraving intact out of respect.
"Here it says, clear as day in the old language. Goddess Inaska, protector of the discarded, bringer of suffering and misery and agony, creator of night and nightmares, mother of death and eagal."
"Eagal?" asked Elyon; she had learned a few words and phrases in the Meridian formal language, but she had never heard of that word.
"Eagal is old Metarmoor, what it stands for I am sure Myra will enlighten us." Phobos filled in the blanks as best he could, but he too had never heard of that word.
"Eagal mean fear or great fear." Responded Myra as she ran her fingers over the old carving in the stone. "In all the legends, Oro feared that someone was going to kill him. He was so afraid that he killed his infant son by throwing him in an open fire so the boy could never grow up to dethrone him."
"So, you are saying that this Inaska made this Oro go crazy with fear?" asked Will for clarification and clarification was what Myra was willing to hand out.
"Well, if you need more proof, Inaska isn't mentioned in other legends after Oro's death. Her last legend focuses on how she was cursed to wander the earth in mortal form for all eternity for committing a great offense against the gods. Now, that legend doesn't mention the exact crime, but what would make more sense than the other gods punishing her for messing with their beloved nephew? However, what is more important, is that it exonerates all Kings of Meridian; See, the people feared that the next Meridian King would end up like Oro. However, if the king didn't become crazy from within, but because of outside influences, it means that people should have to fear the next King."
For a moment, all three drew a blank on Myra's reasoning, but that lasted only a minute before Will broke out in a bright smile, laughed, turned and hugged Phobos tightly. She kissed him passionately before rushing to Myra and hugging her just as tightly. She was so happy that she could have cried; Myra simply looked between Elyon and Phobos while gently patting Will's back. She knew her findings would have a great impact on her cousin, but she didn't know it would be this great. Will was so happy about Myra's findings that she didn't even know how to put it into words. She understood why people hated Phobos, but she feared that should her child turn out to be a boy, that he would face similar hardships to its' father, and she didn't want that.
"Myra, you have no idea what you have done for our family." Will's voice shook and she fought to keep back the tears. She felt as though a tone of weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
"Well, I know people will hate Phobos for his actions and not what he was born as. I didn't expect this much cheer for my work." Replied Myra, still uncertain of how to treat the woman who, though she was married to Phobos, was a stranger to her.
"Should we tell her?" Phobos asked Elyon with a raised eyebrow and Elyon rolled her eyes in response.
"If you plan to keep it a secret, that train left ages ago. Just tell her so we can get back to the castle and enjoy some warm drinks. This temple is nice and all, but I am shivering in my shoes." It was true, she was shivering as hard as she was tall.
"Myra, I am happy to inform you that your efforts might have saved the life of a future Meridian heir. Wilhelmina is pregnant."
Myra froze for a second before she busted out in laughter and tightly hugged her cousin's wife. She had done it, years of sleepless nights and hard work had paid off. She had worked like a mad-woman not just for her cousin, but future generations as well, and now the future generation was just months away. If she were inclined enough, she'd kiss the woman hugging her for carrying the next Meridian heir under her heart. If that heir turned out to be a boy, she had just saved his life and future.
"Mother is going to be so happy to hear about this." Now Myra was close to tears, but she kept them at bay. She didn't cry in front of her family when times were hard, so she'd be damned if she cried in front of a woman who was a stranger to her. "How far along are you two?"
"We think about two months. It could be less, it could be more, but what does that matter? If it is a boy, he will be spared so much heartache." Replied Will and wiped a few stray tears from her eyes. "How did you even get to discover all this? It must have been so much work!"
"Finding thinks out and protecting my family has always been a passion of mine, so all this was inevitable." Replied Myra and helped Will up from the ground.
"So, if Will had a boy and you didn't discover all this, that boy would have been treated like garbage by the people because of one crazy king that lived ages ago? Sorry, but I was brought up not to throw out the whole barrel because of one rotten apple." Elyon was shocked by all the new information and it wasn't difficult for her to piece together the possible path that caused her family so much grief.
"Elyon, had you grown up in Meridian as I had, you'd think differently." Was her brother's response and to that, Elyon had little to say. Despite all her brother had done, he was still her family and was married to her best friend, so she wanted to defend his name wherever she could; however, he had a point. The only reason she thought the way she did, was because she was raised away from Meridian. She wasn't exposed to the legends and way of thinking, so it was easy for her to say he had been shoehorned into being the villain.
Feeling as though she had only made the situation awkward and that she had lost yet another battle against her brother, Elyon shifted her attention back to the statue. It was beyond repair and would never be restored to its' former glory, which was a shame. If the goddess of light, Solas, was covered in gold and jewels, then what could this one have looked like? Slowly, her eyes wandered from the feet of the statue to the base engraved with its' prayer. Earlier, Myra had mentioned that Inaska wasn't evil, but performed a necessary job, but if Myra's theory was true, then maybe Inaska wasn't as innocent as a plumber making a mistake at fixing pipes. Then, her eyes wandered even lower, where she spotted something peculiar at the base. To double-check, Elyon quickly looked at the other statues, but they didn't share their sister's characteristics. "Myra, why are there twelve bowls engraved into the floor around the Inaska statue?"
"Oh, that is for the blood sacrifice." Was Myra's nonchalant answer.