Merkan was not quite four when his little brother Emin* was born. Emin didn't look like his mother at all, but then Merkan only had her blue eyes. They didn't really look like each other, either, but since everyone in the Sacred Mountain looked different from each other, and only his mother had white hair, he didn't think very much of it.
Merkan was sturdy, with black hair and medium brown skin. His energy level matched the energy of his startling blue eyes that shone because of how dark his hair was. His nose was long but those in the temple called it "noble" and he tried to ignore it when he looked into a mirror, since he thought it didn't really match. (Mostly because it didn't match his mother's slightly shorter and rounder look.)
Emin, as small as he was, was not quite as sturdy as Merkan, being slimmer. His skin was a paler shade of brown than Merkan's, but still not as pale as their mother. His hair was a lighter brown, and his eyes matched, being also lighter in shade. He was more quiet than Merkan, too.
It helped that as Emin grew, he showed that he was all boy. That was more fun, when Emin could run and play with Merkan. As soon as Emin was old enough to hold a stick and follow instructions (roughly when he was three and Merkan was seven), Emin got to join in with Merkan's weapons lessons. Then they could practice together.
While Merkan liked that, too, he got his first severe lessons in how to be gentle with those who were younger and weaker. Obviously the smaller, younger Emin couldn't take Merkan's full-out blows, but he didn't really know that at the first. As the tears streamed down Emin's face and the doctor wrapped his arm and shoulder, Merkan stood at the side of their stern instructor feeling very terrible.
The instructor didn't say anything, but his extreme disapproval exuded from him. Merkan's head kept trying to shrink up into his shoulders. When Emin was released by the doctor, Merkan walked up to him and bowed. "I'm so sorry, Emin," he said miserably.
He put his arms around Emin like his mother would put her arms around them when they needed to cry. That helped him feel better and Emin relax. "I promise, I won't do that again," Merkan said. When Emin felt better enough, Merkan turned to their instructor and bowed. "Please teach me how to teach others without hurting them."
He was a little surprised, then relieved to see approval in the face of their instructor. Both boys paid attention as he spoke to them. "It's important to learn that there's always someone more strong than you. You mustn't ever stop working hard to become better and stronger so you can protect yourself from that person." Emin looked down at the ground and winced, but gave a small nod.
"However, it's also important to understand how to temper yourself so you don't harm those who you should be caring for. You, Merkan, will become a warrior and a leader of men. To learn how to teach those under you, without killing them, is something I will teach you." Merkan relaxed, rather relieved. He really shouldn't have done it to his brother, and he really shouldn't hurt those who would help him later.
Emin had to learn to trust that his brother wasn't going to hit him so hard anymore, and to trust that he would get stronger. Merkan had to learn how to hit less hard. He'd always had to hit his instructor's practice sword very hard.
The boys grew in strength and in brotherly comradeship and love over the years they lived in the Sacred Mountain with their mother. She taught them the things of the Goddess, and of Pars and the nations around it, and she taught them to love the rightful king of Pars, Arslan.
When they were done with their lessons, they would usually go and find her watching over Pars, and often over Arslan. They would watch with her. They knew he was very young for a king, since she'd shown them the other kings of the nations around, and they knew all of his close advisors.
If it was a session of the king in court, they would watch until the king had made a declaration on the issue at hand, then their mother would discuss it with them. What had the king done? she would ask them. Then they would have to answer things like, "He listened carefully to the issue and to all the points brought for and against it." And, "He asked for the advice of those he trusts."
It was a surprising lesson when she pointed out that he'd listened to the advice of those he didn't know if he trusted, but who were in positions of power, so the king could understand how his nobles felt about issues. If they didn't feel heard, or respected, then he would lose their support, she explained.
They could see in Arslan's final answers that if his declaration was counter to the lords, he carefully explained why he'd made his decision, and often he asked for their patience to test his decision and see if the results were as he expected.
"Why do they allow it?" Merkan asked her.
"Because they also know he's young and has things to learn. If he were old, or acted like he didn't care for them, too, they would be angry and remove their support from him. A king is only as strong as his support, and his internal belief that what he does is for the sake of the kingdom's people."
She turned to them and they sat up straight at her sober expression. "It's a very difficult thing to be only one man who must carry an entire nation of people upon his shoulders. He carries the hopes of every man, woman, and child of Pars in him. They must work hard to eat, to have a place to live, to even find joy in each day. He led Pars to the peace they enjoy now so they can only focus on those things.
"When there is war, everyone suffers and can only hope to lie down and sleep without fear, wake to find a new day, and hope to find even a weed to eat. That is a harsh life that makes everyone sad, except those who have chosen greed and to think of only themselves and what they can take from those who work hard.
"A king has the power to command, even to command his armies to steal the food and things his people have worked hard to gain to take care of their families. A king has the power to command all of his people to help him take the lands and things of other nations. People will obey, but when those are done only to feed the emptiness of greed of a king, eventually that king will fall by the hands of his own people for his hubris."
"Why will they obey in the first place?" Emin asked.
"The nobles who command the soldiers will obey because if the king is selfish and wicked, they also can be free to be the same. He won't punish them for living the way he wants to live. The soldiers obey because they must, or because they also can be free to be equally as selfish. Can you see that when one person is allowed to do wrong, others can feel free to do the same?"
The boys pondered that for a while, then allowed as how they might see that. They were thinking of when Emil was hungry in the middle of the night and woke Merkan up. They would sneak to the kitchen together to steal apples and cheese, or other foods. While they didn't think it was quite the level of selfish she meant, they could understand. One of them was too afraid to do it alone, but together they had the courage to do a naughty thing.
"Is it right in the case of lords and kings, who can command people to go and die?" she asked them gently.
They had to quickly shake their heads. She'd already shown them the history of the war Arslan had won. That had come early in their training at the hands of the weapons master. Death on the battlefield was terrible. When it was necessary, like it had been for Arslan, they could understand. But to die because of the reasons the Lusitanians had entered into Pars for - the greed of their king and high priest - that was definitely wrong.
Neylan returned to the main point. "The nobles and Arslan are still learning to work together. As Arslan grows and learns from each of these decisions he makes, they will eventually have an understanding. It will take a long time. Sometimes it takes ten years to understand what a decision today will do to the people in a nation. Why does he ask his advisors for their thoughts?"
They'd answered that before, but this time they thought about it a little more. "Because they already have years to see?" Merkan finally asked.
"Yes," Neylan answered softly in approval. "He is asking them to explain to him what they understand will happen within those years he can't see yet. If he can understand it before making the decision, he can save himself and the people a painful eight to ten years from making an uninformed decision. So, why does he still do what he wants, and makes the nobles learn in those years?"
That one they couldn't answer, frowning and shaking their heads after thinking about it as hard as they could. "Because the policies of the kings before were corrupt, in order to support their own pride and selfishness. The nobles have enjoyed being able to be that prideful and that selfish. Arslan is trying to set the balance of Pars right, so that not only the nobles can feel happy, but so that all the people can be happy and their burdens made lighter."
Both young boys felt very enlightened. "I'd want that," Emin said, nodding enthusiastically.
"Indeed," Neylan agreed. "Thus he asks for the nobles' patience, hoping that as the changes make the people happier the nobles will see that it's a better way to live. He may eventually have to fight the worst of his nobles, who refuse to give up their prideful and selfish ways. He'll try to remove them from their places in the ways of kings and nobles first, giving their titles to others who are worthy of taking care of the people of Pars. Why might that not be enough?"
They had a clue for that one from the wars. "Because they won't want to give up the things they want," Merkan said darkly.
"Even so," Neylan agreed. She paused, then looked at both boys for a long moment. They could feel her love and concern for them. "My sons. You exist to help him in those times." They both sat up and blinked in great surprise. "People age. With age comes weakness. King Arslan is still entering the time of his strength. He will be strong for a long time, but his advisors will age in that same time and begin to lose their strength. You are younger than even he is, and will grow into your strength as they lose theirs."
She reached out a hand and took Merkan's hand in hers. "You have seen Marzbān Daryun and his loyalty to King Arslan."
Merkan nodded several times. He revered the very strong Marzbān of Marzbāns and his gentle leading of the king. "You are his son." Merkan almost couldn't breathe for the shock. She waited for him, then gently said, "You will take his place when his sword arm is no longer strong enough to defend King Arslan. I would wish for you to also stand at his side in the court, to learn how to advise wisely. Learn also from Narsus, who is even wiser." Merkan gave a promise nod, but was having troubles absorbing the news.
Neylan turned to take Emin's hand with her other hand. "What is your favorite story from the history of the war of King Arslan?" she asked him.
Emin sat up straight and with excitement said, "When King Arslan was good and kind enough to win even the heart and loyalty of a man from another kingdom, and Jaswant saved him with strength and cunning."
Neylan nodded wisely. "Even so. Jaswant is your father. You in your time will also learn from his own mouth how to serve King Arslan the same."
Emin sat in as much shock as Merkan, if not more. For some time Neylan just sat with them holding their hands to help anchor them as their minds swam to know that those great noble heroes of valor were their fathers. It would be very large shoes to fill and they were still small.
When they shifted, unsure, their mother smiled at them. "You can do it. Just do your best each day. Each day you become a little stronger, a little more what you want to be if you focus on that goal.
"Remember kindness and gentleness. Do not become ruthless and forgetful in your efforts to reach those goals. Neither of those men did, nor have they. They have only desired to serve to the best of their abilities, and work hard each day to reach it."
Neylan paused, then rocked back a little, looking into the distance. "I think I will gift the two of you a full day each, to show you. If you see it, you will understand it."
The next day, she arrived very early in Merkan's room and woke him. Sleepily he followed her to the watching room where a small breakfast and water had been set out for them. Neylan opened up the vision and Merkan's mouth dropped open.
Daryun, his father, was kneeling on the floor by his bed. Merkan listened as Daryun asked the Goddess for protection that day, for the strength to protect King Arslan, and for the wisdom to shut his mouth when it was going to say stupid things. It was a little embarrassing to hear him say things like, "And when I want to hit Narsus, make the blow sting but not harm." Merkan didn't think a man like his father should be doing things like that, even if he was annoyed.
There was a pause at the end of the prayer, then very quietly Daryun said, "And please, bless my son with strength and wisdom as he grows, so that he may also stand in the place King Arslan will need him. Give my regards to your priestess." Merkan blushed hard to hear his hero pray for him, so missed that Daryun also blushed just slightly.
Merkan and Neylan spent all day in that room watching everything Daryun did in that day. There was breakfast, then Daryun's personal weapons practice. Bathing and changing to arrive to tease Narsus as they walked to Arslan's room to sit with him and discuss the day's schedule.
When Daryun was doing a small task, Merkan asked, "Why does he do these little things?"
Neylan smiled. "Perhaps someday you can ask him. But what do the people around him look like when he does?"
Merkan paid attention to that as well. Or he tried to. When Daryun was just walking halls or in the street, it was easier to do. Most people watched him with admiring faces. Some even called out and received kind answers. When Daryun was kind to the stableboy, Merkan approved like the stableboy did. He would also like to receive kindness from someone of that stature.
By the time Daryun finally retired to his bed late that night, Merkan was very tired. He wasn't used to sitting still that long, although he greatly appreciated having the opportunity to watch a man he'd always admired, and now had a special connection to. As they left the room of watching, he paused, then looked at his mother. "Can I do that more? Not every day, but on days I want to understand better?"
Neylan hesitated, then said, "Let me see if the Goddess will grant it to you. For me to do it myself is very tiring. I'll sleep for two days, then give Emin his day and sleep for another two. Then I will ask the Goddess." She smiled at Merkan. "You can also go there and request it of Her at any time, if I'm not already there. If you let me know in advance, I'll know you're there and not intrude."
Merkan bowed low. "Thank you, Mother." He impulsively wrapped his arms around her and she hugged him back in return. He looked up into her blue eyes, surrounded by her wavy white hair and for just a moment was struck by a sense of familiarity. It confused him, and he could only say to himself that of course she would be since she was his mother.
*Emin: one who is trustworthy or confident