The Circle's End: Chapter 4
Sherlgirl@mindspring.com
http://www.mindspring.com/~sherline/animania/esca
===================================================================================
Millerna and Dryden threw themselves into the task of rebuilding Asturia, often accompanied by Allen. Every outward appearance seemed normal, but suddenly as soon as they all had grown comfortable with the routine, inexplicably, Dryden disappeared.
Millerna colored when she finally asked where he was. "He let me out of the marriage." She slipped a ring on and off her finger unconsciously as she tried to explain things to her sister. "He wanted to go and make himself a better man, and told me,' she paused with emotion heavy in her voice, "he told me he wanted to make me fall in love with him."
Eries shook her head. Millerna had finally realized that Dryden loved her after all and that he had to have loved her even more to give Millerna her freedom.
"I told him that I might not wait," Millerna spoke softly.
Eries swallowed, 'Could she mean she meant to go to Allen?'
Millerna toyed with the ring and furrowed her brow, "I'm not sure why I said that. I wasn't sure if it was because of Allen. Maybe a part of it was. Or maybe...." Millerna looked confused.
Eries looked regretful. "Is Allen's past with Marlene too hard for you?"
"No." Millerna turned to look at her with sad eyes, "I can't help the past. Marlene loved Allen. Allen loved Marlene. " She paused, "I read her diary while in Freid. I learned the whole truth ," she continued softly. "She realized only shortly before she died that she really loved the King. Marlene put away the past and her regrets, but too late. I don't want a life of regrets. I want to be certain, but to that I need to think truthfully before I make a decision that impacts so many people. "
"Millerna," Eries placed her hand on Millerna's head as she often used to when Millerna was still a young girl, "I believe in you. We all believe in you."
Millerna nodded. Then squaring her shoulders she set out for the door.
As Millerna went off alone, Eries bowed her head and contemplated the situation. She heard the dilemma in her sister's voice- and knew that Millerna was weighing her heart to find the answers. Eries vowed to accept the outcome, whatever it would be.
------
As it turned out, matters of the heart had to wait. As the days passed, both Eries and Millerna knew that their father's condition was not improving.
A summons came one dark, foggy morning and Eries and Millerna hurried to their father's bedside, fearing that time had run out. They both walked silently into the dark room, seeing only the outline of their father's figure reclined on the bed.
Dryden stepped out of the shadows and bowed quietly to Millerna and Eries. He looked tired and sad -- whether it was due to Aston's impending death or to something else, Eries did not know. But as she saw him give Millerna a long look, she suspected that Dryden had not been a happy man since he left the palace weeks ago.
"Dryden!" Millerna looked at him with surprise. He had been scarce the last few weeks, withdrawing to his floating lair while ostensibly making a tour of the kingdom and of the battle-ravaged land.
"Shhh" Eries warned Millerna, the noise would disturb their father even more.
"Millerna," King Aston rasped and weakly held out his hand. "Come."
Millerna started and then sat on the bed.
"You will be queen shortly." he smiled weakly, "although you are young, Gaea needs the young to lead us into our future."
"Father!" Millerna began to sob, "Please."
"Mind your sister's advice." He patted her hand weakly. "But heed Dryden also."
Both Millerna and Dryden looked down at his words.
"Dryden," he beckoned him also to his bedside and took his hand. "I've heard that you have been out of reach. Despite whatever happened between you and Millerna, this land needs both of you to restore peace and prosperity, to restore the trust of the people in its leaders. I chose you as consort for political reasons, but Eries, Millerna and even the Knights Caeli have endorsed you -despite your modern ways.
You must not leave Millerna to rule alone - she is a lamb among wolves. Cherish her innocence and honor the vow you made before our people." He put Millerna's hand on Dryden's. "If you both fulfill your duty, you will find mutual respect. If you allow respect, love will come in time, from your people and from one another."
Millerna and Dryden looked at one another quickly. Millerna then flushed and averted her eyes, while Dryden continued to look at her with a pained expression.
"Eries." Aston turned a bit and sought her eyes in the dark. "To you I wish to speak alone."
"Father?" Eries took a step towards the bed and once Millerna and Dryden stood awkwardly and departed, took her turn at his side.
"I made a mistake, several mistakes, many years ago." He was coughing now. "And now I hope to rectify that by bringing the Knight Caeli back to court."
"Allen?" Eries answered, uncertain why he was dictating this to her.
"Years ago, I sent him away. Marlene --"
"Father, I know." Eries answered.
"No, no." he waved at her to not interrupt. "Marlene's infatuation was no longer a concern when I detailed him away from court. In truth, I did not do it for her. I did it out of my fear for my other daughter."
"Eries " Aston looked at his eldest surviving daughter. "I do not refer to Millerna. Both Millerna and Marlene were the type to fall for Allen's easy charm, but I knew in time that Marlene would accept King Freid and that Millerna would accept Dryden. The truth is, years ago, I posted Allen first to escort patrol because he was spending much time with you and the ladies in court were up in arms over the impropriety of the matter. Unfortunately I did not anticipate that by doing so Marlene would fall for the Caeli -
I regret that." He closed his eyes slowly and opened them.
"I also regret something else, my poor daughter. Your strong persistence and your continuous rejection of the council's proposals made me suspect you and Allen. I sent him away, hoping to break your will."
"Father " Eries could only look away.
"I was prideful and wrong," he rasped. "And I had an even hand in the misery of my daughters. Be free from that bondage, daughter, if it is that chance you want, pursue it without fear . I have asked Dryden to summon Allen Schezar back to this palace. If you and he should both come to an understanding, I and no one else will not stand in your way."
"Father," Eries put her head down on his bed and cried tears of bitterness. He would never know that it was much too late for that now. But she sought only to give him comfort. She finally squeezed his hand, "thank you."
"Go," he said much more weakly, "I need to rest."
Sherlgirl@mindspring.com
http://www.mindspring.com/~sherline/animania/esca
===================================================================================
Millerna and Dryden threw themselves into the task of rebuilding Asturia, often accompanied by Allen. Every outward appearance seemed normal, but suddenly as soon as they all had grown comfortable with the routine, inexplicably, Dryden disappeared.
Millerna colored when she finally asked where he was. "He let me out of the marriage." She slipped a ring on and off her finger unconsciously as she tried to explain things to her sister. "He wanted to go and make himself a better man, and told me,' she paused with emotion heavy in her voice, "he told me he wanted to make me fall in love with him."
Eries shook her head. Millerna had finally realized that Dryden loved her after all and that he had to have loved her even more to give Millerna her freedom.
"I told him that I might not wait," Millerna spoke softly.
Eries swallowed, 'Could she mean she meant to go to Allen?'
Millerna toyed with the ring and furrowed her brow, "I'm not sure why I said that. I wasn't sure if it was because of Allen. Maybe a part of it was. Or maybe...." Millerna looked confused.
Eries looked regretful. "Is Allen's past with Marlene too hard for you?"
"No." Millerna turned to look at her with sad eyes, "I can't help the past. Marlene loved Allen. Allen loved Marlene. " She paused, "I read her diary while in Freid. I learned the whole truth ," she continued softly. "She realized only shortly before she died that she really loved the King. Marlene put away the past and her regrets, but too late. I don't want a life of regrets. I want to be certain, but to that I need to think truthfully before I make a decision that impacts so many people. "
"Millerna," Eries placed her hand on Millerna's head as she often used to when Millerna was still a young girl, "I believe in you. We all believe in you."
Millerna nodded. Then squaring her shoulders she set out for the door.
As Millerna went off alone, Eries bowed her head and contemplated the situation. She heard the dilemma in her sister's voice- and knew that Millerna was weighing her heart to find the answers. Eries vowed to accept the outcome, whatever it would be.
------
As it turned out, matters of the heart had to wait. As the days passed, both Eries and Millerna knew that their father's condition was not improving.
A summons came one dark, foggy morning and Eries and Millerna hurried to their father's bedside, fearing that time had run out. They both walked silently into the dark room, seeing only the outline of their father's figure reclined on the bed.
Dryden stepped out of the shadows and bowed quietly to Millerna and Eries. He looked tired and sad -- whether it was due to Aston's impending death or to something else, Eries did not know. But as she saw him give Millerna a long look, she suspected that Dryden had not been a happy man since he left the palace weeks ago.
"Dryden!" Millerna looked at him with surprise. He had been scarce the last few weeks, withdrawing to his floating lair while ostensibly making a tour of the kingdom and of the battle-ravaged land.
"Shhh" Eries warned Millerna, the noise would disturb their father even more.
"Millerna," King Aston rasped and weakly held out his hand. "Come."
Millerna started and then sat on the bed.
"You will be queen shortly." he smiled weakly, "although you are young, Gaea needs the young to lead us into our future."
"Father!" Millerna began to sob, "Please."
"Mind your sister's advice." He patted her hand weakly. "But heed Dryden also."
Both Millerna and Dryden looked down at his words.
"Dryden," he beckoned him also to his bedside and took his hand. "I've heard that you have been out of reach. Despite whatever happened between you and Millerna, this land needs both of you to restore peace and prosperity, to restore the trust of the people in its leaders. I chose you as consort for political reasons, but Eries, Millerna and even the Knights Caeli have endorsed you -despite your modern ways.
You must not leave Millerna to rule alone - she is a lamb among wolves. Cherish her innocence and honor the vow you made before our people." He put Millerna's hand on Dryden's. "If you both fulfill your duty, you will find mutual respect. If you allow respect, love will come in time, from your people and from one another."
Millerna and Dryden looked at one another quickly. Millerna then flushed and averted her eyes, while Dryden continued to look at her with a pained expression.
"Eries." Aston turned a bit and sought her eyes in the dark. "To you I wish to speak alone."
"Father?" Eries took a step towards the bed and once Millerna and Dryden stood awkwardly and departed, took her turn at his side.
"I made a mistake, several mistakes, many years ago." He was coughing now. "And now I hope to rectify that by bringing the Knight Caeli back to court."
"Allen?" Eries answered, uncertain why he was dictating this to her.
"Years ago, I sent him away. Marlene --"
"Father, I know." Eries answered.
"No, no." he waved at her to not interrupt. "Marlene's infatuation was no longer a concern when I detailed him away from court. In truth, I did not do it for her. I did it out of my fear for my other daughter."
"Eries " Aston looked at his eldest surviving daughter. "I do not refer to Millerna. Both Millerna and Marlene were the type to fall for Allen's easy charm, but I knew in time that Marlene would accept King Freid and that Millerna would accept Dryden. The truth is, years ago, I posted Allen first to escort patrol because he was spending much time with you and the ladies in court were up in arms over the impropriety of the matter. Unfortunately I did not anticipate that by doing so Marlene would fall for the Caeli -
I regret that." He closed his eyes slowly and opened them.
"I also regret something else, my poor daughter. Your strong persistence and your continuous rejection of the council's proposals made me suspect you and Allen. I sent him away, hoping to break your will."
"Father " Eries could only look away.
"I was prideful and wrong," he rasped. "And I had an even hand in the misery of my daughters. Be free from that bondage, daughter, if it is that chance you want, pursue it without fear . I have asked Dryden to summon Allen Schezar back to this palace. If you and he should both come to an understanding, I and no one else will not stand in your way."
"Father," Eries put her head down on his bed and cried tears of bitterness. He would never know that it was much too late for that now. But she sought only to give him comfort. She finally squeezed his hand, "thank you."
"Go," he said much more weakly, "I need to rest."
