Chapter 10- Degradation

Miriam nervously wrung her hands as she stared out the window. Gray, heavy clouds had filled the skies that morning and now they dropped their contents down on Sparks. The rain spattered against the clear glass and dribbled down to the window pane in rivers. Just like the tears she was crying at that very moment. They just ran down her face and she let them. Until she heard footsteps approaching her room. Miriam gently brushed them away and composed herself as the door behind her opened.

"Have you found my husband for me, Henrietta?" Miriam asked in a controlled tone, trying her best not to alarm her personal handmaid.

"No your highness." Miriam watched her handmaid's reflection curtsy in the glass. As she stood, Henrietta's bright blue eyes stared at her in the reflection. "No one has seen or heard from him since this morning. Not even his advisor, Vladimir." Henrietta slowly stepped forward. "Are you alright, Miriam?"

Miriam turned and gave Henrietta a sad smile. "I am as a mother should be when her daughter is missing under mysterious circumstances." The tears she'd tried to hide finally overflowed and Miriam collapsed into a nearby chair sobbing. Henrietta rushed to her side and took her hand, speaking in soothing tone. Miriam just allowed her, even though she knew Henrietta's attempts were futile. Nothing could heal Miriam's aching heart. One child dead, another she never had the chance to raise. Her husband emotionally broken after years of torment. Her kingdom left in ruins and shambles. Her people locked away. She didn't know if she or Oritel could survive the loss of another child after everything they'd already been through.

"Oh, Miriam." Henrietta pulled Miriam into a hug and Miriam hugged her back. "They'll find your child. I know they will. You'll see."

" I can only pray." Miriam whispered. She pulled away from Henrietta and held her head in her hands. "I shouldn't do that. As Queen of Sparks I'm supposed to remain agnostic when considering all religions."

Henrietta chuckled. "And where in the royalty handbook does it say you can't have a religion?"

Miriam smiled. "I don't know Henrietta. I just assumed considering the many different creeds of people I reign over. To be honest, I don't know what religion to believe in anymore. Look at all that's happened…" Miriam clasped her hands in her lap. "…I mean what kind of a god would do this to a single family?"

"I don't know Miriam. But to give up hope now…" Henrietta glanced at Miriam, "What would your daughter say? What would either of them say? " Henrietta gave Miriam a small smile. "The women of Sparks have always had to stand strong in the worst of times."

"That we have." Miriam said quietly as she gazed once again out the window. "I need to see my husband."

"Oritel will come soon, I sure." Henrietta stated. "I've known you and your husband for a very long time and I know when you're upset, he's not too far off. He'll be here."

"Yes…perhaps." Miriam whispered. She placed her palm against the window. "We've been friends for a very long time Henrietta. We grew up together. You saw me get married."

"That I did Miriam." Henrietta said calmly as she began straightening out the room. "We used to play out in the garden when we were just babes." She smiled at Miriam again. "I used to help you sneak out of the nobility quarters all the time. We'd go out to the city and go dancing." Henrietta twirled with her arms in the air, her skirts sweeping around her feet as she did. "I remember how all the boys would stare at us too."

Miriam shared a laugh with her maid. "Yes, I remember. Although they stared more toward you. You always were a talented dancer."

"And your parents sent me after you to Alfea in an attempt to settle you down to focus on your studies. That was basically useless. You would always go out with your friends. I on the other hand sat at Alfea scrambling to make something of myself to do my family proud." Henrietta gave Miriam an all-knowing look.

Miriam blushed. "Well, I was a bit reckless when I was younger, wasn't I?"

"Indeed. And you met that handsome boy, Oritel." Henrietta added. "You fell head over heels for him. And then you learned he was a prince."

"The very prince of the realm I was from. Crown Prince Oritel of Sparks." Miriam sighed and feigned a swoon. "Yes…I remember. But might I say he was just as head over heels for me."

"That he was." Henrietta agreed laughing. "I remember he'd always stop by your room and ask for you. I used to ask him if he was just stalking you or if he was attempting to be romantic." Henrietta shook her head. "And then you graduated and he graduated and right off the bat the two of you married. That was such a beautiful day. And you two had to immediately take over Sparks because his father died."

"Yes. He was so sad." Miriam closed her eyes and remembered how she'd held him close as he cried after their wedding. "Oh, I don't wish to remember that."

"Of course you wouldn't. Oritel was so strong about it too." Henrietta commented.

'Nobody saw him in his weakest moments. Nobody but me.' Miriam thought quietly to herself.

"None too soon after that, you two had Daphne. She was just the most darling child I ever saw." Henrietta gushed. "I was proud to come back and be her nanny. Such a fussy child though. Colicky all the time I tell you." Henrietta gave a small chuckle. "According to my mother, she served as your nanny you know, Daphne got it from you."

"Mm-hm." Miriam said absent-mindedly as she concentrated hard. After a few moments of silence, the tears returned and Miriam broke off her concentration. "Where is Oritel? I need to speak with him."

Henrietta stopped her duties and returned to Miriam's side. "Will you tell me what is the matter now?"

"Go on. Continue with what happened after Daphne was born." Miriam wiped at her tears. "Please. It calms me."

"Of course. Well, let's see…ah yes. Then the whole issue between Sparks and the Ancestresses began to flare up again. They were threatening our realm. Oritel had called forth some of his strongest friends and formed the great Company of Light. You and Oritel led them in that fourteen-year-long battle with the Ancestresses." Henrietta sat down quietly and continued. "I stayed here and watched over little Daphne. She grew up beautifully, such a golden child with her blonde curled hair and heart-shaped face. Why, she reminded me of you, Miriam."

Miriam smiled. "She was the light of both my life and Oritel's. He always thought of her when we went away."

"Yes. She missed you terribly." Henrietta nodded. "Then there was a calm. The Ancestresses disappeared and you came home."

Miriam sat up and gazed intently at Henrietta. "And…continue Henrietta, please."

"Right. You, Oritel, and Daphne were wonderfully happy together…" Henrietta frowned and knitted her brow as though she were trying to recall something. "Something else had to happen. Something…"

"Bloom's birth." Miriam whispered. "You were there for Daphne's."

"Oh, right…Bloom…" Henrietta became flushed in the face. "Miriam…I don't entirely recall Bloom's birth. I mean…I believe I was there…but…the details are rather fuzzy." She gave a shrug.

Miriam sighed, the tears welling fresh in her eyes. "Thank-you Henrietta. That will be all, my dear friend."

Henrietta got up out of the chair and curtsied. "I do need to attend to other matters." She walked over to the door and opened it. Oritel stood outside just about to knock. "Your highness." Henrietta curtsied and put her hands on her hips. "Took you long enough. Your wife has been waiting most patiently for you to arrive. Get in here." She shook her head and walked past him out of the room. Miriam couldn't help but laugh.

Oritel cleared his throat. "Thank-you Henrietta." He stepped into the room and closed the door. "What is it Miriam? They said you needed me."

The humor of the situation dissipated and Miriam found herself sobbing again. Oritel was by her side in a heartbeat and he pulled her into his arms. "We'll find her Miriam. I promise you. I refuse to lose another child."

Miriam just let him hold her and let her tears flow freely. Like she'd done thirty-four years ago for her husband, he now did for her. "It's not fair to her Oritel. It isn't. Why us?"

She felt Oritel brush his lips against her forehead. "Because we're the only people in the universe strong enough to handle such a fate. I'm so sorry Miriam." He stroked her hair. "I will find her. Bloom will be safe again. I promise."

Hearing those words made Miriam cry even more. "Oritel? Oritel…I…I just don't know, my love." She gave a small moan.

"Why? We can't lose hope now Miriam. Of all times, now is when our hope has to be strongest. You said so yourself when…" Oritel stopped. "…I can't rightly recall, but you said it. I know it all may seem bleak now, but we'll pull through, with Bloom alive."

"Oritel…" Miriam pulled back from her husband and looked up into his dark brown eyes. "…do you remember the day Bloom was born?"

Oritel was about to say something, when he stopped and looked at Miriam. "Why?"

"Just answer the question." Miriam begged him.

He glanced down at her. "Well…" He paled. "No. I can't."

Miriam covered her eyes. Oritel pulled her into his arms once more. "I'm sure I'll remember it. I'm certain…"

"No." Miriam shook her head in despair. "No, you won't."

"What do you mean?" Oritel grabbed her hands. "What's wrong Miriam?"

Miriam took a small breath. "Ever since she disappeared…it's as though my memory of my youngest child has been disappearing as well." Miriam looked up at Oritel with a pleading look. "Henrietta doesn't even remember and she would've been there. Tell me it isn't so."

She watched Oritel as he too focused like Henrietta had. "Well…" His face became like stone and his grasp became stiff. "It's so. I don't recall her birth either. I don't even recall the short time we had with her before…"

"…before we left to fight the Ancestresses." Miriam whispered. "Why can't we remember those precious moments we had with her Oritel? I know I remembered them…but now…why?"

"I don't know…but I will." Oritel dropped Miriam's hands and headed for the door. "I won't lose my daughter. I won't lose Bloom. I will get her back."

Author's Note- And the time degradation has begun. Of course Miriam and Oritel would be some of the first to notice the affects considering they were there with Bloom when she came into the world. Thank-you to my readers for the reviews. I loved reading them and it made me very happy to know that someone was reading this. Thank-you again and I hope to get more in the future.