“I find the humans of the highest caliber care more for the safety and prosperity of the whole community, rather than the veneration and praise of themselves. My son by marriage, Kellabald, had no desire to lead an army, but he knew his service to his fellow man was more important than his very life.” Alrhett let this sink in. “Let us convene a combined council in a fortnight.”
Summeninquis stopped to stare into the distance. His black, short cropped hair shone in the late afternoon sun. His dark olive face was a stone.
“I will compel all who serve me,” Summeninquis haughtily said, then turned to go. He turned back to Garmee Gamee. “Shall we continue our discussions?”
“I wish to walk a bit with Alrhett,” Garmee Gamee said with wide open eyes, “if your High, Exalted, Honored Judgeship will allow it. So...”
Summeninquis snorted and stalked away.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Garmee Gamee turned to Alrhett. “He’s scary, isn’t he?”
“He is a man with many responsibilities,” Alrhett politely said.
“But you shamed him, and showed him how powerful you are,” Garmee Gamee said, her open mouth a lightless pit.
“I tried to remind him of his duties to the people,” Alrhett said with a smile.
“But, you are Queen, and your intellect and political prowess is formidable,” Garmee Gamee said batting her black rimmed eyes.
“Garmee Gamee,” Alrhett said with a tight mouth, turning and fixing her with a stare, “you have much to learn.”
Alrhett and Garmee Gamee arrived at the humble house that was Alrhett’s new royal residence. The house was small, painted green, and wood carvings of the great trees of old, carved by the master woodworkers of the Weald, adorned the sidings of the house. At the gate was Wynnfrith, Alrhett’s daughter. Wynnfrith was ashen faced and her eyes were rimmed with darkness. Wynnfrith had dark hair and the blue eyes of her mother, so her black hair made her pale face even whiter in appearance.
“How fare you, daughter?” Alrhett tenderly asked Wynnfrith, as she tenderly reached out to hold her shoulders.
“Well, well,” Wynnfrith mumbled on the verge of tears.
“Come inside daughter,” Alrhett said. “Let me ease your pains in any way I can.”
“I must see Frea,” Wynnfrith said with downcast eyes.
“Then return home right after” Alrhett said, her heart breaking. “We have many laws and decrees to review.”
“I care not for politics,” Wynnfrith sharply said.
“Wynnfrith,” Alrhett said, “you have an obligation to your people, to do their work, and know their needs.”
“And what of the people?” Wynnfrith snapped. “Will they return my husband, my love, my life... to me?” Wynnfrith sat down in the street, weeping.
“My daughter, my daughter,” the Queen of the Weald tenderly said, “I miss Kellabald, too... his quiet reassurance, his strength, his honesty... But please do not lose your life, my love. Please be fair to me, to your son, if not to the people.”
Wynnfrith looked up, and Alrhett covered her face with kisses as she helped her back up to her feet.
“Frea may have heard from Arnwylf,” Wynnfrith said, composing herself. “I must go see her.”
“I will go with you,” Garmee Gamee said.
“Let her be,” Alrhett tried to detach the parasite.
“I don’t mind, mother,” Wynnfrith said, and hurried away with Garmee Gamee close at her elbow.
“She means well,” Garmee Gamee said to Wynnfrith.
“I know,” Wynnfrith’s blue eyes searched the cold winter skies.
“But her position makes her ignorant of affairs of the heart. So...” Garmee Gamee simply said.
Wynnfrith nodded her head, not so much in agreement, but in hopes the creature attached to her would finally be silent.
“Oh, Alrhett, Great Queen of the Weald may be loved by her people,” Garmee Gamee went on, “but is she loved by the people who need her the most? Her daughter, who grieves. And her son, who fights far to the north.
Summeninquis stopped to stare into the distance. His black, short cropped hair shone in the late afternoon sun. His dark olive face was a stone.
“I will compel all who serve me,” Summeninquis haughtily said, then turned to go. He turned back to Garmee Gamee. “Shall we continue our discussions?”
“I wish to walk a bit with Alrhett,” Garmee Gamee said with wide open eyes, “if your High, Exalted, Honored Judgeship will allow it. So...”
Summeninquis snorted and stalked away.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Garmee Gamee turned to Alrhett. “He’s scary, isn’t he?”
“He is a man with many responsibilities,” Alrhett politely said.
“But you shamed him, and showed him how powerful you are,” Garmee Gamee said, her open mouth a lightless pit.
“I tried to remind him of his duties to the people,” Alrhett said with a smile.
“But, you are Queen, and your intellect and political prowess is formidable,” Garmee Gamee said batting her black rimmed eyes.
“Garmee Gamee,” Alrhett said with a tight mouth, turning and fixing her with a stare, “you have much to learn.”
Alrhett and Garmee Gamee arrived at the humble house that was Alrhett’s new royal residence. The house was small, painted green, and wood carvings of the great trees of old, carved by the master woodworkers of the Weald, adorned the sidings of the house. At the gate was Wynnfrith, Alrhett’s daughter. Wynnfrith was ashen faced and her eyes were rimmed with darkness. Wynnfrith had dark hair and the blue eyes of her mother, so her black hair made her pale face even whiter in appearance.
“How fare you, daughter?” Alrhett tenderly asked Wynnfrith, as she tenderly reached out to hold her shoulders.
“Well, well,” Wynnfrith mumbled on the verge of tears.
“Come inside daughter,” Alrhett said. “Let me ease your pains in any way I can.”
“I must see Frea,” Wynnfrith said with downcast eyes.
“Then return home right after” Alrhett said, her heart breaking. “We have many laws and decrees to review.”
“I care not for politics,” Wynnfrith sharply said.
“Wynnfrith,” Alrhett said, “you have an obligation to your people, to do their work, and know their needs.”
“And what of the people?” Wynnfrith snapped. “Will they return my husband, my love, my life... to me?” Wynnfrith sat down in the street, weeping.
“My daughter, my daughter,” the Queen of the Weald tenderly said, “I miss Kellabald, too... his quiet reassurance, his strength, his honesty... But please do not lose your life, my love. Please be fair to me, to your son, if not to the people.”
Wynnfrith looked up, and Alrhett covered her face with kisses as she helped her back up to her feet.
“Frea may have heard from Arnwylf,” Wynnfrith said, composing herself. “I must go see her.”
“I will go with you,” Garmee Gamee said.
“Let her be,” Alrhett tried to detach the parasite.
“I don’t mind, mother,” Wynnfrith said, and hurried away with Garmee Gamee close at her elbow.
“She means well,” Garmee Gamee said to Wynnfrith.
“I know,” Wynnfrith’s blue eyes searched the cold winter skies.
“But her position makes her ignorant of affairs of the heart. So...” Garmee Gamee simply said.
Wynnfrith nodded her head, not so much in agreement, but in hopes the creature attached to her would finally be silent.
“Oh, Alrhett, Great Queen of the Weald may be loved by her people,” Garmee Gamee went on, “but is she loved by the people who need her the most? Her daughter, who grieves. And her son, who fights far to the north.
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