Ea
08-06-2016, 11:08 AM
now you're staring at a queen.
As quickly as Ea’s soul had formed in front of her -- her fox soft and small, quiet and quick -- it had been ripped away from her. She and Sela had both mourned the loss of their friends; Sela more dramatically than Ea, of course, but it was painful for them both. Ea had committed herself to the Dale largely as a way to prove her love to Ramiel without withering in front of him, but he soon grew more distant. They slept next to each other, most nights, and he loved their children and her swelling belly but she knew it felt different between them and this, in turn, made her even more distant. Perhaps, she thought, it was due to the loss of his vulture; though she knew he had never been as close with his spirit as Weir or Phaedrus. Perhaps it was something else.
So she protected herself, as she always had.
Her children were elsewhere today. They often stuck together, now, Kha looking over Sela as though he were the older brother. He acted like it, too; while she was rambunctious and loud, playful, he was quiet and solemn and stoic. As little as Sela was like her parents, Kha was the perfect blend of them. Of all the sad parts of them. Sometimes it was difficult for Ea to see it in him -- while her mother had largely made her this way, she never wanted the same for her children. She’d hoped she was a better mother as she watched Sela grew, but Kha made her think that maybe she was no better than anyone else.
She could only hope that she would be a good queen. Maybe she wasn’t a queen of the people -- she had never been sweet or personable -- but she was smart, and smart enough to listen to those who were smarter than her.
Ea came to a stop in the middle of the kingdom where she had been crowned only three short years ago. It was quiet, still. Though she had seen new faces in passing, the kingdom had been in quiet mourning since the flood of the Deserts and the loss of their souls. Quickly, her eyes searched for Ramiel or her children, but found none of them. She let out a call -- loud, authoritative -- for anyone who remained.
“Hello, all,” she said, once they gathered. “I’m so happy to see new faces. I hope you’ll all introduce yourselves to me. I know this loss has been difficult for all of us, and the flood of the Deserts has made all of us uneasy,” Ea pauses to look out to them. “But we must continue while we are here. I’d like to hear from all of you -- do you have any ideas? Our plan was to align ourselves with the Deserts. I’d like to visit the Jungle and the Falls to see where we stand, though I don’t expect a change. Anyone is welcome to come. If you are new here, please let Ramiel and I know if there’s a particular caste you’d like to join. Or if you have any questions.”
So she protected herself, as she always had.
Her children were elsewhere today. They often stuck together, now, Kha looking over Sela as though he were the older brother. He acted like it, too; while she was rambunctious and loud, playful, he was quiet and solemn and stoic. As little as Sela was like her parents, Kha was the perfect blend of them. Of all the sad parts of them. Sometimes it was difficult for Ea to see it in him -- while her mother had largely made her this way, she never wanted the same for her children. She’d hoped she was a better mother as she watched Sela grew, but Kha made her think that maybe she was no better than anyone else.
She could only hope that she would be a good queen. Maybe she wasn’t a queen of the people -- she had never been sweet or personable -- but she was smart, and smart enough to listen to those who were smarter than her.
Ea came to a stop in the middle of the kingdom where she had been crowned only three short years ago. It was quiet, still. Though she had seen new faces in passing, the kingdom had been in quiet mourning since the flood of the Deserts and the loss of their souls. Quickly, her eyes searched for Ramiel or her children, but found none of them. She let out a call -- loud, authoritative -- for anyone who remained.
“Hello, all,” she said, once they gathered. “I’m so happy to see new faces. I hope you’ll all introduce yourselves to me. I know this loss has been difficult for all of us, and the flood of the Deserts has made all of us uneasy,” Ea pauses to look out to them. “But we must continue while we are here. I’d like to hear from all of you -- do you have any ideas? Our plan was to align ourselves with the Deserts. I’d like to visit the Jungle and the Falls to see where we stand, though I don’t expect a change. Anyone is welcome to come. If you are new here, please let Ramiel and I know if there’s a particular caste you’d like to join. Or if you have any questions.”