Post by L.E. Ott on Oct 23, 2006 11:25:03 GMT -5
She couldn't sleep. There was just no way. Nothing had worked; not the usual spiced wine, nor reading over treaties, nor counting sheep. She had even thought of walking across the grounds to where the actual sheep were kept and making a bedroll next to the pen. However, she couldn't leave Karia alone. Besides, it was cold out, and lately a few old wounds had been reacting badly to that.
Sitting up, Empress Saphira IV of Adaven sighed and slipped her feet into the flat leather shoes beside the bed, then stood. The slight movement woke Karia, who acted as if she too would rise.
"Saphira? What time..."
"It's late night or early morning. Take your pick."
The younger woman had scooted across the bed to the spot where her wife had lain, and Saphira leaned down to kiss her.
"I just want to take a walk. I'll be right back."
"Oh all right. Hurry; I get cold without you."
Saphira smiled and crossed to the door. A glance back proved that Karia had already returned to her slumber, and so the older woman was very cautious in the way that she closed the door.
Since childhood she had often wandered the halls of the palace. There had been that eleven year gap from her mid-teens until her mid-twenties, but still she knew every room and passage like the back of her hand. Yet on this night, she could not know where she was going.
When at last she stopped and looked around, she realized she was in the mirror chamber. This was the ancient place of communion between the rulers of Adaven and the Gods. Now she knew what she was doing. It involved a conversation she had briefly had with Karia the night before. A conversation about children.
"Would that I could give them to you myself," had been her guilty final words on the matter.
"Love will find its way," Karia had answered her with a mysterious smile.
Now Saphira fell to her knees. She knew that she had come here to pray to any deity who would listen. She came to pray that she might give Karia children, though she was not a man. Oh, true, there were rumors of a medical procedure in Hoi Na that could give two woman a child of their own lineage, but it was no season for a trip now.
Head bowed, Saphira was ready to speak her prayers when a voice answered her thoughts.
"Of course. Who needs a long boat ride when you could get what you want at home for free?"
She looked up slowly, a little afraid of what would be there. In the mirror before her, her own reflection had faded. In its place stood a woman, not tall, but powerful looking, and familiar. A face that had graced statues and pillars in a thousand temples and shrines.
"K-k-kreia?"
"That's me. C'mon, stand up. No need to be afraid."
The Goddess of the Moon, of the Night, stood there with a smirk on her face. As Saphira clumsily stood, the Goddess let out a laugh. It wasn't the gentle, polite laugh one might have expected. It was loud, and raucous, and it rocked Kreia back on her heels.
"So I still have the power to instill fear, even in this enlightened age?"
"You will pardon my saying so, Lady, but you are a Goddess."
"So I am," she said, and the expression on her face seemed to soften.
"I'm not here to hurt you, now. I've only come because I know what you want, you and your bride. I'm willing to give you your wish, for a price."
"What price? Anything!"
The Goddess shook her head.
"Not now. You'll know when payment comes due. Come here; step closer."
Saphira was, on a base level, obedient to the few people in the world who outranked her. She stepped forward, head still bowed.
Behind, or was it within, the mirror, the Goddess was reaching forward, pressing her palm against the glass. Saphira mimicked the action.
The moment her hand touched the surface, the image in the mirror wavered and the glass shattered. She pulled her hand back with a gasp and looked on as blood welled along a tear in her own palm.
"Don't worry too much about it," the Goddess spoke, and Saphira looked up to see her still within the shattered mirror.
"That'll stay as long as it needs to. It'll heal some, and reopen when necessary."
Saphira stared at the wound, the edges of which seemed to glow briefly.
"Go now," Kreia said, "you know what you need to do."
"But, Goddess..."
"Just go. I said before, you'll know when you've paid my price."
The image in the shattered mirror faded, and Saphira turned slowly, making her way back out into the corridors and, eventually, back to her own bed chamber. She shook Karia awake gently and smiled, and then they did what was necessary.
Sitting up, Empress Saphira IV of Adaven sighed and slipped her feet into the flat leather shoes beside the bed, then stood. The slight movement woke Karia, who acted as if she too would rise.
"Saphira? What time..."
"It's late night or early morning. Take your pick."
The younger woman had scooted across the bed to the spot where her wife had lain, and Saphira leaned down to kiss her.
"I just want to take a walk. I'll be right back."
"Oh all right. Hurry; I get cold without you."
Saphira smiled and crossed to the door. A glance back proved that Karia had already returned to her slumber, and so the older woman was very cautious in the way that she closed the door.
Since childhood she had often wandered the halls of the palace. There had been that eleven year gap from her mid-teens until her mid-twenties, but still she knew every room and passage like the back of her hand. Yet on this night, she could not know where she was going.
When at last she stopped and looked around, she realized she was in the mirror chamber. This was the ancient place of communion between the rulers of Adaven and the Gods. Now she knew what she was doing. It involved a conversation she had briefly had with Karia the night before. A conversation about children.
"Would that I could give them to you myself," had been her guilty final words on the matter.
"Love will find its way," Karia had answered her with a mysterious smile.
Now Saphira fell to her knees. She knew that she had come here to pray to any deity who would listen. She came to pray that she might give Karia children, though she was not a man. Oh, true, there were rumors of a medical procedure in Hoi Na that could give two woman a child of their own lineage, but it was no season for a trip now.
Head bowed, Saphira was ready to speak her prayers when a voice answered her thoughts.
"Of course. Who needs a long boat ride when you could get what you want at home for free?"
She looked up slowly, a little afraid of what would be there. In the mirror before her, her own reflection had faded. In its place stood a woman, not tall, but powerful looking, and familiar. A face that had graced statues and pillars in a thousand temples and shrines.
"K-k-kreia?"
"That's me. C'mon, stand up. No need to be afraid."
The Goddess of the Moon, of the Night, stood there with a smirk on her face. As Saphira clumsily stood, the Goddess let out a laugh. It wasn't the gentle, polite laugh one might have expected. It was loud, and raucous, and it rocked Kreia back on her heels.
"So I still have the power to instill fear, even in this enlightened age?"
"You will pardon my saying so, Lady, but you are a Goddess."
"So I am," she said, and the expression on her face seemed to soften.
"I'm not here to hurt you, now. I've only come because I know what you want, you and your bride. I'm willing to give you your wish, for a price."
"What price? Anything!"
The Goddess shook her head.
"Not now. You'll know when payment comes due. Come here; step closer."
Saphira was, on a base level, obedient to the few people in the world who outranked her. She stepped forward, head still bowed.
Behind, or was it within, the mirror, the Goddess was reaching forward, pressing her palm against the glass. Saphira mimicked the action.
The moment her hand touched the surface, the image in the mirror wavered and the glass shattered. She pulled her hand back with a gasp and looked on as blood welled along a tear in her own palm.
"Don't worry too much about it," the Goddess spoke, and Saphira looked up to see her still within the shattered mirror.
"That'll stay as long as it needs to. It'll heal some, and reopen when necessary."
Saphira stared at the wound, the edges of which seemed to glow briefly.
"Go now," Kreia said, "you know what you need to do."
"But, Goddess..."
"Just go. I said before, you'll know when you've paid my price."
The image in the shattered mirror faded, and Saphira turned slowly, making her way back out into the corridors and, eventually, back to her own bed chamber. She shook Karia awake gently and smiled, and then they did what was necessary.