Chapter 11 The Chariot Race

The day of the Emperor’s wedding ceremony began with a chariot race through the city. Athena was ill with fever and decided to sit upon a watch tower for the grand chariot race. Members of the royal family began the race, each with a sandglass to determine the shortest time. The youngest contestant Prince Jonathan begins the race taking off down the streets. The oldest is Emperor Rurick who raises his arm to the crowd and takes off into the cheering subjects at the gate. He set off down the avenues and around the temple to reach the city gate. Boudicca, Eurick, and Kia came next. The final contestant was Princess Aphrodite’s son Prince Hector. An hour later, the ladies arrived and Athena was greatly concerned about the princes. After much waiting Eurick arrived and the women gasped in horror when he spoke. Shortly following was Rurick’s chariot in front of Hector’s. Rurick’s chariot had a passenger inside. Athena’s heart stopped as Rurick revealed the dead body of his brother Jonathan. They could see Rurick and Hector speaking to the crowd gathering around the fallen. The three princes carried Prince Jonathan inside to the great hall where they placed him on a table. Eurick came upstairs to announce, Rurick claimed to halt when he saw Jonathan’s chariot overturned in an embankment next to a bridge. Jonathan was crushed under the vehicle and could barely breathe due to his broken ribs. The ladies raced by over the bridge not seeing them below. Rurick carried Jonathan to his chariot to run into Eurick arriving. Eurick went on to tell the news and Hector followed Rurick in mourning. Rurick also claimed to hold Jonathan as he coughed and gasped his last breath. Kia went hysterical and locked herself in her bed chamber. The whole palace could hear her weeping in agony. Empress Athena collapsed and died of a broken heart. Alaric never forgot holding her hand as it grew colder each minute she wept. He saw the spirit of Emperor Olic come to take his wife to the afterlife. He kissed her cold forehead and announced to the family of her deep sleep. Magicians of the court tried to revive her and accused Alaric of poisoning her. The royal family believed the conclusion that their matriarch died of grief. Alaric mourned her as her mourned Nix. He covered his face with ashes and sang a lullaby to his love one last time to sprinkle flower petals over her bed. Few understood the elfish language he sang.

“Amay Athena. Etsu madell quatay rus dootsoh rae damee portu. Etsu maedees quatay nas vir vaymu rus nasah Styx.”

Hector had to show his disgust of this disgraceful singing in a primitive language for royalty. Rurick declared that when he dies he hopes this elf sings an elf prayer for him. Alaric glanced up at the interrupting whispers, but continued unwavering his tribute spreading lilac petals over Athena’s hair.

“Etsu korday quatay tavoh kree vaymu rus famoe Roanoke. Etsu ishta quatay meirodu ite zamor asohvi oht nakaebu etuvas. Amay Athena. Tovark vaymu akeitoh.”

After the elf prayer and blessing, Rurick’s brother Xerxes asked what the elf words meant. Alaric repeated the prayer in Blythan.

“My love Athena. May you always feel the warm sun on your face. May you forever drink cool water from the River Styx. May you forever eat crisp fruits in the afterlife hills. Forever may you love your family and pray for their souls as you wander without suffering again. My darling Athena. Sleep well in safe heaven.”

Rurick cancelled the final chariot race in arena and arranged his brother’s and grandmother’s funerals. Boudicca followed her groom around the palace and refused to leave his side. They married in a private ceremony inside the great hall during the evening meal. Prince Alaric the Great oversaw the rite of passage for Rurick. Rurick remained dazed in his chariot robes of dark blue and silver lining, his muddy boots untouched. Boudicca changed clothes into a soft violet robe of Lotan linen with golden lining. Alaric presented the exchange of gifts: a broach for Boudicca of a lilia folwer made of pearls and a gold ring with a falcon etched on top. They pledged their love and devotion to each other and their subjects. Alaric read the marriage contract and announced the wedding bond sealed. He introduced the couple as Emperor Rurick and Queen Boudicca. Music and dancing came next. Rurick received his guests. Boudicca greeted all the guests with impeccable manners. She thanked power hungry wolves to the left and deceitful traitors to the right. The meek sheep stood silent in the shadows of eager well-wishers. The guests retired to their homes or guest chambers as dawn approached. Rurick and Alaric spoke on their way up the stairs to Boudicca’s room.

“I hope I am doing the right thing,” prayed Rurick.

“Not everything we do is right or wrong. Sometimes it is a matter of perception. This marriage could mean the best thing and the worst thing, depending on how you look at it. An emperor is only as good as his charisma.” responded Alaric.

“You wish to know what my brother Jonathan said about Kia before he drew his last breath?” asked Rurick.

“If you wish to tell me, of course.” answered Hadrian.

“He told me to be careful of Kia. She can be my best ally or worst enemy. You think he was right? Do you see Kia that way?” pled the nervous prince.

“I see a girl who adores you and will be loyal unto you as long as she is kept happy. You turn against her, she will respond in kind. That is how I see Kia.” answered the wizard. “Just remember that those who you think support you can also easily betray you.”

The groom took a deep breath before entering his bride’s bed chamber. Rurick ordered some of Athena’s possessions to his relatives. Lord of Alexandrial received her ring of a pearl set in gold. Kia received her mirror and comb made from silver. Annica and Kynthia received pearl diadems set in silver. Eurick received a silver ring with a sapphire stone Athena had bought from Alaric when they first met. He sent Alaric her dragon pendent that he presented on their wedding day. As her coffin was presented to the royal family before the final sealing the next day, Alaric placed his wedding gift in the folds of her robe and told her keep it as a symbol of his love. The funeral march arrived at the Temple of Athena, the goddess of wisdom who patrons the monarchs crowned there. The stone crypt was sealed with a stone cover where a funeral statue of Athena would later be placed. Prince Jonathan was laid to rest on top of her coffin inside the same crypt. Alaric lit candles in their memory. Then Rurick and Boudicca were presented to the goddess as next monarchs. When a sign from the gods arrives, Boudicca will receive the crown of the empress. Rurick places on the altar a cloth of Boudicca’s virgin blood and vows when she bears a child that he will give her Athena’s crown. Outside the temple, the crowd awaited to view the procession. Rurick begged Prince Alaric to address the crowd. He gathered himself and stepped out into the sunshine.

“My wife Athena was born to the Lord of Alexandrial and his noble wife. Her brother soon joined her in their nursery. She loved her horse mounts and sang myths from her heart. She battled humans attacking her homeland and showed great compassion to the widowed and orphaned. She rode into Illium with her brother and won the affection of Grand Prince Olic. As Empress, she battled King Nib and King Dylan of Lotan. She devoted her life and family to the Blythan home she honored. Before the long Battle of Julia, she gave a grand speech to her subjects about to die for glory. She stated that we do not choose how we enter this world, nor do we choose how we exit into the afterlife, but by the grace of the gods we can choose how we live. We cannot dictate what our children will say about us after we are gone, but we can show them who we are and let them decide which parts of our legacy to carry on. Her courageous spirit lives on in the hearts of the soldiers that let her lead them into victory. Her compassion lives on in the peace after the Elf War. We are the fortunate ones who will remember Athena as our empress. Do not despair people of Illium, Athena lives on in our hearts.”

“A new chapter of my life began with unruly Rurick and my life would never be the same again.” pondered Alaric in rememberance. “Some for the better and some for the worst.”

Prince Alaric mourning the loss of Athena received an unpleasant surprise walking the palace gardens the next evening. He met his first wife Nix in the form of a vampire. Next he viewed the very face of evil he had viewed before and the god of vampires Eris announced that his lover Iris begged him to return Nix to Alaric. Iris provided a favor to him so he granted her wish. Nix walked with Alaric in great despair at her new form. Suddenly, she senses a change in Alaric and remnants of his mourning for Athena. Jealousy of loving another woman, she lashes out to grab Alaric’s knife. She cuts the amulet off his neck holding Athena’s coin and Nix’s lock of hair. He knocks the knife from her hand to watch it fly into the fish pond rocks. With a mixture of Alaric’s blood and Nix’s lock of hair being forced into a stone, the stone grew larger into a large clam to reveal a child born from the magic. A girl named Lexie is brought to the house and bathed in water. The goddess turns into a mermaid. Eurick was excited to have another sister. Eurick went outside at night to introduce his cousin Rurick. When Nix tried to bite him, Eurick created a spark of magic light that turned Nix into dust. Her ghost appeared to say farewell and returned to the afterlife. Prince Alaric was devastated loosing Nix again. He cried in his rooms for days refusing all visitors. Princess Lexie grew up in the palace with her sister princesses. Eurick’s friend Enki visited around the festivals spinning tales of life in Sylvania. Amalia also visited and adored Lexie. Alaric thought Enki and Amalia might marry, but fate intervened as they approached adulthood. He also discovered through Amalia that Iris had given birth to a boy and sent her to deliver the news to Eris. Alaric was hurt, but quickly forgave her. Maya set off a great explosion from a volcano that caused an earthquake in Illium and ash to fall like snow on the first day of summer. Her son later married a snow fairy and often called Jack Frost. He often visits his half-siblings during the winter solstice celebrations.

In another month when it is assured that Boudicca is pregnant, the formal coronation ceremony is arranged. All the city kings, village chiefs, and estate lords would present their gifts to the new Empress. The empress jewels were delivered to her chamber. Rurick’s first order of business after planning the coronation was to obtain a new bride for his cousin Eurick. Since step-uncle or half-aunt was too confusing to explain the children of Alaric to others as they are much younger than him, he simply referred to Alaric’s children as cousins. Eurick’s secret wife was raped and murdered by robbers demanding her hidden stash of coins. She pushed her son Kermit out the window to get help. He brought back city guards who arrested the robbers. The wife lay on the table covered in blood. The robbers said she refused to tell them where in her coins and jewels were hidden. They raped her and then stabbed her, but still she would not tell them. Her daughter awaken from her mother’s screams angered the robbers and stalled their escape trying to cease the crying. A messenger sent for Prince Eurick who returned to his family. He demanded the robbers beheaded and took his children to the palace. He buried his secret wife as a princess near Athena’s tomb.

“What was her name? Perhaps, I will place flowers at her tomb for you.” inquired Dracon.

“Fatima, Princess of Blythe.” answered Eurick.

He prayed to the gods for guidance in his grief and satisfaction watching the robbers killed in the palace courtyard. He met a priestess on the verge of her adult ceremony who had been promised to a son of the High Priest. She came to pray in the temple for the gods to aid her towards another betrothal. The priestess viewing Eurick asked if he would accompany her into the prayer pool. He refused. She undressed and chanted her prayers on her knees splashing water on herself for the gods to guide her and hear her prayer. Eurick stood by holding her robes. When she stood up again, she declared that she thought all men enjoyed flesh of women. Eurick replied that he was upset by the death of his wife and cannot enjoy anything. The priestess understood and slipped on the robe Eurick held out. She beckoned him to her living quarters and offered fruit preserves with bread. Perhaps she could boil an omen potion for him.

They spoke of their lives and their families. Eurick told her he grew up in the Palace of Nakia until his father finished the war to move into Athena’s palace. The priestess loved listening to his stories about Kiko, Kalulah, Amalia, Enki, and Iris. He showed him some magic tricks like making objects float and flames come out of his hands. He finished by saying his father’s friend Alexis would take him on his ship to the South Seas someday. The priestess was born in Kanisha to the east and moved to Illium a few months ago when her mother was appointed as High Priestess. She has recently been betrothed to the High Priest’s son who had ravaged her after she refused his company. She had become pregnant and the priest convinced her mother they were in love. Now she begs the gods to free her from this betrothal. Eurick offered assistance by securing her a position with the Empress. Suddenly, she became frightened and begged that he join her in her bed. He did as she asked unsure what was about to occur once he got there. She clung to him and kissed him to let out a loud moan. She whispered to play along and Eurick embraced her back. A man walked in her suite aghast his beloved was with another man to question if that baby she is carrying is really his. He hurled a nearby decorative mirror sitting on her dressing table at the intruder. Eurick dodged and jumped out her window. When he returned to the palace, he was summoned to the Empress’s private chambers. He found her in the sitting room playing a harp. The priest said he had a vision of a boy coming to her and she wondered of his future. He placed his hand on her stomach and went into a deep trance. He woke up on the floor surrounded by guards and cousin Rurick. Boudicca claimed she requested a prediction and he first said she was to give birth to a boy after the spring celebration. Then she has a son and daughter. Next, Rurick dies in battle and his lovely dies in childbirth so Eurick marries Boudicca in grief to have her last three children with him. He then proceeded screaming his despair over losing his future bride from being cursed by the High Priest. And finally, Rurick with his guards barged in hearing the noise. Eurick shaken up asked his favor for the priestess. Rurick asked if he was in love. Eurick replied that the priestess had stated he blushed upon seeing her in the prayer pool. Was that love?

Rurick summoned the High Priestess and Prince Alaric to his private chambers to negotiate a new betrothal. He presented the High Priestess with cloth, jewels, and altar pieces made of gold to convince the High Priestess to break the prior betrothal contract. In the end, she agreed to return the High Priest’s betrothal gifts and formally break the agreement. Priestess Jocelyn moved into the Empress servants’ quarters next to the other handmaidens. Eurick often came by with scrolls of elf magic she requested. He kissed Jocelyn’s hand and asked for a horse ride while they visit the estate of Ashleigh where the royal gardens were spectacular this time of year. He gathered some water lilies for his betrothed and she dried them to scent her room. She read his elf magic scrolls to make her own copy. Then one day she became ill and Eurick came to visit her lying in her bed. He spent the night comforting her from her miscarriage. He sailed the sea with Alexis learning to trade and maintain a ship. He got close to Athar and Treynor, then happy when Enki was apprenticed to Alexis. They enjoyed the Harvest Games and presented the gifts to the winners. Winter came and Eurick spent much time skating and sledding with his lovely. The birth of the Empress’s child soon came as spring returned and the empire waited in anticipation. Boudicca became distressed at the many mistresses of Rurick and dismissing any handmaiden she believed had been with him. He spreads attention to everyone but her carrying his child.

Eurick approached the emperor to express fear of death in Boudicca. She has swelled too much to their liking and feared she would die in childbirth. She was removed to Ashleigh and forced to remain in her bed chamber until the birth. The royal princesses joined her as did Alaric with Eurick. The time came and a son was born. Boudicca was gravely ill complaining of headaches. Eurick rushed to the palace to find Rurick with a maidservant. He made his announcement and prepared his clothing. Rurick rode out to meet his son and remained in Ashleigh until Boudicca’s health improved. They return to the palace and then Rurick presents Boudicca with the empress crown in the Temple of Athena. Eurick prepared to take Pippi back to the Amazons since her aprrenticeship was completed. Jocelyn came along because all priestly apprentices must travel before they join the priesthood. Pippi finds her mother was wounded in battle and managed to return to the valley on her horse to die from fever. She visits her shrine and recites an elf prayer. It is announced that she is pregnant and a house is built for her as an official priestess. Though it is not spoken, Eurick suspects Pippi spent much time with Rurick when he could not touch his wife out of fear it would cause a miscarriage. She has a daughter named Kaitlyn who later is elected Queen of the Amazons. After spending a year the Amazons, Jocelyn returns to join the priesthood. She decides to devote herself to the goddess Iris and Eurick performs the devotion ceremony to make her an official priestess. Rurick hosts a betrothal gala for the couple.

King Dylan arrives to join the celebration of the Great Harvest Games taking place every five years to strengthen friendship between Lotan and Blythe. The following month Eurick marries Jocelyn with newly grown beard. It is soon known that Jocelyn and Boudicca are pregnant to deliver around the same time in the late summer. Again Boudicca with her ladies moved to Ashleigh to await the birth. Jocelyn had her son Dymas first and Rurick arranged a grand gala upon returning to the palace. Boudicca’s second son was named Rodric. The royal fathers celebrated by getting drunk and dancing foolishly. They soon leave for the wedding of Prince Hector to a Princess of Kemet to the east of Nubia. Eurick loves being at sea and asks Rurick to help him own a ship. Princess Aphrodite welcomes her family to Tristan’s city and presents gifts to the new mothers. Word arrives of the death of Queen Anneth and Princess Kia leaves to be crowned the next queen. Her first order of business is to bring her daughter Tatiana out of Alexis’s household in Laurel and into her own. Princess Tatiana travels with her foster brothers Athar and Treynor. She is made the Crown Princess of Akaiyah. Athar announces the betrothal agreement he made with Prince Alaric for the hand of Princess Madoni. They spoke often when Alexis visited Akaiyah. King Dylan in time visits the new queen to make a trade route treaty. He is pleased hearing of the pregnancy of Boudicca’s third child. Queen Kia’s next order of business was to arrange her wedding to Prince Xerxes and legitimize her position of a member of the Blythan royal family. Young Xerxes learning to drive a chariot gladly allows his wife to rule while he plays with guards. High Priest Vim and High Priestess Thalia educate the boy king in his duties.

Prosperity fills the land and many leave Blythe to make their fortune on the open seas. Rurick invites the Queen of Kadacia, Deborah IV, to Illium to negotiate a treaty allowing colonies on Kadacia land and access of the trade route along the Anasazi River leading up north into the Armorica grasslands. Queen Deborah IV arrives on a ship to ride a camel to the palace front gate. The entourage is assigned chambers in the house of the ambassador. The monarchs reside in the palace and taken care of by their personal servants. A much different experience than when the Kadacian queen laid a siege upon the city. In the end, Grand Prince Dion is betrothed to Deborah’s youngest granddaughter Kazaria Persephone. Trade routes were opened and colonies permitted. Prince Alaric at long last returns to the sea with Alexis and their sons. They transport many Blythans to the new colonies on Kadacian islands. Several made the trip up the Anasazi River to found a village along the lake shore in Armorica where the river begins. Pirates of every flavor attacked shipping and fishing villages looking for plunder. Kalulah married the son of a unicorn goddess to live in the Olin Mountains. Rurick’s navy kept Blythan shores fairly safe. He visited the Black Forest for Lanie and Nabu’s wedding and again when their daughter Lilia was born. Lanie and Nabu seemed happy, but often fought violently as holy beings do. Nabu was made god of lightening and Lilia the goddess of poetry, often fought over how to raise Lilia. Lanie believed in raising her in the Black Forest while Nabu insisted on living in the sky. In the end, Nabu left Lanie and returned to the sky with their daughter. Protesting a daughter should live with her mother, Lanie agreed the goddess Iris could raise Lilia in her palace.

“So how did Lilia end up as the Oracle of Nix?” asked Homer.

“Because during a visit, she asked to learn about the elves from me. I tutored her in history and geography of the elves. Then Queen Kia sent her son Linos to be apprenticed to me. Linos became a great sailor and Lilia fell in love with him as they reached adulthood. After learning she was pregnant with Ishtar and Cassandra, she heard Linos had gotten married to a Kadacian human. In her despair, she remained here telling fortunes for those who ask.”