Silver Rose

Circle of Kings

She liked coming to the cemetery. It was peaceful and surreal. Hardly anyone but the grounds people came. Sometimes there were people there who were touring the palace and the grounds. Older servants would walk them around the public parts of the palace. The tours always included the royal cemeteries. The first one they were shown was the Royal Cemetery. This one held everyone connected to a royal. It wasn’t much different from any other graveyard, expect that it was filled with flowers, trees, statues, fountains, and benches. Of course, because it had the title “royal”, it had to be more elaborate than any other cemetery in the country. There were hundreds buried in the royal cemetery, as descendants and descendants’ descendents demanded that they and their family be buried there. Those days, there were big disputes among the nobles over where they would be buried. Everyone wanted to be in the Royal Cemetery, but they had to prove that they or their spouse were related to a royal. People were coming up with such far-fetched relations it was getting ridiculous.

Marina rolled onto her back. The huge, body-length, marble slab over her mother’s grave was not physically comfortable, yet she always felt comforted when she was on it. She looked up at the purple and pink sky trimmed in fading rays of gold. The wind blew clouds from the north. She sighed. She didn’t understand why there was so much fuss over burial grounds. It wasn’t like they’d be around to know where they were buried. But then again, she’d never had to think about that.

She’d always known where she’d be buried. She already had a plot here the second cemetery; the cemetery everyone really wanted, but where almost no one could be buried in. There were no disputes over this one. Everyone already knew if one belonged here—here in the Circle of Kings. This was where the entire ruling DeLaney’s were buried. Only kings, their wives, and children could be buried in the Circle of Kings. Not even the non-ruling children’s spouses and their children could be buried here (they went to the Royal Cemetery, as did the wives’ parents and siblings).

The Circle of Kings was beautiful. It began with the inner circle, which was the four graves of the first DeLaney family to rule. Sometimes, Marina sat in the middle of the inner circle. She loved to review her family history. She pretended to speak with Galcon the Great, the first DeLaney king, and his wife Hathora the Wondrous. And their two children lay with them: the Great Syron DeLaney, and his sister, Princess Landa DeLaney Belhiem. She always felt a sense of awe among the more than 400-year-old bones. The next circle of eight graves held Syron’s wife, Queen Frieda and their three children. The second circle included the great King Kallem DeLaney and his queen, Jannis, and two of their three children. The third child, King Falroy, began the next circle of 16 graves. Of course, after King Falroy, the line “stumbled” a bit as it was delicately put, with King Bel, “Queen” Mevel, King Ennic, and King Cyn. And although everyone liked to give all the praise of Brovan’s return to glory to the great Mendel I, Marina believed it was actually his father, King Tallon, (Cyn’s brother) who restored Brovan (and the DeLaney name) to, well, creditability and respect.

When she sat in the Circle of Kings, she was also sure that Tallon couldn’t have done it without his wife, Nympth. She was said to have come from some far off country. It was more than possible since Tallon traveled a lot before his brother Cyn died, and he became king. Her skin was like bronze, and her eyes pools of mud, full of mystery. She was very quiet, peaceful, it was said her presence felt almost magical. It was said she indeed knew magic, and that she taught Tallon. That’s why his reign was so successful in bringing the country back together, after the split Ennic and Mevel had caused. Yet, because they were suspected of using magic (and magic was outlawed by King Galcon), none of the credit was given to them. Instead, it was all bestowed upon their son, the Great Mendel I.

She turned onto her side. Well off in the distance, the Circle of Kings was surrounded by trees. They looked more like a dark mass, a small mountain, or shadows. Shadows… around her neck, grasping, wringing. Marina panted. Her hand flew to her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut. Death. No. No. History.

Even though Marina didn’t or hadn’t believed in magic, she always believed the tales of Queen Nympth. Her portrait hung in the Hall of Kings. And whenever Marina looked up into her brown face, she felt a peace she didn’t feel anywhere else. Some said Queen Nympth didn’t die years ago, that she and Tallon were still alive and that they somehow kept Brovan together. Until that evening, she’d always scoffed at that idea. Now, she wondered… It could real. No it was real. Magic. Magic was used in Renata’s room. Magic was used on her. Renata pushed her through a mirror, a magic mirror that tried to kill her.

Marina shook her head and forced herself to think of history. Nothing came to mind, but the face of the Lady Kyrin, her lips curled in delight. “How’s it coming along?” Let go. There’s nothing here for you. “It’ll be over soon.” Sleep. Don’t fight it, let it come. It’ll feel so nice when it’s over.

Marina covered her ears with her hands.
“No! Leave me!”

It stopped.

“History… Galcon and Hathora DeLaney fought Prince Lanquor and Amana Genley 400 years ago for Brovan. Galcon overthrew Prince Lanquor and had him banished. Because it was suspected that Lanquor was a sorcerer, magic is outlawed to this day. The DeLaney's also... we also... Oh what’s the use! As if this family's ever done anything worthy of being remembered.”

She slid off her mother’s gravestone onto the grass. She crawled a couple of feet and was there. One day, beneath the green grass and the orange leaves, she’d be buried right there in that very spot. That day could have been now. Her burial spot was marked with a small wooden cross with her name on it at the head of the plot. She was part of the fifth circle. It would hold 64 graves someday, but now there were only 16. The undead’s graves were marked along with the dead. Her father was between his sister, Princess Elena, and his first wife, Queen Rolina. Her brother was between, Queen Rolina and Queen Safie. Marina was between her mother and little brother, Prince Nathan, who died as a baby. She shivered. Nathan would one day be next to Queen Renata. She stretched out her arm to touch Nathan’s cold stone. His marble slab gravestone felt good as she pulled her throbbing hot face onto it.

“Lucky, lucky Nathan,” she sobbed. “Life is nothing but sorrows. If only I could be here with you in the peace of death.”

The wind tugged at her hair, leaves swirled around her. She heard the words in her head: “What is worth living for?”

She lifted her head and looked around. There was none there but the bones of the dead. But those words—those words had somehow brought her back. She was on the brink of death, peaceful death, and those words brought her back to chaotic life. She fought that shadow, Shad. It was dark, pitch black, but bursts of light seemed to flow out of her. Shad didn’t like the bright lights. He screamed. He wouldn’t come near her. Shad and the Lady screamed for the Dark Lord. Marina couldn’t get out. Then everything became freezing cold, and she knew the Dark Lord was there.

Trembling, Marina laid back on her own grave. She could be in it right now, sleeping, peaceful. She closed her eyes. This is death, she thought, quiet. Quiet and alone. Alone?

She was alone in the mirror, but somehow, she didn’t feel alone. She was scared. She was despairing. But she wasn’t alone. Who was there? She didn’t know. She remembered praying, praying very hard to God to help her, to get her out of there. Did he? She was out. There hadn’t been any angels or lightening, but she did get out. How? She wasn’t exactly sure. She remembered a robed figure; hand stretched out to her. He felt like death and destruction—the Dark Lord. She wanted to succumb to him, give him her life, he promised her peace. She almost let him have her. Then the words came again: “What is worth living for?” The answer was in her heart and she found it. Then there was a blast of red light. She screamed, they screamed. And suddenly, she was back in the room, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Renata was gone. That’s when she picked herself up and ran.

The sky was darkening fast. Marina shivered from the cold. This was her grave, she could be in it, but she wasn’t. Why? “What is worth living for?” She couldn’t remember, but whatever it was… is? She brought her knees up to her chin. There were other words, but she could barely recall them. She had to live so those she loved would live. That didn’t make any sense. Those she loved were already dead. She sighed. That was all she remembered.

“Nathan, Mother, ancestors,” she said to the wind, “I do want to die… but not all of me. I want to be with you. I have nothing here. So why didn’t I die back there? God, this isn’t fair. I wanted the one thing everyone gets, and you took it away from me. I don’t understand! What is worth living for?! You tell me. What is worth living for?…”

Dark clouds stared down at her. The wind picked up. Hot tears slid down her cheeks. The sun’s light was completely gone. The cold wind carried the question with it, flooding her ears. “What is worth living for?” A snowflake fluttered down from the sky.

“I don’t know…”

Marina heard the flap of wings above her head. She looked up. A golden eagle stood on Nathan’s grave. Her father and brother each had one. Only kings could hawk with a golden eagle. But this one was more magnificent than any eagle she’d ever seen. She slowly sat up, not wanting to frighten it away. In Akinsis they were only seen in cages. They naturally lived in more mountainous areas, and there were no mountains nearby. The great bird stared at her. It’s beautiful dark brown plumage rising and falling with its every breath. It was so lovely… she wanted to touch it. Very slowly she put up her hand. The bird watched as her hand came towards it. It’s wings moved a little as if it would fly far when she came to an inch of it. Her hand froze. But the bird remained. Holding her breath, her fingers stretched out until she felt its soft feathers under her skin. She smiled. The eagle stood still as she gently stroked its plumage. Her hand stopped. The bird stared her dead straight in the eyes. In it’s dark eyes, Marina saw worrying, pain, suffering, and hurt. Her eyes filled with tears.

“How close to death do you come every single day, dear bird?” She said to it.

The eagle dunked its head down and up again as if answering:
“Very close. Everyday.”

It cocked its head.

“And yet here you are,” Marina said.

Again the bird’s head dunked up and down:
“Yes.”

“Alive,” Marina said.

The eagle let out a loud screech! Marina quickly pulled her hand away. She leaped to her feet in fear, sure the eagle would take off. But the eagle quietly looked at her again. Marina shook her head. What was it trying to tell her? She kneeled in the grass again.

“You’re alive?” She asked.

Again the eagle screeched! Her heart pounded at the loud sound, but this time she stayed put. She stared into the eagle’s eye. She had to know what it was saying. They gazed at each other for some time.

“You’re alive,” she thought aloud, “not dead…”

Marina realized it didn’t look so defeated anymore. It seemed—what? Happy? Yes, and more. Victorious? Yes, and more.

“Hopeful?” She said aloud.

The eagle screeched louder than before. Marina fought back the urge to cover her ears.

“Ahhhhhhh!”

Marina leaped to her feet. A man ran out of the cemetery, screaming. She hadn’t even seen him come in. She didn’t see why he was running, but he left a cart full of tools behind him. He must have been a groundskeeper. Did the eagle’s screech scare him off? Marina giggled. That screech would scare anyone who didn’t know what it was. Since golden eagles weren’t in that area, it was an almost foreign sound. She turned back to the bird. It seemed to be amused too. It screeched loudly again. Marina laughed out loud. She almost thought she heard the bird chuckling with her. She laughed until she fell to ground and kept giggling even as her sides painfully ached. Tears stilled rolled down her cheeks when her laughter died away. Her heart full of warmth, she turned back to the beautiful eagle. The bird dunked its head. Marina nodded in understanding.

“Yes,” she said. “Life is hope. As long as we’re alive there is hope for tomorrow.”

The eagle screeched and flew up into the air. Marina stood up. Its broad wings spread out and its feathers separated and curved upward. The eagle flew in a wide circle around the cemetery. It came around in a half circle and swooped straight through the middle of the circles. Marina felt something warm against her chest. She looked down into a glowing red orb.

“My necklace,” she gasped.

It glowed so brightly she could barely look at it. What was happening? She heard a screech above her. Then something landed on her shoulder. She turned her head. The eagle looked down at the glowing pendent. It cocked its head.

“That’s enough, now. I know you’re happy to see me.” It said.

Marina yelped and ran a few steps. The eagle sat on her mother’s grave. She stared at the eagle with her and her brother’s grave between them.

“Those Birth Bits never forget their original owners,” the eagle said.

“What?” Marina said, trembling.

The eagle chuckled.
“Birth Bits is what we called them in fun. It’s a Birbit.”

“Huh?”

“A Birbit. A token you receive at birth for protection.”

“Protection against what?” Marina asked.

The eagle laughed again.
“That’s exactly what I asked my father. Although it really wasn’t so long ago that we knew danger. The dragons had only begun trusting us a couple centuries ago.”

“Dragons?” A talking bird and dragons? She must be going mad.

“Yes, but I suppose my people and dragons are much closer now. After all, it has been over four hundred years.”

“Four hundred years ago?”

“Since I left my people.”

Marina blinked. She still couldn’t believe she was talking to a bird; and now it was claiming to be four hundred years old?! The wind suddenly picked up. Marina shivered.

“We must hurry,” the eagle said, flapping its wings. “Follow me!”

Marina watched the bird flap into the air staying close to the ground. It glided and gracefully landed on a gravestone in the middle of the circle.

“Hurry,” it called to her.

Marina crossed her arms as she quickly walked across the cemetery. The wind picked the leaves up and swirled them in the air. Marina to the middle of the circle and stopped dead in her tracks. Her breath caught in her throat. Sitting next to a grave was a wolf. Its white fur blew in the blustering wind. At first she wanted to scream and run, but its eyes…

“Don’t mind Galcon,” the eagle said from its perch on a gravestone. The older gravestones resembled normal tombstones.

The wolf seemed to laughingly smile at her, as if she were afraid of nothing. She remembered a blacksmith who’d been burned badly. He was so big and scarred, when she was little she feared him. But she later learned that despite how scary he looked, he was one of the kindest, gentlest souls ever. She looked back at the wolf. It nodded its head as if it read her thoughts. She took a few steps forward. The wolf didn’t move. Taking a deep breath, she crossed the distance between them until she stood in front of it. The wolf sat before her, regal and proud. She stooped down. Something in the way the wolf carried itself made her feel that it was more than just an animal. Before she had time to think, her forehead touched the ground in a low bow. In her heart she knew she had to bow before this… this what? Her heard the animal stir. A moment later it nudged her head. Marina looked up. It looked her in the eye for a minute then turned away.

The wolf leaped up toward the eagle on the gravestone.

“No!” Marina yelled.

The wolf and the eagle looked at her then turned back to each other. The wolf’s forepaws rested on the side of the gravestone. It barked at the eagle who screeched back. Then the wolf barked, and the eagle screeched again. They did this a little more, and Marina realized the wolf wasn’t trying to eat the eagle. They were talking to each other! Slowly, she stood up. The day was filled with so many surprises and fears… she wasn’t sure how much more she could take.

“Don’t fall asleep on us now,” the eagle said. “Galcon and I need you to get a shovel from that cart.”

The eagle nodded in the direction of the groundskeeper’s abandoned tool cart. More snow was falling from the sky. Marina rushed over to the cart. She spied a worn green cloak with the tools. Maybe the groundskeeper left it when he ran off. Freezing, she quickly put it on. Then she turned her attention to the tools. She saw all kinds of metal and wood things, but… what was a shovel? As if reading her mind, the eagle landed on a skinny wooden thing with a metal plate on the end of it.

“I forgot. You’re a royal.” The eagle said. “This is a shovel. Come, we haven’t much time.”

Marina followed the bird as quickly as she could with the heavy shovel in her hands and the wind in her face.

“What do we need this for?” Marina shouted over the wind.

“To get Galcon’s dagger!” The eagle said.

“Galcon?! King Galcon?!” Marina exclaimed.

“Yes, Tallon buried it. But he was too old to get it all the way to his casket. So it’s not too far down.” Said the eagle.

“Wait a minute! You want me to dig up KING GALCON’S GRAVE! That’s--that’s bringing a curse upon my head!”

“That’s just a tale to scare people. Besides, if there was a curse, would you get it if he wasn’t dead?”

“No. But— of course he’s dead! He lived over four hundred years ago!”

Four hundred years ago… Didn’t the eagle say something about being that old?

“Well that’s not very long,” the eagle said. “He’s been alive for 2,000 years!”

Marina stood, violently shivering as the wind and snow blew around her. Why was she talking to a bird in the first place? The eagle cocked its head.

“Didn’t you know he is an elf?” The eagle asked.

The wolf growled. Marina looked down at the gravestone they stood next to. GALCON DELANEY was etched into the marble.
“Do you know how he died?” The eagle asked.

Marina opened her mouth to answer. Nothing came out. Every legend she’d ever heard of Galcon raced through her mind. But none of them mentioned his death. Her history tutor had told her that the great kings never died because they were always alive in the people’s heads. But all the other kings’ deaths were accounted for. Even Galcon’s son Syron, who lived to be 156, died. His daughter Landa died in some country beyond Talis where she had lived. And his wife… she… she…

Marina walked over to Queen Hathora’s grave marker. For the first time she noticed that there were no dates. King Galcon’s had no dates either. She suddenly remembered that King Tallon’s and Queen Nympth’s didn’t either. She whirled around to face the eagle and the wolf.

“What’s going on?” She asked, her heart pounding.

The wolf howled in response.

“Tallon found Galcon’s dagger,” the eagle said. “He could wield it. He used it on many of his adventures. He wanted to finish Galcon’s work. Sadly, he could not. Even with his elf queen, he could not. The time was perfect, but it was not to be. The dagger is very powerful. Before he left he buried it as Galcon wished. He buried it, to save your people. Now, the Dark Lord arises again. And so must the sword of Galcon.”

Marina was about to ask why the dagger of Galcon had suddenly turned into the sword of Galcon, but the wolf growled at her. The wolf began scratching the hardening earth. Coldness melted on Marina’s neck. She held her hand out. Ice fell from the sky.

“Hurry!” The eagle screeched. “His powers are strengthening!”

With some coaching from the bird on how to use the shovel, Marina began to awkwardly dig with the wolf. The wind blow so hard, she fell over twice as she put her foot on the metal plate of the shovel. Finally, a nice sized hole formed. The ice came down harder. Marina’s nose ran like a waterfall and her muscles ached. But she kept digging. She hit something hard and tossed the heavy shovel aside. The wolf stepped back. Marina lay on the ground and put her arms in the hole. She moved a few more clumps of dirt. Then she saw an object shining despite the dark sky. She carefully grabbed it and sat up. It was a dagger. It had a simple silver sheath, hilt, and blade. There were green markings all over the blade in some sort of pattern. Marina put the blade back in its sheath.

“This is the dagger of Galcon?” She said aloud.

The wolf walked over and sniffed at the dagger. Then he whined and turned his back to it.

“What’s wrong with him?” Marina asked, noticing that the wind had died down.

The eagle settled on her shoulder.
“He blames himself for not getting rid of Lanquor when he could. Now the burden must fall on others shoulders.”

The wolf growled.

“But he forgets that Amana is dead. And that is a great triumph.” The eagle said.

Ice blew into Marina’s face. She felt the eagle fly off her shoulder. The wolf howled.

“You must leave!” She heard the eagle screech from somewhere.

“I know,” Marina shouted. “I’ve already missed dinner.”

“No,” the eagle said. “You must leave this place, this palace.”

“Why?!”

“You’re not strong enough by yourself. Lanquor will kill every perceived threat and very soon, he’ll figure out that you’re one.”

“But where will I go?”

“You must find the son of Galcon! Only he can wield the dagger. Then the magical creatures must unite. That is the way to defeat Lanquor's evil. Let us hope no one has joined him yet.”

“What about you? And the wolf?”

“We’ll be fine. Lanquor is not expecting us this way. We’ll help you if we can. But rest assured we will meet you in Talis.”

“Talis?!” Marina exclaimed. “But Talis is evil!”

“Hurry!” The eagle sounded far off. But Marina couldn’t tell. The wind and ice dulled her senses. “Go! There isn’t much time!”

“Wait! What’s you’re name?!” She called.

The icy wind whipped around her. They were gone. Marina slipped the dagger in her belt. Then she carefully made her way out of the Circle of Kings in the cold darkness.