House of Gold
mîn
Thin, fragile fingers wrapped around his hand as he sat beside his mother’s sick bed in a chair, trying to console the woman who had always been so strong for far too long. Her normally vibrant white blond hair was pale and brittle, brushed to the side neatly, her skin had long ago grown pale and hung from her bones from her excessive weight loss. Her entire being was something that would haunt Ereth’s dreams through the rest of his days until he went to the afterlife.
“Son, I will not be of this world for much longer,” she whispered the words in a raspy breath. They were words he had heard time and again since she had suddenly fallen ill but something was different this time. The words held a presence they hadn’t before.
“Hush now, Mother,” Ereth soothed gently as he gently stroked her boney knuckles. “I will find a cure for what ails you.”
Ladrellye shook her head in denial, “It is the sickness. You know there is no cure.”
“No,” Ereth growled harshly, “There is a cure. Artanis overcame the sickness. I know she has a cure. She just won’t tell me,” he insisted passionately, squeezing his mother’s hand tightly before releasing it completely, fearing he would break it in his anger. He didn’t want to cause her any more pain, not so close to her time.
Artanis Regaleyes -- Ladrellye’s blooded sister -- currently sat upon the golden throne of Brionande as ruling queen. Refusing to even see her ailing sister all because of a vision the royal seer had foreseen; that the matriarchal bloodline would continue on but through Ladrellye’s and not Artanis’ line. When Ereth had gone and begged for Artanis to save his mother, to provide her with the cure for the sickness, Artanis had laughed in his face and cheered. Then with the same breath cursed her to death for daring to try to turn on her and the Royal House of Gold.
“Ereth, you must promise me something,” Ladrellye breathed. Her voice so soft it could have been missed if he was sitting any farther away.
“Anything,” he pledged.
“Promise me once I’m gone that you will not do anything in retribution against Artanis. She is just… I love her despite her flaws, just as I love you and your father.”
Ereth shook his head as he met his mother’s eyes, irises the color of diamonds as they swirled like mercury. “No, she is self-righteous and the power of the crown has gone to her head. Deluded her. She allows her own sister to wither away and die, allows my father to perish at your death because of her delusions. Someone must put a stop to her.”
Ladrellye shook her head weakly, “No, she is your blood whether she helps me live or helps me into my own grave. You will respect our blood ties. The House of Regaleyes will forever rule over the golden throne and the House of Gold. That all that matters to me. Be it Artanis, her children or you and your childen to come."
Suddenly the fair woman gasped. Ladrellye clutched at her bedsheets and writhed for a brief moment before settling once more. “Ereth, I love you, my precious boy. Please just let yourself be happy once we are gone.”
Ereth felt the tears pooling in his diamond eyes, the same as Ladrellye’s. He picked up his mother’s hand one last time and pressed his lips to her clammy, “I promise, mother.”
His words corresponded with the last rise of her chest and as it deflated for the last time he heard the pained cry of his father from the adjacent room. Ereth looked down pitifully at his mother as her gaunt skin began to harden, her body solidifying beyond the norm to pristine white stone, her eyes closed and her expression peaceful in death.
Wrenching his hand out of Ladrellye’s stone grasp, he left the small room and crossed the hall to his father’s own room. It
was decorated in the usual mourning fashion. Swatches of gold and maroon fabric clung to every part of the room, mementos of their time together strew about every flat surface following the traditions of the Brionandian people.
Ereth looked sadly at his father Celoduil who had turned to stone where he stood by the doorway. The soul bond that tied the two fairies together joining them together-- as they had been the day of their first union-- in the afterlife. Forever youthful in stone. Together for eternity.
The grief of losing both of his parents was overwhelming as Ereth’s soul cried out for retribution. He swore, despite his deathbed promise to Ladrellye, that he would overthrow Artanis and sit upon the golden throne.
“Son, I will not be of this world for much longer,” she whispered the words in a raspy breath. They were words he had heard time and again since she had suddenly fallen ill but something was different this time. The words held a presence they hadn’t before.
“Hush now, Mother,” Ereth soothed gently as he gently stroked her boney knuckles. “I will find a cure for what ails you.”
Ladrellye shook her head in denial, “It is the sickness. You know there is no cure.”
“No,” Ereth growled harshly, “There is a cure. Artanis overcame the sickness. I know she has a cure. She just won’t tell me,” he insisted passionately, squeezing his mother’s hand tightly before releasing it completely, fearing he would break it in his anger. He didn’t want to cause her any more pain, not so close to her time.
Artanis Regaleyes -- Ladrellye’s blooded sister -- currently sat upon the golden throne of Brionande as ruling queen. Refusing to even see her ailing sister all because of a vision the royal seer had foreseen; that the matriarchal bloodline would continue on but through Ladrellye’s and not Artanis’ line. When Ereth had gone and begged for Artanis to save his mother, to provide her with the cure for the sickness, Artanis had laughed in his face and cheered. Then with the same breath cursed her to death for daring to try to turn on her and the Royal House of Gold.
“Ereth, you must promise me something,” Ladrellye breathed. Her voice so soft it could have been missed if he was sitting any farther away.
“Anything,” he pledged.
“Promise me once I’m gone that you will not do anything in retribution against Artanis. She is just… I love her despite her flaws, just as I love you and your father.”
Ereth shook his head as he met his mother’s eyes, irises the color of diamonds as they swirled like mercury. “No, she is self-righteous and the power of the crown has gone to her head. Deluded her. She allows her own sister to wither away and die, allows my father to perish at your death because of her delusions. Someone must put a stop to her.”
Ladrellye shook her head weakly, “No, she is your blood whether she helps me live or helps me into my own grave. You will respect our blood ties. The House of Regaleyes will forever rule over the golden throne and the House of Gold. That all that matters to me. Be it Artanis, her children or you and your childen to come."
Suddenly the fair woman gasped. Ladrellye clutched at her bedsheets and writhed for a brief moment before settling once more. “Ereth, I love you, my precious boy. Please just let yourself be happy once we are gone.”
Ereth felt the tears pooling in his diamond eyes, the same as Ladrellye’s. He picked up his mother’s hand one last time and pressed his lips to her clammy, “I promise, mother.”
His words corresponded with the last rise of her chest and as it deflated for the last time he heard the pained cry of his father from the adjacent room. Ereth looked down pitifully at his mother as her gaunt skin began to harden, her body solidifying beyond the norm to pristine white stone, her eyes closed and her expression peaceful in death.
Wrenching his hand out of Ladrellye’s stone grasp, he left the small room and crossed the hall to his father’s own room. It
was decorated in the usual mourning fashion. Swatches of gold and maroon fabric clung to every part of the room, mementos of their time together strew about every flat surface following the traditions of the Brionandian people.
Ereth looked sadly at his father Celoduil who had turned to stone where he stood by the doorway. The soul bond that tied the two fairies together joining them together-- as they had been the day of their first union-- in the afterlife. Forever youthful in stone. Together for eternity.
The grief of losing both of his parents was overwhelming as Ereth’s soul cried out for retribution. He swore, despite his deathbed promise to Ladrellye, that he would overthrow Artanis and sit upon the golden throne.