Dawn of Dusk

Lemmal looked up into the rain. It had been raining steadily since they had set sail from Port Menia. The trip down the river from Karron was not bad. Lamercal had insisted that they use his royal barge. It had carried them as fast as possible down the Krakowal river (named after Lemmal’s Grandfather by Lamercal’s father when the treaty of peace was signed by them sixty-eight years before. Before that it had been named the River of Karron. Lehandel, Lamercal’s father had said that there were too many names of Karron already and had changed the name in spite of the protests of the High Priest at the time named Mon Grael. When they arrived at Port Menia, Krakal’s Body was placed on his ship for the last time. It had begun to rain almost immediately, and continued to rain throughout the trip back to Fulsimter.

He waited in his saddle, for the cart pulling his father’s coffin, his sister and brother by his side on their mounts. Lymar had been a source of strength to him since the death of their father. She had been the one that recommended Lymeel his brother as his chief advisor. Lymeel who had come up with such astonishingly well thought out plans to get back and hold the funeral.

Lymeel had made sure a cart was there at the port to meet the ship at Kalob and that their mounts were there so they could accompany their father’s body back to the castle where it would lay in state for three days. Then the traditional admonition to the Gods would be performed by the high Priest Mon Treel, after which the body would be put in the high place, and burned before the Gods of Karron where they would judge his works and let him join in the kings of their kingdom, or determine that he had not been a good enough king and banish him from their presence.

If they banished him, his soul would have to walk the earth in a bodiless state until he did well enough to return to the presence of the Gods. If a corpse was not burned, then its spirit would be doomed to walk the earth in a bodiless state forever.

Lemmal was sure his father would be admitted into the presence of the Gods as he had always reigned in fairness and wisdom nevertheless he was taking no chances. Mon Treel had indicated that a new temple to the Gods would speak well for Krakal. Lymeel proposed plans to allow access to the temple from the dungeons of the palace underground so the royal family could stay in the warmth as they went to worship in the temple.

He thought of all the royal ceremonies that would be taking place in the next few months. His father’s funeral would be first, followed by his own coronation. After his coronation, his announcement making Lymeel as his Chief Advisor and Prime Minister, a title he had certainly earned in the last few days. There would be a Wedding Proclamation as soon as Borrial Ransoms Mirtar’s dowry. (That invitation had gone out to the King, Queen, and Princess of Artermador). They would stop in Port Menia in two days for the dinner on their way to Kalob to honor his father, and when the official period of mourning ends after sixty days, Lymar’s wedding would be announced and would take place in another thirty days. In the interim, plans for a funeral and a wedding were proceeding simultaneously and taking up much of his attention. Lymeel was handling the funeral, and much of the wedding. Other than the sadness of losing his father, everything seemed to be wonderful.

It seemed unlikely that King Lamercal would last much longer yet Lemmal hoped he could last long enough to see Borrial and Lymar married. That meant another funeral, another coronation, and another period of mourning, in the not too distant future.

The cart carrying the body of his father rumbled past. Already the streets were lined on both sides with subjects who had come to say good-bye to their old king, and perhaps catch a glimpse of their new king. Lemmal sat up straighter, and saluted, after all he was still the prince, and his father deserved all the respect he could give him until he became king.

He kicked his horse and it plodded into the street after the cart. It obviously didn’t like the rain today any more than Lemmal did. He gave the horse a pat and rubbed his mane and it picked its hooves a little more and showed a little more spring in its trot. Lymeel and Lymar followed him side by side, a few others followed on horseback and then the people who had been lining the streets silently fell in behind in a trail of humanity that went back as far as Lemmal could see.

The cart arrived at the gates of the palace. The portico Lymeel had ordered built while they were still in Karrondor was ready. Lymeel and some of the other sons and nephews of the king lifted the casket from the cart and placed it on the dais under the portico. The king’s guards made a passageway from the entrance of the castle over to the portico and back to the entrance. The subjects would enter at the gates; walk through the path made by the soldiers past the body of the king, and back out the gates.

Lemmal went to his father’s casket, knelt down and kissed his hand. He slowly removed the royal ring from his hand and placed it on a tray. The person holding the tray took it to the royal jeweler where it would be slightly changed. As tradition dictated, the crown would be melted down and a new crown forged to replace it out of the same gold to signify that the old has become new, but all things remain the same. The crown would not leave Krakal’s head however until the day of the funeral.

Lemmal said his good-byes, rose and without looking back, went into the palace. Lymeel and Lymar took a few minutes with the body of their father and joined him in the palace. Lymeel had the jeweler there making a cast of Lemmal’s head so he could make the new crown when the old is brought to him and to size the ring to Lemmal’s finger. The tailor was there, to measure him for clothes for the coronation. The cobbler was there to prepare new boots for him.

After he had been measured and fit, Merkreel, his father’s Chief Advisor and Lemmal’s uncle, brought him a locked trunk. He reached into his tunic and pulled out a key that hung on a chain around his neck. He looked at the key for a few minutes, not really wanting to proceed; but knowing he must.

He put the key in the lock and turned to the right. The lock made a click, and opened. He removed it, handed it to Merkreel, and opened the trunk. Inside he found a letter, a dagger, and another key.

He opened the letter;

“Dearest Son,

As you can see this letter was penned by my own hand. I have felt for the last few weeks that something evil was about to happen to me on my trip to Karrondor. Don’t get me wrong, I love the people and the king there and he isn’t one to bring harm to solve his problems, his son might, but not the old man.

Well, on with my letter. You have before you, a dagger, and a key to a safe in my antechamber. The safe has in it all you need to know about what was going on in the kingdom up to the day I departed this life. I wanted to brief you myself, even if it meant rewriting these briefs every day it will be worth it for I want you to know the state of the kingdom from my own mouth, or pen in this case.

In a few minutes I want you to take this letter and show it to my “brother” Merkreel. As he reads it, reach into the box and remove the dagger, careful it is poisoned, when you have it, go cut Merkreel with it. It should take him about forty minutes to die, there is no antidote. He will die, whether it is by my last decree, or by your first.

He gave me good advice but the price he extracted was too high. He had an affair with your mother. Your brother, Filmel, was as a result of that affair. I claimed him as my own to avoid the scandal that would have torn through the kingdom like a tornado. I hereby disinherit your brother Filmel as my son but I still love him and care about him.

As his king and uncle, it is my wish that the lands and holdings of his father go to Filmel not to Delimal his oldest legitimate son. All of Merkreel’s children (except Filmel of course) are to be sent out without title or holding. I placed their father next to me in power and authority and held back almost nothing from him, yet he took that which I held back to myself, my wife and her honor. While Merkreel is dying, call all of his children to the palace so they can hear from his own lips the treachery and deceit that he cast about him. Let him hear the weeping of his children as they learn of their fate because of the misdeeds of their father.

I am sorry to leave you this last task, my son, but he was my brother and a brother should not rise up against his brother, regardless of the evil perpetrated. Your mother is to go into seclusion at the castle in Min. See that she is comfortable for the rest of her days but no man is to look on her beauty again as long as she lives. She was unfaithful to me and then lied to me until I presented her with the proof that Filmel was not my son. When she saw that I had found out she admitted to everything. I could only forgive her the way I did. I never went unto her again, but she remained my queen. I should have had the courage to deal with this myself, but I did not.

My advice to you my son, trust no one! Turn your back on no one for as soon as you do, a knife will be thrust into it. Look to your self for what you can get in life, for there is no other who will look to your interests. Care for your army as they are your arms, care for your navy as they are your legs. Make sure both are strong enough to protect yourself. Be friendly to all, be a friend to no man.

I am sorry my son, my bitterness spills into my letter, yet, I have reason to be bitter. Life was sweet until my betrayal, and then it was bitterness and sadness.

Live long my son, and rule wisely, that the Gods exalt you to rule with them after this life of sadness.”

Tears ran down Lemmal’s cheeks as he looked up into the eyes of his uncle. He closed his eyes and wiped them with his sleeves.

“My father wanted you to read this letter,” he said handing over the letter.

He reached is hand into the chest and took out the dagger, he reached up, and cut his uncle on the arm.

“Lemmal!” Merkreel said, “Why have you cut me?”

“Read on uncle, read your doom. You took that, which was closest and dearest to my father, read your death.”

Lemmal struck the chime summoning his page. The page came in and found Merkreel sobbing on the floor as he tried to stop the blood from running down his arm.

“I need this man’s children, all of them, at once! Send me my brother Filmel as well.”

He turned back to Merkreel. Have you read the entire letter, Uncle? Do you know what you are to do?”

“I won’t do it, I can’t!”

“If you do not comply with my father’s last wishes, then I will cut each of your children one at a time with this knife and you can watch them begin to bleed to death as your life’s blood runs out of your arm. Will you do that to them? It is your decision. You can either help them live in disgrace and dishonor or have them die in disgrace and dishonor.

“Have you no shame? Your own brother! May the Gods of Karron cast you out into everlasting solitude and misery.”

The page came back into the room. His eyes widened at the amount of blood that now was on the floor. He looked at Lemmal and told him that all those he wanted to see were in the antechamber.

“Send them in.” Lemmal said. Then to the guards he said, “Allow no one to touch him.”

The guards moved where they could impose themselves between the visitors and Merkreel. As the children entered several started to where their father stood shaking in pain and fury but the guards stopped them.

Lemmal spoke, “Until recently I would have addressed you as cousin except for Filmel whom I have addressed as brother.” He held up the blood covered letter from his father. This letter has changed all of that. Yet it is not my fault or the fault of this letter, it is the fault of this man who once sat in the very seat of power in this land. It is he who has caused all you have to be lost.” He turned to Merkreel and said, “Speak!”

“No,” he shouted, “for the love of the Gods...”

“Guards seize them.”

The guards grabbed each of Merkreel’s children and Filmel and held them fast.

“You didn’t believe me that they would follow you to the grave this day if you didn’t fulfill my father’s last request.” He walked over to the nearest child and ran the edge of the dagger against the skin. “This is the last time I will ask you.”

“All right, all right, I will do what he wanted.” He looked at his children and said, “I’m sorry, I have ruined your lives, my own greed and selfishness has cost me my life and each of you yours as well.

Ten years ago I fell in love with the queen, we had an affair. From that union a child was conceived. Filmel, my son you were that child. I am sorry that I was so selfish; it was my fault not the queen’s. I tricked her at first pretending to be her husband, and then afterward, I revealed myself to her and threatened her with exposure if she didn’t continue to submit to me. When she told me that she was carrying a child and that she had not been with the king in more than a month, I made her lie. I made her claim that she was farther along in her pregnancy than she really was.

The king brought forth her handmaid who told the king when she last had her woman’s time. When he confronted her with the truth, she confessed, for some reason she never told the king that I had forced her through deception and extortion.”

He fell to the floor from exhaustion and loss of blood and began to sob.

Lemmal said, “Guards, you may release them.”

Not one of his children moved to help their father; their eyes were all riveted upon Lemmal to find out what would happen to them.

“You all want to know what my father wanted, I will read his words. ’Your brother, Filmel, was as a result of that affair. I claimed him as my own to avoid the scandal that would have torn through the kingdom like a tornado. I hereby disinherit your brother Filmel as my son but I still love him and care about him.

As his king and uncle, it is my wish that the lands and holdings of his father go to Filmel not to Delimal his oldest legitimate son. All of Merkreel’s children (except Filmel of course) are to be sent out without title or holding.′ This is what has been decreed for each of you. Filmel as of this moment you are the Duke of Frother, all lands and properties that once belonged to your father are now yours. The rest of you are no longer of royal birth, cast out in dispersion from amongst us. Your names shall never again be spoken in the palaces of Fulsimter. I will not leave you without place to go or food to eat as this is the result of your father’s treachery. If each of you will swear fealty to me, I will give you new names, I will grant you men commissions in the navy and I will allow you women to be attendants in my palace you need not carry the burden of your father’s infamy.”

All of Merkreel’s, children went down on their knee and swore their allegiance to him both as prince and as king later, Filmel did the same but Lemmal went over to him and lifted him up.

“I will take your oath of fealty with the other Dukes and Barons after my coronation. You are still my brother and I will always treat you as such.” He turned back to Merkreel and said to the guards, “take him away, and when he has died bury him in an unmarked grave. He will not receive the burning.”

“Please Lemmal, don’t do this to me, at least burn me and then bury me so I can have a chance at redemption. If the Gods cause an earthquake or something to unearth me redemption would be their choice not yours, please, please, PLEASE!”

The door to the room shut behind Lemmal after he left it. Shortly thereafter Merkreel passed out from loss of blood and he never regained consciousness.

Lemmal went to his room to wash. Blood covered his hand and arm where Merkreel had grabbed him and there was some on his clothes. After he bathed and dressed, he summoned his mother.

He wanted to avenge his father, but he couldn’t do what his father had planned for his mother. After all, she had been a victim, tricked into a relationship she didn’t want. She had already suffered enough; he would force her hurt no deeper.

As she walked into the room, he knew that she had guessed why she had been summoned; she had shed her black dress of morning. She bowed low and held her hand forward to her son, so he could cut her as he had Merkreel.

“You want to join him in death, Mother?”

She looked up, startled. “You mean you don’t intend to kill me too?”

“Mother, before he died Merkreel said some things. It may make a difference on how I act on Father’s last request concerning you. I know this must be difficult, but tell me how you came to have a relationship with him.”

She huffed disgustedly, “I don’t see how anything that man said could ever be truthful. He certainly would never tell the real truth.”

“What is the real truth Mother? It is time that the real truth is told at last so the healing can begin. Please, I implore you to tell the truth at last.”

She sighed with resignation. “So be it. Years ago, over twenty now, a man, supposedly your father came into my bed chamber, I assumed it was your father because he entered from your father’s room through the special passageway between our rooms. I thought he was the only one that knew it was there. Apparently he believed it as well. After we had made love, a light went on in the room, and it was Merkreel not your father. He had brought a servant who would be willing to tell your father that I had consented and actively participated in the act.

He sent the man away with a charge to tell no one and promised that as I remained “friendly” I would not have to worry. I was disgusted, I was horrified, and I didn’t know what to do. I knew that with a witness, he could destroy me with the testimony of the servant. Even if your father believed me, I knew that he would never love me or come to me in the night if he knew. I loved your father and wanted him as long as I could have him as long as I could, so I submitted to the degrading, humiliating, life of a man’s unwilling lover. I suppose I could have survived that if Merkreel had loved me and treated me with tenderness and kindness, but after I submitted myself to him, he treated me as he would a prostitute. I wanted to kill myself and had even managed to procure a fast acting poison that would kill me painlessly when I realized I was pregnant. My chambermaid found out before I could kill myself and word was sent to your father. I couldn’t hurt him anymore, I lied about the date of conception so he could believe it was his, but he didn’t.

I have looked back on that part of my life, and I realized that my only way out would have been to expose Merkreel that first night, surely his footprints would have shown in the dust of the floor of the passageway, and I might have been vindicated. He frightened me, and at the time when I could have escaped the horror I lived through since that night, I was bullied into submission. I hate myself for what I allowed him to do, I hate him for doing it, and I hate your father for not killing me or allowing me to kill myself.”

Tears ran down her cheeks and she sobbed silently.

“That is the story, as it really happened. I would have told your father if he had ever bothered to ask, but I wasn’t going to humiliate myself further with words of explanation that would not be believed.”

Lemmal took his mother into his arms and held her gently as she cried on his shoulder. Years of grief and frustration poured forth from her and she cried for hours. During all of that time, he held her and comforted her as his father should have when he found out years ago.

After her grief, Lemmal showed her the letter and told her that she would not be punished further. She had been punished by the King, and had punished herself enough. She thanked him and asked him if she could speak with Mon Treel. Lemmal made the arrangements.

Later that afternoon Mon Treel came to see Lemmal. Lemmal postponed his next appointment to see him.

“I would like to thank-you for making the time to visit with me your Majesty.”

“It is always a pleasure to talk with you your Eminence.”

“I had an interesting conversation with your mother this afternoon.”

“I’m sure that you did. I hope you were able to calm her mind.”

“Well, yes and no. I explained to her that a woman placed into the situation that one of her handmaids sisters had been placed into would be considered justifiable suicide and that...”

Lemmal jumped up and ran from the room. “Send the physician to my mother’s room.” he shouted as he ran from the room.

When he got to his mother’s room he began knocking on the door. There was no response; he got his mother’s chambermaid to open the door. As he looked into his mother’s room he wanted to vomit. She had plunged the poisoned dagger into her heart. She had a smile on her face for the first time in as long as he could remember. He wished he could have thought of a more painful manner of death for Merkreel.

She would burn with his father. Together they would go to meet the Gods, and he would know the truth. Perhaps she would find happiness in the after-life. She was due some happiness sometime.