The Contest

Author's Note: I can't think of a better way to end this story, so this is what I came up with. Part of me hates it. Part of me loves it. I'm not sure how I feel.

*****

Rellenora didn't care what the Royal Physician said about it.

Her arms locked around Ermen, pressing his soft body to hers.

He was sleeping. That's all. He was sleeping, and he'd wake up soon to prove everyone wrong. Then he'd suckle the tip of his own tail and wriggle about.

Everyone tried to take him away from her, even Naeva, the traitor! They wanted to take him away forever, but that wasn't fair. Rellenora grew so desperate that she went to a corner of the nursery, forced her body into something of a ball, and held quiet little Ermen underneath her, keeping the women from stealing him. Whenever anyone dared to even touch her, she shrieked so loudly, so painfully, that she wouldn't have been surprised if the room fell apart.

She remained that way for what felt like the longest time. Her back and limbs ached. She didn't care. Ermen was sleeping, stubbornly so. He was just like his mother, unwilling to do anything except what he wanted.

Soon, Rellenora heard men's voices.

Yban?

Antonai?

They'd understand, wouldn't they? Ermen was sleeping, and all these mean women were going to use it as an excuse to take him away. They were jealous. They were all jealous because they didn't have a perfect little baby they could call their own.

Antonai's voice ... his words ... he was near her. His hand went to her shoulder. She heard his clothing crinkle and fold as he knelt down. His cheek touched her ear.

His cheek was wet.

He was sniffing.

He nuzzled her a little.

Rellenora understood him then. "Dearheart? You need to get up. You need to give him to me."

She hesitated. Maybe ... maybe Ermen would wake up for his father?

Still keeping Ermen to her chest, Rellenora got up to her feet, leaning against a wall. Her lips brushed into the fluffy back hair and snuggly soft scalp of the little child.

Why was he so cold?

Antonai reached for Ermen. Rellenora's head violently shook back and forth. She stepped away. Her back met another man. Yban! She saw his dark hands on her arms.

No!

Antonai wrenched Ermen away as Yban pulled on her arms.

She screamed again.

The baby's weight was removed. She tried to reach out, but Yban wouldn't let her. She kicked at him. She hollered at him. Then she was screaming child's name over and over.

"Ermen! Ermen! ERMEN!!"

No.

This wasn't happening.

This ...

Wasn't ...

Happening ...

Her body lost most, if not all, of its strength.

***

When the Empress had been rescued and returned home, she seemed fine, if a little obsessed with holding her son close.

But when the little prince was found dead in his crib, that seemed to be the moment when the Empress broke.

"As horrifying as this is, it couldn't be helped," the Royal Physician had said with a wistful sigh. "Sometimes, little ones die in their sleep without a noticeable reason. It might have something to do with their breathing, perhaps the air, or it might be due to a problem with their diets. We can't be certain."

None of that mattered to the Empress. She couldn't be consoled, and when the Emperor took the little body away so it could be prepared for a funeral, the Empress drooped and hushed in a very unnatural manner. Yban put his fingers under her chin so he could look at her pretty face. She wouldn't look at his eyes, which was very normal. However, there was no focus in her eyes, none. She looked as if she was hardly thinking.

Yban had to drag her over to a seat and prop her up. Her clothing whooshed and crackled as her body slipped, her head slipping down the chair's back. Some ladies-in-waiting hurried to straighten her.

Rellenora didn't recover, not even during lunch time, when Yban and Antonai sat close to her and quietly ate. Rellenora didn't eat. According to her companion, she didn't eat breakfast either. That was too alarming. Antonai tried to hold foods to her lips, but there was no success. The woman didn't respond at all. Yban imagined that the only reason her clothing and makeup looked so stylish was because she had so many women to dress her.

And she wouldn't speak, let alone write.

Not only that, she didn't seem to notice anything. She never even flinched. The main movement she made was the blinking of the eyes.

Effectively unresponsive.

When asked about the Empress' condition, the Royal Physician said, "The best thing to do would be to spend time with her, and don't let her wither away. Force feed her if necessary, and make her exercise. The worst thing for her health would be to let her stay in bed."

So, during lunch, when Yban noticed that even though Antonai's face was stern there were tears sliding down his cheek, that Emperor soon did something shocking.

After a few more unsuccessful attempts at convincing Rellenora to eat, Antonai wiped his face, sniffed, and picked up a cup of sweetened water. Then, he tilted Rellenora's head back and literally poured that water onto her face.

At first, Yban's heart flashed and he gripped Antonai's wrist. "What are you doing?!"

But ...

Rellenora responded.

She hissed, coughed, and slapped her own face with her sleeves. Then she gasped and looked around with bleary eyes. Her makeup was smudged on her face, and quite a bit of it was wiped on her sleeves.

Antonai pulled his wrist away from Yban and said, "I considered slapping her, but I decided this was better." He took a small bowl of mushroom soup, held it to Rellenora's lips, and said with a terrifyingly angry voice, "Don't defy me. Eat!"

Rellenora obviously didn't understand him immediately, but his tone was enough. Her hand trembling, Rellenora helped Antonai with the bowl so she could swallow the contents.

Adjusting his eye patch, Yban groaned, but then he weakly smiled to himself.

When the men agreed that Rellenora had enough food, they helped her to her feet and told her that she needed to walk. The little woman was unsteady at first, but with the men's goading and assistance, she was soon making small steps between them.

Uncaring of her messy face, the men led her outside the palace and kept her at a gentle pace. They showed her all sorts of pretty things, trees, leaves, insects, and even spiders. Then they led her to the Imperial Palace, where Noffnoff was playing around. That piglet was nearly an adult sow, but she was still very charming.

Rellenora didn't pet or play with the animal, but she did watch her for a while. When she seemed bored of that, the men took her off to the dog kennels to look at the hunting dogs. Then she was taken to the stables so she could watch the horses.

She was still quiet and unwilling to write anything down, but at least she was eating and moving.

At least the men could see a flake of hope.

As for Antonai ... he still had tears, even though he didn't act like he was crying. His posture was confident. His expressions were mostly calm. But, there were usually tears.

Yban knew he didn't understand this pain. He didn't want to, but he knew that his two favorite people in the world were hurting. There was no immediate solution. They could only wait for their minds and bodies to adjust to the frightful reality.

And Yban wanted to cry too, but he was afraid to do that. He thought he needed to be the strong one among the trio, and he also thought that meant no crying was permitted.

Well, at least that was his position.

***

A simple scroll was sent to the White Jade Palace. It was inside a wooden case.

And it was from the king of Majusta.

"Beautiful Empress of Zenthia, I have the deepest sympathies for you. I understand that you must be in a low state of mind. How strongly I wish that fate had been gentle with you. Sadly, there is nothing to be done. Despite this feeling, I do have one suggestion. Perhaps you should reveal your magic to the Emperor? I assume you've kept your magic secret, and that's why nobody mentions it. I was able to sense it, however, when you were rescued. I dare to hope that all parts of you are left open to your husband, then your bond will strengthen, and the both of you will be comforted in this hateful period of your lives."

Rellenora had the case returned, but she burned the scroll itself.

Then her mind was gushing from excruciating memories, Mujun Yu, the smell of the ocean, sea sickness, pain, outrage, anger, Ermen, a lifeless Ermen.

All that time he had been growing, she had been somewhere else, and when she was finally able to see him, he just ...

As if the powers that be had found her to be inferior, as if she didn't deserve to have the boy.

Rellenora knew that there were whispers among the women in the palace. Only Naeva seemed to ignore the cruel rumors.

Cursed ... the Empress was cursed ... doomed ... marked by true misfortune. She wasn't meant to be the Empress. If she wasn't removed from her station, then fate would continue to torment her.

And vaguely, Rellenora wondered if that was true.

Did it matter that she was loved? Had fate decided that she wasn't worthy regardless of what anyone else thought?

What would telling her secret do to fix this? Nothing, that's what.

At least the king of Majusta seemed to not be willing to tell anyone about it. How respectful.

Exhaling, tugging on the collars of her robes, Rellenora rose from her seat near her desk.

Even if she did give up her secret, Ermen would still be dead, and Rellenora thought she might still be cursed.

But ... she did miss the wilderness.

***

A handful of days later, Rellenora sent a peculiar written request to her husband.

Her magic had its limits. Certain creatures couldn't be controlled. Swine, insects and arachnids, fish and sea mammals, shellfish, and humans of course. However, there was enough magic for her to show to the two most important men in her life.

Normally, Rellenora wouldn't be allowed into the Hunting Grounds without several men to protect her, but Antonai decided to give in to her request.

First, they went to the stables, and Rellenora was able to make Thyal, the most hot-headed horse around, calm and happy just by looking at him. Then, the trio rode to the Hunting Grounds, and when they were a good distance away from the complex, Rellenora rose her hand and said, "Stop." She was wearing long and dark hawking gloves.

And ...

A fluttering sound, a zipping bit of brown.

A large bird was standing on Rellenora's properly covered hand. It was clearly wild, and clearly beautiful. It had a slender beak and lovely golden eyes. The men watched as Rellenora brought the bird close to her face. The bird lightly tapped her cute nose with its beak a few times. Then it flew away.

A few squirrels climbed out from their trees and they jumped and gripped their way up Thyal's tail. This didn't bother Thyal at all. He was serene.

The squirrels leaped up the horse's back. Then they went into Rellenora's cupped hands. They alternated between popping their heads up and crouching down, as if they were dancing to a song. Then Rellenora let them return to the path down Thyal's back and tail.

As the squirrels went on to their homes, Rellenora looked off somewhere in the distance, and she waved her fingers as if she was beckoning a loved friend.

The men's jaws dropped.

A small pack of deer, bucks, does, and fawns.

A few lone wolves, coarse and scruffy.

Several birds, including owls and hawks.

Rabbits and wild mice.

A few adult bears.

And a comely, large wild cat.

Calmly, patiently, all these animals gathered before Rellenora, and they all looked up at her as if she was about to give an important speech. Rellenora dismounted, and then she walked up to the wolves. She petted their heads, and she let them jump onto her and lick her face as if they were tame dogs.

She sighed and went to the wild cat. The great creature nuzzled her and it even let her rub its belly. The bears let her stroke their muzzles. The rabbits and mice bounced against the hem of her cloak. The birds took turns standing on her gloves and giving her gentle beak kisses. The deer poked her sleeves with their noses.

After a few more minutes, Rellenora flicked her fingers, and all these creatures fled from her, going back to their normal lives.

When the animals were no longer visible, Antonai turned to Yban and asked him, "Did you know about this?"

His expression stretchy and wild, Yban said, "No, or at least, I never thought she could do all of that."

The men agreed to keep this magic a secret, mostly because Rellenora wanted it to be a secret. She thought that it was best not to alter the natures of animals on a large scale, as some might think she should do. She only wanted to occasionally interact with a few creatures in her spare time.

***

The funeral was a solemn, quiet ceremony. A thick slab of bone had been made. The name of the deceased one had been carved in vertical characters down the slab. It was stuck into a golden pot filled with a mixture of ash and earth.

The members of the Royal Family wore shades of gray and white. There were no precious metals nor gemstones on their bodies. They all knelt before the golden pot and silently prayed for a brighter future.

Members of the Royal Court quietly approached and left presents on the floor for the family to take when they were finished praying. Traditionally, one of the appropriate gifts for a grieving family would be a package of money, but the Royal Family was an exception to the rule. It would have been rude to give them cash. So, they were given other things, hairpins, bolts of linens and silks, combs, candles, incense and potpourri, bread and beans, and even toothpicks.

After the funeral, the family ate a single, short meal together in the Imperial Palace. There was plain rice, unsalted vegetables, and fried eel. It was another quiet time.

In the late afternoon, Rellenora sat by a window, alone in her office. She lured a squirrel to the window's ledge. Then she petted its head and gave it a few nuts. As she watched the furry thing happily run off, she wondered about herself.

She was still gloomy. Her heart was hanging in her stomach. Her mind was cloudy. Her palace felt empty, even with all the women around.

But ... everything that was herself had been exposed to her two favorite men, the men whose opinions were crucial to her. They still loved her. They still accepted her. Goodness, if they thought would she would leave, somehow, they would beg her to remain.

And, even though she could never replace Ermen, there was always the possibility for more children to soothe her ache and put joy in the world.

Rellenora took a little scroll and wrote a short request to visit the Imperial Palace.

And when it was dark, she hummed a trustful little tune and walked over to that Imperial Palace.

***

On a pleasant spring day, Princess Lagath and Princess Chohni were guests at the White Jade Palace. They sipped at warm tea and smiled at the toddling little child that had a tail curiously waving about.

He was Prince Ilario Balentin Varesqu, and he had a head of shiny black hair. His short robe of silk was pale green with gentle yellow stripes. He babbled nothing important as he wandered around, his head being patted by a woman's hand every few moments. He was all cuteness, delightful and cuddly. When he was near the layered robe of his mother, he looked up at her and made a goofy smile.

Empress Rellenora's colorful fingernails slid through the boy's hair. Then she reached down to Ilario's waist and lifted him up. She sat him in her lap and hummed happy little things to him, idly caressing his tail. With a proud posture, Naeva Donner walked by and handed the prince a little horse of wood. Ilario immediately put the toy in his mouth as if that was the best thing to do with wooden horses.

A few minutes passed, and servants announced the entrance of Emperor Antonai and his Royal Adviser. Prince Ilario dropped the horse, hopped off of his mother's lap, and hurried over to the two men. First, he hugged one of the long legs of Prince Yban, who bent down to pat his cheek. Second, little Ilario tugged on the Emperor's robe and blew air between his lips and tongue. With a little bit of laughter, the Emperor handed him a peculiar gift. It was inside a wooden box with holes in the lid, and there was an odd noise coming from it.

When the lid was pulled away, a small black puppy was revealed, whining and bright, looking around with a sniffing nose. Ilario laughed as the puppy licked his face. The Empress rose from her seat and giggled.

Later on, Noffnoff the Royal Sow was allowed into the room. She let the Empress pat her head while Ilario sat against her great belly. The new puppy was jumping around, barking and squeaking.

The world had amazing cruelty.

But there was kindness too.

Certainly.

***

The End