The Exiled Queen

By Aradia

"I do not approve of Searian Starblood, Meli," Jinian said firmly, eyeing her wayward daughter sternly.

"Oh, Maman," Melisarra Windrider sighed in exasperation. "He’s a warrior, just like me, and he’s handsome and intelligent and he loves me. Isn’t that enough?"

"He is not even a mage like you! And he’s a titan!" Jinian Starwatcher was appalled. "I do not approve of a titan becoming a part of the royal family, even if he is a prince!"

"Maman!" Melisarra was equally appalled, and beat her wings impatiently. "Since when do you advocate judging another based on race?"

"Titans are notorious for being patriarchal, and we are a matriarchal society! Titans do not bow to women, they beat them! And what do you think he might do to Alayna? She is your heir to the Queenship, not any child of his!"

"Maman," the princess said slowly and deliberately. "Searian loves me. I love him. We are going to be married, whether I have your approval or not."

Jinian sighed, and relented. "Very well, Meli. I will perform the ceremony, as my mother did for me, and hers for her own marriage. But I have a bad feeling about this."

Melisarra kissed her mother’s cheek. "Don’t worry, Maman," she said happily. "I’m going to have many children, and I’ll be happy."

Ten thousand one hundred five years after the Four Wars

Melisarra Windrider slept alone, her consort having returned to his tribe to speak with his father. And as she slept, she dreamt of another place and another time.

She stood in a open meadow, dressed in a long and trailing gown of pure white. She gazed around in awe, having studied enough history to understand that she was in a time before the Four Wars. She turned around as she heard a noise behind her, and saw the man.

He was tall and handsome, with shining chestnut hair and strange yellow eyes. "So you are Melisarra Windrider," he said, his voice reminding her of black velvet. "Do you know who I am?"

"I regret that I do not, sir," she replied slowly, a strange fire burning in her heart. Her marriage to Searian had gotten worse over the years, for she had discovered that her mother had been right. She found herself wishing that she had met this man before Searian, for she might have turned her eye from her titan consort before their marriage.

"I am Kreyner of Garul," he said. "I lived on Taundra before the Four Wars. After the Four Wars, I left Taundra, and I left Garul. But not before making my mark on the world."

Melisarra’s eyes grew wide. "You are the once mortal who became the most powerful mage before the Four Wars. And you were so strong that the goddess Ellohyin made you a god, surpassing the saints of old, and the minor gods. You are rivaled in strength by only Ellohyin and her sister Sallyno."

Kreyner’s laughter filled the air around them. "Your history is rather accurate, Melisarra. But then, your mother is a scholar of the Four Wars, is she not?" He waved her silent before she could answer. "But that is not why I have brought you to this place, Melisarra. Time is brief, and your consort will return to your home by midday. I will not return to you in this fashion after this night."

"Then why have you brought me here, Kreyner?" Melisarra asked. "What possible interest might the Guardian of the Copper Star have in me?"

"You are the granddaughter of the High Mage, Ath-g Desertwind. You have the blood and the birthright necessary to do what I would ask of you. But only if you consent, for I would not have it said that Kreyner of Garul was a cruel man and cruel god." He paused a moment, then continued. "I would ask that you be the mother of the Daughters I would like to give to Taundra. I have thought on this for many years, and I have watched Taundra, and I have decided that there should be one last attempt at leaving Daughters to mark history." When Melisarra arched a brow, he smiled faintly. "I had another Daughter once - her name was Alisisa. Her blood was spilled by the assassins of the Four Wars, before she had a chance to be known to history. I would like to have four Daughters this time, one for each of the four elements."

Melisarra studied him for a long time, then eventually smiled. "I cannot imagine myself saying that Kreyner of Garul was a cruel man and a cruel god. And being who you are, I suspect that you anticipated my consent." She reached up and kissed him, entwining her arms around him in silent consent.

They came together as man and woman, as Melisarra and Searian once did. But Searian was only a wisp of memory as the heat of the ancient sun beat down on their entwined bodies. And when Kreyner eventually spilled his seed deep in Melisarra’s body, it seemed that the entire universe stood still.

Melisarra woke with a start, staring up into Searian’s eyes. Searian simply returned her look, then slid into bed next to her, and presented his back to her as he fell asleep. Melisarra’s momentary guilt over her brief affair faded as she gazed at her consort’s back. He hadn’t treated her like a woman since their son’s birth, as though that was all he had wanted from her. But she knew now that she would have more daughters, daughters sired by an ancient father, a father who hadn’t visited Taundra in over ten thousand years.

Ten thousand one hundred six years after the Four Wars

Searian Starblood stood over his wife, glowering at her with contempt and disgust. "I should have known you would always be a whore, Melisarra," he growled, his black eyes narrowed to mere slits. "Did you think I wouldn’t find out about the girls?"

Melisarra stood as tall as she could, her blood running cold. Even at her full height, she was significantly shorter than her consort, but she refused to let him intimidate her. "I don’t know what you’re talking about, Searian."

"They are not my daughters!" he bellowed at her. "I saw the Markings, and I know that they are not my daughters!"

"I am to be held responsible for the fact that they will be great mages?"

Searian bent into her face, bending her over backwards. "You will leave the Kestrel Chain, Melisarra," he said slowly and arrogantly. "I am banishing you from these isles for the rest of your natural life."

Her first impulse was to laugh. But she restrained it, her dark eyes narrowing dangerously. "You do not rule here, Searian. You are only a consort. I am the Queen."

The titan shrugged. "Then I shall kill those four brats of the Copper Star. I will never be outdone by any woman."

"You couldn’t kill a child, and you know it. And I will not allow you to beat me into submission."

Searian swung his gaze to where Melisarra’s young daughter had crept in, watching with wide eyes. "Come here, Alayna," he said kindly, beckoning the seven year old into the room. When the girl approached her stepfather, he smiled at her. "Your mother will be leaving soon, Alayna. Would you like to say goodbye?"

Alayna nodded, and turned to her mother. "Bye bye, Maman. I love you."

Searian seized the girl by the throat and broke her neck in a swift move, the loud sound reverberating in the room. Melisarra screamed in horror, and grabbed her daughter, futilely trying to revive the girl with her magicks. But the blond princess was gone, her blue eyes gazing at nothing.

The Queen sank to the floor, crying over the loss of her eldest child. Jinian chose that moment to walk into the room, her face showing that she already knew of Alayna’s passing. "Enough!" she cried in a terrible voice. "There will be no further deaths!"

Melisarra and Searian both stared at her in shock, the silence soon broken as young Beraleen wailed. Jinian ignored the infant, and took Alayna from her mother. "Melisarra Windrider has given birth to the four Daughters of the Copper Star, Searian Starblood. Do not think that the Copper Star will not protect his children. And do not think of killing my daughter either - she is the granddaughter of the Emperor of Salioh, Ath-g Desertwind. He will protect her as well." Her voice shook with rage, her eyes as terrible as her voice. "Melisarra Windrider will leave the isles, to protect her children from your bloodthirsty ways, Searian Starblood. But you will leave also, or I will summon Ath-g Desertwind to avenge the death of Alayna StarRider."

"She leaves first!" Searian snarled. "And I take my son with me!"

"No! You will leave as you came; alone. You will take no one with you, and you will never return to the isles for the rest of your natural life. I will not tell Indiana what happened to his beloved older sister, and I will raise both him and the four girls. They will not seek vengeance for Alayna’s death by my knowledge, and you will leave them in peace!" Jinian’s words cut through Searian’s sputtering protests. "Those are my last words on the matter, Searian Starblood. Do not test my limited patience." When he nodded jerkily, Jinian turned on her daughter. "And you! You knew better than to challenge a titan; now your heir lies dead! Calypso will be the strongest of the four, and she will be your heir now. But you will leave also, to protect her and her sisters from the man who loves you!"

"Anashrel is the oldest!" Melisarra cried, obviously hurt by her mother’s edict that she be banished as well. "Calypso is second!"

"They will not know. Indiana will not tell them. I will not tell them. And you were a fool to marry Searian Starblood, for he is too stupid to ever understand our ways!" Jinian pointed to the door. "Out! Both of you!"

After a stunned silence, Melisarra flew out the room and into the night. Searian glowered at the four infants arrayed in their bassinets, then strode out as well. Jinian slumped down in the center of the floor, then summoned the nurses to see to it that Searian was indeed gone. When they returned and reported he had left by a magickal gate of Melisarra’s, Jinian began making arrangements for Alayna’s funeral.

The day of Alayna’s funeral, Melisarra approached her mother, having disobeyed the edict long enough to bury her eldest. Jinian said nothing, watching as her daughter said her last farewell to her child. Once Melisarra completed the ceremony, Jinian gestured for Melisarra to approach.

"Indiana believes that you and Alayna were called away indefinitely. And that Searian returned to his people in a time of need. I cannot allow you to remain as Queen, for Searian will seek vengeance before it is time." Jinian looked at the small grave, avoiding her daughter’s gaze.

"You know that Searian will die, then." Melisarra spoke matter of factly.

"Not by your hand, my daughter. Nor by Ath-g’s hand, nor by mine. Your son and your daughters will destroy him, when the time is right."

"How do you know this?"

Jinian finally looked at her daughter, once again marveling at Melisarra’s unparalleled beauty. The younger woman’s black hair cascaded down her back, her ethereal wings folded up behind her. She was a warrior, as evidenced by her stunning figure. "I had a dream shortly after your birth, Meli, a dream which I told Ath-g Desertwind. Ath-g wanted to take you away, to train you to be the next High Mage. I forbade it, for I saw that you would be more powerful than him, and that your son would be more powerful than you, but that your daughters would outshine all of you.

"And the day you married Searian, I had another dream. That Alayna lay dead in the ground, and you spoke of Searian’s death. Then I saw Searian, in a mortal face off with Indiana, a grown man. And arrayed behind Indiana were your four daughters. The last vision I had was of Searian lying in a pool of his own blood, dead. It was then that I knew that Alayna would never grow into womanhood, and that Searian would die at the hands of your remaining children."

"You knew that Searian would kill Alayna and never tried to stop him?" Melisarra shrieked in horror. "Whyever not?"

"I did not know that it was Searian who killed Alayna. I knew that Alayna would die as a child, and I knew that your love for him would change into hatred. I also knew that I could not interfere, for interference would have ruined the chance that you had to bear the children of the Copper Star." Jinian gazed at her levelly.

Melisarra remained quiet for a moment, then sighed. "And where shall I go, Maman? I know no home except Kestrel."

"Go to Salioh, my daughter. Present yourself to Ath-g Desertwind, and prepare for the day when you will return to the isles. Ath-g will protect you when none other can." Jinian embraced her daughter, then released her reluctantly. "It will be many years before we will see one another, Meli. But we will speak again, and you will return to the home you love so dearly."

Tears shimmered in the younger woman’s eyes, and she returned her mother’s embrace. "Peace be with you, Maman. Take care of Indy, Anashrel, Calypso, Beraleen, and Silver. And tell them I love them." Melisarra turned and left hastily, her gossamer wings carrying her into the air and away from her beloved isles.

Jinian sighed quietly, then slowly walked back to the home that held her five grandchildren. And in her heart, she said her farewells to her eldest granddaughter. And to the daughter she expected to never see again.

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