The Convert Queen: Prophecy Fulfilled

Chapter 13: Building Up To Goodbye (Part 2)

Then it was time for bed. As the previous night, Regnar stayed downstairs, on watch, while Aleyna and Eyvan went upstairs to spend their last night together.

*

It was still dark when Eyvan sat up. He had, of course, loved her well that night, but in the intervening hours, neither one of them had slept. He had held her. She had held him. They had spoken little, for what was there left to say?

'Please, no. It can't be,' Aleyna whispered.

'It's time, my love.' Eyvan leaned down and kissed her, tenderly at first, then with urgency, before finally tearing himself away. 'Be brave, my love. Be happy. You've always been a queen to me.'

Eyvan then slipped from the bed, snatched up his clothes and left the room. Aleyna burst into tears, covering her mouth so that Eyvan didn't hear her cry. Parting was hard enough as it was. A short while later, no doubt after he had dressed in the hall, he had gone downstairs, bid Regnar goodbye, and left the house. The sound of the front door closing behind him was enough to drive Aleyna from her bed. She didn't want to stay in Lyknisia one moment longer.

She dressed quickly, and covered the bed with another dust sheet. Then she too slipped from the room, the feeling as if she was trespassing in someone else's life, an unwelcome thought.

At the bottom of the stairs she was met by Regnar.

'Are you ready, my lady?'

She couldn't trust herself to speak so just nodded. He opened the front door and she stepped outside. Regnar turned the key in the lock, before returning the key to her. Then they were on their way, but just before the house that had been her home for the last seven years faded out of sight, she stopped and turned around for one last look, as if trying to remember all the happy times she had experienced there.

'My lady?'

Aleyna tore her eyes away and followed Regnar to where the Mynythians were waiting for them.

It wasn't far. They could hear the sound of horses, moving about restlessly in the dark, long before they saw them. Arner must have been watching for them, for he appeared on the edge of the waiting group.

'Is all well?' he asked.

'I think so,' Regnar answered, before adding quietly, 'She has not yet spoken a word this morning.'

'Can you ride, Aleyna?' Arner asked gently, turning towards her.

Aleyna stared at the horses. Like the Mynythians themselves, their horses were so much bigger than their Lyknisian counterparts.

'You can ride with me,' Arner said, on seeing her reaction to the horses. 'For now, our priority is to be clear of the island as soon as the gates open.' He didn't need to say that the earlier they went, the smaller the crowd to witness their departure.

Regnar brought Arner's horse to him, and the king swung himself up into the saddle. Then Regnar took hold of Aleyna by the waist and lifted her to sit before the king. In a matter of moments, or so it seemed to Aleyna, the company of horsemen were mounted and ready to go.

Arner's arms went around Aleyna so that he could not only hold the reins, but ensure she didn't slip from the saddle.

'Lean back into me,' Arner said quietly to her. 'I'll not let you fall.'

At first, Aleyna didn't want to. She was not ready to be in such close proximity to another person. Yet Arner gently pulled her towards him with one arm, and she couldn't resist his warmth and the feeling of protection the gesture gave her.

'Be strong for just a little while longer, my lady. This part of the journey is the hardest.'

The King of Mynythia, riding his horse which also bore the next Mynythian Queen, started off in the direction of the Lykos Bridge, his company of horsemen riding two abreast behind him. Although Lyknisia was quiet, as dawn was still no more than a promise of the day to come, there were some who were out and about. These people watched with wide eyes and sometimes gaping mouths by the light of the torches the horsemen carried, as the Mynythian guests of their city processioned out of it.

As they neared the Lykos, the towers of the gatehouse, of which there was one at each end of the bridge, loomed over the surrounding area. Just as they approached the gatehouse, the sky started turning a shade lighter, indicating dawn was on its way, and that the gates could be opened. Then they were on the bridge, riding on the left, allowing the traffic from the mainland to move in the opposite direction on the right.

'Do you want one more look at your home, my lady?' Arner asked her, once they were beyond the second gatehouse and climbing a hill that held commanding views of not only the island of Lyknisia but the whole coast.

In answer, Aleyna shook her head. She had no more words, but plenty of tears it seemed. Covering her face with her cloak to hide her sadness, Arner tightened his hold on her when he felt her begin to shake.

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[Word count for chapter: 1554, Word count for whole story: 19197]

Thank you so much for reading this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please consider voting for it and / or leaving me a comment to let me know what you think.

This chapter was such a roller-coaster of emotions to write. I hope I managed to convey how torn in two Aleyna feels about this situation, and how Eyvan loves her so much he knows he must let her go, and how Arner feels obligated to obey a prophecy laid down by the Spirits even though it is wretchedly heart-breaking for Aleyna and Eyvan.

Of course, there is so much more going on here (wink wink), and this is only the first novella in the series... Any who, I would love to hear your thoughts on our three main characters and the story so far...Can you believe there are only two more chapters to go?

Have a great day!