“I can’t believe I’m leaving my home tomorrow.” Queen Asna says stressfully.
“You will be fine; you’re just having a little anxiety. You will enjoy being on the road.” Roasa replies.
“Easy for you to say, your people live on the road, the furthest I’ve been from home is the docks. This place, and these people are all I’ve ever known.”
“You will miss home; I know you will, but you are about to embark on the greatest journey of your life! You are going to change the Kingdom! I for one am excited about tomorrow, to see you in your first steps on the mainland.”
“Tomorrow is a big day; I have dreamed about the mainland all my life. To finally see grass, and animals running free…”
“And trees!”
“Yes, even trees. But it feels like I will never see this place again, or my parents and sister. When we step onto the mainland, there’s no turning back. It will be ten years before I could have an opportunity to return. My life as I knew it, is ending tomorrow and it’s scary.”
“My Queen, all I have ever known is change. My parents were on the road, and then Jose and I were… A new place every day. Each day different than the last. I miss it. Meego has been what’s been different about my life. This is the longest that I have ever been in one place. I thought I would hate it, but it has been one of the best experiences in my life!”
“We let you kill a bunch of men…”
“Not that. I thought that Jose was going to be my only family, and when I lost him, I thought I would be alone forever. But look at me now, I have brothers and a sister. Meego changed my life, and I will always cherish this time; however, the seasons change and there is work to be done. You have a Kingdom to restore.”
“We do, and I am ready for that but tonight is a little bittersweet. To begin this new faze of life, my old life must be locked away.”
“The girl becomes a woman! The story that will be a testimony for Meegan women for all time.”
“Not just Meegan women, but all women. I hope the stories of how women are treated in on the mainland are grossly exaggerated.”
“They aren’t. They are all true.”
“Then we will change the kingdom, women will be treated as equals of men!”
“Equal? Is that what you want? Because you have the King wrapped around your finger.”
“True, but honestly just between us, I am the same way with him.”
The women share a moment of bliss. It’s rare for a woman to find true love.
“I am going to spend a few hours with my parents, I will meet you back at our place. This may be the last time all five of us are together.” Asna says.
Roasa agrees and leaves her Queen’s side. There is no need for protection here.
Asna spends most of the evening hours at her childhood home, not as the Queen but as a daughter. Her family tries to cram a lifetime of memories into an evening. For them everything changes now. Two children will depart for the mainland while one remains in Meego. Both Father and Mother struggle through telling their children everything they want to say but they do their best.
Late into the night, Asna returns to her husband to spend the final hours in her homeland.
About midmorning the next day, Asna is standing barefoot in grass for the first time in her life. Lieutenant Rain stands guard as Roasa speaks with the Queen.
“This is grass? It’s so green and squishy!” Asna asks Roasa.
“Yes, and those are trees.”
“What kind?”
I don’t know. Maybe Rain knows.”
“I do not. These trees do not grow in Bellum.” Rain responds
“Bellum! Are we close? I can’t wait to see where you grew up.”
“We will pass the Cagle Crossroads and enter Bellum by the end of the day.” Rain replies.
“This is so exciting! What are those?”
“Birds.”
“What kind?”
“We don’t know.” Roasa replies
“Well I want one!”
“A bird?” Rain asks
“Yes!” Asna says excitedly.
“A bird would make a horrible pet. You would have to clip its wings or keep it in a cage.”
“Oh… It’s just so strange, to see land animals. We had bugs and snakes in the cave, and we kept horses in stables and a very select few livestock animals, but we didn’t have all these strange animals. I just want to have one.”
“I bet when we get to the Crossroads, we can find a proper pet for you.”
“I hope so. An animal of my own would bring me comfort. It would allow me a distraction. The closest thing to a pet that I have is Aero, and I’m not sure he will let me rub his belly.”
Roasa laughs as she does, she glances at Rain. “You smiled! You liked that joke!”
“Actually, I was thinking that the Queen needs to bathe her pet before she rubs his belly. He has a lot of blood to get off him.”
Both the Queen and Roasa laughs hysterically. Their laughter gets the attention of the men of the camp.
“What’s so funny ladies?” Says King Aero as he walks up.
“Rain told a joke.” Roasa answers.
“What? No way! What was it? I must hear it.”
The women peep at each other and laugh again.
“Well… What was it that’s so funny?” Aero asks again.
The Queen looks him in the eye “You need a bath.”
“I know, it was a busy morning, but can you share the joke?”
The women laugh again, this time drawing even more attention amongst the camp. Something that embarrasses Aero somewhat. He feels that he has become the punchline of an inside joke between the ladies.
“That was the joke, my love.” Asna says as she leans in and kisses Aero.
“Oh… Good one Rain… I’ll go wash off now… Enjoy the grass…” The King says as he walks off.
The women can’t control themselves and laugh again. This time Rain smiles even larger, something unheard of from a disciplined Bellumi warrior.
A few hours later, the three women are perusing the shops of the Crossroads. The main security force diverted around the community to avoid being spotted. The Queen convinced everyone that the women could enter the town undetected because no one would know to look for them. It’s the first time she has used her authority as the Queen to get what she wanted.
“Look, these are all different types of dogs, Asna.” Roasa says while addressing the Queen by her common name. Another command she gave to Rain and Roasa while entering the town.
“Ooh! They are all so strange yet so cute! Would I get a big one or a little one?”
“The bigger the dog, the more work it will be.” Roasa responds.
Asna looks over each puppy carefully. Though she really liked a couple of them, she doesn’t pick any of them. They continue to look. Roasa shows her all kinds of pets. Everything from cats to pigs. Asna wasn’t a fan of the pigs at all.
As they look through the shop, Asna comes across an animal in a cage.
“What is this? It’s so fluffy!”
“That’s a rabbit. It would be easy to handle.”
“What does it do?”
“Like all pets, it eats, sleeps and poops. Oh, and this one hops.”
“It hops? I must have it!”
Roasa calls the shop keeper over. He explains that it’s a female snow bunny. It’s from the northwestern region of the Kingdom. They have it because they have become popular pets for the high-born class. Trappers send them throughout the Kingdom. It’s very expensive.
Without hesitation, Asna pays the fee in silver.
A short time later, she is in her armored carriage riding with Roasa and Rain in the middle of the Meegan security force.
“Look at her! She is gorgeous! I will call her Princess Fluffs!”
“That’s a great name, my Queen.” Roasa answers.
“I can’t wait to show Aero when we stop.”
“You must make sure the King washed, or Princess Fluff will be red.” Says Rain.
The women share a laugh together yet again. The convoy stops. They must have arrived at the gate of Bellum.
Asna looks down at her new bunny. It has already given her a great distraction and some stress relief from the sudden changing season in her life. Today was a big day, and she knows they just get bigger each day.
She is reminded that every second that she travels, is another added to the distance between her and her home. It is also another step closer to the Capital and the biggest fight of her life.
Relics of the Old Age 