PELAIR. The Gems of the Golden Serpent.

19. Miralia

Queen Miralia used to take a stroll around Azcangor in a small calash, pulled by a pair of spirited horses and guided by her page, who proud of his job, dressed and showed its elegant livery. The royal procession usually consisted of a small party of soldiers escorting the Queen's carriage, followed by another larger wagon for her entourage. She liked to be seen around and be greeted by her subjects, who had for their Queen deep and loving respect, even though the throne was now in the hands of her nephew Herald.

Miralia had earned the esteem of her people since she had been the consort of the late King Lugor. Both had ruled the realm firmly but with wisdom and justice.

She was a woman of gentle appearance, whose silver hair did justice to her well-earned reputation of erudition and fairness in administering justice, and expertise in the management of government. The stroll was her way of telling her former subjects that she was with them and cared for their well-being. Their fate was her fate. Graciously she greeted corresponding to the salutations of her people.

The afternoon had become quite warm, for it was well into the summer, and it had not fallen a single drop of rain for a couple of weeks. Many passersby crowded around the water fountains her husband had ordered to build throughout the city, to embellish it while giving his people access to the precious liquid.

Shallow channels transported the water from the Snake River, which received its name due to its winding and lazily path through the northern suburbs of the city. An ingenious system of channels provided the vital liquid to the royal palace and the water fountains for public use. Giant norias pulled by yoked oxen that patiently spun the big and heavy wheels built to overcome the unevenness between the river and the city. Azcangor was proud to be perhaps the only city in all of Pelair that could have a continuous surplus of water throughout the whole year.

People in the city wore little clothing at this time of the year. Many men went bare-chested, and the women barely covered their breasts with gauzy fabrics that left little to the imagination. Summer was a very voluptuous epoch. Customs were so relaxed to the point that baby births increased by the end of winter, coinciding with the celebrations of the appointed birth of Noor. In any case, the winter weather was not a significant impediment, as the country enjoyed generously mild temperatures all year round.

The Queen herself, as well as her entourage, wore light summer clothes. Soft linen and silk clothes of bright colors had replaced the pompous cotton dresses and winter taffeta. Beautiful wide-brimmed hats adorned with a profusion of flowers covered their heads and protected the women from the harsh sun.

The parade of the Queen ran peacefully. A couple of maidens fanned big fans to cool the sovereign, while she placidly watched children frolicking running around between the fountain's jets. She delighted in the spontaneous laughter of the children.

For some reason, her thoughts turned inadvertently to the war her country upheld with the neighboring kingdom of Luria, and the considerable concentration of troops that kept an uneasy and uncalled truce after long years of war.

"To think the excuse for that war was love," thought the Queen, remembering the causes that had led to this bloody conflagration. It had been just the reason the tyrant who ruled the once peacefully western kingdoms now called the Triad, used as his alibi to seek possession of the eastern territories, most of which were held by Terrara.

Eighteen years of fighting and truces had passed by, and not a possible end to such war was in sight.

Miralia, now lost in her thoughts, inadvertently laid her eyes on a young man that cooled off himself in one of the fountains like everyone else. He was part of a group of men and women taken captives by Herald's troops. A contingent of guards escorted them.