Klithyia

Chapter 2

          Evinan sat at the dining table, her daughter and son beside her. They ate in silence, as most meals were, as they cracked into the hard nuts before them.

          But then, Evinan ignored the food in front of her, turned to her children, and began signing, "I can't believe it. I refuse. After all these years of warnings. I have told them to avoid the biccas for decades. But do they listen? No. Of course not. I've heard the whispers. I know what they think of me. I've seen the signs. They think they are better than me."

           "Who?" Her daughter asked.

           "The governors, of course! Who else? They think they are better than me. 'We were elected. You were born into your title. We worked hard to get where we are today. We gained the peoples' trust. What did you do? You are a face, and a useless one at that.' I know they think that of me. They have so for years. Especially that woman. Clauka. Did you know she had the nerve to call me conceited? And then she started swearing in a formal council setting! How she was elected is beyond me."

           Ixen, her son, simply looked down at his food. Evinan's daughter, however, tried to reason with her mother, signing, "The governors do not think they are better than you, mother. And I know you dislike Clauka, but she does what she thinks is best. Though it was wrong to call you conceited."

          Her mother was clearly irritated. "Shut up. Just shut up. You don't understand. You're just a child; how could you understand? Why can't you be more like your brother? He listens. He never contradicts me."

          Evinan looked away from her daughter, hands massaging her head. Chauna never listened. Ever since she was a little girl, she always had to throw in her own opinion after her mother. Ixen listened. He understood. He never spoke against her. But the rule was that the oldest becomes the ruler, no matter how much the current Empress or Emperor wishes the younger to become so. 

         "Ixen, don't forget you have a class on Luriel politics in half an hour. Chauna, your study period is about to begin. You have a test on the matrimonial rites this afternoon, as well as the final exam for council law. Chauna, you know what I expect from you. And you both have a two-hour language session. You both must know how to speak verbally if you wish to converse with the other kingdoms. Someone will quiz you tonight. Now I must leave. I have many pressing matters on my mind."

          Evinan left the dining dome, entering the stoned courtyard outside. She breathed in deeply, dark skin shielding her from the burning daystar, but she did not feel content. How could she, when her kingdom was about to fall over? Crumble to bits? Desecrate in front of her eyes? But how can I stop them?

          And the whole time, feeling a burning passion within her soul for klithyia, or magic as the ignorants called it. At times, it began to envelop her, and Evinan could not feel past it. In the past, the feeling was more of a constant nag in the back of her mind rather than the pulsing, breathing creature it was now. Everyday, little by little, the biccas grew closer and closer to the border of Alanluriel, and everyday the Empress felt this movement. 

        She turned to the person nearest her, and said aloud, "Could you get me a cup of water please? I feel as if my throat will shrivel up and just fall out of my mouth if I don't drink something."

        The man next to her chuckled, and also said aloud in a deep, raspy voice, "Why certainly, Empress. Why don't we both go inside and talk about some issues?" 

         Empress Evinan looked up, and looked at the broad man beside her. It was Thaven, one of the eight governors. She gasped and her eyes widened, and she signed with a slight twitch, "I'm ever so sorry, governor! I thought you were one of my handmaidens. I half-expected them to not even speak the language I used."