Sun Queen
Soon Lucia was standing outside of the queen’s chamber. She had taken over the room after her mother had passed, but although it had felt glorious to move into such a vast space, it had been a bittersweet transition. The air still smelled of her mother’s sweet perfume, and sometimes late at night, she thought she could hear her mother’s voice whispering through the gray stone walls.
Everything was exactly the way it was before, for she had not had the heart to change a thing. The curtains were still the red velvet ones, the wooden four-post bed remained at the end of the room, and next to the crackling fireplace stood the four chairs and a table that her mother had placed here. The large rug in the center of the floor matched the curtains, and the elk-horn chandelier kept the room well-lit on these long, dark winter nights. Not a thing was out of place.
However, no matter how she labored to keep things the same, she could not deny that the memory of her mother was fading. Just remembering her mother’s beautiful face, or trying to recall what her voice actually sounded like was becoming more difficult. It made her want to control her surroundings even more. And if she just held onto the pain and constantly reminded herself of how very much she missed her, then she would not forget. Then she could keep her locked up in her heart forever.
Lucia stepped into the room, and as she did so, the entourage of handmaidens turned and curtsied to her.
“Are you ready to be fitted, Your Highness?” Nora asked with a deep bow. Although Lucia had developed a less formal relationship with Nora than with the rest of her handmaidens, Nora knew that in the company of others, she must not show it.
“Yes,” Lucia replied. Shortly after, she was standing in in the middle of the room wearing the unfinished coronation dress. The handmaidens worked on the costume for hours, sewing, cutting, hemming, and adjusting the gown so it would fit the princess perfectly.
“I am almost finished, Your Highness,” Nora said, her old wrinkled hands, sewing on the skirt hem. She was the best seamstress in the entire kingdom, it had been said, and even though she did not sew much anymore, due to the pain in her slow-moving hands, she had insisted on being this dress’s maker. She sent the other handmaidens out as she finished up the last few stitches. “Are you ready?”
“I am,” Lucia said, although it was hard to ignore the unsettling feeling in her stomach. “The only thing is, I thought I might feel different, but I still feel very much the same as before.”
“Oh, you will never feel different, trust me. I still feel like I am eighteen years old on the inside, even though it looks like I am one hundred on the outside.” Nora laughed and then pulled another needle out of her mouth and pinned it to the skirt hem. “We are not as sturdy as the walls that make up the castle, not on the outside or on the inside.”
Lucia’s father had told her that the castle had been built over twelve hundred years ago, when the first royal family had established the Northlandic Kingdom with Iluxia. Iluxia, as Lucia understood, was from another realm, but more than that she did not know. Often she wondered if that story was no more than a child’s fable, spun to kindle awe I their subordinates.
“Your dress is finished!” Nora took a few small steps back and studied it. Her eyes turned soft and she placed a hand over her heart. “You look so much like your mother did nearly thirty years ago when she was crowned the Sun Queen. She would have been so proud of you had she been here today.” Tears filled the old woman’s eyes, but she quickly whisked them away. “Now this is a big day for you, love. I want to make sure you look and feel your absolute best. It is not every day you are crowned queen.” She walked over to the door and opened it, shouting, “Torill, come pick up the extra material and clean up here. Tanya, it is time to do Her Highness’ hair.”
The handmaidens rushed inside. “Yes, my lady.” They curtsied first to Nora, and then to Lucia. Then Torill quickly picked up all the extra material and threads and left the room. Tanya worked on Lucia’s hair for about another hour before she was finished.
“Now turn around and look at yourself,” Nora said, gesturing toward the three full-length, gold-plated mirrors.
Lucia walked toward them. Once she saw her reflection, she hardly recognized the woman staring back at her. As a young girl, she had always let her hair hang loosely down around her narrow shoulders. Now, her hair was up in an intricately braided up-do and decorated with golden lace and diamonds.
“A new look for the new queen,” Nora said with a proud gleam in her eyes.
Indeed. With her coming of age, and taking on her responsibility as the Sun Queen, she needed to step into her adult self. That step also included dressing, presenting, and speaking as a queen. I must leave the child in me behind, she thought as she admired herself.
Her dress was made of pure yellow silk embroidered with golden stars and suns. Crisscross lacing in the back kept the drop-waist bodice taught around her slender torso. Her neckline was not the typical rounded style the Northlandic women wore, but a V-neck with a regal standing collar and the sleeves were long, and flared, reaching all the way to the floor. The skirt was so long it covered her feet in the front, and it trailed behind her in a three-foot train.
Lucia slowly swiveled around to examine the back of the dress. The cape was pure chiffon and was embellished with gold stitching throughout, creating a sun-ray pattern, which originated at her shoulders and cascaded down the cape.
Nora placed the heavy solstice crown on Lucia’s head—the very one her mother wore at each solstice festival. It was a gold, full circle round crown with white and below diamonds embedded in the stars that ran along the spoked top.
Lucia smiled contentedly, feeling that now, truly she was leaving the young and innocent girl behind. I am ready to be the Sun Queen, she said with a sense of amazement.
“I see a beautiful lady where I once saw a young girl,” her father complimented, entering the room.
“My, how time flies, Your Majesty,” Nora said. “I remember your queen in that very spot at what seems but a moment ago. And now, your beautiful daughter is standing there on the eve before she turns eighteen.”
Olav embraced his daughter and they both looked into the mirror. “What a mighty queen you will be,” he said tenderly.
Lucia thought he seemed too kind, and that made her suspicious, thinking, What does he want from me?
“Nora, please excuse us for a moment,” King Olav said.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” She curtsied and left the room.
Lucia figured he was here to lecture her about something, and she immediately put up a wall on the inside.
“I have something very important to share with you before your coronation. I have waited many years to tell you this,” he said. “However, before I begin, there are a few things I must say to you.” He paused and his expression turned solemn. “What I share with you today is for the good of my people whom I have sworn to protect. From now on, you will have to give up the life you want, to serve the people you lead.” He looked her squarely in the eyes.
When I am queen, I can do as I please, Lucia thought.
“Today you will understand why I have been so hard on you all these years,” he said with a sigh.
Lucia was surprised by his candor. “What do you mean?” she asked. He had never really opened up to her before about anything.
“Just listen,” he said, quite impatiently. “There are many things you do not know.”
He always tries to degrade me and make me feel like I am insignificant compared to him, she thought.
“I have told you in the past that you will be the one who leads the battle to end all battles—the battle of Ragnarok,” he said.
“I remember,” Lucia said. How could she not?
“But it is not the truth.”
She stiffened where she stood. “What?”
He inhaled a deep breath. “Let me speak first, and then all will be clarified tomorrow.”
She was not quite sure what to think of his confession, but she still nodded.
“Tomorrow, at your coronation, Iluxia will reveal all the details pertaining to Ragnarok. Being the leader of the lightelves in Alvheim, he knows many things that have happened and of many things that will come to pass.”
She held her breath for a moment. She was to meet Iluxia? The same Iluxia whom her father claimed established the Northlandic Kingdom? Impossible. “If he truly were a real person, surely, he must be deceased by now.”
“Lighteleves do not age at the same rate humans do.” He clasped his hands behind his back and began pacing around Lucia. “Your mother knew many more things than me, because she was the Sun Queen. Being the Sun Queen means you will be privileged to receive sacred information from the past and quite possibly of the future. Iluxia will share this information with you. He is able to see certain key moments that will have and have had eternal significances on Midgard,” he said.
“How?” she asked.
He glanced at her and cocked his head to the side. “Such moments create vibrations and those vibrations travel through time. Only those who are in tune with these vibrations will be able to hear them and actually see them. Iluxia has spent thousands of years perfecting his senses and now he can see that which none other can. But I doubt a mere mortal—such as yourself—would ever be able to achieve such a thing.”
She turned around to admire her reflection in the mirror. I want to achieve that which he thinks I cannot. She looked at her father again. “I must admit, I am a little anxious to meet Iluxia.”
“Iluxia is such a grand being that one would have reason to believe he would possess an air of superiority. However, he is not a mere mortal like you and me, and trust me when I say that you will feel completely at ease in his presence,” he said.
“Truly?” she asked. I wish I were more than a mere mortal. Maybe I am? She had no way to explain it, but she felt a strange connection with Iluxia already.
“Yes, and Iluxia has the unique ability to lift you to a whole other level of existence with his words. You will leave him a better person than when you came to him, just having been in his presence. I cannot explain it. It is something that must be experienced,” Olav said. “I have only met him once, but until this day, I remember it vividly.”
Her father’s comments felt true and they helped put her mind at ease.
“Having said that, a dark, perilous time is before us and before you, darker than has ever been experienced in the history of Midgard,” he said gravely, as his countenance fell before Lucia’s eyes. “On the eve of the winter solstice, you shall receive the Aesira Jewel.”
“What is the Aesira Jewel?” she asked, remembering her mother mentioning it on her deathbed.
“It is a sacred season-shifting jewel,” he said.
“Season-shifting?” She pondered on the meaning of that for a moment. “Can the Aesira Jewel…shift seasons?”
“It is the jewel that controls the seasons. If it is not used, the seasons will suspend at either winter solstice or summer solstice. Only a king or queen of the Aesira bloodline has the power to engage the jewel.”
I am her. I am the one who can engage the jewel.
“Your mother was the Aesira Jewel’s keeper until she died,” Olav said. “Tomorrow, on winter solstice eve, Iluxia will show you how to perform the season-shifting ceremony at Solhenge and you will be its new keeper, ringing in the seasons.”
Pride and excitement filled her bosom.
“But with the responsibility comes much danger. One dark being seeks the Aesira Jewel, and has ever since its creation. You must keep it safe from her.”
“Who?” she asked.
“The Empress of Darkness, Eiess.”
The hair on the back of her neck rose. “Eiess is not of the Aesira bloodline, is she?”
“No. She cannot engage the Aesira Jewel. But she could prevent the Aesira Jewel from being engaged,” Olav said.
She gasped. “Then the seasons would suspend.”
He nodded slowly, his eyes filled with fervor. “The Aesira Jewel rests for the time being behind the painting, over there,” he said, pointing to the full-size image of him. “You must swear to tell no one of its whereabouts or of these matters.”
She nodded. “I promise.”
“There is more thing,” he said.
She thought she would burst from all the new information.
“Before your mother gave birth to you, Iluxia came to her and told her that—” Olav paused. “In her womb, she carried the Great Sentinor pre-destined to defeat Eiess.” His eyes welled up with tears.
She was gripped by his sudden show of emotion. He had told her this before, but the intensity of his words now drove the message straight to her heart.
“Your mother and I swore to protect the Great Sentinor with all that we had, including our own lives. She has lived twice before, but Eiess has managed to kill her both times. This is her last life in Midgard,” he said.
She was puzzled by his story. I am the Great Sentinor, right? The way he spoke about the Great Sentinor made her think he was referring to someone else entirely.
“She was given three lives by Iluxia and the gods to defeat the Empress. Do you understand? This is her last life. If she does not succeed, Eiess will rule Midgard until she finally destroys it with darkness and dearth. All of humanity is at stake. This is why I have been so hard on you. You have no time to waver, even for a moment. Once you are crowned queen, Eiess will know, and she will do everything in her power to destroy you.”
She nodded hesitantly, but she still felt confused and overcome.
“With the gift of the Aesira Jewel, the Great Sentinor shall also receive the power and force to eliminate Eiess,” he said. “You will be responsible for making sure this happens.”
“Did I receive this gift…before, in my previous lives?” she asked, feeling strange talking about something she did not remember.
“The Great Sentinor did,” he said slowly and clearly.
“But I failed before,” she blurted out. The reality of the heavy responsibility suddenly felt like it was crushing her past, present, and future.
“There is and always will be the risk of failure. Nothing is guaranteed,” he said.
Eiess will come after me. That thought sent her over the edge of controlled fear and she could not calm her pounding heart or subdue the voices in her head telling her she would soon be dead.
“Now, get ready for bed. You will need plenty of rest to prepare for your ceremony.”
“How can I go to sleep when I know Eiess might be coming for me?” she asked.
“Fear will incapacitate you. Faith will empower you. You always have a choice,” Olav said.
There were a thousand questions she wanted answered, but she dared not ask them now. She did not know if she wanted to know more. Ignorance seemed better.
“What about Soren? Where does he fit in all of this?” she asked.
“He is also a Sentinor and he was sent to Midgard to help the Great Sentinor defeat Eiess. They are Spiritus Amors—soul mates.”
Then why do I not feel a connection with him? Lucia wondered.
Olav stepped over to her, cradled her head between his hands and kissed her on the forehead. “Remember, I love you, Lucia.”
It was the first time she had heard those words from him. She wanted to believe them, but every inch of her questioned their truthfulness.
“You have been burdened with a heavy responsibility. I wish I could carry it for you and if there were any way that I could, I would give my life so that you would not have to put yours in danger.” Olav looked into her eyes and then hugged her tightly. “Good night.”
* * *
As she watched her father leave the room, Lucia felt disturbed and confused about what she had just learned. How could she be the Great Sentinor destined to defeat Eiess? She had heard stories about an evil, powerful ice empress, but she had given no thought to it because she did not think such a one actually existed. What powers did Lucia possess? None that she knew of.
Nora returned. “Why so gloomy?” she asked while undressing Lucia, helping her get ready for bed.
“There is so much I do not understand,” she said. Then she wondered, Does Nora know about Eiess and the Aesira Jewel?
“Time will answer all mysteries,” Nora said, helping her into her night tunic. “Everything you need to know will reveal itself to you, here a little, there a little. You have within you the ability to reach further than you ever imagined.”
“But…I am…afraid. Do you know of…?” She stopped. She should not reveal what her father had said to anyone.
“I do know of the Aesira Jewel and of the Great Sentinor,” Nora whispered.
The knot in her stomach eased.
“Listen to your heart. What it tells you is the right thing,” the old woman said.
She thought that sounded like good advice. Thankfully, not everything had changed. “At least I know I am supposed to marry Soren.” She sat down on the bed, holding onto what little was left of holding onto.
“He is a good man,” Nora said.
“When you got married, were you excited?” she asked.
Her wrinkled eyes came alight with joy. “Oh heavens, yes! My husband was not such a noble man like Soren, of course, but he was simple and sweet and a hard worker. I loved him very much.”
“I care for him and he has tried very hard to earn my affection, but I do not know that I am in love with him yet. There is not really any passion between us.” She was not disillusioned enough to think she could marry only for love. Marriages had more to do with duty and Lucia was prepared and willing to make that sacrifice for her kingdom, and although her relationship had been strained with her father, she trusted her parents enough that they had made the right choice for her. Her mother had said on her deathbed that Soren was meant for another, but Lucia had dismissed it now that her father had told her they were predestined to be together.
Nora paused and looked Lucia in the eyes, as if trying to choose her next words carefully. “He will make his wife very happy.”
Lucia sensed the hesitation in her words. It was the same hesitation she had heard in her father’s voice. Is he not a good man? Is he cruel? He had not seemed an angry man the times she had met him.
“Do not fret, young princess. Love will come in time,” Nora said. “Off to bed you go.” She gently nudged Lucia under the covers.
After Nora left, her mind continued to race. Her thoughts wandered back to her immense responsibility and she felt overwhelmed about all the new information she had received. The thought of Eiess being on her way to the castle sent a chill through her spine. Would the Empress of Darkness come tonight? Would she kill Lucia in her sleep? However, Lucia had not been crowned queen yet, so there should be no threat—at least not until after the coronation. In addition, this castle had withstood Eiess’ supposed attacks in the past, so surely, she must be safe within these sturdy, stone walls. Day and night, hundreds of guards stood at their posts without the walls. She could not be in a safer place in all of Midgard.
Finally, she drifted off to sleep.
* * *
In her dream, Lucia found herself by a crystal blue ocean. The beach was misty, warm, and bright and the white powder sand slipped between her bare toes. There were three longships out at sea and the wind puffed up the red and white striped sails. She turned toward land, and in the near distance she saw several longhouses on the green hillside.
Turning toward the beach again, she noticed a woman in white gliding toward her. At first, she wanted to flee, but when she saw that the woman looked like an older version of her, her heart leapt in her bosom. Could it be? She took a hesitant step forward, and then she gasped.
“Mother! Mother!” She ran toward Maud as fast as her legs could carry her and she did not stop until she had leapt into her arms. Maud looked beautiful, radiant and healthy, and she squeezed Lucia tight and stroked her hair the way she used to when she was alive. “Mother,” she cried. “How I have missed you! I thought I would never see you again. I was so worried I…” She could not speak any more words—her throat had swollen shut with emotion— and all she knew was that she was in the arms of a being of pure light and love. They stood there for some time just holding each other as Lucia soaked up everything she had so desperately missed, as she began to remember what it felt like to feel safe and whole again.
“I have missed you, too, Lucia. But there is little time. Now, walk with me.” She took Lucia’s arm in hers. “You are not just the soon-to-be queen, my love. You were born at the end of Midgard as we know it. You were created to help bring to pass many important things.”
“Father explained some things to me, but—”
“There is another with whom you must be reunited, one who you cannot do without. I cannot tell you who that person is now, for Eiess will surely know if I tell you. Seek this person out and by the grace of the heavens, together you will conquer Eiess.”
Maud started to slowly fade away before Lucia’s eyes. Her face and hands were vanishing, blending with the misty air, disappearing into nothingness.
Her chest ached. “Mother, do not go. Please, stay. I will do anything, anything you want to have you stay. Please, Mother, please!” She tried to grasp her mother’s vanishing hand.
“Remember what I have told you and you will understand who you are. You will be tempted to betray your family, Lucia.” Now Maud was barely visible, and as the force of the wind increased, Maud’s voice was whisked away with it.
She was alone again. Tears brimmed in her eyes. “Mother!” she gasped, crossing her arms in front of her chest, embracing her shattered heart. All the days and nights of hurt, of despair and fear, came down on her all at once, and it felt as if her mother had died all over again. She fell to the sand on hands and knees, and as she collapsed to her side, she rolled up into a ball, weeping.
Suddenly, she heard a loud crackling sound. Startled, she lifted her head and saw that fire had erupted on the sea’s surface. The violent flames licked the blues, and as they approached the shore, threatening to ignite the sand, she retreated backwards on elbows and feet.
“Lucia,” someone shouted in the distance. “Lucia,” the voice said, summoning her again, this time with more force.
She squinted her eyes, and in the sea of fire, she saw a woman walking toward her. The flames did not take to the woman’s black dress, nor did she seem to be harmed by the scorching flames. By the way she held herself and the way she dressed, it made her think the woman was of noble birth. The bottom half of her face was covered with a black veil, so only her green eyes were visible. When the woman reached the sand, she floated toward Lucia.
“Come, follow me,” she said in a deep voice.
Lucia felt an invisible force grab hold of her, lifting her off the sand, and pulling her toward the woman. As they glided down the shore, the sky grew darker and darker, turning black from the smoke. The clouds started churning in the heavens and swallowed the light from the day into itself.
“Where are we going?” Lucia asked.
“Just follow me,” the woman answered.
“Who are you?” she dug further.
“Why, I am your destroyer. Do you not remember me?” she sneered sarcastically.
She felt a surge of fear grip every part of her being.
The woman turned around. “This is my reign,” she said. Without warning, she ripped the veil off her face and flung it into the flames that now surrounded them. She was a beautiful woman, young-looking at first glance, but with hateful, old eyes. “Tell me what your mother said!”
“My mother?” she asked. She would never divulge what her mother said to her. “My mother is dead.”
“Tell me the truth about what your mother said, or you will never see your father again!” she yelled.
Lucia wrestled with the force which held her captive, trying to run away, but bound like a thrall to her master, she could not move at all.
“You will fail! You will die! I can take your life away in a heartbeat, just as I did in your lifetimes before!”
“Leave me be!” she demanded.
The woman started laughing. “You will never escape me, do you not see? I am the destroyer—your destroyer!” She waved her hand toward the flames, and Lucia was flung into the sea of fire.