Coltia, first daughter of Empress Tamran, walked solemnly down the hallway
to her Mahda's chambers. She knew that the Empress was ill and dieing. She
was standing at her bed with her three sisters and brother when the royal
physician gave his diagnosis. Her Pahda, Emperor Tilbri, was not present.
He had always paid much more attention to affairs of state that his family.
When she reached the chamber doors the guards immediately opened
them for Coltia. When the doors were completely open she could see her Mahda
in her bed. On the right side were a chair and small table with paper, ink
well and quill on it. Coltia walked over to the foot of Tamran's bed.
{Mahda, why have you summoned me?}
{I can not hold the quill.} she gestured to the table.
{I need you to write my words.}
Coltia's face took on a perplexed expression.
{Why have you not summoned a royal scribe?}
Tamran shook her head.
{I do not trust them. You, my daughter, I do trust. You will keep
what I tell you.}
{Very well, Mahda, I will honor you request.} Coltia said before
walking over to the table.
After Tamran saw that Coltia was set she began her dictation.
{By the time I was old enough to know who I was and what words
were I wanted to be free. Free from the boring set in stone life I was born
into. At the time I wanted just enough so that I could leave the palace walls
from time to time. I would ask my Pahda if I could go and walk amonst the
people of Nazomi, the captial city. Pahda would always tell me 'no'. He would
then explain to me that the common people weren't allowed to see the royals.
Then I asked him why and he only said it was just the way things were and
if these things were distrubed Vasah would be very upset. When I couldn't
see Pahda I liked to take long walks in the gardens looking for birds. Then
I would pretend I was one of them and imagine the places I could fly off
to. By the time I even got bored with asking Pahda about going out and my
garden walks I couldn't even fill my days by follwing my older sister around.
She was spending all her time with her betrothed. My younger sister was not
even a cycle old. When I was five cycles I finally had something to fill
my time again, schooling. I started to learn the dances, how to read and
write among many other things. The dances gave me a freedom. So to did the
books when I learned to read them. But, it was not the freedom I truly desired.}
Tamran paused so that Coltia could write everything properly.
After Coltia read back what she wrote Tamran again continued.
{Eight more cycles passed and my tutors had given me more knowledge
than I thought I would have a chance to use and I finally decided to stop
doing as I was told. I made a plan to sneak out of the palace. I decide to
execute my plan at night so no one woud see. I wore a simple dress I had
sewn and my silver tiara. My hair was down, not up in a complex hairstyle.}
Tamran paused again. This time to let out a racking cough.
Coltia stopped writing. {Mahda! Do you want me to get the doctor?}
Tamran tried to stop coughing as she shook her head. Finally the
fit subsided. {No I am fine. We can continue.}
{I took the secret passage way out. Everyone in the royal family
knew it existed. If the island were to be attacked the family would be able
to escape. The exit was just inside Nazomi. First I peeked my head out to
look around. I wasn't sure if Pahda had any guards patrolling the area in
case I were to try going out. Upon thinking about maybe it was foolish to
have worn my tiara. No, possibly not, most of the guards had served at the
palace for years and would have recognized me with or without it. Nothing
could be heard I knew it was safe. I climbed completely out of tunnel and
saw a whole new world in front of me. Full of delight I ran out into the
street and began dancing the Tanta, the dance of freedom. This was the only
dance in which you could move in anyway you choose. Normally music accompanied
any dance. I didn't need any because I could hear the music in my mind as
part of the joy I felt. At the time I did not know that a boy of my age was
watching from a window above. I did notice when he came down to the street
and spoke. He had asked me what I was doing dancing in the street in the
middle of the night.}
{Mahda, you did not really do that?} Coltia asked trying to stifle
her laughter.
Tamran herself laughed forgetting that her Pahda and entawan had
forbidden her to speak one word of her 'antics' as a young woman. Now on
her death bed she saw no reason to listen, now.
{I am telling the truth. Had I been able to I would have told
you and you sisters and brother when all of you were younger.}
Coltia was finding it hard to believe that her Mahda was telling
the truth. The Tamran she knew was the perfect noble woman.
{I was in a panic... All the time I wanted to be outside the palace
even thought I was afraid of the people because of what Pahda told me as
a child. He had seen me from the back only so I threw myself to the ground.
Perhaps the boy would think I was not right in the head and go away, he did
not. He came to me and began to pick me up from the street. I tried to resist,
but the boy succeeded. He has done it; that boy had seen my face. What would
happen now had we brought the wrath of Vasah upon us? What had I done? Those
questions swirled in my head. Nothing happened, there were no cataclysmic
events. Things must still be right. The boy, who told me his name was Sirrano,
instantly knew I was a royal for three reasons. Firstly, he had never seen
me before and he claimed to know everyone in Nazomi. Secondly, He noted that
my the fabric of my clothes were too richly woven to that of a commoner.
He said he knew that because his Mahda was seemstress and taught him some
things about fabrics, sewing and the like. My tiara sealed the deduction.
I was never wearing that thing out in the city again. I barely heard a word
he said because when I stopped being frightened of him I realized how very
handsome he was.}
{Had my Mahda actually considered a common man?} Coltia thought.
They must have broken up somehow. Everything Coltia knew told her that differently
that what was being presented.
Before Tamran spoke another sentence she had her daughter read
back what she had written it nearly slipped Tamran's mind. Even after one
hundred and fifty years she was still a bit absent minded.
Coltia read back what had been written since the last time. Tamran
was satisfied and they continued.
{I was not sure how long we talked that night. I knew it was a
good amount of time. Somewhere in the lengthy conversation I did tell him
my name. I was fascinated by Sirrano's tales of himself and the common people.
We finally said goodnight when we realized that our legs were so tired from
standing. Before we parted for the night he said he wanted to see me again.
The next time we meet Sirrano took me to the kitchen of his home. He had
made us a small dinner. He assured that we were to be completely undisturbed.
His Mahda was at her shop working on a wedding dress and his Pahda had been
taken by illness when he was two. Dispite the fact the meal was nothing special
by
royal standards, to me, it was better that anything I had ever
eaten. The third and last time we were together we meet in his bedroom. I'm
too much of a lady to go into details of that meeting. I can say that before
I left we made a plan to runaway to the mainland together. I agreed. I wanted
to leave my life and start a new while Sirrano.}
{What I did not know that night is that Sirrano and I had been
spied on. I had be acting so light hearted around the palace that Pahda wondered
what had happened and order a faithful guard to follow and watch me. When
he saw what had transpired that night he went straight to Pahda and he was
infuriated. While this was going on I was in my room preparing for bed. I
found out about my Pahda and the spying guard when Pahda burst into my room
with a sword stained with blood in one hand and Sirrano's severed head in
the other. I was so shocked that I let out a horrible scream that broke all
the glass in the room and some of the hall. For the next week I stayed in
my room on Pahda's orders. I cried the whole time not caring that I was locked
away.}
Coltia place a hand on her Mahda's.
{He was right to stop you.}
{I pray that you do not feel the same way after I finish my story.}
{I doubt I will. Pahda may not be as affectionate as that Sirrano
was, but at least he is of noble blood.}
Tamran ignored that last coment and continued.
{When Pahda came back to my room a week latter I was not sure
what you expect.}
Coltia quickly took the quill again and wrote the next sentence.
Tamran waited until she finished to continue again.
{He told me to be happy for he had found suitable man for me.
Then he proceeded to tell me everything about Lord Tilbri. Tilbri arrived
at the palace the next day. Pahda said we to immediately go into our Days
of Preparation on. He had the place that the royals have used for generations
prepared for us. I found he was a horrible domineering man. Pahda had chosen
him because he was from one of the finest families on the island. 'He was
of very good blood' and 'We will make a fine pair' Pahda said. I hated him
and he only wanted me to eventually be on the throne and to bear him a son
to be his successor. When we said our vows I felt nervous because I was lying.
I was sure this was not the first pair of royal Vasah had heard not mean
what they said. The wedding went well nothing to really speak of.}
Coltia remembered her wedding very well. A very strange noble
lady traveled all the way from Hnn country with a ChiChu on a leash. She
brought her pet to the ceremony. During the vows it got loose and everything
went crazy.
{Not long after the wedding I pleaded with Pahda to allow Tilbri
and I to take back our vows. He would not hear of it. At the height of our
argument my head began to ache. At first I could ignore it, but then the
pain intensified. It was so extreme that I saw rainbow colors and fell to
the floor. Pahda knew the sign, I was with child, he had seen Mahda carry
three daughters. After I had rested he came to me looking upset. He told
me that it was too soon for the head pains. The child was not Tilbri's, it
was Sirrano's and that when it was born he would kill it. I begged him to
reconsider, it was a baby he was talking about. Finally I had begged my Pahda
to a deal. If the baby was of my coloring he would spare it. If it was Sirrano's
he would let it be taken for adoption. Which ever outcome it was going to
be Tilbri was not going to be told. I spent most of the pregnancy praying
to Vasah that the baby would be of my colorings. I barely saw Tilbri, he
was with one of the ladies of the court. She had become a lover of his. I
knew this when I saw a large jeweled ring on his left hand. Before he wore
the ring I knew nothing. I did not care and I could not have stopped him
anyway.}
Before Tamran could continue another coughing fit came. After
it subsided Tamran looked at her daughter. She knew what she was going to
say next would change her forever.
{When the day came I was so frightened. How long would I have
my child? For the rest of my life to raise as my own or for only a moment?
When the labor was over and the baby was in the world I closed my eyes. I
didn't want to see it. I felt it placed on my chest. When the baby was drinking
it's first milk I knew I had to look. I just had to see what Sirrano and
I had made that night. I opened my eyes and saw a beautiful newborn. The
doctor told me it was a girl. She was pink with coral hair, my colorings,
she was to stay mine. Soon Pahda and Tilbri came in, Tilbri was disappointed
that it was not a boy,
said nothing and left. Pahda did not like the fact, but he gave
his word and the baby would stay. I thought of a name that night. My daughter
was so peaceful, she hardly cried though she was health. I decided her name
would be Coltia, calm flower. I wanted to name her Sirrana, but I took it
back not wanting to ruin keepng my baby.}
{So that is why you wanted me. Mahda, how could you? You should
have let then take me.} Coltia said in complete shock.
{I wanted to keep you, raise you, as I would have done with Sirrano.}
{You could have told me, at the least. My life has been a lie,
Tilbri is not my Pahda and I am impure. My real Pahda was nothing but a commoner.}
{If I had been able to be with Sirrano you would have had a Mahda
and Pahda. You would have love us both. At least you had your Mahda to love
you.}
Tamran continued with her story. The last parts were about raising
Coltia and her three sister. After the fourth girl Tilbri was getting impatient
with Tamran. After one more try he finally got his wish, a son, Tilbri II.
After Tamran was finally done Coltia left with a heavy heart.
The next morning she told Tilbri everything that Tamran had told her. He
instantly went to Tamran's chambers.
{How could you and that old fool that your Pahda was keep this
from me!} he screamed.
Tamran had been sleeping, but, now was awake because of her entawan's
raving.
{She told you?} Tamran asked sounding defeated.
{She told me everything you lying wench!}
{Don't you dare call me that again, Tilbri.} Tamran said with
anger in her voice.
{Before you pass I am letting you know that Coltia and her children
and their children are banished from House of Ritua and the palace. They
can live as commoners as they should have!}
{They should be happy for that. They are going to leave this place
and be free. I will be free as well and with Sirrano as I should have been.}
Epilogue
Empress Tamran passed away a week latter. According to the records
her final word was simply "Tanta."
The news of Coltia's family being banished was quickly spread
to all it's members. Some were so shocked at the whole scandal they hurled
themselves into the sinking sands. The surviving member settled in Nazomi
and other towns on the Floating Island.
Coltia keep her Mahda's story and had it published. Today it is
a well known story.
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