by Gloria Mur
- "Aleur, isn't Yuma great?" asked the stranger.
- "Guria, I beg you!" answered Aleur, and Yuma's knees grew weak from his voice. She slowly slid down to the ground.
- "I know, you don't want to talk about her, your conscience is tormenting you. My noble, honest giant!" chuckled Guria.
- "I am guilty before her! I am so guilty before her! What have you done to me, Guria? You know I love her!" exclaimed Aleur. Yuma shrank behind the tree, as if from a blow.
- "You can say that again!" snorted Guria. "What are you doing here then? You're just living in the past. You loved her at some point..."
- "I love her with all my heart!" screamed Aleur. Yuma closed her eyes and wanted to die at that very instant.
- "Only with your heart?" said Guria in a languid tone. "Because, you've slept with her. You have slept with her, right Aleur? Admit it! By the way, you don't have to admit it, I already know. Well, tell me, which one of us is better. Will you say again that she is perfection? Can your perfection do this? ... Or this?... Or what about this?...”
Aleur moaned.
Yuma, blinded by tears, got up and walked away. But she kept hearing the conversation from the clearing over and over again in her head. Trying to rid herself of the delusion, she ran. The Queen rushed headlong over hill and dale. Breaking branches, and being painfully scratched by thorny bushes, and silently whispering "no," Yuma would stop, then run again, until she finally lost the road. When she got to the edge of the forest, she saw that the Palace was still far away, and the sun was already on the wane. Not noticing the bruises on her face, or her ripped dress, the Queen slowly trudged toward the city, clutching the lunch she had brought to her chest.
- "Your majesty! My God! What happened?!" Tina rushed out to meet the Queen. “Your face is covered in blood, your dress is ripped!”
Yuma hid herself in her bedchamber, slamming the door behind her.
Here, where no one could see her, she sat right on the floor and began to cry. He had deceived her! Betrayed her despicably. The pain was so great that it was hard to breathe. The tears ran in a river. How happy she had been just a few hours earlier! And how fleeting was this bliss!
- "I would give everything on earth to have that Aveduk take me now!" whispered Yuma. "Just to forget everything! Just to forget. Everything- Lemuria, Shambhala, and most importantly- him!
The Queen sat down on the floor for a long time, so much that her legs and arms fell asleep, thought not dropping the bundle with lunch. Yuma turned to stone, forgetting who she was, and where she was. Just then, a knock came at the door.
- "Leave! Everyone leave!" screamed Yuma.
- "It's me, Yuma!" came the Prince's voice. The door opened.
She raised her eyes. Doro threw himself around her neck.
- "Yuma! My dear sister! What's wrong with you? What happened? Who hurt you?"
- "Doro! Doro! My sweet boy, I'm so unhappy!" whispered the Queen.
- “Who? Who made you hurt, Yuma? Tell me!” tears welled up in Doro's eyes.
- "Aleur," let out Yuma with difficulty. "He's... seeing another woman."
- "Another woman? Impossible! There are no women better than you in all Lemuria, Yuma. I'm sure it's a mistake!"
- "I saw them I saw them myself, with my own eyes. They... were kissing... in the forest."
- "Kissing?! How could he... I wanted to call him my brother after your marriage! How could he! Let's go, we'll tell Shonith La. the Council will send him to the mines of Groix!" Doro exclaimed, clenching his fist.
- "No, Doro. I will not go complain to the Council. I'm still the Queen, afterall," she smiled at her brother, and stood, drying her tears. "I had a different idea. Let's go, Doro."
- Yuma, you can't leave looking like that," said the Prince, looking on with pity.
The Queen walked up to the mirror. The smoky glass reflected a disheveled, teary-eyed young woman, with eyes full of despair. There was a scratch on her cheek.
- "Doro, call Tina! I need to get myself in order," explained the Queen in an even voice.
Chapter 16. The Friends
Lemuria was preparing for the Festival of the Sun. The townspeople took a break from their labor to decorate their homes with wreathes of flowers. The palace servants were cleaning the roads for the Great Procession. A pre-festival bustle reigned throughout the town- songs and laughter floated through the air. Sweets and cookies were baking, causing the whole city to smell like a mixture of flowers and baked goods.
Aleur climbed the steep slope, breaking from the road. He was depressed. There were dark circles under his eyes. His face grew lean- many sleepless nights of fasting and punishment lay ahead of him. But this didn't upset the young Lemurian. Yuma! Queen Yuma, oh what a tormented heart. His dearest beloved- the greatest woman on earth! He had betrayed her. The woman who had placed all her faith in him!
Aleur walked up to a small, painted cottage. There were grapevines growing on the walls. Out of the window came the clattering of dishes and a singing woman's voice. Perhaps he had come in vain? Why spoil the festive mood? Aleur remained undecided. A sweet-looking blonde leaned out of her window.
- "Aleur! What are you doing standing in front of the door! Come in!" she exclaimed.
- "Hey, Greta!"
- "Hey-hey! Tamil!" she shouted into the depths of the room. – "Tamil!! Aleur's here!"
Aleur came into the house. Here it was just as it always had been. Wooden furniture, made by the owner, carved into fanciful, swirling patterns. The chairs, the cupboards and the tables were all made by the hand of the greatest living Lemurian woodworker. On the floor lay painted, wicker mats. The walls were painted with scenes from ancient legends. This was a fairy-tale house for wizards, not the home of a carpenter and a teacher. There was disorder as usual. In the center of the room was a half-finished rocking-twing, a mountain of sawdust and tools lying about- in the corner was an unfinished landscape painting. Things were lying all around.
- "Aleur! Hey, buddy!" - rang out a familiar, almost husky voice. A long-haired bearded man flew out of his bedroom on a vimana. Black breeches covered his legs to the knee. Below that, there was nothing.
- "Hello, Tamil! Long time no see!" Aleur extended his hand to his old friend. Tamil hovered on his vimana so as to be at the same height as Aleur.
- "Well, sure. You've become such a bigwig, that you don't have time to complain about being here anymore." Answered Tamil. "How are you? You look unwell. Are you tiring of the ark?"
- "Yes. And no. More or less... How are you though?"
- "We, as you see, are doing fine. Ever since you created the vimana, I feel like a full person. I can help my wife, and sometimes, I can even help building. On the carpentry parts. But I didn't see you there. Are you preparing for your marriage?" Tamil winked, poking his friend in the side. Aleur went pale.
- "Has something happened? Let's get some fresh air." He steered his vimana toward the overgrown veranda.
- "Boys! Do you want to drink some juice before dinner?" Called Greta, a proper, rosy-cheeked, plump beauty, with an obviously round belly.
- "Yes, dear, could you bring us some?" Answered Tamil.
- "Don't tell secrets without me! I'm coming right now!" She shouted from the kitchen.
- "Are you expecting a baby?"
- "Forgive me, I should have said. We haven't told anyone yet. I hope everything will end well this time," said Tamil.
Aleur felt guilty. They had lived through so much tragedy- first Tamil's construction accident, then Greta lost a newborn baby... Why had they deserved such problems?
- "Aleur! I'm here!" Tamil touched his friend on the shoulder.
- "Yes, Tamil! Congratulations! Let us pray that all will turn out well! Greta has simply blossomed," said Aleur.
- "Yes, she's much better than last year. We cried from happiness when we found out she was pregnant again. Shonith La says that our baby's soul has returned... So, what was it you wanted to talk about?"
&
nbsp; The young engineer fell silent for a while and proclaimed:
- "I'm a scoundrel."
- "That's quite a statement!" Exclaimed Tamil. "What did you do?"
- I betrayed Yuma," let out Aleur, almost silently.
- "You betrayed Yuma?! With who?!" Tamil rolled his eyes.
- "With a princess of Groix," sighed Aleur.
- “With who?!"
- Yes, with a sorceress," groaned Aleur, lowering his head.
- "Aleur..." Tamil trailed off. "You've been to Groix?"
- "No, we met in the forest."
- "You... She put a spell on you, right? That must be it!" Exclaimed Tamil, becoming quiet.
- "I don't know where to turn, Tamil"
- "If you admit it, the Council will send you to the mines!"
- "I already told Shonith La. He has punished me with fasting and healing by the Stone.”
- “But... Well, meeting with a sorceress is a crime against the state!" gasped Tamil in horror.
- "I am too valuable to Lemuria right now," laughed Aleur. "But that's not what's eating me up, Tamil. Yuma! Yuma is what's important! I've... continued to see Guria. And I can't do anything about it."
- "Guria. The daughter of Yala and Gorr? The Black Princess!" Tamil paled.
- "Yes. Every time I promise myself to refuse her... but when I see her eyes, her skin, her hair..."
- "Are you in love with her?"
- "I love Yuma!" shouted Aleur.
- "Shhh! Greta is listening. Of course you love Yuma. But all the same... " Tamil lowered his voice and asked, his eyes narrowing conspiratorially, "Aleur, how is it- with a sorceress?"
Aleur was getting ready to answer when Tamil suddenly fell loudly to the floor.
- "I told you not to fly so high," sighed Aleur, helping his friend back up.
- "You couldn't have invented a better fuel for the vimana than pure thoughts?" asked Tamil, rubbing his bruised arm. "I'm always getting covered with bumps and bruises. Forgive me! You came for help, and I..."
- "No need to ask forgiveness, Tamil. It is me who has sinned, and I cannot judge you," said Aleur, shaking his head.
- "Ah, here's the juice!" Greta came into the room "I heard a noise. What, did that restless fellow," she said, looking kindly at her husband, "fall off his vimana again? In that case, I'd risk to venture that you were talking about women!" She made a mockingly stern expression. "Admit it!"
- "We admit it! We were talking about women's charms and I fell to the floor," let out Tamil, implicating himself.
- "Alright. For a soon-to-be-groom, it's OK," she winked at Aleur. "How is Yuma? I haven't seen her in a hundred years. Those lessons with Doro have been taking up all my time. There's never any time to go see my friends."
Aleur drank his juice and got ready to leave. As soon as Greta had asked him to stay for dinner, he refused, excused himself and left their generous home.
- "Aleur, we never came to an agreement," shouted Tamil after him.
- "I'll be back in a few days," promised the engineer, and ran up the slope to the road.
- "What's with him?" Asked Greta in surprise. "Is he sick or something?"
- "Of course not. He's just worried about the wedding.”
- "Аhh! Well, that I get," laughed Greta. "They're a good couple, Yuma and Aleur, don't you think? They're gonna have beautiful children," she said, glancing at her own stomach. "Our kids will play together, like we once did..."
Chapter 17. Engagement
In the meeting hall, the Council of Lemuria had gathered for an emergency session. Twelve people- six men and six women in work clothes took their places at the round table. Their vimanas were standing at the ready against the marble wall. The Elders hadn't even had time to wash up after coming from work. They discussed in muted tones what might happen at the end of the day, on the eve of the festival. Shonith La called them all straight from work. That must have meant something serious had taken place.
The Queen of Lemuria entered the hall. The members of the Council stood up to meet her. Pale, in a severe dress, with her hair combed smooth, and no jewelry, Yuma was unrecognizable. The Elders looked at one another. Shonith La invited them all to sit with a sweep of his hand.
- "Respected Councilors!" He began, "her Majesty would like to make an announcement."
- "As you know, I refused to carry out the will of the Council," Yuma slowly annunciated.
The Councilors looked at each other again. The recent refusal of the Queen to marry Grino had been a catastrophe. It threatened to destroy the ancient union between Groix and Lemuria. But Yuma hadn't wanted to listen. What kind of surprise could she have in store?
- "I have changed my decision. I will not be the wife... of the engineer Aleur," she stammered, stumbling over his name, "I will be marrying the heir of Groix."
The Councilors listened in stunned silence.
- "That's not all," continued the Queen. "I want to be engaged to Grino as soon as possible, namely, as had been planned, tomorrow at the Festival of the Sun.
- "But your Majesty!" Objected Council Member Rasha, a gray-haired man with a well defined body, "your Majesty, the Lemurians are expecting your engagement to Aleur tomorrow! How will we explain the change of groom to the subjects?"
- "No need to explain a thing. They will be happy. I know what the people say about me. They consider me a capricious little girl. Which means, one more light-minded act won't surprise them in the slightest.” Yuma paused. "I think the Council will be more than capable of running the government until Prince Doro reaches the age of majority. That was all I wanted to say. Forgive me for calling you to convene so hastily.” She stood up. "We will see each other tomorrow. Good bye." And Yuma left the meeting hall, leaving the Council Members entirely confused. They dispersed into the halls of the palace, but the Keeper of the Stone sat in the hall alone, holding his head in his hands. He was thinking about something, breathing heavily and audibly repeating:
- "Poor girl... poor girl..."
She signed the paper canceling the engagement with the engineer, and drank two glasses of sleep-inducing mileoki, hoping it would help her forget until the morning...
The clock rang out eleven. The time was approaching for his date with Yuma. Guilt squeezed Aleur's chest. He couldn't imagine looking into the eyes of his beloved. Tomorrow was the engagement. Tomorrow! How could he possibly be crowned with Yuma, while horribly deceiving her? The young Lemurian sighed heavily. No. Today or never! He should go today, on the eve of the day when they were to become groom and bride, to admit it all to her. He would tell her everything He would tell her about how he forgot his defense against sorcerers, and about Guria's enchanted drink, and about his own light-mindedness and weak will... Let her decide whether to forgive him, or refuse him. But he was sure he couldn't live with this any longer. He opened the door resolutely and saw an envelope with the Royal Seal on his doorstep. Running his eyes over the message, the engineer shook his head in disbelief. He read it for a third time. The page with the seal read: "It is the command of Queen Yuma the First of Lemuria to conclude an engagement tomorrow, on the day of the Festival of the Sun, with the Prince-Heir of Groix, Grino. The earlier announcement of the engagement of the Queen to the engineer Aleur, son of Darin, is hereby canceled." Aleur's heart fell to the floor, then shot up and began pounding in his head. He stuffed the letter into his pocket and ran to the garden.
The almost-full moon illuminated the familiar clearing. The cool wind was carrying the smell of flowers. Cicadas hummed. The Queen was no where to be found. He ran around the whole garden. Standing a bit at the window of the Queen's bedchamber, he raised his head and saw a light. She's not asleep! Aleur flew up the stairs.
- "Yuma! Open the door, please!"
No answer came.
- "Yuma! Yuma! My beloved! Open the door, I have something to say to you!” He began to bang with his fist on the locked doors, "open the door, please!"
Tina appeared from the neighboring
room in response to the noise.
- “My good engineer, her Majesty is asleep," she whispered.
- "Tina! Tina, tell me what happened!” Begged Aleur.
The servant lowered her eyes:
- "The Queen announced today at the Council, that she is canceling your engagement, and will be marrying Grino."
- "I know, but what happened?!" A cold droplet dripped from Aleur's forehead, and hung on his thick eyelash like a tear.
- "I don't know. Her Majesty brought you lunch during the day, when you were working. And despite what she was told, she went alone... When she came back she looked horrible, wearing a dirty dress... Something happened to her in the forest. She didn't say anything, but she brought the lunch back... Afterward, she deigned to convene the Council..." the more Tina said, the more Aleur grew pale.
- “My God! She saw! She saw..." he leaned towards the wall. "I must speak with her! I must!" And he began to knock on the door again. "Yuma! My beloved! Open the door! I can explain everything!"
No sound came from the bedchamber. The proud Queen Yuma, barefoot, in a robe with disheveled hair was silently crying behind the door.
- "A messenger from Lemuria has arrived, Your Majesty!" Announced a butler to Gorr.