This is the prologue (obviously) to a story I started but will likely never finish.
The Soft Throne
Prologue
“Maura, you are seventeen years old, do not shame yourself by acting in such a fashion,” King Jarah of Alodia scolded his daughter, as she pouted and fumed in the carriage.
“I do not wish to go to Temple Sundown this year,” Maura sent a glaring look to her father. “There is nothing wrong with me. I do not need to be cured.”
“Nonsense,” he huffed. “You were cursed by the Gods, as we know all too well. Every year you must go to a Temple in order for the priests to alleviate the symptoms of the curse, if not cure it. Sundown is the best Temple in all of Alodia.”
Maura turned her heated gaze to her mother who only looked away, out to the countryside they past. “It won’t last too long, Maura,” she spoke up softly, finding it hard to meet her own daughter’s eyes. “The signs have been good this year, I am sure they will be able to cure you this time.”
Blinking back tears of anger Maura balled her fists in the fabrics of her floor-length dress. “They… hurt… me,” she forced the words out slowly, through clenched teeth. Her ears had turned the same bright red color of her dress, as she remembered all the other birthdays she had spent in Sundown Temple.
Her father sighed loudly and Maura slouched back on the bench across from her parents, knowing that this would be another lost argument. Her older sister, Sauda, sat next to her, staring blankly at the fields of fresh green grass and newly bloomed flowers.
“Do you truly believe the Priests mumbling can really cure anything?” she said after a moment.
“Sauda!” Queen Sherise, stared at her daughter in shock.
“What?” Sauda looked to her mother. “It’s only a question. Have you not taught us to ask questions?”
“Not of the Temple Priests!”
“Well, it has been twelve years and they have not cured her, she seems to get worse, doesn’t she?” Sauda glanced to Maura. “They just make her angry.”
Maura looked down at the clenched fists in her lap and let her long brown hair fall down to hide her angered face. She wanted to cry, to cry and punch her sister in the face, and break that precious pretty nose of hers.
“Sauda, do not speak of your sister in such a way!” Sherise leant forward, putting one hand on Maura’s knee. Maura pulled away and Sherise sighed, a pained expression making her young face look old.
“You don’t love me,” Maura’s voice quivered as she turned her ever-green eyes out the carriage window.
“Of course we do!” Sherise stared at her youngest daughter and – despite the curse – her favorite. Yes, Sherise had always played favorites to Maura but to her Maura was everything she wanted in a daughter; everything the Kingdom needed. Unlike Sauda, Maura was brave on her own and had a will of her own; she never hid behind other people, or veiled her face.
“You would not do this to me, if you did.”
“We take you to the Temples because we do love you, darling,” she watched Maura, feeling hopeless that her daughter would think such a way.
“Then your love is wrong, and I do not want it.”
“Maura please—”
“Enough!” Jarah glared at each woman in turn, while inwardly asking why he could have been gifted with sons. “We are going to Dawnset Isle and Maura will be taken to Sundown Temple. That is final.”
“Yes father,” Sauda had returned her attention to the country.
“Yes, my love,” Sherise settled back in her seat, hooking one arm with her husbands.
Ever-green eyes glowered out from under chocolate brown hair, hitting him so hard it should have been a physical blow but Jarah did not notice.
The earth was shaking fiercely and the towers of Dawnset came crashing to the ground, rubble and dust flying into the air. People screamed and ran awry in the sudden destruction but one scream could be heard above everything else. Maura stood naked at the very center of Sundown Temple with a large, eight pointed star cut into her back. The ancient symbol bled profusely and she screamed in pain and rage, for all her lungs were worth.
Sherise ran into the extensive courtyard before the Temple and made her way through the fallen gates. The earth shook around her and she stumbled, falling several times as she tried to make her way to the Temple steps. She knew—she knew her beautiful daughter, her baby, her favorite—she knew Maura was the cause of all the destruction. If only there were a way she could get to her, perhaps she could end all of the madness! “Maura!” she called loudly, pushing her way past all the people that scrambled out of the Temple doors. “MAURA!”
“Sherise!” Jarah bellowed, following after his wife. “Sherise!” he stood at the entrance of the Temple, watching the ceiling fall in behind her, sometimes narrowly missing her. “Sherise!” Jarah clenched a fist and went into the Temple. The walls seemed to shake more violently as he traversed through the quickly piling rumble, yelling for his wife but his voice eluded her under the terrible screaming. He nearly caught up to her in a corridor deep within the Temple but as she turned to see him (finally hearing his pleading yell) the roof caved in over her.
Jarah stared at the place his wife had been in and ran over, calling her name over and over as he pulled large chunks of stone away. Eventually he uncovered her hand and a small slit that he could peek through. “Sherise,” he took her hand in his. “Sherise, can you hear me?” She squeezed his hand softly and Jarah let out a sob. “Sherise, Sherise, just hold on, someone will be here soon.”
“Can you see,” her voice was very low. “Can you see the morning star?”
He squeezed her hand. “No, no I cannot.”
“Oh, my love, it is… beautiful.” Her voice dropped away and her hand went limp.
“Sherise? Sherise? Sherise!” Jarah pressed his face against the rock, straining to see her. There was a loud groan as the walls to either side of him swayed and Jarah looked up. Through a hole in the ceiling he could see the Morning Star. “Not as beautiful as you,” he whispered before the walls crashed down on him.
Sauda had been outside of the city when the screaming began but even the riding fields shook, the earth rolling under the horses hooves, causing the animals to rear up and scatter in all directions. She kept tight control of her horse but Sauda gazed around in fear. The trees and the fields had somehow become menacing and a harsh wind sent shivers down her body. You too, Sauda, it seemed to say. You shall die too. She turned her horse then and made her way off to the East, the few guardsmen that had been with her followed obediently. Sauda had discussed it with them many times. If ever her sister came fully into the insanity the Gods had cursed her with, Sauda and her few chosen guards would go to the Eastern Kingdoms – where Maura could not reach.
The Priests had been thrown back at her outburst, a large burst of raw energy, washing out around her, forcing them to the ground. They tried to crawl towards the large, open archway but a black gauze overcame their vision and the earth trembled beneath them, dropping away to floors below or pushing up around them in jagged edges before crashing to lower floors. The walls shook around them and began to topple down, the large stone blocks crushing the Priests as they prayed to the highest Gods they could, asking for forgiveness. Dust plumed up around her and quickly settled. Morning sunlight streamed down on her, through the gaping hole that was left of the ceiling, which was now only held up by three marble pillars. The screaming stopped.
Maura dropped her head back and looked up at the new sky which brilliant in its chaotic colors of gold, blue, and pink. She took a deep breath and sank to her knees, a small burst of laughter caught in her throat and Maura smiled – glad the pain had finally come to an end. Feeling exhausted, she slowly lay down on her stomach, buried her face against her arms, and fell asleep.
“Highness?” Bordan stared down at Maura. She stirred and opened her eyes slowly.
“What happened?” she asked groggily.
“You’ve been sleeping for three days,” Bordan answered. “We are at the palace. There was a tremor in Dawnset Isle, the Temple— your parents—” He stared down at her, a look of fear coming into his eyes. “They have died.”
“My sister?” Maura sat up slowly, taking the glass of water Bordan held.
“Assumed… we could not find her but Dawnset is completely destroyed.”
She gave him a thoughtful look and then smiled. “I am Queen?”
Bordan’s breath caught. “—yes, yes, you are Queen.” He looked over his shoulder at the older men that stood within the room, the advisors to the crown. They nodded slowly, dread etched deeply on their old faces.
“A Cursed Queen,” one of them spoke up, his voice rough and wheezy. “The whole Kingdom knows now.”
“Yes,” Maura lay back down. “I would hope so.”
