Fire raged all around her. A young woman ran for her life, holding her father’s hand while her mother ran close behind, carrying her little sister. She didn’t understand what had happened, what they had done to deserve the military might and wrath of Devoid, but the reason no longer mattered as the soldiers made it clear that they would not be reasoned with. Screams and artillery drowned out all other sounds as her neighbors fell like scythed wheat.
Their path was blocked by flying drones, slaughtering her brethren indiscriminately. She froze in horror as people she knew and loved perished before her eyes in clouds of flame and gore. As it turned its gaze to her and her family, she suddenly found herself being tackled to the ground in her father’s arms before a blinding light and deafening crash obscured all sensation except the searing heat across her face and arm.
Ieda awoke screaming, clutching at an arm she no longer had. She panted in shock, tears streaming down her face as she curled up into herself, weeping. Choked sobs broke her voice as she cried in anguish on the grass, in the light of day. It was then that she realized she was no longer in the tree she had slept in, much less the Great Arkus Rainforest. Her surroundings were decidedly unfamiliar to her.
Ieda picked herself up off of a field within a great forest clearing at the foot of a great mountain range. She didn’t recognize their peaks as any she had seen in Kyril. Her confusion only deepened as her eyes panned across the field to find a small hill crowned with a single great maple tree, and, what was more, there was a woman sitting under its massive boughs. She was an elderly woman of fair skin, her long, silver hair pulled back into a braided ponytail. Her emerald eyes glowed with a warmth that was even brighter than the genuine emerald that adorned her ivory tiara, its central prong lined by two shorter ones on either side. She wore a dress of pearl white with golden trimmings, and next to her lay a curved sword, a tachi not unlike Ieda’s own.
However, the weapon was notably more modest than her attire. The scabbard was of a beautiful (if worn) ebony, adorned with a red cloth, and the hand guard was made of gilded steel engraved with images of azaleas. The handle wrapping was a white cloth capped with another piece of gilded steel for the pommel. The old woman reminded Ieda of tales of ancient royalty, but her musings were interrupted when she realized that the old woman was looking directly at her, smiling warmly.
Ieda stood for a long moment as she gazed upon the old woman, uncertain if she should approach her. All the while, the old woman sat there patiently, making no gestures or signs of invitation or refusal. The only thing she offered Ieda was her warm and welcoming smile, waiting for Ieda to make a decision. Seeing as there was no one else around and the old woman was seemingly friendly, Ieda finally began to walk toward her. It was only after Ieda made her first step toward her that the old woman gave her a deep nod and beckoned to her, the old woman’s smile deepening with delight. When Ieda was in earshot, the old woman finally spoke to her.
“I’m glad that you came to join me under the tree. I was beginning to worry that you somehow found me frightening,” she giggled. Her voice conflicted with her aged appearance. It was not the ragged voice of a crone at the end of her years, but a voice that sang with a lingering youth, filled with a calm yet deep joy.
“I-I’m sorry,” Ieda stammered. “I didn’t mean to appear intimidated by you.”
“There’s no need to apologize,” the old woman assured her. “I acted the exact same way when I first visited this place and met my mentor under this very tree. Please, come and sit with me, Ieda.” The outlander was caught off guard, but she wasn’t frightened at the old woman’s use of her name. As with everything else about her, the old woman exuded a warmth and friendliness that dismissed any assumptions of foul play.
“How do you know my name?” Ieda asked as she sat cross-legged in front of the old woman. It was only then that Ieda realized how diminutive she was. She couldn’t have been more than fifty-eight inches in height.
“Your appearance is unmistakable,” the old woman explained. “You’re exactly as Gurren described you.”
“My master?”
“Yes,” she affirmed. “It is so very good that you came. To be honest, we were all starting to worry if he would ever find a successor.”
“Wait…” Ieda tried to process what she was being fed. “Is this the grove my master spoke of?”
“Yes,” the old woman affirmed. “This is Ezekiel’s Grove. And I am Jessica Elizabeth Violet Glastonbury, Queen of the nation of Glastonbury, Chairwoman of the Continental Alliance of Ankaa, and the fourth to hold the title of Raiga.” Ieda was fixed to her spot as the Fourth Raiga sat before her dispensing lofty titles with a casual pride. “Or, at least I was the former two things before I abdicated my throne to my daughter. But all of that has little bearing here. What matters is your visit. This is your first time coming to the Grove, after all, and I cannot articulate how happy I am to finally meet you.”
“T-the pleasure is mine, Queen Glastonbury,” Ieda said as she bowed her head low. “Or, Former-queen. …Raiga?” The former queen covered her mouth in amusement, trying not to chuckle out loud.
“‘Jessica’ is perfectly fine,” she assured Ieda. “Calling me ‘Raiga’ can be confusing in this place. After all, there are nine of us, with a tenth one well on her way.” Ieda glanced up from her bow and returned to a more upright position.
“Thank you, Jessica,” she said in gratitude while the queen nodded happily.
“There it is,” Jessica mused, to Ieda’s confusion. “You have such a wonderful smile.” The confusion passed to Jessica as Ieda’s expression changed to abject horror before clutching at the scars on her face.
“My mask! Did I lose it?” Jessica almost jumped at Ieda’s exclamation.
“What mask? Was I not supposed to see your face?” Ieda didn’t respond, only searching herself over for her missing mask. “Ieda, stay calm. I’m certain it is on your nightstand, or wherever it was that you left it before you fell asleep. Please, do not worry. I promise not to peek. Is that okay?” Ieda cast her glance back to Jessica, and, true to her word, her eyes were closed tight. Ieda relaxed her shoulders and returned to a more comfortable posture.
“It is okay. Thank you again, Jessica.”
“You have nothing to thank me for. The Grove is a place of peace. You have every right to feel comfortable here.”
“Perhaps, but I want to thank you,” Ieda insisted. “Thank you for being so hospitable to me.” Ieda bowed her head low again before sitting back up.
“You are very welcome,” the queen replied. “You are such a modest young woman for being so talented. After all, Gurren is not an easy man to impress.”
“I could say the same about you. Being modest, I mean,” Ieda remarked. “I always thought of kings and queens as being detached and self-serving. So many who have any substantial political influence that I know fit that bill. But you are neither of those.” Nostalgia overtook Jessica’s face, smiling fondly.
“My father, Knight King William, once said to me that life is a terrible struggle when we are alone, and that true peace is a cooperative effort,” she explained. “Even if I cannot agree with someone, I should always show them respect and try to find peace with them.”
“He sounds like a kind and loving man,” Ieda remarked.
“Yes, he was,” the queen affirmed with a somber smile. “Very much so. He died defending our country when I was still young, and I often wondered what other words he would have had for me. However, I firmly believe that the words he spoke to me while he was alive were the most important pieces of his wisdom, and for that I am profoundly grateful.” Ieda’s expression dampened at Jessica’s words, her own thoughts overcoming her.
“My circumstances aren’t far removed from yours,” the outlander conceded. “My father wasn’t a political leader or anything, but he was a retired soldier, and a man of the law. And he perished trying to protect me. He sacrificed life and limb to shield me from what would have been my death. My father, my mother, my younger sister… my home, my arm, and my face. All of those and more were stolen from me on that day. In that one moment. I was only fourteen.”
“I see,” Jessica said, lowering her head in sympathy. “You poor child. I’m so sorry for your loss, and for making you reflect on such painful memories.” Ieda shook her head, almost as if in defeat.
“It’s not your fault, Your Majesty.” There was a forced playfulness to those words, trying not to focus on that atrocious memory, but she couldn’t stop herself. “Jessica, please tell me, when… when your father was slain, how did you get through it?” The queen offered up another somber smile, drenched in nostalgia.
“I would be a terrible liar if I said it was easy,” she began. “But I did have family. I had my older half-sister, Elise, and her mother, Azalea. I never had the blessing of knowing my biological mother, as she passed away trying to deliver me. However, Azalea, she and my father were the closest of friends, and though she served as the Chief of Staff for my father and myself, she also treated me as if I was her own daughter. She was my mother in all but blood. I also had a strong relationship with Elise. She was so much like our father, it often made me jealous,” she chuckled before heaving a heavy sigh.
“I held my father’s words close to my heart, and I forged alliances, and I made friends, the likes of which I will never forget.” Ieda could see tears begin to crawl down Jessica’s face, but she didn’t lift a hand to wipe them away from her closed eyes. Her smile was soft but clear, and genuine. “I met my best friend, and through our trials and tribulations we persevered. We even fell in love, and I made him my king. That was one of the happiest moments in my life, second only to when I gave birth to our daughter. Zayina…”
A gradient of emotion displayed across the old queen’s face, from profound happiness to a longing sorrow. She took a deep breath before her attention returned to Ieda. “May I ask you how you got through it?” The outlander couldn’t help but stare down at her quivering hand.
“To be honest, I can’t bring myself to say that I ever truly did,” Ieda confessed as her fingers closed into a trembling fist. Then, Ieda startled as she found Jessica’s hands gently clasped around her shaking fist. She glanced up to look at Jessica, her eyes still closed and her face still wet with tears.
“Ieda… do you want to cry?” The question caught Ieda off guard, but the old queen persisted. “It’s okay if you want to. Everyone has the right to cry if they feel sorrow. Never let anyone tell you otherwise. Never be afraid to cry.” Ieda looked at the old queen long and hard as she released Ieda’s hand and stretched out her arms, inviting Ieda to hug her. Ieda sat there for a prolonged moment, shaking where she sat before crawling into Jessica’s lap and wrapping her arm around the queen. She sat there in uncertainty for but a moment before she felt Jessica’s gentle embrace, holding Ieda close to her as the scarred woman finally allowed herself to weep on Jessica’s shoulder.
“There was a little girl,” Ieda began to explain. “Her name is ‘Arlee’. We were neighbors. She was orphaned during the attack on our city, just like me. When I found her, I made it my duty to protect her. I took her in, and raised her like my little sister. I thought that I could help her heal, and maybe, just maybe, be healed by her in turn…” She gripped at Jessica’s dress as she began to sob again, and Jessica held her tighter in turn.
“I tried! I tried so hard, Jessica. But in the end, I couldn’t help her move on. She was seduced by ideas of necromancy, and no matter what I said, she was determined to learn it. I felt so inadequate! So powerless…” Jessica continued to hold Ieda close to her, allowing the young woman to confide in her.
“I didn’t know what else to do,” Ieda choked. “So I encouraged her to pursue her path to become a necromancer. We journeyed into the jungle, and we sought out the village in the heart of it. I stayed with her for years, giving Arlee everything I had to offer, until she was finally able to bring some simulacrum she felt comfortable calling her ‘mother’ back to life. And then I walked away. I walked away…” Guilt overwhelmed Ieda as she sobbed into Jessica’s shoulder.
“I told her and her mother that I had to find myself, and make my own path. But in truth, I was ashamed. And tired. I was so tired… I couldn’t bear to be around her when I was so weak, and hypocritical. I swore I would protect her! But I caved to her grief, and allowed her to damn her own soul by pursuing the blackest art. I abandoned her soul and her body. I don’t have the right to pretend to be her sister!” Ieda continued to cry out in Jessica’s arms. The old queen held Ieda close to her, letting the young woman scream in grief. She wailed for minutes, until her pained howls devolved into sobbing whimpers.
“Every time… Every time I look in the mirror… Every time I see these scars, I relive it all. From my father’s sacrifice, all the way to when Arlee resurrected her mother. My wounds have only deepened. And while I put on a brave act, in my heart of hearts I’m just a creature of shame.” The outlander continued to weep in the old queen’s arms. As Ieda finally petered out, she felt Jessica’s fingers run through her ashen-white hair, petting Ieda as the outlander sought comfort in her.
“You poor girl,” Jessica finally spoke up. “Did you truly take this matter on by yourself?” Ieda nodded in anguish.
“We lived at an orphanage, but the adults who ran it were corrupt and conniving,” Ieda explained. “I didn’t trust any of them near me, let alone Arlee.”
“Did you ever confide these feelings in Arlee?”
“No,” Ieda answered. “I didn’t have the heart, nor do I now.”
“Did you ever lash out at her or at others over these feelings?”
“No!” she cried out, shaking her head desperately. “I would never take my own anger out on others, let alone Arlee…”
“You must have felt so alone trying to handle all of this by yourself.” The words struck Ieda at her heart, breaking down again.
“Yes,” she confessed.
“It must have been a terrible struggle.”
“Yes,” Ieda whimpered, seeking shelter in the gentle arms of the small, old queen.
“There are some things that cannot be handled alone,” Jessica posited. “In fact, I advise against doing so unless absolutely necessary. Holding onto such burdens without release is unhealthy, and exhausting. You need to confide in the people you trust. The ones that you love unconditionally, and who love you in turn.”
“B-but…” Ieda trembled at the prospect.
“Do you still love Arlee? After everything you have been through?”
“Yes. Of course I do,” Ieda insisted.
“Then trust in the love you have for one another,” Jessica encouraged her. “Only after you allow yourself to trust this girl with your true feelings will you begin to heal your relationship with her and yourself.”
“But how would I even begin to tell her?” Ieda pulled desperately at Jessica’s dress, the old queen still holding her close.
“I would be a terrible liar if I said it would be easy,” Jessica answered. “But you must try, and handle the results of your encounter accordingly. Even if it means having to say goodbye.” Ieda continued to cling to Jessica as she thought long and hard on the old queen’s words.
“Do you think I did the right thing back then?” Ieda finally mustered up the courage to ask.
“That depends on what you’re referring to,” Jessica began. “If you mean leaving Arlee with her mother, then I would say you left when you needed to leave. And had you stayed longer, I don’t know what pain would have befallen you both. However, I would argue that your determination to protect Arlee overshadowed your trust in her.”
“What do you mean?” Ieda asked in confusion.
“You were afraid of telling her your true feelings. You didn’t trust her to accept them. And as a result, you suffered in silence, to say nothing of Arlee herself.” Ieda continued to process Jessica’s words, reflecting on them as the old queen cradled her. “Now, if you are asking me whether letting Arlee pursue necromancy was the right decision, I can only imagine that the one who could properly answer that is Arlee herself, no?”
“Yeah. You’re right,” Ieda conceded before giving Jessica a sincere hug and releasing her. “Thank you. You know, you are much more approachable than my master. I don’t think I could have ever had this conversation with him.”
“You and Gurren are alike in a few key ways,” Jessica pointed out. “You prioritize restraint and discipline over your own needs. Which is a noble sentiment, but it’s akin to putting your cart before your horse.” Ieda’s expression scrunched indignantly.
“I-I suppose that’s a fair comparison…”
“You also have trouble confiding in people, even those you care deeply for. You fear being rejected, or worse, hurting those around you. But that fear and lack of trust and faith in others is your true obstacle. Have faith, and trust the people you hold dear to you.”
“You make it sound so simple,” Ieda remarked, wiping the tears from her eyes.
“It is, in theory,” Jessica nodded, her eyes still closed and face still wet. “But you need to put it to practice, and keep practicing. Otherwise, you’ll continue to suffer in silence.”
“I think I understand,” Ieda affirmed before leaning in to hug Jessica again. The old queen returned it unconditionally. “Thank you, Your Majesty. Truly. I never knew my grandmother, but when I think about when my father spoke of her, I always imagined that she was someone like you.” Jessica’s face softened at Ieda’s words.
“Dear child, would that I could have had you as a granddaughter.” Jessica squeezed her back. “But it is improper to compare me to your grandmother. It would be a disservice to her. However, I would be humbled to be your friend.”
“Yes,” Ieda nodded. “Of course. Meeting you has been an absolute treasure, Queen Jessica.”
“There it is again,” Jessica spoke up. “That lovely smile of yours.”
“Hey, I thought you promised me you wouldn’t peek.”
“I did promise, I’m sorry,” Jessica conceded with a playful smile. “Closing my eyes is easy, but blocking out my senses is a more complicated matter.”
“Yeah, I should have known better,” Ieda remarked. “I guess it was a moot point.”
“Admittedly, yes,” the queen giggled. “But if it is a matter of your comfort, then closing my eyes is a very small price.” Ieda was astounded by the gentle, humble queen before her, smiling wide with adoration.
“Thank you for everything, Your Majesty,” Ieda said as she stood and stepped away from Jessica, bowing low. The old queen rose from her seat and bowed in kind. “Your kindness means more to me than you know.”
“It was my unmitigated pleasure to finally meet you, Ieda,” she answered. “When you wake up back in your land, remember the conversation we had. And, I eagerly look forward to the next time we meet.”
