George kept silent and let Zander mourn. He knew he mourned not only for the plight of his lost son but also the missing memories that would not allow him to grieve for his son properly. Not everyone was like him; wanting to forget. He knew that some in Sanctuary did, that they sought refuge against the terrible memories that they had faced. But then there were the others, the wise old gods, the fading folktales that were trying to do the opposite. Doing their best to remember and be remembered of their glory days, trying not to be forgotten. Because to be forgotten would be to die.
“After that, we went home…even I forgot about my son then…” Zander appeared to have regained his composure, his voice was still a little raspy from the tears. “There was jubilation and triumph that we had vanquished the enemy and brought peace back to the lands. True, the price was a little high but at least they were safe. There was no silence, no mourning, no anguish that we had lost a hero… even, even Aiden had forgotten his brother… but maybe some sliver of love remained… he would often sit under the horress tree that his mother planted, brooding away as if the weight of the world was upon his shoulders. His marriage with the princess was set in stone now, and while I could see that there was affection there, it was not the same soul searing one that Aida and I had. But a promise was a promise. My people were glad. They had watched Aiden grow up and were happy to see his coming nuptials, hoping that he would be blessed.”
“The wedding was initially set to be on the fifth moon; when the rains would end and summer would begin. But with the heavens gone mad like this, the seasons were a little stranger. After discussions with Leopald and the princess, we had decided that after a hundred days, the wedding would take place. Leopald would return to Gennaios with his sister and afterwards bring her back to Tharraleos with a proper wedding entourage. Her other siblings and perhaps her parents would join as well. Aiden did not disagree or protest. His mind seemed to always be wandering, preoccupied. He would wander to a certain spot, stop and wonder why he was there, as if confused. I know now that he had been looking for his brother but at that time, we were all worried. Many times he would come to me, looking lost but when I asked him why he was here, he would look upset but say that it was nothing. The malady that had plagued his mind was affecting his body and spirit. He grew listless and nothing that the chefs made could tempt him. He was visibly growing thinner and paler. He would oft stand under the horress tree, staring at the leafy canopy, lost in thought.” There was another pause. It seemed that all the story telling had opened up the old wounds again.
“Ten days before the wedding, the dignitaries from Gennaios arrived, with their soldiers escorting the princess and her sisters. They had arrived earlier to get the final preparations ready. The princes Leopald and his older and younger brothers, Gerrald and Oswald were to arrive with the king and queen in a week’s time. They were a little shocked and worried at Aiden’s appearance but there was nothing they could do. Neither mine nor princess Estrelle coaxing bore any fruit and he was still restless in his sleep and would not eat much either. I had to get the healers to make a sleeping concoction to force him to sleep. Instead, he suffered a nightmare and woke up in tears, screaming ‘Come back!’ and ‘Don’t leave!’ But when we asked him about it, all we got were vague mutterings of ‘I couldn’t stop him’ and ‘how could he?’ when I forced him to explain to me clearly, he looked at me as if his heart had been broken and said that he had lost someone precious but he could not remember who it was…” Zander stopped again and George could see the man silently wiping his eyes. It was different now that he knew the reason for his son’s madness. But the worry that he felt then must have been different. And neither of them could console the other…
“Aside from Aiden’s affliction, everyone else was happy and there was a festive air in the kingdom. Even my brothers-in-law had come with their spouse and children to celebrate the wedding of their sister’s son. Aiden had started to refuse to see others now, even his bride to be. He would lock himself in his room and pace, as if trying to solve some strange riddle or he would disappear to who knows where, returning only after supper. While he never knowingly insulted or shunned anyone, he did not seek them out either. It was a bewildering time for all of us, especially the little princess. Finally, on the eve of his wedding, we confronted him. Myself, his uncles and Estrelle’s father and brothers. We asked him if he was having second thoughts, if he was refusing to wed. He looked at us and it was the first time I had seen his eyes so cold. I realized that I was afraid of my son when I looked into his eyes. He gave a cold laugh and told us that he would honour the promises made and that he would marry on the morrow as planned. His uncles and I were satisfied. We knew that he would keep his word. The Gennaians were somewhat suspicious but as Aiden said that he would be at the temple tomorrow for the ceremony, they left, somewhat grudgingly.”
“His wedding day was a beautiful day… the sun and moon shone in harmony and the air smelled clean and fresh. Estrelle was dressed in a beautiful gown of white with the sheen of pearls, tall and slender. She had a crown of flowers in her hair and looked like a nymph of the fields. She was daintily led by her father and behind her were her family members as they walked into the temple. Aiden had dressed in the traditional outfit of Tharraleos, robes of pale gold with a wreath of vines in his hair. He looked like the wood elf my people loved to call him. They looked like a well matched pair but I wondered about it… “
“His face was calm and composed, as if he were naught but a spectator watching the ceremony from the side instead of the groom. There was patience and perhaps tolerance in his eyes but the initial infatuation and later affection had vanished. It was as if he had realized something but would honour his vows, as if he had forced himself against a wall. As the priests were reciting the wedding prayer though, a man appeared. He was dressed in a silver grey cloak that covered his face but his voice was steady. He apologized for intruding and interrupting but he had to see the king of the kingdom urgently. He was rather calm, seeing as the soldiers had surrounded him and had brandished their swords at this mysterious intruder.”
“The stranger said he had come bearing a gift for the wedding couple, that he had been entrusted to him by someone close to the groom and hoped that the groom would accept it. From out of nowhere, he produced a small wooden chest, beautifully carved with silver and stone inlays. The stones were the same shade as my son’s eyes. The man slowly opened the chest and within it was a pair of bracelets and an amulet in the shape of the winged lion, our coat of arms. Aiden slowly went forward to accept the gift. Seeing that his job was done, he left. I could see Aiden lift the amulet and run his thumb over the white stone and look at it in a daze. Then he noticed a note underneath which he opened and read. And after he read the note, he panicked, yelling for us to stop the man. We were bewildered of course. We couldn’t understand what was going on or what was written that had caused his change. I went forward to ask but instead he pushed the chest into my hands and ran out of the temple.”
“The king of Gennaios was furious. He ordered his soldiers to bring Aiden back and capture the cloaked stranger. It was his beloved daughter’s wedding day but her groom had gone mad and dashed out before the end of the ceremony. He took it as a big insult and had started berating me. Kaellen and King Declan, my brothers-in-law had gone up and helped to defend me but you can imagine the uproar Aiden’s actions had caused. I stood in the middle of it all, bemused as I looked at the gifts the stranger had left behind. The bracelets were made of some sort of metal I could not identify. It gleamed like starlight, a pale white that was not silver. It was shaped like vines, with leaves and stem made metal, the way they intertwined looked natural. It seemed delicate but at the same time, it would still fit the wrist of a man without making him look effeminate. I could feel the magic imbued in these bracelets. What they would do I did not know. All I knew was that the magic was gentle, calming like my wife’s. The amulet was a work of art as well. The white stone was smooth but I could see veins of purple and gold and while it was only the head of the lion with a crown and wings, I could see that the details that went into every stroke of the artisan’s knife. Again, I felt the magic in the amulet. Whoever had gifted these had put a lot of thought and effort into it. It had been a pity that they had been gifted before the end of the ceremony and caused such a commotion.”
“The longer we waited, the darker the faces of the Gennaian dignitaries. Estrelle’s face was getting longer and we could soon see tears glistening at the corners of her eyes before the trailed down her white cheeks. Declan and Kaellan were also beginning to lose their patience. They could not understand what had bewitched their nephew and so they too had ordered their men to search for Aiden but to no avail. It was when the sun was at its highest point that Aiden returned. His eyes were sombre and red, as if he had cried. He looked at everyone in the temple and declared that he could not go on with the ceremony. He looked at the princess and then the king before he bowed, apologizing for doing this to them but he felt that there was something important that he had to do. He told them that if they forced him to proceed with the ceremony, he would but he would leave Estrelle alone in the castle after that and he felt that he could not make her a widow so soon after the wedding.” There was a silence over which George could hear the crackling flame and gurgling stream.
“Estrelle paled and fainted. King Liam who caught her before she hit the ground was livid but he saw the resolution in Aiden’s eyes. He is mine and Aida’s son no matter what and even if he had not been to battle it did not diminish the fire in his eyes nor the iron in his blood. It was a disaster. Everyone else was told to leave the temple and we held conference there. Aiden would not back down. He had said his piece and stressed that it was either let Estrelle leave and marry another man who might love her or she could marry him but be banished to the tower, doomed to live her life alone. Estrelle’s brothers were furious and war hungry Leopald swung his fist at Aiden. Aiden did not dodge, accepting the anger aimed at him. But when he looked at Leopald… even I flinched.” Zander gave another sigh before he continued.
“So in the end, what was supposed to be the happy union of two kingdoms, led to war…”
