WeatherMaker Hearts Desire Prologue
Chapter 17: Deep Sleep

Twenty years ago

Her laughter was like the tinkling of falling rain. She swung the sword she carried, a long and delicate blade. She danced with it, the skirt of her long dress swirling around her long legs. Poising her body and standing in perfect form with the sword held high.

‘I have never known a woman like you’ came another voice.

The woman smiled. She flicked back her short hair, lowered her sword and turned to face the man behind her.

‘Husband’ she beamed, hiding the sword shyly behind her back.

The man smiled at her. He bowed.

‘My queen.’

Mearah skipped forwards. She twirled once with her arms swung out, dancing with her long sword and sheathing it before she reached him. The queen bowed to her husband, as he had done for her. He lifted her chin, and she straightened up again, facing him.

‘You are so beautiful’ the king said to her.

‘You always say that.’

‘That’s because it’s always true.’

Mearah giggled.

‘You are too good to me husband.’

‘Such a wonderful woman deserves to be treated like an angel.’

Mearah giggled again.

‘Sometimes I think you are a gift from the heavens themselves’ he said. ‘Never in all my life have I seen such beauty, such radiance. Never in all my life have I had the honour of being allowed to witness such magnificence.’

‘Oh husband’ Mearah said turning from him. ‘I don’t know how to repay such kindness.’

The king reached out for her, touching her gently by the arm and turning her back around. Mearah gazed at him, cheeks blushing.

‘You are the kindest person I have ever known’ the king said to her. ‘Even in the darkest places….you see only good.’

The queen smiled warmly at her husband.

‘I love you dear husband, I want us to spend the rest of our lives together, the rest of eternity….’

But then something happened, something that had never happened before.

Mearah stumbled. The sword fell from her grip, and her hand went to her forehead as she hunched forwards.

Then she straightened up, staring back at her husband the king with utter shock.

Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she collapsed.

The king caught her as she fell, calling desperately for help. Servants began to flock to the courtyard, calling to others still inside the building, who called to others further away, all calling for help from someone else. Anyone else. All the while, the king knelt beside his wife, holding her close to him, hands trembling in terror of what had happened to her, trying in vain to shake her awake.

But the queen lay utterly still, though her heart continued beating.

She did not wake.