Children of Fire and Sun: The Rebellion (Updates Resume From July 2024)

Chapter Nineteen: Maysa (Domhnall)

"Dreams are our messengers. They hold the truth of the past and future in them."
— Prince Mellor IV of House Memor
~•~

Night brought back memories of the bygone with such queer ferocity that one might think that it held some deep-seated animosity for the Princess of Domhnall.

It did not let her sleep. Nor did it let her know a moment's peace. As if it were her mortal enemy, eager to see her squirm in its grasp. It once was her friend, though. Soon enough, that friendship turned into this cruel play, this charade that refused to let her know peace. Yet when she was much younger, she would watch the stars from the comfort of her chamber. Maysa waited each night to bask in their light. Back then, her father would sit beside her and tell her stories about the stars.

"Do you see that? The one that looks like an archer?" Maysa could hear her father's voice, a warm embrace in the lonely night that never failed to bring a mirthful twinkle in her eyes. "That is Cassius, foremost amongst the devotees of the Maiden. He laid down his life for his mistress and she immortalized him by making him a constellation destined to spread light forevermore."

That night, the constellation gleamed brighter than ever. But instead of joy, all Maysa felt was a shortness of breath. Her heart being clenched in a tyrant's fist. She longed to hear that voice again, the voice of her father reassuring her that all will be well. Yet he was not here with her. He was gone. And unlike Cassius, no deity had taken the pains to immortalise him in the heavens.

She gripped the sill with every ounce of her strength, the stone cool against her fevered touch. Tears blurred her visions. The stars were no longer orbs of iridescent blue but flames. Flames that danced upon the funeral pyre of her father, that licked at his gentle brow with such gusto that soon enough nought was left but ashes and fragments of bones.

Young Maysa watched it all without batting an eyelid, as if transfixed by the scene. She had not wept, nor did she speak. Her eyes remained fixed on the blazing inferno while Airon and Remus supported her fragile weight from either side. Death had kissed her for the first time, leaving her breathless.

She remembered how Remus wanted to take her away. Yet she had refused with the will still left in her. Maysa would bid her father goodbye, a privilege that was stolen from her with her mother and unborn brother. There corpses had been beyond help; they couldn't be kept till Maysa was strong enough to stand on her own two feet.

"Oh, Baba…"

Maysa fell to her knees in the darkness of her bedchamber. That thought was enough to break her heart repeatedly. She wept till her breath hitched and her chest hurt. Even then, she could hardly prevent the sniffles that escaped. It was too much, this tension that had taken over every aspect of their lives. It made her think of things she would rather forget.

“"Why aren't you here, baba?" She asked the dark. "I need you now. Did you not love me enough to stay a while longer? I need you so much."

She could see him in her mind’s eye — the easy smile that was synonymous with Mellor, the warm amber eyes that held all the kindness in the world. He was inches away from her, so close that she could almost touch him. Feel the phantom warmth of his strong embrace.

The bards spoke of the ache of love lost, yet none prepared her for what it feels like to lose one's parents. Oh, the ways it hurt, as if a limb had been wrenched out of her being. Just because it was inevitable did not mean it hurt any less. Nay, it hurts more.

Grief was like a thing with fangs. It refused to relinquish its grip on her heart. So deep had it sunk its teeth that there remained no way for Maysa to pry it out and be rid of its presence. All she could hope for was that her heart would heal around the thing, its fangs like a bruise that never would be mended.

Thus on her knees she paid obeisance to her grief, her soft cries heard by none save for herself, the darkness,  and the ever present Cassius.

~•~

She remembered not when she had fallen asleep.

But she did. Maysa lay sprawled on the floor, her hair dishevelled while her tunic ridden up to reveal much of her toned thighs. Tear stains marred her cheeks. Her breath was ragged, each breath a reminder of her fear and heartache. Her brows knitted in a frown, for even her dreams refused to show her kindness.

She was on a battlefield. Rain poured from the heavens in relentless torrents. Muffled screams echoed all around her, her nostrils choked with the smell of burning flesh. There was little she could see in that downpour. But there was something in her lap, a weight that bore her down.

Maysa tossed in her sleep. A low groan escaped her lips. Back in the dreamscape, she wiped the tears off her face and looked down to see what was it she carried in her lap. Her heart stilled in that instant, for it was none other than Remus. He lay prone on her lap, his eyes closed and breathing slow. Too slow for her frayed nerves.

"Remus," the dream Maysa shook him. "Wake up, Remus. Open your eyes, please."

His face was pale, a stark contrast to the grey skies behind them. The silver armour of his was dented in many places. Blood trickled down from a corner of his lips. Even in the rain, Maysa could feel the chill that emanated from his body.

"Rem-us," her voice broke as she struggled to stifle a sob. "Look at me. Don't leave me, Remus. I cannot bear to be without you now."

As if roused from the depths of the abyss by the power of her voice, he opened his eyes. "Maysa…" his voice trailed off as he touched her cheek with a trembling hand. There was resignation in his gaze that spoke of a man who had given up on life.

"Yo-u must be strong," he continued, a serene smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "You must be strong for the realm and the people. For us."

His voice was nothing more than a whisper, lost in the storm's howl. Maysa shook her head in futile defiance. Fresh tears streamed down her cheeks. She held his wrist in a bruising grip.

Mustering the last of his strength, he raised his head to kiss her brow as the world around them burned. "See you in the next life, my love." He whispered before falling back on her lap.

The next few moments of the dream passed in agonising slowness. Maysa watched helplessly as the last vestiges of his life slipped out of his body. The rain around them intensified, its roar deafening. A cry built up in her chest, a primal cry against the cruelty of fate.

"NO!"

She jolted awake from the nightmare. Her eyes were wide open in fear. In that instant, she could see nothing but the rain drenched battlefield from her dreams and the pallid form of Remus. So caught up was she in the throes of the vision that she failed to notice her scream had brought Remus himself to her chamber. While he rushed to her side, Airon and a few other guards stood outside.

"Maysa!" Remus exclaimed, as he held her trembling form against his chest. "What happened to you, my sweet?"

"I…I saw…I.." Her words were an incoherent jumble. She held onto him tightly, burying her face against the hard planes of his chest. No, a voice echoed in her mind. I cannot lose you. Not now, never.

Oblivious to her inner turmoil, Remus ran his fingers through her hair. "Shh, it is alright. You need not to speak about it if it causes you discomfort. Rest, my dear, and will be well."

Maysa nodded. She had no energy left in her to struggle. With a forlorn sigh, she nestled against him, her breath slowly returning to normal. But as she held him, she vowed to herself in the night that no matter what, she would stand between Remus and anyone who dared to harm him. They would have to face her before touching him.

Even if that foe was death itself.

~•~