The War of the Goddesses

It had been a year since Ziarre and Ash came upon Terra. Since his release of all charges put against him and Terra’s Lord Eoin’s acceptance of him being Ziarre’s personal guard, Ash had been helping with the plans for the coming assaults. Late at night when the council was done and over with for that day, he would go to Ziarre’s room and update her on the plans, if she was still awake.

Most of the council members believed involving her in the discussions would be a mistake, Ash knew better than this and thus kept her involved in one way or another. One night when they were discussing the next place they had to go, Ash had spent four hours arguing that Ziarre needed to be there for that meeting. After a long, drawn out, heated discussion, they finally agreed to it and she was sent for as well as Lord Eoin.

To the astonishment of the council members, Ziarre had followed along with their discussion quite easily and even gave some good advice on certain subjects. After two hours, she had finally had enough of their evasion of the name of the place she had to go. Standing up, she slammed her hands down onto the table, catching everyone’s eye and attention.

“I’ve had enough of you beating-around-the-bush, and I want answers. Where do we have to go?” Ziarre asked as she turned to the lord of Terra. Sighing deeply, he gestured for her to sit back down. When she had, he cleared his throat. “You have to go to the Floating Isles. To King Lazaro’s hall, he has made a request to meet you. We will need his aid in the coming battles, so I say you do it.”

Ash’s head shot up in surprise to the lord’s response. He had never believed he would be going back there. And after all these years of being here in the Lands of the Humans, he really didn’t want to go back. He no longer wanted to know the answers to whether he would be welcomed back there or back in his family. But it wasn’t his choice it was Ziarre’s. Whatever she chose, he would have to go along with it.

Not losing her composure, Ziarre lifted her head higher. “I will need time to consider this. Until I have fully considered all aspects, I want no more meetings to be dealt without me being present. Is that understood?” Murmurs began quietly as she stared at everyone seated and wondered if she would be obeyed. Within seconds though, Lord Eoin stood and once again cleared his throat.

“She is our Queen and as such her commands will be obeyed. There will be no more meetings without her. If there are, I will personally deal with the person or persons involved!” A hush fell over the room, as Ziarre stood. “This meeting is concluded. In two days time I will have my answer. Ash, you will join me.” Without waiting for him to acknowledge her, Ziarre left the council room.

When Ash left the palace, he found Ziarre sitting on a rock staring out at the surrounding valleys. Her arms were wrapped around her in a tight embrace and she was rocking back and forth slightly. He sighed deeply as he walked over to where she sat. Although she had handled herself quite well in the meeting, he knew she felt awful for the way she acted. In the beginning, she was raised to be a puppet. When she lost her memory, she was raised to be a rancher. Now she had to learn to be the one thing she never wanted to be, the ruler of an entire people.

“Are you ok, Ziarre?” He asked softly when he reached her. She shook her head no and nothing more. He walked to the front of her, then knelt before her. “I’m sorry, Ziarre. I know this has to be hard on you, but it must be done. Whether you want it to be or not, you are the Queen of Terra and must learn to deal with such hardships. In time it should come easier for you to do thusly. What is your decision on the Floating Isles? Do not tell me you don’t know, for I know better than that. I know you’ve already decided.”

Ziarre stopped rocking and turned to face Ash. He was right, she had already decided, but she would not force him to go back there if he did not want to. “I want your honest opinion, Ash. Before I answer your question, I would like for you to answer mine. Do you want to go back there?” Ash sighed again as he stretched out his wings, then grimaced in pain. His left wing had yet to fully heal and still bothered him from time to time.

“Honestly, Ziarre.” He started as he sat down on the soft grass. “I no longer care if I ever return there or not. I no longer care if I will be welcomed back there again or not. That life is not my life any longer. I am your knight now, your protector. Whatever you decide, I will follow you and keep you from harm. This I promise.”

Turning back to the valley, Ziarre nodded slightly. She expected no other answer from her friend. She would never find a better companion or protector than him. Closing her eyes, she whispered: “I’m sorry, Ash. Truly I am, but I feel it would be in our best interests if Terra joined in an alliance with the Floating Isles. I believe we will need King Lazaro’s aid in the battles to come.”

She opened her eyes as she heard Ash standing back up. Looking over at him, she realized he knew her answer before she said it. He was wearing a slight smile as he bowed his head to her in acceptance of her answer. “It shall be so, my friend.” He said before turning and heading back to the palace.