Good Monday morning
The Daighacaer is a complex interweaving of many cultures, timescales and life experiences.
Chapter 8 introduces the first of various, necessary, 'flashbacks' in order to provide for the completeness of the tale.
It also brings to the fore an horrific invasion by The Darke into Raeldysce. The invasion was planned way in the depths of history of Raeldysce, which from inception lived in The Lighte. It was not an overt invasion back then but it was definitely well planned. The Darke infiltrated the very structure of the formation of Raeldysce with specific goals in mind.
The ferocity of the attack in Chapter 8 leaves the population of Raeldysce shocked and vulnerable. The attack was directly against the royalty, those who led the populace in their love for The Lighte and its advocates, The Lady Dawne and The Lord Dayl.
Here are a couple of segments from the chapter. The first is the moment when Eryen grew from a happy young man into a furious ruler; the second details the arrival of Jeala, the Intuerum Param for Raeldysce.
*
"Eryen had been working with the treasurer when he was called that day.
He excitedly rushed to the nursery to await the birth of their child.
Eroyalen, his father, who had been working with him in the treasury, joined him.
Anoral, his mother, was out in the far reaches of the realm assisting a farmer’s wife with a problem that she was having with her livestock, but a messenger was sent out for her as well.
Father and son sat hour after hour and waited and, each time he heard Allara’s cries, time and time again, Eryen felt an urgent need to go to her and had jumped up.
Each time his father had put his hand on his arm and had motioned for him to wait. “Birthing is women’s work, my son. They won’t thank you to interfere with their labour.”
After a particularly long agonised cry, Eryen could stand it no longer. He knew that he had to be with Allara. He once again sprang to his feet, pushed the door open and ran into the room.
What he saw shocked him to the core.
Allara’s long hair lay around her in lanky disarray. Her body was a solid sheen of perspiration. Her face was tinged with a greyish hue. Her eyes were already rolled back in her head and her poor tired body looked as limp as a rag doll. It was clear that she did not have any more energy or even life to give and, after far too many hours in labour, their child had still not been born.
“What are you doing?” he shouted.
“What have you been doing?” he shouted again as he stormed over to his wife’s side.
“You’re killing her! You’re killing my wife!”
He grabbed the nearest midwife and threw her away from Allara.
“You’re killing my wife!” he yelled again as he threw the second one against the nearest wall.
He heard but did not care about the loud crack as the midwife’s skull connected with the wall.
“You are killing my baby too! Get out!” Eryen’s rage was palpable as he once more stormed towards them."
*
The King ordered one of the other midwives to immediately fetch honey tea brewed with an infusion of the finest strength-giving herbs in the Kingdom.While they were waiting for Jeala, Allora and Ryador to arrive, Eryen gently cradled Allara’s head and wiped away the perspiration with cool cloths while Eroyalen helped her to sip the life-giving drink.
Each contraction Allara experienced seemed to sap the very life further out of her. With each contraction and each exhausted whimper, Eryen cradled Allara more closely and he tried to pass some of his strength on to her, although he felt as if he were dying inside.
This was all wrong.
How could those women have done this?
He would get to the bottom of it somehow and when he did someone would answer for the pain and suffering that Allara was experiencing.
Jeala, Allora and Ryador arrived within minutes and Jeala took control immediately.
She took the tea away from Eryen and Eroyalen and poured all of it out of the window.
“Tea was a good idea but that tea is not going to be of any use at all,” she said. “Much more than tea is needed right now.”
Jeala was concerned. Very concerned. Why did she not instinctively know in time that Allara was in labour? That had only ever happened to her once previously in all her many years as an intuerum and her heart was broken because of it. What or who blocked her from knowing this time? She did not have time to work it out but she would. “As soon as Allara and her baby are safe,” she thought but then shuddered as a dull ache started at the back of her head and coursed through her body. She knew but she was not prepared to accept what she knew.
Allora turned to the midwives. “Everyone out now! That means each and every one of you!”
Her pointed finger had the midwives cringing.
“Everyone, except the Heir Prince and the King!”
“But that’s not possible. He’s her husband. Husbands aren’t allowed in the birthing room,” complained Erilyse, one of the junior midwives.
Eroyalen turned, his face purple, and stormed over to Erilyse in a rage and spoke in the quietest of all voices. Icy tones which brooked no argument. Fury and fear mingled in a dangerous combination.
“Yes, Madam Midwife, Eryen is Allara’s Husband. He is also Heir Prince of Raeldysce. Be so kind as to remember that. Be so kind as to also remember that it is you, Madam, who has been party to almost taking the life of his wife and that of his heir. Let us hope, for your sake, that it does not turn out to be more than ‘almost’.”
The other two midwives recognised the icy fury of the King which they had only witnessed once before in all their years. Hastily and unceremoniously they grabbed Erilyse by both arms and dragged the woman out of the room.
Through it all Erilyse struggled against the hands that held her. She was still trying to argue.
The look of absolute fury on her face was not missed by Jeala.
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