January Tale 2024: Oasis
Prompt: Escort the expecting queen to the sacred oasis
Main Characters:
Jerike: Queen Regent, Naatani
Kenai: Captain of the Royal Guard, Mantoka
The Oasis.
It is where Sisomi, the mother of all the Naatani, gave birth to her firstborn, Nagii. From Nagii’s line, came the Nagiisan - the rulers of the Naatani lineage. Since the beginning of the Nagiisan, the firstborn of every generation in the royal family - whether heir to the throne or not - has been brought into the world within the Oasis’ waves.
The water’s temperature was just right as it was poured onto Jerike from above. Her handmaiden, Elyse, cleansed her skin and combed through her thick, coarse, hair with the finest soaps made of rose petals and hyssop. The harp player strung her favorite tune near the edge of the pool as her bath commenced. Jerike closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the scent of amber and lemon coming from the incense nearby filled her nose.
Afterward, Jerike was dressed in the finest clothes made of cotton and silk while her hair was styled in a crown of braids embellished with gold and platinum rings.
“You know I prefer a simpler, less extravagant look when I’m traveling,” Jerike said.
“I know, My Queen,” Elyse replied. “But this isn’t just any journey. The trek to the Oasis is sacred, and these adornings are tradition.”
“And I’ve always been one to abide by tradition,” Jerike rested her hand on her pregnant belly. “This child is proof of that.”
She laughed as Elyse shook her head. They both knew Jerike was not one for tradition. In fact, she was infamous for breaking it by marrying outside of the Naatani Lineage.
When she came of age, her parents had said she could marry any man she desired within the entire region, but they never expected her to choose the son of the foreigner they hired as the royal physician.
It never would have been allowed had she been heir to the throne, but even without that being the case her parents were still hesitant. For they knew their eldest son’s affinity for visiting the other royals and exploring their lands for months on end would leave her in charge while he was away, just as it did now. But the foreigner was a good man, and in the end, they wanted their only daughter to be happy, and happy she was.
Once the preparations were complete, Jerike made her way to the throne room.
Two guards were standing at the doorway. In their hands, they held onyx staffs at their sides. At the sight of her, they bowed, before simultaneously pushing the doors open.
The throne room was large. Tapestries embroidered with Naatani history hung down from the ceiling. The walls were inlaid with diamonds, the floor with gold, and the windows were an impenetrable crystal that reflected the sun beautifully all throughout the room.
At the center, in the middle of the stairs leading up to the throne with an opal staff in hand stood the captain of the royal guard: Kenai
Kenai bowed as Jerike approached. “My Queen,”
“Come now,” Jerike said. “You know I am not really queen.”
“Queen Regent is still queen until the king returns from his travels.”
“My brother loves galavanting all across the lands, who knows when he’ll return.”
“And that is exactly why you are here in his stead, My Queen.”
Jerike sighed and shook her head. She made her way up the stairs, keeping eye contact with him the entire time. “We’re alone, Kenai, you can drop the formalities.”
“I would rather not.”
“And why is that?” she asked, passing him.
“Because that is what you are.”
Jerike stopped two steps higher and turned to face him. “To others, yes, but to you? Is that all?”
Kenai took a breath. “You know it’s not.”
Jerike leaned forward, slowly wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she did. “Then call me what I truly am.”
He stared up at her, searching her face. Her beautifully large, round eyes shone gold in the sunlight that came into the room.
“My love,” he whispered.
He rested his free hand on her side as Jerike leaned forward even more and closed the gap between them.
When he came to the palace at the age of nine with his parents, Kenai thought he would always feel alone in this foreign land. But the princess quickly made sure that wouldn’t be the case. It was she who first showed him the beauty of the Naatani and their culture, and it was she who consoled him in the early days when he still longed for home. Throughout the years, the princess would share her favorite snacks and stories with him whenever she could, and would eagerly sit and watch him dance when they were alone, even though she had far better things to do.
Later on, it was she who convinced him to become a royal guard, a decision that changed the course of his life for the better.
Jerike was his first friend and his first love, but never in his wildest dreams did he ever expect her to love him in return. He thanked the Father above every day that she did.
When they pulled away, Kenai cupped her face in his hands. “Did you rest well last night?”
Jerike smiled. “I hardly got a wink of sleep. Our child danced in my womb until the early hours of the morning.”
“Danced?”
“Flips and tricks just as I’ve seen you do countless times over the years.”
She took his hand and moved it over to rest on her bump. Beneath his touch, Jerike felt was seemed to be a tiny hand press against her from within. She looked up at Kenai and from the look on his face, she could tell he felt it too.
He knelt down on the stairs and leaned his face in close to where he knew his child resided. He spoke softly in his native tongue, a language Jerike had learned from him long ago. Her heart swelled at the words she heard him say.
“Hear my voice and know my heart. I love you, my little one.”
Jerike’s eyes widened as she felt the child tumble and twirl at the sound of Kenai’s voice.
Kenai laughed as he kissed her stomach before gazing up at her with a look of unashamed excitement and joy. In that moment he was not the stoic guard everyone else always saw, he was her husband, the father of her child. It was a side of him only she got to see, a side she cherished greatly.
She cupped his face in her hands, and once he stood to his full height, it was his turn to close the gap between them.
The sound of the door to the main entrance reached their ears. The two of them broke apart and turned toward the entrance to find head advisor Neo standing with his hands behind his back. He bowed his head in respect to them both.
“The escort is ready,” Neo said.
Jerike sat atop the back of Atlas - the royal ursine mount - as she and the rest of her escort traversed the desert lands.
“Are you comfortable, My Queen?” Elyse asked as she walked beside her.
“I am,” Jerike said. “I could rest up here all day.”
She leaned forward and nuzzled her face against Atlas’ fur. Her grizzly companion cooed and clicked its tongue, the sounds brought joy to her and the child in her womb.
As the child kicked and moved about, Jerike ran her hands over her heavily swollen stomach.
Generations of Nagiisan lives have begun in the Oasis, but the one she carried now would be the first of mixed descent.
She looked forward and saw Kenai walking a few paces ahead of Atlas, leading the row of guards that surrounded the envoy of servants, physicians, cooks, and midwives. His long dark hair was braided down his back.
“Captain,” She called out to him.
Without losing stride, the two guards behind him stepped to the sides as they continued forward at pace while Kenai slowed to walk beside Atlas, next to Jerike. “Yes, My Queen?”
When she didn’t respond, he turned to gaze upon her, his irises shining a blazing orange in the light of the day. Jerike’s heart swelled.
“I just wanted to see your eyes.”
She prayed their child’s eyes would shine more like his.
The faintest of smiles tugged at his lips, a smile she returned with one of her own.
His eyes flickered to something past her, and his expression dropped.
She followed his gaze to find the silver tip of an arrow heading straight toward her.
Kenai grabbed Jerike’s arm and pulled her down. The arrow whizzed past, millimeters from her face, and lodged into the land below.
“Ambush!” another guard yelled.
Jerike fell off the side of Atlas and into Kenai’s arms.
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Screams erupted from the servants and midwives. Shouts came from the guards as they all lined up to protect the queen. Atlas let out a bellowing roar that seemed to shake the earth before running off in the direction the arrow came from.
All the while, Kenai stared down at her. His eyes filled with panic and terror as he cradled her in his arms.
“I’m fine,” Jerike said to him.
Wordlessly, he moved a hand to her stomach. At his touch, there was movement, then a little hand pressing up against his from within.
Jerike placed one hand on top of his and reached the other hand out to touch his face.
“We’re both okay.” She whispered.
Silent tears threatened to fall, but Kenai blinked them away before giving her a nod.
Elyse ran toward them.
“Tend to her,” Kenai said to Elyse as he handed Jerike over. He stood to his feet and pointed to half of the guards. “Protect the queen!”
He gestured toward the others. “Follow Atlas, do not let the assassins get away!”
“Yes, Captain!” The guards all said in unison.
As they all moved to do their designated roles, Kenai looked back at Jerike for a moment, before joining those in pursuit.
Night had fallen. The envoy had no choice but to set up camp as they waited for the others to return. Jerike paced back and forth in her tent.
“My Queen,” Elyse said. “please rest.”
“Why aren’t they back yet?” Jerike asked.
“They will return any minute.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I have faith that they will.”
Jerike stopped her pacing, took a deep breath, and buried her face in her hands. Faith was a mighty asset in this moment. And though it was something she had, she would be lying if she didn’t admit that anxiety had a hold on her heart as well.
Usually, in moments like this she would find Kenai, have him recite a prayer from the Holy Scrolls, and help her remember who it was that was in control, but Kenai wasn’t there right now. He was out there with the others, in the darkness, tracking an enemy they knew nothing about.
Jerike began to pace again.
“My Queen-!”
“Why didn’t they keep shooting?” Jerike asked. “Why did they stop at only one arrow?”
Elyse lowered her head. “I do not know.”
Nothing made sense.
Jerike’s pacing only stalled as she felt a little hand press against the inside of her stomach again. She took a shaky breath. “He’s not here right now,” she whispered to her child. “But he’ll come back soon.”
She rubbed circles along her belly. “Have faith, little one…enough for the both of us.”
Kenai and the others returned when the moon was at its peak.
When he walked into the queen’s tent, Jerike barreled into him, her hands tightly grasping his tunic. Kenai cupped the back of her head and pressed a kiss to her temple.
“What happened?” she asked.
“We caught him, and three guards are escorting him back to the capitol to be imprisoned and await trial.”
Jerike pulled back and met his eye. “Did you interrogate him beforehand?”
Kenai nodded.
“What did he say?”
Kenai thought back to the interrogation.
“No Taintless were meant to be harmed,” the assassin had said. “That was the condition.”
Taintless. A common term for an Adonite whose roots could only be traced to one Lineage, and thus only one color could be found within the shine of their eyes. Kenai hated that term, hated the mindset that came with it. That those of mixed heritage were lesser, beneath, tainted.
Kenai clenched his fist.
Jerike took his hand in both of hers. Her thumb rubbed circles around his knuckles.
“Kenai, what did he say?”
“He was hired by a Purger,” Kenai finally said.
Jerike’s eyes grew wide. Purgers were an illegal cult made up of Taintless who held the belief that those of mixed heritage were an abomination that needed to be eradicated in order to ‘cleanse the world of its taint.’
“The real target wasn’t me…” Jerike whispered. “It was…”
“Our child.” Kenai finished.
Jerike’s heart began to race as her shaky hands clutched her stomach protectively.
“I thought Purgers refused to harm fellow Taintless.” She said, her voice wavering. “Yet they still attacked knowing I would have to be.”
Kenai’s jaw clenched as his entire body shook with anger.
“According to their beliefs,” Kenai said. “Any that have carried the seed of another’s lineage within them is worse than the ‘tainted’ themselves.”
Jerike’s heart felt as if it stopped. She stared off at nothing as she shook her head. “Not our baby.” She breathed out barely above a whisper. “I don’t care what happens to me…” She looked up at Kenai, her vision blurring from the tears. “But I can’t let them hurt our baby.”
Jerike hadn’t realized her legs gave out until she was already in Kenai’s arms.
“Do not fear,” Kenai recited. “For I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God.”
Jerike closed her eyes and listened to Kenai as he spoke the words of the Father that were written in the Scroll of the Prophets, letting them wash over her and combat the fear that now consumed her soul.
“I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.”
They arrived at the Oasis in the evening of the following day.
Jerike was now dressed in a light ceremonial gown, her face bare, and her curls loosely pulled back with silk ribbon.
Her hands glided across her stomach as she sat alone in the master bedroom, awaiting the midwives to come fetch her.
Normally, the party would rest at the royal lodgings for two days before the birth preparations began, but due to the events of the journey, Jerike demanded to take the tonic that would induce her labor as soon as possible.
The door opened and Jerike looked up to find Kenai coming into the room.
She stood to her feet as he approached and pulled her into his arms.
Jerike held him close, her eyes shut tight as she let the sound of his heartbeat calm her own.
“What comes next won’t be easy,” Kenai said. “Once this child is born, no matter your status, there will be those who will wish for our family’s downfall.”
“That has already been the case since the day I married you,” Jerike said.
A beat of silence filled the space between them.
“Do you regret it?” Kenai asked. “Marrying me?”
Jerike pulled away and cupped his face in her hand. “Not even for a moment. I chose you then, and I choose you now.” She placed his hands on her stomach and looked him in the eye. “Together, through this child, and any more to come, we will show the world that the Lord knew exactly what He was doing when He chose us to be one.”
She reached up and kissed him slowly, fervently, as if to prove to him her words were true.
“I love you,” She said in his language.
“My heart is yours,” He said in hers.
Kenai cupped the back of her neck and kissed her again.
The midwife came to take Jerike to the Oasis, and Kenai joined the rest of the guards as they kept watch outside, ensuring the safety of the queen as she brought a new life into this world.