In the courtyard, there was a large group of people. If one was to look carefully, most of them were young squires of fifteen or sixteen years. There were forty of them and everyone had a small ornate box in their hands. The squires were standing in two perfect lines, heads held high, backs straight, faces serious. Only their eyes sparkled with deep emotions and a bit of excitement. This was totally normal, for right now their beloved duke was giving them his final orders.
Noah looked at the silent boys with pride. Dressed in the blue and white colors of Norden, they were the new saplings of the North.
“Remember!” His voice came soft, but every word could be heard clearly. “Today, you are responsible for the most honorable task. You are the sign-bearers for our fallen knights and soldiers. You are the ones who shall inherit their will and spirit. Do not disappoint me.”
“We won’t, your highness!” Forty young throats gave a passionate response.
Noah was pleased. He secretly threw a glance to the far left where Jessup stood. This was the boy’s first task as a squire. Noah felt a bit nervous, like a father sending his son off to battle for the first time. Up to now, Jessup was the prime example of a perfectly dignified young master. There was no grinning, no jokes, no bubbly chats. The boy stood there with a solemn face and eyes facing straight. Just as Noah was about to praise him, Jessup’s jaw dropped comically. By the Gods! Was it so hard to stay serious for half a day?! He opened his mouth to scold him but realized that Jessup wasn’t the only one gaping. It was a universal reaction amongst all the squires. Their eyes were glued at something behind Noah’s back, their faces slowly flushing bright red.
Slightly annoyed, Noah turned around, curious to see what had attracted the boys’ attention. Then he too gaped. There was a fairy coming straight towards them! The sun was making her sparkle and the light wind was playing with her veil and the blue and white ribbons in her braids. The small pearls in her hair glimmered like water droplets, creating the feeling of a water nymph emerging from the depths of the sea. Noah held his breath, his eyes drunk on the magical being before him. The woman came closer and curtsied politely.
“Greetings, duke Norden. May the Two Gods give you their protection.”
The familiar voice woke Noah up. He gently took her hand and bowed his head.
“Greetings, my duchess. May the Morning Star shine brightly over your path.”
His face was straight and his manners were impeccable but Lorelei could hear a slight, almost indistinguishable, tremble in his voice. This made her happy. So, the composed duke Norden could still be surprised. She secretly took a look at her husband. His cleanly shaven face, although still a bit thin, looked refreshed and healthy. As always, he was dressed completely in black. But this wasn’t to say his attire was any less a masterpiece compared to hers. His black shirt had a slight bluish tinge under the sunlight, matching his raven hair. His black doublet had an intricate, night-blue and silver pattern, that made it look like her husband was wearing part of a starry sky. The short cape over his left shoulder was deep black, adorned with the crest of house Norden – white wolf and deer on the sides of a silver shield.
Holy saints, he looked like the prince of a fairytale! She chastised herself internally, trying to suppress her feelings and stop herself from blushing. What was with her cheesy reaction?! This was so embarrassing. Now was not the time to think about fairytales. She couldn’t know that right at this moment her honorable husband and a whole bunch of adolescent boys had pretty similar thoughts about her.
At the duke’s order, the whole group prepared to board the small fleet of boats waiting for them at the pier. Noah was still holding Lorelei’s hand in his, supporting her lightly on the way.
“The duke and the duchess will be the last to board and disembark.” His voice was so low that only Lorelei could hear him. “The dead have the highest honor today.”
She replied with a slight nod and followed him obediently.
The fleet crossed the mirror-like surface of the fjord in perfect order and silence. When they reached the harbor, Noah helped Lorelei out of the boat. Hand in hand they stepped on the wide main street of Yalda. In front of them, the forty squires marched silently in a double-file, carrying the ornate boxes solemnly before their chests. On both sides of the road, the people of Yalda had gathered. Lorelei remembered prince Lionel’s reception in Sefis. This one was different. There was no shouting, no laughter or cheers. Only silence or muffled sobs. Something rustled behind her. She couldn’t turn around but instinctively knew what was going on. The people they had just passed by, without a word, were joining the procession. It was beautiful and heart wrenching at the same time. Lorelei secretly bit her lip, asking herself how much longer she could keep her composure before the tears would start bursting out. No, she had to endure. For the fallen men and for her husband’s honor.
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The road seemed to have no end. More and more people were joining in, but the only audible sound was the rustling of feet. Step by step they came closer to their destination. And step by step the atmosphere grew heavier and more despondent. Finally, they reached a small hill with a stone staircase cut in it. The town’s people stopped and watched as the squires ascended the stairs, followed by the duke and his duchess.
On the top of the hill a small stone circle, surrounded by straight white columns, opened up to the clear spring sky. In its very center, there was a deep crack in the ground from which a dancing emerald flame erupted. Even though the prioress had told her about this, Lorelei still felt awed, facing the real thing. This was the Eternal Flame of Yalda. According to the legends, a thunder-spear of the heavenly army fell here, cutting the ground and igniting the Eternal Flame. This was a holy place where the souls of the deceased heroes of Norden were sent to heaven.
Lorelei and Noah stopped at the top of the hill, standing right before the flame. Even from that distance, she could feel its heat on her face. Noah beckoned the first of the squires. He came and opened his chest. In it, there were nineteen round metal disks with several inscriptions and the emblem of Norden on them. Besides lay a piece of parchment, containing nineteen names. Lorelei’s throat tightened. These were the battle emblems of the soldiers and knights. They were their most prized possession and were always carried around their necks. If they died in battle and their bodies could not be returned home, the emblems acted as a substitute to be brought back. She knew that after the ceremony their families will receive the emblem for a proper burial so their coffins would not be completely empty.
On her right, Noah reached inside and took the parchment. He rolled it out and slowly started reading the names with a loud and clear voice so that even the people gathered below would hear him. After finishing, he threw the parchment into the crackling fire and watched as it burned to ash and flew into the sky. After that, the second squire came. On that day, seven hundred and sixty names were read – first the knights, then the squires, and then the conscripted men. Noah’s voice was slowly turning hoarse, but he did not lower it. When the last pieces of ash ascended towards the darkening skies, Noah and Lorelei turned around, facing the silent crowd.
“For the heroes of Norden.” Noah’s voice rang yet again. “Kneel!”
Thud!
With a loud sound every man, woman, and child present fell on their knees in perfect unison. The sight was so incredible that for a second Lorelei lost her composure. A single tear rolled down her cheek. What followed after that remained in Yalda’s history. To the amazement of everyone gathered that day, her highness, the duchess Norden, bent her knee in front of the duke and the people to honor the fallen.
A minute passed. Then the lord’s thunderous voice echoed again.
“Arise!”
Everyone stood and Noah helped Lorelei up. There was strange light shining in his eyes. But this was not the moment for personal talks.
“Do not grieve for the dead. They died proudly, serving Limeria and protecting their homes. Do not grieve for the ones left behind, for they are alive and have inherited the will of heroes. Honor their memory and keep their names in your hearts. Now go and celebrate the return of the living. And May the Gods and the Morning Star protect you all.”
The ceremony ended and the people dispersed. The squires went down the hill with their boxes followed by the duke and duchess. The boys were then sent back to the town center, where the emblems would stay for the night at the Town Hall before been given to their respective families the next day. A bit to the side of the hill a dark carriage was waiting silently. Noah brought Lorelei there and helped her in. The coachman whistled and the horses jumped forward, chasing the last rays of the sunset.
It was dim inside the carriage, so Lorelei couldn’t see Noah’s face very well. Still, she could distinguish his tightly clenched jaw. Was he angry? She had seen him like that only twice – when he broke her brother’s arm and when he threw the traitorous physician overboard. And there was only one possible reason for his anger now. She gathered some courage and asked.
“Was me kneeling down wrong, my lord?”
There was no answer.
“I beg you for forgiveness, my lord.” She slightly choked, ashamed of her impulsiveness earlier. “I have shamed you indeed.”
“Silly girl! There is nothing to forgive,” he finally answered, his voice devoid of its usual calmness. “You knelt for the honor of my fallen people and shed tears for them. I am very proud and grateful for what you did today, lady Lorelei.”
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Noah Lux Norden:
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