Queen Lenara Edhelbor: A Short Story

Improved Essays
The guards' armor could be heard making its way down the halls even from where she sat, rhythmic and purposeful. All this posturing was tiresome. Such a big show to be made, yet by day's end, it meant nothing. Truly, they could not afford to waste such effort. However, appearances must be kept, and Queen Lenara Edhelbor knew the consequences for failure; they were too dire to risk.

Nearly two years since Meike had been in the homeland state, two years since her and Sir Cedric Balthair Leandro had left on a mission. Sir Leandro had been her father's right hand man and trusted confidante, now dead. Two years... Somehow, it felt like so much longer. Time slowed to a crawl as she watched her father die and took over his position as leader, the weight of her new title being dropped on her shoulders like a bucket of icy water dumped over her head. No amount of grooming had prepared her for this. Pushing some locks of blonde fringe from her face, she straightened her posture on her throne, making certain the guards hadn't seen her momentary slouching. Quick fingers ran through her long hair, adjusting the way it curtained down her shoulders. She knew they musn't see the signs of her fatigue. Morale was the most important thing for her army to have, as a soldier's purpose was the fiercest whetstone, and the men of all ranks tended to gossip like spinsters once the mead began to flow. Tales of the lazy, slouchy queen would spread like a plague. Perish the thought. Another two years surely passed before the clanking of armor brought the prisoner before her. A scruffy girl, a bit older than she remembered (why this came as a surprise was beyond her fathom), was plonked at the foot of the royal chair quite unceremoniously, blades threatening her life in proximity of the queen. One above and one below, a deadly collar to match her iron shackles, painting quite the picture of helplessness before her. With one assuring gesture of her hand, she had the guards stand down, an order they followed immediately - albeit with clear distaste. "Meike Dietrich," Pale blue eyes looked fiercely at the other woman. The toll, physical and mental, that gaining such a high rank had taken on Lenara would be plenty visible to her old friend, and a part of her hated that fact. A firmly set jaw and the hardened remnants of a happy-go-lucky gaze, dark circles and withered complexion giving away her sleep deprivation. In these uncertain times, becoming queen had also meant becoming the general of a war; difficult decisions weighed on her mind, people looked to her for guidance and leadership, the lives of countless subjects rested in her hands, and all this following so closely after the loss of so many beloved family members. Twenty-four looked more like late thirties. "For the crimes you committed, you were sentenced to execution," She began, the woman's voice staggeringly deadpan.
…show more content…
"But I believe you've more information to share before we're truly done with you," The frowns on her guards' faces upset her. They must consider it foolish, what with the lengthy interrogation the prisoner had already gone through and to no avail. Worse yet, they could believe her to be favoring Meike simply due to their long-standing relationship, hesitating to execute an old friend and postponing it based on emotion. "You should be grateful for my mercy. Any other leader would slit your throat themselves simply for the trouble my men have gone through searching for you."

Mercy. An unwilling gift. The knight's betrayal cut deeper than it should have; someone she'd known for so long, a dear friend, a childhood hero. Honestly, regardless of their difference in status, she looked up to the rough and tumble tomboy swearing to protect her, and in her foolish daydreams she truly believed those words. Never did she imagine a future where Meike hadn't taken Sir Leandro's place to serve at her side. But Meike had come willingly, and there was more to be told about the goings on, information obviously available. There was a foolish and naïve part of Lenara that

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    With an incoming invasion of her country by Spain in 1588, Queen Elizabeth stood in the city of Tilbury and gave a final motivational speech to her troops before battle. Queen Elizabeth used this speech as a means of sparking hope and courage in her troops, motivating them to fight. At the same time she crushes any doubts to her ability to rule and reminds her troops of their duties to the country. Queen Elizabeth appealed to the emotions of her to troops,inspiring them through religious allusions and impassioned tone. Through the use of possessive pronouns, vivid imagery, first person point of view she is able to legitimize her leadership to her doubters, troops and other nations.…

    • 192 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “A Long Way Gone” is an autobiography written by Ishmael Beah that composed of memoirs on his own life as a young boy who experienced the mental and physical battle of reluctantly becoming a soldier. Before a civil war broke out in Sierra Leone in 1991, Ishmael had a normal life with his family in his hometown of Mogbwemo. When the war led by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) transpired, Ishmael and his older brother, Junior, along with their friends, were traveling to Mattru Jong to participate in a talent show. When the abominable news reached them, they traveled back to Mogbwemo just to witness the destruction and death. From this point onward, Ishmael and the other boys wandered from village to village, trying to avoid contact with the rebels.…

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    She sat on a throne made of human bones that gleamed in the light. She waved her hand and the crowd began to murmur. The tension was high as no one wanted the Queen’s personal attention. Everyone except…

    • 1577 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Lenqueeshiaah was coming back from a cheer tournament with a shiny 1st place trophy in her hand. She lived in California and loved surfing and doing cheer. Lenqueeshiaah always won first place and was good at just about everything. When they pulled up into her driveway she saw her neighbor, Cornelia, get out of her car.…

    • 1310 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “A long and arduous journey indeed!” Miss Vitrella Vanderholm agreed dramatically, “it is likely to be the death of a poor, old woman such as me, but for this respite of your tent.” She was always pleased when preachers orated upon the pitfalls of sinners and how miscreants would burn in the holy fires of hell. Holding her chin up, she was proud that she led a seemingly and forthwith life. God had blessed her indeed!…

    • 676 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Treason's lungs burned, as if every breath sucked in fire. It had been a simple task-- a diplomatic mission to Frigid Plague. She had left a week ago, intent on strengthening their ties with the recent uprise of so many new packs in the valley. With the moon full and ripe in the night sky, she had more than enough light to guide her on her trek through the valley, and yet this sense of security had been a lie. It had been six minutes since she first caught the first, overpowering stench of bear.…

    • 997 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    She asserts garments are her obsession. None of them are genuine, none of it is costly, new, or endowments from admirers. She supposes this of them yet they are outfit pieces she has had her entire life. The hide is shoddy, the gems rhinestone, and the compositions are a dream. Her fake garments make her vibe beautiful and also the little changes she makes to her surroundings to make them look lovely.…

    • 1806 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Knight’s arrogance and her condescending personality A keen observation shows that, Knight, while keeping notes in her diary, thinks quite a lot about her readers back at home. Therefore, in a way that makes her a public pleaser. Her condescending manners turn into sarcastic comments in the travel journal. Moreover, she is aware that her scoffer attitude will amuse her relatives and her neighbors. Also, Knight uses her mockery as a strategy to protect herself from the "unknown".…

    • 262 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Erumula Research Paper

    • 668 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Once there lived a princess in a magical land called Ashland. This princess was named Erumula and lived in an enormous castle with white walls and several towers that had gold roofing. The castle had several guards patrolling the castle. Each guard had a silver helm made of iron, an iron chest plate with a red dragon crest in the center, and a pair iron gauntlets and boots. The people living in the castle could always hear the clanking of their armor as they slowly patrolled the halls.…

    • 668 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The writings of Marie de France go against the gender roles of women from the majority of works written during the same time period. Her story Lanval shows this quite clearly. Lanval is a young knight who has been forgotten by his peers. He feels “depressed and worried” because he is “without friends” and “doesn’t know where to look for help” (297). He goes out for a ride and is approached by 2 lovely girls who bring him to their “lady” (298).…

    • 1357 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    His luck has run out as he faces the king’s court, unable to save himself and “he would never receive help from her” (130,466). But look who rides in to save the day, the real knight-in-shining amour his fair lady on a palfreys (131,473). She isn’t the only female stereotype that had influence over the court though, the two ladies before her are also divine and the men praised and where pleased with “their bodies, their faces, their coloring, each more impressive” (132, 530-531). These features are common when describing a female image simply to a man’s pleasures but Marie De France didn’t describe them this way for men. The maidens use there feminine looks, bodies and their sexy silky clothes to get the attention of the court and distract them from proceeding with Lanval’s persecution.…

    • 1465 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Lyria Alternate Ending

    • 638 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Lyria awoke with a start, staring into the darkness of her room as she tried to make sense of what she felt. The were coming, and they would not hesitate to kill should they not find what they seek. There was desperation there, bordering panic, and a hard determination. Beneath it all was a deep, unconditional love that seemed a little incongruous to her. However, Lyria did not wish harm to come to anyone because of her, so she rose, and began to dress.…

    • 638 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Women are portrayed in Tartuffe and 1001 Arabian Nights in very contrasting ways. One work portrays women as equals to men and perhaps more intelligent than men and the other work portrays women is unfaithful and as slaves for the husband to do whatever they want to get the wives to submit to do what the husband wants them to do. Each work has quite a few different women that are portrayed, but the portrayal of each is almost always very similar to one another. In 1001 Arabians Nights the overall portrayal of women is extremely negative.…

    • 827 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Geoffrey Chaucer and Marie de France have strikingly similar themes within the Breton Lai’s they have produced within their works. A Breton Lai is a narrative form of English and French Medieval literature that usually consist of tales of Courtly love, Chivalry, and often using supernatural elements within the story as well. Both Chaucer’s work of The Wife of Bath’s tale and Breton Lais produced by Marie de France such as Bisclavret and Lanval incorporate all of these elements and they will be examined and compared in this response. The Earliest Breton Lai’s were written by Marie de France and although we have no way of knowing whether or not Chaucer read Marie de France’s works, we can clearly see a connection between the two authors as shown in The Wife Of Bath’s Tale.…

    • 575 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Lancelot: A Short Story

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The feast was a big day for all the knights in Camelot. Some men raised their glasses and drained them, others ate heartily, and all laughed and spoke merrily. The night was so filled with fun and festivity that none of the men noticed when Guinevere excused herself and Sir Lancelot followed, trailing close behind. A single tear traced a path down Guinevere's flawless face.…

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Great Essays

Related Topics