Friday, July 19th ( 19, Mizami, Dies Lea, L.S.L 10041 )
Laughter and excitement filled the dining hall as The Academy and its guests prepared for the arrival of the Emperor. The younger members were ready for an exciting weekend of festivities. In a little under 12 hours, a ball welcoming the Emperor back to the Academy under the new heir’s leadership would be held to denote approval and support of the path the succession would take. This followed by Her Imperial Majesty, the Goddess Incarnate’s Rising, back in Lestania. Valon, Justin, Donte, and Alex sat upon the medial dias, masking their intense discussion across their linked awareness.
“Alexandra, it is your job to oversee the fine points of the reversal of the Adiamorphic Regime at The Academy. You will have to get used to speaking your mind to Maximillian whether you want to or not.” Donte pushed through their mind link in their tethers, his sense of urgency creeping through to reinforce the reprimand.
“That’s easy for you to say. You are used to him. You worked with him. Even now, when his anger over Miza ''s actions is palpable, you can still break through to him. You were his Commandant until he released you to raise his child. He sees you like family. You have the most influence of any of us. I wasn’t even in the Military Guard. I was a temple advisor. I was only a Seer for one year. I was an assistant before that. He hates the temple.” Alex’s panic was apparent, sending tingles of discomfort through their awareness.
“Alex, this was never supposed to be a war college or an ostentatious Cours des Miracles. You grew up as a child of the Temple. When you finished your courses at Lyceum Hall, you worked as a duty assistant, a temple escort, and a temple guide, and then after ten years, you moved on to being a Historian. Remember that is how you first met Our Lady when she came to make inquiries about Her Imperial Majesty. Your first duty as a Seer was this past Spring Festival. You performed the service in which Leana awakened in Miza. Who better to retransition us than someone who has a direct connection to the initial intent of this place.” Valon insisted, attempting to soothe his Nestmate.
“Valon, you know better than to assume that,” Alex stressed. Peering back at xyr brother.
“I know better than to assume the competency of a chevalier under my charge?” His eyes flashed dangerously with this line of questioning. “You know who you are. We have a duty to Miza, our kingdom, and our goddess. We know exactly why we were called to be a part of this faction and den. But, Alex, we can''t tell each other what to do. Donte, Justin, and I, as leadership in this faction, can’t tell you what to do. This is the same thing we tell Akierda. This has to be your choice. Doubly so because you are not a warrior by nature. You were called to Mizarmonie just before that rite. You drank the blood and made it to the other side.” Valon encouraged xyr.
“We speak treason, brother,” Alex begged to be relieved of this duty. Valon could feel the fear, pain, and uncertainty churning within Alexandra.
“Consider this,” Donte said firmly, “ We are Leana’s children. Is it treason to return to our mother after a wayward father took us away from her? Is it criminal to take something stolen and return it to its rightful owner? I am loyal to the Imperial Family, but we can not forget who truly heads that family. Do not forget what Alivar did for power and the cost.” He attempted to reason.
“You, out of all of us, have the most credence to take the Academy back to a place of Light and Learning. You can do this.” Valon asserted before he was distracted.
The connection was severed when Donte noticed Jaime entering the dining hall and purposely walking to the dias. She bowed to them.
“Good evening, Sirs. Sir Alexandra, the Goddess, requests your presence in the residence. Highness, Your Lady sent this message.” She said, handing Valon a folded paper and walking away.
“Did she hear our conversation?” Alex whispered hurriedly.
“I doubt she listened to the conversation, but it is hard to ignore when the connection links our intense emotions. Go, Alex. She probably is just giving you some reassurance.”
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Alex entered the private residence with anxiety mounting. As xe made xyr way to the private lounge where Miza had been meeting with her attendant and dressmakers, a barrage of questions went through xyr mind. Xe never expected any of this when xe received the chevaliers'' call.
When learning the history of Lestania, Alexandra had never seen such turbulence in recorded history. Yes, man''s greed had sometimes tainted Lestania, but this was so encompassing. The question burned in Alexandra’s mind.
“ Is this what life within the imperial family has always been like? The constant struggle between itself, as well as with the Imperial House Council and the Clergy? Did Alivar do as he did because it was the most straightforward path? Historians recorded the facts. They have passed down and written our people''s oral histories and recorded past events. Is there really such a skewed interpretation of what the ruling class does? Then how much has been lost? Is this really a calling I can take?”
“Of course it is.” Alex heard as xe opened the door. “You wouldn’t have accepted the calling if you couldn’t handle it, and you accepted that calling when you requested to pledge your life to mine in the middle of the Spring Festival.” Miza sat smiling before them, clad in a satin robe, holding a glass of nectar. Alexandra strode to kneel in front of Miza, taking the hand she held out and kissing the ring she wore. Xe rested xyr head on Miza’s hand.
“ To answer your questions, yes, to all of them. This is what life has evolved into for the House of Lea. It was simple once upon a time. But 450 years ago, a type of greed that our people had not experienced yet was introduced when humans crossed into this realm for the second time in our history.” Miza placed her glass down and lifted Alex’s chin to look xyr in the eyes. “Yes, my grandfather chose an easier path with less accountability because he could. Yes, our Historians record and study facts and events, but things are easily misplaced, or precious memories are, shall we say, stored to protect them. Venuemaos was allowed to enter Lestania, and without the influence of Leana it has spread and tainted the human side of many.”
Miza folded her hands into her lap. Alexandra watched her as she stared into the pool of a fountain in their common room. Alex felt the calm wash over them as they watched Miza. How did the chevalier''s call work? How did it connect them and bring about such trust and calm?
“Alexandra, do you remember how the rumors about me started when I was younger? How the people began to speak about the changes in the ruling class? The people said they saw the Princessa traveling about the kingdom and in the capital. I wasn’t raised with the rest of the palace nobles, but I was still taught that Royal children were not to leave their nursery until they rose, outside of festivals and special events in which their presence had been planned. But when I was four, I had a dream one night.” Miza smiled as Alex peered up at her.
“A spirit showed herself to me in a meadow. We wove crowns for each other and drew Pictures in the soil along the creek''s bank. Turned stone is the water and splashed around. And then, as we danced along the flowers where the bank and meadow connected, I noticed that only singular parts of each of our pictures were not washed away or covered by mud. That dream led me to visit the Temple Compound. I was searching for a written record of a story about Leana, but the Advisors were unfamiliar with this story of Leana''s daughters. I visited the worship hall, which Royal children rarely do anymore. While there, I petitioned our Mother to assist me in understanding the dream.” Miza turned her gaze to Alexandra
“As I was leaving the sanctuary, I heard someone discussing their first-hand account of the lands outside the central region and the capital. I stopped to listen to the lecture in the main sanctuary. It was such a detailed description of the North.” Miza paused as her countenance shifted. Alexandra watched her with reverence as Miza''s gaze turned from simple warmth to adoration. Astonishment that their lady would ever look at xyr like that. Miza continued.
“But then the duty assistant said something. In the region she hailed from, due to the mountains that separate the North from the southern regions and the broken surface of most of the land, very few people travel that area unless they work the mines. Because of this, some of the history of the past has been rumored to be protected there, or the people of that region did not learn other histories and had to make their own. But there is a specifically romantic tale of Leana’s daughters, who were initially tasked with guardianship of the outer regions and traveled the veil to protect the people of all nations. We were told in the Verdant Palace that Leana only had one daughter, and her decedent crossed the veil and was lost and found. But that is untrue, isn’t it, my love? You shared that story, and you know it to be true.” Miza asserted.
“Miza, you believe it is my mission to search for the lost text and bring them to the Academy to be studied and reintegrated?” Alex queried.
“I know your purpose was to make your way from the North and help uncover the truth. A chevalier''s fight is not always with a sword. You wield a different weapon, as your brothers have told you. There is no question that Leana has asked us to drive this change as a family. While you may not have as much experience as your peers at the temple, you are their peer. You are one of us and one of them. You are never alone in what you need to do. Would you like to meditate with me?” Miza finished speaking.
She stood, prompting Alex to stand quickly and step aside. Xe followed Miza to the reflection room off of the solarium. They sat on a circular mat with geometric shapes depicting the geographical landscape of the Island, encircled by pillows. In the center of the area, a tea service for two had been set. Alex watched as Miza prepared the herbs for the meditation and ground them into a fine powder that she sprinkled into the bottom of the cups. She then poured the hot water from the pot into the cups, passing Alex one of them. They drank the mixture quickly and then took their positions.
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The morning had been hectic, with schedule changes based on the discovery from last night''s meditation session. Donte was worried when, right before the den nested down for the night, Miza informed them that Alex would be giving a lecture during her Ethics class. His stress increased when he was told the Emperor would arrive that morning instead of that afternoon as soon as the den left the residence. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
As he listened to the recitation, his apprehension dissipated. Last night, he was just frustrated that Alex was struggling to follow orders, but after xyr talk with Miza, xe was clearly ready to spearhead xyr side of the mission.
“ I appreciate Professor Baiul allowing me to encroach on his lecture. Thank you, Sir, " Alex said, bowing in the professor''s direction.
“Hello, everyone. Bénédictio Clarmine. Que la mère sta’ecum avec vous. I have been known as Alexandra Dije, a child of the Temple, former Seer of Divine Rites, and Historian of the Celestial Temple. After my ligatu par le sanguis, I am O’Se Sir Alexandra Dije Hyodolshi Lea, Graduate of Lyceum Hall, Historian of the Celestial Temple, and Conseiller of The Academy.”
Alex gave a moment for the weight of xyr title to settle over the small crowd that had gathered in the lecture hall. Miza chose to make this move, giving one of her consorts a new title and role in the kingdom without the approval of the crown, using her role as Goddess Incarnate to set things in motion.
“The professor began his lectures by expounding further on the subdivisions of ethical thought, as he has been teaching the second-year pupils of the Academy and the visiting noble children in a series on subtyping ethics and the reasoning behind knowing these distinctions. After a brief discussion, the professor agreed to allow me to lay an example of metaethics before you by relaying a piece of oral history that has long been lost to our people.” Xe paused before speaking just loud enough for the crowd to hear and feel the power of a Conseiller.
“ Leana said unto her daughters, “Go forth and watch over the lands.” Xe began.
“From her nine consorts with whom she shared her divine power with Liero - The Great Father, Tikcran, Zikhte, Lit, Pyol, Daisha, Becul, Crindl, and Miyal, she bore four daughters, Reina, Adelaida, Mizaami, and Brit. The voiatoregeuses had been with them for over 1000 years, and Leana decided that it was time to revisit the human world and share her message of love and peace. You see, Mother Leana had been watching the development of the humans on Earth. Survival was only sometimes kind to certain lifeforms, Leana had learned as she traveled the universe. The stress often caused humans to make choices that harmed themselves or others simply because it was the best decision the humans could think of at the time. Throughout human history, Leana had visited Earth and given humans some of her peace.” Alex divulged as murmurs went through the crowd.
The temple only ever spoke of Leana and Liero. These names were heard, but not as her consorts. Over 300 years ago, the temple denounced Goddess Leandra Collete Moreau Lea''s claim of the consortiums representing beings with power. The High Priest and Priestess at that time released a temple-sanctioned document decrying the belief that Lestania addressed any deities other than Leana and Liero and that they did not believe in practicing a plural relationship. Their letter claimed this was one of the false beliefs that the young put forth in her attempt to destroy the work of her father. What was the truth? Has the temple been lying?
Alex pushed through the disruption, raising xyr voice with force to regain control of the crowd.
“Leana, however, had recently borne a fifth daughter, Liero’s first daughter, Lesstia. She could not travel the veils as the daughter started showing subtle signs of celestial energy, and Leana saw a flicker of what she believed to be divine power in her. Her other daughters were all over a century old. They had all been trained to use their celestial energy and had proven to their parents that they could abide by the divine consequences and her rule. Lesstia was all of 5 years old by the Gods’ standard. So Leana called her eldest daughters to her.” Alex explained further shocking the attendees that supposedly the Great Father was only the seed bearer of one of the girls.
“Your sister is but a babe. She still needs to be held close in the den and in her parents'' eyes. For this, I charge you to travel my island to ensure the voiatoregeuses are still settled and then go through the veils. Shroud yourself in sensibility and grace. Be shrewd as you bestow your gift. You are my daughters—extensions of me. When you return successfully, you will have proven ready to leave our den and create ones of your own.” Xe continued to recount the memory Leana gave them.
“The maids of Leana’s island did so with gratitude. Lesstia watched her sisters bathed in the lake outside the cliff caves they called home. She sat on the rocks, braiding crowns out of lavender and rosemary as her feet lightly splashed in the water. Lesstia worked quickly because once her sisters were done in their ritual baths, they would be leaving. The young women swam rhythmically, dancing in the water to center their celestial energies. As they finished their baths, the maidens dressed their dripping forms in sheaths of layered lace. When dressed, the girls kissed their parents goodbye before bending to receive their crown from their sister and kissing her cheek. When her sisters were gone, and their footsteps were no longer heard, Lesstia approached her mother.
‘Mother, can I go beyond the veils?’ Leana smiled at her youngest daughter.
‘When you are ready, your celestial light will shine bright, and divinity will guide you.’ The Great Mother told her.
“But that is not what the young girl wanted to hear. The divinity Leana saw in her youngest daughter meant that her celestial energy was far more developed than that of her sisters. Lesstia knew that her sisters could not commune with nature as their ability to propagate plants and speak with animals was not present as it was with her. Reina could interact with stone and easily find strains of ore and mineral deposits. Adelaida could help crops flourish. Mizaami could read the spirits of nature on the breeze. Brit could read the currents and tides and dance with the aquatic life. Mother had even told her that the universe was connected to her. Life resonated with her differently. So why couldn’t she go? She stepped into the lake to cool her thoughts.” Alex took a moment to pause, noticing that the audience attention attention was on xyr, and they were quiet.
“We can sum this up to the fact that Lesstia had experienced few children. Leana was strict that until she was certain her children could understand their power''s purpose, it was unsafe for them to interact with the Voiatoregeuses without proper supervision. But life resonated so profoundly with her that even as she swam in the lake outside her home, the purification dances came naturally to her; the fish swam with her, and the plant life at the bottom of the lake strained just to graze her toes. At that moment, 5-year-old Lesstia decided that she would travel across the veil.” This is part of the story that Lestanians were familiar with.
“After peeking around, she left the water to ensure her parents were occupied. She listened as the wind carried their distant voices to her, noting they were distracted by their various tasks. She gently called to the earth to guide her to a veil. She followed the path of wild mushrooms that appeared before her. She approached a grove of trees tightly packed so that only glimpses of light shone through. The air was thick and shimmering.” Alex attempted to describe the scene xe saw.
The wind around her picked up, and she heard her parents calling her to stay where she was. But she stepped into the grove and disappeared. Lesstia had not yet learned the temporal differences affecting the veil and that she needed to understand the focus and intent of her presence to travel the veil. Liero and Leana arrived at the grove in time to see their daughter disappear into the darkness. With thousands of possibilities across the developing universe, they were unsure of when the young girl could have gone.” Xe said, imparting knowledge that most did not have about the veil.
“Over the next few months, her sisters came home after completing their mission to find their mother grieving and exhausted, something they had never seen of the Goddess before. She had traveled the veil many times but had yet to find her daughter. The toll had affected her divine power, and Leana had to stop before she adversely affected the universe. The den grieved for the young child, not giving up faith that they would find her but knowing that they needed to continue with their stewardship of the Guardian Realm to meet the ever-growing needs of the expanding population on it. As promised, Leana sent her eldest daughters across the island to find their mates. Over the years, the women found their mates and moved to live with their mates'' families to steward the land in that area. These families became the four guardians of the island we now call Lestaina; these guardians became the houses that grew into the grand duchies that exist today.”
Gasps spread across the hall, and whispers spread like wildfire, but Alexandra stood firm as xe completed the narrative.
“So then why is this only a story rumored in the North? I spent the first five years of my life in the North before my father and older brothers died in a mining accident. In the Reina Mountains, along the natural corridors our ancestors used, there are still depictions on the stones of the stories and stories told of histories hidden from destruction in the mountains that few will brave. Is this a piece of exaggerated mythology or a story that was cast aside as irrelevant to the history taught? What lessons are there to learn from such a story? I end here with these questions and ask our future and aspiring scholars about the relevance of controlling the narratives of historical events. Professor Baiul expects a three-page critical essay from his pupils to be turned in to his office secretary on Monday morning. As your Conseiller, I hope that throughout this grand weekend, we use the Academy for what it was always intended. Analysis. Inquiry. Discussion. Thank you all, and have a blessed day.” Alex finished speaking and bowed into the silence before leaving the lecture stage to join his nest mates.
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“ Xe did amazing, didn’t Xe, Justin.” Justin, Miza, and Akierda sat waiting for Alex to join them for lunch on the terrace.
“Yes, Alex held it together, well, until His Highness and your brother arrived. I wasn’t expecting him to come so early.”
“He may hate me, but he is a royal and has trained in diplomacy for years. I assumed that Mark Anthony would attend with Father. Though I will admit, I may have reconsidered allowing Alex to orate if I knew they would arrive during lectures. C’est la vie. I wanted to stay with them during the debriefing with the professor once I realized that Father and Marc Anthony would be sitting in. Alex said not to concern myself, though. The tether is quiet as well. ”
“Miza, we have no one in the palace,” Akierda said. “I didn’t even have a chance to live in the palace because the entire den moved to the Academy right after you met me. I know you still have friends and colleagues, but we have no allies to assist in this pursuit. During the conclave, we should -”
“Bide our time. Build our allies. We are in alignment with Lestania. My presence shows that the unveiling is imminent. Don''t worry unnecessarily. When we are to make moves, it will be clear to us. Give people time to process what they have been told. We will live as we do, and they will make decisions that will show us our next steps."
"Miza…"
"I''m not the Queen yet. I plan to enjoy my time until my father needs to step down. And honestly, that''s that. We should settle in the US, you know. I was looking at some of the school districts…"
"Hey guys!" Alex interrupted as xe joined them on the Garden Terrace.
"Oh, lunch!" Miza gasped loudly, gesturing to the servants to serve them. "Alex, Did Father say anything to you."
"It was surprisingly pleasant. His Majesty was displeased, but as our Emperor, he kept it together. The Archpriest suggested mounting an expedition to the North to study the story.
“Lovely,” she said, sitting back in her chair. “I am pleased to hear that.” The servants had finished serving the meal and took their post, standing at a respectful distance from the royals as they enjoyed the afternoon meal, choyate salad, squash soup, and fried garbanzo curd. An Imperial House Council messenger interrupted the nest-mates'' casual conversation. The servant knelt before them.
“I wish you health, Mother. I have a dispatch from the Imperial Council Hall.”
Justin stood up to receive the message for Miza, dismissing the servant. He handed her the message. She opened it and scanned the letter. Rolling her eyes, she slammed the letter on the table and returned to eating.