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[Mara=^.^=]

I wrote this in response to Gwen's piece, "Closure". It's short, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!

___ _ _ _


On rainy days, I like to sit by myself in the throne room and spend some time alone with my thoughts. Snuggled under the comforting blanket of gray, I pass the hours in my favorite idiosyncratic position – sideways in the grand velvet chair, with my back resting against one gilded armrest and my feet propped up against the other. Several of the knights have questioned me about this peculiar habit, but I generally respond with cryptic remarks that leave them scratching their heads. The truth, of course, is far less exciting – I figure that as long as I feel like a moron while sitting on my throne, I won’t be tempted to abuse my power. Plus, the blood-rush to my head helps counteract some of the downer thoughts that flood my mind when I truly sit down and think about everything.

For some reason, rain puts me in a contemplative mood. Staring out the skylight, I come to a middle ground in my mind, surrounded by curtains made of rainwater. Sometimes I think about my family, my friends, and my old life. Other times I mull over Neutronia’s problems and try to come up with solutions, only to realize that some problems have no solutions. Other times – when the clouds are especially gray – I think about all the things I’ve gained, and all the things I’ve lost.

Most days, the win-lose count is about even. Example: I’ll wake up in the morning and get a report that some nefarious villain is wreaking havoc in some small hamlet, killing innocent people at will. Then, just when I’m about to despair for the future of the human race, the tables will turn and I’ll receive word that some pasty-faced apprentice wizard tried to cast a spell to make dishes wash themselves, and instead caused fully cooked food to rain down upon his villa, unintentionally providing a month’s worth of food for the impoverished peasants. So you see, there are two sides to every coin. Unless of course you’re Two-Face from The Dark Knight – but we won’t go there because that film is technically anachronistic in Neutronia.


Today it rained. As always, I secluded myself away in the throne room. Without the usual hustle-and-bustle of knights and courtiers, the towering walls echoed with emptiness. I hadn’t bothered to don my royal regalia that morning and instead lounged catlike in my black pirate stealth suit. I absent-mindedly stroked my pet Griffin’s head; her tail flicked in lazy repose. I sang a snippet of a sea song I had heard as a child, thinking of the little white boats that used to bob up and down on our harbor.

A mermaid found a swimming lad,
Picked him for her own,
Pressed her body to his body,
Laughed; and plunging down
Forgot in cruel happiness
That even lovers drown.

There was a booming knock at the door, and I jerked upright. I quickly combed my fingers through my hair, then bellowed “enter!” in my best imperial voice. Rat Lady opened the door an inch and peered in, glancing around nervously.

“Am I disturbing you, my Queen?” she asked, as Ratty scurried across her back from one shoulder to the other.

I settled back in my chair. “Not at all. Please, come in.”

She walked in, closing the door softly behind her. “I couldn’t help but notice that you’ve been a bit…distant for the past week or so,” she commented as she traversed the expanse of stone tiles between us. “Are you OK?”

Her compassion made me feel ill, and I turned my face. She was going to broach the subject that I had been consciously trying to avoid all day.

Her eyebrows furrowed in sadness. “I’m really sorry about Lady Gwendolyn. I know it must be especially hard on you. She was one of your most trusted knights.”

The dreaded words stabbed me in the heart, and I struggled to hold in the tears. I nodded, biting back the desire to go hide in a dark corner somewhere.

“You probably don’t want to talk about, but sometimes it’s better to get these things off your chest. At any rate, I just wanted to let you know that I’m here for you. Spike and Writer Woman told me to say that the same goes for them, and I’m sure the others feel that way too.”

There was a long moment of silence as she waited for me to speak. “It’s been hard,” I admitted at last. “I feel like a part of me has been torn right off. It’s like I’m missing an arm, but I can still feel the ache where it was.” I fiddled with the ring on my right hand. “It’s funny,” I whispered. “We were just about to go on a mission to the Bahama Quadrangle together. It was going to be so amazing – another chapter to add to the story of my life. Now I’ll never find out what happens.”

Rat Lady laid a comforting hand on my shoulder.

“It’s just so weird…” I breathed, “thinking she’s just gone forever. You know?”

“But she’s not really gone forever,” Rat Lady soothed. “Spike said she spoke to Lady Gwendolyn’s ghost, remember?”

“Ya, I know. I want to believe Spike, but we both know that she has a tendency to…well, to believe in that sort of thing. You and I are different. Try as we might, we’re not like that.”

She considered for a second before responding. “But we still believe in something. And we still put our hope in something. That’s what counts, right?”

“I guess so,” I sighed. “Still, I can’t help but wonder…if she’s really still with us, why hasn’t she appeared before me at all? I keep waiting for her to show up. At any minute I expect to turn around and see her standing there with a big smile on her face, laughing at me. I keep wanting her to swagger in, kick off her boots, and say it was all just a misunderstanding. I want life to go back to the way it was. I want it so, so badly.” I looked up at her and sniffled, a tear escaping from the corning of my eye. “Please don’t tell anyone I cried,” I pleaded pathetically. “It’s not seemly for a Queen to bawl in front of her knight.”

“Oh, Mara…” she took my hand and squeezed it.

I let myself bask in the glow of friendship for a minute before dropping her hand. I swung my legs around and hopped out of the seat, then bent over and touched my toes. Taking a deep breath, I turned and headed for the door.

“Milady, where are you going?” asked Rat Lady.

“To contact all the knights who aren’t away on urgent business, and to send a message and a bribe to Cami. She’ll know where to find Captain, and once I make contact I’ll ask for his help to find Lady Gwen’s killer. With his networking skills and the abilities of the Neutron Knights, the bastard doesn’t stand a chance.” I saw the way Rat Lady was staring at me, so I smiled darkly and added, “And once we find him, I’ll rip him limb from limb with my bare hands and feed the choice cuts to my Griffin.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Much as Gwen would be pleased by his…err…dismemberment, I should probably remind you that that’s not how we conduct justice around here.”

“I know,” I sighed, then shrugged. “I guess I’ll just have to hope that Cami or Captain finds him before we do.”

And with a self-satisfied smirk, I left the room.



~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[J/C AVA]

He, well, what else can I say? You ARE Queen Mara after all! :lol:

[Mara=^.^=]

If only I could rip killers limb from limb and feed them to my Griffin instead of just sending them to the executioner.... *sigh* ;)


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[J/C AVA]

LOL!! :lol: I sense legalization of personal torture of killers by the Queen herself.

[Mara=^.^=]

Sadly, we dignified pervayors of justice must think beyond our own personal desires... :rolleyes:


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Kaytron]

Ooh Nice! ^_^

^Kaytron^ :ph43r:

tearing him from limb to limb... i wanna see you do that

[Macey]

Ooh Nice! ^_^

^Kaytron^ :ph43r:

tearing him from limb to limb... i wanna see you do that

I AGREE!

You should totally make a sequel where he IS ripped apart, Mara. Perferably by you or Cami. *shot* xD

Great job Mara!

[Pigquet3]

Awwwwww, Mara. That was really beautiful. I can feel your pain so clearly when I read it. I'm very sorry...but extremely good writing, as usual.

Yeah, I so wanna see you get that guy good, too!

I loved your and Rat Lady's little speech, it was so heartwarming. And, of course its always okay to cry in front of your knights. That's what friends are here for. *salutes*


Thanks for writing this, and I'll wait for more soon!


So long, Queen


B) Shorti

[J/C AVA]

I'm very sorry...but extremely good writing, as usual.

So great at writng that we're all left in her pencil dust. <_< :rolleyes:

[Pigquet3]

LOL. That's a new one :rolleyes:




B) Shorti

[.:!Gwen!:.]

Well, it's a good thing I'M not the queen anyway, cause if so, I'd pull a Zorro: cut him up and send him to the overlord. Muahahaha.

...but. All things happen, or don't, for a reason. <<

I feel like being all Bloody Mary to you now, Mara. Be there when you look in the mirror, but when you turn around, NOTHING. --dramatic music--

Anyway. Baw. I love you like you don't even know. Thanks for this~









.:!Gwen!:.

[RocksmySocks]

Mmm...Griffin chow.



Really touching, Queen Mara. And beautifully written, as usual. ^_^

With Cami on the trail, that murderous bastard that took down Lady Gwendolyn doesn't have a chance!

-Rat Lady :ahoy:


PS: ^_^ Thanks for including me in the story! That was sweet.

[Beks]

If I ever find that dude, I'll hold him down so our Queen can deal with him.... ^_^

[Mara=^.^=]

If I ever find that dude, I'll hold him down so our Queen can deal with him.... ^_^

**high-fives Beks**


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[fierysue]

Justice shall prevail, and the killer shall atone for his sins...

He shall wish he had never been born. It shall serve as a warning to those who desire to overthrow all that is good and holy and tip the balance between good and evil...

Gilraen Narmolanya

(Poignant story. It was very emotive.)