chapters ten, eleven & epilogue

(chapters one, two, three&four, five, six&seven, eight&nine,)

Sorry I've taken so long to post the last sections... :(

But here is the end!

CHAPTER TEN

“Bad news, sire,” murmured King Shardo’s messenger. 

“What can possibly be bad?” asked the king jovially, munching on a hot pretzel. 

“Well, sire,” muttered the messenger, “The East Listrans have sort of…well….they have kind of…well, to be exact, they have taken our fortress.” King Shardo leaped to his feet, stuffing the rest of the pretzel in his mouth. 

“What’s this? Taken our fortress? What…what….” He fished for the right word, “what IMPUDENCE!” he exploded, causing the whole banister sliding party to stop with startled expressions on their faces.  

 “Your soldiers have taken our fortress!” he explained in loud tones to the East Listran women and children. 

“That’s what you did to us…” reasoned a young woman. “We always have fought for each other’s fortresses. Now we have the West Listrans’ and they have ours.” 

King Shardo glared at her for a moment, and then looked puzzled. 

“So is the war is over?” asked King Shardo. 

“I suppose so,” murmured another woman. The elderly white haired woman near the edge of the crowd listened keenly to this whole talk, though no one noticed her.

~

            At the West Listran fortress, a surprisingly similar exchange took place. The East Listran prisoners of war were freed, fed, and reunited with those they knew and loved. The Princess Celia was removed from her tree, and brought into the fortress, where all the West Listran women had relented, and were feeding the Easterners freshly baked pies, meant for their returning men. 

“But,” as one West Listran women put it, “we can’t let anything this good go to waste, even if there has been an invasion.” So the Easterners were well fed. As King Cartow wiped his mouth after his fifth helping of black currant pie, he began to think. 

“Leo, Leo, my boy!” he called, beckoning to Leo, who was in deep conversation with his father. Leo looked up reluctantly, unwilling to lose one minute with his newly recovered parent. Bryn, Leo’s father smiled, and motioned for Leo to attend the king. So Leo rose and walked over. 

“Leo,” started King Cartow, eyeing the raspberry pie with a hungry glint in his eye, “this war has gone on for a long time.” 

Leo nodded. 

“The main goal of us East Listrans was to win this fortress, at least as far as I was concerned…” 

Leo nodded again. 

“So, does this mean the war is over?” 

Leo hesitated. 

“I suppose so…” he admitted. “That is, if the Westerners don’t continue fighting. But why should they?” 

“Very well!” said the king, rising.  “People of East Listra, I would like to bring your attention to the wonderful fact that the Great War is over!”  A great cheer echoed in the hall. “At least, from the East’s point of view…” he added after the cheers died down.

~

 “West Listrans! Good news! Good news indeed!” cried King Shardo. “The Great War has come to completion! Our whole purpose is fulfilled! We have won the fortress of East Listra!” The West Listrans cheered. “At least,” Shardo added, “if the Easterners agree…”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Messengers were sent between the two fortresses like shuttlecocks. Peace was declared, and the countries decided to unite into one great country.   

“What a novel idea!” cried Queen Sita when she heard. “Who would have thought that East and West Listra would ever become one country?  Quite amusing!” (We are not sure how deep her tutor delved into the matter of Listra's history.)

~

In the village of Ralet there took place a joyful reuniting, late at night just as the clock struck eleven.  Aria wept tears of happiness and amazement when Leo burst excitedly through the doorway, followed by his father! Little Mary was shy at first, but her father bestowed her with such hugs and kisses that she could not remain shy for long. She nestled up to Bryn, and whispered that this was the best birthday she had ever had.

~

 The question arose of who should be king, while the two royal families sat in East Listra’s palace room. 

“I think, personally, that I would not be a bad choice,” said King Cartow humbly. 

“But,” said King Shardo, “I do think I am better equipped for the job!” A whole new war was shaping up when a knock was heard at the door.

“Enter!” called both kings at once, and then glared at each other. A little old lady, with bright blue eyes and white hair swept into the court in a dark brown cloak. 

“YOU!” cried King Shardo. 

“The maid?” asked King Cartow. 

Leo, who had just entered the room, glanced sharply at the old women. She was the key to all this... 

“Yes, my lords. It is I.” 

Leo drew all his courage together, than spoke. “Why did you do it?” 

She glanced at him, surprised. Then she spoke to herself in a low tone, which only Leo heard. “He knows it was not just chance! Moreover, he knows it was I. Clever. Very clever boy. He might do. Yes.” Then she spoke directly  to him, shedding her false cracking voice, and speaking in a clear, sweet tone. 

“I was alive when the Great War began.  Rather, I was alive before it began. I knew what peace was. Then war came. It dragged on for years. People grew weary, but did not know how to stop, people forgot why the war started, but did not know how to stop it. So it continued. Finally, I knew it was nearly time for my departure from this world. But, oh. It made me so sad to know that this war would go on; killing innocent people, tearing apart families. If I, who knew what peace was, did not stop it, I feared it might never end. So I came up with a plan. I was the Princess’s maid.” She glanced at Celia. “I brought the news of Celia’s disappearance.” She looked at King Cartow. “I was the informant. I waved the red flag. ” She glanced at King Shardo. “And the rest, you yourselves did.” Her gaze drifted over the crowd of people coming to rest on Leo. 

“You especially, my boy. And now, for your king.” She looked at King Shardo, who tried to wipe the stunned expression from his face and smile nicely, but failed. She looked at King Cartow, who shoved the rest of his pie in his mouth and wiped it, trying to look innocent.   

“Your king shall be the one who did the most to end this war. The one who carried out the plan for peace. Kneel, all people of Listra, to your King Leo!”  Leo started violently. 

“No! I couldn’t! I…” He was drowned in applause, as the whole court sank to their knees to pay homage to their new king. 

This man had youth, strength, and courage, and would rule their country well. The old lady held up her hand. 

“Yes. You will be the greatest king in the history of Listra.  Do your best for your country. Make it strong. Never let it fall into ruin again.” Leo nodded, still stunned with this barrage of information and honor.   The old women held out her hand to King Shardo. 

“Your crown.” King Shardo looked defiant. 

“My dear lady!” he began in a huff. King Cartow snatched the crown off his head and handed it to the old women, a smirk on his face, for it was not his crown that was called for. 

“And yours,” added the old women, taking the crown offered her. Now it was King Cartow’s turn to look angry. But King Shardo grabbed the other crown and tossed it to the old women. She carefully examined them both, then, placing one on top of the other, pressed gently down. The two crowns fit together like two pieces from a puzzle. The crack had vanished. 

“No one shall ever break them apart again,” said the women, and placed the new crown on Leo’s head. The crowd cheered again, and again. The sound carried out of the castle, into the forests, into the plains, and echoed throughout the new country of Listra.

EPILOGUE

The old lady died the next morning, just as the sun rose over the horizon. She was given a quiet burial, for as Celia said 

“She wouldn’t have wanted great honors, or large ceremonies.”  Leo walked to her grave in the afternoon.  There sat Celia, looking at the blank gravestone. She looked up as Leo drew nearer. He saw a trace of wetness on her smooth brown cheek. She smiled up at him. 

“We never knew her name.” She gave a little laugh that caught in her throat. “It seems such a shame that she couldn’t have seen a bit more peace.” 

Leo looked solemn. “I know.  But I think she was truly happy. Her life could end in peace. And she died with the knowledge that our country would stay whole and peaceful for centuries to come.” 

Celia rose slowly. “All due to her peacemaking,” she added quietly. Leo put an arm around her shoulder. Celia wiped away another tear, and then smiled happily. 

“That is what we should put there.” She gestured to the blank stone. “Peacemaker.” 

Leo nodded, and then they turned slowly, hand in hand, to walk toward the rising sun and the palace, where their new life awaited them. But never would they forget that all they had gained was due to the Peacemaker of Listra.