I started writing this story approximately a week ago during my english class. We had begun a rather random discussion about Nostradamus, and I was so fascinated by what I learned, that I took it upon myself to find several convenient excerpts from his Quadrants and create a story out of them. It is often debated whether he actually had the ability to tell the future, or if he witfully created statements that could be misinterpretted for an event that had actually occurred. With that bit of information,I present my story of a city called Solterr, told in the perspective of a woman named Correna.
Thank you,
~April
"Too late the king will repent that he did not put his adversary to death. But he will soon come to agree for greater things which will cause all his line to die."
~Nostradamus,
Century V
No woman has ever told a tale as truthfully as I, nor can they be more truthful in their telling of the only history they can recall before all was taken from them.
Nor can you, as a listener, believe even remotely that such a history could exist, for my story is of a place that history dare not repeat.
Any record of the grand city of Solterr has been destroyed or desecrated beyond comprehension. The language of its people has been forgotten by all except for I, and telling my tale in your tongue is difficult, but worthy to be heard, nonetheless.
My name is Correna, and I was a handmaid in the palace of Solterr. was responsible for helping Lady Manistella in her chambers when she needed me, as well as doing many of the other numerous chores bestowed upon me and other servants by the royal family.
I was not always a servant to the royal family, however; Miss Bellany was always my mistress, and she had been chosen for marriage to a certain Marcus Manistella.She had been the daughter of a poor cobbler, and her beauty had attracted Marcus in his adolescent youth, as well as the attention of many others. When Miss Bellany received Marcus' proposal, it was all she could do but refuse, but her father would never allow her to turn down such an honor. Therefore, Bellany and I left for the palace two nights later, and she and Prince Marcus were immediately wed to create the new monarchy rulers. Bellany grew to love her king, and the inevitable took place in the first year of his reign;they had conceived a child, and my mistress Bellany was to be a mother.
I had taken care of Miss Bellany since she was a babe herself. Although her father was only a cobbler, his wif had ded in childbirth, so I, her best friend since her own childhood, swore on her deathbed to take care of her only daughter, even if it meant the most miserable of my days on this blessed planet. Bellany's father had treated me as well as I had treated his daughter, and h wanted me to look over Bellany in the palace as he knew he couldn't. He was a very ill man, making it difficult for regular visits. One day we received a letter of his death, and no words were spoken of him thereafter.
I was Bellany's only parent left, if I could even bestow that title upon myself;with great pride I watched Lady Manistella's womb grow as her child grew, waiting patiently for the day the baby would be born.
Meanwhile, Marcus learnd both the joys nd worries of being the king of Solterr. The city was the capital of a small kingdom, although until now, I had never explored outside of my city's walls. Marcus' father had left the earth in hatred. He had been murdered by the king of the Vultarians, who had been in awe of Solterr's culture and offered peace to Solterrians, if only they agreed to end the warfare. Marcus had been forced to take this agreement, since he himself had only been a boy of 17.However,he was now a man of 25, and he could no longer hide behind his youth.
You see, the Vultarians and the Solterrians were cities created by two people whose view of the great heavens above were quite different. The Vultarians were a vain people, proclaiming that they themselves were the Gods of the planet, and that their actions determined all that had happened. The Solterrians believed that there was a higher being, or a broad range of Gods and Goddesses that when pleased, good fortune would be bestowed upon them, and vice versa.They had even given themselves the name "Solterrians", in their tongue meaning "people of the sun and sky". The Solterrians were proud of their gods, and created temples and altars to worship them.
The Vultarians considered such acts a dishonor to humanity;soon thereafter, war ha been common but not so long as during Marcus' father's reign. The Vultarians had managed to destroy many temples and religious libraries to little more than debris. All that had been lost could not be restored.
Marcus,as king, was expected by his people to punish the Vultarians like his father had failed to do, but at what cost, Marcus was afraid to find out. He told his advisors that war would be foolish. Instead of continuing the war, why not restore the temples and altars to a new grandeur? Why not please the Gods in this time of need, instead of angering them by seeking unneeded revenge?
But his people were not willing to go to peace so quickly when so much dishonor had been brought to their borders out of ignorance. Many began riots secretively against the Vultarians and were put to death soon afterward.
The Vultarian king,Artis, enjoyed the "storytelling" Solterrians like a man watching the theatre, and it was the only reason he offered peace. Even the riots sparked his fancy, for he was a man in love with the art of war. Marcus believed that Artis was unaware of the might of Solterr's forces, and as the days progressed, it grew less and less likely that he could prevent another war.
Marcus began to plan war on the Vultarians with his advisors in secret.The only reason I knew of the proceedings was because one scholar had known me and Bellany's mother as a child before he left for his studies, and he revealed everything to me, and I to Bellany.It was not right that the king hide what would become of the city to his queen, so all that was happening I was adamant in informing her.
Marcus planne to surround the Vultarians by the vast Sultur River , then force them to surrender, simply by forcing guerrilla warfare. The skill of Solterrian sword-and-spearmanship would determine their victory, as well as the will of the gods. I worried that the news may cause stress on Miss Bellany's pregnancy, but I could not deny her the fate of her people. She hadn't been a queen for long, but she loved her people as much as she loved her king, and begged me for whatever I knew.
As a good Solterrian woman,whenever the news of what would come to pass brought worry to the face of my mistress, I would go to our gods of hope, luck,and health to pray for the welfare of Bellany's baby so I culd sleep peacefully at night, but I never did it in front of her. The baby appeared healthy from the way she acted, but one could never be too careful in these frightful times.
One day on my daily rounds amongst the palace, I walked into the advisor who gave me my information. Upon his face was a grim expression, and i grew more worrisome as I got closer to him. We made sure that there was nobody who could hear us, as if we were committing a crime,(I presume in his case, that was the exact scenario,) then I rushed to his sid.
"My friend, what has happened to the men that you wear such a sad face?" I inquired s we walked hurriedly down the long hall."Correna, I fear for the existence of Solterr. We knew that there would be risks! We knew that there wasn't any guaruntees! By the Gods, I don't know what we are going to do; I just don't know!" I feared what I would hear next, but I had to be certain my assumptions were correct.
"Michael, what is to fall on Solterr?What risks?Please speak to me, I beg of you-" Michael grabbed me by te wrists then and stopped me in my tracks. "I was a foolish man for ever revealing anything to you! You, a handmaid, a woman! Don't pester m any longer, for I can no longer be of service to you." He tried to walk ahead of me, but I knew Michael too well to give up now. He knew that I didn't reveal anything to anybody but Bellany, and that assuming that the queen would reveal anything to the Vultarians was treason. "Michael, you know you don't mean that!" I yelled to him. He stopped dead in his tracks,as if contemplating his options, then turned to face me.He walked back to me and held my wrists more gently this time. "The Vultarians know about the attack, Correna. We were so careful, but they know.The whoe point of the assault was that they would be too unprepared to fght back, butte only options now are to either to begin the attack immediately, or submit to them. I am so sorry, but it doesn't look like there will be many more days of peace."
Fear gripped my whole body;all the king's men were centered for the main assault. There would be no defense if everything didn't go exactly as planned, and that meant an attack on the palace. "What do we do, Michael?" I asked in a vacant tone, staring into his eyes,because I knew he had no more control over the situation than I did. "You take Lady Manistella, and you leave here. Have her leave a note, but don't tell your location. If you leave now, you will be safter than if you leave in the morning. I'll talk with King Marcus about further action.... he will need all the assistance he can get." I didn't need to consider this option very long.
"We can't leave. Marcus will know that you have been telling us everything, and your trust will be jeopardized, if not your life. The people will suspect something is amiss if they even glimpse their queen fleeing the palae, especially when she is heavy with child. No, we cannot leave."
"He can assume any one of his advisors has been telling you the plans, and this is no longer a woman's place to be,Correna!" He yelled to me all of a sudden. His voice quavered with the sound of panic, and I myself lowered my voice.
"The people musn't be panicked.Many of them may be protecting themselves tonight, and it is Marcus' responsibility to help them prepare for whatever storm is approaching. Do you understand me,Michael?The people need help, not Lady Manistella or her handmaid!It would be wise of you to explain that to him and his men. I will inform Miss Bellany of all that has come to pass, and perhaps we can hide somewhere in the palace."
Thank you,
~April
"Too late the king will repent that he did not put his adversary to death. But he will soon come to agree for greater things which will cause all his line to die."
~Nostradamus,
Century V
No woman has ever told a tale as truthfully as I, nor can they be more truthful in their telling of the only history they can recall before all was taken from them.
Nor can you, as a listener, believe even remotely that such a history could exist, for my story is of a place that history dare not repeat.
Any record of the grand city of Solterr has been destroyed or desecrated beyond comprehension. The language of its people has been forgotten by all except for I, and telling my tale in your tongue is difficult, but worthy to be heard, nonetheless.
My name is Correna, and I was a handmaid in the palace of Solterr. was responsible for helping Lady Manistella in her chambers when she needed me, as well as doing many of the other numerous chores bestowed upon me and other servants by the royal family.
I was not always a servant to the royal family, however; Miss Bellany was always my mistress, and she had been chosen for marriage to a certain Marcus Manistella.She had been the daughter of a poor cobbler, and her beauty had attracted Marcus in his adolescent youth, as well as the attention of many others. When Miss Bellany received Marcus' proposal, it was all she could do but refuse, but her father would never allow her to turn down such an honor. Therefore, Bellany and I left for the palace two nights later, and she and Prince Marcus were immediately wed to create the new monarchy rulers. Bellany grew to love her king, and the inevitable took place in the first year of his reign;they had conceived a child, and my mistress Bellany was to be a mother.
I had taken care of Miss Bellany since she was a babe herself. Although her father was only a cobbler, his wif had ded in childbirth, so I, her best friend since her own childhood, swore on her deathbed to take care of her only daughter, even if it meant the most miserable of my days on this blessed planet. Bellany's father had treated me as well as I had treated his daughter, and h wanted me to look over Bellany in the palace as he knew he couldn't. He was a very ill man, making it difficult for regular visits. One day we received a letter of his death, and no words were spoken of him thereafter.
I was Bellany's only parent left, if I could even bestow that title upon myself;with great pride I watched Lady Manistella's womb grow as her child grew, waiting patiently for the day the baby would be born.
Meanwhile, Marcus learnd both the joys nd worries of being the king of Solterr. The city was the capital of a small kingdom, although until now, I had never explored outside of my city's walls. Marcus' father had left the earth in hatred. He had been murdered by the king of the Vultarians, who had been in awe of Solterr's culture and offered peace to Solterrians, if only they agreed to end the warfare. Marcus had been forced to take this agreement, since he himself had only been a boy of 17.However,he was now a man of 25, and he could no longer hide behind his youth.
You see, the Vultarians and the Solterrians were cities created by two people whose view of the great heavens above were quite different. The Vultarians were a vain people, proclaiming that they themselves were the Gods of the planet, and that their actions determined all that had happened. The Solterrians believed that there was a higher being, or a broad range of Gods and Goddesses that when pleased, good fortune would be bestowed upon them, and vice versa.They had even given themselves the name "Solterrians", in their tongue meaning "people of the sun and sky". The Solterrians were proud of their gods, and created temples and altars to worship them.
The Vultarians considered such acts a dishonor to humanity;soon thereafter, war ha been common but not so long as during Marcus' father's reign. The Vultarians had managed to destroy many temples and religious libraries to little more than debris. All that had been lost could not be restored.
Marcus,as king, was expected by his people to punish the Vultarians like his father had failed to do, but at what cost, Marcus was afraid to find out. He told his advisors that war would be foolish. Instead of continuing the war, why not restore the temples and altars to a new grandeur? Why not please the Gods in this time of need, instead of angering them by seeking unneeded revenge?
But his people were not willing to go to peace so quickly when so much dishonor had been brought to their borders out of ignorance. Many began riots secretively against the Vultarians and were put to death soon afterward.
The Vultarian king,Artis, enjoyed the "storytelling" Solterrians like a man watching the theatre, and it was the only reason he offered peace. Even the riots sparked his fancy, for he was a man in love with the art of war. Marcus believed that Artis was unaware of the might of Solterr's forces, and as the days progressed, it grew less and less likely that he could prevent another war.
Marcus began to plan war on the Vultarians with his advisors in secret.The only reason I knew of the proceedings was because one scholar had known me and Bellany's mother as a child before he left for his studies, and he revealed everything to me, and I to Bellany.It was not right that the king hide what would become of the city to his queen, so all that was happening I was adamant in informing her.
Marcus planne to surround the Vultarians by the vast Sultur River , then force them to surrender, simply by forcing guerrilla warfare. The skill of Solterrian sword-and-spearmanship would determine their victory, as well as the will of the gods. I worried that the news may cause stress on Miss Bellany's pregnancy, but I could not deny her the fate of her people. She hadn't been a queen for long, but she loved her people as much as she loved her king, and begged me for whatever I knew.
As a good Solterrian woman,whenever the news of what would come to pass brought worry to the face of my mistress, I would go to our gods of hope, luck,and health to pray for the welfare of Bellany's baby so I culd sleep peacefully at night, but I never did it in front of her. The baby appeared healthy from the way she acted, but one could never be too careful in these frightful times.
One day on my daily rounds amongst the palace, I walked into the advisor who gave me my information. Upon his face was a grim expression, and i grew more worrisome as I got closer to him. We made sure that there was nobody who could hear us, as if we were committing a crime,(I presume in his case, that was the exact scenario,) then I rushed to his sid.
"My friend, what has happened to the men that you wear such a sad face?" I inquired s we walked hurriedly down the long hall."Correna, I fear for the existence of Solterr. We knew that there would be risks! We knew that there wasn't any guaruntees! By the Gods, I don't know what we are going to do; I just don't know!" I feared what I would hear next, but I had to be certain my assumptions were correct.
"Michael, what is to fall on Solterr?What risks?Please speak to me, I beg of you-" Michael grabbed me by te wrists then and stopped me in my tracks. "I was a foolish man for ever revealing anything to you! You, a handmaid, a woman! Don't pester m any longer, for I can no longer be of service to you." He tried to walk ahead of me, but I knew Michael too well to give up now. He knew that I didn't reveal anything to anybody but Bellany, and that assuming that the queen would reveal anything to the Vultarians was treason. "Michael, you know you don't mean that!" I yelled to him. He stopped dead in his tracks,as if contemplating his options, then turned to face me.He walked back to me and held my wrists more gently this time. "The Vultarians know about the attack, Correna. We were so careful, but they know.The whoe point of the assault was that they would be too unprepared to fght back, butte only options now are to either to begin the attack immediately, or submit to them. I am so sorry, but it doesn't look like there will be many more days of peace."
Fear gripped my whole body;all the king's men were centered for the main assault. There would be no defense if everything didn't go exactly as planned, and that meant an attack on the palace. "What do we do, Michael?" I asked in a vacant tone, staring into his eyes,because I knew he had no more control over the situation than I did. "You take Lady Manistella, and you leave here. Have her leave a note, but don't tell your location. If you leave now, you will be safter than if you leave in the morning. I'll talk with King Marcus about further action.... he will need all the assistance he can get." I didn't need to consider this option very long.
"We can't leave. Marcus will know that you have been telling us everything, and your trust will be jeopardized, if not your life. The people will suspect something is amiss if they even glimpse their queen fleeing the palae, especially when she is heavy with child. No, we cannot leave."
"He can assume any one of his advisors has been telling you the plans, and this is no longer a woman's place to be,Correna!" He yelled to me all of a sudden. His voice quavered with the sound of panic, and I myself lowered my voice.
"The people musn't be panicked.Many of them may be protecting themselves tonight, and it is Marcus' responsibility to help them prepare for whatever storm is approaching. Do you understand me,Michael?The people need help, not Lady Manistella or her handmaid!It would be wise of you to explain that to him and his men. I will inform Miss Bellany of all that has come to pass, and perhaps we can hide somewhere in the palace."
