Ibarra Mide
1647 Words
One last time Ibarra returns, Ibarra is more confident with his white hair fluttering in the air. Appearing on the balcony, he smiles at the people below, and his Queen lovingly smiles at him.
Remember Ibarra, he figured, there is no white nor black in this world, only grey; everyone is a bit of something.
‘I’ll choose what’s right for me,’ thinking as he inspected the heart stone.
‘I don’t why now, but I remember now, Master Grey. You gave me the stone to change the future, then let’s change it!’ He thought.
Ibarra, having the critical puzzle, tightened his grip at The Queen’s warm hand. She gazes at him with a delightful smile. Tugging her hand closer, Ibarra bestowed upon her the blackened heart stone, The Stone of Eternal Life and Strength.
“Do you love me, my Queen?” Ibarra asked in a voice of soft but with conviction, his gaze locked to The Queen’s eyes.
Without a hint of doubt, The Queen replied. “With all my heart. You make me happy and soon the happiest woman,” she said.
“Then don’t you ever forget about me, my Queen,” he said as he tied the band of the heart stone in The Queen’s arm.
“I would never forget about you, not in this life or the next,” The Queen said worryingly.
“Remember, Catherine, you’ll have the power to change your world. There is no white nor black, in our eyes there is and there will be only grey,” Ibarra said.
“What are you saying? I don’t understand Ibarra?” The Queen asked with a perplexed voice.
“Remember, Catherine Whitemaiden,” Ibarra said.
Ibarra’s veins on his arms temporarily swelled upon giving her the stone; to hide its alteration, he embraced the still baffled Queen.
“Look Ibarra, it has snowed,” The Queen said.
“I have seen it. It’s quite beautiful, My Queen and so are you,” Ibarra said.
They playfully smile and giggle as their bodies turn around while they hold each other.
“I am so happy, Ibarra. You’ve made me so happy,” The Queen said.
Ibarra answers The Queen’s affection through a passionate kiss, visible to the people below. They dance and cheer blissfully.
Although from what Ibarra has learned, the pleasure he and The Queen are having will not last long.
Even the minuscule sound of the steel motion can send a throb within his heart.
‘There it is, dying, but as what I learned from the stone, nothing is permanent,’ he thought as he enjoyed The Queen’s soft and warm lips.
Sir Horengar Bogetta, The Queenshield, struck Ibarra’s back and, through The Queen’s heart, forcefully pierced their body together. He pushes the blade deeper to make sure.
Blood was spilled, mixed with the two lovers as their bodies fell and laid to the ground for the ashes of snow to embrace.
They gaze intently into each other’s eyes, to hope they’ll remember it to the next life.
As The Queen’s eyes watch the snow touch her lover’s hair.
“I will never forget you!” She said,
She brushes her hand to Ibarra’s hair as she continues to speak.
“Your hazel eyes that send chills to my body every time you gaze at me.”
Ibarra coughs as he forces a smile with the nerve on his back damaged. He couldn’t move anything below his head.
“Your unique and astonishing white hair,” she said.
The Queen’s eyes are blurring. Was it because of the cold or life slowly escaping? She pondered. The thought of not seeing Ibarra scares her; knowing she will soon die breaks her. “I couldn’t, I don’t want to,” The Queen said with her voice shattering in the cold and her eyes weeping.
The troubled crowds witness the assassination of their ruler Queen Catherine and The Future King from afar, with each person running in a different direction to spread the grave news.
The news, like a river, flows quickly, reaching the gates of Grisaia city where a man named Rollo, along with his companion Bee and Bold, returns from the Masse Village.
“We are here! Ready to thank me yet? Help me make up with the boss?” Bold said as he passed the large wooden gate of Grisaia.
“I’m not thanking you for helping you with your stupidity for the boss,” Rollo said.
“I’m not asking a lot, am I? Just tell him you almost got yourself killed with your crazed family but I and my brother save your poor skin,” Bold said.
“He wasn’t planning on killing me. Pa is just mourning,” Rollo replied.
“You call that mourning? Give it weeks and you’d be glad we got to you before that old fool skin you alive,” Bold said.
“You alright Bee, you’ve been quiet an awful lot? We should hurry though, it’s the royal wedding day and we should be there with our leader,” Rollo said.
“Yeah, just a sense of something really weird,” Bee said.
“What is? What’s troubling you, brother?” Bold asked.
“It seems like I had seen our leader Ibarra Mide kill himself -,” Bee said before getting interrupted by the people delivering news.
Scurrying as he shouts from afar to all the houses, he passes by.
“Queen Catherine is dead! The Future King is dead!” he yelled repeatedly.
“Stop!” Rollo ordered the man.
Rollo runs in the man’s direction to confront him.
“What do you mean they’re dead?” Rollo asked.
“It’s true! All the people who visited for the royal wedding witnessed The Queen’s assassination,” he explained.
“And the future king? Lord Ibarra? Is he dead?” Rollo asked.
“Yes! Both of them were killed by The Queenshield, Sir Horengar!” he replied.
The man he looked up to, the leader of their band, and the face of The Grey Hand mercenaries, Ibarra Mide, died.
Ibarra’s face is fading away as The Queen watches the snowfall gradually piling to their snowy bodies.
Her memories of him are getting cloudy.
“What is this? Where are you? Why can’t I remember your name!” She said,
Away from the living, she was pulled into the darkness and nothingness. In the abyss, nothing exists except her very soul. It’s neither cold nor hot. It’s not white nor black.
“Where am I? Where are you? Why can’t I remember your face? Yet my heart knows strongly about you!” She said,
“Your Majesty,” he said
---
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty, wake up!” a voice of a woman said.
Inside the luxurious Queen’s chamber, Queen Catherine Whitemaiden curled in her bed, was once again having a nightmare as she woke up with a troubled face. The Queen’s steward Irelka stands beside her bed holding a cup of water.
“The same dream again, your majesty?” Irelka asked.
The Queen fixes her hair as she sits on the side of the bed. Away from her silk blanket is the body of the faithful maiden; Irelka can see a distinctive heart-shaped stone necklace on The Queen’s chest.
“Irelka, no, this time is different, like I’m in it. I think it’s my memory, but I don’t know. My daughter is still out there missing. I’m probably just exhausted,” The Queen said.
“Remind me of the other one again?” Irelka asked as she handed over the cup of water for The Queen.
The Queen drank the water as she tells the story.
“I don’t know how or when it started but I can remember it well,” The Queen said as she grabbed a robe to cover herself.
“It was in a village, could be Ara as it was being ravaged and raided by Grearian armies,” she said as she stood and reached for her jewellery.
“I was a baby, or he was, wearing this necklace that I had on. He has grey hair, his family was about to escape the village but his father got caught by one of the patrolling Grearian armies, while his mother escaped with him the baby, but the army knew where exactly they’ll go. The baby’s mother runs as fast as she could but the arrow was faster, hitting her heart as she falls to the land along with the baby that she holds. They killed her and the baby. I think it was the armies of the late king of Grearia, my first husband, King Astorias,” The Queen explained.
“I remember now, it’s a very sad dream, your majesty,” Irelka said.
“Yes, it is.”
They soon heard a knock on The Queen’s chamber door.
“Your Majesty! The Queensblade is here to see you,” the royal guard said.
“A moment, I’m not proper,” The Queen said.
She was tying the robe to cover herself fully before she called out her guard to let The Queensblade inside.
The Queen’s chamber door opens, revealing a young man on a fully leathered armour well fitted to his body. He knelt in front of The Queen with his wavy silver hair caught the eye of The Queen.
“Your majesty, I have returned,” he said.
“You are back, Lord Silva. What news do you bring for me?” The Queen asked.
“I have contacted one of my companions, the leader of Silver Sword. He agreed on the contract and was ready to move upon your order, your Majesty!” Silva said.
“Wonderful news, Lord Silva. Tell me what is this man called?” The Queen asked.
“Ibarra Mide,” he replied.
- Writer
