“Hello Winston,” she said warmly as she walked over and sat down next to him.
“Uh hmm!” was all he managed to eke out sheepishly, astounded by the extraordinary sight he had just witnessed. “I’ve never seen anyone change from a little twinkling light into a kind of person,” he said gulping while trying unsuccessfully, to appear nonchalant about Myadora’s magical appearance. “I, I’ve seen see my teacher, Staishya when she flies to class as a butterfly and then turns into a woman. She’s a Butterflian Shapeshifter you know.” Winston stuttered, “But I’ve never seen...” he trailed off feeling awkward.
She smiled at him, “Your father told you about the original ten chosen to serve the King. I’m one of those ten. Winston, I’m your ancestor.”
“I don’t understand,” he hesitated, “how could that be, you look so young? Don’t you need to be very old to be an ancestor? We’re talking centuries, right?” he began rambling in total confusion. “I mean you should be in heaven, shouldn’t you?”
“I come from a place much like what you call heaven,” she said smiling at the bewildered young boy seated next to her, “it’s called the Kingdom of Lights.”
“Yes, Father told me,” Winston offered.
“There are those of us in the Kingdom of Lights that possess the ability to move across time and space for the purpose of assisting other guardians. We have special powers. You’ll learn more about that later, but first I’m going to tell you a story. It’s something that happened a long time ago and why the Order of the Light was created. Would you like to hear the story now, Winston?” she asked her young descendent.
“Yes, very much so,” he declared with great enthusiasm.
CHAPTER SIX
“More than many thousands of centuries ago the time had come for a cosmos to be created. The benevolent ever-present energy force became one with Shadel who was destined to be the entity to perform that task and reign as its omnipotent King. He was loving and possessed the purity it would take to rule,” Myadora began to weave her story.
“Shadel took Suri for his queen, they were very much in love. Desiring peace and happiness for their kingdom, together they ruled with love, respect, generosity and kindness. In turn they were beloved by all their subjects.”
As she spoke, Winston was able view the story as her very words formed a rich tapestry of images right before his eyes. “Was this magic? How’s this possible?” he marveled in confusion at what he was witnessing. “I feel like I’m there while it’s happening, but I’m still here.”
There in front of him was a stunning green-eyed slender woman carrying two baskets filled with beautifully colored roses. The vision appeared so genuine he thought he could reach out and touch her, but hesitated. If he dared would her image wash away like a ripple in a pool of water. The woman’s waist length black hair tied back with a blue ribbon brushed against her flowing blue dress as she walked out of the rose garden towards the awaiting carriage drawn by four white horses. “I can smell the roses in the garden,” Winston exclaimed finding it difficult to believe his senses, “I can feel the heat of the sun but its nighttime here.”
“Who is she? Can she see us too?” he asked Myadora nattering in amazement and without giving her a chance to answer. “It all looks so real,” he persisted.
Myadora smiled, amused by Winston’s bewilderment over the scene. “They’re shades of the past. They cannot see nor hear you and you cannot touch them.” She took Winston’s hand and guided it towards one of the phantom rose bushes. Their hands passed through it without causing any disturbance.
“Winston, some guardians like myself possess the ability to create visions where one can see, hear, smell and experience the environment, sense emotions and thoughts but they have no bearing in this world. They are simply reflections of what has been,” she replied to the wide-eyed boy. “That woman is Queen Suri. She is where we shall begin our experience today.”
“Staishya told us about the Queen in ancient history class,” he spouted as he continued to watch the vision, which seemed to disappear whenever Myadora stopped telling the story.
When Queen Suri spoke, it surprised Winston. It was not at all how he imagined a queen’s voice might sound. She sounded more like his mother, than his perception of royalty. She was not loud or snooty, harsh or brash. Her voice was light and soft as velvet.
“We’re going to visit the school on Covered Street today, Finney,” she told to the driver of her carriage handing the thin, balding man in a teal uniform two baskets of flowers for the teachers. “Did you bring the box of sweets for the children?”
“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied to the Queen as he helped her into the carriage. “Have some good stories to read to the children today?
“Certainly do,” she smiled warmly as she watched Finney take his place at the front of the carriage. Leaving the castle grounds, they rode through the city passing pristine white stone houses, some revealing exquisite beveled glass windows. Exteriors of the houses were decorated with an abundance of bountiful flowering bushes and beautiful sculptured gardens. Continuing along the route there were many houses displaying windows of magnificent designs in colored glass.”
The streets were filled with people walking about and visiting shops. Queen Suri smiled and waved to them as her carriage passed by. She was much beloved by everyone and they eagerly returned her wave and smiled back at their queen.
Myadora turned to Winston; “She knew everyone in the kingdom by name and occasionally would have Finney stop the carriage to talk with some of her subjects. Wishing them a happy birthday if appropriate or acknowledging some other occasion. The Queen was always very thoughtful and caring.”
The scene he had watched vanished from his sight in a puff and was replaced by the Queen reading to a group of children.
As she was finishing the third story for the younger children, a teacher for the older children interrupted, “The children are ready for you on the boquent court.”
“Thank you Merrilina, I’ll be there momentarily,” Queen Suri replied as she handed out sweets to the young children and invited them to watch her play boquent tag with the older children.
Winston watched as the Queen and three children paired up into two teams. Hundreds boquent flies of various colors, with tiny oval wings, flew around in the enclosed court.
Holding her soft open racquet first in her left hand and then shifting it to her right hand Suri passed a purple boquent fly through the hoop, then went for two flies, three flies and when she finally was able to get four flies to pass through racquet at the same time she scored. Then she turned and tagged her partner, a stout dark-haired boy on the shoulder who then took his turn. There was cheering as players scored. One of the flies got tangled in the curly red hair of a young player, her partner a thin short boy ran to her rescue. He carefully released the unharmed fly from the young girl’s hair. Children on both teams giggled with delight to be playing one of their favorite games with their Queen.
“Wow it’s hard to believe she’s a queen, she acts like such a regular person,” Winston commented.
In the blink of an eye the scene changed. Far off in the distance was a figure of an elegant dressed man in a purple jacket, white pants and black boots. He was riding a sable horse on what seemed to be a road in the countryside. As the rider came closer, Winston noticed his shoulder length blonde hair and his full beard. “Wait, stop!” Winston