Sniffling, Merle used one paw to scrub at her eyes. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as she watched people enter the palace’s courtyard. Other than Lord Van’s coronation and Princess Millerna and Merchant Dryden’s wedding, she’d never seen so many people. And she had to stand in front of them and say something.
Stuff.
A lot of something.
Quietly mewling her nervousness, Merle continued to wring her hands.
She jumped a foot off the ground and let out a surprised growl when a hand landed gently on her shoulder.
“Lord Van!”
“You’ll do fine Merle, I have faith in you.” He smiled encouragingly at her.
“Th-thank you Lord Van! I’ll be sure to do you proud.”
“I know you will; just say what’s in your heart.”
Merle returned his smile.
As the bell sounded the hour, Van walked to the stairs of the palace. “Fanelians, I thank you for coming today. The reason for our gathering is a sad one, but those that have gone before us wouldn’t want us to remain stuck in the past forever. We lay them to rest today with promises to rebuild Fanelia and continue with our lives until we meet them again.”
Merle smiled, pride swelling in her heart. Van didn’t play with his sword or shuffle his feet or stumble over his words. His speech sounded a bit rehearsed, or at least thought-out. Why hadn’t she done that??
The crowd murmured agreement and Van stepped to the side, motioning for Merle to take his spot.
She almost bolted.
Carefully she stood exactly where he had, hands behind her back. “Th-thank you for coming today...” She gripped her hands tighter, words failing her.
Suddenly she flung out one hand towards Van.
“Please, take the hand of the person next to you.”
He’d already begun toward her before she finished.
Raising her head to the sky, Merle said, “We ask that you guide those we’ve lost to a better place. We’ll continue on, down here - it will hurt for a while - until we meet with them again, happily. We’ll remember them in our hearts and around our tables and hearths until that time.”
Van squeezed her hand.
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wiredclover said “tables and hearths” for the ESS last year and I borrowed it.
