As the sun was nearing it's zenith in the clear blue sky that cold winter's day, Queen Sparta and King Therakles were presented by the High Priest and High Priestess of the Temple of Hades before the crowds of people who gathered around the hillside; of which the ancient sepulcher was built into, located just outside the city. Hammers and chisels were implemented by two of the builders of the Royal Tombs, called forth to unseal the stone vault. Brother and Sister stood there together, holding hands, their nerves on edge as they trembled in the frigid air before the opening of their mother's eternal resting place. Here looking up at the familiar structure; which was fashioned as a shrine dedicated to the worship of the dead. There was, above the portals surrounded by two large columns, a scene of a hunting party painted in bright colors upon the facade over the entryway. A painting Sparta enjoyed looking upon the many times, growing up, when she came to visit her mother's tomb, it portrayed a mounted hunting party of men and women in the process of dispatching a lion, a stag, game birds and other prey, an artistic statement to all those who passed by that this tomb belonged to an exceptionally important Royal Family. Inside were precious grave goods crammed in the corners and niches, where votive offerings were brought for the spirits of the dead, all items left to honor them with a rich treasure trove of finely crafted items, a message for thousands of generations yet born, a reminder to the future world of Greece's Golden Age.
Queen Sparta took in a deep breath holding back her tears as she remembered coming to this quiet place, early in the mornings on warm Summer days, to be alone sitting on the steps, bringing many tears along with pretty flowers she would leave as a token of love for her mother. One morning, after sitting there for hours she had got up and left, but turned back to spy a deer with her fawn eating up all the sunflowers; which did her poor little heart good to see. So with this sacred memory Queen Sparta entered the icy tomb which had been sealed up nearly 20 years ago, upon the assassination of her mother, little Sparta was not there that fateful day for she was still being held hostage by her mother's assassin. With heaviness in their hearts brother and sister followed the holy ones in the darkened musty chamber, they, themselves, were not quite prepared for what they would see.
The colors were what stood out at first as her eyes adjusted to the streaming sunlight which poured into the ancient tomb illuminating the space. There was the hue of reddish black, the sheen of old silver, fragments of wood blackened by fire and decay, sprinkled with tiny leaves of gold, green patinas of oxidized bronze sculptures, rusted iron weapons, full sets of body armor, gauntlets, greaves, arrows mingled and unsheathed, swords, shields. There were 100's of silver bowls, jugs, cups, plates, all gilded in gleaming gold; which shone bright in the light of the torches as if they were newly made and just now put away. Here King Therakles stood in reverent awe in the silent tomb, save for the prayers and incantations, as incense were burned, prayers offered up to appease the dead. Taking in the sacred moment, he would cherish forever, for he, himself, was a devotee of the Ancient Mystery Cult, familiar with his peoples religion, knowledgeable in the art of lethal spells and charms. All this, the grave goods, were scattered about, in no orderly fashion, upon the tile floor and around the marble sarcophagus; the cold slab on which their mother's earthly remains lay. There before their tear filled eyes, out of sight of all the people, brother and sister gasped seeing the full skeleton of their beloved mother, the body of which had conceived them, the womb of which they were both nurtured, together, lay before them wrapped in purple silk and linen, covered by her shield, her sword at her right side, her crown at her feet. Here they saw the bones of Queen Thera had turned purple in many places as the dye from the shroud had leeched out into the porous white skeleton. Here the High Priest and High Priestess carried in a heavy 3 foot golden box, to gather up the earthly remains of the long dead queen for the cremation ceremony, to clear away her body, making way for the corpse of the newly dead King Vyakles, so that they might be joined here together forever, united in the grave for all eternity along with the remains of those noble royal ancestors of the brave King.
Now here is where Queen Sparta parted the path of her religious beliefs, so strongly held by her dearest brother King Therakles, for she did not wish to have her mother's earthly remains to be destroyed by fire, the form that gave her life reduced to a pile of ashes and teeth. Though Queen Sparta realized, deep down inside of her being, that was just the Themiscyran blood trying to speak to her spirit, but she was now living and breathing, raised as a Greek citizen, a Spartan, above all, and now she was the ruling Queen. Even so she had no power to go up against the power of the priesthood or the wrath of the gods, so she kept her mouth shut never speaking her mind as she stood as a silent witness to this holy process. Standing over her mother's skeleton she was instructed to remove Queen Thera's Sword of War, as her brother took in his hands her shield, the High Priestess removed the crown from the sarcophagus as the High Priest collected the bones and skull, placing the skeleton in black fur, wrapping them up and setting them gently inside the golden box. Two young acolytes, dressed in red, entered bearing censors of smoldering incense of frankincense and myrrh to ward of any evil spirits from entering the space, chanting prayers of protection for the living.
The High Priest spoke in a loud voice so all the multitude of citizens gathered outside the chamber might hear "Now we shall cleanse the bones of our Great Queen Thera with fire, the smoke and ashes shall drift up with our prayers, to Mt.Olympus, so the gods and goddesses might bless her with divinity and allow her to reside with them there forever and ever."
So it came to pass the attendants of the Temple of Hades carried away the mortal remnants of that Noble and Glorious Queen Thera, as her children followed along the processional way their chins held high, showing much grace and little emotion, though their hearts were broken, and the day was still not over. For they would spend the next four hours with the War Council to be apprised of the ongoing siege of Thebes, next they had their fathers funeral to attend and oversee, then the night would come and so would begin the Feast of Coronation, all the while Queen Sparta's only desire was to return to her warm bed and go back to sleep,
Queen Sparta took in a deep breath holding back her tears as she remembered coming to this quiet place, early in the mornings on warm Summer days, to be alone sitting on the steps, bringing many tears along with pretty flowers she would leave as a token of love for her mother. One morning, after sitting there for hours she had got up and left, but turned back to spy a deer with her fawn eating up all the sunflowers; which did her poor little heart good to see. So with this sacred memory Queen Sparta entered the icy tomb which had been sealed up nearly 20 years ago, upon the assassination of her mother, little Sparta was not there that fateful day for she was still being held hostage by her mother's assassin. With heaviness in their hearts brother and sister followed the holy ones in the darkened musty chamber, they, themselves, were not quite prepared for what they would see.
The colors were what stood out at first as her eyes adjusted to the streaming sunlight which poured into the ancient tomb illuminating the space. There was the hue of reddish black, the sheen of old silver, fragments of wood blackened by fire and decay, sprinkled with tiny leaves of gold, green patinas of oxidized bronze sculptures, rusted iron weapons, full sets of body armor, gauntlets, greaves, arrows mingled and unsheathed, swords, shields. There were 100's of silver bowls, jugs, cups, plates, all gilded in gleaming gold; which shone bright in the light of the torches as if they were newly made and just now put away. Here King Therakles stood in reverent awe in the silent tomb, save for the prayers and incantations, as incense were burned, prayers offered up to appease the dead. Taking in the sacred moment, he would cherish forever, for he, himself, was a devotee of the Ancient Mystery Cult, familiar with his peoples religion, knowledgeable in the art of lethal spells and charms. All this, the grave goods, were scattered about, in no orderly fashion, upon the tile floor and around the marble sarcophagus; the cold slab on which their mother's earthly remains lay. There before their tear filled eyes, out of sight of all the people, brother and sister gasped seeing the full skeleton of their beloved mother, the body of which had conceived them, the womb of which they were both nurtured, together, lay before them wrapped in purple silk and linen, covered by her shield, her sword at her right side, her crown at her feet. Here they saw the bones of Queen Thera had turned purple in many places as the dye from the shroud had leeched out into the porous white skeleton. Here the High Priest and High Priestess carried in a heavy 3 foot golden box, to gather up the earthly remains of the long dead queen for the cremation ceremony, to clear away her body, making way for the corpse of the newly dead King Vyakles, so that they might be joined here together forever, united in the grave for all eternity along with the remains of those noble royal ancestors of the brave King.
Now here is where Queen Sparta parted the path of her religious beliefs, so strongly held by her dearest brother King Therakles, for she did not wish to have her mother's earthly remains to be destroyed by fire, the form that gave her life reduced to a pile of ashes and teeth. Though Queen Sparta realized, deep down inside of her being, that was just the Themiscyran blood trying to speak to her spirit, but she was now living and breathing, raised as a Greek citizen, a Spartan, above all, and now she was the ruling Queen. Even so she had no power to go up against the power of the priesthood or the wrath of the gods, so she kept her mouth shut never speaking her mind as she stood as a silent witness to this holy process. Standing over her mother's skeleton she was instructed to remove Queen Thera's Sword of War, as her brother took in his hands her shield, the High Priestess removed the crown from the sarcophagus as the High Priest collected the bones and skull, placing the skeleton in black fur, wrapping them up and setting them gently inside the golden box. Two young acolytes, dressed in red, entered bearing censors of smoldering incense of frankincense and myrrh to ward of any evil spirits from entering the space, chanting prayers of protection for the living.
The High Priest spoke in a loud voice so all the multitude of citizens gathered outside the chamber might hear "Now we shall cleanse the bones of our Great Queen Thera with fire, the smoke and ashes shall drift up with our prayers, to Mt.Olympus, so the gods and goddesses might bless her with divinity and allow her to reside with them there forever and ever."
So it came to pass the attendants of the Temple of Hades carried away the mortal remnants of that Noble and Glorious Queen Thera, as her children followed along the processional way their chins held high, showing much grace and little emotion, though their hearts were broken, and the day was still not over. For they would spend the next four hours with the War Council to be apprised of the ongoing siege of Thebes, next they had their fathers funeral to attend and oversee, then the night would come and so would begin the Feast of Coronation, all the while Queen Sparta's only desire was to return to her warm bed and go back to sleep,
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