Proudqueen

She sat with her head bowed,
And heard not the scattered words-
She who had once been so proud-
From the advisers fluttering around,

Their hands like broken-winged birds,
Their voices faint and shrill and far away.
Their words lay scattered on the ground;
She cared for nothing that they might say.

"Your Majesty, you must flee!"
They spoke of her, not of themselves.
For a moment, fire-bright memory
Warmed her like fire, then was gone.

When the war of her people against the elves
Turned on them, her advisers could have fled.
But they chose to see a new dawn
In her pride; chose to stay with her instead.

"Your Majesty, you must go now!"
They were so concerned, so afraid-
Again not of the fate they had chosen to bow
Their heads to, nor yet of their queen-

But of the decision the elves had made,
That she who sang to all their hearts,
That she with eyes like forests unseen
In waking thought, the queen of dark,

Must be put to death by fire and sword,
Must be laid low by the burning light.
They offered to guard her, serf and lord;
They would shield her with so much magic.

But, she thought, she had been queen of night.
Would she not be something of an ingrate
If she let this be less high and tragic
Than her nobles' courage, her kingdom's fate?

In the end, she lifted her head and spoke,
And all of them fell silent to listen,
She whose words the greatest voice broke,
Who had been put on earth the dark to sing,

Whose words even in the light would glisten
With something fine and glinting and oh so strong,
Who could bring the Darkness to everything,
Who was worthier than any to be honored in song.

"My people, my lords, hear me now, draw near.
I know you love me, and would have me safe.
But I will stay- no, listen now! Now hear!
I must stay, and bear the fate that falls

On my shoulders, the trap of all the great,
If their pride should outweigh their minds.
I will not hide behind iron or magic's walls.
I will face the fate that me here finds."

They stirred about her, and then one came
Forward, to stand staring her in the face.
This was her court's highest lord, a flame
That overmatched the light in all possible ways,

Who had filled her dark court with wit and grace,
Who had filled her heart with admiration,
Who had made the nights brighter than the days.
And he held out a hand now in invitation.

"My lady," he said, when she hesitated,
"You have been listening long to songs of light
That tell you that certain things are fated,
That the elves will always win out in the end,

"That the best course of the queen of night
Is to yield herself, like a goat to slaughter.
But let your thoughts that fine net rend!
Remember who you are, whose queen, whose daughter!

"An elven idea is this self-sacrifice,
This offering of yourself for the winners to take.
You have made our dark court a paradise,
And now would you give that all away?

"No, my lady; it would be a loss, a rape,
As much as the elves long to rape the dark.
Come with us, and we will yet conquer day!
They have won for now, but may you mark

"How long it took them, to beat armies back,
To teach magic to be of the light,
To conquer the night in all her glory black!
Come with us, and we will build again,

"My lady who is queen of the night!
We will live in the shadows, hidden places.
You will rule over the hearts of men-
You, the most starry of all night's graces."

She gazed upon him, and it could be seen
That a smile flirted upon her lips, her cheeks.
Then she rose, and with her eyes flaring green
Held out a hand to clasp his palm.

He took her hand; and proud, again unmeek,
She tossed her head and went to ride
The winds of night, her people singing a psalm
To their queen of night, reborn to pride.