A Time of Harmony

Gloria Shannon

They stood in the steeple overlooking the village, watching as their people went about their day, playing, chatting, laughing and engaging in games and the creation of art. The grass was green, flowers and fruit bloomed from trees all under a glorious sunny sky. It made a pretty picture.

‘They seem content,’ he said.

‘And you want to ruin it?’ she sighed. ‘Why? For what? New lands we don’t know or understand.’

Eva was tired. Her father had spent much of his time as ruler looking for reasons to wage wars or cause chaos. It seemed she had been married off to someone with the same prerogative.

‘Adapt or Die,’ he bellowed now.

Tiring of her cries for peace, she lacked the understanding he had as a man, a King of Kings.

‘Destruct or die you mean. Exploring other lands is one thing, conquering them is quite another. You will either rain destruction, death and pain on our current people or those you try to conquer.’

Eva’s red hair was pinned tightly in a bun but strands were falling loosely framing her face. She was young and beautiful and she knew it. Youth and beauty were, however, the enemy of being taken seriously, she found. To her husband and his advisors, she was a silly little girl. No good for anything except looking pretty being bedded and producing heirs – all of which she had already achieved, at the ripe age of 21.

Her husband was older. He was strong and sturdy. Maidens definitely admired him, his sallow skin and his dark features. She had come to resent him and his beauty. He was still young and beautiful, yet people listened. People listened because he had something dangling between his legs she did not. That rather simple and delicate appendage was why she was dismissed and he was glorified.

Now, like her father, he wanted to start war by invading nearby lands. She couldn’t bear it. This was a time of peace, harmony and abundance. Her people were happy, fed and thriving.

He longed to strip the land of its food for supplies, take its men to end the lives of men elsewhere and have the women hold down the fort while they did it.

‘Silly little girl you are still,’ he snorted. ‘Without pain, there is no joy. These people need a little suffering and in the long run, it will make their lives better. Can’t you see… contentment is for the weak?’

This fight had gone on for weeks, months even. It started as soon as he noticed his people shared legends of war heroes, conquerors and explorers rather than their king, who ruled over a thriving contented land.

Eva sighed, tiring of this battle.

‘You know what dear,’ she smiled sweetly. ‘I tire of this. Let’s fight no more. Come to bed, let’s drink some wine and rest.’

She handed him the glass of red wine smiling as he thirstily gulped it down and she kept smiling sweetly as he clutched his throat and crumpled to the ground unable to breathe.

‘There is no joy without pain, my King. I’m afraid, for you, I needed your pain to bring about my joy.’

She blew out the candles and fell into a long peaceful slumber knowing this time of harmony would last a little longer.

Gloria Shannon is a member of Inklings Writing Group, whose members gather on Tuesdays at 11am and on Wednesdays at 7.30pm in the Annebrook House Hotel, Mullingar. Lovers of writing are welcome.