As soon as Queen Mandane heard my words, she immediately showed signs of relief. "My family would be honored if you would stay with us during your time in Anshan."
"I do not want to be a burden on your family, I am very happy and satisfied in the Atashgah," I told her. "I prefer to serve the people and pray wherever I travel."
She looked at me with sad eyes. "We are in need of your help as well," she implored, "Since we lost our son, my husband and I have been inconsolable. We need the guidance of someone as spiritual as you."
"I am Queen Mandane," she replied, clearly not used to introducing herself. "I will be glad to share my story with you if you will accompany us back to the castle."
I wondered what kind of troubles a Queen might have. I will not lie. If I had not been bored I would not have entertained her offer. I am interested in the plight of my people, not the petty concerns of a spoiled monarch. Her plea affected me greatly, however, and I found myself accepting her invitation. I returned with her company and her guards to the palace and was shown to the guest house, a spacious enough quarters for an old holy man. I had no need for such comforts, but I thanked the servant anyway and prepared myself to hear her story the next morning.
After breakfast my company was requested by the Queen. When she began to tell her story my attention was riveted; her story caused me to intervene in the lives of man for the first time in many years.
The Queen was seated on a plush, purple, velvet seat when I entered her outer chamber. Her maid servants were entertaining themselves playing a game of cards in the corner while they waited for their Queen to speak with me. In most circumstance it would be unseemly for a man to enter the Queen's quarters, but as I was disguised as an old man, and a holy one at that, there was no impropriety in our situation. She motioned for me to have a seat in the chair across from her which I happily did. I am not accustomed to taking human form and it was wearing on me.
"Thank you sir, for joining me," she said as I sat down.
As if from nowhere, a young woman appeared with chai (tea) and two pialas (small cup). She gracefully prepared our tea while we sat in silence waiting for her to finish.
I took out my tobacco pipe and, while I searched my pockets for the tobacco, I said, "Thank you for your hospitality your Highness. It is my honor to serve you. How can I be of assistance?" There are not many things I miss about the human form. For the most part, the human body is cumbersome at best, but the pleasure of tobacco is something I continue to enjoy. I lit my pipe and sat back, allowing the heavy smoke to fill my lungs and waft deliciously in the air between us.
"You obviously see that I am Queen of this land, but since you are not from these parts you may not be aware my lineage." she hesitated for a moment here, clearly gathering her thoughts. "I was born to the King of Kings. My mother is Empress Aryenis (princess of Lydia) and my father is Emperor Astyages of the Median Empire."
"Yes, of course," I replied. "I have heard of the King of Kings. You come from a very virtuous line. In my travels I have heard much of your father, the Emperor, as well as stories of your great grandfather, Diyako." I certainly had more than heard of her great grandfather, I had been one of his chief advisors! Even at a young age the compassion and justice for which he became famous were evident. He united the six Madayu tribes and established a unified military force to stop the Assyrian aggressions. He was another Matiene among the Airyanem Vaejah nations.
"My parents are happily married, but in the early years, my mother often felt isolated. She came from Lydia [13] as a young woman; her marriage to my father was arranged to solidify the tenuous peace between their peoples. For five years the kingdoms of Media and Lydia had waged war. It was in the fifth year that the sun became black and signaled an end to the war for both sides. She was not my father's first wife. He was married to Princess Vashti [14] when he also wed my mother. In spite of this, they grew to love one another.
"When I was born, my father held a large celebration and the guests began to offer names for their newborn child. As is often the case, most assumed that I would be named after an ancestor or by the village's holy man. However, my father had a different plan; he and my mother chose the name Mandane. My name comes from the meaning of two words: Man, which means "I" or "my", and Dana, which means "smart" or "wise." My father would often call me 'my wise girl.' He loved me greatly. My mother, so young at the time, would also call me "my wise girl, my daughter, my friend. I was very happy in those times."
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