Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Fertility Rites: The Great Marriage ❯ Introduction to the Past ( Prologue )

AN: Italics are flashbacks.

I am Relena, priestess of the isle of Avalon, where the ancient religion of the Mother Goddess began. It all started in the time of the greatest fear, the attack of the Saxons. My father, Gaul, fought bravely the upcoming barbarians while in Sanq; I lived as a child, not knowing the danger and pain I would have to go through in time. My mother, Annelise, was a daughter of the old religion, and secretly practised its magick. She could see... or so that was what I was told by my Aunt Morgose, who had lived with us until I could remember. Their elder sister, my other aunt, Vivianne, was the Lady of the Lake, High Priestess of Avalon... and also my mentor.

I had woken up to the bustle of the servants, which was normal except that I could distantly hear the wind calling me. 'Relena... Relena...'

"Mother.... Mother, where are you?" I said in a singsong manner, as I ran up the stairs to her bedroom. As I arrived in the room, I saw mother lying on the floor, unconscious and cold. Fear gripped my heart as I called for my Aunt Morgose to help me.

"What is it child... Oh my! Annelise!"

"Mother... wake up, please" I sobbed as I held unto her but Aunt Morgose pulled me up to my feet as she told me of the herbs that could help her. When I heard about it, we ran for the gates of the castle.

"Open the gates, the queen is ill..." Morgose told the captain of the guards, as we neared our destination. At first, he forbids us. Telling us that it was the king's orders that we would not leave the walls surrounding the kingdom. I almost in frustration and anger, but Morgose took hold of the situation and argued back that the king would be greatly disappointed if his beloved queen died. This wavered his decision, but still he held fast unto my father's orders. I didn't understand how they couldn't seem to care for my mother... but I understood that it was because of their fear of the Saxon barbarians.

At last, he relented, saying... "All right, you may pass but..." I didn't let him finish and dashed away as quickly as I can. But it seemed that the goddess wished my mother to be with her already for as I came back, I saw a vision and learned that it was already too late.

My brother, Milliardo, returned back to the capital of Sanq as he heard of our mother's death. He had come back from his training originally to help father drive away our enemies in these times of war. It seemed that the Saxons would be away forever, back to the shores of Great Britain. But when I heard the familiar voice of the Vivianne down in the threshold, I knew everything in my life was to change.

"She must come with me to Avalon to train." Vivianne told father. But father was adamant that I should stay that it would cause me danger to leave for the holy isle. "NO! I'd rather raise her a Christian than send her to Avalon in these times..."

"She has the power of sight. We both know that she could not run from it, and must train to her fullest potential for not only Avalon but also this world." Vivianne persisted as she saw my father's stubbornness.

She let my father think over it for a moment but when my brother saw that he was wavering he reminded him. "But father, she is just a child..."

This strengthened father's resolve not to let me be taken. "She'd be safer between the walls of a convent."

"Against physical harm, yes. But against her foresight, no." In the end, Vivianne won the argument and I was sent with her to Avalon. That was the time I felt fear creep over me, fear that I may never see my brother or father again, or that when I come to Avalon I might never be able come back. When we reached the borders of the lake, I couldn't believe that it was here that all the secrets of Avalon were held.

We boarded the boat to take us to Avalon; I was greatly surprised and astonished when Vivianne parted the mists to show me Avalon, our destination. There she taught me many things, that being a priestess not only meant to acquire knowledge but also to get power... to get the elements one by one. I remembered what she told me when I first came.... "The Goddess holds all things in power, good and evil, life and death, predator and prey, without her everything would result in chaos." It took many years until I was deemed ready for the greatest test, parting the mists of Avalon. I was aboard the boat again with Vivianne, standing a little distance before her. I did it like I was taught and was overjoyed when I passed without repeating it.

And at last I was to be given the sacred mark... "Welcome to the service of the goddess." As she said this I bowed low and smiled... I was now a priestess of Avalon.

Within days of my initiation, I was sent to take part in the fertility rites, the Beltane feast, or what Vivianne called "The Great Marriage" as the Virgin Huntress. To whom I would be given I do not know, for my partner was the one who would be able to kill the King's stag. I felt eyes bore into me and I looked up to see five men masked, as I was. I let my gaze linger a while on the man standing in the middle. He looked so much like a hunter, agile and strong, I couldn't help but feel that he would be the one to go through the ritual with me.

The women took me to a cave, in the expanse of it I saw a bed surrounded by three fireplaces lighting the place and warming it. They led me to the bed where they took my cloak, and left me to lie down as I waited for the one who won. Then he came, I didn't know who he was but I was sure he was the one I was eyeing before in the woods. When I was him, something stirred inside me, a longing... to see his face but we both kept our masks as was said in the ritual. I clutched at the woolen blanket surrounding me as he continued to stare. I looked down as he came forward but looked back up as he pulled the cloth from my grasp. Just as silently as he came did we partake in the act. Neither speaking, other than a few inarticulate sounds.

As I returned to the holy isle, I again felt longing come over me. I had hoped to know who he was but I learned nothing... saw nothing... except his eyes, deep cobalt like the sky in mid morn when the clouds are not in sight.

Months passed and I busied myself with learning and practicing more on my talents. I began to forget the incident, or so I hoped. I was concentrating on calling on fire when I felt a vision coming. I saw my brother, he was in danger, left alone to fight as father had died minutes before... while I was still away. I called out to Vivianne to help him and learned that she already knew and was trying to contact him. The Goddess helped him drive away yet again the Saxons and he was named king after father. I begged Vivianne to let me return to Sanq, and was very thankful when she gave her assent. I left immediately and arrived to the capital after a few days. There I learned that Aunt Morgose had died, in an attack, with her husband. Their son was pronounced king and his name was Luther.

to be continued...

AN again: Sorry but my fingers are tired of typing and I'm still working out how to introduce the other Gundam characters like Duo, Heero and all the others. Please review, I need it. Thanks for reading.