STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- Brothers

Melkor ascends the stairs, completely focussed on his destination.

Actually, is Pivane following?

Yes, so far. He is not at all amazed by the splendor of the Palace; he, like you, has been here too many times.

Melkor looks at him for the first time they left the ship.

"Good that you are still with me, I need your support Pivane. Talking with that idiot Einar is like usually a waste of time, so I am going straight to Castellan. Perhaps it would be better if I see him alone, though." -He adds.

Up the stairs you go, into the Chamber of Patience. Here, guests of the Palace await their audience with the Castellan, sometimes waiting for days before the Castellan is willing or able to see them, depending on his duties or whims. You are an exception.

"I understand," Janus says. "I will wait."

The Chamber of Patience is a square room, with stairs beginning halfway through and lightly ascending up to the immense double doors, inlaid with precious metals and engraved with the Sigil of the Castellan, two rifles crossed over a shield bearing the head of the Krresh, the large white wolf.

(My apologies, I have been calling the capitol Maurengard, when it is Maurenburg...d'oh...)

Melkor barely nod to Pivane, approaching the double door. For split second he looks at the sigil at seems uncertain, but his conviction quickly returns and he enters.

Pushing open the door, you slide into the darkness of the Throne Room. Normally it is filled with great light and wintery colors by the stained glass windows that adorn each wall. But the curtains have been pulled, leaving the Throne Room in darkness.

Shutting the door behind you, you can see a source of light. A few sets of candles burn, dim and quiet, on the far side of the room, illuminating the Throne itself. Upon it sits your father.

He has aged much in recent years, but he still retains his handsome features. His hair is still thick, though thinning and flecked with gray at the temples. Slouching, he leans his head on his hands.

"Who is there?" the Castellan Mauren Esgabath asks. His voice...bitter. More so than you think you have ever heard. "I requested no visitors!"

"It is me father." -Melkor speaks flatly as he enters.

He raises his head and sinks back into his throne, as if to fall through it and escape.

"Melkor," he says, hoarsely. "You have returned, then."

Melkor stares at him for a moment. He never saw his father looking so weak.....but then his anger returns.

"Why you didn`t inform me of what happened?"- He demands.

"I did not want you to return, my son," Mauren replies. The reply should have carried great anger and wrath, but instead it is frail and pitiful. "Too much your mother's son, you have no potential on Erengard. You should have stayed away..."

His head sags.

"Your mother...should have stayed away."

"But she didn`t want to, father! And I had right to be informed what happened..... I cannot believe in this suicide story!" -Melkor is towering over the grieving Castelllan.

"Believe it or not, it is what happened," your father replies, maintaing his gloomy demeanor. "Your mother never did love our world or way of life. It is a far cry from the glories of Alderaan."

"She wanted to make it a better place. And she came here for you!" -Melkor snaps back.

"Yes, but I had driven her away, Melkor. You know that."

That is true; you do recall the relationship between your mother and father being strained, especially once your father began to devote his attention to Einar and shunned you.

The Castellan sighs. "I drove her too far, it seems."

"You betrayed her and caused her death! My mother had too much pride to be simply driven away, you knew of it!"- Melkor clenches his fists, his stare accusing the Castelllan.

"Did she leave any note or letter?"

Castellan Mauren flinches at the accusation.

"How dare you presume such things!" he snarls, the weakness in his voice fading. His hands clench the armrests of his throne and the sorrow leaves his face. "So prideful she was, yes, but delicate! Fragile! Our ways crushed her spirit. You think she consulted me in this? Nay, she left no letter! No signal was given!"

"Perhaps you were just blind, father."- Melkor shakes his head, meeting his gaze.

"Where is her body?"

"Being prepared for her funeral," Mauren says. "She will be placed in the Mausoleum."

The Esgabathian Mausoleum is a large cave crafted into the mountain, designed for the interring of deceased Castellans and their families. There are other Mausoleums from times when the Esgabaths did not rule Erengard, similarly designed. The reigning Castellan may choose to refuse the dead access to their respective Mausoleum, but it is considered to be bad luck.

All bodies are preserved and placed on display, though the Mausoleums are not open to the public, with the exception of funerals.

Melkor shakes his head, no longer having strenght to argue

"I want to go and see her..... was it her wish to be buried here?"

"She did not express otherwise," Mauren says, "so we are following tradition."

Very rarely in Castellan history has any member of the Castellan's family been buried anywhere but Erengard.