A Tale of Two Holidays (semi-open/closed)

Prydania

Það er alltaf sólríkt í Býkonsviði
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Pronouns
He/His/Him
TNP Nation
Prydania
Discord
lordgigaice
21 December 2019
9:42 pm
On a Saturday
St. Ro's Cathedral, Beaconsviði, Prydania

Blárjól* services reached their peak as the solemn hyms seamed to compliment the falling snow against the night sky and pale light of the cold moons.

"I wish to thank all of the families who came to worship with us" Bishop Cecilie Steen said as she addressed a crowd of tired but attentive worshippers in the capital's national cathedral.

"Blárjól was always meant as a time of reflection, but each year since the return of peace has brought more than we might otherwise have. It's been my honour to lead you all in prayer tonight. And it is my honour to invite His Majesty, King Tobias III, Defender of the Faith, to provide some words as we conclude tonight's service.

Tobias had an intimate relationship with Ro's Cathedral. It was where he had his coronation. Memories of that day still flooded back to him every time he visited the cathedral for services, even now over two years later. The damage repaired, the old splendour restored, and yet Tobias could still see it in its post-War state. The image crystal clear in his mind.
He, dressed in modest ceremonial dress, rose and approached the podium. He'd been asked to give this speech in 2017. And 2018. He had finally agreed this year. Why? He did not know. Maybe it was to satisfy the request. Maybe...maybe he'd been thinking on things more clearly this year? Whatever reason the feeling that he shouldn't be giving this speech wasn't there this year.

"Thank you Bishop Steen" he said with a soft smile before beginning.

"Blárjól...it's a funny little holiday we have. Perhaps it's fitting. A funny little holiday, tucked away in a small forested corner at the top of the world. Our tradition. One some are fascinated by. One others don't understand. I admit, I didn't. At least I thought I didn't. Blárjól to me is a day that's tied with...inexplicable sadness. I think Blárjól must have been the first day I truly had to come to terms with my family's death...and I think that so much of that hurt must have been shared. I saw it through the years, as a young child. Men, women, children, huddled in prayer on the longest night of the year. Symbolic in our suffering against tyranny. But..."

He sighed and nodded.
"That's what I didn't understand. As I got older. As I thought I could see the world more clearly, I assumed and thought that the ritual was old. Nonsensical. That to spend a night purely dedicated to recounting pain and hurt? It was torture! It had to be. I guess it was one more thing to be arrogant about, or maybe cynical. It was a cruel trick fate played on my generation I suppose. We were surrounded by a world that tempted us to embrace nihilism. And that was why we needed nights like Blárjól more than anything."

He looked around at the full cathedral before continuing.

"I realized that. It was part of a wider spiritual awakening. And I saw what Blárjól gave us. A chance to address our pain. Not to funnel into hatred for the enemy. Not to wallow in it, but to...to reflect."

The young King fought back the urge to choke up, continuing.

"Reflect on all we lost, but to know that in death they will know peace. And isn't that what it's about? That in sadness and loss there is hope. For every loved one we lost, for every painful memory, we know. There is hope. There is always hope. It's the gift we receive through the Messiah, and that we see in each other. We are all recounting a sorrow tonight. Each one of us. Look to each other. You're all recounting pain, and a hope for the future. Let your pain be your neighbour's, and let their hope be yours. That's how we find hope. When we help each other be better because of it. That's why we, in our little forested corner of the top of the world, come together on the longest night of the year to pray."

"May God preserve Prydania" he said softly, before welcoming Bishop Steen back to the pulpit and making his way back to his seat.




21 December 2019
9:41 pm
On a Saturday
The Great Bet Tefila, Beaconsviði, Prydania


Gadol Ari Bohr stood before the assembled Shaddaist community of Prydania's capital on the first night of Yirhet'kel* the Eternal Flame flickering peacefully by his side. The bet tefila*, as keeping with the tradition of the holidays, kept the lights low with the flame providing the central point of illumination.

"We give thanks to you, Shaddai, ruler of the universe and creator of life, for your flames of creation and knowledge."

"You give us guidance, and show us the way in our most uncertain times" the congregation replied, in accordance with the ancient prayer.

"You give us strength when we are suffering" the Gadol continued.

"You give us compassion when all we feel is hatred" the congregation replied.

"You give us courage when we cower in fear" the Gadol continued the prayer.

He looked up and calmly closed the prayer book, smiling as he looked out on the congregation. It was time for the sermon, before the closing prayers.

"I wish to thank Cohen Khenesha Na Balumakh of Astragon for coming to pray with us" he turned and smiled to the Astragonese Shaddaist Cohen who was seated off to the side behind him as he gave his sermon. The two had taken turns leading the prayer during the night. The Astragonese Cohen returned the smile with a polite nod.

"It saddens me that Astragon has experienced some of what Prydania has suffered. My only joy in the matter is that it was thankfully a short conflict and peace appears to be at hand. Still, no one should know such strife in their land. I thank you, Cohen, for coming here tonight to pray with us, as we reflect on our people all over and not just in Prydania. For our struggle, as much as it impacted us, us merely one in a line that shall continue. Of suffering, cruelty, sorrow, and loss. Already events in Astragon prove to be the next link in the chain, and there will be more to follow."

He looked out over at the illuminated faces of the congregation.

"What does this mean for us? Do we wallow as this chain grows? Do we surrender ourselves? No. We do not. It is through Shaddai that we find hope. In ourselves, our friends, our family, our people. I look back, at the Maccabees as they fought Shavian oppression so long ago. Through every hardship and tyranny we endured. Through our own trials as Syndicalist pogroms terrorized our homes. And now, to Astragon attempting to find peace after such a brutal, if short, war. Suffering links us all, yes, but more than that. Hope does."

"The prayer we recite each year....'You give us strength when we are suffering...You give us compassion when all we feel is hatred...You give us courage when we cower in fear,' this is the true meaning of hope. That the Shaddai's love is present even in the most daunting moments. It is a poetry of the soul that weaves through history. We all reflect on the Maccabees' struggles tonight. I ask you all to not think of them in the context of our own struggles as we have in years past. Now is the time to think of the struggles in Astragon. And Ducrijeka, Oclusia, Yalkan, McMasterdonia, Sutherland, and so many other places where there is strife. And how hope, how the hope our ancestors fought for, and which we all now draw from, can be a hope for peace elsewhere too. Thank you all, may the eternal flame of Shaddai's love warm us all."

The Gadol set his speech down, folded in half next to the prayer book and turned to sit. Cohen Khenesha Na Balumakh rose, the two exchanging a quiet word before the Astragonese man took the podium to present the final prayer.

"Blessed are you, Shaddai, Ruler of the Universe, who makes us holy through Your commandments, and commands us to observe the Eternal Flame on Yirhet'kel" he said in Yihuddi, raising his hands to bless the congregation.

"May Shaddai bless you and keep you" he concluded, followed by a solemn "amen" from the crowd.

The congregation stood. Friends and neighbours made small talk, children joked with one and other, finally happy to be able to stand again, all as the crowd made its way out.

"Thank you again, for coming" the Gadol said to the Astragonese Cohen" in Mercanti as the two made their way out.

"It was my pleasure. The events back home made me realize how important it is to reach out."

"I just hope it's not too cold!"

"I survived listening to Murza's speeches daily. A blizzard is a welcome relief after that!"
The two holy men smiled, continuing to talk amongst themselves as the evening wound down.



*Blárjól= Blue Christmas, a holiday celebrated in Prydania on the Winter Solstice to begin the Christmas season and contemplate on both loss and hope

*Yirhet'kel= Festival of the Cold Moons, a Shaddaist holiday that takes place in the winter. It celebrates the Maccabees' victory over the Shavians in defence of the Shaddaist community in Meron in the 150s BC.

*bet tefila= A Shaddaist house of prayer
 
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Ari shook Khenesha's hand as he dropped him off at at his hotel in the city centre, the snow not yet a blizzard, but picking up to be sure.

"I hope his plane isn't delayed" Rachel Bohr, the Gadol's wife, remarked as they pulled away.

"They say the worst of the storm will be over by sunrise" Ari shrugged.
"We'll take him to dinner if he's still stuck here" he added, before breathing deep and feeling a sense of serenity in the car. The heater warmed them, the snow was still falling softly enough to seem serene. The windscreen wipers providing a soft hum as they made their way through Beaconsviði.

"Oh I almost forgot to ask" Ari said as he turned onto their street.
"When's Eli's plane coming in on Monday?"

"Six-thirty dear, just like it was the last time you asked."

"Oh who has time to remember everything" he chuckled.
"Maybe we can talk him into coming home after he graduates" he added.

"He's working hard on his studies, don't pile that up on him too."

"Who's piling? It's the holidays!" Ari protested as they pulled up to their townhouse to see two men waiting outside in winter coats, distinguished by the emblem of the Knights of the Storm on the left shoulder.

"Government?" Rachel asked nervously. Ari just nodded. Things had been much better for the Shaddaist community of Prydania since the fall of Syndicalism. After years of SoComm and Syndicalist governments though? Any Prydanian Shaddaist would be nervous to see government officials on their doorstep.
"Just stay calm" Rachel said to her husband as they both exited the car.

"Gadol Bohr?" one of the men asked.

"Yes" Ari replied, a bit tense but otherwise polite.

"First, let me wish you a happy Yirhet'kel" the Knight of the Storm smiled, extending his gloved hand. Ari returned the gesture, shaking.

"Thank you," Ari replied, the gesture relaxing him considerably.
"And a happy Blárjól to you...Though you have me at a loss as to why you're on my doorstep this late."

"Our apologies" the other Knight replied.
"We don't mean to bother you this late, but His Majesty requests the Gadol's presence."

"Pardon?" Rachel replied.
"His Majesty, as in the King?"

"Yes Ma'am" the first Knight replied.
"We just got the order. Trust us, the strangeness of the hour isn't lost on us either" he chuckled as the four of them stood in the snow.

"What does His Majesty want, if you don't me asking?" Ari asked. He was no longer worried or nervous, more confused. He didn't expect that any direct invitation to meet the King would mean anything sinister, but the late hour still confused us.

"I would tell you if I knew, Gadol. We're just tasked with bringing you to see him at Absalonhöll, and bringing you back when the meeting is concluded."

"A meeting...the King wants a meeting now...ok" he said with a chuckle, turning to his wife.
"I'll try not to be too interesting, maybe he'll let me get home quickly."

Rachel, herself relieved, nodded.
"I'll try and stay up for you," giving him a kiss on the cheek. The two Knights wishing her a pleasant evening as she entered their home.

"Alright Gadol, if you come with us we'll get you to Absalonhöll in no time."




Ari had met Tobias before, a few times. He'd had generally positive interactions with the young King, but had never truly gotten to know him. And so he was a bit unsure of what to expect as he sat in the reading room. It was an elongated room with stone walls and an arched wooden ceiling, the wood itself ornately engraved with scenes he was sure he recognized from Thaunic mythology. The reticulated windows, set in the stone walls, giving him a glimpse of the snow falling faster. The blizzard was coming.
A fire blazed at the far end of the room, below a stone relief of the Royal coat of arms. Ari was sure he could tell a slight difference in the stone's colourization compared to the rest of the wall. It must be new, to replace Syndicalist vandalism.

"Gadol Bohr, it's great to see you" Tobias said as he entered, wearing casual khaki pants and loafers, with a white cotton shirt.

"You as well, Your Majesty" Ari replied, standing respectfully, only for Tobias to chuckle nervously himself.

"Please, sit, I insist" the King said before taking a seat on the couch opposite Ari's.
"And a happy Yirhet'kel to you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. A happy Blárjól to you" Ari replied, sitting once more.

"Thank you, I just returned from Church services not too long ago."

"I hope you found solace in them, Your Majesty."

"I try to, every year" Tobias said with a meek smile.
"The first night of Yirhet'kel rarely lines up with Blárjól like it has this year, if I'm correct?"

Ari was a bit surprised by the question, but thought.
"I can't recall the last time it happened Your Majesty. Certainly the first time in your reign, and the end of the war."

Tobias nodded as he looked over the man opposite him. He sensed some sort of heaviness from the Gadol of Prydania's Shaddaists. And while the FNU's victory had ended the Syndicalist regime and their periodic pogroms? The fact was that the Loðbrók dynasty hardly had its hands clean when it came to the history of Shaddaists in Prydania. Maybe that's why he'd put this off for so long? Regardless...like giving a speech at Church...tonight seemed to be a night for overcoming inhibitions.

"That's why I wanted to talk to you Gadol. Tonight that is. I wanted us to meet when it was still this rare time when Blárjól and Yirhet'kel overlapped. And thankfully we still have a few hours left" he said with a smile.

Ari was a bit confused. First, that he wanted to meet before the 21st ended...he didn't understand that. He was, despite being a religious man, rather practical. What did it matter? Could this not wait until the morning? He knew the King just well enough, however, to know that he liked the important meaning of things, even if they were just purely symbolic. Still, even if he gave Tobias that? He didn't know what "this" was.
"A few hours left for what, Your Majesty. I'm sorry, it's just that no one's told me why you wanted to see me."

Tobias nodded.
"I'm sorry for the hours..."

"Everyone's sorry for the hours, but they still dragged me here" Ari thought.

"...but," the King continued, "it's my understanding that there are two primary Yirhet'kel services. The one on the first night, and the one on the last night in eight days?"

"That's true" Ari replied.
"It's late this year. It'll nearly reach January."

"You know, I've always wanted to go to one" Tobias remarked.

"A Yirhet'kel service?" Ari asked shocked.

Tobias nodded.
"We had Shaddaist soldiers in the FNU. They'd hold their own ceremonies, in those cold Decembers. Just like we would, for Blárjól. I always wondered what that Shaddaist ritual was, when I was younger. Then, as I got older and began my studies, I found out. But I never got to see a proper one."

"Well..." Ari replied, searching for words.
"...Your Majesty, you have always been welcome at our bet tefila."

Tobias smiled.
"I'm glad to hear that. I was wondering if I could attend the service for the last night."

Ari smiled a bit.
"I'd be honoured to have you there, Your Majesty but if I may ask..."

"Go ahead" Tobias replied eagerly.

"...this is the third December since the end of the War. And I meant what I've said. You have always been welcome at my house of prayer. If you had wanted to attend a ceremony, why wait until now?"
Ari was a bit nervous. It was a frank question, but not a disrespectful one. Still, you could never tell how people would take things.

Tobias though, he just sat there for a moment, looking down as he thought.
"William Aubyn..." he began softly...
"I don't want you to think poorly of him, I don't. He's the closest man I have to a father...and I owe him everything. He was though, a politician."

Ari nodded.
"He was. And a good one. I remember liking him back in the 80s" he said with a grin.
"You weren't alive for that, but boy. He drove Toft crazy back then."

Tobias smiled in return.
"I've seen the VidCast videos of those old Alþingi debates. They're something else."

"But I'm confused Your Majesty" Ari continued.
"William Aubyn was a friend to the Shaddaist community. I can't imagine he'd have disapproved of you spending a night to witness a Yirhet'kel service."

"No, he didn't" Tobias slightly shook his head.
"He was pretty eager for it. He wanted me to do it. In part because it would look good. To embrace the Shaddaist community after all the Syndicalists did."

"And you didn't want to?" Ari asked confused.

"I did...but not...not for that reason" the King replied.
"I didn't want to go, and make a spectacle out of something so...tragic. I didn't want to go for political reasons. And besides, I just...I felt like a hypocrite."

"How so, Your Majesty?" Ari asked. He sense the young man was dealing with something, something he was trying to deal with.

"My family...Anders, Rikard...go back further...you know. My family hasn't been the kindest to your people."

"Well no, it has not, if I may be so bold Your Majesty" Ari said, smiling as Tobias acknowledged it.
"But we're still here. You're still here. And after what we've all been through, we call you our King. Believe me, I feel no hesitation with that."

"Thank you, Gadol Bohr but...it just felt...wrong. To walk into your house of worship without somehow acknowledging that."

Ari chuckled softly to himself.
"Your Majesty, may I be honest with you?"

"Of course."

"You're a young man. A bit older than my boy, but close enough. I know young people, you're all fired up here" Ari gently pat his hand over his heart.
"Believe me, I was too. Ask some of my professors down at the University of Beaconsviði. They'd tell you! But when you're young like that, you can let this..." he pat the spot over his heart again, "...override this" he said as he pat his own head.
"Your Majesty, you're not your family. And if you were? You're your father's son. And he was a good man, like I believe you are. You aren't your uncle. Don't let his sins weigh on you. I promise you, no one's going to be thinking of old Anders or what some long dead relative of yours did five-hundred years ago if you join us for services to close out Yirhet'kel. You're our King. We would be honoured."

Tobias nodded, looking down for a moment before looking back up.
"Thank you, Gadol."

"I'm happy to help."

"I have one more question, if you don't mind."

"You can ask anything, Your Majesty."

"What would you say Yirhet'kel is about?"

Ari thought for a moment.
"Well, it celebrates the Maccabees. Shaddaist warriors in ancient Iraelia who came to the aid of Shaddaists in Meron. We celebrate their victory, but what matters, if you ask me, and you very much did, is the hope they had. To face down a superior enemy in the Shavians, with Shaddai in their hearts, for their kin. It was built on hope, I believe. And that's why we honour them to this day."

Tobias nodded.
"I like that" he said with a smile.

"It's a message I believe we could all be reminded of from time to time" Ari replied.

Tobias nodded once more and stood, prompting Ari to follow suit. The King extended his hand, the Gadol shaking it.

"I'm sorry I had you come here at this hour, but thank you. Thank you for coming, and speaking with me."

"You're welcome Your Majesty. I hope you have a merry Christmas."

"Thank you. I look forward to seeing you in...seven days now?"

"Seven days" Ari nodded.

"Have a good night, Gadol Bohr."

"And you as well Your Majesty."




Ari thought back on the conversation as he was driven back home. The King was an interesting young man. He didn't quite understand why he did things the way he did, but he sensed goodness in him.
He thanked the two Knights of the Storm who dropped him off at home, huddling in his overcoat as he entered. A mini flame flickered in the windowsill, meant to recall the Eternal Flame of Shaddai.
He found Rachel sleep, kissing her softly before crawling into bed himself, to the warmth as the snow and wind echoed faintly from outside.




The Final Noel by Davies Gilbert, 3: 31
 
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25 December 2019
12:03 pm
On a Wednesday
St. Ro's Cathedral, Beaconsviði, Prydania

"I wish I had a story about the birth of the Messiah, and what we could learn from it, but I'm not a priest, and besides I don't want to steal Her Grace's thunder for her sermon later tonight" Tobias said with a smile as he motioned towards Bishop Steen, eliciting a polite laugh from the congregation. Tobias liked that, at least he knew they were listening.

"The truth is...I don't really. None that hasn't been said. The Messiah's birth brought hope. We should embody hope. Everyone's pointed that out for years, since the Civil War started really. The holiday is about family, and the need to remember those we lost and cherish those left. Again, I'm not the first one to say that..."

He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts.
"What then am I to say? I suppose I could have relied on expected pleasantries. People would deem what I said acceptable, and move on. I couldn't stomach it, though" he chuckled softly.

"So all I can do is stand here before this congregation, before the nation, and speak the truth. What I feel when called on for this speech. I feel scared. I see myself growing into this role, my role, and I wonder what the future will bring. I grow closer to my wife, my burgeoning family. And I realize I have no idea what I'm doing" he smiled to Alycia in the pews.
"And I see the world around us changing. Shifting. I'm scared...but it's new sort of feeling. I've been terrified before. We all have been, but this fear I feel on this Chirstmas, as the new year approaches, is new. It's not of dread, but of a shaky nervousness. Am I strong enough for these challenges? Is Prydania? I worry about those questions often...but every time I do? I'm reminded of the season we're here to celebrate. A calm fire. Friends. Family. The birth of the Messiah. I won't bore you all with laboured metaphors. I'll just tell you how I feel."

"When I feel scared, nervous, unsure? I think on everything this season brings us and I remember what it's all about. Home. Hearth. That's all we need. Our home. Each other. Individually we all may worry about the future, but if we all work together? If we all lift together, we can succeed at anything."
 
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