Free Veiled Dreams by Gill James Page B

plates of meat, the bowls of pureed fruit and yogurt and the baskets full of bread. Christina was still a little too nervous to eat much, but she did manage to swallow two bowlfuls of the yogurt, which was richer and creamier than the ones she used to eat at home. She noticed that Imigriana always waited until the king and queen had both begun to eat before she started.
    Imigriana’s parents seemed quite kind, Christina thought. And King Tutoralph looked very young for his age and quite handsome. He too had no grey hairs, though there were a few creases on his forehead. They just made him look wiser. His deep brown eyes laughed all the time.
    Another gong sounded. Christina followed the others as they folded their napkins. They made their way to a wide open courtyard, where already masses of men, women and children were kneeling with their arms spread in front of them and their foreheads touching the ground. The king and queen did the same. Imigriana nodded to Christina to kneel, and then knelt herself.
    This is going to be a bundle of laughs
, thought Christina. But she was surprised to find that she felt a lot more comfortable that shewould have guessed in this strange position. It was really rather relaxing.
    ‘We start the prayer of the East!’ boomed the loudspeaker. The crowd started mumbling and making odd gestures with their hands. Christina tried her best to follow the movements and moved her lips up and down to make it look as if she was saying the prayer.
    I wish I could understand what was going on
, she thought.
    ‘It is really the prayer of the beginning of the day,’ said a voice in her head. Mona!
    ‘See the sky lighten, and how the golden sun slips above the horizon. Hear the birds sing, and see the buds opening on the spring shrubs. Greet the great stag, the king of the morning beasts. Take your shimmering sword and honour the king. Feel the fine morning air on your cheeks. Put back your sword and take your great bow and arrow. Draw back the string and send the arrow after your dream. And now feel the morning breezes chasing away old and defeating thoughts. Give yourself to the power of the East.’
    Mona’s voice faded. Christina was no longer in the dusty courtyard. She was alone. The great stag stared at her, then blinked and moved away. The sword was heavy now and she was glad to put it away. The string of the bow twanged as the arrow made its way in a straight line through the air. She shivered as it landed. That spot had something to do with her purpose here. The breeze, which until now had gently moved her hair, turned into a strong wind. As it tugged at her clothes she knew the spoiled parts of the past were being carried away from her.
    The voice of the loud speaker brought Christina abruptly back to the courtyard.
    ‘Now we shall take the Sumat.’
    The prayers sat up. Christina carefully crossed her legs as the others had done. Servants in plain prayer dresses carried trays filled with glasses of fruit juice. Everyone drank in silence.
    ‘Now we shall pray to the South,’ boomed the loud speaker.
    ‘The great horseman of the south will bring life to all,’ Mona’s voice carefully explained. ‘Honour him and feel his power.’
    This time Christina found herself sitting on a white horse. Her own clothes were very thin, almost transparent. This was as well, as the sun was high in the sky and very hot. She was surprised to see the moon shining at the same time. She felt the sun pumping life into her and into all the plants and animals around her. The horse moved slowly forward. She felt the energy rising in her body, starting from the bottom of her spine. She held a stick in her hand. She used it as a pen to draw a great five-pointed star in the air in front of her.
    After this prayer, they were served a bowl of rice and vegetables and given water to drink. Next came the prayer to the West. Now she was in a forest in autumn. The trees were full of ripe nuts and leaves of gold and red. The