Stone of Tears

She smiled as she remembered that day. Richard had offered her help in escaping from the quads. He had saved her life. “It seems so long ago. Will you miss that life? Being a simple, carefree woods guide?” She smiled coquettishly. And single?”

Richard grinned. “single? Not with you as my wife. But a woods guide? Maybe a little.” He stared off at the fire. “I guess that for better or worse, I am the true Seeker. I hold the Sword of Truth, and the responsibilities that go with it, whatever they are. Do you think you can be happy being the wife of the Seeker?”

“I would be happy living in a tree stump, if you were there with me. But Richard, I’m afraid I’m still the Mother Confessor. I have responsibilities, too.”

“Well, you told me what it meant to be a Confessor, how when you touch someone with your power it forever destroys who they were, replacing it with absolute, magical devotion to you, to your wishes, and in that way you can have them confess the truth of their crimes, or for that matter you can make them do anything you would wish, but what other responsibilities do you have?”

“I guess I never told you about everything else that it means to be the Mother Confessor. It wasn’t important at the time; I didn’t think we could ever be together. I thought we would die, or even if we somehow won, you would go home to Westland and I would never see you again.”

“You mean the part about it mea’ning that you are more than a queen?”

She nodded. “The Central Council of the Midlands in Ay-dindril is made up of representatives of the more important lands of the Midlands. Together, the Central Council more or less rules the Midlands. Even though the lands are independent, they still bow to the word of the Central Council. In that way, through the Confederation of Lands, common goals are protected and peace is maintained. It keeps people talking instead of fighting. If one land were to attack an-other, it would be viewed as an attack against unity, against all, and all would put the aggression down. Kings, queens, rulers, officials, merchants, and others come to the Central Council to petition for what they want: trade agreements, boundary treaties, accords dealing with magic—an endless list of wants and wishes.”

“I understand. It’s something like that in Westland. The council rules in much the same way. Although Westland isn’t nearly big enough to have kingdoms, there are districts that govern themselves, but are represented by councilors in Hartland.

“Since my brother was a councilor, and then First Councilor, I was around the dealings of government. I saw the councilors coming from different places to ask for things. Being a guide, I was always leading them to and from Hartland. I learned a lot about it from talking to them.”

Richard folded his arms. “so what is the Mother Confessor’s part in it?”

“Well, the Central Council rules the Midlands…” She cleared her throat as she looked down at her hands in her lap. “… and the Mother Confessor rules the Central Council.”

His arms came unfolded. “You mean to say that you rule all the kings and queens? All the lands? You rule the Midlands?”

“Well… yes, in a way, I guess. You see, not all the lands are represented on the Central Council. Some are too small, like Queen Milena’s Tamarang, and the Mud People, and a few others are lands of magic, the land of the night wisps, for example. The Mother Confessor is the advocate for these lesser lands. Left to their own wishes, the council would decide to carve up these smaller lands. And they have the armies to do it easily. Only the Mother Confessor stands for those who have no voice.

“The other problem is that these lands are often in disagreement. Some have been bitter adversaries for as long as anyone can remember. The council is often deadlocked as rulers or their representatives each stubbornly demands his own way, to the detriment of the greater interests of the Midlands. The Mother Confessor has no interest but the good of the Midlands.

“Without leadership the different lands, through the Central Council, would only be interested in vying for power. The Mother Confessor counters these parochial interests with a larger view, with direction and leadership.

“Just as the Mother Confessor is the final arbiter of truth through her magic, she is also the final arbiter of power. The word of the Mother Confessor is law.”

“So it is you who tells all the kings and queens, all the lands, what to do?”

She took one of his hands and held it. “I, and most of the Mother Confessors before me, let the Central Council decide for themselves what they wish, how they want the Midlands ruled. But when they fail to come to agreement, or to a just agreement, it is to the disadvantage of those not represented. Only then do I step in and tell them how it shall be.”

“And they always do as you say?”

“Always.”

“Why?”