The Lost Memento

Queen Rejita, the newly-crowned ruler of Daedalia, strode through one of the halls of the palace. She was in the traditional garb of her people: a green sari-and-skirt combination, with her furred stomach bare except for a gold belly chain encircling her. Brilliant red fur gleamed in the light of the palace. Her long pointed canine ears seemed to constantly twitch, her tail swished behind her. 

Visiting humans often compared Daedalians to jackals. Indeed they did resemble the Earth animal, but Daedalians didn’t care much for that comparison. 

Today was a special day. Rejita had no pressing duties - a rarity. She aimed to make the most of it. Yesterday she had attended a ceremony for the opening of a brand new hospital and the queen had cut the velvet rope with her own blade. 

It did her soul good to see her homeworld rebuilding after such a long period of war and occupation of the Sh’ra. 

Even now, years after the war's conclusion, scars from the conflict could still be seen: Craters in certain places, blaster scorch marks on the sides of buildings, chunks of scrap metal from ships, and fighting vehicles in piles. 

Rjita’s ears flattened as she paused in her walk in the middle of the new palace halls. The memories of fleeing for her life were still strong. 

Her father had given his life to protect her, and she still heard his cries for her to keep running echoing in her dreams some nights. Traitors in her own government - such as the traitorous minister Kisling - had sold them out to the Sh’ra. She was not meant to survive, but she had. 

In a way, I DID die, she thought to herself as her sandals tapped quietly on the marble floors. 

The person she was had to go: so she could become someone else. On a distant planet she hid, forged a new persona and identity. She simply went by ‘Red.’ 

Red the hunting guide...

...The tracker of the badlands of Caligula. 

There she stayed tracking dangerous creatures, and running afoul of the occasional outlaw. It was an education she never would have gained on her homeworld. She learned to survive, and there she stayed till she had to once again change. From the tough guide to the stately ruler she was meant to be.

“Your majesty?” the voice stirred her from her reverie. 

Her brilliant green eyes regarded her wizened advisor. The old daedalian’s muzzle was long-turned gray, whiter than his dark gray fur. 

It was Aethelwulf, the royal chronicler - But she would always call him:

“Gray, yes I’m quite alright.” 

The old Daedalian twitched an ear as he gently put his hand on her shoulder. 

“You seemed to have much on your mind my dear. You know you can talk to me.”

Rejita inclined her head. Gray was the closest thing she had to a father these days, he had been a part of her life as far as she could remember, and the old chronicler made no attempt to hide that he thought of her as a daughter.  

“I know. Still adjusting I guess.” 

The wizened Daedalian nodded. “It stands to reason. Much has happened since your triumphant return. Conspiracies. Marriage to your own captain of the guard. Childbirth. Before we even get into you rebuilding your ravaged home. Yes, I suppose you are still adjusting.” 

Red shook her head and smiled gently. “You are far too astute some days.” 

Gray chuckled as one of Rejita’s guards, another female Daedalian, strode into the main hall from an adjoining one, still in the middle of laughing at a joke she had heard in the commisary. She fixed her queen with a fierce yellow gaze, a blaster pistol and Daedalian blade strapped to her waist. Her fur was golden brown, and her armor resplendent.   

“Red- er your majesty,” she said, still adjusting to using her true name. “I do hate it when you leave me behind!” 

Amused Red smiled. “My apologies, Lorelei. I was on my own for so long I forgot I needed an escort.” 

Lorelei took in her breath. “We’ve been over this. Your husband - my captain - would never let me forget it if something happened to you. ...I would never forgive myself either.” 

Rejita inclined her head, her ears parting. “Come with us Lorelei. I intend to see my son and mate.” 

Gray cleared his throat. “If I may, we recently found something that might be of interest to you. It won’t take but a few minutes, and I think you’ll want to see.” 

Red swiveled an ear back. “You certainly have my attention.” 

Now accompanied by her loyal guard and following the lead of her trusted advisor, the queen soon found herself in one of the many courtyards of the palace. The bright flowers and lush greens of her homeworld's rainforests were beautifully arranged. The ortolan songbirds came and went as they pleased into the garden, singing their songs to echo against the courtyard walls.

Red twitched her ears and took a deep calming breath of the sweet scent of the flowers in bloom, “Ah, the gardeners have done their jobs well. I sorely missed the green of home on Caligula, the sands and the rocks all blended together after a time.” She inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with the clean and sweet air.

Gray inclined his head. “Happy to see you’re pleased with their work. I shall certainly relay it to the gardeners.” 

The old Daedalian moved to one of the benches where a small cardboard box sat. Lorelei tilted her head. “Has that been cleared?” 

Gray sighed as he picked up the box. “Yes, I set it there myself. ...Here,” he said, handing the box to his queen. “I think you might want to see what’s in here.”

Red’s ears parted, “What is this?” her claws opened the closed lid and her muzzle parted at what she saw.

“Gray… this can’t be.” 

She lifted out a plush Meenie bird, blue and gray in color and with a little Daedalian rider in its saddle. 

“It is,” Gray replied softly. 

Rejita turned the plush over to see the familiar monogram on the belly of the plush.

“This is my old plush,” she said incredulously. She held it close to her muzzle, eyes shutting as she took in the familiar scent and felt the old comfort of the long gone days of innocence. It had been a companion on lonely nights, and when times were hard... 

...Like when she lost her mother to assassins in an attempted coup.

“I thought I had lost this,” she said softly, petting it and turning it over and over again in her fingers. 

Lorelei tilted her head, she had seen her queen as a fierce fighter able to fend off assassins and rough it up with her own guards. She had seen her as the stately ruler full of wisdom. At times she had glimpsed the softer side of Rejita, but this was something else entirely. 

Gray smiled. “I hardly believed it myself when I saw it in that store. Somehow it survived the war and ended up being mixed with other donations.” 

Rejita gave the plushie a final squeeze before she sighed and gave her archivist a similar squeeze. 

“Thank you, Gray.” She straightened up as she put the plush back in the box. “I don’t think I need it anymore but... I know someone who does.” 

Later in the day, Red watched her young son Larkin cuddling with the same plush as she had had. 

“Yes. This feels right.” Red sighed as she leaned back into the supportive arms of her mate Treasor.