Anshar's Celebration

Anshar's Celebration  (E) A Writer's Cramp Entry 12-31-2016 1,451 words #2107034 by Chris Breva

1,451 words

King Anshar was anticipating the third day of the annual New Year's celebration in his kingdom of Babylon. He wished he could simply bypass it all together but such thoughts were blasphemous. The gods Marduk and Tiamut would not stand for skipping the celebration. As the king of the land he too was a god but he knew he was nowhere near as powerful as either of his counterparts. No, he would have to participate in the annual celebration. It meant that he would be paraded in front of his subjects, stripped of all his royal powers, humiliated by the high priest, and then sent into exile for three days. Usually the three days of exile consisted of being locked up in his own dungeon for three days. Due to his status and the fact that everybody knew he would be restored to his throne he would be kept in isolation in the dungeon for his own protection. A squad of soldiers would be assigned to watch over him. Aside from that however he would get no special treatment.

The celebration began on the spring equinox every year and lasted about a week. Tomorrow was the third day of the spring equinox feast and Anshar was preparing himself for the ordeal. He didn't like it but knew it had to be done. The people would insist on it. Besides not doing so may anger the gods. He dared not anger the gods because the gods may retaliate by preventing the crop from growing and preventing the birth of children and livestock. In a society that depended on these things such an occurrence would be a disaster. it could even result in a rebellion. He was completely in charge of his troops but there was no point in provoking the people.

The equinox came and a squad of guards marched into the royal throne room to arrest Anshar. Of course it was his duty to go along with them but it was also his duty to put up some resistance. "What's the meaning of this," he asked.

"King Anshar," the captain of the guard replied, "by order of Ligish, High Priest of Babylon, you are hereby under arrest."

"Under arrest my eye," Anshar replied."Ligish has no authority to arrest me."

"Highness," the captain answered nervously, "please don't make this any harder than it already is. My men are prepared to take you by force if need be."

"No," Anshar answered. "That won't be necessary. Ligish is right. This must be done. Let''s get on with it."

Anshar was then placed under arrest and put in chains. Once he was securely bound he was led out of the throne room and into the huge court yard that served as the town square. There Ligish awaited him. The high priest was adorned in his royal robes and wore the headgear of his status. "So the traitor has been arrested," Ligish said. "Very good. Strip him of his crown, his royal scepter, his robes, and his jewelry. Then place him in the stocks."

Ligish then slapped Anshar across the face as was the custom. Then Ligish spoke to the crowd. "May the gods be pleased," he shouted above the noise. "King Anshar has brought shame and disgrace upon the kingdom by his actions. His sin has displeased the gods and he must be punished. Therefore he is hereby sentenced to be removed from his throne and to live in exile. Guards leave him in the stocks until further notice. Then remove him from the stocks and throw him out of the kingdom."

"Yes Holiness," the captain of the temple guard replied. "As you command."

Anshar was left in the stocks for what seemed forever though it was actually less than an hour. While he was in the stocks his loyal citizens pelted him with everything from rotten vegetables to small rocks. He found himself wishing he could keep track of the names of each peasant who threw anything at him but knew that doing so was not permitted. It had been the tradition of his people to humiliate their king for the annual new Years Celebration for centuries, and no king had ever retaliated. He was not going to be the first.

A little peasant boy came over to him and stared up at him. "Are you really the king," the little boy asked. "My mom says that you are the king. She says you are the best king Babylon has ever had. So why are the people treating you this way? Is it right to treat somebody badly for doing good?"

"No." Anshar replied, "It isn't right to treat somebody badly for doing good. However in some cases people are treated badly no matter how good they are."

"Like you," the little boy asked.

"Shamar come away from there," a woman shouted to the child. "I apologize your highness. I hope the lad hasn't been too much trouble/"

"No trouble at all," Anshar answered. "In fact he has given me new insight."

The guards arrived then and took Anshar out of the stocks. He was led to the dungeon where he spent the next three days in isolation. The only person he saw was the guard who came by periodically with food and water. The isolation allowed Anshar to have time to think about what the little boy had said. It was true that he tried to rule his people with a fair hand. They were his only concern. Material wealth meant nothing to him. What mattered most was the welfare of his kingdom. Loyal subjects like the boy and his mother were rare even for a good king. Anshar knew he had to reward the boy. It was sad that he had not had the chance to ask the boy where he lived. He did remember however that the boy's mom had called him Shamar. It would not be easy to find him because Shamar was a common name in Babylon. He determined that the first thing he would do however was have his men look for the boy when he was restored to the throne.

The three days passed slowly by and the guards finally retrieved him from his cell. He was cleaned up and led from the dungeon to the court yard once more where Ligish awaited him. "Your Highness," Ligish began, "forgive me for treating you badly these past three days. As you know it's necessary that you be purged of your sin for the kingdom to have the blessing of the gods. You have been cleansed and I now absolve you of all wrongdoing. You are forthwith restored to your royal status. Let the royal banners go before you as we march throughout the city. Then let us eat the huge feast, which has been prepared in your honor."

Anshar's royal jewelry was placed on him, his royal robes placed about him, his scepter placed in his hand, and he was led to his royal chariot. He was then paraded among the streets of Babylon in a wide circle that would lead back to the castle. His royal subjects lined the street on both sides and shouts of "Long live King Anshar," were raised all along the parade route. Anshar was on the last street of the parade route when he saw Shamar and the woman standing there. He ordered the chariot stopped and pointed the scepter at both the woman and the child. It was the law that anybody who approached the king without being told to do so by having the scepter pointed at them must die. The woman looked at the king in shock when she realized he was signalling for Shamar and herself to approach him. She came to him trembling and knelt before him, stammering because she didn't know what to say.

"Do not fear my lady," Anshar spoke. "Your son was kind to me during my purification ordeal. I simply wish to return the kindness. Tell me my lady. Are you married?"

"No my lord," the lady spoke. "My husband, Abdi-Ili was killed in battle after Shamar was born. Shamar has never known a father."

"Well," Anshar replied, "that must be changed immediately if you're willing to change it. I would be honored if you would be my queen."

"Shamar smiled a toothy smile and ran over to his new father, hugging him tightly. One of the guards started to intervene as it was a crime punishable by death to approach the king uninvited. Anshar dismissed the guard. There were going to be a lot of changes to the old laws from now on, all thanks to the love and kindness of a small boy.

1,451 words