The Queen and the Unicorn

The Queen and the Unicorn is a poem about Estelle d'Astora finding the last unicorn. It was written in 1049 Craft Era by Spinner Glen Green, in celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the end of the Guild War.

Lyrics
In the light of the lavender moon,

The queen of Arden,

The gracious queen,

The crying queen,

The last queen -

The queen of Arden stepped onto the plains.

Under the gaze of heartless stars,

The plains -

The blackened plains,

The sorrowful plains,

The blood-soaked plains -

The plains trembled at her feet.

"O Queen," they whispered,

"Turn away. Turn back."

"I cannot," said the queen.

"What I search for is here."

"What do you seek?"

(The plains knew what she sought.)

"I seek," said she,

"The quickflame spirit,

The swiftness of grace,

The edge of courage."

"I seek," said she,

"The star-forged horn,

The cloud-woven mane,

The moon-lit heart."

"I seek," the last queen said,

"The last unicorn."

And so the queen strode into the night,

Seeking,

Waiting,

Watching,

Arrow drawn tight.

Then—

Sharp brilliance of moon,

Scorching glory of sun,

Furious splendor of stars,

The unicorn stepped onto the plains.

Then—

Behind the rocks,

A foreign movement.

The queen saw a flash—

Of Gemmer greed,

Of Spinner jealousy,

Of Forger rage,

And Tiller apathy—

The queen saw a flash of moonlight on steel.

A hunter stalked the unicorn.

Her arms armor would be:

Her hair, steel;

Her bones, a shield.

Her heart in exchange,

For Arden’s last hope.

Queen and unicorn lay on the ground—

Stayed still on the ground,

Bled on the ground—

Queen and unicorn dying on the ground.

The last queen whispered:

“The end can be found

Where fire meets water,

At the edge of day and night.

My grief, your gift.

My rock, to protect.

All yours to neglect,

Until time

Is right.”

A wind filled the plains—

Lashed the plains,

Cleaned the plains,

A rushing light burned the plains—

Driving back the dark.

And in the light of a lavender moon,

Two stones gleamed—

Queen and unicorn: gone.