“And I’ll happily do so,” True replied casually, though I knew from a thread in his voice that there was nothing casual at all about this.
Aron appeared astonished and sat back, saying, “Well then.”
“When you give me the names of all known members of this Rising in Wodell, Firenze, Airen, the Dome City or anywhere,” True carried on.
Aron sat forward and snapped, “You can’t possibly ask that.”
“I just did,” True pointed out.
“These men can be reconditioned,” Aron retorted.
“From what we know, these men conspired to kill my mother, my wife’s mother, Queen Elpis’s husband, Ophelia’s lieutenant, and at Catrame Palace, at the very least, my cousin, but with the number of attackers, it was clear their intent was to wreak havoc in the royal houses of five realms. And I know I don’t need to remind you, three of those assassinations were successful, and one of them nearly so.”
“So you wish us to betray our fellow believers by handing them over to you so you can butcher them?” Aron demanded.
“If it makes you feel better, you have my promise, and I’ll sign my name to it on parchment, that they will be interrogated…humanely,” True added this last when Aron opened his mouth to interrupt. “They will then sit tribunal, and if found guilty, they will not be executed, but instead take residence in Crittich Keep for forty years, or to their death, whichever comes first.”
“I cannot sentence a Go’Doan priest to that,” Aron spat.
“You fail to see,” Apollo entered the discussion, “that you walked into this room after the cards have been dealt. You turned your back to the game at a time when you were the only one who knew it was being played and you held all the trumps in order to win it. In the interim, the rest were forced to the table. Now you’ve decided to enter it. Thus, sir, you not only have no cards, you most assuredly have no trump.”
“I have human decency,” Aron rejoined.
“The men recruited to this cause and killed in Fire City, outside The Enchantments, those hanged for treason here but days ago and those sitting right now in Crittich Keep were Firenz and Dellish. These people send you their sick. They send you their children. Or they are lost and alone. And through their need and their gratitude, they have been preyed upon, and in the end, used. Have you no decency to extend to them?” Ophelia asked.
“We have decency enough to extend safe harbor to Airenzian females who seek to escape their oppressors and we send them to you,” Aron retorted.
“A need that will no longer be necessary as Cassius has been made Prince Regent and his first order of business is to free the females of his realm of that tyranny,” Ophelia deftly rejoined.
Aron stared at her in amazement.
Apparently, that news had not yet made its way to the Dome City.
“Aron, my brother,” Ry put in quietly before anyone else could say anything, “perhaps you and I can have a word outside the doors for a moment.”
“We’re in negotiations,” Aron returned.
“I believe he missed the point of my trump comment,” Apollo muttered to Noctorno.
Noctorno, who had requested I call him Tor, shook his head at Apollo in apparent disgust.
“But a moment,” Ry pressed.
Aron’s voice dropped. “I’ll remind you of your remit here, my brother.”
“I don’t need reminding,” Ry replied.
Aron glared at him pointedly, saying without words he felt he did.
“I would have a chat with your colleague,” Noctorno advised, sitting back in his chair and leveling a contemplative stare on Aron.
“With respect to your throne across the sea, I don’t even know why you’re here,” Aron said to Tor.
Tor opened his mouth.
But True spoke.
“He was asked by me. He is a guest of mine. In my home. Where you are sitting.”
Oh my.
True was talking through his teeth.
I’d never heard him do that.
My hand veritably itched to reach toward his.
I looked to Elpis.
It was barely perceptible, but she shook her head.
I sat still.
“Hawkvale is now allied with Wodell in many matters,” True went on. “King Noctorno is here as my counsel. He is welcome here. But it is Lord Apollo whose skills guard your temples, Aron, for he has sent his wolves, which he commands, to do just that. Therefore, we’ve noted a rapid decrease in reports of such issues at Go’Doan temples. Indeed, since Apollo sent his beasts, we’ve received not a one. Though it should be noted, he can also call them away.”
Aron looked to Apollo.
True kept speaking.
“I would be careful of making enemies as you sit here trying to turn attention from the careless decisions of your leaders that have led to grave tragedies and loss of life. I have warned my people they’ll be punished if they take their ire out on the Go’Doan, and if they are caught doing so, this will hold true. But it is not me who created this problem by not dealing with it. It is the Go’Doan. You forget we have been made fully aware that you have been fully aware that this has been an issue for some time. Indeed, since the death of a king. And you did nothing. Now, we all must clean up your mess and instead of arriving and casting your lot to share in that effort, you antagonize us and make demands.”
Aron opened his mouth, but True was not finished.
“I would suggest you have words with your colleague. If you do not, this summit will end, you will be escorted back to the Dome City, and five nations will be forced to take things in their own hands without the Go’Doan having a voice in how we do that.”
“I would ask you where G’Jell is,” Aron, for some reason at this crucial juncture, demanded.
“I would ask you where G’Seph is,” True retorted. “However, I won’t, for I know. He is in Crittich Keep, without his hands, after being run down by the Nadirii when he attempted escape after he assisted The Rising in their mission to breach The Enchantments in order to burn them down. We’ve been told by prisoners he was a general in that cause. We know he was a high priest with much responsibility bestowed on him from the order of Go’Doan. So perhaps neither of us knowing where G’Jell has disappeared to is good for Jell. For now.”
Aron looked ill, his gaze shifting to Ophelia. “You took Seph’s hands?”
“The Rising took his hands,” True told him.
Aron now looked shocked. “They did?”
“They also murdered my mother as she sat in our temple on my wedding day. A temple where I worship, as did she,” True reminded him. “Thus, it seems they’re capable of a great deal of barbarity.”
“But if Seph is of them, he’s…well, of them,” Aron pointed out.
True sat back and sighed, his eyes moving to Apollo and Noctorno.
“Why don’t we let him chew on that for a while and take a break,” Tor suggested.
I could use a break.
“Aron, during this break, I’d be keen to have a few words with you,” Ry said urgently.
Aron was staring at the table, clearly thrown.
Ry rapped on the table with his knuckles and Aron jumped.
“My brother, a word out of doors,” Ry prompted.
Aron finally saw the wisdom of this, rose, and the two Go’Doan left the room.
“I think we could get further if we conducted discussions while tearing their fingernails out by the roots,” Elpis suggested, as any good Firenz queen would do.
I fought a smile.
Severus looked surly.
Tor, Apollo and Tintagel looked amused.
True grinned wryly at her.
I leaned toward my husband where he sat at the head of the table.
“Would you like me to order food? Tea?” I asked.
“We have water, my love, and if anyone needs anything else, they know how to pull the cord to request a servant,” True answered.
I nodded and righted myself in my se
at, turning to Ophelia.
“I hesitate to ask, but how is your lieutenant?”
“She’s now in hospital and she’s recovering,” Ophelia replied. “She can speak and she’s keen to get home.”
“I’m glad for it.”
Ophelia nodded to me then shifted her attention to True. “I must warn you, True, I not only tire of this, I have no time for it. By now, my daughter is in Airen and Fern has been imprisoned for weeks. The state of that realm is precarious. The Nadirii need to ride.”
True glanced at her other daughter then her lieutenants and offered, “Would you like to leave a proxy?”
Ophelia turned to one of her women. “Julia?”
Julia extended her head. “My queen.”
Ophelia gave a short nod and looked to Liam. “You will ride back to Melisse with a guard.”
“I’ll get back to her fine, Your Grace,” he replied.
“You will ride back to Melisse with a guard,” she repeated.
He also inclined his head.
Ophelia stood from where she sat to True’s left and looked down at him.
“Serena may or may not sit this table, it is her choice. We have agreed another mission for her, True, but I must request you continue to extend your hospitality to her while she completes it.”
“May I ask what this mission is?” True queried.
“You do not need to ask, she’s been told to report directly to you,” Ophelia shared.
True’s gaze shifted to Serena, who still looked remote and, it had to be said, downright bored.
His attention went back to Ophelia when she spoke again.
“Ignore Aron. Work G’Ry. He has sense,” she declared.
“He might have sense, but I fear he has no authority,” True replied.
“Their error for sending a priest who would appear to be an elder who they have no regard for and think is just an arse in a seat that will make a new king mistake him for a person of note, thus doing their duty to a summit they have no interest in, for they’re scrambling at home to look for ways to cover all their arses.”
True’s lips twitched again.
“He may have no authority to them, but they sent him,” Ophelia continued. “Thus, he’s their representative here, and as such, any agreements he makes hold.”
“Of course,” True muttered.
“Now I will speak to Sir Alfie and go,” she declared.
True tensed at this declaration, and I did the same.
“Ophelia, I don’t—” True began.
“Son,” she said softly, “do you not think I have stood by the side of many a warrior’s bed and explained to them there are mountains we face in this life that seem insurmountable, until we reach the peak?”
True relaxed, and I did as well.
“I will have a care,” she promised, but she did not leave, and her gaze stayed locked to True. “Your mother was a great woman. Her loss is felt.”
And with that, her two lieutenants in her wake, the Nadirii queen left the room.
I controlled my lip quivering at the same time felt that itch in my hand to reach to True.
I looked to Elpis.
She nodded.
Thus, I took my husband’s hand.
His fingers closed tight around mine.
The door opened and I tried to pull away.
He disallowed that, and holding hands, we both looked to Ry, who stood in the door.
“It would seem we need to send birds,” he announced. “I apologize for the delay.”
“You have until tomorrow morning at ten,” True returned.
“But, Your Grace, birds cannot—” Ry started.
True stood, and as he had my hand, I stood with him.
“Tomorrow, ten,” he repeated. “Now we all have things we wish to do. We’ll use the ensuing time to do them.”
And thus, he guided me out of the room at his side, and I walked with as much dignity as I could with my arm in a sling.
Two (and a half) more days, and I could be free of it.
Two (and a half) more days, and that daily reminder of what befell us on our wedding day could be gone for me and for True.
Two (and a half) more days, and I could pounce on my husband and make him truly mine.
Two (and a half) more days, and I could share things with True that might exhaust him enough to make him sleep an entire night, but at the very least they would take his mind from things that weighed heavily.
Two (and a half) more days.
I couldn’t wait.
95
The Abyss
King Aramus
Throne Room, Keel Castle, Nautilus
MAR-EL
When the hinges of the tall doors down the long hall groaned in protest, Aramus, sitting on his throne atop his podium, had the desire to shout in frustration.
Along the journey home, he, with his queen, had drafted (and redrafted, and then again, and more) the language he would use for the changes he would be making in his realm.
And in doing so, he, with the encouragement of his queen, made one adjustment to what he had promised the rulers of the other realms of Triton.
That being, not only would bounden be released after five years of service…
No new ones would be taken.
Even by pirates.
This would not be popular for some, but True had been right, the time not only had come, it was long past.
Not to mention, regimes that allowed just that were breeding grounds for causes like The Rising.
And he would not have that in Mar-el.
Therefore, upon arrival, he was ready.
Thus, he set his secretaries to putting pen to paper, and he signed his signature at the bottom.
He then ordered the royal heralds ready to ride, for the bounden holders would be given advance notice to the changes in the law in order that they could begin preparations immediately for said changes.
He then had the paperwork drawn up to make just those changes in the law.
At the same time, Aramus sent ships to ports and soldiers across the land to provide presence, and if necessary, quell resistance when the letters were received and when the new law was officially heralded.
This had taken days.
It was now done.
However, in all of this, he had forgotten how it was when he was away on a long voyage and what he came back to on his return.
Copious missives, grievances, arbitrations, decisions that had to be made, orders carried out.
The good news was, although the last tidal was extreme, it did not cause significant or long-lasting damage, though there were two losses of life.
The bad news was, for the last three days, his arse sat that throne as his people came before him in an endless stream with a variety of complaints, concerns, and in a few rare, but exceptionally annoying cases, demands.
Through this, to the now, his men, save Tintagel, loitered around the base of his podium, already displaying impatience to get off land and back to sea, to some adventure, to anything but this ridiculous, time-wasting lunacy.
He had never liked this part of his role.
His father hadn’t either.
His men didn’t either.
However, in all that had occurred, he’d forgotten just how much they all found this trying.
Thus, he could feel his men, too, radiating exasperation when the doors began to open but minutes after Aramus had demanded everyone get out so they could have a rest from the incessant chatter.
However, when the heavy doors opened enough that Aelia could slip through, dancing, followed by Dora, who, even not of Elena’s blood, had the Nadirii princess’s economy of grace, and finally his wife entered, Aramus not only relaxed.
He found himself confronted with the only thing at that time that could set him to smiling.
His girls.
All three of them.
Three beauties.
Thus, he smiled.
“Uncle Aramus!
” Aelia shouted. “I touched a shark!”
Aramus stopped smiling.
“You what?” Xi growled.
Suffice it to say, Aelia as Aelia was, Dora a budding warrior fascinated by those who had already bloomed, thus hero worshipping all his men, along their voyage, the two girls had earned themselves five new uncles.
Five new protective uncles.
“A shark!” she shrieked, as Aramus rose from his throne and walked to the edge of it to stare down at her as she arrived at the bottom and danced around his men, such was her excitement.
He then looked to his queen.
“Wife, explain,” he demanded.
“It was a little baby one,” she said.
He did not feel much better at this knowledge, even having it knowing she could likely communicate with the creature.
It was still an animal with animal instincts.
Undeveloped thus unrestrained animal instincts.
“It was caught in a tidepool,” Ha-Lah shared.
“Yes, and we released it,” Dora bragged. “It was amazing.”
It was in this moment, for the first time, he wished he had not encouraged Cassius to take Nero with him rather than sending Aelia’s personal guard with Aramus.
He had felt Cass would need all his men about him.
And he had felt he and his men would be entirely prepared to protect them.
He had forgotten about his stubborn wife.
“As I promised my friend that I would give my life to protect those of his daughters,” Aramus began slowly, his eyes locked to his queen. “I’d prefer not to have to explain why one of them got their hand bitten off by a baby shark.”
“It wasn’t going to bite us, Uncle Aramus,” Aelia informed him. “I think it wanted to play with us.”
“You promised Cass to protect us with your life?” Dora breathed.
Ha-Lah gave him big eyes.
Aramus tore his from hers, ignored what she was communicating, and looked down at the girl.
“Yes,” he answered.
“Aramus,” Ha-Lah murmured.
“He made you promise to protect us with your life?” Dora asked.
The Dawn of the End Page 16
