by Ian Gregoire
Ignoring the command, Fay replied, “What did he promise you?” The cadence of her voice was unrecognisable as she employed the androgynous tone she hadn’t used since the Great War.
“Who?” replied the queen, looking confused.
“The man who styles himself as Master Yosarian. Three years ago he began a cult movement in southern Anzarmenia, recruiting wielders of Zarantar for nefarious purposes. Whatever words he used to entice you to turn a blind eye to his activities, be assured you have been deceived and will not prosper from his lies.”
“I know nothing of this man of whom you speak,” insisted the queen, “nor have I received promises of any kind from him.”
“You are playing a very dangerous game, Queen Serefina.” From beneath the hood of her cloak, Fay continued to observe the reactions of the queen’s entourage. “This man cannot be trusted to keep his promises. His sole reason for wanting to be near the reins of power is so he can seize them once you have outlived your usefulness. When that day arrives, you will die, Yosarian will ascend the thrown and subjugate your people before drawing the realm into costly wars with your neighbours. I have plans of my own that I will not allow him to interfere with.” Fay saw the reaction she was looking for.
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” said Queen Serefina in a stern tone.
“No, but he does.” Fay pointed a finger at the middle-aged royal advisor slowly backing away from the rest of the entourage. He looked startled as everyone peered back over their shoulders at him. Turning on his heels, he made a dash for the double door exit, but Fay’s invocation of Yuksaydan snatched him off his feet and lifted him over the heads of the royal entourage, dropping him on his knees at the feet of Queen Serefina. “Confess to your queen,” Fay demanded.
The queen looked confused as she glanced down at the man. “Sharvin, if you know what this stranger is talking about,” she said, “speak of it at once.”
“I’m so sorry, my queen,” said the visibly upset man. “When I was first approached by an intermediary sent by Yosarian, I was only asked to use my position to provide updates pertaining to governmental relations with the Nine Kingdoms. Though I saw nothing untoward with passing on such information, I refused the request. But when Yosarian visited me in person, he promised that in exchange for my loyalty he could make me the emperor of Greater Anzarmenia in under a decade.” Sharvin grabbed hold of the queen’s dress with both hands. “Your Majesty, you have to believe me when I say that killing you was never part of the plan. Yosarian said you and your family would be sent into exile, to a land of your choice.”
Queen Serefina tugged her dress from the pleading man’s grasp. “Sharvin, you have been a faithful servant to my household for over thirty years,” she said. “To hear you admit to committing treason against me in pursuit of your own selfish ambition has hurt me deeply.” She signalled for two of the Queen’s Elite Guard to approach. “Take him into custody on charges of high treason. He will stand trial next week.”
The two Sanatsai pulled the beleaguered Sharvin to his feet and duly led him out of the banqueting hall.
“It appears you have exposed a snake in my midst,” Serefina said to Fay. “I take it you now want something of me in return?”
“I would speak with you alone, in private, on another matter,” Fay replied, still using the unnatural, androgynous voice.
A trio of the Queen’s Elite Guard promptly moved to place themselves between their queen and the mysterious intruder. It was clear from the expressions on their faces that they didn’t like Fay’s request.
“If I intended you any harm, Queen Serefina,” said Fay, “I would have done it already.”
The queen instructed her bodyguards to stand down. “Very well. If you wish to talk,” she said, “my people will escort us to my private chambers.” Serefina diverted her attention to the noblemen and noblewomen still gathered around the dining table. “My honoured guests,” she called out. “If you would retake your seats and resume the feast, I will rejoin you shortly.”
Before vacating the banqueting hall with the queen and her entourage, Fay released the guardsman still pinned up against the walls of the hall by her invocation of Yuksaydan. They each slumped to the ground then scrambled quickly back onto their feet, and hurriedly joined the ranks of the entourage.
Walking side by side, Fay and Serefina were escorted silently through several lit corridors, the queen’s entourage trailing behind them. Eventually they arrived outside the gilded door of the queen’s private chambers. One of the Sanatsai bodyguards opened the door and stood aside, while two others entered the room first, to hurriedly light all the wall-mounted lanterns and the chandelier. Fay allowed Queen Serefina to precede her through the door, but as the young Jaymidari in the royal entourage attempted to follow after the queen, she thrust an arm across the doorway to prevent the Sister from entering the room.
“It’s all right,” said Serefina, looking back at Fay. “Nemiri is my lady-in-waiting. Anything you have to say to me you can say in front of her.”
“My words are for your ears only,” Fay insisted.
With a sigh that betrayed her annoyance, Queen Serefina told Sister Nemiri she would have to remain outside with the rest of the entourage. Finally, Fay entered the room then waited for the door to be closed behind her before following the queen to the centre of the room.
The queen’s private chambers comprised a plush lounge, lavishly furnished with antique furniture and priceless ornaments. Crushed velvet curtains bordered the windows, portraits of distinguished looking people lined the walls, and lavender scented the air. The room possessed all the opulence befitting of royalty. There was a sofa with matching armchairs at the centre of the room, but the two women chose to remain standing rather than sit down.
Now that she had the queen alone, Fay slowly pulled the hood of her cloak back to reveal her face. Serefina’s eyes widened, looking simultaneously surprised, perplexed, and angry.
“Fay Annis!” she blurted. “Master Sanatsai, you have a lot of explaining to do.”
“Your Majesty, please forgive me for my theatrics tonight,” said Fay, speaking with her natural voice. “Know that if there was another way to do this I would have done so. But I could not seek an official audience with you as a member of the Order. My presence in Anzarmenia is a matter of life and death, so I needed to make the threat to you appear genuine, and no one can know that it is me who has paid you a visit this night.”
“Fay! You killed Lord Branit Tarassian in my banquet hall,” snapped Queen Serefina. “There will be a price to pay for that.”
“Your Majesty, the lord will regain consciousness in about an hour, feeling as though he has awoken from a good night’s sleep. Be assured I did not kill any of your subjects in order to reach you. I went to great lengths to avoid injury and loss of life.”
The reassurance appeared to placate the Anzarmenian monarch somewhat. Serefina took a calming breath then gestured towards the nearby couch. “All right,” she said. “Please sit with me and tell me what this is all about.”
Fay joined the queen on the couch and proceeded to explain the circumstances leading up to her arrival in Anzarmenia. “Your Majesty, I am not authorised to tell you any of this so I have to ask that this information goes no further.” An affirmative response from the queen allowed her to continue. “First of all, with regard to the cult operating in the south, you should know that the Order intends to conduct a mission next week to eliminate the cult, and kill its leader. Now, I realise this constitutes a violation of your realm’s sovereignty, but given recent developments the necessity of this action has become more urgent.”
“And what recent developments do you speak of?” asked Serefina.
“Three weeks ago the Order learned that Master Yosarian is an assumed name for the leader of the cult. His true identity is Josario Sandolari, the man responsible for instigating the Great War that engulfed much of the Nine Kingdoms.”
“Surely t
hat is impossible!” the queen interjected. “Your war was over seventy years ago; Josario must be long dead by now.”
“I’m afraid it’s true, Your Majesty. And on the same day the discovery was confirmed, there was an attack on the campus I administer in the Kingdom of Mirtana, carried out by Anzarmenian soldiers. The twenty men who carried out the raid were followers of Master Yosarian, sent to assassinate one of my apprentices.”
“What reason could he have for sending people on a thousand-mile journey to kill an apprentice of the Order?”
“As strange as it might sound, Your Majesty,” replied Fay, “it appears to be the case that the apprentice in question has been plaguing Yosarian’s dreams as a black-clad figure travelling south from Mirtana to bring about his demise. Whether this dream is prophetic or not, I cannot say. What I do know is that my decision to keep the assassination attempt from my apprentice was in vain. Kayden found out by herself, and a little under two week ago she entered Anzarmenia on an unsanctioned mission to capture Yosarian and deliver him to the authorities in Shintana. Which brings me to why I am here.
“Kayden is not yet a match for a Saharbashi as powerful as Yosarian so her foolhardy mission can only end one of two ways: she will die at his hand, or worse, she will be recruited by him. I cannot allow either outcome to come to pass, but given the head start she enjoys it’s not possible for me to catch up with Kayden before she reaches Yosarian. My theatrics this evening will hopefully minimise the likelihood of the former, and give me time to prevent the latter.”
“I must confess that you have me somewhat confused, Fay,” said Queen Serefina. “First, you say that your apprentice being recruited by Yosarian would be worse than him killing her. How so? And second of all, how in the world is your orchestrated assault on the palace supposed to save her life?”
“With regard to your first point,” began Fay. “In time, Kayden would become the most devastating weapon at Yosarian’s disposal if he were to seduce her into serving him. As for your second point, my purpose in forcing my way into the palace this evening is to create doubt in Yosarian’s mind that Kayden is the black-clad figure in his dreams once his source within the royal court informs him of events here in the capital.”
“Master Sanatsai, you seem to be forgetting something. Thanks to you, I’ve already had Sharvin taken into custody, so he won’t be in a position to inform Yosarian of anything ever again. Besides, if your apprentice has such a big head start, how would news of your attack on the palace reach Yosarian before she does?”
“Your Majesty, I regret to have to tell you this, but Sharvin is not the only spy I uncovered close to you,” said Fay. “Your lady-in-waiting, Sister Nemiri, is also a follower of Master Yosarian.”
Serefina looked dumbfounded. She rose up from the sofa, clearly agitated by the shock revelation. “You must be mistaken,” she insisted. “Nemiri was born into the Sisterhood, she would never knowingly serve any Saharbashi.” The queen started to ring her hands together. “Her mother is a dear friend of mine. How am I supposed to tell Melinda that her sixteen-year-old daughter is to be executed for high treason?”
Rising to her feet also, Fay took hold of the monarch by both hands. “Serefina, calm down,” she said soothingly. “I realise this is a shock, but there are things you need to understand. Over the past three years, Yosarian has successfully lured scores of Jaymidari away from their calling. The Order now believes that not all of these women openly abandon the Sisterhood. For a while now we’ve had good reason to suspect that some of them remain at their seminaries as spies and potential saboteurs, that’s why knowledge of the upcoming mission against Yosarian’s cult has not been shared with the Sisterhood.”
Fay gently coaxed Serefina to sit back down on the sofa, and duly sat down beside her.
“I cannot tell you what action you should or shouldn’t take against Sister Nemiri, but I have to ask that you refrain from having her detained, for the time being. It’s important that when I leave here tonight, you tell Nemiri that I am a powerful wielder of Zarantar from the Kingdom of Mirtana, travelling south to eliminate Yosarian because he is an obstacle to my ambitions. As his eyes and ears in your entourage, she will be in possession of a means to contact him directly and inform him that his nightmare is in the capital, less than a week’s journey away.”
It appeared as though Queen Serefina was taking in what was being said, but she looked distressed and close to tears.
“Your Majesty,” continued Fay. “Sister Nemiri cannot suspect that you know of her connection to Yosarian, so you will need to act as you normally would around her for the next week.
“If it makes it easier for you, I think it’s important that you keep in mind that Yoasrian is adept at seducing and corrupting even the most innocent people, especially when they are young and impressionable. Once he is dead, the hold he has over Nemiri and all his followers will gradually subside. You’ll probably find that she is more upset about her betrayal than you are.”
Fay pulled the hood of her siphon cloak over her head, and rose to her feet. “It’s time for me to leave,” she announced. “You should have the Queen’s Elite Guard escort me back out of the palace to let it be known that you are still very much in control of events here. I will check into an inn for the night, then leave the city first thing in the morning.”
The queen rose elegantly from the sofa. “After this evening’s excitement, perhaps I should rename the Queen’s Elite Guard as something else,” she said wearily. “They were unable to keep you from forcing your way into the palace; I should be as upset with them as I am with Nemiri.”
“There is little wrong with the competency of the Sanatsai recruited as your personal bodyguard, Your Majesty,” said Fay, “though you should certainly consider increasing their ranks. A hundred men and women is fine, but a thousand is much better. Not even I could overcome so many.”
Queen Serefina announced her intention to do as advised, as soon as possible. She thanked Fay for exposing the infiltration of the royal court, but warned her in no uncertain terms that if there was a repeat of the assault on the palace, there would be severe repercussions. “If you ever have need for an audience with me in future,” she said, “you will have to arrange it through official channels.”
Accepting Fay’s assurance that there wouldn’t be a repeat performance of the evening’s events, Serefina reluctantly agreed to turn a blind eye to the Order’s upcoming mission on Anzarmenian soil, though she had a few stipulations.
“I demand to be informed as soon as the mission has been conducted,” she said. “I also have to insist that those followers of Yosarian who surrender themselves are taken to Nagornorak and turned over to the custody of the Royal Guard. I cannot have them simply being allowed to disband without consequence.”
“I will not be a participant in the mission, Your Majesty,” said Fay, “And I cannot guarantee that I can get word to those who are in time to relay your decree. However, I will certainly send word to you once the mission has concluded.”
Reluctantly, Serefina accepted Fay’s predicament, and asked for her best efforts. “But if I have heard nothing from the Order by the end of next week,” she said, “I will have all four Sanatsai battalions of the Royal Guard deployed to the south to take care of Yosarian and his cult.”
That was the end of the conversation. Queen Serefina called out for her Guard to enter the room. She issued instructions for her ‘guest’ to be escorted from the palace by two dozen men. Without a word, Fay willingly allowed herself to be led out of the queen’s chambers, and was subsequently escorted out of the palace by twenty-four Sanatsai of the Queen’s Elite Guard. As she was led through the east gate of the inner perimeter wall, she found Shadow lying down inside the barrier sphere in which she’d left the grey mare before entering the palace. She released the animal from the translucent confinement then guided her by the reins towards the gate of the outer perimeter wall. The gate was opened up for Fay and her mount, and they were e
scorted out of the palace complex by the two-dozen-strong contingent of the Queen’s Elite Guard.
Back outside on the lamp-lit streets of Nerezan, Fay clambered up into the saddle, and urged Shadow into a trot, setting off in search of an inn to spend the night. At first light she would leave the city and continue her pursuit of Kayden, hopeful that she had brought some extra time for the apprentice.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
A Game Of Cat And Mouse
It was well after Twenty-First Hour, and standing outside the Three Crows Inn Kayden was angrily beginning to suspect that her contact wasn’t going to show. The son of a bitch had agreed to meet her at sunset, which was over half an hour ago, but now nightfall was descending on Nagornorak and there was no sign of him. Watching pedestrians amble across the lamp-lit thoroughfare, Kayden pursed her lips and clenched her fists. How many hours had she wasted by naively agreeing to meet a random stranger? She mentally berated herself. If she had left the city that afternoon it was possible she would have stumbled upon Josario’s cult all by herself already.
“Are you ready to go?” a voice murmured at her side.
Kayden’s head turned sharply to her left, startled. She had been so consumed with keeping her annoyance in check she hadn’t noticed her contact, Safin, arriving at her side.
“You’re late!” she hissed.
“The people you’ll be meeting are very security conscious,” he said in a hushed tone. “I wanted to be absolutely certain that you are alone before taking you to see them.”
“Well, as you can see, I am. Now get on with it!” Kayden was unable to keep her irritation out of her voice.
“Very well, follow me.”
As Safin stepped away, Kayden grabbed him by the collar and forced him to stop. “Just so we are clear, old man,” she said. “If you are messing me about, you will regret it.” She released her hold on his collar, and for the briefest of moments she thought she saw guilt on his face before he recovered his composure. Without preamble, he resumed his departure across the thoroughfare and Kayden followed close behind, remaining vigilant for any shenanigans on his part.
