By the time they made all four visits and returned to their rooms, three more notes were under the door asking for medical assistance, and the silk robes were delivered as well. Alec stepped behind the screen to try on the robes when Rief went to answer a knock at the door. A messenger from Reast informed them that the trip to the emperor’s court would commence in an hour’s time
“Oh healer, a day ago you weren’t even known to this clan, and now you’re about to be introduced as one of their champions at the emperor’s court! Does that seem like a dream to you?” Rief said with glowing enthusiasm. Or a nightmare, Alec thought to himself.
Soon they were in a coach with Reast, Cander others, and Alec looked with amazement at the extravagance of the grounds and courtyard of the palace they were delivered to. “It’s your job to keep the healer close to me,” Reast said to Rief as they exited the coaches, and began to walk inside past a heavy contingent of guards at the palace entrance. Alec bowed many times as Reast introduced him to various people in the palace, and after a while they came to an interior courtyard. The large fountain in the center, the elegant plants, and graceful sculpture all combined to make the space formal and inviting, except for the prominent gibbets, from which four uniformed bodies hung in dismal tatters. Alec stopped in his tracks, looking at the intimidating sight.
“Those were the first leaders of the emperors’ troops who began the invasion,” Reast explained. “There was some resistance by the locals that slowed everything down, actually stopped things, for several days. The locals somehow figured out how to assassinate the restorers, and murdered several all at once,” Reast explained casually. “The restorers are such a rare race that losing even one was a heavy blow to the emperor, let along several at once. That’s why so many of the clans have had to donate their animals for the time being to help make up the loss.”
Alec considered the invasion, pleased that someone in the Dominion had put up an effective defense against this society. “Don’t look so grim, healer,” Reast said reassuringly. “When we lead the next phase of the invasion, we’ll be much more successful.”
Their next notable stop was at the entry to a huge ballroom, the largest room Alec had ever seen. He stopped inside the doorway to gape at the height of the ceiling and the great distance to the far side, beyond forests of stone columns. “You look like a yokel, standing there with your jaw hanging open,” Rief said, as she tugged on his hand and they followed Reast into the center of the huge, milling crowd. Reast stopped to talk to several people along the way, his guards standing unobtrusively nearby.
Suddenly, Alec saw Reast approaching a woman, and panic rose, his fear becoming a physical pain in his gut. The woman was Mooreen Locksfort. He foresaw trouble at the very least if he was recognized by the woman, who he had last seen escaping from Stronghold on the back of a restorer. Alec owed one of his facial scars to Mooreen, who had cruelly held him prisoner and tortured him in Stronghold when she had led the Locksfort trading family. Mooreen was wearing a dress of golden cloth, indicating to Alec that she must be part of the emperor’s own household.
Alec turned and stepped away rapidly, finding one of the massive stone columns and stepping behind it. He peered around the column where Reast was speaking with Mooreen, while Rief’s head was swiveling from side to side, presumably looking for him. He saw Reast motion to Rief, who approached him with a bowed head. After a moment his head too swiveled around, then he turned back to Mooreen and spoke further, with a shrug. She nodded sympathetically, and moved on. Alec watched Reast bow, then turn to Rief and begin to speak in an urgent manner, displeasure clearly written on his face.
Alec felt sorrow that Rief was taking the burden of blame for his disappearance, but he remained hidden for several minutes, watching the Indige contingent spread out to search for him, while Mooreen wandered out of sight through the crowd.
When he felt safe, Alec slipped though the crowd back to Rief, and slipped his hand in hers. Startled, she turned and looked at him, then hugged him impulsively. “I didn’t know what happened to you, healer! I’m so glad you’re okay. Where did you go?” her voice changed with the last question. “Reast is furious with us,” she said in a low voice.
Alec pointed in the direction of Reast and Cander, and the two walked quickly to rejoin the clan leader. “”Healer, we missed you. We’ll discuss that later,” he said in a bland tone. “Let’s go make some worthy introductions,” he said briskly, and led them towards the raised platform on the far side of the room. Along the way they met numerous people wearing gold clothes who Reast stopped to introduce to Alec, invariably saying in a modest tone that the clan would allow their healer to compete in the tournament, ever though he’d never fenced competitively before.
“Cander, Rief, you stay here,” Reast said suddenly. “One of the emperor’s nieces is just ahead, and I’d like the healer to have one introduction directly in the imperial family. They say she’s his favorite.” He pulled Alec’s sleeve as the others stayed behind, Rief giving a wan smile to Alec, while Cander looked indignant.
The crowd around the imperial niece was dense, but two Indige clan guards managed to jostle a way up to the front of the mass. “Clan leader, how kind of you to visit this afternoon,” the woman said with some breathing difficulty, recognizing Reast. Alec looked at the woman, who appeared to be about the age Leah had been back in Goldenfields, with bright red hair woven elegantly about the top of her head, and flowers deftly woven in. Her complexion was extremely pale, and looking at her Alec could tell that she was uncomfortable. He casually used his healing vision to examine her, and saw with alarm that she was suffering a heart attack.
He was astonished at her forbearance; her self-discipline was extraordinary. There was evident pain in her left arm and chest, and he expected her to drop to the ground in pain at any moment. “You’ll excuse me, clan leader, I hope. I must attend to something just at the moment,” she said with difficulty, and Alec noticed her fist clenching and unclenching. She motioned to an attendant, whispered something in the lady’s ear, and in moments the lady told two attendant guards who began to hurriedly clear a way towards the exit.
Alec tugged on Reast’s sleeve, although the man was clearly feeling snubbed by the hasty departure. As soon as Reast turned to him, Alec clutched his chest, then pointed at the niece, and clutched his chest again.
“What, healer? What?” Reast could tell that Alec was trying to urgently communicate something. Alec pointed at the niece’s back again. “The niece, Waines?” Reast asked to clarify. Alec nodded vigorously, then clutched his chest and grimaced. “You think she is having chest pain?” Reast asked again, and Alec nodded confirmation. “Can you do something for her?” Reast at last grasped the situation, beginning to follow in the wake of the ill woman with Alec right at his side.
They caught up with Waines just as she reached a door. “Princess, Princess Waines,” Reast called. “My clan healer is here with me. Would you like for him to assist you?”
The ill woman continued on through the door, but her lady-in-waiting turned. “Is this him? Come with me,” she ordered without waiting for an answer. Reast propelled Alec forward, and the door immediately closed behind him, separating him from the people he knew.
As soon as they were behind the closed door, Waines began to moan in pain. “Oh, it hurts! I cannot breathe,” she collapsed to the floor between her two guards, who knelt in their gold-trimmed uniforms to attend to her. Alec could tell that her heart had stopped beating.
Darting quickly, Alec grabbed for an herb, which he placed between her teeth. With his prop in place, Alec placed a hand on her shoulder and began to send a light stream of healing power into her chest, opening the constricted blood vessels, and he began pressing her chest, restarting her heart. The guards began to seize him, but he shook them off violently, and continued his efforts. He stopped and looked at her intently, examining her thoroughly once more. Her blood began to flow again, and the worst of the attack was passed.
“What is it? What did you give her? Is she dying?” Alec heard the lady-in-waiting asking behind him, and then he heard the sound of several more feet arriving.
Waines opened her eyes as her color began to improve. Alec pulled out more herbs, and pressed them into her mouth, then motioned for her to chew them. “I feel better, much better,” she murmured, then started chewing. Alec moved his own jaws in an imitation of chewing again, and she stoically kept pumping her jaws, until Alec stroked her throat.
“What’s going on here?” a loud male voice called.
“Do you want me to swallow?” Waines murmured at the same time, and Alec nodded, then placed his hand on her shoulder again and released more energy.
“Move this Indige fellow,” the male voice said, and two sets of hands roughly pulled Alec backwards, which he did not resist this time, then they held him tightly.
“Waines, help is on the way, dear,” Alec watched a tall man kneel beside his patient.
Her lady-in-waiting was placing a pillow under Waines’ head, and had a blanket ready to spread over her, but she sat up gingerly, rubbing her right hand on her left arm.
I’m alright. I feel as good as new already! The Indige healer made my pain go away instantly,” she said pointing at Alec.
“That’s impossible! You were blue with approaching death just a minute ago,” one of her bodyguards exclaimed. “Forgive me, sire,” he added.
The man stood up from Waines, and she raised a hand to be lifted up. “You can’t be fit to stand, or else this was all some strange prank of yours.”
“Lift me, uncle, or I’ll tell everyone you refused me my request on my deathbed,” she shook her hand insistently, and her uncle pulled her up, into a hug of affection.
“Miracle worker, come forward,” the man said as he twisted while still embracing his recovering niece, and the restraining hands released Alec. He suddenly realized that the man speaking to him must be the Emperor Alexander, and his knees grew weak as he stepped forward.
Chapter 24 – Honor for the Clan
“Come with me. Bring him along,” the emperor told the group of guards and attendants that surrounded the tableau. “We’re going to the head table to make an announcement,” the emperor started to stride along a passageway, with Alec propelled up just behind him.
“What is your name, healer?” the emperor asked over his shoulder.
Alec looked at the guard next to him, opened his mouth, and pointed.
“Sire,” the guard immediately said. “Your guest cannot speak, I’m afraid.”
“Why? Has the cat got his tongue? He can feel free to speak to me when I ask him a question. Tell him,” the emperor said as they turned a corner.
I’m going to get tired of hearing about that cat, Alec thought to himself.
“Sire,” the guard said delicately, “not to put too fine a point on it, but the healer boy doesn’t have a tongue.”
The emperor stopped so abruptly that Alec bumped into him as he turned around. “Open your mouth,” he commanded, and Alec obeyed.
“Did the Indige clan do this to you? Was this Reast’s work?” he asked.
Alec shook his head vigorously.
“Well, we need a name for you. Waines, what shall we name this miracle healer of yours?” the emperor asked.
“I’ve got just the name for you, uncle,” she said with a grin, and whispered in his ear.
“If you so desire, that’s what it’ll be,” the emperor said. To Alec it was clear that this niece was a special favorite of the emperor, just as Reast had thought.
They were walking up a short set of steps now, and a fanfare of horns sounded dramatically. “Come along, healer,” Waines prompted.
The group stopped behind a curtain, and as the horns finished their flourish, the emperor walked through the curtains, out of sight.
There was a long period of sustained applause. After it died down, the emperor began to speak. “My friends, this was meant to be an evening of pleasure for you all as a traditional part of the festival, but moments ago, my niece, the princess Waines, was struck deathly ill while among you.
“However, through the gracious intervention of Mosha, we have been allowed to retain Waines here on earth with us. Let me re-introduce my niece, Waines!” he called out, and the princess promptly pushed through the opening in the curtain as well, her hands high above her head.
More thunderous applause erupted from the crowd. “Thank you all,” Waines said loudly, although Alec was sure her voice could not carry throughout the hall. “I give thanks to the gods for their kindness in sending a savior to me this evening. In celebration of this, I ask my uncle to add an extra day of festivities for us all to enjoy. Uncle, will you?”
The crowd began to shout enthusiastically, if incoherently, until the emperor replied. “There will be an extra day, for all to enjoy, with a special prize I’ll award to the grand champion of the tournament!
“But before that, let us recognize the hero of the evening, who has made this celebration possible. Healer, come forth!” the emperor called, and someone thrust Alec forward vigorously through the curtain.
For three seconds his face was enshrouded in the curtain material, deep red and heavy, then abruptly Alec was free of the tangles, and he was aware of a huge crowd of thousands of faces looking up at the stage, as he stumbled towards Waines and the emperor.
“Indige clan brought their healer among us tonight, and how fortunate we are they did! Of course, we all know Reast – clan leader, are you still among us?” the emperor called. A smattering of cheers came from a distant corner.
“So Reast has left already, eh?” the emperor said, and the crowd gave a nervous wave of laughter. “Well, we trust this member of his clan to be a faithful servant of the emperor. To show our trust, Indige, I give you this,” the emperor pulled out his own ornate, jewel-laden belt dagger, and placed it in Alec’s hand. “I know that I can stand here next to you and not fear that your blade will hurt me, or any member of my family.
“Now, as we’ve noted,” the emperor re-assumed his authoritative voice, “Reast has a healer who has no tongue, or as far as I know doesn’t even have a name. So tonight we give the healer a name, one that he will proudly live with forever.
“Our friends from the northern barbarians’ land, the Dominion as it styles itself, tell us that there is no king currently on the throne there. The last known member of their ruling clan, the Tarnum clan, died on the throne. So we will give our healer the name of Tarnum. And when we occupy their land we will tear their throne apart, but give the seat to Indige, and this healer will be able to sit on their throne, another Tarnum on their throne!”
The crowd in the hall went wild with jeering, derisive celebration.
“Healer, we will send you in our own carriage back to your clan’s home tonight, so that you may be the one to deliver to them the joy of learning this gift. You have certainly given us all joy tonight through your great works,” the emperor said.
However, Alec did not hear the emperor’s words or the celebration or the emperor’s mark of honor. His mind had seized up at the emperor’s strange display of knowledge about the Dominion, and then his heart had stopped when the emperor had named him a member of the house of Tarnum. The intended mockery and sarcasm had a pounding impact on Alec. He imagined he again saw the ghosts of Enguerrand and Gildevny standing before him, but they were looking at him with a beseeching look. He knew they were angry and anguished by the slander of their name, and by the threat of the destruction of their homeland.
“Tarnum, healer, come this way,” a voice spoke as a hand tugged on his sleeve. He awoke from his reverie, and realized that Waines was trying to lead him off the stage. He shook his head to clear it, and complied with her direction. He stuck the gorgeous dagger into his belt as he walked behind the curtain.
“Here Tarnum, this is my own gift to you,” Waines said, and she placed a small, heavy bag into Alec’s hand. “Spend this all on yourse
lf, and indulge in whatever happiness you can buy yourself. I look forward to seeing you back at court again soon and often.” She ruffled her hand in his hair kindly, then turned and walked with her entourage along a passage.
Alec stood by himself in the space behind the stage curtain, still shocked by the events of the past minute and uncertain of what to do next.
“This way Tarnum,” a man’s voice said, and a large mature man tapped Alec on the shoulder. “The emperor has asked me to see you to your carriage so that you may go home. And here,” he handed Alec a piece of paper, “since you cannot speak for yourself, the emperor has signed this note explaining what he has done for you, so that you may tell your clan of the glory you have earned.”
The man turned and Alec followed him to a doorway, which opened into the grand hallway, still thronged with people attending the evening event. Alec followed his guide through the crowd, receiving backslaps and praise along the way from people they passed, people he did not know at all. At last they came to the entrance, and as Alec stepped out of the warm air of the hall into the less warm air of the evening, he stood at the top of the steps and saw a white and golden carriage, with guards standing at each corner of the frame, waiting with its four horses in front and the door held open.
Against the Empire: The Dominion and Michian Page 16
