Champion Complete Series

by Francheska Fifield

  A knock at the door stops Viktor from responding and part of me is glad. I am not strong enough to fight how I feel for him yet so the less time I have to dwell on it the better. I have to focus on what has to be done. Nursing my broken heart can come later.

  "Come in."

  Argyle steps through and I sigh in relief.

  "You are well enough to talk?"

  "Yes. Let me start by saying this is not a permanent thing. This week is the only time this will happen."

  "I admit the council was concerned about it."

  I sit dropping my head into my hands. "I was afraid of that." I don't stand because Argyle is short anyway but I have to make him understand. "Listen this is a short-term, one-week thing between my familiar and I. I ordered him to do something that required him to pull on my magic rather than the other way around. It will leave no permanent damage and my magic will be stable in a week. I can still use it and I can tell him to stop in a second at any time."

  "Most of us assumed it was something we would not wish to know about."

  I nod. Even if they do, I can’t tell them. Word spreads and the fewer people that know the cards up my sleeve the better. "I am sorry I cannot tell you the truth. My council does not even know. I will tell them, in a few weeks, but not until everything is settled and even then, it will only be the council."

  "So, we will only know if we join your kingdom?"

  "Only the ones on the council will know. You cannot tell the others."

  "The dwarves do not accept those conditions."

  Yeah, I figured. Well heck. "Is a treaty impossible?"

  He leans against the door frame looking me in the eye.

  "Yes, but we have a few conditions."

  "As do I."

  "What are yours?"

  I think. I have to factor in the human kingdom and how insane everything is going to be there.

  "For the next year, I cannot trade for food. I have to think of my kingdoms first and the next acquisition is at a standstill for labor so it will need a lot of work. I will be importing food from my other kingdom. After that, we can renegotiate."

  "The only thing we want to trade for is food."

  I figured. It has to be hard to grow down here. Dwarven magic most likely helps, but can only do so much.

  "So, trade starts next year. We can still figure out the details."

  He shakes his head. "We won't deal until you have something to deal with."

  Well isn’t this going just great? This is looking more and more like a wasted trip.

  "However, some of our people wish to be able to put up stalls in your marketplaces and trade or sell products."

  Well, it is afoot in the door. "Agreed. While in my kingdoms my rules will be absolute. I will send you a copy; make sure anyone traveling knows them. If they break my laws, I will punish them by my laws, NOT yours."

  He strokes his beard and chews on his mustache again.

  "We can accept those terms as long as we are told before punishment takes place and one of our own can be there to make sure he is treated fairly in your court."

  "Absolutely."

  He holds out his hand and I shake. Avren will be mad. He will likely burn down half my room again. Oh well. It can’t be helped. He will be particularly angry when he hears it is my demanding he used my power and lack of food that keeps them from ceding to our kingdom.

  "I would like to state anyone can apply to be a citizen of our country. If dwarves petition me, I will not say no."

  He sighs. "The council won't like that."

  I stand and shrug. "That is not my problem. If your people are unhappy with the life you provide them you should reevaluate your priorities. I won't apologize for allowing people to try to make their place in the world."

  "Fair enough I suppose. The council will not like that. It might lead to war."

  I laugh. I shouldn’t have. It is unprofessional, it is rude, and it is not a funny thing. But I am stretched so thin. I am being pulled and pushed. I wipe my tears away and shake it off.

  "Argyle, right now I am preparing to kill my own aunt to take over the human kingdom. Last year Avren tricked me into stealing my father's magic to take over the Elvin kingdom.

  "You honestly think a war with dwarves will scare me? Did you not hear what my Kemp did to the merpeople when he borrowed my power? I was not even a quarter of the strength I am now. I could make the ground above you cave in and crush you like ants. I could make the earth open up and swallow you. I don’t because diplomacy is always my first choice. Keep in mind though that if we go to war, I will protect my people. They have nothing to do with this and I won't let a single hair on a single head be touched."

  I get closer and lean my face into his so he can read my face very easily. I want the protective aggression I feel to be very obvious.

  "Do we have an understanding?"

  He looks into my eyes. The chaos in there must give him pause. He says nothing just backs up.

  "If you are ready to go, I will lead you to the surface."

  "Good. I am very much done with this lack of sky and sun. I assume I won't have this issue visiting the firebirds."

  Viktor guffaws behind me trying to hide a laugh. I bet he won’t scold me for the threat I made. He will suggest that he be the one to destroy them. If Talon had been here, he would have verbally protested before we even leave their lands. I never want Talon to see this side of me. If he hates me for being ruthless when it comes to protecting my people, I will never survive eternity.

  We follow Argyle until we get back to the entrance. He basically throws us out the door slamming it shut behind us. Like I care. Finally, free of the underground.

  Chapter twelve

  "That was quite the bluff."

  I look at Viktor but keep walking.

  "I was not bluffing. I will make sure my people do not suffer from the choices I make. Even if I have to destroy my soul in the process."

  "Aren't I supposed to be the one doing these things so you don't have to? That’s what being a Kemp is about."

  I think back to the band of thieves I killed. The ones that were going to ambush Viktor and me on our trek to the mages. He had asked me how I could be so nonchalant about their deaths. I had replied with words about choices. If I had to choose between their lives or the Viktor's I would choose him every time. I would save him. Those men had meant us harm and I could sense it. They laid in wait to ambush. They hadn't known an Elvin lady would come through ready to defend herself with magic. Viktor had been determined to master his magic so he could scar his soul so I would never have to again. A noble thought that still caused me much anxiety.

  Who am I to ask others to scar their souls for me? They wish to keep me pure to rule with a kind heart. But I have to be able to make tough decisions to truly rule. Avren and Viktor cannot always go behind my back the way they had to take over the Elvin kingdom. I can’t live with myself if others constantly do the hard things to save me from having to do them. My plan is to get so powerful no one will threaten my people. A one-woman army. On the front lines, forever.

  At least until everyone is unified under me, then the army can be converted to a type of police force to keep the peace between citizens. I hope I won’t have to kill an entire race of people for that to happen. But I didn’t lie to the dwarves. It is no bluff. I will kill them all to save the others from harm. I will scar myself beyond recognition if it means stopping others from being harmed. All or nothing.

  "I am the queen I will make the decisions. I will not allow you and the others to scar themselves because of a decision I made. I am allowing open citizen registration and if that decision leads to war I am ready for what that means. I won't let anyone get hurt over it."

  "Elainne we have been through this…"

  "Yes, and I was still a silly little princess that might take over the human kingdom if no better ruler could be found. Now I am almost an empress. I will do what I must to keep the peace and keep my people safe. All
of my people Viktor. Even you."

  I look where I am walking once again. It will be a long walk back, weeks, a month, who knows. I have no idea when Avren will pull my magic thus no idea when it is safe to teleport.

  Viktor lets out a sigh that if magically inclined would blow a tree over. Well, I know he and Avren do not approve of this self-sacrificing streak I have. It is, however, what they think makes me a perfect ruler. Ahh, the conundrum. What they love most about me also infuriates them the most. I have given up arguing with them and decide to just find amusement in it. I have forever, might as well shrug off the small stuff.

  "Right now, let us focus our brainpower not on arguing but on finding a quick way home that avoids teleportation."

  "Because your magic is unstable?"

  "Precisely."

  "If I teleport us a bit will that mess you up?"

  Honestly, I don’t know. I have no way of knowing what will happen if mid-teleport with Viktor taking the lead if I will get jerked out or just arrive exhausted.

  "Oh, that is it! I am contacting Aiden to see if he can yell at Avren right now!"

  I summon the visual communication spell and see a worn-out looking Aiden. "Are you alright Aiden? You look horrible."

  "Elainne how do you not kill us all every day? You always look so put together."

  "Oh, that’s a silly appearance spell that Talon taught me. I would teach you but I figured you wouldn’t waste your magic on it."

  "So, under it all, you look like this all the time?"

  Well, maybe not as bad as him but I handle the stress of ruling better…I hope. "Yes. Now to business. Were there any issues after Avren helped?"

  "Everyone argued. But they shut up when I said to."

  "Wonderful. What were they arguing about?"

  "The Fairy Queen offered part of the crystal storage they had to us as a thank you for allowing them to join the kingdom and giving them their own providence."

  "I didn’t expect that. I didn’t ask for anything."

  He nods. "That’s the problem. The council demanded it all."

  Of course, they did. The nerve.

  "We do not need it. With that, we can afford to build all the military structures we want. I don’t think it'll be healthy to keep the weather at a stagnant for too much longer. I am holding it together now but Mother Nature does not like to be thwarted. Tell the council I have an answer to that issue. Now, what was Cullen causing problems for?"

  "They mocked his age and control over magic. They didn’t think he could cut it."

  Oh, dear… "Was it resolved?"

  "After he blew the rest of the council out the windows yes. Of course, the fairy representative didn’t move, she didn’t mock him, and I didn’t go anywhere. When the others came back the fairy was laughing, Cullen was smug and thus a magic war started."

  What is going on there? Do I have to personally run everything including the guilds? Is a council more trouble than it is worth? I want the people to have handpicked representatives working with me so their voice is heard but this is ridiculous.

  "Then I escaped and you told me to call Avren. He did stop the magic war going on in the conference room. Which will need some repair…"

  "For goodness sake! I am coming back now! Tell Avren not to use my magic for the next half hour. I will make a couple of jumps. When I arrive, I want the council assembled in the throne room!"

  "It’s the middle of the night…"

  "As if I care! Have Avren carry them in his mouth if need be but they will be there!"

  "Yes, your majesty."

  I drop the spell and massage my temples. For goodness sake as if I don’t have enough to deal with. My council is all acting the age Cullen actually is. Ridiculous. And quite infuriating.

  "Let's go Viktor."

  He holds my hand saying nothing. Likely the tone in my voice warns him of impending doom. The impending doom I will bring to the people on my council. They will never even raise their voices again when I get done with them. They will be lucky to have voices…

  I close my eyes, calm my mind, and initiate the jump. I will make it in three big ones. Crossing a kingdom this way is draining. I sit down to rest for ten minutes. I will need it if I want to stay on my feet after making three of these.

  "Elainne let me jump us."

  I shake my head. I can’t let him burn his power that way. I need him whole to help with Talon. "Talon will need you at full power to stop him."

  "Your presence will help. I would have come back sooner if you had been around."

  "Avren was sure it would be the reverse. That you needed to overcome some of it alone."

  He shrugs. That had worked well. I’d been almost killed to bring Viktor back.

  "Either way the conditions are different. Avren has created a ceremony. He thinks it will take time to set but once it does it will make it easier for Talon to come back. He also told me the natural aggression of the person has something to do with it. Your Kemp bond puts you always on high alert, making you more aggressive. That should help in Talon's case."

  He doesn’t even nod a response. Just stays standing slowly circling, letting his senses wander out and about. Right now, I could defend myself but I could also end up passing out and falling prey to whatever nefarious thoughts any attackers have. It is a fifty-fifty chance right now.

  "Ten minutes. Are you ready to jump again?"

  Good thing he says it. My body is determined to fall asleep.

  "Help me up."

  He pulls me up and holds my shoulders to keep my balance while I orient myself.

  "Thanks."

  His first real smile in…well, a year pops up. Or at least the first smile I have seen in a year. He had likely been happy at some point with the military. He is a military man after all. It is his roots.

  Another jump has me a bit dizzy. Instead of sitting I lay back, dig my fingers into the dirt below letting it comfort me. The land has more magic in it than any of the races wants to admit. The dwarves utilize it, and Avren knows about it. He taught me how to let it heal me, embrace me, support me. Not to the extent the dwarves do, you have to be born to that magic, but I can connect to it as much as any other race can.

  I know the earth will be angered if I go to war with the dwarves, her caretakers, and her people. I want to avoid that. At all costs. I will pay homage to every earth spirit and fairy in the world. There is a chance it will backfire and they will destabilize the ground under my kingdoms. I will then have to fight a war with gods and goddesses. That is a worst-case scenario and I hope the dwarves won’t pray to their mother earth to punish my people for my insolence. They are fair people. I don’t think they will use that card.

  "You look troubled."

  "I want the next hundred years over with already."

  "That’s a lot of years to want to miss over."

  "The kingdoms will be merged and stabilized and I can sleep for a week. Go into a magical healing sleep for a week…no two. Ahh, peace."

  "You do seem to have a lot going on. The council with its new members was bad enough."

  I don’t respond it doesn’t really require one.

  "Cullen. He is the mage that replaced my grandfather."

  Ahh…right. We haven't talked that through, have we? I pull myself out of the healing position I am in sitting up to see Viktor looking anywhere but at me. Is he keeping up appearances of being a lookout or is he really being one? I can't tell anymore.

  "Viktor, he disobeyed me. He tried to go over my head, if you weren't my Kemp you would have been exiled as well. As it is, I am still thinking of a punishment."

  "So, my removal from the military was not enough?"

  "Compared to exile? No. Listen, I feel bad separating you from your grandfather. If you ever wish to see him you can petition the crown to let him back for two weeks a year to visit. The two weeks start the second he's in the kingdom and he will have his magic sealed by me while staying. I know it is not much but at least you can see him
once or twice a year to make sure he is alright."

  He gives me a nod of acknowledgment and nothing more. I don’t know what he thinks about it and right now I don’t care. I really am still trying to figure out what to do about him disobeying my steward. Aiden is me when I am gone. Viktor of all people should have known I would not agree with that behavior. Yet over and over again he continues to pull stunts like this. I need an appropriate punishment.

  I sigh and lean back letting my head impact the ground slightly. I need sense knocked into me. I need an outside opinion. Someone not involved in the stormy seas between Viktor and I. I need Talon. Avren will side with Viktor; I already know that, so I can’t ask him. Aiden won’t even think of getting involved in a disagreement between Kemp and charge. Talon is the only one that will be honest with me. Whether I like the response or not. That’s what I need.

  "Time to jump."

  I nod. "Yes."

  We hold hands and I jump us again. I sit down to catch my breath. One more slightly smaller jump and we will be there. Then I can rain a firestorm upon my council. Maybe hail. Some kind of natural disaster. I am still trying to decide if I feel worse for the clean and repair staff or more anger at my council. Perhaps I will make them do whatever cleaning and repairs are needed after I rain their worst nightmares upon them. Yes, that will be fitting. Scare them silly then make them do manual work, no magic allowed.

  I rub my hands together happy with the idea that I can punish them without having to do another arena fight. It will be too much work and if I only ever use that method no one will understand I am capable of anything but a duel. It has been a year since I punished people disobeying me. Apparently, I need a yearly event to remind people I am paying attention and powerful enough to kill. Wonderful.

  "Let's jump. I have a few meetings that need attending to before I can finally go to war."

  Viktor holds my hand and some of his power filters into me as I jump. He is making it less hard on me but I had been serious about him needing to keep Talon under control while I have Avren.