Sacrifice

by Cayla Kluver

  When the noise had subsided, I addressed the sorrow that hid beneath the joy, for it was essential to pay tribute to those who had fought bravely and tirelessly, but had not lived to see this day.

  “We all know the terrible price that was paid for our freedom. Remember those who died in the war. Honor them in your hearts, and join with me in honoring them with a memorial on the palace grounds. Let those who gave their lives for this kingdom never be forgotten.” I paused, permitting a moment of silence for our lost loved ones, then finished, “Embrace your families. Return to your homes. And know that you go in peace.”

  This received perhaps the greatest response of anything I had said, and to the tumultuous cries of my tired but elated people, Narian and I reentered the palace.

  “Father,” I said before my family could disperse, “will you send for Steldor on my behalf? Ask him to come to the Queen’s Drawing Room.”

  I did not want to meet my former husband in my study, which had been his office as King. Too many memories for both of us lurked within its walls. But I needed to lay the past to rest as soon as possible, and I needed to try to resolve matters between him and Narian.

  My father nodded, but did not depart, and I looked questioningly at him.

  “Alera, you have only just returned, and I don’t know what, if any, news met you on your journey.”

  “Very little.” I considered him, then my eyes grew wide with fear. Perhaps I had been right about the nature of the single fire I had seen burning in the night. “Is Steldor…?”

  “Steldor is alive and well. But Cannan. He… The captain died in the fighting.”

  My father’s words were enough to knock the air from my lungs. With tears blurring my eyes, I glanced at the faces around me, needing someone to catch me lest I fall. Miranna took me into her arms while Narian stood helplessly by. I knew he would offer me comfort later, but our relationship was not yet known to all members of the present company, and this was not the time to declare it.

  “I’m sorry, Alera,” the former King continued, then he cleared his throat, suppressing his own emotions, for Cannan had been his friend as well as his faithful Captain of the Guard. “I’ll send for Steldor.”

  He went down the steps of the Grand Staircase to the first floor, exiting through the front doors. Taking a mighty breath, I followed after him, leaving Narian and the rest of my family behind, intending to proceed to the Queen’s Drawing Room. But I halted at the bottom of the flight of stairs, feeling an irresistible draw to the captain’s office, for I wanted to believe I would stroll through its doors and find him there. Though I had heard my father’s words, they had not yet penetrated my mind and my heart. How could Cannan be gone? I walked through the antechamber, answering the call.

  The door to the captain’s office was open, the room vacant but for the memories it held, and I staggered forward to sink into a chair. I closed my eyes, filled with a dreadful, yearning sorrow. Cannan had been such a powerful presence in the palace—in our lives—for so many years that it felt as though the heart of our kingdom had been taken from us. He had been Captain of the Guard for thirty years, and had not failed once in his duties; he had saved more lives than he had ever taken in war; and he had raised Steldor to be the man he was today—a bold, brave, sacrificing man. The son was his father in many, many ways.

  I was startled out of my thoughts by a knock, and turned to see Steldor standing in the doorway. He glanced around the office, his expression composed, and yet it held a deep and immutable sorrow.

  “I was told I would find you here,” he said.

  “How are you?” I asked, nervously twining my hands.

  “As good as can be expected, I suppose.”

  “And Galen?”

  “He has Tiersia.”

  I nodded, averting my gaze. I knew his answer had been an honest one, and had not been meant to hurt me, but sadness filled me. I wanted him to have someone—he deserved to have someone. Only that someone could not be me.

  “Let’s go to my drawing room,” I suggested, for Cannan’s office was not a place that would allow us to talk about the future, and that was what we needed to do. Steldor stepped aside, allowing me to exit first. He spent one last moment absorbing the look and feel of his father’s office, then respectfully closed the door.

  When we reached the Queen’s Drawing Room at the front of the palace, we walked over to the bay window that granted a view of the Eastern Courtyard to talk, much as we had when he had told me of his plan to annul our marriage. But this time, I was the one who needed to speak. I slipped my hand into his, and he glanced at me in mild surprise.

  “I’m sorry about your father’s passing. I know how close you were to him. His strength and guidance will be missed by all. Despite our kingdom’s glory, Hytanica is less without him.”

  Steldor did not respond, but gazed stoically out the window. Then he nodded twice and took a deep breath, reining in his emotions. Even now, with me, he was proud, not knowing that I wanted to hold him and let him cry, and that if he did, I would not, even for an instant, find him weak. He ran a hand through his dark hair and turned to face me, silently begging me to change the subject, and I obliged.

  “And how is the rest of your family?”

  “Amid our losses, there is also some good news. Shaselle has a suitor.”

  “Do you approve of her choice? After all, you are the man of the family now.”

  “There’s no accounting for taste.” He smirked, seeming thankful for my attempt at normalcy. “Actually, Lord Grayden is a good man—a man who met my father’s approval and, I believe, would have met Baelic’s. When the time is right, I expect a betrothal.” Again a smile played across his features. “Now I just have to worry about the other three girls in the family.”

  I laughed, lacing my fingers through his when I felt he might pull away. I did not know how he would react to my coming proposal—and whether he would admit it or not, he needed some comfort now.

  “Steldor,” I said, my tone and demeanor once more serious, “when I see Galen, I will reinstate him as Sergeant at Arms.”

  “An excellent decision.”

  I nodded, then continued. “But our military needs to be reformed. It needs a strong and passionate leader, someone who will do Cannan and all of his work justice. I cannot think of anyone more suited to taking over the position of Captain of the Guard than you.”

  He did not immediately reply, but his eyes went to our hands, and he raised mine to his lips as he had so often done before.

  “I don’t know what to do, Alera,” he said, and the wistful tone of his voice confused me. “This is not what you want to hear, but to me, it doesn’t seem there was a time before I loved you. And though I try to keep my distance from you…even now, you keep giving me reasons to love you more.”

  I had nothing to say, no notion of how to react. He hesitated, then stepped forward, pressing his mouth against mine in a sweet, gentle kiss.

  “Now,” he whispered, “you need to forget my words, and go to the man you love. As for me, I will be your Captain of the Guard and try to live up to my father’s legacy. And that is all I will be.”

  He let go of my hand, then strode out the door, the warmth of his touch lingering longer than it should have.

  * * *

  Steldor moved into his father’s office, but did not change a thing, I suspected both because of nostalgia and because he was so like Cannan. He immediately took control of the city, pulling t
ogether a semblance of the City Guard and the Palace Guard, which he then put under Galen’s control. Men were also assigned to oversee the reconstruction work, a task that I prayed would be necessary for the last time. Perhaps most important, he permitted the citizenry—men, women and children alike—to tear down the Cokyrian wall, a highly symbolic act and an important step toward healing the wounds left by the war.

  It was from Steldor that I received the final list of Hytanican casualties, all I needed to begin building the memorial I had in mind. It seemed only natural to entrust its supervision to my father, the former King, and to Temerson, who had lost his own father during the war. They would see to the removal of the scorched and bloodstained white stone path through the Central Courtyard, and would arrange to have stones from the Cokyrian wall laid in its place. The names of every man, woman and child who had fallen during the battles to try to protect our kingdom, and the subsequent ones to reclaim her, would be etched into the new path. In this way, anyone who walked from the courtyard gates to the front doors of the palace would be reminded of the sacrifices that had been made to preserve our way of life.

  Narian, who was unsure of his place within the Hytanican hierarchy, was no longer using the strategy room as an office. In truth, he was, as much as possible, staying out of Steldor’s way, not out of fear, but out of deference to Cannan. Since veneration for the legendary captain was one thing the two young men had in common, and since Cannan had clearly come to respect my betrothed, I hoped in time that Steldor and Narian would make peace with each other. While I had already decided upon the position Narian should assume, for he was ideally suited to it, I didn’t want to push it on Steldor. I wanted him to come to his own conclusion that the former Cokyrian commander could offer much to Hytanica as head of its reinstated military school.

  In the meantime, Narian was assisting me in preparing for peace talks with the High Priestess. Based on his advice, I had charged two imprisoned Cokyrian officers with delivering a message to Nantilam and sent them back to their homeland. It was reasonable to expect that a treaty conference could take place within the next month.

  It was about a week later that I left my parlor to find my long-absent bodyguard leaning with his back against the wall, as though there were nothing unusual about his presence in the corridor outside my door.

  “London!” I exclaimed. “I didn’t expect to find you back on duty.”

  “I hope you’re not disappointed, but I figured I might be welcome here again,” he said with a laugh. “I assume I’m no longer a war criminal.”

  “Quite the contrary—you are a war hero. But I haven’t seen you since you escorted Narian and me back to the city. Where have you been all this time?”

  “I had to take care of some other business.” He shifted his weight and glanced downward, unable to conceal a grin. “There was another woman who deserved to know I was all right.”

  I immediately glanced to the third finger of his right hand, where rested a golden betrothal ring, and my smile lifted along with my heart.

  “Tanda is a fortunate woman to have you.”

  In atypical form, London confessed his feelings toward her. “After so many years, I never thought I would be so blessed as to have her once more by my side.”

  Was this the effect Tanda had on my bodyguard, even dating back to the beginning of their courtship? Was her love the key to making him less guarded, more open, more relaxed? And did my love have the same effect on Narian?

  Seeing London like this, happier than he had been in years, led me to a decision. I wasn’t sure whether or not it was wise, but there had to be closure for Narian and his family.

  After he had escorted me to my study, London departed to carry out his other duties, and it dawned on me that Steldor was now his commanding officer. While the notion seemed odd, I suspected that the new Captain of the Guard would rely on the more experienced man as an advisor, for London was the only Elite Guard who had survived the Cokyrian effort to decimate our military leaders.

  While I had several tasks ahead of me this day, I took care of what I viewed as the most important first. Moving to sit behind my desk, I wrote a note to Koranis, Alantonya and their children to invite them to dine with my family at the palace. Narian had let go of his reservations with the High Priestess; it was time I did the same with my family.

  Shortly before the dinner hour was at hand, I went to meet Narian in the quarters that had been mine as Crown Princess, where he had again taken up residence. London, who had rejoined me, knocked upon the door, and Narian bade me to enter. When I stepped into the parlor, however, he was not there. I crossed the floor and entered my former bedroom, the brisk breeze that greeted me telling me the balcony doors were open.

  Narian was outside, leaning on the railing and gazing out over the city and the rolling hills beyond. I walked up behind him and placed my hands on his shoulders, resting my head upon his back.

  “Will you miss the mountains?” I asked, and he twisted to face me, lightly holding me around the waist, my hands upon his chest.

  “I can still see them, Alera, just from a different perspective. And I imagine I will eventually return for a visit.”

  I nodded and gave him a light kiss. “I want to show you something.”

  He looked curiously at me, and I removed my betrothal ring from the chain around my neck, placing it on my finger.

  “I am no longer going to hide that we are in love.”

  He smiled and took me into his embrace, then we went to the King’s Dining Hall on the second floor together. We entered at the perfect moment, holding hands, for everyone else had already arrived. All conversation stopped, but we calmly took chairs next to each other, ignoring the astounded expressions on the faces around us. With our attitudes unassailable, our guests glanced curiously at one another, hardly daring to ask.

  It was my effervescent sister who finally spoke. “When is the wedding?”

  At her candid question, our guests burst into animated conversation, and I leaned close to kiss Narian—entirely inappropriately—full on the lips.

  Much was unknown to me in that moment—when the treaty with the High Priestess would be signed, when the citizenry would accept Narian, when our wedding would take place, what life would bring to me from here—but for once I was not hiding, from anyone or anything. Instead, I was staring into deep blue eyes filled with love, acceptance and hope. Deep blue eyes that would be mine to gaze into forever.

  * * * * *

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I would like to thank my family: Mom, Cara, Kendra and all my non-biological siblings, for supporting me always. Without you I would be a mess.

  QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

  1. In Sacrifice, Alera has turned from a queen in hiding (Allegiance) to Grand Provost, a leader who must be a bridge between two vastly different cultures. What kinds of decisions have you had to make for a greater good that were perhaps not what you would choose just for yourself? What do you think of Alera’s choices?

  2. London and Cannan both encourage Alera to take charge sooner. Why do you think Alera did not fully take charge at first, and how did she handle being a leader who had to work within Cokyrian control?

  3. Shaselle offers a new point of view and perspective in the Legacy trilogy. How did her experience contrast and complement Alera’s? Do you agree with the author’s choice to tell this final story from two different points of view?

  4. Even when co
nquered, Hytanica remains at heart a patriarchal society. Cokyri is matriarchal. How did the two different cultures clash in the story? What kinds of compromises on both sides might have helped the situation? What would be your ideal type of society to live in?

  5. Was Saadi’s death a shock to you? What do you think would have happened with his and Shaselle’s relationship if he hadn’t died? How would it have affected her relationship with Grayden? How did his death affect Shaselle’s character?

  6. What do you think future relations between Hytanica and Cokyri will be like? Do you believe the treaty that Alera and the High Priestess negotiate at the end will stand? Why or why not?

  7. Although Hytanica regains independence, the government has changed from a ruling king to Alera as queen. What effect do you think this new leadership will have on Hytanica as a country? How might it affect the next generation of Hytanicans? Do you believe Alera will remain in power? Why or why not?

  8. Alera and Shaselle’s world is a fantasy kingdom and different from the modern world. But some elements are universal to every society. What similarities do you see between daily modern life and life in Hytanica? What goals and priorities are universal to any society? What makes us able to believe in and empathize with a fictional world?

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