by Jeremy Dwyer
However, Aura did not limit her spying to the evening. Instead, she listened for voices and whispers as Rivka entered the throne room. Aura was careful to watch for when this happened, and quietly – by using her powers over sound to conceal the sounds of her own movements – avoided notice. She overheard their whispers and learned what she feared most – it was King Xander who had become Rivka’s lover, and Aura was now filled with a jealous rage. She was more attractive than Rivka – by far – yet this king chose Rivka, who would soon carry the heir to his throne. She did no more than did Aura to serve this king – as far as Aura was concerned – but he chose favorites.
Aura decided that it was time to choose her least favorite, and that was her only remaining sister – Rivka. If this king was going to have an heir through any of his heralds, it wasn’t going to be Rivka. Aura would deal with her like she and Rivka had dealt with that harlot sister of theirs, Lyssa.
~~~
At the end of the month, Rivka knew that she was with child, so when she met with King Xander to have their intimacies in his chambers, she informed him of the pregnancy.
“Your Majesty: I am overjoyed to tell you that your child now grows within me,” Rivka said.
“If the child is male and healthy, he will carry on my line and an endowment will be created for him. If female, the girl is to be raised as a herald, with waterbinding to either song or spirit or light. Either way, a financial arrangement will be made for you to assist in your caretaking of the child. However, while you are still not great in size, I have need of your services. Soon, we will take Revod, and you will accompany me,” King Xander said.
“I have never had a child. How am I to do all these things?” Rivka asked, nervous about the work the king had planned and about the child within her, along with her ability to deliver and raise the child.
“You are to rest in your room. I will call for you soon enough, before you are fatigued by the pregnancy,” King Xander said.
Gisella recorded this promise into her book along with the story of the relation, indicating that it was the thirtieth night of Rivka having this relationship with King Xander.
After the directive was given, Rivka returned to her own room, filled with wonder that a man touched her, brought her ecstatic pleasure and that, now, there was a child within her.
~~~
Seeing her sister return to her room, and knowing the news from having overheard the sounds of passion through the use of her powers, Aura decided that revenge was not enough. A debt was owed to her, and she intended to collect.
The following night, she approached the entrance to the throne room and said to the guard: “I request a private meeting with His Majesty, King Xander.”
~~~
The guard entered the throne room – leaving Aura to wait outside – and King Xander saw and heard him enter.
“Guard, what news do you bring me?” King Xander asked.
“Aura requests a private audience with you, Your Majesty,” the guard said.
“Bring her in,” King Xander said.
The guard then left the throne room and said to Aura: “His Majesty will see you now.”
~~~
Aura entered the throne room, and then the guard who let her in closed the door and waited outside.
King Xander looked down from his throne and said: “Come to the throne, Aura, and tell me your concern. Guards, leave us.”
The guards still standing in the throne room exited, closing the doors behind them and waiting outside.
Aura climbed the steps to the throne and saw that the Chronicler Gisella was there with him.
“Can we have privacy, as His Majesty, King Xander, has granted?” Aura asked.
“Under the authority of the Chronicler’s Oath, I will stay here and record my observations,” Gisella said.
Aura was incensed, but didn’t have time for this argument, so she began speaking to the king, saying: “Your Majesty, there is something absent – a great yearning within me – that must be satisfied. I am not the only one – my sister, Rivka, has it also – yet her own yearning has been met with fulfillment. Just as my service is not complete without hers, her service is not complete without mine.”
“What is this yearning, Aura?” King Xander asked.
“That I should have you. I know that she has tasted of you, and now I burn for you, as any living woman would. I burn to draw you into my grip and passionate embrace. I burn to have your seed within me, and to carry your child, as does my sister, Rivka, at this very moment,” Aura said.
“How can you say such things, Aura? Even if what you say is true, the decision is mine regarding who shall carry my seed and give birth to my heir. You assume too much. You are an exalta – whose place it is to exalt me – not to exalt yourself,” King Xander said.
“My voice has subjugated vast and populous lands – three (3) continents have been brought into your kingdom because of my songs. Now, I want to bring you into me, and to make the greatest music – that of passion,” Aura said.
“I need you, Aura. Soon, we will take Revod, that the kingdom will be greater. We have discussed this before and you accepted my answer at the time, but now you demand what is not yours to demand. You have a different place in my kingdom,” King Xander said, speaking authoritatively, yet calmly, as he was trying to console her and reason with her without losing her useful cooperation.
“Am I to be an unloved woman? Does a woman without love not die many deaths? Is not the first death her joy? And without joy, who could hear my songs, which will die within me?” Aura asked.
“Song rises from the waters of song. It is the Pirovalen Ocean waters that bring the powers of music to those who drink of them, whether in joy or in despair. The waters are greater than the person who drinks them – the emotion matters little, if at all,” King Xander said.
“The song within me was a melody of love, and that shapes the music that I sing, giving it form. Yet, the love has turned to sorrow, and the sorrow to despair. A song of praise thus becomes a requiem,” Aura said.
“Though I am your king, your words have great value to me, through your songs, because they invite the many into my kingdom. Thus, your words I will now heed, albeit grudgingly, in this matter. When we take Revod, I will give to you what you ask. Not before,” King Xander said.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Aura said.
“Now, wait in your room and prepare yet another song. I will call to you soon enough,” King Xander said.
Aura returned to her own room, and the guards returned to the throne room.
Gisella recorded all of this into her book, and wondered if these women were playing the king, or – and she suspected that this was more likely – he was playing them. As they were sisters, there was envy, and she sensed it was burning hot within Aura.
Still, Gisella was surprised at the king’s promise, unless it was a lie. Without the power to read his mind, she would have to wait and watch. She knew that he was a monster as a king, but it would be interesting to see what kind of a man he was to each of Aura and Rivka.
CHAPTER 36: Plans against the Powers of Tyranny
In the Trading Center Five Building on Haza’Kedro’Maral Island in the Pirovalen Ocean, Governor Lux worked in his office to finish his financial manipulations – designed to confiscate what he could of his deceased colleagues’ wealth – and turned his thoughts to an earlier objective.
He sat down on the floor and meditated. There, he drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from his vial and was energized. He then called out to the spirit world and spoke such that only a very particular spirit could hear, saying: “If the time is right and the spirits are ready, then, into the land of thieves, I will send them.”
The spirit spoke back to Governor Lux saying: “In the land of thievesss, and the watersss to itsss wessst, ssspiritsss are ssswarming, ready to ssstrike. Call to them sssoon, and sssend them to kill legionsss, and then give them ressst.”
Governor
Lux then called out to other spirits and summoned them to be close to him, surrounding him with their power. After this, he stood up and left his office and went to the office of some of his underlings to whom he occasionally assigned work.
When he opened the door, he saw a woman wearing a solemn expression on her face – making her look older than her actual age of thirty-seven (37) – who stood up and asked: “Governor Lux, what banking concern brings you here?”
“Counselor Daciana, you know that this bank’s mission is to serve every financial interest, across every land, ocean and industry,” Governor Lux said.
“Indeed, Governor,” Counselor Daciana said.
“Different regional concerns have given rise to financial separatism. Yet, this makes our resources unavailable to their local economies, creating an illusion of independence, while actually weakening their economies,” Governor Lux said.
Counselor Daciana was probing Governor Lux’s thoughts, but could not discern them: something seemed to be obstructing her reading of him. How the old man did it she would never know, and it infuriated her: she thought that he was hiding something – if telepathy could not reveal his thoughts, then how would she know if he was acting in the best interests of the bank. She was tasked with the detection of fraud, both by customers of the bank and internally. Yet, Governor Lux protected himself well, despite not being a drinker of the Elanatin Ocean waters like she was.
“To which particular regional bank are you referring, Governor?” Counselor Daciana asked.
“The Gemcutter’s Land Exchange, in the Road of Kovoxotu,” Governor Lux said.
“They have not yet petitioned this central bank for any financial assistance. Their operation as the largest regional land holder makes them the effective government of that land bridge – they lease land for mining and provide a dry land trade route connecting Revod in the north and Ihalik in the south. Thus, in their independence, they have succeeded where some others have failed,” Counselor Daciana said.
“They are about to fail, however, and it is important for them to secure our financing, by adding their own holdings to our books,” Governor Lux said.
“What is your indication of their impending failure, Governor?” Counselor Daciana asked.
“To the south, Ihalik has lost its own independence to its new liege, King Xander. He certainly has his sights set on Revod, now that Meridianus and Waderav have also been taken. Did you not know these latest events?” Governor Lux asked, condescendingly.
“I am aware of these changes, Governor, and they are distressing. Still, these events are not good cause for that land exchange to accept an acquisition offer from us. We can offer no military assistance, so we cannot affect or sustain the balance of trade,” Counselor Daciana said.
“That is not an accurate assessment, Counselor. We can offer them considerable assistance to impact the balance of trade, if they agree quickly. They should be reminded that, when this king has surrounded them, they will be financially insulated and ineffective,” Governor Lux said.
“How will our acquisition of their assets and operations provide value to them, Governor?” Counselor Daciana asked.
“The central bank has hidden assets – and ample protective services – that can be extended to them…if they agree to an acquisition offer. We have no authority to protect them, otherwise,” Governor Lux said.
“Our protective services are against fraud committed by individuals and organizations…not against large armies and navies. There is – or, at least, was – an environment of mutual trust between the central banks and the kingdoms and nations of the various continents, land bridges and islands. Now, times are dangerous, Governor. I know this: when the suns barely shine and twilight covers the world, it is all that we can do to continue our operations with a semblance of normality. Promising to defend a distant financial institution when we cannot be sure that we can keep the promise regarding our assets on this island is overextending ourselves greatly,” Counselor Daciana said.
“If we have their land, we can redistribute some of our strength there. King Xander won’t know where to strike at us. Diversification is a strategy that applies both in banking and in defense,” Governor Lux said.
“The principle of concentration of strength also applies, Governor. Whatever defenses we have here ought to be kept here,” Counselor Daciana said.
“Should something unfortunate happen here, we would be wise to have an auxiliary location. The Road of Kovoxotu is mountainous, like all other land bridges, and may present a difficult target militarily. We do need to prepare for worst cases, if our defenses here prove inadequate,” Governor Lux said.
“Moments ago, you assured me that we had ample protective services such that we could afford to extend them. Now, you are arguing from the opposite premise,” Counselor Daciana said.
“We must alternately assume opposite extreme cases to be true, so that we can prepare for either extreme. The seemingly impossible can happen – the varied ocean waters empower many different interests – so we must act to hedge against these scenarios,” Governor Lux said.
“What, precisely, is your strategy, Governor?” Counselor Daciana asked.
“You will go to their Board of Directors and negotiate an acquisition. You are expertly skilled in all aspects of lending, mergers and acquisitions, so I have every confidence in your success. I will send, along with you, protective services of both darkness and light. You are to leave at once,” Governor Lux said.
“I will need a financial analyst – a Medathero drinker, strong in calculus and probability – to accompany me, to ensure that the terms and conditions are favorable. I can almost certainly influence them to consider a sound deal, but I need to make a solid quantitative decision,” Counselor Daciana said.
“Of course, Counselor. Choose an available analyst to assist you. I will provide the protective escort. Meet me at the western docks in three (3) hours, and a ship will be ready for you,” Governor Lux said.
~~~
In the continent of Revod, in the military academy in the northeastern region, Prince Trahaearn held a meeting in his office – previously belonging to Prince Emerond – along with the Resource Coordinator Nathan and General Joshua.
“We know how this King Xander attacks based on the reports of Chroniclers. He has a singer utilize music to weaken resistance, with promises of peace and prosperity. Then, he has telepaths and illusionists control and influence those who heard the song. These, in turn, are used to propagate the deception by taking control of other singers, and having them continue to sing the songs, as well as to help spread the illusions and the mind control. Yet, each of these tactics has a counter tactic, and we need our citizens to be positioned properly,” Nathan said.
“This will require immense cooperation; yet, by the same mechanisms they use to spread a lie, we should be able to spread a warning of that same lie. Would it be wise – in the interest of accelerating our readiness – to conduct the waterbinding trials earlier? We could extend them to citizens of ages twenty-two (22) and twenty-one (21), and gain their assistance to increase our coverage,” Prince Trahaearn asked.
“The age of twenty-three (23) was determined because of the time necessary to accurately manifest many of the most useful potentials for the waters, balanced with the usable lifetime. I’ve never approved of changing the age for the trials, but I am willing to consider it now,” Nathan said.
“If the trials are followed properly – other than the age requirement – is there any reduction in their effect? The ocean waters always give their powers when pure enough, do they not?” General Joshua asked.
“Purified ocean waters are never in question – they have their effectiveness based on the potential of the person drinking them. The early waterbindings often give rise to different choices, because life experiences are not sufficient to fully discover the potential of the individual. The affinity test – placing the water on the neck of those who are not yet waterbound – all
ows a sampling of that potential, but it can only ever be done once per water. The results are sometimes ambiguous, and there is a probability distribution associated with finding the optimal waterbinding for any individual. That is also why we randomize the ordering of the waterbinding trials, so as to properly estimate the distribution and decide,” Nathan said.
“While I do not understand the mathematics of probability, I do understand that some people have multiple strengths, and they could have chosen a different water. On occasion, they do regret their assignment, and it cannot be changed,” General Joshua said.
“Anyone who has multiple choices is likely to be able to contribute to this effort in one way or another. I suggest that we do not let King Xander decide for them. It’s not as if the waterbinding trials are going to be conducted on a youth of sixteen (16) years – that might very well be foolish. However, I would even support a reduction to age twenty (20), for the moment,” Prince Trahaearn said.
“I will go no lower than that, but I accept that the adjustment is appropriate in the face of this threat. We have the resources and the personnel, and we need to put them to use, in the present time. We can make compensatory adjustments when the threat has abated,” Nathan said.
“We may need to expect a direct military conflict, as well. This king has a large fleet of ships, and the intention to win by whatever means he sees fit,” General Joshua said.
“For that, you will need to formulate an appropriate plan, General. Yet, I think King Xander is interested in minimizing casualties. Those he subjugates are forced into labor, as the Chronicler reported,” Prince Trahaearn said.
“The search for the so-called ‘unified waters’, you mean?” Nathan asked.
“Yes. I don’t have reason to believe that they exist, but this king does,” Prince Trahaearn said.
“I have doubts that the existence of such a unified water is possible. They are individually powerful, and volatile when mixed. No alchemist has ever been able to produce it – not in the Jenaldej Empire,” Nathan said.
