The Realms Unite (Realms Gate)

by Juliet Anderson

  “What news of my mother?”

  “The Queen is still at the Palace. She possesses the compassion Valkarin lacks and can sometimes influence his harsh decisions.”

  A hammering on the door a while later made them all jump. Erin cloaked herself and held onto Wilhelm and Magnus, standing behind the door.

  “Who’s there?” Erik’s mother called out.

  “Vokteren guard. Open up,” a deep voice commanded.

  She opened the door a fraction. “What is wrong?”

  “We are looking for intruders from the First Realm.”

  “And how can I help?”

  “We need to search your house.”

  “You are more than welcome, although there is barely room for myself and my son, let alone anyone else.” She held the door open. “But as I have just cleaned the floor, perhaps you would be good enough to remove your boots?”

  “We do not remove our boots, madam,” the guard grunted.

  “Then maybe just one of you can search the house. I have enough chores to do without washing my floor again.”

  “Only two of us will enter,” the guard conceded.

  They came in, glanced around then left almost as quickly as they had arrived.

  “Did you have anything to do with that?” Magnus asked Erin as she dropped their shield.

  “I might have installed the thought in their mind that they had already searched the house,” Erin responded.

  It was getting close to dusk before they risked leaving the tiny house. “Erik and I will walk with you. If the Vokteren are still around, they will see only us.”

  Erin, Magnus and Wilhelm followed close behind. They could not see any Vokteren, but were still very wary.

  “Walk to your right a bit more,” Erin murmured softly to Erik.

  After a few more directions they were by the gateway. “This is where we leave you both. I cannot thank you enough for your help.”

  “You are more than welcome. We look forward to the day Prince Wilhelm takes his place on the throne,” Erik’s mother said softly. “Now go whilst the way is clear.”

  Erin gave a huge sigh of relief as they emerged the other side at Tobin Hall. They had made it back in one piece.

  “Time to call our lift,” Magnus fished out his phone.

  Erin took hold of Wilhelm’s hand whilst Magnus was calling Birdie. “You are really alright?”

  “Yes,” he nodded. “Seeing Erik and his mother reminded me that I do have a duty to the people. They are waiting for me to take my kingdom back and I will not disappoint them.”

  “The people believe you will be returning and rightly so. You are the legitimate heir.” She kissed his cold lips.

  “The thought of being King does terrify me. I believed I had many more years yet to go before I ruled.”

  “You will be great, it’s what you were born to do.”

  “Our ride is on the way,” Magnus announced. “So you can stop getting hot and heavy with each other, you’ll soon have the privacy of your own room.”

  “I am not getting hot and heavy,” Erin grunted.

  “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. This place has housed many a lover’s meeting, it has that atmosphere to it.”

  Erin rolled her eyes. “No wonder Ingrid looks permanently unhappy if you think a quick kiss on the lips is getting hot and heavy. Poor girl must be permanently underwhelmed.”

  CHAPTER 23

  Sasha was relieved to see Heinrekh, she was beginning to wonder whether Valkarin was punishing her outburst by keeping him from her. But she wasn’t going to give him an easy time of it.

  “Nice you could visit,” she grunted, glancing up from the book she was reading.

  “I thought it wise to give you time to settle in.”

  “Lars has been very considerate in your absence,” she taunted, pleased to hear his sharp hiss.

  “If that boy touched you, I’ll…,” he hesitated.

  “You’ll what? Vaporise him? Not a great move when you’re surrounded by Vokteren.”

  Heinrekh let out a frustrated growl. “Are you going to berate me the whole time I am here?”

  “It depends how long you’re staying,” she retorted.

  He sat down next to her and pulled her onto his lap. “If I recall, there is one way to get you to shut up.”

  Sasha felt powerless as he proceeded to kiss her senseless. She’d almost forgotten what it felt like to be at the receiving end of his passion.

  “That’s better,” he murmured lifting his head a while later.

  “Hmm,” Sasha sighed, pulling his head back down to hers. Her irritation and frustration were gone, quickly replaced by another emotion altogether. “You do realise I’m getting to that stage in my pregnancy where I’m at my friskiest.”

  “Then I should stay constantly by your side to satisfy any urges you have.” He carried her to the bed.

  Sasha was purring like a kitten, lying on Heinrekh’s warm chest. She loved it when it was just the two of them. “How long can you stay for?”

  “I’m definitely here tomorrow,” his blue eyes twinkled.

  “What’s happening tomorrow?” she looked at him suspiciously.

  “I think the fate of the Realms might be decided,” he murmured softly in her ear.

  “Oh.” Her face said it all.

  “Oh indeed,” he ran a finger over her bare shoulder. “Now I do believe Valkarin is planning a little banquet tonight. We should not be late.”

  “What is he celebrating?”

  “Beats me,” Heinrekh shrugged. “But we will play along dutifully.”

  “If we must.”

  “Yes, we must. But don’t go over the top or else Valkarin will get suspicious.”

  “I shall just have to be mildly moody then.”

  “And that you play that to perfection, my dear.”

  Jasper was with Erin in the concealed chamber, both staring at Aria’s bone.

  “What were your plans for it?” Jasper asked.

  “I turn it to ash, then mix it with a thick viscous liquid that will give the appearance of some super serum.”

  “What solution?”

  “I’m thinking grenadine. It’s deep red and Valkarin would never have tasted the like.”

  “Well, if it doesn’t kill him, he’ll have the mother of all sugar rushes,” Jasper gave half a smile. “I guess you’d better get grinding that to dust.”

  “So last millennia,” Erin sighed, putting the bone into a pewter goblet. One zap of Loxhadrin and it was turned to ash. Next she added a small amount of grenadine syrup and mixed it around. “I feel like I should be in a lab.”

  “Miss Cackles Academy for Witches would be nearer the truth.”

  “You watched that?” Erin laughed.

  “Does that make me a total nerd?”

  “Actually no, it’s kind of cool.” She studied the book for a moment. “Now for the hocus pocus.” She clasped the goblet with both hands. “May this liquid take the life of the one who stole hers. Let Aria avenge herself.” One good zap of blue energy later and Erin was ready to decant the ruby liquid into a vial.

  “How do we know if it will work?”

  “We don’t. But it’s kind of difficult to field test it.”

  “So we are ready for our full on invasion tomorrow?”

  “Yeah. I guess I should brief everyone. Are you able to muster the troops in the living room whilst I finish off in here?”

  “I would be nice to know what is going on inside that head of yours,” Jasper smiled heading to the door.

  Erin had a sense of déjà vu as everyone was seated in the living room waiting for her master plan.

  “As I’ve mentioned before, we make our move tomorrow. Magnus and Wilhelm, you will be going through the gateway that borders Lokranor and Vasmaar. Along the way, it would be kind of useful if you could relieve a couple of Vokteren of their uniforms so you aren’t recognised riding into Lokranor. Once there, you should head to the Great Hall, but
don’t enter until I give you the order.”

  She turned to the others. “If you’re up for the fight, we could always use someone by the Realms Gate. Give me an hour’s head start, then Jasper can come through. Dressed in Vokteren gear, the guards won’t question him. Mum and Birdie, you can help Jasper terminate the guards there.”

  “And what will you be doing?” Birdie fixed her niece with a hard stare.

  “I’m riding right through the Realms Gate and will head to the Great Hall. After a few pleasantries, I hope to get Valkarin to drink the liquid from the vial, whereupon he dies a horrible death. The wrist band he has will hopefully already be draining his powers, and if the liquid doesn’t kill him off quick enough, I have Aria’s dagger to hand.”

  “Do you think you will get near him with all the Vokteren around?” Jasper asked.

  “We will have some niceties for public show, then I imagine he will want a conversation in private. That is where I hope to terminate him. If he remains in the Great Hall, I have Wilhelm, Magnus and Heinrekh to eliminate the Vokteren.”

  “What if none of Aria’s items work?” Birdie was not convinced. “Their effectiveness could just be a folk tale.”

  “True. Then it’s time to see if I really am as great a power as Valkarin.”

  “I’m not exactly thrilled being so far away from you,” Magnus grunted.

  “That can’t be helped. I want Valkarin to think I’m there to negotiate, not hand him his butt.”

  “But you’ll be totally on your own.”

  “I have Heinrekh backing me up.”

  “Not exactly the most trustworthy of individuals,” Lodraill hissed under her breath.

  “He is as keen as I am to send Valkarin back to the underworld so he can get Sasha back.”

  “So tomorrow is the date our fate is decided,” Wilhelm spoke for the first time.

  “Tomorrow you retake your kingdom.”

  CHAPTER 24

  Valkarin returned to the Royal Quarters to wash and change for the banquet. He had been grilling a troop of Vokteren soldiers about activity at Mallin forest. They had picked up some activity but could not find hard evidence of Erin having been there. Perhaps it was just villagers after all intent on a little poaching.

  “Heinrekh,” he nodded. “I trust you have that woman of yours under control now.”

  “Yes, Sasha has accepted Lokranor will be her home from now on.”

  “Good.”

  “What news have you had from your sources in the First Realm?”

  “It seems Erin has been trying to trace certain artefacts that might bear you ill. Happily though she is lacking in the knowledge and ability to be able to find them all.”

  “All? She has found something already?” Valkarin was only too aware what his former wife had left behind.

  “A book I believe.”

  “Aria’s potion book?”

  “Yes. I vaguely remember hearing talk that there is a potion in it that will bring the user superhuman powers. A mixture of some strange herbs and incantations.”

  “You think Erin has the ability to conjure up such a potion?”

  “It all depends how talented she truly is and how clear Aria’s instructions are.”

  “Perhaps it is time I dealt with this child.”

  “Surely she could not possess anything that could challenge you?” Heinrekh responded.

  “Of course not,” Valkarin snapped. “But she is an irritant.”

  He strode off to his room , then realised he had not seen Gudrun all day. She was seated at her mirror brushing her hair.

  “You are well, my dear?” he asked, running his hand through her silken locks.

  “I am, thank you,” she replied formally.

  “You are looking lovely.” He ran his hand down her neck. “So much so I am inclined to share your bed right now.”

  “It would not do to be late for your banquet. There is time to lie with me afterwards.”

  “True. But I am not sure I want to wait.”

  She gave a small grin and pointed to a set of drawers. “Would you be good enough to pass me the blue wrap in that drawer. The nights seem to be quite chilly at the moment.”

  Valkarin pulled the wrap out. As he did so, he noticed an unfamiliar box hidden in the depths of the drawer. He pulled it out and opened the box. It contained a wide pewter band with the Royal crest on it.

  “What is this?” he waved it at Gudrun.

  Her eyes fixed on it before she let out a soft sigh. “It has been worn by the Kings of Lokranor for as long as I can remember.” She dropped her gaze. “I… quite forgot it was there.”

  “This is a royal heirloom?”

  “Yes.”

  Valkarin noticed Gudrun looked quite upset. Was it the memory of her husband or maybe the fact that she was hiding it in the hopes that her son would one day take the crown? Either way, it was his now.

  “Such a beautiful item should not be hidden away collecting dust.” He clipped it around his wrist. “I believe it is time for the next King of Lokranor to wear it.”

  He kissed her neck. “I will ready momentarily then we will enter the banquet together.”

  “You wanted to see me?” Magnus popped his head around the study door.

  “Yeah. You know you piggy-backed on my conversation with Aria at Tobin Hall. I’m wondering whether you could do that if I travelled by Baldoren crystal?”

  “I’m going to regret asking this, but why?”

  “I thought I might gate-crash Valkarin’s banquet tonight. Really stir up the hornet’s nest.”

  “You want to project into the banquet hall?”

  “It’ll be fun to piss him off when he’s trying to celebrate his taking of Lokranor. I will also let him know to expect me tomorrow to talk about Sasha.”

  “Did anyone ever tell you not to poke an angry bear?”

  “Yes, but teenagers never do what they’re told. And the fact I have the audacity to pay an unwelcomed and unexpected visit, albeit ethereally, it will really get under his skin.”

  “I’ve never tried to catch a ride on someone travelling by Baldoren. I guess there’s a first time for everything,” Magnus gave a defeated sigh. “What did you want me along for anyway?”

  “I would appreciate your ears in the Banquet Hall, you may recognise the voices of the members of the High Council who have thrown their lot in with Valkarin.”

  “When do you want to crash the party?”

  “There’s no time like the present,” Erin smiled.

  “Can I just check with Jasper that Valkarin is unable to harm you whilst in ethereal form? He is the foremost expect.”

  “Sure. I’ll be waiting in the chamber.”

  Magnus appeared a few minutes later. “Jasper has said you’re completely nuts, but Valkarin cannot touch you.”

  “Then let’s go pay him a visit,” Erin eyes twinkled. She really was feeling mischievous. This was payback for abducting her friend whilst her back was turned.

  Sealing themselves in the chamber, Erin stepped up to the Baldoren crystal. “Are you ready?”

  Already in your head.

  Hold tight, I’m not too steady at this.

  Great, a learner driver.

  Watch it or I’ll leave you behind.

  Such a shame as I’ve got a very cute behind.

  Behave, I need to concentrate.

  I thought women were experts at multi-tasking.

  Erin ignored him and focussed on where she was heading, through the Realms Gate and over to the Castle. Making sure her image was shining brightly, Erin entered through the doors of the Banquet Hall. The noise was fairly subdued, nothing like the banquets she had experienced when Olav was in charge.

  Jumping up onto one of the long tables, she walked down the centre of it. The Vokteren stared at her in shock. Her eyes were fixed on the top table where Valkarin had his goblet half raised to his mouth.

  “I’m truly hurt I was not invited to the party,” she strode purp
osefully along the table, feeling very much like Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty.

  “Erin?” Sasha exclaimed.