“I have a dilemma, as you can see. Can you be part of the solution?”
Holbanks sat silently for a moment. “I’m not going to say yes right now. Let me think about it.”
“That’s fair,” Alec said. “You’ll come to the coronation tomorrow?”
Holbanks agreed to attend, then departed.
Alec left the sitting room to attend to a variety of responsibilities and inspections. He returned to the palace that night, carrying a bundle of small goods wrapped in a blanket. He had spent a long time browsing in the stores along the boulevard, looking for a particular item, and silently swearing at the tedium of shopping. He’d been unrecognized, and able to overhear the chatter of the populace as he strolled among them. They needed something to believe in and hope for, he could tell, both from their words and their feelings. The coronation tomorrow would be his chance to give them something to believe in, he hoped.
When he arose the next morning, Rihm told him that they had located a variety of rich robes, suitable for a coronation ceremony. “I will only wear white and the crown,” Alec replied. “The people in the cathedral will have enough to see today without thinking about my robes.”
After breakfast they rode to the cathedral, where a large crowd was gathering. Alec waited in the back of the cathedral, speaking with the priest who would perform the ceremony. “Our apologies that we do not have a prelate here for the coronation, sire,” the priest offered. “You are making things happen so fast, we didn’t have time to request a senior member of the clergy be in attendance.”
“What’s your name?” Alec asked the middle-aged priest.
“I am Brother Doyle,” the man replied.
“You know the ceremony you’re going to perform this morning, don’t you?” Alec asked.
“I’ve studied it all night,” Brother Doyle replied.
“We don’t need anything more, do we?” Alec asked with a grin. “I appreciate your willingness to make the cathedral available. I hope that getting a crowd of our citizens in here today will encourage them to come back.”
Minutes later, Doyle took the central position, and Alec approached him by walking in the center of the great aisle, with crowds pressing in on both sides. There were few guards present, reflecting how thin the ranks of forces were following Alec’s hasty seizure of power in the palace, and Alec himself was unarmed. Alec rose up three steps, paused at the altar, turned to face the priest, then knelt.
As he did, he heard a whizzing noise, and he reached up to grab Doyle’s cassock, jerking the priest down to the ground just before an arrow flew through the space he had occupied. “Stay here,” Alec hissed, as he twisted, engaged his warrior powers, and stood.
Four men with swords were racing unimpeded towards Alec, having emerged from their hiding place in the crowd. Alec grabbed two large bronze candlesticks from the altar and threw them at the approaching assassins, hitting their skulls with heavy thuds that sent them both to the ground. Now only two swordsmen were on the dais with Alec, attempting to kill him. Alec maneuvered around the altar so that one of the swordsmen was isolated from him, then dodged a stab from his remaining opponent, and hit down hard on the back of his neck, flooring him as well.
Alec grabbed the sword of his unconscious victim, then leaped and slid over the altar to confront his last opponent. The man was stunned by the rapid turn of events, and prepared to flee, but Alec tossed his sword as if a dagger, landing it in the calf of the erstwhile killer, and leaving him on the floor.
Women were screaming, and guards were belatedly running forward to the scene of the violence. Alec saw Holbanks holding Jeswyne, comforting her, and he saw Rihm leading a group of guards. Alec calmly walked to the assassin he had stabbed, removed the sword, and healed the wound, just as Rihm arrived from one side and Moab arrived from another.
“Take the four of them separately to cells in the dungeon, and find out why they did this,” Alec said to Rihm. He used his spiritual powers to evaluate the room, but there was no other evidence of ill will. “Stay with me,” Alec told Moab, and together they walked back up to the dais, where Brother Doyle stood pale and shaken. Alec and Moab gently patted the priest’s robes to clean them.
“Shall we continue?” Alec asked Doyle, who nodded uncertainly.
The priest began the ceremonial phrases, and the enthralled audience responsively joined in the activity. Another priest appeared carrying a wooden box, and when he arrived, Doyle opened it to remove the crown of the Dominion.
“Will you accept this crown to wear?” he asked Alec. “And will you wear responsibility for the common good of the lands and the people of the Dominion?”
“I will carry the crown and the welfare of the people,” Alec replied.
“Will you heal the land of past wrongs, and nurture the growth of future sanctity?” the priests and the crowd asked together.
“I will heal the lands and nurture the spirits,” Alec answered, then added beyond the ceremonial reply. “And I will heal the people, the palace and the ingenairii, so that we may worship in a society that is secure for God’s love.”
The priest paused to listen to and consider the answer, then lifted the crown. As he placed it slowly on Alec’s head, there was a rustling sound overhead. Looking up, the people in the building saw a flock of white doves leave the rafters and glide down, landing on Alec’s shoulders and clinging to his robe, then changing colors to a deep royal purple, and melting into the cloth of the robe itself, leaving no trace behind except the dark color that the cloth of the robe now retained.
Alec and the priest looked at one another in astonishment. Alec turned his head at a movement out of the corner of his eye, and standing on the corner of the dais were the ghosts of Enguerrand and Gildevny, his father and grandfather. The ghosts raised their hands in salute, looks of satisfaction on their faces, and then they faded away.
“Send the Guards out to the plaza to provide organization for those who wish to be healed,” Alec called, looking to Rihm.
“I remember the old days of Oyster Bay in the days of the reign of King Gildevny. The city and land were prosperous, but the court was weak and corrupt. Everyone suffered because of the chaos and strife that the corruption caused. Today I pledge that while we fight this battle to set all the Dominion lands free from the invaders, I will work with you to restore the prosperity, and the morality, that we need to live in a manner pleasing to God,” Alec shouted to the crowd. It was the longest speech he ever wanted to make, and he was glad when the crowd cheered, and began to disperse.
“Colonel Holbanks,” Alec called, walking towards the front row. “Would you go to the palace and lead the interrogation of the assassins, to find out if they are dissatisfied local people, or if they were sent by Michian?” he asked, then realized that Jeswyne was standing within earshot.
“Yes, your majesty,” Holbanks replied calmly, and he left.
“Lady Jeswyne,” Alec said to his guest, “is Givens nearby to serve you?”
“Do you mean to keep an eye on me?” she asked crossly. “I very much doubt that those murderers were from my uncle’s army. They wouldn’t be stupid enough to only send four men with swords against a warrior who fought three demons at once.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” Alec said regretful that she had overheard his request. “I didn’t mean to imply that we need Givens to do anything other than make sure that you are safe. In this case, I meant safe from boredom, because I’m sure you will want him to escort you away from the cathedral. All that will happen here is that I will stand out front and heal the people for the next several hours until my energies run out.”
At that moment, Givens arrived from the spot where he had waited in the back of the cathedral. “That was quite a show, your majesty,” he congratulated Alec.
“Thank you Givens,” Alec replied simply. “Take good care of the lady today.” He turned and left to find the priests to discuss the arrangements for Bethany’s funeral. After that he walked out t
o the plaza, where an overwhelming crowd cheered his appearance and the start of his healing session. By nightfall the newly-crowned king was exhausted, and he returned to the palace to fall soundly into a dreamless sleep.
The following day, Alec sat in the cathedral through the full funeral ceremonies and memorials that commemorated Bethany’s life and reign. He sat alternatively gloomy, reflective and entertained as he heard stories about her life without him. That evening, he met with Colonel Holbanks. “Thank you for attending Bethany’s funeral, colonel,” he began the conversation. “She told me herself that you were someone she trusted.”
“Thank you, majesty,” Holbanks replied. “She was all that held together the idea of a united Dominion after Oyster Bay fell. You chose wisely when you chose her to be our queen.”
“I chose wisely when I chose her to be my wife,” Alec replied softly.
“Let us talk of the present,” Alec wanted to change the topic. “Did you have the opportunity to question the assassins?”
“I did. They are only local people who had been business cronies of the Michian occupying army. I do not detect any Michian influence on them at all in terms of this weak attempt,” Holbanks answered. “It seems strange to say that sending four men after one is a futile waste of resources, but in your case, that’s all it is.”
“Thank you, Holbanks,” Alec replied. “Now the bigger issue is what you will do next. I hope to leave the city within two days to go to the front and begin the campaign to liberate Bondell. Will you make that possible by running the palace in my absence?”
Majesty,” Holbanks began, hesitating as he apparently considered how to approach a difficult topic.
“Colonel, when just the two of us are together like this, please just call me Alec. You did it before,” Alec reminded him with a smile.
“Alec,” Holbanks began again. “I will take this assignment and serve you under one condition. I know you need help, and I believe I can help you. But there is something I will ask you to do in return.”
“I can’t imagine that you would request anything dishonorable. What is your request?” Alec asked with a smile.
“This is a little beyond the duties I’m taking on, but I would like for you to sit down with the Lady Jeswyne and talk with her before you leave the city. She’s a lonely young girl. I had a chance to speak with her at a few of the ceremonies recently, and she feels like she’s lost her only friend in the world since you haven’t spent any time with her. I have the impression that you two were once very close to, and dependent on, each other,” Holbanks said. “As a courtesy to someone who seems like a good person, you should do this. And on a more practical note, she will soon have the emperor’s ear when he wants to know about the Dominion and its new leader, so it would be wise to leave her with a good impression of you.”
Alec looked into the steady gaze Holbanks presented. “I lived for fifty years, fighting a demon. I was engaged for all that time to Bethany, but I only really spent a few weeks of my life giving her the love I wanted to, and that she deserved. I don’t want to dishonor her by,” he paused. “Lady Jeswyne is a very good person, I know,” he began over. “I will make arrangements immediately. Thank you for your counsel. It is appropriate.”
The next morning, he made good on his promise to Holbanks, after wrestling with the appropriate way to do so.
“Lady Jeswyne,” he stopped and bowed as they passed in the hallway. “It’s a pleasure to see you this morning.” She smiled in response.
“I would enjoy the chance to speak with you this evening. Could you come to my chambers after dinner?” he asked.
“No,” she said instantly, her expression swiftly changing from a smile to a frown to a formal calmness. “I am not a trollop at your majesty’s call. A gentleman does not expect to meet a lady, let alone the emperor’s niece, in his chambers.”
Alec felt utter confusion as he realized how the invitation might have sounded to the small retinues that stood politely by.
“Forgive me, you’re right,” he told her. “There is a drawing room, I think it’s called, near the throne room. Would you meet me there?”
“Yes, it would be an honor. We shall see you this evening. I know you are extremely busy, so I shall not keep you any longer,” Jeswyne told Alec, seizing the initiative, and she walked away, ladies-in-waiting in tow.
Alec looked at Moab, who refused to look at him. “I’m going to go to the armory to practice,” Alec said. “I’d like for you to go find Colonel Holbanks and invite him to join us there.”
Two hours later, Alec, Holbanks, Moab, and others were removing their practice pads and cleaning up after the intense workout. “I’d like to leave for the front tomorrow,” Alec said to Holbanks. “Would you send a message in advance to the leaders at the front so that they know to expect my arrival?
“I’ll be meeting the Lady Jeswyne this evening, by the way. When she returns to Michian, I imagine she’ll immediately tell the story of how she made me look like a buffoon,” he said ruefully.
“No doubt,” Moab added without thinking. Alec gave him a withering look. “Sorry. I’m just saying, she won that one.”
That evening, Alec stood in the sitting room, awaiting the arrival of the Lady Jeswyne. “I remember I waited in this room the time I met King Gildevny,” he told Moab and two other staff members following him that night. “These paintings were all here even back then. I remember the court physician explained to me what historical scene each represented.” He walked over to a table in a corner, where a cloth covered the tray he had brought to the room. “The other thing I remember from visiting this room in the old days is that the king had dozens of pretty girls serving as maids, who walked around the palace in the scantiest…” he stopped speaking as he turned and say Jeswyne, Stracha, and others standing inside the door watching and listening to him.
“What a fascinating revelation,” Stracha said drolly.
“It does reveal the depth of character of your new king, those fond memories he holds of the storied past,” Jeswyne said politely.
“The maids made me nervous,” Alec replied, blushing. “Aerley, the court physician, told me the king had the maids around the palace to keep the nobles’ minds preoccupied.
“Please, have a seat, Lady Jeswyne,” he told her, walking to a table in the center of the room, and holding a chair for her.
“In a time when I have had many activities that preoccupy me, I regret I have not been able to spend more time with you. Soon you will be free once again among your own people, living in the luxury you are used to and deserve,” he said.
“I have no complaints about the accommodations I’ve enjoyed here among your people. Even the simplest hut feels like a home when shared with the right people,” Jeswyne replied, looking at Alec for a moment, then lowering her eyes.
“After you are gone back to your home, we will remember you. I will remember you, Lady Jeswyne,” Alec told her. He wished the scene hadn’t been so scripted, with the witnesses and ladies and others sitting attentively around the walls, who prevented the kind of natural talk the two had shared for months. He stood from his seat and started to walk to the corner. “So I wanted to show you that I will always remember the customs from your home land that you taught me.” He pulled away the cover to reveal a tray that held a tea service, steam still rising from the pot, then carried the tray to the table, and began placing the various articles of the tea set in the appropriate places.
“I shopped through the stores in town for the longest time the other day trying to find a complete set.” He told her as he finished laying out the cups, spoons, and implements in the prescribed spots on the table. He looked at her and saw that her eyes were sparkling.
He sat, and they began the ceremony. Each nodded stiffly to the other, then one picked up a spoon and moved it to a new location, followed by the other. They ritually relocated various artifacts, then Alec began the process of placing the tea in the pot of water to let it steep, after w
hich he poured it out through a strainer to removed the leaves.
Then Alec stood. Jeswyne was so surprised by the non-traditional step that she jumped in her seat. Alec smiled, and walked around the table to stand on her right as he poured the tea from the strained pot into her cup. She was looking at him with large eyes and a pale face, and Alec wondered if he had done something wrong. Uncertain, he continued, and sat in his seat.
Jeswyne sat looking down in her lap, and Alec knew he had made a mistake of some kind. She looked up, stared at him intently, then smiled a small smile, rose, and poured the tea into his cup from the left side, then returned to her seat. Alec stood next and poured the cream into her tea from the left, which she then did from the right, and they followed the formal steps again to add honey to the cups of tea.
Both of them sat silently, stirring their cups, then Alec rose and carried his cup to Jeswyne, placing the cup in front of her, and sat down. She stood and daintily placed her own cup in front of him, sat down, and watched intently as he picked up her cup to sip a drink of tea. She copied his motions, sipping at the same time.
They finished the ceremonial steps of returning the cups to each other and sipping together again, and sat in silence.
“I hope I did not offend you,” Alec said, wishing he had remembered the steps better. “Please remember me fondly when you are back in your palaces in Michian, and know that this was intended in the best way, regardless of the execution.”
“Your execution was flawless,” Jeswyne answered.
“I’d like for you to have this tea set as a gift. It is not an elegant set, nor appropriate for the finest palaces, perhaps, but I hope it will retain sentimental value for you.”
“It will, your majesty, it will,” she said softly.
“We will plan to depart tomorrow by ship for the first part of the journey. If you need any assistance, please tell Givens, who will do all that he can,” Alec said. He regretted again the audience around them, although he knew that it helped him maintain his dignity as king. He wasn’t sure what conversation he might have found himself in without the presence of so many watchers.
Preserving the Ingenairii Page 31
