by RM Wark
Plus, there was Amber. She was not the prettiest of Madame Celeste’s girls, but her lips were soft, and her bed was often empty at night as she mostly attended to the daytime crowd. Amber had never asked for any money, but he had always given her some for the sake of his conscience.
I am not married yet, he reasoned, and a man has certain needs.
*************
Zeke had not seen his father since the incident with Holley, and he was eager to get home. However, he was forced to ride Junior at a rather slow pace, or else the dog would not have been able to keep up.
“You should just leave Holley here,” Beatrice had said. “I shall take good care of her while you are gone for the Winter Solstice celebrations.”
But Zeke did not want to leave his dog behind. Holley had not left his side since he woke up from his fever two months ago. He preferred it that way.
When their farmhouse in Littlebrook finally came into view, however, Zeke could not resist having Junior sprint home. Holley tried her best to keep up, but she was no match for the horse. When she finally arrived at the house – panting and out of breath – she proceeded to bark repeatedly at Zeke before plopping herself down beside him.
Elizabeth and Talia stopped by later that evening with a basket of freshly baked pastries, many of which Zeke readily devoured soon after their arrival. As Elizabeth and Tobias settled down for tea and conversation, Talia and Zeke headed outside into the fresh air.
Talia sat down next to Zeke on the steps of the front porch, much to the apparent dismay of Holley. The dog kept trying to nuzzle her way in between them.
“Stop it, Holley!” snapped Zeke, but he quickly laughed and patted her head when she whimpered in response. “It is all right, girl, just lie down over here.”
Talia laughed as she put her arm around Zeke’s shoulders and gave him a squeeze. “I cannot tell you how happy I am to see you.” She gave a quick glance towards the white dog. “I heard about your fever.”
“Aye?” Zeke shifted uncomfortably. He did not like being reminded of that time.
“Aye. My mother wrote me at the university. She said she had never seen your father so worried as he was that day the Steward’s messenger came and told him you were ill.”
“Do you like the university? Do you like Bartow?” Zeke asked, eager to change the subject.
“Aye. I think perhaps I shall become a teacher one day.”
Zeke shook his head and wrinkled his nose at the thought, which in turn elicited laughter from Talia.
“What about you, Zeke? Are you learning much?”
Zeke shrugged. “I suppose. Though there is too much bookwork for my liking.”
There was a pause in the conversation before Talia spoke again. “Have you heard anything from him – from Fallon?”
Zeke shook his head with sadness as he thought of his brother. “No.”
The awkward silence that followed was interrupted by Holley’s renewed attempts to force herself between Zeke and Talia.
“You are one persistent dog!” Talia playfully scolded as she slid over to make room.
Holley immediately lay down beside Zeke and began to wag her tail.
“I understand you are a healer,” Talia said, watching as Zeke stroked the white dog’s fur.
“Aye.”
“It makes sense.”
“It does?”
“Aye,” Talia said with a bright smile. “You always make me laugh, and they say laughter is the oldest of medicines. It follows that your gift should be that of a healer.”
CHAPTER SIX
Mother and Daughter
“They speak of war,” Lady Delia said. “A battle to end all battles.”
“You sound surprised,” Lord Milton replied, admiring the beautiful wild orchids of purple and orange growing along the mountain path. “My dear, you know every generation of wizards must do their battle with the East. It is the only way to prove that we remain superior.”
“Are we, truly?” Lady Delia stared into the distant sky, seemingly oblivious to the beauty at her feet.
“Let us hope that your father does not hear such talk from our future Queen,” Lord Milton gently admonished.
Lady Delia grew quiet. “It all seems so pointless,” she sighed. “They shall suffer, we shall suffer, nothing shall be gained. Nothing ever is.”
“My lady, need I remind you that one of their spies was caught in the King’s library? I am told that he confessed the Eastern Wizards were already preparing for battle. They intend to attack, whether it is pointless or not.”
“I know my father and his ways. Words of the tortured are not always words of truth.”
Lord Milton laughed. “Then perhaps you should visit Emperor Jarek and discover the truth for yourself,” he jested.
Lady Delia studied the man before her – her forbidden lover, her best friend. She took his hand and continued down the path of her garden on Mt. Xavier. She spoke no more of war.
*************
“It is good to see you, my lady,” said Gordon with a slight bow.
Lady Dinah nodded as she removed her traveling coat. “Where is he?”
“Lord Edmund is in chamber four of the east wing. The others are below.”
“Others?”
“The other wizards. From the East, my lady.”
Lady Dinah froze, the cryptic words of the raven’s note echoing in her mind: The traveler is here. Please return immediately. There are urgent matters to discuss.
“How many others are there?” she asked.
“Two, my lady.”
“And they are below? In separate cells?”
“Aye, my lady.”
“Good.”
It had been a long ride home. The weather was already hinting at the coming of winter, and Lady Dinah had been caught in a slushy storm – mostly rain with traces of snow – as she traveled through the network of streams east of Norman. Her clothes were stiff and cold, and she wanted nothing more than to soak in a tub of hot water. But she dared not delay.
“I must change out of these clothes, but I should like to see Lord Edmund in his chambers shortly. Please alert him of my arrival and have Abigail bring some tea for us.”
“Aye, my lady.”
*************
“There shall be another battle soon, my dear. It is only a matter of time. I would prefer that you are married before the battle begins.”
“Why is that, Father?”
“This battle may very well take my life. If that is the case, then I should like to know that my only heir is married to someone whom I trust, and that our family lineage shall be continued.”
“Do you not trust a Queen to rule alone?” she argued. “It has been done before – and done well, I might add.”
“You have many talents, Delia, but you are not Queen Roslyn. You need someone in your life … someone to help you make difficult decisions. As Queen, you shall be faced with much greater dilemmas than twin successors to the Steward of Reed, of that I can assure you.”
Lady Delia frowned at the mention of the twins. “Fine, then I shall marry Lord Milton.”
King Huron sighed audibly. “I refuse to have this argument with you again.”
“Then do not argue. Let me marry Lord Milton.” Lady Delia folded her arms across her chest and glared at her father.
The King’s jaw muscles tightened. “If you mention his name once more, I shall have him banished.”
Lady Delia had not expected such a threat, but she knew her father well enough not to take it lightly.
He banished his own wife, my mother ….
“If you do not find an acceptable suitor within the year, I shall find one for you,” he continued.
Lady Delia refused to let him see her cry. She spun on her heels and left the throne room promptly.
*************
The door to Lord Edmund’s chambers was ajar when she approached. Lord Edmund was seated at a desk, intently studying whatever document was
lain out before him. The wizard failed to notice when Lady Dinah politely cleared her throat, so she knocked.
Lord Edmund jumped at the unexpected sound and turned around. “Lady Dinah! My apologies. Please come in.”
The warm greeting was followed by a heartfelt embrace. Their relationship had grown considerably in the years since Lord Edmund stumbled upon her campsite in the high steppes of Eastern Aberdeen.
Abigail soon arrived with tea, and the two wizards settled down to talk. The raven’s note had been somewhat cryptic, and Lady Dinah was eager to hear the wizard’s tale.
“You look well, Lord Edmund.”
“Thank you, my Queen.”
“I was not expecting you so soon. Nor was I expecting you to bring other … guests,” Lady Dinah prompted.
“Aye. The journey took some unexpected turns.”
Lord Edmund recanted his adventures: the wolf, the last child of Govi, the startling sacrifice in Asan. But he struggled to find the right words regarding his discovery of three wizards in Nurlat.
“I could feel the presence of wizards, my lady. I had taken the form of a rat, and I hid in the rafters above them. I thought perhaps they might reveal something about the abandoned villages, and why so many Easterners were fleeing to the West.”
“And did they?”
Lord Edmund shook his head. “No, my lady.”
“Did they say anything of interest?”
“It was the accent of the female wizard that interested me most. I recognized it as a Western accent immediately.”
Lady Dinah let out a gasp.
“But my rat eyes could not make out the face,” Lord Edmund continued. “It was only after I followed her to her room that I was able to see ….”
“See what, Lord Edmund?”
“The female wizard … it is Lady Victoria, my Queen.”
“No!” replied Lady Dinah in disbelief.
“Aye, my Queen,” Lord Edmund insisted. “She was taken prisoner during the Second War, or so she says. I shall leave the validity of her story to your judgment.”
Lady Dinah was quiet for a moment as she processed the news. “So Lady Victoria is one of the wizards below?”
“Aye.”
“How is it that Lady Victoria is no longer a prisoner of the East? Did you rescue her?”
Lord Edmund chuckled. “No, my Queen. She was set free.”
“Set free?” No prisoner is set free without cause, she thought. “For what purpose?”
“Apparently the act was meant as a gesture of good faith – as an apology for the invading Easterners.”
Lady Dinah frowned. The explanation filled her with suspicion. I shall need to learn more during my interrogation.
“And what of the other wizards?” she asked, changing the subject.
“One was an Eastern Wizard, Lord Cephas, the Emperor’s son.”
Lady Dinah’s face grew pale. “Is he here? The Emperor’s son? Is he the other wizard kept below?”
“No, my Queen. He parted ways with the others in Nurlat. I believe he was headed back to Cetahl.”
“I see. Then who is the other wizard below?”
Lord Edmund hesitated for a moment. “The other wizard is my brother, Lord Abner.”
Lady Dinah’s worried expression turned to shock. “Are you certain?” she asked carefully. “Lord Abner has been gone since the First War. We were told he died – along with my father, Lord Gideon.”
“He is alive, my Queen. He speaks with an Eastern accent now, but it is my brother.”
“He has been in the East this entire time? Nearly four hundred years?”
“Aye, my Queen. He says he was also taken prisoner.”
“And do you believe him?”
Lord Edmund shrugged. “I cannot say, my Queen. I would like to. I would like to believe him ….”
“Then why do you not?”
Lord Edmund seemed to struggle to find the words. “I cannot say, exactly. I feel as though there is more to the story than they are telling. Lady Victoria started to speak of something on the boat, but my brother did not let her finish.”
“What was it she said before she was silenced?”
“Something about not having a wand ….”
“Well, I suppose we all feel a bit insecure without our wands,” Lady Dinah reasoned. “Perhaps it was nothing more than that.”
“Perhaps,” Lord Edmund replied, but he did not sound convinced.
Lady Dinah was silent for some time, processing the unexpected news that two Western Wizards – allegedly kept as prisoners in the East – were now locked away in cells beneath her feet.
“If they are alive, perhaps Lord Milton is, too,” Lady Dinah mumbled aloud. “Did they say anything about him?”
Lord Edmund shook his head. “No, but I did not ask about Lord Milton either. I tried to be very … careful … in my conversations with them, my Queen,” he explained, his tone apologetic. “I did not tell them anything, and my questions of them dealt primarily with a map of the East I had found.”
“You found a map? That is excellent news! Let us have a look at it, shall we?”
Lady Dinah was particularly excited about this development. It was good to know where one’s enemies resided – especially when preparing for war. They walked over to the desk where a tattered scroll of paper was lain out before them.
“It is a mariner’s map, my Queen. Most of the original markings were of the coastal areas. I filled in a bit of the western portions based on my travels, and Lady Victoria and Lord Abner were able to provide some additional details. However, I am afraid their knowledge was quite limited. I do not believe they left the confines of Cetahl during their years in captivity.”
Lady Dinah nodded vaguely as she studied the map.
“It is not complete, my Queen,” continued Lord Edmund with a frown. “I believe it only shows some of the larger villages and towns.”
He pointed to the northwest quadrant of the map.
“When I traveled to the East on my previous expedition, I recall coming across at least eight separate villages. But this map only shows three: Bogard, Zoev, and Ardon.”
Lady Dinah looked up at the wizard. Lord Edmond had risked much in his travels. He had been asked to do so much more than the others.
“Do not apologize for the map, Lord Edmund. It is far more than we had before your latest journey. And now we know the location of Cetahl – the location of the Emperor – and that information is invaluable.”
It was true that her prized ravens knew the way to Cetahl, and so did the falcon the old woman in the forest had offered to her after the death of Emperor Jarek. But those birds could not communicate the path, nor were they easily tracked. The map Lord Edmund provided truly was invaluable.
“Do you mind if I take this with me?” she asked.
“Not at all, my Queen.”
“I hope you are planning to stay for a while,” she added. “You are more than welcome.”
“Thank you, my Queen. I should like to stay until you have had a chance to meet with Lady Victoria and Lord Abner. I am eager to hear your thoughts.”
“You shall be the first person I tell.”
They kissed their good-byes, and Lady Dinah headed back to her room, the precious map in hand.
*************
*************
Hot tears poured from her eyes as she hurried down the main corridor of the west wing of the castle atop Mt. Xavier. Her emotions ebbed and flowed with each step: Hatred. Anger. Fear. Sadness. Defiance.
She ran outside to the garden, not stopping until she reached the bench that overlooked the mountainside. Her tears quickly evolved into full-fledged sobs.
Lady Delia cried until her head pounded. She cried until she could no longer breathe. She cried until the feelings of hatred, anger, fear, sadness, and defiance were replaced with a dull sort of numbness.
“I shall not marry another,” she said aloud, wiping away the last of the tears.
But I cannot go to Lord Milton. If my father ever found out, he would banish him. Lady Delia loved Lord Milton too much to ever risk that. But I cannot stay. I cannot stay.
With that final thought in mind, Lady Delia returned to her room and packed a small bag. She was exhausted, and a part of her wanted very much to curl up on her bed and sleep, but she was afraid she would lose her will to leave if she remained. So she left.
Lady Delia carefully made her way down the mountainside, determined never to return.
*************
Lady Dinah did not immediately venture below to seek out the Western Wizards returned from the East. She was tired and did not want her faculties to be compromised in any way while interrogating the wizards.
She soaked in a hot bath until the water turned cold and retreated to her bed of feathers in her room of white. Her head had barely reached the pillow when she fell fast asleep.
Two days would pass before she finally felt like herself again. She walked to the end of the corridor in the western wing and addressed the dwarf guarding a large wooden door.
“Hello, Gordon. It is time I met with the wizards below.”
“Aye, my lady,” he replied with a short bow.
She watched as he slid a heavy wooden bar out of position and fumbled with three different locks to open the door. It occurred to her that such mechanisms could be easily overcome by even the simplest of spells, but she was comforted by the fact that the wizards below did not have any wands. A wizard was useless without his wand.
Gordon finally opened the door and stepped out of the way. “Would you like me to join you, my lady?”
“Thank you, Gordon, but I shall be fine.”
“Very well. Lady Victoria is in cell three. Lord Abner is in cell thirteen.”
Lady Dinah nodded and stepped through the threshold into the darkness.
“Illuminare viam!” she commanded with her wand, and a row of torches placed at intervals along the dark stairway burst into flame.
