Shadows of Destiny

by Rachel Lee

  Then he saw Cilla making her way down the slope to join them. With authority arrayed like this, backs to the potential attackers, he thought it would be hard for the armies to do anything but stand as Tess had ordered. And except for the Black Lion Legion, everyone up there knew Tess’s power and her importance as the Weaver.

  They would stand, he decided, and felt a surge of pride in his fellow Anari who were mere babes in the game of war. Their numbers had greatly swelled with those slaves who had fought their way out of Bozandar, most of whom appeared to have already been bloodied.

  His race could be trusted. And he could, he supposed, be forgiven for a bit of doubt about the Bozandari. They were the ones who now looked down on a fellow legion and had to argue with themselves about whether they would attack their brothers. He didn’t envy them. In all honesty, he wasn’t sure he could stand firm against an army of Anari.

  But Tess and Cilla stood between the armies, and he believed they would do anything necessary to prevent a clash. If their intervention was needed, he hoped it would be enough.

  The walk through seemingly endless, winding halls soon had Tom utterly confused about where they were. It seemed the palace was built as a maze, and as soon as he thought that, he knew he was right. In its every curve and bend it was built to keep invaders at bay.

  He hoped the man leading them was leading them toward the emperor. He hoped that Alezzi knew his way through these labyrinthine corridors. He hoped, as the guards behind them steadily grew in number, that Sara could handle them if necessary, because it wasn’t long before he was quite convinced that even the experienced Alezzi would be unable to get them out of trouble.

  “Not much farther now,” Alezzi murmured, answering one of Tom’s silent questions. “We are approaching the audience chamber.”

  “Is that good?”

  “Ordinarily my cousin would receive me in his private chambers. He probably made this choice because I bring strangers with me.”

  “Or because he doesn’t trust you or us.”

  Alezzi smiled mirthlessly. “I am well aware of that possibility, Prophet. Well aware.”

  Shortly thereafter, they emerged into the audience chamber, a room large enough to hold hundreds of people. Given its size, Tom would have expected there to be advisors or nobles everywhere. Instead there were just the three of them and their expanded escort. With a glance to the rear, Tom estimated they were now accompanied by thirty or so fully armed palace guards.

  Centrally located near one wall with a door on either side, a golden throne sat on a dais. Sparkling jewels of every kind studded it and made it glisten in a rainbow of color. Beside it sat a smaller throne, less ornate. Tom wondered who would sit there. Wife? Or heir?

  They waited a short while, then a trumpet sounded near one of the doors behind the throne.

  “Bow,” said Alezzi, so all four of them did, bending forward until they stared straight down at the floor.

  A rustle and the sound of many footsteps echoed in the room, then a surprisingly pleasant voice said, “Rise.”

  They straightened to find the Emperor of Bozandar seated on his throne. He was dressed in cloth of gold and a gold coronet crowned his head. He looked much like Alezzi and Tuzza, his features as fine cut, his eyes the same color. And he, too, appeared somewhat worn by his cares.

  Scattered around now were other elegantly garbed men and women, perhaps a dozen of them. Courtiers or advisers, perhaps. Tom wished he knew more about these matters, then realized that knowing nothing meant anything he said would be untainted.

  He tried to stand as straight as he could, feeling suddenly very young in the face of all this power and nobility. Then he felt Sara’s arm brush his and realized that she must be feeling much as he was. Like him she was basically a simple girl from a small village who had been thrust upon a stage larger than either of them could ever have imagined.

  An innkeeper’s daughter and a gatekeeper’s son might dream of adventure, but never would they have imagined standing in a palace facing the Emperor of Bozandar, planning to tell him what he must do.

  He decided right then that he had best stop thinking about these things before his knees began knocking together.

  “Alezzi,” the emperor said at last. It was the same pleasant voice that had told them to rise moments before.

  “My royal cousin,” Alezzi said, bowing again. When he straightened, his face was grim. “I wish I came before you bearing glad tidings, Maluzza.”

  “So I wish as well, cousin.” The emperor, who had been sitting firmly upright, now leaned forward a bit. “You would never betray me.”

  “I would die first.”

  “Then tell me why you have come before me without my cousin Tuzza, whom I sent you to rescue. I sent you out to bring him back to me, alive or dead, so that I might honor him. I set you forth to bring back the sons of my people, who weep heavily from recent events. The only reason I did not call you back to defend this city from the rebellion was because my people wanted their sons returned, dead or alive. And you have come empty-handed.”

  Alezzi bowed his head momentarily, then raised it and met the emperor’s gaze directly. “Maluzza, my cousin, you know full well that the clan of Forzzia has forever been willing to make any sacrifice necessary for the empire.”

  “’Tis true,” the emperor agreed, and waved aside a man who tried to lean over and speak into his ear. “Let me hear my cousin out, Izza. There will be time enough for your words after I have heard from Alezzi’s lips.”

  The man stood back, frowning but obedient.

  “My cousin,” Alezzi said, raising his voice as if to be heard by all. “I set out as you bade me, and my only purpose was to accomplish your wish. To serve you and my people in their hour of trial. I cannot express how hard it was for me to press forward when I learned of the slave troubles in this beautiful city. But my orders were clear and I continued toward the Anari lands.”

  The emperor nodded as if he approved.

  “My scouts warned me that an army approached us, an army of Anari and Bozandari together under a single flag. They were described to me as being only slightly larger than my legion, so I felt no fear, only curiosity at what had caused this treasonous alliance. For so I thought of it when I first learned of it.”

  “So you should have,” agreed the man at the emperor’s shoulder. Maluzza himself, however, appeared more intent on hearing the full story and waved his adviser to silence.

  “When we came within sight of one another across a valley,” Alezzi continued, “they requested a parley. To my astonishment, I thought I spied Tuzza among the party who came forth for the parley. So I agreed and went down to meet them, certain there must be some explanation for what I was seeing other than treason.”

  The emperor nodded again.

  “Our beloved cousin indeed was there, and the story he told me and the sights I then saw caused me to return to you immediately with a warning and a proposal.”

  “What did you see?”

  “My cousin Tuzza indeed had allied with the Anari army that had fought his legion.”

  A gasp went up from all around.

  “They now ride under the flag of the White Wolf.”

  The emperor straightened again. “The White Wolf? The foretelling…”

  “Exactly, my emperor. The White Wolf. But it proved to be more than a banner, for the white wolf came down out of the mountains while we parleyed, and placed himself beside an Ilduin. This Ilduin was attacked by one of my officers, and when her blood fell on him, he burned. Her blood judged him, and there was no way to save him. What is more, when her blood dripped on the ground, flowers sprang from the desert.”

  Murmurs passed through the room as this news was absorbed.

  “My cousin,” Alezzi continued, “the Ilduin and Tuzza informed me that a greater enemy than any we have ever faced is bearing down on us. These are the prophesied times coming to pass, and it is our duty to protect the empire and all our allies. The unnatu
ral winter that killed so many in the northlands was sent by him. He has powers I can scarce imagine. He controls the hives we have all heard about.”

  More murmurs, louder this time, until the emperor waved for silence.

  “How can you be sure of this, Alezzi?”

  “Because, Maluzza, I have met the Ilduin who is the Weaver. And I have met Annuvil.”

  Now the gasps could not be silenced. The emperor bowed his head and let the sounds bounce around the room, let all the listeners talk among themselves until at last the noise tapered off. Only then did he raise his head and speak.

  “You are sure it is the Firstborn Son of the Firstborn King?”

  “Aye,” said Alezzi. “I saw his sword, Banedread, and he offered to let me kill him with it if I did not believe what they told me. But I believed. How could I not believe when the White Wolf walks with the White Lady?”

  “So it is true,” Maluzza sighed. “True. I had hoped that it would not be in my time, but my seer has warned me that the day of prophecy fulfilled was not far away. Who are these you bring with you?”

  “Erkiah, a prophet of Bozandar.”

  Erkiah stepped forward and bowed. “My emperor.”

  “And the youngsters?”

  Alezzi almost smiled. “Not so young, cousin. The Lady Sara is also an Ilduin. Her companion is her husband, Tom Downey.”

  “And the mask he wears?”

  Tom spoke. “I was healed by Ilduin fire, Emperor Maluzza. The price was paid with my sight. Light is painful to me.”

  “Healed with Ilduin fire? I have heard of that, but only as something from the mythical times of the Firstborn. And did it not only happen once?”

  “I believe that is true,” one of the men in the room said. “’Tis said that the price of such healing is high.”

  “In my case,” Tom said, “it helped open my inner eyes.”

  “Aye,” said Erkiah, leaning on his staff. “The lad is a prophet of the new age we are entering. He is the one foretold. The Foundling.”

  More gasps and murmurs ranged around the audience chamber. Tom glanced about and saw that even more people had joined them.

  “So you are here to prophesy for me?” the emperor asked.

  Tom stepped forward boldly. “My lord, no prophet is needed to tell you that the Enemy, he who is known as Lord of Chaos and as Ardred, Secondborn Son of the Firstborn King, threatens all that you hold dear. All that every one of us holds dear. He has brought the terrible winter down on the northland to weaken us not only by diminishing the numbers of those who might resist him between his fortress and this city, but also to empty granaries and food stores so that we might have little to rely on as the winter lengthens. Indeed, I can tell you with greater certainty than prophecy that spring will not fall over the land again until the Evil One is defeated!”

  His voice rang through the room, but then he began to rock gently from side to side. His voice became monotonal yet rhythmic as he fell sway to his vision.

  “If we do not act soon,” Tom continued, “I see a blighted world where even the most important and wealthy scrabble among bare rocks and struggling plants to find food, where children cannot grow, and their mothers weep for lack of milk.”

  He lifted an arm, swaying even more, seeming to include the entire room in his gesture. “All of this will fade away as the Firstborn faded, to be nearly forgotten except as stories the poor tell one another around paltry campfires as they try to keep warm. All that you cherish will be stripped from you, and only by serving the Lord of Chaos will you survive at all. You must join with us in the fight!”

  “And Annuvil?” asked Izza, the emperor’s adviser. “I suppose he wants to be king over all.”

  Tom stiffened and turned slowly, looking directly at the adviser. “He wishes to be king over nothing. He wishes only to atone for the past. Can you say the same?”

  “Hive!” Sara whispered, and suddenly she was wrapped in blue flame that hissed and crackled.

  “Where?” Alezzi demanded, reaching for his sword.

  Before he could act, Sara pointed at Izza and a ball of blue fire flew from her fingertip to hit the adviser right between the eyes.

  Izza’s eyes widened and he sank to his knees. At the same instant, the soldiers who had followed them drew their weapons and pointed them at Sara and Tom.

  “Stop!” Alezzi shouted at them. “Stop if you love your lives!”

  The soldiers hesitated. Sara turned slowly, still a tower of sparkling blue flame, and faced the soldiers. “Put away your weapons,” she said gently. “That man belonged to a hive. You are safe from me. And he is no longer part of the hive.”

  Indeed, even as she spoke, Izza was struggling to his feet, looking dazed. “I…where….?” He shook his head. “Oh, no! I was…I was…”

  “’Tis no matter,” the emperor said to him. “Apparently you could not help it. Go and rest, old friend. But take someone with you to protect you.”

  Two of the soldiers immediately detached from the group guarding the visitors and moved to aid Izza. The man was still stumbling as he was led away.

  Maluzza, the emperor, rose and stepped down from the dais. Soldiers immediately repositioned themselves to protect him, but he motioned them away. He looked at Sara, who was beginning to return to normal, and at Tom, as if trying to peer through the mask, then at Alezzi.

  “So, cousin, you bring dire warning indeed. But how can I be sure this Ilduin has really released Izza from a hive, and not merely injured him through some minor magick? After all, I have heard of only one hive, and that was destroyed by some strangers.”

  “We were those strangers,” Tom said boldly. “The Lady Sara judged the hive master with her blood, and in the final moments of his life, Ardred spoke through him.”

  “The notion of hives troubles me,” the emperor admitted, looking at Tom. “You say there are more?”

  “There is one in your palace,” Sara said. “I sensed it when we reached the gate.”

  The emperor eyed her skeptically. “I have felt betrayal from none around me.”

  “Nor will you until it is too late. If you play shefur, do you let your opponent know where you place your pieces before you are ready to use them?”

  Alezzi nodded grimly. “’Tis a basic principle of war, as you know, my emperor.”

  “Aye, ’tis so. And thus it is difficult for me to know what to believe.”

  Sara stepped apart and looked around the audience chamber. “The hive knows of my presence since I freed Izza. It knows what we came to tell you. The danger is thus magnified.”

  “Perhaps,” agreed the emperor.

  “But it is not yet time to show their hand,” Sara said. “Emperor, if you had heard of what is happening here in this audience chamber, would you come to see for yourself, or would you stay at your work?”

  At that the emperor stiffened. He turned to the soldiers. “Close and seal all doors. Let none enter. None!”

  Armor and swords clanked as the soldiers hastened to do his bidding.

  “Now,” said the emperor, eyeing Sara, “are we imprisoned here in this room?”

  “Not for long.” She began to walk around the room, her eyes nearly closed. As she passed, people drew back as if afraid of merely brushing against her. The silence, however, was so deep that the swish of her riding skirt could be heard.

  Finally she stopped and lowered her head. When she spoke, her voice was quiet. “Soon will come a spy. She is already on her way. She will seek to gain admittance through a sweet lie.”

  “Will you release her, too?”

  Sara nodded to the emperor. “She comes on fleet feet, sent because the hive master is concerned about our secrecy. She is young, so young, helpless against the power that controls her….”

  Sara’s eyes closed. “She is born to be Ilduin, though has not yet come into her powers. That will happen soon, which is why the hive wants her. Her mother was not Ilduin. The talent skipped a generation….” Sara paused. “
Emperor, she is your daughter Lozzi. And she comes now.”

  “Lozzi!” Emperor Maluzza spoke the name with shock and anguish. “My Lozzi!”

  “Let her enter,” Sara said kindly. “But you must let her come with me to the Weaver. For only the Weaver can save her now.”

  “You want to take my daughter?” The ruler was horrified.

  “Only for a brief while,” Sara said.

  “I cannot believe this!” Anger replaced anguish and the emperor turned on Alezzi. “This is an attempt to steal my child! How could you have betrayed me so, Alezzi? How?”

  Before Alezzi could even attempt a response, there came a knocking at the door to the rear left of the throne. The emperor froze, then nodded to the guard.

  The man opened the door a crack and looked out. A small voice could be heard and the emperor closed his eyes. The guard turned toward his master. “Princess Lozzi, my emperor. She begs a word, for she says one of the maidservants slapped her.”

  Maluzza drew a startled breath. “Never,” he whispered. Anger gave way again to horror. “Never,” he said again. “Let her in.”

  Into the room ran a girl of about twelve or thirteen, clad in a beautiful gown, her hair twirled and twisted into a high pile of golden braids. She ran straight for her father, a tear running down her cheek.

  “Nona hit me!”

  The emperor took her by the shoulders. “Nona has loved you since birth, and never once has she struck you, no matter what trouble you got up to. Why should she strike you now?”

  Lozzi gasped. “You don’t believe me, Father?”

  The emperor searched his daughter’s face, pain in every crease of his. “Why, Lozzi? What did you do?”

  The girl’s lower lip trembled. “Nothing. At least nothing that deserves being struck.”

  “Let me be the judge of that. What did you do?”

  Lozzi stepped back, her lips trembling, her face piteous. “You have always believed me.”

  “I want to know why Nona should do such an awful thing. The transgression would have to be terrible.”