Transcendent (Ascendant Book 2)

by Craig Alanson

  “You have displeased us,” Ariana replied; using the royal ‘we’ that reminded the listener that in this case, she was Tarador.

  “I, I am sorry, Your Highness,” Kallron stammered. “What have I-”

  “It displeases us that, while you serve my mother, you cannot truly serve me. And, Uncle Kallron,” her voice softened, “I need you. I need your wisdom, your strength.”

  “Tarador needs me,” Kallron protested, thinking the princess sought a tutor, or an ally in her recent personal struggles against her mother.

  “Yes, Tarador does need you. Tarador needs you to serve me directly, and not my mother.” Before the man could open his mouth to protest, she pressed her point. “What have you accomplished by serving my mother, Kallron? Nothing. Nothing. It is not any fault of your own; you have accomplished nothing, because my mother is determined to do nothing. You may give the Regent advice every moment of every day, and in the end, she will do nothing. Chancellor Kallron, your service of my mother has greatly displeased us. You are dismissed from office, effective immediately.”

  “Highness, I do not know what to say,” he answered with complete honesty. When he woke that morning, the possibility of being dismissed from office had been the furthest thing from his mind.

  “My decision will be officially entered into the royal archives this very day,” Ariana pointed to a scroll on her desk. She dipped a pen into ink, and signed it with a flourish. Dripping hot wax onto the bottom of the scroll, she pressed her royal seal into the wax to make it official.

  “Very well,” the now unemployed Gustov Kallron said in a low voice. “Your Highness, I must say that I am disappointed. You will be queen soon. You must not allow your personal squabbles with your mother affect-”

  “This is not personal. I will be queen soon. I will not be queen soon enough. Not soon enough for Tarador. Tell me, Mister Kallron, what will be left for me to inherit upon my sixteenth birthday? Will there be a Tarador then? Answer me,” she demanded angrily. “You no longer serve my mother; you no longer serve anyone but yourself. Speak your mind, please. Speak as yourself.”

  Kallron let out a long breath. A breath he realized, right then, that he had been holding since the day Ariana’s father had died. The day that he began to fear Tarador would not survive. “No. If the situation does not change, I fear there will not be a Tarador by then.”

  “Then help me,” Ariana pleaded. “Help me ascend the throne, soon, now. Help me lead Tarador to victory.” Or survival, if that is all they could accomplish.

  “Your Highness-” Kallron’s voice trailed off. Again, he was struck speechless. “The law-”

  “No one knows the law more than you. If there is a way for me to become queen, to take power for my mother. To take action. To save our nation.”

  “You ask much, Your Highness. I am an old man,” Kallron admitted. This would be the fight of his life. The past few years, the past decade, he had felt his years weighing on him. Every day, it became more difficult to rise from bed each morning.

  “Don’t do it for me, then. Do it for your family.”

  Kallron had to smile. “Do not try to manipulate me, young lady,” he waggled a finger at his future ruler. “I taught you how to do that.”

  “And you taught me well,” she replied with a sad smile. “Will you join me? I cannot pay you as much as my mother does; she has access to the royal treasury. As you know, I do have my own funds. And more useless jewelry that I can sell.” She waved her right hand, on which she wore three rings.

  Kallron walked over to the window and looked down into the courtyard. Guards were marching toward the training grounds. Servants were carrying things. People were going on about their lives. Lives that would not be possible, if the enemy were to conquer Tarador. He found himself having to dab away a tear from his cheek. “Money, I do not need. I have my own funds; I have invested well. Highness,” his voice choked up, “I am an old man. All my wife and I care about now is that our children and grandchildren are safe. Yes, I will do what I can to help you.” Tears welled up in his eyes, and he wiped them away with his sleeve, not carrying about the condition of his robes. The official robes of an office he no longer held. “Highness, you can pay me with the most precious currency of all. You can give me hope.”

  “Thank you-”

  Kallron turned away from the window, mentally preparing himself for the upcoming struggle. “I feel that I must warn you; from what I know of the law, I do not know of any way for you to assume the throne before your sixteenth birthday. You can be assured that I will do my utmost. And, Your Highness, it is I who need to thank you. You have given an old man hope. Until this morning, I did not realize how I had been living without it.”

  Ariana had tears in her eyes, she blinked and dabbed away the tears with a handkerchief. “Can you begin searching the royal archives today?” She asked hopefully.

  “Highness, I believe that my first task as your advisor, will be to inform your mother of my new situation. Unless,” he asked with a straight face, “you wish to do so?”

  “Oh, no,” Ariana gritted her teeth. “You should do that.” Then she clapped her hands in delight. “I do wish that I could see mother’s face when you tell her.”

  Ariana might have enjoyed seeing her mother’s face when Gustov Kallron told Carlana Trehayme that he had been dismissed from service by her daughter. When he showed the Regent the official declaration, signed by the crown princess. And when he explained that Ariana was entirely correct; that there was nothing the Regent could do about it. Ariana probably would have especially enjoyed seeing the enraged expression on Carlana’s face after the Regent suggested with a smile that the former chancellor could continue serving as Carlana’s advisor, with another title. Gustov Kallron had declined that opportunity, telling the Regent of Tarador that he had already accepted another position. He had to decline, because he had already accepted a position as chief advisor to the crown princess.

  Before being banished from the Regent’s presence, Kallron had presented her with a list names; people who would be good candidates to replace him as royal chancellor. They were all good people, they would all serve the Regent well. None of them had the experience or the talent of Gustov Kallron.

  What Ariana certainly did not like was her mother’s reaction. Seeing that her daughter intended to cause trouble in the royal palace, Carlana decreed that for the safety of the crown princess, her daughter would be moving to the Trehayme’s traditional summer palace.

  “Can she really do that?” Ariana sputtered. It was her turn to be enraged.

  “Your mother is not stupid, Highness,” Kallron explained. “Yes, she can do that. This is one of the consequences I warned you about. Your mother has great power, even over you. As Regent, she is responsible for the safety of the royal family; which is you. She has the authority to move you to a location that she deems to be safe. Highness, your mother wanted to send you away to stay with your uncle Duke Yarron in LeVanne province.”

  “What? But that is so far away!” The princess protested.

  “Too far, I agree. The law also agrees, and I have already intervened for you with your mother. The law states that, in time of war, the head of state must remain in a secure location that is controlled by the royal family. That is why she is sending you to the summer palace in the mountains, and not to far-off LeVanne.”

  “Ohhh!” Ariana felt like smashing something. “This is so unfair! Uncle Kallron, this is exactly why I must become queen, as soon as possible.”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” Kallron agreed coolly, knowing he needed to let the young lady express her frustration.

  “Mother wants me away from Linden, so I can’t cause more trouble for her?”

  “For that reason, yes. Also to punish you, I suspect. But the most important reason, because I know how your mother thinks, is that while you are at the summer palace, your personal guard will need to be with you.”

  Ariana tilted her head. There was a lesson f
or her in his words; she knew the way Kallron spoke when he wanted her to learn something. “Why is that important?”

  “Because, Your Highness, while your personal guard force is with you in the mountains, they are not here. In the palace. At the seat of power.”

  Ariana paused to think before she responded. Of course, her guards could not be both here and with her at the same time. If her guards were here at the palace in Linden- She sucked in a sharp breath. “Mother is afraid that I might use my guards to overthrow her?” Had relations between mother and daughter fallen so far that her mother was afraid for her own safety?

  “Your mother is simply being cautious.”

  “Mother is always cautious,” Ariana said almost to herself. “That is her problem. Is she truly afraid of me?” As much as Ariana disdained her mother’s leadership of the country, she felt a pang of guilt that her own mother might fear her.

  “She is, I think, concerned that you may be influenced by the wrong sort of people. People such as myself, now that relations between your mother and I are broken.” He had never seen the Regent so furious, so personally hurt. “She believes that my leaving her service and becoming your chief advisor was my own idea; that I am using you for my own purposes.”

  “That is preposterous! She must know- No, no, she doesn’t.” Ariana mused. Of course, her mother would assume the crown princess was being used by sinister forces. “I should speak with my mother.”

  “No, Your Highness, you should not,” Kallron said firmly.

  “But-”

  “Highness, you assured me that your motivation for taking power away from Carlana Trehayme is a matter of state, for the survival of our nation. You told me this is not a personal spat between you and your mother. In your roles, you are the crown princess and she is the Regent. You need to treat her that way, and think of her as Regent, and not as your mother. Ariana,” he added softly, “this is going to get much worse, if you are determined to take the throne as soon as possible. How will your mother feel when she learns that you are acting to strip her of her power?”

  “She will be terribly hurt,” Ariana said in a whisper. She straightened in her chair. This was a matter of state, a matter of national survival. Carlana Trehayme was in the way. There would be time for apologies and reconciliation after Ariana wore the crown and sat on the throne of Tarador. “Very well. How soon do I have to leave?”

  Kallron breathed a sigh of relief. His young student was learning quickly. “I am hoping not for two weeks, perhaps a bit more. The Royal Army needs to assure that the summer palace is secure, and that the roads to the palace are clear. Even with messages traveling by telegraph, that takes considerable time. Particularly because the Royal Army does not wish the additional burden of protecting you and your mother in two different locations. I might be able to stretch your departure possibly to three weeks, but certainly not longer. Until then, we must be careful that your personal guard force does nothing unusual or in any way threatening.”

  “I should plan for two weeks,” Ariana mused. “Do you have to go with me?”

  “Yes,” Kallron said with a look that was a combination of defeat and defiance. “Your mother fears that, if I remain here, I may be plotting against her.” That remark drew a brief smile. He certainly was plotting against her, but not in any way Carlana Trehayme could imagine. “Also, she is rather angry with me, and wished me out of her sight. I will take with me such books from the royal library that I think will be useful.” There was no denying that not having access to the full library, would hamper his efforts to find a legal means of making Ariana queen before her sixteenth birthday.

  “Confound that woman,” Paedris said angrily, slapping down on his workbench a scroll he had just received from the Regent.

  “That woman?” Shomas Feany mumbled over a mouthful of honeycake. “Carlana?”

  “Who else vexes me so?” Paedris sighed. “Yesterday I wrote to her, expressing my concern that the crown princess needs to remain here in Linden, so that I am able to continue to advise her on wizardly matters regarding actions of the enemy. And also my concern that, at the summer palace, Ariana will not have my protection. I must remain here.” Unless the entire government of Tarador decamped for the summer palace, Paedris needed to remain in Linden as the center of power. “Now that, woman,” Paedris gritted his teeth to choke down a bad word, “has refused me. She says,” he unrolled the scroll and read it in disbelief. “She says that she agrees with my concern for the safety of the crown princess, and therefore she is requesting that we send a wizard with Ariana. That woman thinks wizards grow on trees!” While it was true that after the enemy’s action against Paedris in the village of Longshire had brought many wizards to the defense of Tarador, most of them were in the field with the Royal Army at the desperate request of Grand General Magrane. In Tarador were only Paedris, Shomas, Lord Mwazo and several minor and young wizards. Even Madame Chu had gone to the front lines after her exhausting journey from Indus. Paedris’ heart ached when he thought of the wizard from Ching-Do putting herself in danger every day.

  “I’ll go,” Shomas said with a burp. “Oh, that was a good honeycake.”

  “You?” Paedris was surprised at his jolly friend volunteering for a strenuous trip up into the mountains. Shomas would be traveling in a coach, but the roads were bad once they reached the foothills of the mountains. The journey would be long days being bounced and jolted in a coach, with nights in rough country inns, or tents. The Paedris realized how what he had said might be perceived by his friend of many years. Shomas was a powerful wizard in his own way, but not in ways that typically lent themselves to protecting a future queen.

  “Certainly,” Shomas said as he reached for another honeycake. “You know how I hate the summer heat here in Linden, Paedris. The summer palace will have plenty of fat fish in the streams, and game abundant in the woods. I will feast like a king!” He patted his belly. “The princess will have her personal guard, and a full century of Royal Army soldiers with her. You and Mwazo stay here and wrestle with the mind of the enemy, Paedris. I could use a fine summer a holiday.”

  “Oh,” Paedris didn’t know what else to say. “Good, then.” He did feel better knowing that Ariana would have a wizard with her.

  “I will take Olivia with me. It will be a good experience for her. You certainly have not had time to instruct the girl properly,” Shomas observed. “Unless you can’t do without a young wizard to clean up after you for a few months,” he added with a raised eyebrow.

  Shomas was taking Olivia away? Paedris tried to hide his dismay. He did have to admit; Olivia’s instruction had been lacking since she came to work for the court wizard. “No, she should go with you. You are right, it will be good for her.”

  The Lady Hildegard fairly flew across the wavetops, racing north at her best speed. Before she left the island of Antigura, her crew had scraped her bottom clean, made any repairs needed to timbers or sails or rigging, and carefully loaded the valuable cargo of spices and fruits that were common in the South Isles but considered exotic in the north. As he spliced a rope on deck, Koren thought that pirates could find the ship simply by following the tantalizing scent of dried spices and a delicious fruit called ‘pine-apples’.

  With the crew anxiously scanning the horizon for sails that could be a pirate ship, neither captain nor first mate needed to raise their voices to rouse the crew to action in trimming sails. If anyone saw a sail not so filled with wind so that it was stiff as iron, it was the crew cupping their hands and shouting to the officers for permission to adjust the sails. And add more sail, for everyone aboard had butterflies in their stomachs, anxious for the first sight of land. While the ship would normally seek to avoid squalls that could tear away precious sails and damage the rigging, in this case squalls were sought out and steered for. Squall winds could push the ship along rapidly, and the clouds and sudden, drenching rains served to conceal the Lady Hildegard form any searching eyes within the horizon. As a squall a
pproached, sailors needed no urging to reef sails, in order that the strong winds not carry away spars and snap mast poles.

  Koren was aboard, as were Alfonze, and even Renten. Only seven of the crew left the ship to avoid the prospect of being killed or captured by pirates, and three new men had signed on. Renten had grudgingly remained aboard, telling anyone who would listen that while it would not do his family any good for him to fall victim to piracy, neither would it do them any good for him to sit idle in the South Isles. When the ship reached Istandol, Renten had declared, he was going to take his share of the profits, set foot on land, and never go to sea again.

  Alfonze had laughed privately, telling Koren that Renten had been a sailor since he was Koren’s age. “He’ll be back. If not this ship, then another. The sea is in his blood now, he doesn’t know any other life. That happens to a lot of men, Kedrun,” Alfonze said as a warning or merely an observation, Koren couldn’t tell which. “They come aboard a ship, to work for a couple years, they say. Earn some coin, then go back on land, buy a piece of land, and be a farmer for the rest of their lives. It happens,” the big man shrugged, “but not often. You get used to a life like this,” Alfonze looked up that billowing canvas against the bright blue sky, then down at the waves that raced along the ship’s hull. “And after being on land for a week or two, you begin to miss it.”

  Koren wondered if that would happen to him. He had not intended to become a sailor; he had sought only to escape from Tarador. To save his own life. He had not expected to become a sailor. He had not expected to enjoy the life of a sailor; the feeling of being part of a crew, of seeing exotic foreign lands, of seeing something different most mornings when he came on deck. He had intended to go someplace where his jinx curse could not harm anyone he cared about, but here nothing had had happened. Nothing bad, or alarming or in any way unusual had happened to him or around him at all. He had begun to hope, or begun to hope that he might someday dare hope, that he had left his curse behind when he went to sea. “Will you ever leave the sea, Alfonze?” He asked.