“How is the young man, if I may ask?” said Alicia.
“Oh, well, he is still in bed. His leg is broken.”
“I am sorry I couldn’t heal that. It was a grave injury, but it caused no threat to his life. I wanted to concentrate my efforts on the fatal wounds. And also,” she smiled, “I thought it might be better for him to stay in bed, recuperate, and ponder over the mistake he made by climbing that roof.”
The king coughed. “Yes, I am sure it was a good decision to let him reflect on his misery.”
“Miserable, is he?”
“The cast on his leg does itch a lot,” said the king. “The upside is that being disabled has put an end to a lot of his nefarious activities, and his mother has put his time to good use by allowing his tutors to visit him in his chambers. He has been studying hard.”
Alicia laughed. “Oh, well, that would make anyone miserable. Perhaps I could visit the boy, and break the tedium of education that has been thrust upon him. I could also give him a brew that would make the itching stop.”
“He would be delighted to meet you, I am sure. As would his mother. She wanted to come with me today, but I told her that it might not be advisable to task you with so many visitors.”
Alicia saw Queen Catherine tremble as if she couldn’t endure the banality of their conversation. “I will be sure to pay a visit to the queen as soon as I am able to do so, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you, my dear. And of course, if you have need for anything, you only have to ask me. You have saved my only son. I am forever in your debt,” he said. “What you have done, I can never repay you.”
“No repayment will ever be required, Your Majesty. It’s my duty as a healer to do the best I can. We must all do what is right simply because it is our duty to do so and not because we expect something in return. I am glad that I was useful to you in some small capacity. Please give my warmest regard to the patient and to the queen.”
The king stood. “You’re my guest. Please stay for as long as you want. I hope to see you again soon.”
Alicia watched as the king stepped out. She turned to gaze at Queen Catherine who was gulping as if words were stuck in her throat. Alicia motioned for the queen to take the seat King Amber vacated. “Would you like a cup of water, Your Majesty?”
Queen Catherine remained standing. “You…you fool! You have wasted a golden opportunity.”
Kayleb stepped forward, but Theodore beat him to it. “You will not speak to the princess in such a crass manner.”
“Theodore, please.” Alicia raised her hand. “Queen Catherine is entitled to an opinion. Do you believe, Your Majesty,” she addressed the queen, “that I should have asked King Amber to pledge his wholehearted support to my brother in a war against Vindha?”
“Of course. That is exactly what you should have done. It was the right thing to do.”
“And you had worked so hard to orchestrate the events that led to this moment. Did you, by any chance, give the young man any help in leaping off that roof?” Her expression was hard. She knew the answer, but it was important to lay the facts out right in the open.
The queen’s face drained of all blood. She took the seat Alicia had offered. “Of course not. I would never…how can you even think of such a horrible thing? The day Theodore left was when I found out about this terrible accident. And once the boy’s condition deteriorated…and then when I learnt that you had turned up so miraculously in Izba, well, I thought you might be able to heal the boy. Then King Amber would be so much in your debt that he would give you all the support you needed.”
Alicia nodded. This was pretty much what she had expected. Queen Catherine was smart and cunning, but she wasn’t wicked. “I am glad that your quick thinking saved that boy’s life. But I didn’t help him live so that I could manipulate his father.”
“Why not? It would help so many hundreds and thousands of people if King Amber joined forces with you. For the greater good…”
“I will not use a father’s emotions for the sake of the greater good. Nor do I think he will be a valuable and strong supporter if he was to pledge us his help due to some sort of misguided obligation. The greater good will only be served if King Amber realizes that he and his people need to take a stand against Vindha. For then, they will fight from their heart. Wars are not lost because an army is weak. Wars are lost when their intentions are weak.”
Queen Catherine ran a hand over the arm of her chair. “I hope that we all don’t live to regret this decision of yours.” She stood. “Well, I am glad that you are well again. If you have need for anything…”
“I will ask you if I need anything, and you shall provide it to me because you are a kind and helpful woman.” Alicia stood also. “Thank you for the lovely gown, Your Majesty. I appreciate the gesture.”
The queen gazed at Alicia with narrowed eyes, reassessing her. “It’s a pleasure to get to know you, Princess. I’d heard a lot about you, but nothing did justice to your beauty, generosity of heart, and spirit.”
“Thank you for your kind compliment, Your Majesty. I think, under different circumstances, we would have been the best of friends.”
“Perhaps, we still can be,” said the queen as she walked to the door.
As the queen exited, Alicia turned to Kayleb and Theodore. They were both staring at each other with identically confused expressions.
“What was that about?” said Kayleb. He scratched his head. “I don’t understand.”
“I have no idea what went on right under my nose,” said Theodore, looking dumbfounded. “Are they friends now?”
“Men!” Alicia rolled her eyes. “You will both never understand women. Now go on, let me rest.”
The two men walked out, shaking their heads. Alicia lay down to sleep. She was tired again. It would take a few days of rest for her body to recover from the appalling experience and get back to normal. No matter what her condition, she couldn’t wait to resume her journey. There was so much to do, and time was slipping out of her hands with a swift and steady pace.
Chapter Seventeen
Kayleb leaped and parried, he stabbed and countered. Stepping back for a moment, he analyzed his opponent’s strategy. Feinting to the right, he thrust his sword deep within his enemy’s stomach. He pulled it out with a jerk. “You are dead.”
Despite knowing that it was an illusion, Theodore ran a hand over his stomach. “Twice in a row,” he cursed and wiped the sweat off his forehead with his free hand. “You’re good. Let’s do one more time.”
Their swords were spelled to not harm each other, and yet, the magic allowed them to practice freely. Kayleb shook his head. “We have to give an attendance in the court, remember. King Amber has summoned everyone in the evening.”
Theodore pulled a face. “I can’t wait for Princess Alicia to get better so we can leave this damned city. It makes me nervous to be trapped within these walls.”
Kayleb agreed with his new friend, but knowing the task they had ahead, he was eager for Alicia to recover completely before they left the relative safety of Aba. Even now, when he recalled the fight with the demon mages, he wondered if they would have survived, despite the daggers, if Theodore and Baahir hadn’t found them at the right time. The demon mages chased them from the edge of the moor to the forest. It took all of their cunning and magic to keep them at bay while they fought to find a way out of the forest.
He separated from Theodore at the entrance to the guest wing of the palace. Kayleb walked inside the room he shared with Alicia. In anticipation of his condition, she had already drawn a hot bath.
“I was about to send someone to call you,” she said.
As always, his heart stopped at the sight of her. She looked resplendent in a mauve gown, its tight bodice showing off her luscious curves. It was still hard for him to believe that she was his woman. She loved him despite knowing about the humiliation he’d suffered. Her presence was the only miracle in his life that allowed him to cling on to sanity.
“Here I am,” he smiled, cherishing these private moments they managed to snatch amongst the chaos that always surrounded the royal court. “Is this gown also on loan from Catherine? It suits you.”
“She has been extremely kind. And thank you.”
It had been three days since Alicia recovered from her ordeal and Kayleb appreciated this extra time. This brief interlude would not last forever, and he intended to make the most of it. “Why don’t we go out for a walk after the court is over? You have not yet seen the bazaar of Aba, have you?”
Alicia stood. She smiled. “I would love to go.”
After he took a bath and changed into new, suitable clothes , they walked into the court together and took their seats. He didn’t look forward to the banal issues that took most of the king’s time each day. And yet, as guests, they could hardly refuse the king’s request that they attend today’s gathering. “Can’t wait to get this over with,” he whispered.
“Shh!” Alicia put her hand on his wrist as King Amber walked in. He was followed by the other two kings, and Queen Catherine. “Let’s hear what he has to say. We will be out in a little time.”
“He goes on and on…” grumbled Kayleb. “Last time I attended court, he spent the whole time talking about the need for cooperation between kingdoms. As if we didn’t know it already.”
“Hush now,” she said, stifling a giggle.
King Amber took his position. “We shall begin the day’s proceedings by making an announcement,” he began without preamble. “After due consultations with the royal advisors and my army commanders, I have come to the decision that we must join our forces with King Seve at once. We will fight Vindha together because we must all do what is right simply because it is our duty to do so.”
The court was in uproar. King Saud sat straight, looking somewhat angry. Queen Catherine’s mouth was hanging open. King Jibran looked mildly surprised.
Kayleb was dumbfounded. This was totally unexpected. “He is using your line,” he muttered.
Alicia leaned forward, her face shining with excitement. “Shh!”
After the initial furor died down, King Amber began again. “We will fight for our freedom, for the chance to live life on our own terms, and for our dignity and respect. We will fight because we want our children to be free. We will fight because we will not become slaves to someone else’s ambitions.”
“Hear, hear!” someone said.
“We may win, or we may lose, but in the annals of history, we will go down as warriors who did not give up. Izba has been a free kingdom, and it shall remain so forever.”
A thundering applause took over the hall. People shook each other’s hands, threw their hats in the air, and clapped each other on the back. “Don’t they know that war is a serious business?” said Kayleb.
Alicia held his hand. “This is their moment. Let them have it.”
Queen Catherine stood. She waited until she had everyone’s attention before announcing, “Masaba will give its wholehearted support and resources to Izba and Iram. We will join forces with our brothers and sisters and fight this maniac who has thrust a war upon all of us.”
King Jibran stood. “As will Preya and all its inhabitants. We will go to war.” He raised his golden scepter in the air. People burst into fresh applause.
Everyone looked expectantly at King Saud. He fidgeted on his seat. “We will support our neighbors in this endeavor,” he spoke softly without much enthusiasm.
“He really has no choice. It would be impossible for Cana to go against the majority. Their kingdom sits smack dab in the middle of the others. If he goes against them, he and his people will be the first to be annihilated,” Kayleb observed.
“Queen Catherine really is a genius. She added her support just at the right moment,” said Theodore. He’d come to stand beside them after the first announcement.
“She is quite an amazing woman,” agreed Alicia.
“And now I must depart for the royal council to hold a meeting with my advisors,” said King Amber. He left the court. The lords and ladies milled about, exchanging ideas. Some of them looked fearful and thoughtful while others were animated as if the promise of a war was something exciting.
Theodore scratched his cheek. “Now what? We will need to send a messenger to King Seve to inform him of this new development.”
“Excuse me, Princess.” A man dressed in a royal livery, and one of the close attendants of King Amber, came. He bowed. “The king has requested you and your companions to join him in the war council.”
They all followed the man. The war council chamber contained a big, square table, around which were set ten chairs. The walls all contained shelves upon shelves of tomes, maps, and diaries. King Amber sat at the head of the table while four of his advisors flanked on both sides.
“We are pleased to have you join us,” said King Amber. “I have asked the other kings and queen to join us later also. King Seve’s plan is good, but we will have to devise a strategy regarding positioning of troops, joint responsibilities, and chain of command. I will be sending a messenger to King Seve. Would you like to add something to the message?”
Alicia took a place at the table, while Kayleb and Theodore chose to stand behind. “Please tell my brother that we’re all safe,” said Alicia.
King Amber smiled. “Is it then safe to presume that you will remain with us while we gather our army together to challenge Vindha?”
“We are actually on a separate mission.”
King Amber cocked his eyebrow. “May I ask what it is?”
Alicia drummed her fingers on the table. “Vindha’s strength is his demon mages. We want to find and destroy the place where he is creating them. There have been rumors that he has built a temple ostensibly to offer prayers to the god Yuddha, but is in reality he is using it to tap into the underworld for demons so that he can force them into dead bodies of mages. We plan to find and destroy that temple.”
King Amber pursed his lips. “It may be that I…we have some idea of where this temple could be?”
Kayleb frowned. Had the king known about this all this time, and not shared this information? Was he secretly aiding Vindha?
Alicia shifted on her seat. “You do?”
“Well, we don’t know really. But a few years back, we found out that Vindha had built a temple high up on the mountain that borders our kingdom. Naturally, we raised no issues because the mountains are no man land. They don’t belong to any one kingdom, and anyone can access them.”
“So you are sure the temple is there? Do you know which mountain it’s built on?” said Alicia.
“Yes. We know. The temple is heavily guarded. His mages man the entire mountain. It’s impossible to get in from the side that borders the northern kingdoms.”
“And you have known about this? And sat on this news simply because it didn’t interest you? Or because you were too much of a coward to challenge him? You knew about it when Theodore delivered his message, but still you chose to stay quiet.” Kayleb exploded.
If Vindha had been stopped many years ago, the world would not have come to this. The war on his kingdom would not have taken place. Or quite possible, without the demon mages, his people would have been able to defeat Vindha. So many innocents would not have died.
And all because King Amber was too gutless to challenge a monster?
“How dare you?” One of the king’s advisors stood. His hand went to the sword strapped on his belt.
“Quiet!” said King Amber in a forceful voice. He stared at Kayleb. “In hindsight, perhaps, we should have delved into this matter long ago. But we have no authority over that mountain. Or on Vindha. Now, the situation has changed. We have declared war upon him, and it is our duty to help you defeat him. And we will do so by any means necessary.”
“We would be glad for any assistance you can provide us,” said Alicia. “My men and I will leave immediately. I request you to kindly draw us a route so that we have a better idea of its loc
ation.”
“That will not be necessary. I will send a contingent of men with you. You will have need for more mages if you plan to destroy that temple. As I said, it is heavily guarded.”
“A covert operation might serve us better, Your Majesty,” Alicia countered. “A thundering army of mages is going to attract that much more attention.”
King Amber looked conflicted. He sighed. “Not if you go by the back route.”
Alicia nearly jumped. “There is a back route?”
“Vindha has not guarded the back of the temple well, mainly because he believes that we can’t gain entry from that direction. Half of the mountain on our side of the kingdom is a sheer cliff, but what he doesn’t know is that centuries ago, one of Izba’s kings, and my ancestor, cut a direct path up that cliff. It’s a series of hand and footholds that are not visible but can be easily accessed. That wall has been protected with a spell so that no one stumbles over that path.”
The king’s advisor looked as surprised as the rest of them with this revelation.
“Why was it done?” asked Kayleb.
King Amber shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe my great-great-great grandfather thought it might be useful to have a handy escape route if one wanted to leave the kingdom in a hurry, and through a route known to few.”
“How many people know about it?”
“Not many. The existence of a secret route and its exact whereabouts are told only to royal children when they reach a certain age. This is the first time it has been discussed with outsiders.”
“This is indeed great news, but I still believe that it would be better if we didn’t take along a small army. My plan requires covertness, not an open declaration of battle. Kayleb and I, along with your guide…”
“I will be joining you, Princess. And I am sure Maya would like to come along,” said Theodore in a voice that brooked no arguments.
“In that case, let me give you three more mages. Seth, your guide, originally discovered that place.” King Amber rubbed his cheek with one hand. “Jeye and Cora would be useful to you. Both of them are accomplished mages, and I think, will be able to keep a cool head in case of a crisis. I will tell Seth how to find the path, and give him the spell that will open it for you.”
The Warrior Mage Page 22
