“Violissa, what is it, what’s happened?” Daneele asked, brushing the hair from her face. She tried to speak, but a sob escaped her throat. She buried her face into his chest.
“There’s nothing physically wrong with her,” she heard someone say. “I scanned her.”
“Then what is wrong with her?” another said; she thought it might have been Cyric but couldn’t make the distinction over her crying.
She felt others shift into the room, probably alerted by one of those present. She forced herself to stop sobbing and pulled her head up, the tears still streamed uncontrollably.
“Violissa, talk to us, please,” Daneele pleaded softly. She looked up at all the concerned faces. All she could manage was, “The pain…it hurts and I can’t cure it.” She caught a sob before it burst forth and wiped her face on the back of her arm as a child might.
“What pain, my queen, I find nothing wrong,” Kembal stated. He had leaned forward to scan her for something that would explain her condition.
“Tell us what’s happened, Violissa,” Daneele pressed.
She looked down at her hands and played with the binding of her dress. She felt such a mess, so foolish for acting so out of control. With a sniffle, she said softly, “Sinow is planning …a union.”
“Well that’s wonderful news!” Kembal declared. He was always a little slow at figuring things out.
“I don’t think she means to her, Kembal,” Cyric stated firmly, the elder man giving the younger Kembal a disgusted look.
“No, he’s…it’s to one from his realm.” The sob caught in her throat again, threatening to escape.
“How can this be?” Daneele responded, leaning back on his feet. “He can’t, he can only unite with you.”
“Why?” Cyric asked, “There’s nothing that says he has to.”
“The Fates have spoken. It can only be Violissa,” Jar stated.
“I didn’t listen to them,” Violissa said, “so, why should he? It’s just prophecy. He has no requirement to abide by it.”
“But I thought things were going well?” Daneele asked her.
“I thought so, too, but we did bicker last time we met, and so I guess I was wrong.”
“Wait a minute. Where did you hear this from, Violissa?” Cyric asked, coming down to her level and taking her hand.
“From the wind.” She waited for the questions she knew would follow.
They all talked at once until Cyric held up a hand to silence them. “The wind told you?”
“Yes, it’s never spoken to me before, but it sought me out. Well, really a breeze found me and told me it had heard people talking.”
“Where did it hear the talking?” Daneele inquired.
“From the castle servants and the villagers.”
“This doesn’t make sense. Someone send a message to the Darkbearers and summon Sinow to a meeting now,” Cyric demanded.
“No!” she reacted emotionally. “No, I can’t face him.”
He grabbed her shoulders. “Get hold of yourself, Violissa. We must find out if the wind speaks the truth. The only way to find out is to go straight to the source.” He turned to look back at the Council. “Someone go and send a message demanding that the king send representation if he cannot come himself. We must know the truth.”
Two Council left to prepare the summons. Cyric turned back to her and said softly, “Now, my dear, that pain you feel, I believe is what they refer to as a broken heart. There is nothing we can do to soothe it. You need to rest until a response comes. Then you will meet the king and find your answer. It will be fine, my dear. I’m sure of it.” He wiped a tear from her cheek. “Daneele, please take her to her room. I’ll let you know when we hear something, Violissa.” He kissed her forehead, and Daneele scooped her up then shifted out of the room.
When Daneele finally left her alone in her room, after a long battle to convince him that she’d be all right, Violissa washed her face, fixed her hair and changed her clothing. Then she lay in bed, staring out the window. Fearful of having another breakdown, she tried keeping her head clear. Storm clouds had gathered and rain began to fall, a reflection of her mood. Normally she could control it and keep the weather from showing her true feelings, but she didn’t have the strength today. It wasn’t long before there was a knock at her door.
“Enter.”
Daneele peaked his head in. “We’ve heard back. They’ll meet you at the rise of the north moon, but they will not meet you until three days’ time.”
Violissa sat up. “What? But that’s so long. How can they expect me to wait for that long? Do they not realize this is an urgent matter?”
He looked at her with those striking blue eyes that seemed to read her every thought and sat down on the bed next to her. He pushed back the hair that had fallen forward and tucked it behind her ear. “Violissa, you need to relax and calm yourself. I know you’re upset, but working yourself up like this won’t help the situation. They made it very clear they could not meet us until then, they gave no reason, and we have no choice but to wait.”
She let out a groan and leaned her head on his shoulder. Daneele had always been the big brother to her. He was always there to guide her and comfort her, to take away her nightmares or fix her scrapes when she fell. She felt comfortable sharing her thoughts and feelings with him just as she did with Cyric. It was Daneele, with his incisive eyes and knowing looks, to whom she felt closest. She picked her head up and looked at him, taking in the shoulder-length auburn hair and the full beard that had so often tickled her when she was a tiny child. He was a good man, as were all her Council. It seemed sad to her that he would never find love as she had. Never experience the joy of it and the loss of himself to another person. She wondered at why and how the laws of celibacy for Council had come to be. But then she thought of the pain that now coursed through her chest and the irrational emotions that were battering her, and she thought perhaps he was lucky. He would never experience a broken heart, and all that came with it. Perhaps she was the one who’d been cursed while he had been blessed by the Fates.
“Violissa?” Daneele asked with a worried look in his eyes. “Are you still with me or have you completely lost all connection with reality? I hope we don’t have to confine you for madness like they do the Dark Kings when they lose their minds.”
“Funny, Daneele. No, I’m still here, I was just thinking about how lucky you are to not have to experience what I’m feeling.”
“It depends on how you look at it,” he replied, patting her leg and standing. “You see it only from this moment in time, but what if none of this had happened? There are different sides to all stories, Violissa, but now is not the time to debate that fact.”
She smoothed her crinkled skirt and smiled, a sad and small smile. “You’re right. We’ve other things to tackle. I see I have no choice but to wait the three days’ time before I can, hopefully, find peace with all that has happened. Maybe you all are correct, and it was simply misinformation I was given. I’ll have to be patient.”
“That’s my queen,” he said, walking over and kissing the top of her head. “Will you have one of us come with you when the time arrives?”
“No, thank you, Daneele. I need to do this on my own.”
“Have you tried to contact him at all? That would seem the easiest approach to all of this.”
“Through enaigne?” He nodded. “Yes, over and over, but he’s blocked me out. We agreed that it would be better to block each other. His new powers were so volatile we didn’t know if it would set him off. I can’t reach him now.”
“Well, be patient. Find something to occupy yourself with over the next few days and try to keep your mind from worrying on it. Everything will be all right. The Fates would never change a prophecy as important as yours and Sinow’s so drastically. I’m sure there is a good explanation for it all.” Her mind wande
red briefly to the dream she’d had of the Fate and the changing prophecy. Doubt crossed her eyes, but she quickly hid it from Daneele. He didn’t realize the extent of damage she had already caused, so there was no need to worry him anymore. She shook away the doubt and smiled at him as he continued. “You know all of us are here for you. We may not be sure what to do with you as we haven’t had many dealings with female emotions, but we’ll try our best.”
She smiled and squeezed his hand. “I know you will. Thank you, Daneele.”
He walked across the room, his feet falling soundlessly on the brightly patterned rug that lay covering her stone floors. As he walked, she watched the greens and purples disappear under each footstep only to return as his foot lifted. It made her think of the ebbs and flows of life and how quickly things that were once thought as constants can disappear from grasp. She heard the door click as Daneele left the room and turned back to the window to watch and wait the long three days that lay before her.
Violissa stood waiting as the north moon began to rise. Below it the south moon was climbing to reach its partner in the dance they performed each evening. In a few days’ time, they would both be at their fullest and highest positions in the sky. But this night she would finally learn who Sinow sent to meet her and tell her the truth. She was ready; at least, she kept telling herself she was ready. Deep down she hoped he would come himself to tell her that all the doubts and worries she’d had while waiting were for naught. She had taken the time to think rationally and calm her emotions before coming to the meeting grounds, but it had been hard. She’d convinced herself there was a reasonable explanation, that she had taken the information given to her and blown it out of proportion. She had slowly began questioning what the wind had told her in the first place. Maybe she had misheard it or misunderstood it. A soft breath escaped her tightened throat. Although she was in a better state than that first day, the nerves still coursed through her as she stood anxiously awaiting the arrival. She hoped those nerves would not show when someone did finally arrive. A disturbance of the air around her alerted her to someone shifting in behind her; the hairs prickled on her neck. It wasn’t Sinow, she didn’t sense his aura. No, this was definitely not Sinow. She turned and bit back her disappointment.
“Tynan? I called for Sinow or his Council. What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Well, I hate to disappoint you, Violissa, but I was the only one available.” The sound of her name from his mouth sent a chill down her spine.
“Where are they all, and how dare they send you in their place? Treaty rules forbid it.” She didn’t like the way he stared at her. It made her feel violated, as if he were taking her clothes off bit by bit and raping her with every look. She looked away as she awaited his answer.
“I am Sinow’s ambassador now. He doesn’t have time to deal with you nor does his Council. They’re too busy preparing. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’m all you get tonight.”
“Preparing?” she repeated, turning back suddenly to meet his eyes. The bile crept up in her throat as the understanding of what those preparations might be sank in. “What could they be preparing for that would require them all to be present?”
“Sorry, but I am not at liberty to discuss the Council’s activities.” He rubbed his hands together and stared back at her, those black eyes gleaming. He reminded her of a wolf about to attack its prey.
“No matter,” she said, keeping her voice steady. She didn’t want to show him how upset she was by his presence. “I called to find the answer to something that has recently been brought to my attention.”
“It would be my pleasure, Violissa, ask away.” Something about the calm in his voice sounded as if he knew what she would be asking. As if he expected it.
“I need to know if Sinow is planning to wed one of your people.”
“Hmmm, that is quite a question. I really can’t answer it though.” The smirk on his stubbled face made her want to smack him.
“What do you mean you can’t answer it? It’s a simple yes or no answer, it really isn’t that difficult.”
“I understand that, but I am forbidden to discuss the business of the realm.”
Violissa was becoming frustrated. “But if he’s not then…oh… then there would be nothing to discuss and so you’d have an answer…I see.” She heard the disappointment in her voice but was too hurt to disguise it.
“Tell me this, has there been discussion of a union with someone other than me?” she continued.
“Now, Violissa, you know I can’t answer that.”
“Please, Tynan, I deserve to know that much.” She hated to sound as if she were begging, but she needed to know.
“Well, I guess that much I can reveal, yes there has.” He smirked again as he spoke the words. The look caused him to appear even slimier than he already did. She suddenly wanted to be very far from his presence.
“So, it’s true,” she said as she rubbed her forehead with her palm. Tynan didn’t reply; he simply stood there watching her with that smirk, his eyes boring into her.
“May I ask how you knew, Violissa?”
She stifled a sob at his words, not wanting him to see how he had hurt her. “The wind told me.”
“Really? How fascinating?” he replied condescendingly. He came closer to her and her skin prickled. He gave her the chills, and he was now standing too close for her comfort.
“Leave me now, Tynan,” she demanded.
He reached a hand out, and running it along her neckline, said, “You know I’m second in line for the throne, Violissa, and I guarantee I’m much better in bed.” She didn’t let him continue. Her hand slapped across his face, drawing blood from the force. He touched his bleeding lip and looked at her with hatred in his eyes. “You’ll regret that, you whoring Cirillian bitch. Don’t think the Council won’t find out about this.”
He spat the blood from his mouth at her and shifted.
Violissa buried her hands in her face. Everything was falling apart, and now she’d gone and done that. He’d deserved it, but it was all Sinow’s Council needed to declare a breach in the treaty and start a war. She crumpled to her knees and fell into a ball on the ground. Every emotion she’d held back over the last few days battered at her at once. She cried at the confirmation that Sinow would unite with another. But the more she cried the angrier she became at how easily he’d given up on her and turned to another. She felt anger at the lies he had fed her over the times they had met, telling her he would wait forever for her. Why had he told her such things if he hadn’t meant them? The anger deepened with every thought. Anger at the idea of him touching some other woman and of that woman touching him flared within her. Images swept through her mind, and the pain was soon replaced by an intense jealousy and need to revenge her pride for how deeply she’d been hurt. She stood, a deep green entering her eyes, as the glade went silent. No one made her cry. No one hurt her like this. She was queen of two realms and held more power than any ruler before her. She’d show him the same pain he’d given her, show him what it felt like to hurt the way she had. She wouldn’t be the pitiful end of this situation; she was the Light Queen and heir to the Elvin throne. That Elvin blood now flared within her, feeding her feelings and stirring them up as her Light powers never could. She looked up at the sky.
“If this is what you want,” she cried out to the Fates, “then I won’t be the one left weakened and abused. No, two can play at this game, and I will come out victorious!”
She let out a burst of power toward the sky that blew clear the puffy white clouds that had been sitting above her, Dark ominous clouds appeared in their place. Thunder cracked through the air as she took one more look around at the storm-filled sky and shifted. As she left, the ground in the glade rumbled from deep below as if in fear of what it knew was coming.
Thirty-Eight
Violissa shifted to the castle’s front hall with
a smash of force. As she stormed through the entryway, the Council appeared one by one.
“Well, Violissa?” Cyric asked. She stopped and faced him, the depths of the green in her eyes clearly revealing her mood.
“From the looks of it, I’d guess the news wasn’t good?” Daneele asked as he and the others backed away, fully aware that her mood was not her usual.
“No, it wasn’t, but I’ll be dealing with that on my own terms. Oh, and by the way, I may have started a war with the Darkbearers. Be forewarned.” She turned to leave the room as the confused and concerned chatter erupted.
“We’re due some explanation, Violissa, what has happened?”
“Sinow is wedding one of his own.” she replied bluntly, suppressing the urge to cry in an attempt to keep the weakness at bay.
“Did he tell you that?” Cyric asked.
“No, his brother did.”
The chatter erupted again.
“Tynan? Since when does he speak for Sinow, and why was there no Council there?”
“Apparently, they were all too busy making preparations to be bothered with me. Tynan was the only one available. Shows you the level of importance I now have.”
Cyric looked at her questionably. “That doesn’t sound right, Violissa, are you sure?”
“Yes, he confirmed all of it. So, if that’s the way it’s going to be, I won’t sit back and play along.” She stopped for a moment as an answer dawned on her, her eyes becoming an even deeper shade of green. From afar they might have even appeared as black as Sinow’s. “Find me a husband. I want a union of my own. Two can play at this game, and I won’t be playing the fool. Start the preparations.”
“Are you mad?” Daneele yelled. “You can’t unite with anyone else, Violissa.”
She looked at him in a way no one had ever seen her look, her eyes filled with a vengeful wrath. “He is,” she stated flatly.
Ascension (Unbound Prophecy Book 1) Page 28
