Aylaen wore the apron dress of her people, a new dress made of green wool embroidered with dragons, clasped at the shoulders by two golden dragon pins. Aylaen had been amazed when Queen Magali gave her the dress, wondering how the Aquin people had come by it, for there had been no time to make it.
“A gift from the Sea Goddess,” said Queen Magali. “To go with your sword.”
Skylan wore soft leather breeches and a leather tunic, gifts of the Sea Goddess, and his chain mail and his own sword, which the warriors had found lying near the Venjekar, both marvels to the Aquins. He also received another gift from the Sea Goddess. King Tai handed him a box of driftwood. When Skylan opened it, he laughed. Inside was a fish knife.
Acronis stood with Aylaen in place of a male relative. Skylan had been hoping to have Farinn by his side, but the young man had not yet returned. Wulfe did not attend the ceremony, either. Skylan was just as pleased. There was never any telling what the fae child might do or say. And so Skylan took his place alone in front of the altar.
He was standing there, waiting for Acronis to escort Aylaen, when he felt a presence by his side. Thinking Farinn had returned, Skylan turned to chide the young man. The words froze on his lips.
Garn stood next to him.
“My friend!” said Skylan, choked, his eyes dimming with tears.
“The two people I love best in this world are being wed,” said Garn. “You did not think I would let a little thing like death stop me from standing with you.”
Skylan and Aylaen spoke their simple vows of love and faithfulness, pledging them in the name of Torval and Vindrash and Akaria, the sea goddess. Skylan placed the ring on the tip of his sword and presented the ring to Aylaen. She took the ring, brought it to her lips, then slid it onto her finger. She drew her sword, the blessed sword of Vindrash, placed her ring on the tip of her sword, and presented the ring to Skylan. He took it, kissed it, and slipped the ring onto his finger.
Clasping hands, the two kissed each other decorously and then turned to face the King and Queen, who had been watching all this with amazement. They stared at them uncertainly, wondering what came next.
“And so we are wed,” said Skylan, seeing their confusion.
Queen Magali smiled and looked relieved. She and King Tai wished the couple joy. Acronis whispered some words to Skylan and embraced Aylaen.
“I wish for you all the happiness I would have wished for my own dear Chloe,” he said softly. “A father’s blessing on you, my dear, since your own father cannot be here.”
“In my homeland,” said Skylan, “we would now celebrate with games and a great feast.”
“In this, our people are alike,” said Queen Magali, smiling.
Skylan and Aylaen left the shrine and boarded a small barge decorated with shells and flowers. No one was there to pole the barge and they were wondering how they were to reach their destination when they were surrounded by young Aquins, men and women, who took hold of the barge and began to pull it through the water. There was much jostling and splashing. The barge rocked precariously and, of course, in the end tipped over, throwing Skylan and Aylaen into the water to the delight of the crowd.
Skylan, in his chain mail and his sword, immediately sank, causing even greater mirth. The Aquins rescued him and hauled him, coughing and spluttering, to the surface. The young people swam with him and Aylaen to the palace, laughing and jesting. Such was their jollity that Skylan, though he feared his chain mail was ruined forever, could not help but join in the merriment.
The wedding feast was given by Queen Magali and King Tai. Skylan and Aylaen entered the chamber hand in hand, both of them dazed by their happiness. There were no long wooden tables such as the Vindrasi used for their feasts. The Aquin women sat on mats or cushions on the floor. The men served them, bringing in large trays filled with seashells that bore vegetables and fruits and rice.
Aylaen, seated on a cushion beside the Queen, laughingly ordered Skylan to bring her food. Skylan thought of his homeland, where Aylaen would be serving him, and he thought he should be angry, but he found he liked serving Aylaen.
The men were not all that different, he discovered, for as they were filling the plates for their women, they made the same ribald jests, teased Skylan about his prowess, and shared some of their wine with him. The wine was made from bamboo and he found it atrocious, but he drank it, not wanting to insult anyone.
He was thinking of this night, dreaming of taking Aylaen into his arms, and wondering when they could slip away without offending their hosts. Aylaen sat laughing and talking with the Queen and her daughters and other female members of the court. Skylan had risen and was going over to speak to her, to persuade her to come to their wedding bed with him, when Commander Neda entered the room.
She went swiftly to the Queen, who rose to meet her. They exchanged a few words. The Queen looked grim, her lips tightened. She motioned for Aylaen to join them. Aylaen listened and then turned, crying out urgently, “Skylan!”
He dropped the food and shoved aside the men and hurried to her side.
“It’s Farinn,” Aylaen told him. “He’s been abducted. Aelon’s followers are holding him hostage. Oh, Skylan, they threaten to kill him!”
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“Who has him? Who is threatening to kill him?” Skylan demanded.
“Aelon’s followers,” said Commander Neda. “They have taken the young Vindrasi to the City of the Fourth Daughter.” She held a scroll case made of ivory in her hand. “I was given this. I assume it is their demands. Should I read it, Your Majesty?”
Queen Magali pressed her lips tightly together and gave a stiff nod. The commander drew out a sheet of paper made of bamboo and glanced swiftly through it, then began to read aloud.
“We gave our cousin, the Queen of the City of the First Daughter, fair warning that she should hand over to us the dangerous criminals she has in her care. She has chosen to ignore our warnings and refuses to heed our request. We have therefore taken it upon ourselves to apprehend one of these criminals ourselves. We demand that the Vindrasi Priestess and her mate, as well as their dragonship, be turned over to us by orders of Priest-General Raegar. If Her Majesty refuses our request, we will send pieces of this young man’s body to his friends.”
Aylaen turned in dismay to Skylan.
“I won’t let that happen,” he promised, putting his arm around her.
Commander Neda glanced at them, and then continued her reading. “If Queen Magali refuses our request, let it be known that a state of war will exist between our two kingdoms.”
A stunned and disbelieving silence fell over the chamber. War—the word was almost unknown to these people.
“This may be some trick,” said the Queen. “Do we have proof that they have taken the young Vindrasi?”
“My warriors have been searching for him, Your Majesty, and they cannot find him,” said Commander Neda. “The young woman he left with gave her name as Kailani. No one serving in my ranks goes by that name.”
“All this talk is wasting time,” said Skylan angrily. “We must go after him—”
“And go where? And do what?” Queen Magali asked sharply. “Will you take on a thousand warriors?”
“If I have to!” Skylan retorted.
The Queen looked shocked. Aylaen rested her hand on Skylan’s arm.
“I think we should find out the facts, Skylan. They may help guide us to Farinn.”
“I know how to find him,” Skylan said grimly.
Aylaen flashed him a glance and dug her nails into his flesh. Skylan fell silent.
Commander Neda summoned the troops who had been given the charge of guarding the Vindrasi. Upon questioning, none of them could remember having ever seen the young man’s guard before. She said that she had been newly transferred from the detail that guarded the city beyond the walls.
The two had left by a passageway off the tower rooms known as the old stairs. They found the caftan Farinn had been wearing
.
“We found it on the landing beside the Crystal Stream,” the guard reported.
“No one told me this!” Skylan said, growing angrier still.
The guard shrugged. “We thought he had gone for a swim with his admirer. We did not think that he could possibly be in any danger.”
“This woman must be a follower of Aelon, sent here to lure your young friend out of the palace,” said the Queen.
“How could she know her way around? How could she know of secret passages?” Skylan demanded, glowering.
“Our city is open to all,” said the Queen. “Any Aquin may enter and find welcome.” She sighed, sorrow darkening her eyes. “And now one has betrayed us. Her people ambushed your friend and took him captive.”
“I blame myself, Your Majesty,” said Commander Neda. “I saw this woman among the guards and the thought came to me that there was something not right about her. I was busy at the time and I did not pursue my doubts.”
“I am the only one to blame,” Skylan said impatiently. “Farinn is young and naïve. I should have warned him to be careful. Instead I wished him joy of his conquest! And since I am to blame, I will go to this City of the Fourth Daughter where Farinn is being held prisoner and bring him back.”
He glared at the Queen. “Unless, of course, you intend to give into their demands, Your Majesty. In which case, there will be war between us.” Skylan rested his hand upon the hilt of his sword.
The Queen’s eyes flashed with anger. She rose to her feet. “Our course of action will be determined by what is best for our people, Vindrasi. Not by threats of violence!”
Acronis walked over to stand beside Skylan. “Apologize,” he said.
“But—” Skylan sought to argue.
“You were in the wrong,” said Acronis. “What if the situation was reversed? What if your people were being threatened? Put yourself in her position.”
Skylan could not possibly understand a people in love with peace, a people who had never known war. He could, however, understand what it meant to decide the fate of those who looked to him for leadership. Queen Magali had been placed in a terrible position and he was, in some respects, responsible.
“Your Majesty,” he said in a softer tone, “I do apologize. Before you make any decision or reply to the terms of Priest-General Raegar, I ask to speak to you and the commander of your forces in private. I believe that I may have a way out of this dilemma, a way that does not involve bloodshed.”
Queen Magali gazed at him and then shifted her gaze to Aylaen. “You are the wife and head of the household. What do you say to his proposal?”
Aylaen reached out to Skylan and took hold of his hand. She smiled at him and said softly, “My husband and I—we stand together.”
* * *
The Queen dismissed the court. The Aquins left to carry word of the crisis to the rest of the population. Fear and unease flowed through the city, as neighbor told neighbor. Queen Magali could hear the murmurings that washed like the waves upon the shores of her palace. She stood at the window gazing out upon her city.
She had asked for a moment alone to consider her decision. The Vindrasi, Skylan, had proposed a plan that used the ploys of Aelon’s followers against them. He and a group of warriors would disguise themselves as Aelon’s followers.
To the Queen’s surprise, Commander Neda was in favor of the Vindrasi’s plan. “I believe it will work, Your Majesty.”
“But this Skylan is a man. How can he disguise himself as a warrior?” the Queen asked.
“I have heard a rumor that the Priest-General has ordered that men be trained as warriors and taken into the army,” said Commander Neda.
The Queen was astonished. “Is this true? Are they mad? Who protects the children?”
The commander shrugged. “I do not know, Your Majesty.”
“Leave me for a moment. I must think about this.”
In truth, Queen Magali didn’t need to think about it. She knew what she had to do. She was trying to find the courage to do it. As she stood at the window, her husband came to stand by her side. He took her hand and brought it to his lips. Queen Magali rested her head on his chest and he clasped his arm around her.
“Our way of life, that has endured for so many centuries, is ended,” she said sadly. “No matter what the outcome of this mission, there will be war.”
“Peace ended with the death of the Sea Goddess’s daughter,” said King Tai. “We tried to close our eyes to the truth then, but the flames now burn too bright for us to ignore. We must open our eyes and look ahead with courage.”
“My store of courage is very low, I fear,” said the Queen. “I would put my faith in the gods, but I have the feeling the gods are putting their faith in us.”
“Perhaps that is not such a bad thing,” said King Tai, striving to be cheerful. “Mortals and gods should work together. The world belongs to all.”
“While there is a world…” Queen Magali said.
* * *
Aylaen’s wedding night was not exactly what she had dreamed it would be. With the wedding celebration abruptly ended, she and Skylan first consulted with the Queen. Skylan explained his plan. Her Majesty listened and said she would consider it. Skylan wanted an answer immediately, but he was forced to wait.
“Go be happy together while you can,” said Queen Magali, gently dismissing them. “Spend your wedding night together. We can do nothing until the morning anyway.”
Skylan fumed and again went over his plan with Aylaen as the warriors escorted them back to their rooms in the tower. When they arrived, Skylan was so preoccupied that he started to leave her, saying he wanted to speak to Commander Neda.
Aylaen caught hold of his hand.
“You are my husband,” she said. “Before you rush off to war, you have husbandly duties to perform.”
Reaching up, she removed the Vektan Torque from his neck and laid it on the table.
Skylan stared at her. His breath came fast. He shut the door. She lifted her lips to his and he kissed her and before either quite knew what was happening, the two of them were on the bed. Their bodies merged like their wyrds; afterward, she laid her head on his chest.
“Perhaps we made a baby then,” said Skylan.
“Perhaps we did,” said Aylaen with a sigh that she took care he did not hear.
They lay in each other’s arms, weary, but not wanting to end their joy by falling asleep. Skylan told her about his plan yet again. Aylaen listened and knew the pain of a woman whose man must rise from her bed with the dawn to take up his sword. This night might well be the only night they would ever have together. She interrupted his talk of battle by pressing her mouth over his.
Neither of them slept that night.
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Skylan rose well before dawn. When the first rays of the sun shone through the skylights, he and his small band of warriors set out. He was astonished and pleasantly surprised when Commander Neda told him she would not be leading this mission. He had foreseen arguing with the strong-willed woman. She said that she could not leave her duties at the palace, not in this time of turmoil. Her second-in-command, a woman named Manta, would lead the warriors. Skylan bristled at this. He knew considerably more about warfare than did people who had lived in peace all their lives.
“You are not going to war,” said Commander Neda coldly. “You are going to rescue a friend. There is a difference. We are not as soft as you seem to think us, Vindrasi. Who was it saved you from the kraken?”
Skylan had no answer to that, or rather no answer that would not have offended her. Realizing he was wasting precious time arguing, he gave in. Manta led Skylan and her warriors along the same route Farinn and Kailani had taken in case they should come across any more evidence. They found nothing, however, no signs of a struggle. Farinn had come willingly with his lovely captor.
“They were likely waiting for him here,” said Manta when they emerged from the sluice gate, pointing to the se
a that lapped up on the rocks. “We patrol this area, but the abductors waited in the depths before surfacing to seize your friend.”
Skylan glanced back at the sluice gate through which the water flowed into the sea. “You do realize that any enemy that wanted to attack you could easily dive beneath those teeth and enter your city. You should post guards day and night with some means to sound the alarm if they are attacked.”
“All you Vindrasi think about is war,” said Manta derisively.
“You Aquins should start thinking about war,” Skylan stated grimly. “Because it is coming.”
Manta fell silent as she regarded the aperture with a thoughtful frown. “I will mention this to Her Majesty on our return.”
The six warriors under Manta’s command were armed with spears made of bone, and all wore armor with the serpent emblem of the City of the Fourth Daughter. Craftsmen had worked all night to make the armor, which was crafted out of whale skin. Manta explained that they did not kill the whales; the mammals were sacred to the Sea Goddess. When they found a dead whale, they honored it by harvesting its skin and anything else they could use. The armor fit over Skylan’s shoulders and chest and was laced under his arms. It was supple and lightweight, but surprisingly tough.
Since Skylan was bigger through the shoulders and chest than any Aquin warrior, the armor did not fit him well, leaving large gaps of unprotected flesh beneath his arms and exposing most of his midriff.
“He will fool no one,” Manta complained to Commander Neda. “He should not go with us. He imperils the mission.”
Skylan was ready to argue, then found an unexpected ally in Commander Neda. “The Vindrasi will only cause trouble if he is left behind. Besides, you need the Vindrasi. He is the only one who can find out where they have taken the young man. Just tell him to keep out of the light.”
Because they had a long way to travel to reach the City of the Fourth Daughter, Manta and her warriors all wore the breathing masks, as did Skylan. He chafed at this, for the bindings on the clamshell attached to his back were tight and constricted his movement. He was constantly afraid he would tangle himself up in the tube that led from the clamshell to the mask and accidentally yank it out. His sword was useless under water. He tried swimming while holding a spear and nearly sliced open his foot. Skylan remembered with fond longing the shield wall, where a man stood on his own two feet, and battled in blood and died in the muck. He had to settle for carrying a bone knife, which he thrust into a leather belt he wore around his waist.
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