“You seem to spend more time deep in thought these days,” Colonel Taerin said softly as he sat on the bench next to Clint. “What is the matter?”
“I was just thinking about the colonels in Alcea,” lied Clint. “I hope all of them return safely. What about you? You seem to come here more often yourself.”
“I am troubled by the emperor,” admitted the colonel. “Every time I think he is being held under Kyrga’s sway, he comes out and praises the Grand General. Then I think everything is all right, but he snubs me and refuses to acknowledge my existence. It is confusing and frustrating.”
“I take it that you have had a close relationship with the emperor?”
“I wouldn’t say close,” Colonel Taerin replied with a sigh, “but I felt like he trusted me, at least on some level. He now acts as if I have betrayed him in some way, but I would never think of doing such a thing.”
“Maybe he just has a lot on his mind,” offered Clint.
“During the celebration I might have agreed with that, but the guests are all gone now. The palace is practically empty, yet he still spurns me. Are you still forbidden from seeing him?”
“I haven’t tried to see him,” answered Clint. “During one of the meetings the other day, he made it clear that he wanted everyone to go through Grand General Kyrga. As I have no pressing reason to speak with the emperor, I have made no attempts.”
“If you do see him, ask him about me,” requested the colonel. “I would like to know if I have offended him.”
Clint merely nodded as he still pondered the answer to his own dilemma.
“When I arrived by ship last week,” Clint asked, breaking the silence, “I noticed a number of great mansions along the coast. Who owns them?”
“Lords,” answered Colonel Taerin. “It is a very exclusive area. No one gets near those mansions unless they have been invited.”
“Does the army keep people away?”
“Even the army is forbidden from going there. The lords have their own private armies that provide security for the estates.”
“Private armies?” echoed Clint. “Do they fear the Federation army?”
“They fear everything and everyone, even each other.”
“Does the emperor have a home out there?”
“No,” the colonel replied as he turned and stared at the general. “Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know,” shrugged Clint. “My mind wanders a lot when I sit here. I guess I am just curious about things I do not understand. We have nobles in Tyronia, too, but they do not fear the army.”
“I understand,” the colonel replied. “I just get nervous when anyone starts asking questions about the emperor’s family.”
‘Why?” asked Clint.
Deep furrows etched Taerin’s brow as he stared at Clint. “It is something that is never talked about. I thought I explained that to you already.”
“You warned me about asking too many questions on that subject, but you have never explained why the topic is forbidden.”
“It just is,” Colonel Taerin replied sharply. “Do not bring it up again.”
“You only make me more curious, Colonel. There is obviously something that you are not telling me, yet you should realize that I would never be a threat to Emperor Jaar or his family. Why make me more curious than I already am?”
Colonel Taerin rose from the bench and stormed off. Clint sighed heavily and turned his attention back to the sea. A short while later the colonel returned.
“I am sorry,” he apologized softly. “I can understand your curiosity, but you cannot imagine the danger that surrounds the emperor. Ever since I came to the palace, the emperor’s family has been a topic that is never mentioned. It has become second nature for me to grow anxious when the subject is brought up.”
“I do not mean to cause you stress,” Clint said.
“I know, but you will keep asking questions, so I might as well explain what I can, and we can put this topic behind us. The empire has historically been run by one ruling family or another. The crown is passed down from father to son, just as it is in Tyronia. What that means is that merely assassinating the emperor will not make the throne vacant. If one of the noble families wants to seize control of the empire, they have to wipe out the entire family of the emperor. That is why it is such a touchy topic.”
“Now that makes sense to me,” Clint responded. “So the emperor has hidden his family somewhere to make it hard for any of the nobles to seize control.”
“Exactly,” nodded the colonel. “And that is why I get nervous anytime someone asks about them. Such interest could be a forewarning of an attack on the emperor’s life.”
“That certainly doesn’t make the life of an emperor very enjoyable, does it?”
“Being emperor is not meant to be enjoyable. It is an obligation to the empire. Emperor Jaar’s own father was assassinated, but Jaar survived.”
“I trust that they discovered who did it?”
“No,” replied Colonel Taerin. “The assassination was the work of the oldest cult in Barouk, the Badgers, and one of them was even captured. General Jaar personally led the charge that retook the palace, but Emperor Forkuna was already dead, and Lord Kimner was seriously wounded. When Jaar went to interrogate the prisoner, he had committed suicide. The investigation went no further, but the first thing Jaar did was to hide his family. They have not been seen since.”
“That is sad,” remarked the general. “I would never accept such a lofty position that came with such strings attached.”
“You aren’t even willing to be King of Tyronia,” chuckled Colonel Taerin. “I can’t imagine you wanting to be an emperor.”
“Certainly not,” laughed General Forshire. “Give me command of an army, and I am a happy man.”
The two men lapsed into silence for a while, as Clint tried to understand the reasoning for capturing the emperor’s family rather than killing them. After what Taerin had told him, it made no sense. Whoever held them also had access to Emperor Jaar, so why not just kill them all and take over the empire?
After a while, Colonel Taerin rose silently and walked away. Clint turned and watched him head for the palace before reaching into his pocket and stirring his fairy to life. Peanut raised his head out of the pocket and looked around.
“Rather quiet,” chirped the fairy. “What happened to the party?”
“It’s over,” smiled Clint. “I need you to carry a message to the Isle of Despair. Time is short so take no detours.”
* * * *
Prince Oscar stuck his head into Colonel Jaynes’ office. David looked up questioningly and waved the prince into the room.
“What is up?” asked the Commander of the Red Swords.
“The king and queen are going out in public,” answered Prince Oscar. “I want them protected.”
“They are always protected,” frowned the colonel. “What is special about this time?”
“They will need more than a simple bodyguard this time. King Arik plans to spend some time in the park where he and the queen were married. I want the entire park surrounded by Red Swords. You will need at least a thousand men.”
The colonel called for the guard outside the door and issued instructions for a thousand men to be called to duty. The guard saluted and rushed off.
“Are you expecting trouble?” asked Colonel David Jaynes.
“I always expect trouble, but I am especially uneasy with demonkin still roaming around. The king and queen would be easy targets in such an open place. I do not want to take any chances.”
“I will oversee the detail myself,” promised the colonel. “When are they leaving?”
“As soon as their escort is ready. Make it quick because I had a lot of talking to do even to get him to wait long enough for an escort.”
“Give me fifteen minutes,” urged the colonel. “I will go get them ready now.”
Prince Oscar nodded as Colonel Jaynes rose and raced out of the office.
The prince also left the office and headed for the king’s study. When he got there, he found King Arik pacing the floor.
“Are they ready?” asked the king.
“Soon,” promised Prince Oscar. “Why the rush?”
“He is frustrated,” answered Queen Tanya. “We have to get in touch with the gods, but we don’t know how to do that. We have tried prayers in the chapel here, but that didn’t work. We are hoping that the park will allow us to reach them. It was the last place that they appeared.”
“I remember that,” nodded the prince. “It was the day you two were married. Do you really think they will return?”
“I don’t know,” King Arik said anxiously, “but what else can we try? Is the escort ready yet?”
“If we walk slowly,” answered the prince, “they will be ready when we get to the courtyard. Have patience, my son. If you need to speak to the gods, you will speak to the gods. They favor you.”
Prince Oscar led the king and queen down to the courtyard. When they arrived, a carriage was waiting for them. Fredrik, the Royal Sorcerer, and his wife Niki were standing next to the carriage.
“What is this?” scowled King Arik as he looked at the carriage and the hundreds of Red Swords sitting upon their horses. “We are only going to the park.”
“The risk is great,” stated Colonel Jaynes. “Fredrik will maintain a constant shield over the entire carriage, and the Red Swords will maintain a cordon around it at all times.”
“Just bring Chaco and Frea from the stables,” ordered the king. “We can be there and back before this carriage even gets there.”
“Chaco and Frea will be coming along,” replied the colonel, “but you will be inside the carriage. I know this is not the way you like to travel, but you must realize that there are Zarans known to be in the area.”
“The fairies are watching every one of them,” protested the king.
“Not exactly true,” frowned Colonel Jaynes. “I have reports from Danver Shores that a woman came through with the men. Somehow the fairies lost her.”
“Lost her?” questioned the queen. “How does a fairy lose someone?”
“Prince Midge is looking into that now,” answered Prince Oscar. “I suspect that some fairies are going to be grounded before he gets done with them.”
“Let’s just go in the carriage, Arik,” sighed the queen. “The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can get on with other things.”
King Arik sighed and nodded. He led Queen Tanya to the carriage and followed her inside. Fredrik and Niki climbed onto the back step of the carriage and the procession rode out of the courtyard and onto the city streets. Colonel David Jaynes led the procession, his eyes scanning every street and alley as they appeared. Whenever he found someone lurking about, he sent Red Swords to detain them until the king’s carriage had passed by. When they arrived at the park, he examined the rest of the Red Swords that had gone on ahead and surrounded the park. Only when he was satisfied with the security did he allow the carriage doors to be opened. The king and queen walked along the same path they had taken a few years earlier. While King Arik’s attention was focused solely on the knoll near the river, Tanya’s eyes swept over the park.
“It is still beautiful,” the queen said fondly. “That was a glorious day, Arik. I can still see all the people in the stands. I think sometimes we get so involved in running Alcea that we do not have time to appreciate everything we already have.”
Kink Arik’s step faltered as he looked at Tanya and then looked around the park. “We haven’t been here since the wedding. Where has all the time gone?”
“We are always reacting to problems,” Tanya replied. “When this war with Zara gets settled, I want to spend some time focusing on just us.”
“You have my vow,” agreed the king. “It is small wonder that the gods do not answer our prayers, we haven’t had time for them, either. That must change, too.”
“Let’s go,” urged Tanya as she saw the Red Swords tensing because they stopped short of the knoll. “I am getting an ill feeling being exposed like this.”
“It is kind of creepy,” the king said as they started walking again. “I have never felt vulnerable since the wedding, not even when Wycaramor attacked us, but I feel vulnerable now. I think Prince Oscar was wise in deploying the Red Swords. Let’s make our prayers and return to the palace.”
The royal couple continued through the park until they came to the knoll where they were married. Atop the knoll were the statues of the gods that had come to life during the wedding. After a short hesitation at the bottom of the knoll, the royal couple walked up the hill until they stood before the statue of the goddess Leda. Visible just beyond the knoll was the fountain the gods had created on that day. In the center of the fountain stood a statue of a cracked shield and a broken sword. An eternal flame flickered from the hilt of the sword, and misty air flowed over the ring of flowers surrounding the statue. The king and queen stood silently for a while just staring at the handiworks of the gods.
“It seems so unreal,” the queen said in a voice barely above a whisper.
“Yet it was very real,” replied the king. “We abandoned the gods that day, didn’t we? They did everything for us, and we have ignored them ever since. Who could blame them if they refused to speak to us?”
“We have to try, Arik,” the queen responded. “The Mage would not send us on this errand if it was fruitless. Let’s pray together.”
“One thing is different,” frowned the king. “Where is the green platform?”
Queen Tanya suddenly noticed its absence as well. “There is no green platform. I wonder if it was taken away?”
“Or rotted away,” sighed the king. “It was only made of wood, and we haven’t been here in over three years.”
A chill raced up the queen’s spine, and she turned around slowly, looking at the ring of Red Swords surrounding the park.
“You felt it, too?” asked King Arik.
“The chill?” asked the queen. “Very much so. Let’s pray and get out of here.”
The king and queen dropped to their knees before the statues and bowed their heads in silent prayer. For almost an hour they remained frozen as a thousand Red Swords kept a vigil around the park. Their prayers went unanswered, but they both felt the eerie chill again. Without a spoken word, they both rose to their feet.
Chapter 15
Strange Allies
King Arik and Queen Tanya looked at each other as they stood before the statues of the gods on the knoll in the park in Tagaret.
“I think we need to get back to the Royal Palace,” the king said with a sense of urgency.
“You will get no argument from me. Let’s go.”
The royal couple strode down the hill and along the walk towards the carriage. As they approached, the Red Swords assigned to escort the carriage formed up, and Fredrik and Niki stepped up on the rear step of the carriage. Colonel David Jaynes dismounted and held the door to the carriage open. He could see the worry in the king’s eyes, so he shouted orders for a swift journey to the palace. As soon as the king and queen were seated inside the carriage, Colonel Jaynes gave the order to depart. As the carriage moved away from the park, the hundreds of Red Swords surrounding the park peeled away in two groups. Each group headed towards the streets that ran parallel to the carriage’s route, while the main body of the Red Swords preceded and followed the carriage. Colonel David Jaynes nodded in appreciation and mounted his horse. With three columns of Red Swords cutting a three-block swath through the city, the colonel rode towards the front of the main column.
Hanging onto the rear of the carriage, Niki frowned deeply. “Why are they going so fast? Do they want me to fall off?”
“Just hang on, Niki,” Fredrik replied. “Arik and Tanya looked rather uncomfortable coming back from the knoll. I think Colonel Jaynes noticed it, too.”
“Wouldn’t you be uncomfortable after kneeling in the park for an hour?” retorted Niki.
“Then why did they pick today to go to the park?” asked Niki. “It all seems silly to me.”
“Perhaps,” smiled Fredrik. “Master Khatama has asked the king to get in contact with the gods. That is why they went to the park today.”
“Uncle Boris in the city?” Niki asked excitedly. “Why didn’t he come to see me?”
“He is not in the city,” explained Fredrik. “He is in Zara, and he is no longer called Master Khatama. He has a new body now. He is called Fakir Aziz.”
“I liked the old name better,” shrugged Niki. “Did he send any messages for me, or just for Arik?”
Fredrik felt the tiniest tickle impact the shield he was holding over the carriage. For just an instant, the outline of Fredrik’s shield was visible as a flickering blue light to anyone who had mage sight. The Royal Sorcerer frowned deeply and started looking around in alarm.
“What is it?” asked Niki. “What’s wrong?”
“I am not sure,” Fredrik replied tensely as he swiveled around frantically trying to figure out where the pinprick had originated from, “but I think someone just pricked my shields.”
Suddenly, a massive force slammed into the rear of the carriage. The back end of the carriage lifted off the ground, tossing Fredrik and Niki onto the street. Fredrik’s shield winked out of existence. The horses screamed as the driver tried to control them, and the Red Swords looked around to see where the assassin was. A second magical projectile slammed into the now unshielded carriage, and the carriage burst into flames.
Heirs of the Enemy Page 19
