“This event has opened my eyes,” he continued. “The way I was attacked has opened my eyes. The way I was saved has opened my eyes. The person who saved me has changed my world forever.” His voice sounded tight...emotional? Veria wondered. Suddenly, he was heading behind the throne toward her with his hand outstretched. He looked her ensemble up and down, landing back on her face with a gentle gaze and a soft smile.
“Come,” he whispered. She took it, and followed him out into the Regal Chamber, her heart pounding nervously, where the crowd gasped and murmured again upon seeing her. “I present to you,” he boomed proudly, holding her hand in the air, “Lady Veria Laurelgate, Commander of the newly reinstated Elemental Guard, and her Lieutenants, Strelzar Plazic and Virro Ladny!”
She felt her two lieutenants walk up behind her, flanking her on each side. A few in the crowd erupted in anger, and others just continued to chatter and gossip. Browan dropped her hand and stepped back, falling into a deep bow to his new Elemental Guards, which caused everyone who was not yet standing to jump to their feet and bow. Several didn't follow suit, and Veria looked out over the group to pick out who might be in defiance of the King's decision. She was not surprised at all to find Andon Villicrey glaring right at her, standing stock still next to his father, Willis, who was in a deep bow like the King.
Browan stood up straight and started clapping, and many in attendance joined him.
“This is a decision of great magnitude,” Browan bellowed, his voice quieting the din of the crowd, “and one that is made as part of an ever changing political landscape across our Kingdom and our world. If other kingdoms, if other factions, if other groups can send assassins using these types of skills, then you can be sure I will do whatever it takes to keep our kingdom safe from them. To do that, we must match their skills, we must be vigilant and smart. We must be prepared. These three incredibly talented and prestigious Magers in front of you tonight have already started their training, and as of tomorrow will be joined by two more promising recruits and will begin rigorous trials to prepare for them a variety of potential defensive scenarios.”
“Strelzar Plazic is dangerous! He's a lunatic!” someone in the crowd yelled. Several piped up with supportive exclamations, and Veria heard Strelzar snort a laugh through his nose behind her.
“Who is teaching hard elementals?!” another crowd member yelled. “Their training was illegal!”
“I will kindly remind you that the two gentlemen up here with me are members of the Ageless Council, and were alive when hard elementals were perfectly legal,” Browan explained calmly, but sternly. “As for Commander Laurelgate, had she not been equipped with her skills, regardless of when or where she trained them, I would be dead. Her heroism and astounding talent shall be rewarded.”
“With a commanding post?!” someone scoffed.
“Thank you all so much for joining me on this momentous and historic occasion,” Browan boomed, ignoring the statement. “I am happy that you, my most trusted advisers and Regalship members, could be the first to support the Kingdom of Londess in this tremendous step toward safety and peace, and I am positive the rest of the citizenry will be thrilled to hear the news, as well. Now, please make your way to the dining room, as the Feast shall begin shortly!”
The room vacated to the fanfare of much chatter and gossip. Browan turned toward Veria, Strelzar and Virro.
“Well, that went well, wouldn't you say?” he asked with a smile.
“Only because almost all of them do everything you say,” Strelzar quipped.
“Don't pretend you don't know what that feels like,” Veria retorted with a laugh, and Browan and Virro chuckled, to Strelzar's displeasure.
“We expected a bit of displeasure, remember?” Browan grinned at Veria, and she nodded, remembering that he had mentioned it during their first discussion, the day of the attack.
“New Age Purists,” Strelzar muttered.
“Precisely,” Browan agreed, with a nod to Strelzar. “They reject hard elementals because of the ban, and see them as not only illegal in the eyes of the law, but illegal in the eyes of elemental law.”
“Natural law,” Virro chimed in.
“That's nonsense,” Veria uttered. “The ban hasn't been in place that long. Surely they know how long they were used before it?”
“They do, but they claim it was always at odds with the natural world,” Strelzar explained.
“Ironically not realizing that a few hard elementals were exceptions from the ban, such as many life-saving procedures performed by Water Magers, like the blood coagulation you received from Claryain,” Browan added.
“Many Sea Captains are permitted to manipulate the wind for safer or faster travel,” Virro added.
Strelzar shrugged. “Fire Magers aren't allowed to do anything. We're dangerous lunatics.”
They all laughed.
“Come, you three will be at the head of the table with me,” he said, and they all made their way across the main hall to the dining room, which was filled with noise, voices mostly, and some pleasant music, and the occasional clink of glasses as many filled up on wine and toasted.
Everyone stood and were silent as the King entered and made his way to the far end of the table, and no one sat or made a sound until he had pulled out Veria's chair for her, waited for her to be seated, and then seated himself at the head next to her. Strelzar and Virro seated themselves on the King's left, across from her. She noticed that the Villicreys were about halfway down the table from her on the opposite side, and Andon was still staring at her, a sour look upon his face.
And it went from sour to enraged as she felt Browan's hand cover hers and squeeze it affectionately. She turned to face him and smiled brightly. “Browan,” she said.
“That is the sweetest sound I have heard all night,” he purred in approval. “Everyone here is grovelling, 'Your Majesty' this, 'Your Highness' that. Hearing you say may name is music to my ears.”
“How sweet of you to say,” Veria replied demurely.
“May I ask you something?” he said, squeezing her hand again and leaning in closer to her, so that his lips were only inches from her ear, and his warm breath on her neck sent shivers across her skin.
“Of course,” she murmured.
“Not to say that you don't look stunning tonight, because you truly do, but, I wonder why chose not to wear a dress?” he asked.
“Why would I wear a dress? I am the Commander of the Elemental Guard, not a Lady of the Court, and I am certainly not the Queen,” she answered.
He pulled back abruptly and cocked his head at her.
“No,” he said, “I suppose you're not. Commander. Well, I was hoping for the red dress, but you look wonderful tonight, as you always do,” he added softly before grabbing his glass of wine and raising it in the air. “To Veria Laurelgate! A more beautiful heroine no where in the world can be found!”
“To Veria!” the table toasted, an out of tune symphonic blend of various pitches, tones and rhythms.
“I thought you didn't want to start any rumors?” Veria muttered out of the corner of her mouth as everyone started eating.
“We haven't exchanged more than a dozen words for the past week, nor been in the same room alone together,” he said. “And we won't be seen together for many weeks to come, unless its within the capacity of your new position,” he added, and she felt her lips purse and her jaw clench of their own will in reaction to his statement. “I can call you beautiful. No one will argue that. You are beautiful and everyone here surely knows it. The most beautiful in the castle tonight, in fact.”
“I told you,” Strelzar sang from across the table, his head lowered down to a bowl of soup, the spoon hovering in front of his lips, as he looked up at her through his dark, full lashes with a wily grin.
“Lord Andon Villicrey, of the Guyler Estate, has been eying you all night,” Browan said, arching his head toward her again, dropping his voice so only she could here it. “He used to work for y
ou, correct?”
“Yes,” Veria answered, nodding and swallowing through a lump in her throat, trying not to look at Andon or Browan, instead staring at an array of fruits and flowers piled aesthetically in the middle of the table.
“I can't tell, does he despise you or lust for you?” Browan breathed in her ear.
“He definitely despises me,” Veria replied.
“From where I'm sitting, I think it looks like both,” Browan said.
She sucked in a sharp breath as she felt his hand on her knee under the table. Her heart leaped and her stomach grew hot, her body suddenly aching for him. She tried to control her breath so as not to be obvious to the rest of the party that something was going on, but it became deeper and heavier, more out of rhythm, more desperate as Browan trailed his hand gently, slowly, up her thigh.
“Does he know how you taste? Like honey and rose oil?” Browan whispered.
Veria made sure her face was stone cold and composed as she nodded affirmatively.
“Would you like him to know that you're mine now?” he whispered. “He's the only one looking. I can show him...”
He clutched into the crook of her thigh, digging his fingers into her supple flesh and clawing at her urgently. Her breath caught in her chest and she shook her head no.
“If he has treated you poorly, he deserves to watch you be claimed by another,” Browan pressed in his seductive rustle. “Is he the father of your child? Did he abandon you with her?”
“No,” Veria answered, her lip trembling as she did.
“Pity,” Browan said, “I'd like to see whoever it was punished.” He abruptly let go of her leg and sat back up straight in his chair. “Well, I suppose that was enough business discussion, don't you?”
Veria nodded, steadying her breath and trying to regain enough composure to eat her food, but her body yearned for him, and her mind didn't know how to reconcile his sudden advances with the week he'd avoided her, and his statements about them not being around each other, not contributing to the start of rumors.
She looked at Strelzar, who eyed her intently. He twitched his eyes to Browan then back to her, then raised his eyebrows and licked his lips, a succession of facial gestures she could only imagine meant that Browan was having particularly salacious desires about her at the moment, which obviously didn't surprise her. She nodded once, short and subtle, at Strelzar, then took a deep breath and went about eating her food.
“So, tomorrow you receive your new recruits. Strelzar confirmed with me this morning when I dropped off the dragonskin, as he calls it, that they have both accepted his invitations,” Browan explained casually. “A shame Claryain just found the trunk of it after the assassin business. You wouldn't have been caught up in this mess to start!”
“Who, may I ask, are these recruits that Lieutenant Plazic neglected to inform me about?” Veria asked, shooting Strelzar a disapproving glance.
“Ah, Commander,” Strelzar answered quickly, “two from your original list, in fact, who just needed a little extra...persuading.”
“Strelzar...” Veria growled a warning.
“Oh, not that kind,” he huffed in offense, rolling his eyes at her. “A better sense of legitimacy and tiny bit of grovelling. My name carries a lot of weight, you know.”
“Aslay Livida, a renowned Fire Mager and former apprentice of Strelzar's, from my understanding,” Browan said, “and Turqa Coriant, a well known—”
“I know Turqa,” Veria interrupted.
“You do?” Strelzar asked. “I just figured he was on your list because you had heard of him. He's very good. The closest I've seen to Urtiz Agion in modern times.”
“He delivered Irea,” Veria said. “He has been in the service of the Laurelgates for many years, in fact, he may have even delivered me.”
“I can't say I'm surprised,” Strelzar said with a shrug and a lick of his tongue. “Only the best for Tanisca...I guess except for when it comes to husbands.”
“Excuse me, Lieutenant,” Browan said, dropping his fork and turning on Strelzar. “Are you slandering the name of one of my dearest and most trusted advisers?”
“Certainly not intentionally, or that would make me rather the fool,” Strelzar said with plenty of charm. “Merely speaking to the exquisite nature of Madame Tanisca Pyer and how she is deserving of the absolute best the world has to offer.”
Veria shook her head and rolled her eyes.
“Which wasn't Lord Gordon, is what you're implying?” Browan pressed.
“Browan, you don't have to stand up for him, or me—”
“Oh, I see!” Strelzar exclaimed in revelation. “He doesn't know?”
“Strelzar,” Veria warned, “don't.”
“I don't know what?” Browan snapped.
“He should know, Veria, before the two of you go putting anyone in danger over the man's legacy,” Strelzar said, accenting the word legacy with a snarl of disdain.
“Veria,” Browan turned to her, “what is he talking about?”
Veria opened her mouth to explain, but Strelzar beat her to it.
“Lord Gordon practiced memory-clearing on his precious only daughter, when she was just a small child,” he declared plainly, everyone at their end of the table, Browan, Virro and Veria, turning to look at him as he spoke. “For many, many years, in fact! Something I surely will never forgive him for, but, I may be biased. I didn't like him in the first place...not good enough for my promising ruby-haired apprentice and all.”
Browan whipped his head back to Veria, whose cheeks had gone hot and fists had clenched into tight, white-knuckled balls.
“Is that...true?” he asked.
She nodded, not able to speak from anger and embarrassment.
Browan took a deep breath and his face went soft and sympathetic. She didn't want his sympathy. She didn't want anyone's sympathy, This was supposed to be the night where she embraced her power—where everyone embraced her power! she thought. Not a night where they felt pity on her childhood.
Strelzar must have been listening in on her desires as he proclaimed: “It's quite regrettable that he chose to do so, but it contributed to what she is today, I suppose. About that, I shall never complain.”
He winked at her and she narrowed her eyes at him in response.
“I suppose that is true,” Browan said with an elusive grin. “I suppose the toughest of us were all hardened in some way, right?” He raised his glass just to the three of them and they touched their glasses to his. “And, I can assure you, starting tomorrow, you are going to have to be very tough...”
- VII-
Browan told them relatively nothing about the test he was going to put the three of them through the next morning. Only the order they were going in, what time they should each arrive, and that they would each face it alone. Veria was last, at ten o'clock. They were to meet him at the training grounds in the Londesson Forest, well rested, he had advised when he left the Feast the night before.
Veria tried to calm her nerves as she approached the training grounds on foot, not having heard from Virro or Strelzar, who did not come back to the barracks after their trials, she assumed because Browan didn't want them giving her any information or pointers. As she reached their usual training spot, she saw the King standing next to one of his carriages, smiling widely at her.
“Good morning,” he said as she came closer.
“Good morning,” she echoed.
“Are you ready?” he asked, tilting his head.
“Doubt it,” Veria replied, “but that rarely stops me.”
He laughed loudly. “Alright, here is the trial. I will be watching and timing from inside the carriage. You will protect the carriage from all attackers until all attackers are defeated, then meet me inside the carriage to signal you are finished.”
“Defeated?” Veria asked.
“They have all taken dragonskin,” Browan explained, “and have been instructed to leave the training grounds immediately upon being hit or knock
ed down.”
He pulled a vial of dragonskin from his shirt pocket.
“Here's yours,” he held it out for her.
She shook her head. “No.”
“What? Veria—are you insane?” he snapped.
“I'm not going to have dragonskin the next time I have to protect you from assassins, or who knows what else—an entire army,” she explained, “so I don't want it now.”
“You are insane,” Browan remarked. “And arrogant.”
“And?” Veria cocked her head at him.
“Infuriatingly difficult,” he added with a grin.
“Get in the carriage,” Veria ordered.
With a facetious bow beforehand, he did as told without another word.
Veria took a deep breath and stepped further down the path that cut through the training ground. She felt out the energy around her, but it was everywhere—metal, large stone bricks, giant fallen trees and branches, fire in a straight, thin row a the top of the hill...archers, she thought.
A whistle sounded behind her, and she jumped, but quickly steeled her nerves as best she could and focused, closing her eyes briefly to feel out anything moving toward her.
Metal, small and fresh, joined with the thin row of fire then lifted in the air, then sprung toward her in a graceful arch. She let each point of energy reach its pinnacle then flipped them back to retrace their paths, but not in an arch—in a straight, speeding line back to their origins. She opened her eyes and looked up the hill just in time to see a row of archers fall back, each taking their own arrows in their chests, emitting groans and of pain, before getting up and running away.
She only had a split second to revel in the first triumph before she felt a solid wall of metal charging at her from the opposite side of the forest. She recognized the energy. Strelzar had insisted on her training against it—swords and shields. It wasn't a solid wall, it was many separate plates and weapons, she realized as they charged closer. She struggled to grab on to all of them at the same time—they were each larger, denser, thicker, heavier than the row of tiny arrows she had managed to control all at once.
The Twin Dragons: Book III in the Elementals Series Page 6
