by Mike Shelton
The kingship, the engagement, the announcement, and wedding—it all flooded back through his mind, bringing up feelings and thoughts of love and concern and compassion. He felt his hands grow warm; he felt the healing powers of a wizard of the heart seep deep into his wife’s wound. The arrow had missed the baby, going less than an inch to the side. He gasped at what he felt inside of his wife. Two powers growing inside of her. He opened his mouth to declare what he found, but the powers hushed him and bade him to remain silent for now.
Delving deeper, Darius pushed his powers to the limit. Blood vessels began to heal, torn muscles fused back together, and new skin began to grow back around the wound. He poured all he could into his wife, his queen, his beloved, his reason for living. He pulled strength from Thunder and the other Cremelinos. He used the power of their binding and bond to seal the wound and to heal.
Opening his eyes, Darius realized silence prevailed around him. Friends, wizards, and soldiers alike stood with tears streaming in abundance down their dirty faces. Love filled the air. In open wonder and admiration, they began to kneel one by one.
“My King,” voiced one of thousands of soldiers who knelt in honor.
“My Lord” Roland, Leandra, and Jakob knelt.
“Darius, my friend forever.” Mezar went to one knee with head bowed.
“Wizard of the heart.” Danijela Anwar, High Wizard Sallir, and the remaining Cremelinos bowed their heads in respect and esteem.
Christine stirred, and her eyes fluttered open. A large smile crept across her face.
“Darius!” she whispered.
Darius hugged and kissed her, picking her up in his arms. His heart was so full of love and tenderness, it poured out to all those standing and kneeling beside him.
“Rise,” he said to those still kneeling. “My wife, your queen has returned to us.” Cheers erupted all around the field of soldiers as the news spread rapidly.
Mezar turned to leave, and Darius caught him by the sleeve. The King’s other arm was around Christine. He would not let her go a foot away from him now that he had her back.
“Thank you, my friend. I am forever in your debt. What can I do to repay your friendship and loyalty?”
“I didn’t do it for repayment.”
“I know,” Darius replied. “But what will happen now?”
“The general is dead.” Mezar smiled sadly. “Hopefully the Emperor will recover from his treatment. I will ensure that the right wizards are helping him.”
Darius got the meaning. “I understand. You are now first heir to the throne of the Gildanian Empire, Mezar.”
Mezar nodded his head. “But I have a lot of damage to undo. It seems my father was blinded by the eastern wizard.”
“It was the same in Belor.” Darius remembered what he had heard through Tali’s Cremelino. “The Preacher was being directed by another eastern lord. Seems they are intent on trying to spread their influence to the west.”
“Hopefully they have been stopped for now.” Mezar said.
“Go in peace, Prince Mezar,” Darius bowed his head. “We will stay in contact through the Cremelinos. I still have a formal visit to make to your empire. I would like to meet your grandfather. But . . .”
“But . . .” Mezar looked at Christine’s stomach. “You have other things that will occupy your time for a while. Congratulations. An heir to the throne.”
The two clasped arms and bid farewell. Mezar stopped for a moment with Leandra before he remounted his Cremelino and rode back to his side of the border.
Darius turned back to Christine. After a short meal, they walked over to their Cremelinos. Darius kissed her hard on the mouth and hugged her tight. Lifting her up gently on her Cremelino, he jumped on his. Exhaustion filled his core, but he pushed it away. There would be time to sleep later once they were safely back in Anikari.
“We ride in victory to Anikari!” he shouted for all to hear. A deafening roar met his words.
Word of the queen being healed by the King ran with the wind, northeast to Anikari, around to Sur, Mar, and Belor, then overland to the Kingdom of Arc, and south to the Gildanian Empire. In the coming weeks, all knew a powerful wizard of the heart ruled the Realm. News spread of the battle, the barrier, the young earth wizard Danijela standing by her mentor and defying an army, and the Gildanian prince’s selfless act of power to stop his father and the other evil wizards. Word spread, growing greater with each telling. Bards and musicians already began writing tales and songs of mythical proportions. With the help of the powerful and magical Cremelinos, the path to peace had been found.
Chapter Twenty-Two
REWARDS
Kelln helped Alessandra into a carriage, half carrying her. She could talk, but she was weak. Her burns were not healing well, and Kelln didn’t know how much longer she had to live. He’d tried to wash and wrap the blackened skin, but his touch was very painful for her.
It had been a week since the attack with the Preacher, and for the first three days, Alessandra had laid unconscious. Governor Penrose and his daughter tried healing her, but neither one were practiced in that part of the power. Either way, it didn’t seem as if her body wanted to heal. She had said very little, and seemed to be giving up on her life.
After the attack, Sean went with Rapp, Taliana, and her father to the shipyard with a group of soldiers. They found an empty slot in the dock where the eastern ship had been anchored. Witnesses said the ship left in an obvious hurry less than an hour before, not even bothering to gather a full crew.
Taliana had healed, and Sean was never found far from her side, a development that she didn’t seem to mind. Through her Cremelino, they had been asked by Darius to accompany Kelln and Alessandra to the capital. Each of them sat on horses on either side of the carriage. Rapp had stayed behind to help the governor. With the Guild of Thieves having lost their guildmaster and his daughter to the Preacher’s attack, things were in an uproar around town. Guilds that the Preacher had been courting felt betrayed. The governor needed Rapp to run errands and take care of things that he couldn’t do himself. Both of them now stood beside the carriage, bidding the ambassador’s party farewell.
“I will have the King send additional troops to help keep the peace until affairs are back in order,” Kelln said to the governor.
“There will be a new order now. Mar shouldn’t be so much trouble for the King. You will return my daughter to me though, won’t you?”
“That is up to the King” Kelln smiled. “But I will put in a good word for it. I can see you are lost without her.”
The governor wizard laughed. Looking at his daughter, he surmised, “Well, she seems to at least be smitten by the young noble Mr. San Ghant. They have hardly left each other’s side since the fight with Mr. El’Han—the Preacher.”
Kelln turned to Rappatorian. “And you, my new friend. The King and I are definitely in your debt. None of this could have happened here without your help. I will see you are rewarded also.” He punched the young man on the shoulder.
Rapp smiled a big smile. “Things really got exciting once you came to town, Mr. Ambassador. That’s for sure.”
Climbing in to the carriage with Alessandra, Kelln motioned for the driver to proceed. At a slow pace, the drive to Anikari would take quite a few days. As Mar shrunk behind them, Kelln breathed out a deep sigh. It was still hard for him to believe that the Preacher was dead. He hoped all assignments from the King would not be so harrowing. He looked over at Alessandra bundled within warm blankets. She sat with her eyes closed. Kelln’s heart was deeply troubled over what would happen to her. In the end, she had jumped out and saved him from her father’s wrath. That should count for something, shouldn’t it?
* * *
Darius walked by himself through the Cremelino stable. It had been three weeks since they’d returned from the battle. He had just given Jakob Widing leave to go and get ready for the banquet that evening to honor all those who helped in the recent events in establishing peace o
nce again in the Realm.
He brushed Thunder’s gleaming white coat. It was still hard to comprehend that the Cremelinos were wizards in their own right. The fourth wizard power – the power of spirit; the power to bind. Lightning was in the next stall over. Looking at her turned the King’s thoughts to his wife. After his healing of her and some rest, she was back to normal. Well, at least as normal as could be while being pregnant.
Christine’s moods had been stable, but her appetite was horrendous and she never seemed to be full. Darius smiled at the thought of the servant’s faces each time Christine asked for more food. He wondered if any of it had to do with the healing. Her body had been through a lot and needed to recharge itself. Of course, none of them knew the secret that he held inside. He smiled again. She was eating for more than one additional life.
In the stall over from Lightning were the two remaining Cremelinos who had not bonded with anyone yet. If Taliana and her father were any measurement, there must be other wizards throughout the Realm. He had been thinking about what to do about that for some time now.
Through the Cremelinos, word had come to him that Danijela had been named a full wizard, was ordained to follow in the High Wizard's footsteps as advisor to Kings, and eventually would be High Wizard herself. He grinned and almost laughed out loud at the High Wizard’s decision. After the young girl’s showing at the battlefront, how could the High Wizard do anything else? She would definitely be a handful, but hopefully she would always be a powerful ally.
The Emperor of Gildan had recovered from his slow poisoning but was not as strong as he once was. He named Mezar as his heir to the throne, which Mezar accepted - but he declined to be the general of the armies. Being both the heir to the Gildanian throne and leader of the army had been too much for his father. The greed and influence that the eastern kingdom wizard had on the general seemed to have been too much for him to pass up. Darius wished to be able to spend more time with his southern friend under different circumstances. He had looked forward to visiting the wizard library in Gildan. That trip would have to wait.
Footsteps came around the corner, and Darius turned. It was his father, Richard.
“Where are the guards?” his father asked.
Darius smiled. “You know I have no need of guards to protect me.”
“I know. But you must keep up appearances.” His father smiled genuinely at his only son. “You are the King.”
Darius sighed and walked closer to his father. “I never wanted all of this, Father. Sometimes the burden is too great.”
“That is why it is yours, Darius. A better king is one who doesn’t want to be, but who learns his duty and serves the people.”
“Are you a philosopher now, too, besides my councilor?” Darius laughed. “I will name you first philosopher of the Realm.”
Richard laughed heartily. “You are a good King, my boy.” He slapped his son on the back. “Better than I would have been under the circumstances.”
Darius hid the moisture in his eyes. They turned and walked out of the stables together.
After Darius donned the rest of his attire, they entered the banquet room. All eyes turned to their King. The gathered crowd rose as one and bowed.
“Long live the King. Hail Darius DarSan Williams, King of the Realm,” his father voiced.
“Long live the King,” a monstrous voice of people answered.
Darius walked in long strides down the red carpet toward the throne. His purple cape swirled around his broad shoulders, and his black boots were muffled against the carpet in the large hall. Windows in the high ceiling let the late afternoon sun filter through the room. The golden light danced across the King’s crown. Long banquet tables adorned the grand hall, set up between the marble columns. Along with the filtered sunlight, candles adorned the sides of the walls and the tables, filling the room with light.
The King waved and bowed his head slightly at those he knew in the crowd. A King he was in decree, in look, and now by deed. His actions had saved their realm from certain war on three sides.
The Throne of Power had been brought in from the throne room. Darius sat and motioned for the others to do the same. He ran his hands over the golden armrests and felt a power course through his veins. He looked to his side, where Christine already sat on a smaller throne, then back out over his people and smiled. His heart was full.
“Before we feast, I would like to make some formal announcements and declarations. There are many to thank for the success of the most recent events in Mar, Sur, and Denir. I cannot name them all, but their deeds have made the Realm a safer place and one once again looked at as a leader of the western lands. However, there are a few specific individuals.”
Picking up a scroll, the King began to read. “Be it known throughout the Realm that Ambassador Kelln El’Lan is now known as Kelln San El’Lan, and title to lands will be transferred, affording him the noble title of baron.” He smiled at his oldest friend. They had talked extensively earlier about Alessandra. Darius had privately forgiven her treason in light of her condition. Kelln would take her to Belor to be with her grandfather, Alastair, for the remainder of her days. With the burns being from wizard fire and her lack of desire to live, she had not been able to be healed and would not live more than a few months.
“Be it known that Rappatorian Wells of Mar has earned the title of squire to the King and will be rewarded as such and given responsibilities in the Realm.” He had heard of Rapp’s abilities and thought it may come in handy to have some eyes and ears throughout the Realm to help keep track of things.
“Be it known that General Cray and all those that fought under his command be given additional pay and a special commendation from the crown.
“Be it known that a new university will be built on White Island dedicated to the study and schooling of wizards. This school will work in tandem with the Conclave of Wizards in Arc and the School of Wizards in Gildan to further the research and training of wizards dedicated to good. Jakob Widing is named as head caretaker of the Cremelinos at that university. Be it known that Governor Penrose of Mar is named head of that university once it is built and open. In the meantime, he will be transitioning his role as governor of Mar to another.” Many of the nobles perked up. To be named as a governor of one of the major cities of the Realm was a high honor and afforded them privilege only just below the King and his three senior councilors in Anikari.
“Be it known that due to extraordinary service to the Realm under extremely personal and dangerous circumstances, Sean San Ghant is hereby now named governor of Mar upon the transition of Governor Penrose. He, along with his newly betrothed, Taliana Penrose, will be my representative in ruling Mar.”
Darius gave a broad smile to Sean, who looked almost sick with shock. He could see tears fill Sean’s eyes with the announcement. Richard had not been excited about this announcement, but Darius had informed him that he had seen into Sean’s heart and that he was loyal to Darius and to the Realm now. Taliana, standing in a beautiful multi-colored gown cinched tight at the waist, hugged Sean closely.
“Our success in Arc and Gildan could not have been made possible without the help of High Wizard Olan Sallir of Arc, Wizard Danijela Anwar of Arc, and prince and heir to the Gildanian Empire, Mezar Alrishitar. Since they are not of the Realm, I have no authority to add rank or privilege to them, but they are hereby honored and always welcomed in this land. Once recent affairs have been settled, we will meet together, and new formal treaties will be reestablished.”
Enthusiastic claps echoed through the crowd at the announcements. He glanced over at Christine. She looked radiant in her golden dress, made that week to fit her changing shape. A small golden diadem was fixed in her curled and flowing golden hair. He nodded to her brother, sister, and mother, who sat as special guests at the head table. Christine beamed back a smile of love at Darius, and his heart fluttered with joy. He vowed to never lose her again.
“Let the feast begin!” he bellowed, vo
ice echoing around the hall.
EPILOGUE
Darius paced the floor of the Diamond Palace. One wing had been completed the prior week, and Christine had chosen to deliver her baby there. As he paced, he looked out of the twenty-foot-tall glass windows at the Lake of Reflection. Dark storm clouds hung over the Superstition Mountains to the west. A large storm had blown through the previous day, bringing a barrage of spring rain. It had almost been a year since he returned to Anikari and found out he would be the next King.
Christine had started contractions two days before, about a month earlier than normal. For the last month, the doctors had been concerned about her condition and put her on bed rest. A doctor and two midwives were now in the room with her. They were convinced the baby was coming soon. Darius smiled at the thought.
A father! It would certainly be a new experience. Strange, exciting, and fearful all at the same time. He had held in the secret since healing Christine. He had been tempted to tell it many times over the last few months since returning back to Anikari. Now, soon, all would know.
He stood in front of the window and marveled in the beauty. His thoughts drifted to the first time they ran into this field after a rainstorm. Christine named it the Field of Diamonds. That was three years ago. He had been captivated by her the first time and now loved her far more than he thought could have been possible. Almost losing her to the greed of General Alrishitar the past winter made him appreciate her even more.
He heard his wife cry out, and he continued his pacing. He was not allowed in the room until the baby was born. Too many men seemed to pass out when they saw their wife in labor and bleeding. He worried about her, though. What if she was in danger? He couldn’t lose her. He wouldn’t lose her.
