“There may be more deserters before we get to battle,” said Edgar. Word is that we are going to be vastly outnumbered. The alliance is tenuous. Many of the kingdoms are reluctant to send all their soldiers to combat the Dark Lord. They leave their own kingdoms with weak defenses.”
“But for the prophecy that a great savior shall come from the sky riding a dragon to help the world defeat a great evil I’m certain many of the kings would withdraw their support. With your father mortally wounded I fear the alliance will not hold those who look for the fulfilment of the prophecy.” Marcus looked at Akira. “They need something bigger than themselves to bolster their bravery.”
“The Sarcenian prophecy,” said Akira. “My father would have been looked on as that savior. The dragon warrior was to make a great sacrifice to win the battle against evil. Now as they learn of his wounds the kingdoms that rallied to the alliance may leave the alliance to protect their own borders.”
“Perhaps we can convince them Akira is the dragon warrior they need.” Ben looked at his brothers and Akira with a gleam in his eye. Does not the prophecy say that the dragon warrior will join with a great house and unite kingdoms to defeat the evil force?”
“Join with a great house?” Akira looked at Ben. “How?”
“By marriage of course.” Ben looked apologetic when he saw the horror on Akira’s face.
“To complete this farce of a prophecy who would you marry me off to? Impossible.”
A discreet cough from the tent’s doorway made their heads turn. Tazir smiled. “Pardon my interruption, but it’s almost time for the commanders to meet.” Tazir addressed Akira. “Forgive me for hearing the last part of your conversation. You would be wed to Commander Dimitri. He is seen as a great leader. He is well respected, and because of his nonpartisan protection of the kingdoms it would be believable. The prophecy would be unfolding as foretold.”
Akira felt all eyes upon her face. “But … But I can’t marry him. It would be an arranged marriage. You know what I feel about forced marriages. I swore if I ever married it would be my choice.” Akira looked at her brothers with a stubborn tilt to her chin.”
“It would only have to be a marriage in name only,” said Edgar.
“It could work,” said Marcus. “You don’t have to consummate the marriage, and if we fulfill the prophecy and it helps keep the alliance strong the marriage can be annulled later.”
More footsteps were heard as they all silently waited for Akira to say anything at all. Dimitri stepped into the tent. He saw the aghast look on Akira’s face. “What is wrong?”
“We were just discussing the details of your marriage to Akira, the dragon warrior of the Sarcenian prophecy, that joins with a great house to defeat the great evil bearing down on us as we speak.”
Dimitri coughed. “My what? Do my ears deceive me?” He looked at Akira, and suddenly understood the look on her face. Within minutes he reluctantly agreed to the wild scheme of deception. Akira looked bewildered. Was Dimitri demented also? Would the priests and spiritual leaders of the different kingdoms believe the prophecy was being fulfilled and advise their leaders to commit all their resources to allied war front? It’s a wild gamble thought Akira. My freedom to choose to wed or not is being taken away. What if I give up my freedom and the fools don’t buy the deception? I swore I’d never marry! Dare I say no? If the Dark Lord wins I’ll be dead. My freedom will mean nothing.
Akira let her eyes meet Dimitri’s face. She straightened her shoulders. Looking beautiful she exuded a great calm. The men knew before she spoke that she’d decided to go along with their plan. “I’ll do it. I will marry Dimitri in name only.”
“You’ll have to make it look convincing sister.” Ben was serious. “It must look believable and not contrived. Start dropping off subtle words of affection. Look in love!”
“Congratulations commander Dimitri,” said Marcus. He held his hand out and clasped Dimitri’s war-scarred hand. “Seems we will have a wedding on the heels of a funeral. Nothing like a good romance to bolster the morale of the troops.”
Edgar patted Ben on the back. “Looks like we finally arranged a good match for our sister.” His smile was cut short when Akira lifted one eyebrow sharply.
“And you wonder why I ran away dear brothers?” Akira glared at her brothers. Before they could answer she spat out the answer. “To have the freedom to make my own choices!”
Ben cringed. “You kind of have a choice …” his voice trailed off when he saw her eyes getting icier.
“Some choice that is … wed Dimitri or risk losing military support.”
Dimitri shifted his gaze. “I’m willing to sacrifice of my comfortable bachelorhood if you’re ready to give up on being a spinster!”
Akira’s cheek reddened. “Spinster? You say that like it is a disease. Yet you men congratulate yourselves for avoiding the trappings of a marriage for as long as possible. I should turn you in to frogs!”
“You wouldn’t, you couldn’t,” said Ben. “Or could you? Being a mage and all ….”
“Don’t test me brother.” Akira enjoyed the look of worry on her youngest brother’s face.
Tazir’s laugh was timely. “Mage humor. Making frogs is boring.” Ben looked relieved. “Yes, as much of an imposition as it is on both Dimitri and Akira,” said Tazir. He paused until all were hanging on his every word. “If Dimitri and Akira appear to have hope enough to wed before going to battle even those who don’t believe in prophecy will be inspired. Now I must take my leave and be ready to point out the unfolding of prophecy as you make your announcement. The sooner the better. Do try to look happy Akira.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Smoothing down the lace of the ivory-colored dress some fool brought her, Akira wished she was dressing for battle. She wished she was holding an axe instead of flowers. She wished she was having her helmet fitted instead of having her hair piled up in a mix of curls and braids wreathed in a crown of pink flowers.
“Are you ready Akira?” Marcus peeked around the curtain. “My god! You are beautiful dear sister. “Take my arm. I’ll walk you down the aisle.” Akira pasted a smile on her face. The aisle was a walk between rows of soldiers standing at attention, while some romantic fool played a flute. A drum roll would suit me far better. There is Cronus smiling like cat that got into the milk bucket. And is that a tear on his grizzly face?” Akira tipped her head just slightly to acknowledge her warrior companion. Cronus beamed like a proud father. He elbowed the soldier next to him. “It was meant to be. Isn’t she the most beautiful warrior to ever walk the face of this earth?” The soldier he elbowed looked up at the huge warrior. Although he secretly agreed, he would have agreed no matter what. Cronus was a huge man.
Ben and Edgar beamed at the end of the aisle of warriors where Dimitri expectantly waited. Marcus stopped beside Dimitri. The priest asked, “Who gives this woman in marriage?”
“I do,” Marcus said loudly.
The question grated in Akira’s ears. Gives? I’m a free woman, not a possession. She managed to smile sweetly while inwardly seething. Marcus handed Akira’s arm over to Dimitri, and stepped back to stand with his brothers.
“Does any man have reason to object to this union?” The priest waited for any answer.
Akira almost hoped someone would raise an objection. She wanted to say, “I object!” Instead, her thoughts shouted. I have an objection! To be near Dimitri is going to be temptation. Talana and my father should have made sure I couldn’t be tempted as well as saving me from being a temptress. I can’t afford to have strong feelings about Dimitri. To care deeply for him would be folly. He will not love, nor can I. She turned to face her husband-to-be, to repeat the vows the priest was reading from his tattered edged book. In his polished warrior regalia, Dimitri was more than ruggedly handsome. With his hair tamed for the occasion he looked too tidy. She had an urge to reach up and mess it up. She heard herself say, “To honor and obey”. The word, obey, wanted to stick in her throat. She
smiled sweetly. Dimitri’s expression was tender. He’s convincing. She dutifully raised her lips for the expected kiss. She closed her eyes. Nothing happened. She opened her eyes. Dimitri smiled and lowered his face to hers. Bastard! He stared into her eyes as he tipped her chin just enough. As his lips touched hers, Akira drew in a sharp breath. His breath mingled with hers. The memories of another kiss came rushing back from where she had hidden them, tried to forget them. The memories were best forgotten. This kiss lasted too long and ended too soon. Akira was bewildered with her reaction to his kiss. The cheers around them filled her ears. She blushed only once at one of the comments about the wedding night to come. A surge of self-control washed over her. Akira looked to her new husband, then straight forward as they walked back down the aisle of cheering soldiers. She walked like a queen, head held high, shoulders back. Her long ivory-colored gown trailed behind her.
The priests standing at the front of the rows of men studied the couple as they walked towards them, then past them. A man behind them commented to his comrade, “A strong alliance cemented through marriage bodes well for us. The girl has the strength of dragons, the man is respected by the commoners, and has the support of many kings.”
“Aye. Tonight is a full moon. A good omen. Perhaps she will conceive an heir tonight, gods be willing. Do you think she is the one?”
“What one?” said the man to his companion.
“The one in the old prophecy.”
The conversation between the soldiers caused the priest to look at each other. One priest nudged another. “See,” he said, “even the unlearned recognize her.”
“But the prophecy didn’t say the dragon warrior was a woman.”
“It also didn’t say the one from the skies was a man. We will look like fools if we are the last to acknowledge the answer to our prayers to the gods. No more hesitation. We must perform a ceremony, tonight, to publicly thank the gods for fulfilment of the prophecy. Even if we have doubts we need to strengthen the men here with the hope of victory over The Dark One. If he wins this war you can be as certain as we stand here that we will be the first to be executed.”
The priests silently slipped away from the crowd cheering for the newlyweds. They huddled far from ears other than their own. “Are we agreed to give blessing to the gods and declare this dragon warrior the gift from the gods?” The speaker looked at the men around him. Each man nodded his consent.
“Will this ceremony alone allay fears among the armies? They will need to be fearless going into battle,” said one priest.
“Men will fight harder if they don’t fear death. What can we promise them in the afterlife that would make them welcome death in battle?”
“What would you want if you could have anything you wanted in another life?”
One priest jokingly said “I would want to abandon my vow of chastity and have seven beautiful virgins for wives. A wife for every day of the week.” He laughed.
“Then that is what we shall tell the men. We will tell them the gods have spoken and that every man in battle who dies fighting the Dark Lord will be rewarded with seven virgins in the afterlife.”
“I was joking!” The priest who laughed, laughed no more.
“I’m not. Does anyone have a better idea?”
No answer came. Another priest who had not spoken up earlier broke the uncomfortable silence. “Some of us pray to different gods, have different beliefs.” He looked doubtful.
“We all believe in an afterlife, do we not?” The oldest looking priest looked around the huddle. No one denied his statement. “Even if we pray to different gods, men have the same desires and natures. What man wouldn’t want to be offered seven virgins?”
“A man who loves one woman alone,” said a younger holy man.
“Then he can turn the seven virgins down and be rewarded with seven jewels, seven horses and be assured that when his wife meets him in the afterlife they will have sevenfold the love they enjoyed in this life in the next.”
“And will our gods grant them this?”
The question started a heated discussion among the priestly robed men. In the end, majority ruled. The majority agreed to appeal to the nature of men. The priests would announce a promise from the gods. Those who sacrificed their lives in battle would die the happiest of men in the afterlife. The priests would perform a ceremony to thank the gods for the dragon warrior. The promise of virgins would be revealed during a spectacular colored smoke display. Wine laced with a hallucinogenic drug would be passed around. The power of suggestion coupled with the drug-laced wine would make men see virgins dancing before their eyes. One priest, before they parted to get ready for the ceremony commented, “It is the will of the gods, for being vessels to the gods, our thoughts came from the gods. The gods will reward the men in the afterlife as we have agreed upon. Curses on any man or woman who says otherwise.”
The youngest priest pulled his hood up over his head. He cast his eyes down to hide his disgust. He returned to the camping grounds of the armies. He cast off his priestly robes, burned them, then dressed as a commoner. The young man went to the nearest armory. With heavy sword in hand, and heavy heart he joined the partisan soldiers.
Later that evening from a discreet distance, the ex-priest watched the spectacular performance the older priests had cunningly prepared. The priests proclaimed Akira, the dragon warrior of prophecy, a gift from the gods. Warriors cheered. They raised wine goblets and toasted the gods for their benevolence. The priests relayed the message from the gods about the rewards in the afterlife. The men cheered even louder. The young ex-priest dropped his head in shame. He turned his back on the scene before him. He had already turned his back on the priesthood. When he was truly alone, he knelt, praying to his god as a simple man. The full moon cast an eerie glow over his kneeling form. The dragon concealed in the invisible dome heard his prayers, his confession, and his hope. She studied the man intensely.
…
When Akira heard her name being chanted, she pushed her wooden plate away. She, Dimitri, and her brothers sat at the quickly constructed table made for her wedding feast. Dimitri had already started to stand. He sat his goblet of wine down. Marcus, Edgar, and Benjamin followed suit.
“What is going on?” Akira looked to Dimitri. His frown made him look fierce. His hand went to the hilt of his sword. A messenger rushed up to him. He saluted, handing Dimitri a note.
A-ki-ra, A-ki-ra. The chant was growing louder as more voices joined the chant.
Dimitri put a hand on Akira’s shoulder. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “They bought it. The priests have just thanked the gods for sending the dragon-riding warrior to our aide. It seems the superstitious are elated with this news.” He kissed the nape of her neck for their onlookers. Akira shivered. She wasn’t certain if it was the touch of his lips or the news he shared that caused the shiver. She looked at him with questioning eyes. Their wedding guests smiled. Already some of them, too, were standing and looking towards the direction the chanting was coming from. Dimitri’s closest men walked up to and provided an escort for the bride and groom.
“Shall we?” asked Dimitri.
Akira nodded, picked up the front of her dress to walk easier. She sighed. She pulled a knife out from under her dress, giving Dimitri an eyeful of shapely leg above her knee-high leather boots.
“Very nice.” Dimitri smiled wickedly.
“I hope you are referring to the knife sheath. I fashioned it myself.” Akira spoke as she cut off the dress just above her knees, dropping the remains of the offending dress in the dirt. Cronus handed her war shield that moments before decorated the front of the wedding head table. “Where is my sword?”
The witch, Fern, handed Akira a sword. “It’s not your old sword, but you’ll find it useful. It’s my wedding gift to you.”
Akira raised her eyebrows. She gripped the handle. It fit like a well- made glove. She smiled at Fern and stood beside her husband. The sword was quickly forgotten as they walk
ed quickly past their feasting area under the stars, soldiers were lining up once more. An aisle was being formed again. “A-ki-ra. A-ki-ra. The three-beat rhythm filled the cooling night air. The chant grew louder as hundreds of men stood and chanted.
The tiny hairs on the back of Akira’s neck stood erect. A new source of energy surged through her body. Her confidence waned. She took a deep breath. The sound of it made Dimitri look down at his bride.
“Are you ready for this?” He looked forward as he spoke.
“As ready as I’ll ever be. This seems unreal.” Akira kept her eyes forward. “What do I do?”
“You’ll know what to do. You are the dragon-riding warrior promised in the prophecy.”
“You don’t believe that, do you? We just went through a farce marriage to make it look like I’m the one.”
“Self-fulfilling prophecy. No matter the details of how it came to be, it has come to be. Be strong and confident warrior.” Dimitri smiled wickedly and added, “My wife.” Now he looked down at her as they neared the priest’s platform.
Akira bristled, and looked up at him. Her nervousness dissipated with a flash of temper. Instinctively she knew he had baited her. Two could play games. She thanked him by stepping hard on his foot when they reached the end of the human aisle.
On cue, as if there had been a rehearsal, Akira was lifted to the platform by her escort. A priest beckoned her to stand beside him. He threw a powder high into the air. It ignited by some unseen spark. Flashes of green and blue flame made a spectacular light over the platform. The priests raised their hands. The chanting stopped.
“We thank the gods for their benevolence! We thank the gods for keeping their promise!” The priest shouted towards the stars. “Here is the dragon warrior promised! You have seen her ride the skies!”
A voice from the crowd shouted, “Trickery! It was just an illusion!”
Akira Rides Page 17
