DAWN OF THE PHOENIX (Gods Of The Forever Sea Book 1)

by A. J. STRICKLER

  Raygan’s lip quivered as she approached the palace. Smoke still hung in the sky over the huge building. Half of the palace had been destroyed by fire and her magnificent garden was nothing but ash. She steeled herself as she walked on past the charred trees and blackened grounds. It was Cain’s final torment. She told herself, as she passed her ravaged sanctuary, that she would never have to endure his animosity and disdain ever again. Cain was dead, and his hate had died with him.

  Ansellus touched her on the shoulder. He could see that the loss of the garden she and her father had designed had cut the young girl deep. Raygan would have to understand now that she was queen, the aesthetic look of the palace and its grounds had to come second to the politics of Bandara. “Your Majesty, Lord Justice Milara will be waiting for you in the council chamber.”

  “I assumed as much. Let us go find out what the lord justice wants.”

  “You must go unaccompanied, Highness.”

  “You’re not coming with me?”

  “Just inside, Highness, the lord justice said he wished to speak with you alone, and I fear it is not to congratulate you on you victory.”

  It was easy to see Raygan was afraid. She didn’t want to face the powerful priest alone, but she ruled now and there were things that only she could handle.

  “I am sure you’re right. I don’t believe the lord justice was counting on Cain’s defeat and whatever he has to say to me won’t be pleasant.” The queen smoothed her dress and straightened her silk cloak. “I don’t like to be questioned, Ansellus. I never have.”

  “Majesty, you are queen here and your word is law. You reign in Bandara, not Milara.”

  Raygan smiled at the older man. “Thank you, Ansellus, I haven’t quite gotten use to that fact yet.”

  ”Do you have any orders for me, Highness?”

  “Call the remaining nobles back to the city. I want to hold court, but not until K’xarr and the others can attend, and I wish to have my son and all of Endra’s children brought back to Turill within the week.”

  Ansellus put his hands behind his back. “Yes, Highness, it will take time to clean up the palace and make arrangements. We will start with the throne room, it has the least damage, then the servants can work their way to the areas with more severe issues.”

  “That will be fine, Ansellus.”

  “Bishop Lyfair is speaking with Lord Justice Milara now. When he is finished, I will inform him of your plans. I’m sure he will need time to prepare as well.”

  The queen took Ansellus’s arm as they entered the palace. “Lyfair isn’t being reprimanded by Lord Milara because of me, is he? I will never hear the end of it if I have gotten him into trouble with the Church.”

  “Trust me, Highness, Lyfair will be sure to take care of his own reputation, even if it means laying the blame at someone else’s feet. Your bishop can be very slippery, Majesty.”

  “You shouldn’t be that way, Ansellus. I have never really been fond of Lyfair either, but he did stay with me through all of this.”

  “As you wish, Highness. I just have a hard time believing Lyfair is loyal to anyone but himself.”

  The queen stopped and looked up at the older man. “I didn’t say we should trust him.”

  “You are learning very fast, Highness.”

  “Is that all you know, Bishop?”

  Bishop Lyfair inclined his head toward the lord justice. “Yes, it is all I know.” Milara was hard to read, Lyfair couldn’t tell if the Eye of God believed him or not.

  “So, it was Duke Blackthorn and Prince Cain who murdered King Aaron?”

  “Yes, when Selmac failed to bring about the king’s death, Cain had Duke Blackthorn murder the old man.”

  Milara rubbed his eyes. “And the others on this list, are they the only other conspirators?”

  “Yes, Lord Justice, at least they are the ones I know participated in the conspiracy.” Lyfair had named all the men truly involved in the plot, substituting Cain for himself. No one could dispute his story now. Only Blackthorn remained alive and his word was now worthless.

  He had also told Milara of the witches and their sorcery. Lyfair had downplayed the queen’s part, blaming that on K’xarr and the others. He told the lord justice that the young queen had been pressured by the mercenaries, and it was K’xarr and his people that had influenced her to use the witch’s magic in the war against Abberdon and her bid for the throne.

  Milara stroked his well-trimmed beard. “I don’t have the resources to handle the situation after my brave knights fell at the hands of that monster. The Church will send men to apprehend this K’xarr. I can assure you that he and his companions will be dealt with as soon as possible.”

  “What about the half-breed?” Lyfair asked.

  Milara smiled. “I have an idea that will put the monster right into my hands. Then I will destroy it once and for all.”

  Lyfair left the council room. Milara felt Lyfair was most likely lying, but it mattered little. “Zachariah, come here.”

  The Hand of God slid from the shadows of the room. He hated to send the assassin away, but he needed to make sure the Holy Father got the message he had scribbled down.

  Zachariah walked across the council room floor. “You called?”

  Milara handed him the message. “Take this to Tyro and make sure you put it into the Holy Father’s hand yourself. Understand?”

  The killer nodded. “You will have few allies here after I’m gone.”

  Milara looked out one of the slender windows of the council room. The sun would be down soon, he thought.

  “Zachariah, you forget I have the greatest of allies, and he is always with me.”

  Zachariah’s eyebrows rose. “Oh yes, God, how could I forget.”

  Endra sat watching Kian sleep. She hadn’t even cleaned the blood from her face or armor. Kian too was still covered in the gore of his victims.

  K’xarr had him brought to the palace and the swordsman had collapsed into the bed. He was exhausted from the fight and his body still struggled with the poison.

  He had saved the queen and the city, but at what price to himself? Endra had begun to understand that the man she had fallen in love with would always be the lynchpin of any conflict he was involved in—whether it be protecting a lone traveler and her children or winning back a kingdom. He would be fate’s plaything. He was touched by the gods and what was done could not be undone. She would just have to get used to the idea. He was never going to be…just a man.

  What concerned her most was the future. The war was over, Raygan would be queen, but what about all the rest of them? Would they stay here in Bandara? What about her children? The life she would lead with Kian was no place for little ones. Kian had angered the gods somehow, his path would not be an easy one to follow. She had decided not to tell him about her experience in the alley. He already had enough worries, she would deal with it alone.

  The woman from Sorrack was too tired to think about it now. As long as she and Kian were together, everything would work itself out. Endra yawned and stretched her arms. She curled up beside the slumbering swordsman and drifted off to sleep.

  The queen sat down at the end of the large table in the council chamber. She felt small with the lord justice staring down at her like a child who had been disobedient.

  “So Princess Raygan, it seems that you are the sole heir to the Throne of Bandara, now that your brother is dead.”

  Raygan wanted to correct his addressing her as princess. She was actually the queen, but she held her tongue.

  “Ah wait, I have forgotten your son. How is Prince Corwin?”

  Raygan didn’t like Milara bringing up of her son. “He is well, Eminence.”

  “After speaking with Bishop Lyfair, I’m prepared to offer you a deal, in spite of all the crimes you have committed against God and the Church. I will advise the Holy Father not to move to depose you, if you order the arrest of the half-breed. After he is secured, you will turn him over to me and I will se
e to his execution. The throne will be yours, and you and your son will have nothing to worry about. Bandara will fall under the protection of the Church once again, and you can rest assured the Holy Father will help you rebuild in any way he can.”

  Raygan covered her mouth. “I can’t do that, Eminence. Kian has saved my life more than once, not to mention the life of my son. If not for him, I would not be sitting before you now.”

  Milara looked at the queen sternly. “That matters not, he is an abomination before the eyes of God, your God, and the God of your father, my dear. On top of being a half-elf, which is an affront to God in itself, he is a creature of dark magic, a thing of the Beast, and he must be destroyed.”

  “I won’t allow it.” Raygan surprised herself, coming to her feet and yelling at the lord justice.

  “You have no choice. If you don’t, you will be excommunicated and not recognized as the Queen of Bandara by any God-fearing nation or any person who upholds the laws of the Holy Tome. Does that thing mean that much to you?”

  Raygan sat down hard in her chair. She couldn’t betray the people who helped her win her throne back, but the Church could make things very hard for her. Bandara could slip from her fingers without the Holy Father’s support. Very few nations thrived without the pope’s blessing. “May I have a few days to think on it, Eminence?”

  “I will give you two days, no more.”

  The group of people seated at the table had not been together as a group since before the battle. K’xarr had asked them all to meet him at the inn so he could buy them a drink. The tiny inn was called the Oxen’s Tail. It wasn’t much, but the place was clean and the ale was cheap. “Why does the queen want us all to come to the palace?” Rufio asked.

  “I bet she wants to shower us in gold and women,” Cromwell said, smiling. “I’m sure many of the court ladies have heard of me. Most likely they asked the queen if they could meet the famed Toran bull, Cromwell Blood, hero of Turill.”

  “Why is it when you open your mouth, nothing but horse dung comes out?” K’xarr said with a look of irritation. The general poured more ale into Cromwell’s tankard and continued, “She didn’t say why, she just said bring everyone tonight.”

  “Even me?” Kian asked.

  “She told me to make sure and bring you and Endra.”

  Kian looked at the dark-haired woman. Endra shrugged and took another drink from her mug.

  “I would say she wants to publicly thank everyone for their service and their support in her time of need,” Rhys said, looking at the bandage on his leg. He had been moping since Talorn had been returned to the palace.

  Cromwell slammed his hand on the table, shaking everyone’s drinks. “Service and support? By Fane’s balls, what the hell is that? Half of us almost died getting the girl her marble chair, and that’s what we get, a handshake and a pat on the back?”

  “That’s not how I meant it. I’m sure the queen knows what was done for her and you will be properly rewarded,” Rhys said defensively.

  K’xarr leaned back in his chair. “I didn’t do any of this for her. I like the little queen as well as the next man, but that’s not why I took up her cause."

  The Camiran’s look became more somber. “Aside from Rhys and Rufio there, we all know what we are. Cursed outcasts destined to live in the shadows, never to achieve anything more than our own survival. I did it to prove that wasn’t true.”

  Cromwell looked down at K’xarr. “You told me long ago we had nothing to prove to anyone.”

  K’xarr looked around the table, catching the eye of everyone there. “I wasn’t trying to prove it to anyone. I wanted to prove it to myself and any like me. We are not cursed and what we do in this world will matter. Our lives will not just be chaff in the wind. I believe that we can be more than renegades and drifters—much, much more.”

  The group entered the palace. They were instructed by Ansellus to stand on the dais in front of the Phoenix Throne. Several nobles and their families were present, as well as Bishop Lyfair and Lord Justice Milara.

  The lord justice could not keep his eyes from drifting toward Endra. The woman noticed and glared at the priest.

  K’xarr smiled to himself. Endra would gut Milara, given half the chance. The woman had no love for the Church.

  Rhys hobbled up beside him, his hip wound still forcing the healer to use a crutch. Rufio and Cromwell were scanning the crowd just as he was. They acted as if they expected trouble, and truthfully so did he.

  The queen came in, wearing the crown K’xarr and Rhys had made for her. The young woman looked beautiful. She wore a golden dress accented with red, and it hugged Raygan’s body in all the right places. Even at sixteen, the queen gave off an air of nobility. When she wanted to, the girl could make anyone seem like they were unworthy of her attention.

  K’xarr stifled a chuckle. If these nobles really knew her, they would not be so in awe of her presence. He knew part of her mystique had been his doing. Proclaiming her as the Phoenix Queen had added to her bewitching appeal. He had to admit, though, the young queen knew how to use her womanly gifts. She had a flair for turning heads and wielding her sexuality like a sword. Her looks and charm were the girl’s only weapons, and K’xarr had to admit she was skilled with both.

  The queen slowly sat on the Phoenix Throne. She said nothing at first, giving everyone time to take in her captivating appearance. “I have called everyone here today because there have been too many lies and betrayals in Bandara. It is time everyone knows where they stand. Our kingdom will no longer be divided by greed and treachery. I will rule our land with justice and dignity, and I expect those under my rule to act accordingly.

  “The palace and gardens will be rebuilt, as well as the honor of my house. Bandara will be restored to its proper place in the world. I vow this before God and the throne of my father.”

  The crowd of nobles enthusiastically applauded their new monarch. Raygan spoke with a newfound tenacity. Her demeanor surprised K’xarr. He realized the little queen really meant what she was saying.

  Raygan leaned back in the marble throne, giving the appearance of relaxing. Then she held up her hand for silence. “Two days ago, I was told by Lord Justice Milara to have the warrior Kian Cardan arrested and turned over to the Church. The lord justice said the Church would oppose my right to rule Bandara and excommunicate me if I failed to honor his request.” Many of the nobles looked at each other, shocked by the statement. She paused and let what she said sink in to the crowd.

  K’xarr wondered what she was going to do. He knew Raygan loved her country beyond all else, with the exception of her son. He didn’t think she would risk opposition from the Church to save a half-breed. Milara had most likely scared the girl into handing Kian over to him. K’xarr put his hand on the hilt of his sword, he wasn’t going to let that happen without a fight.

  The queen stood. “I must respectfully say no to the lord justice. I know what the Church thinks of Kian and his kind, and I am aware of Church law, but I also know that he has risked his life to save Bandara and its queen. Kian Cardan is a friend to Bandara and a friend to me. I will never hand him over to you, Lord Justice Milara. Never.”

  K’xarr watched as Milara stepped forward to speak, but the queen raised her hand again. “None of your threats will change my mind. You may tell the Holy Father I‘m willing to accept whatever consequences he deems necessary for my refusal. Whatever I endure for this man will never repay the debt I owe him and those who stand on this dais with me now. They have given me my kingdom, my life, and the life of my son. That is a sum I can never repay.”

  She looked out over all those assembled. “I am a young queen and have many failings, but gratitude is not one of them. I honor the Church, Lord Justice, but I am queen in Bandara and I will not yield to threats from you or anyone else.” The throne room erupted with shouts of praise and applause. Many of the nobles might not have agreed with Raygan about Kian, but they seemed to admire her resolve.

  S
he had defied the Church and had done what she thought was right. K’xarr found he too was proud of the young girl. For the first time, he felt Raygan was worthy of his service. Tonight he did not stand before a frightened girl. He stood in the presence of the Phoenix Queen.

  The queen walked down the dais. “How did I do?” she whispered to Rhys as she passed. His huge grin was answer enough. Ansellus dismissed the court as the queen walked into her private study at the rear of the throne.

  Lord Justice Milara followed her. Kian watched the priest as he stomped across the throne room. The swordsman stepped down from the dais and discreetly fell in step behind him.

  Ansellus stood outside the queen’s door. It was easy to see the anger on the lord justice’s face. “I will see the queen now, step aside,” he commanded Ansellus.

  “She wishes to be alone just now, Lord Justice.”

  “I don’t care what she wants.” Milara pushed the old general out of the away and went inside.

  Raygan looked up from behind her father’s great desk as Ansellus was about to grab the priest from behind. “It’s alright, General Ansellus, I will see the lord justice.”

  The former general lowered his hands. “As you wish, Majesty.” Raygan looked small behind the big desk, but not afraid. Milara would not dare harm her here. The old general reluctantly closed the door behind him. As he turned, he saw Kian standing there. The half-elf put his finger up to his lips. Ansellus nodded that he understood. Both men stood silent and listened.

  She could see the priest was very displeased. The queen hadn’t expected the Eye of God to take her refusal graciously.

  “You, my little fool, have just ended your reign. When I return to Tyro, the Holy Father will excommunicate you and you will no longer rule by divine right or with the pope’s blessing. The countries that follow the teachings of the Church will stop trading with Bandara. You will have no friends in this world, my little queen. How long do you think you can last? You have no army and no gold, your kingdom will be gone in a year. Do you think Havalon was the only ambitious king in the world?”