The Coravian Conflict (Stavin DragonBlessed Book 5)

by Loren K. Jones

  Captain Zel’Corval had sent one of his lieutenants ahead as soon as the outskirts of the city were seen. “Tell the guards who we are and who we are escorting,” he ordered, and bowed slightly to acknowledge the lieutenant’s bow.

  No one challenged them at the city gates. There were no guards at all; In fact, the gates stood open, but not completely. They were both slightly away from the pillars, but uneven, as if whoever opened them had no pride in his city. The ride through the city itself was quiet as well, and the Coravian troops looked around nervously. Most of them drew their swords without being told to.

  The silence was unusual, and set Stavin’s nerves on edge. Riding close to the carriage, Stavin motioned Shari to the window. He whispered, “Something is very wrong, Shari. I didn’t expect a parade, but there aren’t even any gawkers on the street. I haven’t seen a hand of people since we entered the gates. Keep the kids away from the windows, and you too.”

  Shari gave him a long look, then withdrew into the carriage and closed the curtain. Stavin heard the hiss of metal on wood as Shari and the servants slid the safety shutters into place.

  As they drew near the palace they started seeing more people, but they vanished as quickly as they appeared. The great palace gates finally came into view and the cavalry split to allow the carriage through. The gates were closed, forming a barrier of ornate steel bars taller than three men.

  Stavin was impressed, despite having seen drawings and paintings of the gates. They stood taller than three men on one another’s shoulders, and gleamed gold in Arandar’s light. The Coravian Royal Crest was centered in the gates, above head height on everyone, even Karvik. The gates looked strong enough to stop an army, but the men guarding them looked like bandits as they stared through the bars.

  Karvik rode to the gates and said, “Open the gates for His Highness, Prince Stavin of Evandia.”

  The oldest of the guards looked at Karvik and spit through the bars. “We doesn’t take orders from the likes of you.”

  Captain Zel’Corval immediately rode to Karvik’s side. “Open the gates immediately,” he demanded.

  “We doesn’t take orders from you neither, soldier boy,” the man replied with a sneer.

  Captain Zel’Corval was left momentarily speechless. “Summon Lord General Zel’Nestal,” he demanded.

  Now all the guards chuckled. “Ain’t no such general anymore,” the man replied with a smile. “High Priest Zel’Draval judged him defective and condemned him.”

  Stavin dismounted, strode up to the gates and snapped, “Open these gates. Now.”

  Now the guard focused on Stavin. “No normal man could be your size. You must be defective as well.”

  “Open. These. Gates,” Stavin said once again. A growl that drew stares of alarm from Captain Zel’Corval and his men emanated from Stavin’s chest. Karvik just stepped back and grasped the hilt of his sword.

  The guard was staring at Stavin as he said, “Only on the orders of High Priest Zel’--”

  Stavin’s Dragon’s Tongue flashed in the sun, silencing the guard permanently as it darted between the bars and his ribs to split his heart. The other guards backed away, some shouting for help, others shouting bloody murder as they ran around in panic.

  Stavin looked at Captain Zel’Corval and said, “I believe that King Teravan is in danger, Captain.”

  The captain looked unsure, but bowed as he said, “I agree, Prince Stavin.”

  “Then I think you should ask for assistance from the Evandian Royal Guards in ensuring the king’s safety.”

  Captain Zel’Corval looked Stavin in the eye for a moment, then bowed deeply. “Prince Stavin, the Coravian Army requests the assistance of the Evandian Royal Guards in assuring the health and safety of King Teravan and the royal family.”

  Stavin bowed, then looked at Karvik and said, “Major?”

  Karvik bowed, then snapped, “Flying Geese!” and the Warriors formed up behind him while the Royal Guards readied themselves for battle. Karvik gestured toward the locked gate and said, “Prince Stavin, would you be so kind as to get the lock?”

  Stavin grinned again. The bolt of the lock was visible through the gap between the gates. His Dragon’s Tongue came up and back down in a flash as it sheared through the great steel lock as if it had been soft copper.

  Captain Zel’Corval led the charge, shouldering the right-hand gate aside as he ran, and behind him came one hundred and fifty fighters intent on finding the king and his family.

  Stavin watched them go, then motioned the carriage through the gates and had the driver park against the wall. The baggage and supply wagons pulled in next and the drivers parked around the carriage, forming a barrier.

  Stavin nodded in satisfaction when the drivers all drew weapons. When he turned back toward the carriage, Shari was beside it with her Dragon’s Tongue in her hands.

  “We’ll wait here for Karvik and Major Zel’Astel to clear the palace,” he said absently. His attention was focused on the shouts and screams coming from the palace.

  Shari nodded, then looked around. “How could they have taken the palace?” she asked, more to herself than Stavin.

  Stavin shook his head. “I don’t know. Probably by deceit. I can’t imagine the Palace or Royal Guard being taken honorably.”

  * * *

  Karvik and Major Zel’Astel led a ten-man party of Royal Guards into the palace. They heard and signs of violence as the guards and cavalry rampaged through the palace. The bodies of men wearing the robes of Lebawan’s Priesthood lay littered in the passageways like trash.

  Most of the doors into the offices and suites were open or locked from the inside, but one door caught their attention: it was locked from the outside.

  Karvik glanced at the major and received a nod, then drew back in the bolts. The door opened easily, and as one they raced inside with weapons drawn. What they found froze them in their tracks.

  A tall, dark-haired girl of no more than sixteen years of age stood in the center of the room, bare naked, but holding a heavy silver candlestick like a club. She shouted, “Stay away from me!” as she took a fighting stance.

  “My Lady, I am Major Warvin Zel’Astel of the Evandian Royal Guard,” the major said as he sheathed his sword. “We are here to render whatever assistance we can.”

  The girl’s expression changed from one of desperate defiance to one of forlorn hope. “You’re Royal Guardsmen?” she asked in a hushed tone as tears came to her eyes.

  “We are,” Karvik agreed softly, stepping forward and offering the girl his cloak. “Where are your clothes?”

  She replied, “That bastard Zel’Draval took them!” as she quickly wrapped herself in Karvik’s cloak. It was dragging on the ground. “He was inspecting me! Inspecting me to see if I was fit to be his queen!”

  Karvik looked at his men and said, “Find something for to wear,” and six of the men immediately left to do his bidding. It was just a few moments later that one young man returned with a deep blue robe.

  Karvik motioned him forward and watched as he approached the girl, then went to one knee with his head bowed a pace from her. “M’Lady, I think this will fit you,” as he blindly held out the robe.

  “What is your name?” she asked as she took the robe and hastily put it on under Karvik’s cloak.

  He replied, “I am Vardin Eraldan Fordin Zel’Freedan, lady,” without looking up.

  “I thank you, Vardin Zel’Freedan,” she said as her back stiffened. She looked down at him and a trembling smile curved her lips. “I am Crown Princess Presumptive Ellissan Glorana Betina Zel’Darvin, Heir-Apparent of Coravia.”

  Vardin came to his feet and took a step back, then bowed as deeply as he could. Behind him, every member of the group was similarly bowing.

  Karvik shared a look with Major Zel’Astel and said, “We have to get her out of here.” The major simply nodded in reply.

  * * *

  It took a long time for Karvik to return to the gates. He deliver
ed the princess to the Royal Guardswomen, then went to Stavin. “We found the princess, but not the king, queen, or prince.” He glanced over his shoulder to where the guardswomen were gathered around the girl. “She doesn’t know where her family is.”

  Stavin nodded and turned to walk over to the women. The princess was a girl in her middle teens, and was dressed in a brilliant blue robe. “Princess Ellissan, I am Prince Stavin,” he said, then bowed deeply.

  “Prince Stavin, you’ve got to find my father. Mom and Cal, too. That filthy piece of shit took them somewhere.” She paused and looked terribly sad for a moment, then whispered, “He said they were dead.”

  Stavin bowed slightly. She’s going to get along with Shari just fine. “We will find them, Princess Ellissan. For now, I think you would be safer with my family.” He held out his hand to usher her to the carriage.

  Princess Ellissan looked where Stavin was pointing, then walked over to the carriage. She returned Shari’s bow, then glanced at Stavin.

  Stavin smiled, then said, “Princess Ellissan Zel’Darvin, may I present my wife, Princess Sharindis Ne’Aniston Zel’Andral.” Princess Ellissan looked at the Dragon’s Tongue in Shari’s hands, then looked back toward Stavin. Stavin grinned as he explained. “The women of Kel’Kavin are trained to protect their children.”

  Shari nodded, then spoke to Stavin. “We’ll keep the guardswomen out here with us. You go find King Teravan and the rest of the royal family.”

  Stavin bowed, then turned away. Master Sergeant Zel’Halvis started giving orders as Karvik joined Stavin.

  “How much of the palace have you searched?” Stavin asked.

  “The search is still going on. We brought the princess out as soon as we found her. Stave,” Karvik said softly as he put his hand on his friend’s shoulder, “she was being held in the nude. We had to scrounge that robe.”

  “Why?”

  Karvik was silent for a moment, then whispered, “She said Zel’Draval was ‘inspecting’ her for flaws.”

  Stavin made an unpleasant sound, but it was one Karvik was long accustomed to. Ever since he’d used the Sword of Zel’Hallan at Skykon, Stavin had growled like that when he was truly angry.

  The palace was all but deserted, except for the bodies of men wearing robes emblazoned with the Cutter’s shears. Stavin and Karvik had crossed half the palace before they were confronted.

  A man in the blue robes of a Priest Inquisitor came around a corner, stopping in his tracks when he saw Stavin. His arm came up and he pointed a finger at Stavin as he shouted, “I know you, Stavin Zel’Andral! Kneel before me and be judged!” Stavin just kept walking. “Kneel before Lebawan’s Anointed!” he shouted again.

  Karvik punched the priest in the face with an armored fist, felling him like a spiked ox. Stavin looked a question at Karvik and received a shrug in reply.

  “He was annoying.”

  Stavin’s expression went through several transformations before he settled on amused. “Anybody got a bucket of water?” he asked as he looked at the ten guardsmen around him.

  There were no buckets, but one of the guardsmen found a pitcher in a nearby room. Stavin nodded and said, “Wake that fool up.”

  The priest sputtered back to consciousness. “I condemn you!” he shouted when he saw Karvik. “I condemn you all!”

  Stavin looked at him and said, “Shut your fool mouth, Priest. Where is King Teravan?”

  “The royal family is defective!” the priest said loudly. “High Priest Zel’Draval found the boy defective and condemned the parents, then took Coravia for Lebawan. King Karvar Zel’Draval rules Coravia now.” He was shouting by the time he finished, but no one was impressed.

  Stavin exchanged a look with Karvik and tilted his head to the side. Karvik nodded and pulled the priest from the floor with no apparent effort. He threw the fool against a wall, and another of the Warriors caught him as he bounced off and threw him against the opposite wall. The game continued that way until the fool couldn’t stay on his feet.

  Stavin asked again. “Where is King Teravan? Where is Queen Rowena? Where is Prince Caldan?”

  The priest sputtered, “Dungeons. Under the palace.”

  Stavin looked at his guardsmen and said, “Bring him.” He looked at the priest and said, “How do we get down there?”

  “Only the highest of the priesthood have access.”

  “Where is the door?” Stavin demanded as he growled.

  The priest pointed, and Stavin led the way. The door was obvious once they reached it: it had a huge bolt at the top, middle, and bottom of the door, and a large iron lock on the middle bolt.

  “You’ll never break that lock,” the priest sputtered.

  Stavin just looked at him for an instant, then struck with his Dragon’s Tongue to cut all three bolts, and kicked the door open. Without a word, he headed down the stairs, grabbing a torch in his left hand as he passed.

  The stairs led a long way down under the palace. A guard stood and faced them, then died where he stood when Stavin drove his Dragon’s Tongue through his heart.

  Stavin looked at his guardsmen and said, “Find the royal family.”

  The guardsmen spread out, opening doors and checking the people inside. One of the guardsmen shouted, “This one’s locked,” and Stavin quickly went and cut the lock, then withdrew the bolt and kicked the cell door open.

  The man inside sat up, holding his hands up to ward off the light, and perhaps a feared attack. Stavin asked, “Who are you?” in a gentle tone.

  “Nobody, Lord” the man answered in a trembling voice. “I am nobody.” He was shrinking away from Stavin like an abused child.

  Stavin stepped forward and went to one knee. “What is your name?” he asked in a soft, reassuring tone usually reserved for frightened children.

  “Teravan, Lord,” the man answered in a trembling voice, then flinched away from an expected blow.

  “King Teravan, I am Prince Stavin of Evandia.”

  The king looked up into Stavin’s eyes at last and asked, “You came anyway?” in a hoarse whisper.

  Stavin nodded. “We didn’t know what had happened until we got here. We’ve retaken the palace, King Teravan.”

  “The mage--” the king began, but was interrupted by a fit of coughing.

  Stavin looked up at Karvik. Karvik nodded, then backed away. “King Teravan, we need to get you out of here. We’re searching for your wife and son, but your daughter is outside with my wife and children.”

  “Cal is dead,” the king whispered. “They told me he was defective, and they--” the king broke down, sobbing as he finally stammered, “they made me watch while they stoned him.” The king broke down in tears, and Stavin knelt to rub his back gently. There was nothing else he could do or say.

  Karvik walked in and stopped behind Stavin. He said, “We found another locked door,” in a soft voice.

  Stavin handed his Dragon’s Tongue over, but didn’t stand. “Bring them here.”

  It was just a few moments before Karvik returned. “Stave,” he whispered in a hoarse voice, “it’s bad.”

  Stavin looked up and saw just how shaken Karvik was. Standing, he went out of the king’s cell and touched his friend’s arm. Karvik was trembling. “How bad?” he asked, unable to imagine what could do this to a Warrior like Kar.

  “They tortured her to death, Stave,” he whispered. “I don’t know who she was, but--Gods Below, Stave, I’ve never seen anything like what they did to her.” Karvik was shaking his head as the memory of what he’d seen blinded him with tears.

  Stavin took a deep breath and growled, “Show me.” Karvik nodded and led the way. He stopped at the door, but wouldn’t even look inside.

  The woman on the bed had been dead for several days. She was nude and still tied down, and her face was contorted as if she’d died in agony. Stavin stepped back when he realized that her breasts had been cut off, and the damage to her stomach made Stavin retch. It looked like a sword had been--


  Stavin stumbled out of the cell, vomiting against the wall. “Close it,” he croaked. “Keep searching. Gods Above and Below, I hope that wasn’t Queen Rowena.”

  Karvik nodded and turned to continue the search while Stavin returned to the king.

  “Was it Rowena?” the king asked.

  “I don’t know, Your Majesty. I’ve never met her, so I couldn’t tell.”

  “They said she had to be punished for bringing a defective into Lebawan’s realm.”

  Stavin backed away, then looked around. The priest was crouched against the wall under the baleful glare of two guardsmen. Stavin walked over and kicked him in the stomach before demanding, “Was that Queen Rowena?” as he pointed at the cell.

  “Sh-She had to be punished. She brought a defective into the royal line.”

  Stavin stepped back and brought his Dragon’s Tongue to bear, but had second thoughts. He growled as he said, “Don’t let him go anywhere,” then turned away.

  Stavin walked back to the cell that held the pitiful remains of Coravia’s queen and took a deep breath to steel himself for the ordeal ahead. He said, “I need a hand in here.” Major Zel’Astel and four of their senior men immediately came forward. “Find a blanket or something,” he whispered, then pushed the door open.

  Stavin cut the ropes that bound her to the bed, then took on the grim task of wrapping the queen’s body himself. He finally looked at the captain and whispered, “Take the queen out of here, and don’t let the king see what was done to her.”

  Stavin took a moment to catch his breath and fight down his nausea, then shouted, “Bring that piece of shit in here!”

  The guardsmen carried the struggling priest to the cell, and Stavin commanded, “Strip him, then tie him where the queen died--face down.”

  The Warriors threw the priest against the wall to knock the fight out of him, ripped his robes off, then slammed him face-first into the soggy straw where the queen had been murdered, and bound his arms and legs as she had been bound.

  The priest struggled to keep his head up, but Stavin shoved his face down into the soggy straw. “This is where you’ll die, priest,” he growled. “No one is going to come down here for you. And when we find your high priest, I’ll put him in here with you.” Stavin’s smile was evil as he looked the priest in the eye. “I wonder how long he’ll last before he starts eating you raw?”