by Frank David
“We agreed to never speak of last night or the child. I agreed to never mention that I am the child’s father. Why does she still want to see me dead?” Harris was confused. He concentrated, he felt himself becoming warm. No, not warm but hot. He placed his hand over his face, he could feel the wounds burning with his touch.
“You are her weakness. You know her secrets. You are a liability. A true warrior removes that which can bring him defeat. Be careful when you face her. She will use her powers against you,” the voice tapered off.
Harris returned to the other competitors who were gathered around the sword ring. He heard the screaming coming from the stands. He rushed to the front, fearing something had happened to Felicia. He found her standing over a man lying on the ground. He saw it. She was holding the man’s severed arm. The crier approached her and announced her the winner. The cheers were deafening. Most of those seated in front of the other rings had moved to get a better view of the young man from Raamsfeld as he bested his opponents. Felicia was making the games more violent than was typical. Harris had never seen the events resulting in lost limbs, or worse. She turned and saw him staring at her. She pointed the removed limb in his direction and smiled. Her face was stained with the dirt, but now blood was added.
The crier made the announcement, “The final match of the day will be for the victor of the swords. Marcus Samms of Raamsfeld,” Felicia entered the ring to the cheers of the crowd, “versus Harris Morrison of Raamsfeld.” Harris entered the ring, watching Felicia. She just stood there with a blood stained face. Her face no longer appeared soft and feminine. No, it was now darker, hardened. Her light eyes appeared almost white against the blood surrounding them. She smiled as he approached.
“I am sorry, Harris, but when this is over, you will see the face of God.” She raised her sword. The crowd responded with screams and claps.
“Do not do this. I do not want to hurt you,” he pleaded.
“Do you think you can stop me? I have defeated everyone that has come before me, with little effort. I even stopped that monster from killing you. Face it, today you will die. Our shame will die with you.” Felicia looked possessed.
She raised her sword and charged toward him. He met her sword in mid-air. She fell back. Point for Harris. She leapt to her feet. She screamed as she charged him again. He was unable to lift his sword. She was going to strike him down. He had to stop her without hurting her. He moved to the side as she reached him. “Stop this!” he yelled.
She quickly turned and charged him again. “I do not want to hurt you,” he called out to her. The crowd booed him, hearing his words. He could not move his feet. He closed his eyes. He felt his temperature rising. He opened them to see Felicia stopped. The heat was radiating from him, and she was unable to come closer. Her face was wrecked in anger. She screamed as she moved forward. She watched as the sword in his hand began to melt. The heat from his body was moving out toward the crowds. People were running from the heat. Screams filled the stands. She raised her sword. She brought it down quickly toward his body. As the blade entered the heat, she saw it begin to bend. The heat traveled down the shaft, and soon the handle was too hot for Felicia to hold. She dropped it to the ground.
“Enough,” Stela yelled. The crowds silenced. The two looked at her. “It would seem we have special competitors here today. I do not think either will win this competition. Let us call it a tie. Come forward both of you,” he commanded.
Harris looked at Felicia. She stared at him as if she still desired his death. The two approached Stela.
“Harris Morrison, you won your matches fairly and have earned a position on the Imperial Guard, but I believe we need to discuss what happened in the most recent fight.” Stela stood and came down from her seat to approach the two. Two of her guards stood in front of her, between her and the victors.
“You are a Magister?” she asked.
“I suppose I am. The Master Scientia spoke with me just last evening and informed me of the power that lives inside of me,” Harris responded. He was not sure if he was in trouble. Would she order his death?
“I see. Interesting,” she said turning her attention to his opponent.
“Marcus, are you also a Magister?” she asked.
“First, Imperial Majesty, I must confess. My name is not Marcus Samms. I am Felicia Lester, daughter of Imperial Grand Archduke, Frederick Lester,” she looked at her parents as she made the confession.
“Felicia!” Elizabeth said.
Stela turned to Frederick, “Is this true? Is this your daughter, Frederick?”
“I believe so, Majesty. She left several days ago without a word,” Frederick responded. His face was red with embarrassment.
“So, are you a Magister?” Stela asked again.
“I am Majesty. The Master Scientia informed me just before the games began. I was not aware of these powers before the games.” Felicia looked unfazed by the admission.
“What is your power, Felicia?” Stela pushed on.
“I can control others.”
“You controlled your opponents to stop them from attacking you? Do you not consider that cheating?” Stela pressed her.
“No, Majesty, I do not consider it cheating. Whether a sword or power, victory is victory,” her face was blank. “Victory lies in finding your opponents weakness or relying on your own strengths. I relied on my power as my strength and not my sword.”
“I cannot disagree with you. We use what we can to be victorious. I sense a hatred in you toward your opponent. Will this cause an issue if you both serve me?” Stela wanted to know if the fighting would continue if they were both Imperial Guards.
“I promise I will not use my powers against him. I can only hope he falls quickly in battle,” Felicia responded.
“Majesty, I have no ill will toward, her Imperial Highness. I will train and fight beside her, even if she would see me dead,” Harris responded to both women.
“You both have a place in the guard, but I will not allow the use of your powers against each other or the other guards. Is that understood?” Stela was firm in her orders.
“As you wish,” they responded in unison.
“The games have ended. Welcome our newest Imperial Guards,” the crowd’s cheers were now less enthusiastic having learned of the powers both possessed.
“I have received word of important business that will force me to leave the palace immediately. My sister, the Imperial Princess Royal Sofia will be your hostess for the remainder of the celebration. Please enjoy yourselves,” Stela made the announcement as Roderick and Jordan came to meet her.
As Roderick approached Stela, a large ice wall appeared behind him. He turned quickly hearing the noise. An arrow embedded in the ice. He looked around. “Get the Empress inside the castle,” Roderick ordered.
Jordan escorted Stela to safety along with some guards. Those in attendance began to run in all directions. Felicia retrieved her sword. Harris was next to her, armed and ready.
“We need to remain calm,” Roderick called out to the guests. “We need to stay together for protection.” The crowd stopped running and began gathering in the middle of the courtyard.
Daniella joined Roderick. “What do you think is happening, Roderick?”
“I do not know, Duchess. Please stay close, we may need your help if we cannot find the attacker,” Roderick commanded.
“Of course. Do you think the Empress is safe? Perhaps I should go to her?” Daniella began toward the castle.
“No, stay here. She is safe within the palace. The attack came from outside.” Roderick wanted as few people around his sister as possible.
Sofia rushed down to join Roderick. “Where did the arrow come from, Roderick?”
“I do not know but stay here, get behind me.” Roderick pushed Sofia behind him.
“Use your power, my dear. You can hear him and his plans,” Braynard was beside her. “Concentrate on the voices.”
Sofia cleared her mind and focuse
d, sorting through the voices. ‘I failed. The Imperial Prince Royal will have my head. She got away. I need to take someone’s life for the Emperor Consort.’ The voice was clear.
“He is here on behalf of Edmund, tasked with killing Stela,” she informed the Magister. “Now he just wants to kill someone, anyone.”
“Good, Sofia,” Braynard commended her.
Suddenly the courtyard became cold. The sound was deafening as the outer walls of the palace were surrounded by a thick dome of ice. There was no escape. They had to find the man before he found Stela.
“Roderick, are you okay?” the voice called out. Roderick turned to see Antonio approaching.
“Grandfather, what are you doing here? Hurry before the man strikes you down.” Roderick called out to the old man.
“His arrows are not faster than me. I think that is quite obvious,” the Benedictus pointed to the sheet of ice in front of Roderick.
“You did that?”
“He did, Roderick,” Braynard answered. “He also trapped the would be assassin within the walls of the palace. We just need Sofia to point him out now.”
“Yes, Roderick, I am a Magister. Braynard showed me what was going to happen at the celebration, so I needed to come. He saw you dying, the arrow had reached its mark, and I could not allow that to happen.” He hugged Roderick.
“I need you to focus, Sofia. I need you to tell us where the voice is coming from,” Antonio instructed her. “Let the voice lead us to him.”
“What is going on?” Charity joined them.
“I need you to go protect Stela, Charity,” Braynard ordered. “She is alone with only guards. She will need your powers to keep her safe.”
“Of course. Where is she?” Charity asked.
“They took her to her salon,” Sofia responded. “I can hear her thoughts. She is worried about our safety. Let her know we are all fine. Keep her safe.”
Charity rushed off, heading to the palace. She sensed it. She turned as an arrow was headed toward her. She raised her hand, and the arrow met a fire ball. A shower of arrows followed, each met a similar fate. She reached the doors of the palace but they were locked.
“Let me in! The Imperial Princess Royal, Sofia sent me to protect the Empress,” she called out.
“Sorry, Imperial Highness, we cannot allow anyone in under orders of the Empress,” the guard responded through the door.
“Let me in, I have to protect her. You will not be enough.”
No response. She continued to ward off the arrows, which were now coming from multiple directions.
“I demand you open this door now or I will be forced to take it down,” she gave them one last chance.
The guards on the other side remained silent. She focused. The air around her became heavy and the heat increased. The pressure around the doors grew until they were blown open. The heat rushed into the palace as Charity entered. The guards attempted to stop her, but the air around her had become too hot for them to do anything. She rushed to the salon.
She found Stela and Jordan inside. Jordan raised his sword as she entered. She focused the heat on his blade and he quickly dropped it. “I am here to protect Stela,” she said.
“What is going on out there, Charity?” Stela asked. “Was anyone hurt?”
“It seems the palace is under attack. Sofia claims they are here on Edmund’s behalf. You have to remain here until the assassins are found.” Charity approached Stela. “Everyone is fine.”
“I am sure they are gone by now,” Stela stood to leave.
“No. The Benedictus surrounded the palace in ice. They will have no escape. Sofia is trying to find them. It seems Sofia has gifts as well,” Charity answered.
“I do not know what is going on. The Benedictus too? It seems everyone has some sort of power.” Stela paced the room. She wanted to be out there, not stuck in this room.
****
Astrid joined Roderick and Sofia. “I picked a bad time to visit. Do you know where the arrows are coming from?” Kyle stayed close to Astrid. “Master Scientia, I see now why you wanted me here,” she said, turning to face Braynard.
“Yes, I knew you would be of assistance, Astrid,” Braynard responded.
“It seems there is more than one assassin,” Sofia offered. She was hearing several voices talking about their failure.
Astrid’s eyes fixated on the towers around the palace. Within moments several ravens emerged. They started to circle the palace perimeter.
“There is one up on the north tower,” Astrid advised.
“I see him,” Felicia said. She concentrated on the figure in the tower. ‘Jump,’ she thought focusing on the man cowering behind the stone.
They watched as the man jumped from the tower, hitting the stone below.
“One down,” Felicia laughed.
“There are three along the roofs of the barracks,” Astrid added.
“I got this,” Harris said. He moved from in front of the stands for a clear view. He could see two of them. He turned his hands, palms up as two flames formed, growing in size. An arrow was headed in his direction, he was focused on his hands. A sword had met the arrow before it hit its mark. He turned to see Felicia, her blade inches from his face. He released the flames. The two men on the roof fell to the ground in flames.
The Benedictus quickly encased the third in ice, eliminating the threat.
‘I will not fail him. I may not make it out alive, but I will have served my love well.’ Sofia heard the voice. ‘I had not planned on killing Duchess Emery, but she leaves me no choice,’ the voice continued. “There is one in the palace,” Sofia yelled. “He is with Stela. She and Charity are in danger.”
“Who is he?” Felicia asked.
“I do not know, I cannot tell.” Sofia panicked.
“I have this,” Astrid looked up. The ravens quickly dipped in the sky and entered the doors of the palace. The birds flew to the Salon, hovering just outside. “It is only Stela, Charity, and Stela’s guard in the room.”
“It is Jordan. He is working with Edmund,” Sofia screamed.
Nineteen
“Charity I wish you had just stayed outside with the others. I was fine in here alone with the Empress,” Jordan approached her. “But since you decided to join us, I have no other choice.” He closed the door. He turned and pulled the blade from his waistband and plunged it into Charity’s back. She fell to the floor. Stela screamed.
“What are you doing Jordan?” Stela asked, running for the door. He grabbed her.
“It should have only been you that died here today, but now you have forced me to kill you both.” He pushed her back into the chair. “You did not know your husband at all, did you, Empress? You were not the only one Edmund desired, but you were the only one to consistently deny him. Edmund was my lover many years ago, Empress. Our love had been discovered and he refused me. When he realized how easy it would be to kill his brother and take his throne, he reached out to me. We talked of ruling the two realms together. The events of the masquerade party changed all of our plans. We had planned on killing you in your sleep, but the messenger from Xasha arrived too soon. We had not planned on him arriving so quickly. I was not happy when he decided to run away with your sister, but I understood. He promised me he would return and I would take my place by his side.” Jordan forced Stela back into her seat.
Stela looked at Charity, who laid bleeding on the floor. Her eyes were open, giving Stela hope.
“You trust too freely, Empress. In a position such as yours, which by the way should be held by a man, you have to suspect everyone around you. Your unconditional trust made it easy for me to arrange this little celebration for you. Though I must admit, I did not expect the witches.” He laughed as he pulled her hair, exposing her neck. He placed the blade against her throat. “I am sorry it had to end this way. When the others come, they will find me bloody. I will explain how Charity tried to kill you, and I had to kill her, but in the fight, she cut your throat. Not wishi
ng to use her powers as it would then be obvious she was the mastermind of the assassination attempt.”
****
“He has Stela,” Astrid informed those gathered.
“Someone needs to get in there and save Stela and Charity,” Roderick shouted.
“No one needs to be in there,” Felicia responded. “I will handle this.”
“Charity has been stabbed. We need to get in there.” Sofia added. She could hear Charity asking for help. Her voice was weakening. “Braynard, can you not help her? You are the Master Scientia!” Sofia screamed at the man, who had already vanished.
The ravens emerged from the doors of the palace. They took to the skies again. “There is another in the other tower. This one is mine,” Astrid announced.
The ravens swooped down on the tower. They could hear the screams. Astrid watched as her pets attacked the would be assassin. Their talons ripping his flesh. Their beaks poking at his eyes. As he tried to escape their attack, he lost his footing and fell over the side of the tower and met his fate on the stone below.
****
“You are not going to survive,” the voice whispered in his ear. “You have let your lover down. Stela will live, as will the others. You failed Edmund. Put the knife down.”
“Who is there?” Jordan called out. The room was empty except for Stela and Charity.
“I am the one who will seal your fate unless you put the blade down,” the voice whispered again.
“She will die. If I am to join her, then I will do so proudly. Women are too weak to rule. They are too trusting. She has brought this upon herself,” Jordan yelled out.
“You leave me no choice,” the voice said. The room was filled with a bright light. Stela closed her eyes, shielding herself from the intensity.
“Look upon me,” the voice filled the room.
Jordan looked into the light. The blade fell from his hand. He fell to his knees, his eyes filled with tears. “I am sorry, Empress!” He screamed as his body burst into flames.
