When she and Ashinji finally fell into their bed, they held each other for awhile, taking comfort in simple closeness. Eventually, Ashinji moved to rest his head on Jelena’s belly, as if by doing so, he could somehow cross the divide that, by nature and necessity, now separated him from his unborn child. Jelena stroked his hair with one hand and wiped away her tears with the other.
By mutual, unspoken agreement, they remained silent about Sadaiyo’s outburst and Sen’s agonized confession. Jelena understood that things were too raw now. There would be plenty of time later to sort things out.
After a time, they both drifted to sleep.
~~~
Emerging from a tangle of disturbing dreams, Jelena sat up in bed, a vague sense of alarm jangling her nerves. She glanced over at Ashinji, who lay on his side, face slack. Too unsettled to remain in bed, Jelena finally gave up and slipped from beneath the covers, moving carefully so as to not wake her husband. She threw on her robe and went to sit in the window seat, pushing open the shutters so she could look out.
Thousands of stars glittered overhead in a clear, black sky. The moon had not yet risen-the bulk of the castle lay in darkness below, like a slumbering dragon. She leaned out over the sill and inhaled deeply of the cool air.
A tiny whisper of sound, like the soft chime of a bell, caused her to start. She peered into the darkness below, trying to pierce the veil of shadow that obscured the source of the mysterious noise.
A ghostly, bluish light flickered to life and revealed the dim outlines of a figure standing in the yard directly below the window. As Jelena watched with growing unease, the light waxed stronger, resolving itself into a perfect sphere that floated just above the head of a woman with fiery red hair.
Sonoe stood looking upward, right into Jelena’s eyes.
Jelena hissed in surprise and fell back from the window, nearly tripping over the hem of her robe. Trembling with reaction, she crouched on the floor beneath the sill, her thoughts racing.
What is my father’s Companion doing here at this time of night?
The beautiful mage’s eyes had looked like two black stones set in alabaster. Jelena felt a sudden wave of fear, like the cold exhalation from a freshly opened tomb.
This makes no sense! Sonoe is a Kirian, and if not a friend, then at least an ally!
Profoundly disturbed, Jelena scurried for the safety of the bed and Ashinji’s comforting presence. She climbed in, pressed herself against him, then lay unmoving for the rest of the night.
Chapter 12
Ascension Day
"This hikui girl, your Majesty. You are certain she is yours?” Lady Odata of Tono asked, disbelief coloring her voice.
“Yes, quite certain, my lady,” the king replied, clearly irritated by the implication. “The White Griffin confirmed it. You know as well as I that it only reacts when one of the true blood of Onjara touches it. I’d be happy to demonstrate to all of you!” He pounded his fist on the polished oak of the council table in frustration.
“Easy, Brother,” Raidan soothed. “Your lords only want assurances that this isn’t some sort of deception. You can’t blame them for that.”
“No…no, I can’t. You are right,” Keizo admitted. He sighed and unclenched his hands, laying them flat on the table. “My apologies, my lords and ladies.”
Raidan observed his brother over steepled fingers. They had spent most of last night arguing over how best to handle this situation. Raidan had urged caution, recommending that Keizo present the girl to the Council, but hold off on any public proclamations to legitimize her. Keizo would have his hands full just dealing with the shock and dismay of his advisors. He didn’t need a public outcry to add to his troubles.
In the end, though, Keizo remained resolute. The Council and the elven people would know about his daughter, and, in time, come to accept his decision-or so he believed.
Now, faced with the full wrath of his lords, Keizo remained in control, handling the situation well enough, considering.
Several of the lords shouted simultaneously, but one voice in particular-Morio of Ayame’s-rang out above the others. “Your Majesty, where is this leading? You have no child of your blood, save this girl…this hikui girl. If you legitimize her, then you are as good as declaring that you plan to name her your Heir!”
“That I cannot do, my lord of Ayame. It is against our law,” the king replied, tight-lipped.
“How do we know you won’t suspend the law?” Lord Morio continued. “With respect, Majesty, if you try, there are many of us who will oppose you! The elven people will never accept a hikui as their ruler!” Many voices cried out in agreement, adding to the general cacophony.
Sen Sakehera, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. “My lords and ladies, I pray you, shut up !” he roared. All shouting ceased and every eye fixed upon the King’s Commanding General. “That’s better,” he said. “Now that I can hear myself, I’d like to get in my few humble words, with your permission, Majesty.” The king waved his hand in consent.
“It was I who brought Jelena here to Sendai. My son Ashinji found her along our southern border, fleeing from bandits. If he hadn’t come along, she’d be dead, and so would I, because some months later, Jelena saved my life. I owed it to her to try to help her find her elven kin.” He glanced at the king, who sat very still, face impassive.
“I’ve come to care for this girl very much, and so has my son. I know her mind, far better than even her own father does,” Keizo’s mouth twitched at this, but he otherwise showed no reaction. “and I know that she has absolutely no desire to be anything other than my son’s wife.”
Lord Sen turned to regard Raidan. “Your Highness, Jelena is no threat to you, even if the king claims her publicly.”
Raidan heard the unspoken message in Sen’s softly spoken final words and saw the promise in his eyes. You’d go to war against me to protect this girl! he thought . We’d both better pray to the One that it never comes to that, for then I’d have to destroy you, my friend!
The Lord of Kerala sat down and glanced around the table at his fellow advisors. A heavy silence, full of consternation and confusion, blanketed the room. The air hummed with energy, the result of fourteen individual Talents amplified by proximity and stress.
The whole situation threatened to give Raidan a vicious headache. He rubbed at his temples. “Brother, why don’t you send for Jelena now? I think it’s time that your Council meet your daughter and see for themselves just what she’s like.”
“I’ll go and get her myself,” Keizo murmured.
The king stood and exited the room. He returned a moment later with Jelena on his arm. “My lords and ladies, I present to you my daughter…Jelena.”
Raidan’s eyebrows lifted in surprise at the transformation his niece had undergone. The girl wore a splendid, multi-layered court gown, an ornate silver headdress resting on her tamed locks.
By the One, she’s really quite pretty, he thought, and if she weren’t a bastard Onjara, and already married, she’d have no trouble finding a place as a concubine to some minor lord or court official.
Jelena held her head high, but Raidan sensed her nervousness; to her credit, she masked it well.
“My lords and ladies, I thank you for receiving me,” the girl addressed the Council in excellent, though heavily accented, Siri-dar. “Please allow me to sit and answer any questions you may have for me.”
Well said, girl, Raidan thought.
The king snapped his fingers and a servant came forward with a chair, which he placed next to the king’s. Keizo waited while his daughter sat with admirable grace and adjusted her skirts, then folded her hands demurely on her lap.
Keizo resumed his seat and held up his hand before anyone could speak. “Before you question my daughter, I have an announcement to make. There will be an official ceremony of legitimization for her in two days time. I will then present her to the people.” The king calmly gazed at his advisors, daring them to challenge him.
“Tell us about yourself, child,” Lady Odata spoke up first, breaking the tense silence.
“I was raised in the house of my mother’s brother, Duke Teodorus of Amsara,” Jelena began, her voice quiet but steady. “My mother bore me in disgrace, disowned by her own family because she confessed to the crime of lying with an elven man. She died giving birth to me, so I never knew her, except through the stories told to me by my foster mother.”
Jelena went on to tell her tale of growing up outcast among the humans of Amsara, ignored or openly despised by most of them; her foster mother and human cousin became her only sources of love and emotional support.
“I lived and worked as a kitchen servant for most of my life. I never dreamed anything else was possible for me, so I made the best of it.
It wasn’t all bad, though. My cousin Magnes taught me to read and write, to ride a horse and shoot a bow. He even taught me a little about swordplay and how to defend myself with a knife.”
“Why did you run away, then?” Lord Morio asked, his voice sharp.
“My uncle, the duke, was preparing to sell me as a concubine to another lord. I could live as a servant, but I would not be made a slave. So…I left.”
Many of the lords stirred uneasily.
Struck a sensitive spot, has she, Raidan thought . How many of you keep hikui concubines to warm your beds, eh?
“My cousin came with me to protect me. We ran into a gang of bandits on the border between Amsara and Kerala. My husband…I mean, my future husband-Captain Ashinji Sakehera-rescued my cousin and me, but I got badly hurt. Captain Sakehera took us both back to Kerala where I received treatment for my wounds. Even before I had fully recovered, Lord Sen offered me a place in his service as a messenger. I accepted and worked to make a good life for myself in Kerala. I had friends, decent work, and most important of all, I had my freedom.”
“What became of your human cousin?” old Lady Saizura asked in a thin, reedy voice. She wore an antique gown and an outlandishly tall headdress, which, coupled with her extreme age, made her look like a character out of a historical play.
“He decided it was best that he return home to Amsara. I have had no news of him since.”
Lady Saizura snorted. “No doubt he has given his father a complete description of your castle and its defenses, Sakehera. I’d be concerned, if I were you!”
Jelena’s eyes flashed with anger. “My cousin is an honorable man! He would never betray anyone he considered a friend, not even if his own father asked him to. If Duke Teodorus attacks Kerala, it won’t be because of anything Magnes told him!” Jelena glared at the old noblewoman defiantly.
“Hee hee! The girl has spirit, Majesty! I’ll give her that much,” Saizura cackled. “Pity she is not okui.”
“She is our king’s daughter, Lady Saizura, and my daughter-in-law! That should make her good enough to meet even your standards!” Sen growled.
“Peace, Lord Sen…my lady!” the king intervened.
Raidan studied his niece’s face. Her lower lip trembled a little, and her eyebrows drew downward at their inner corners. She surreptitiously rubbed her belly, as if in pain. Despite her apprehension, she was managing to maintain her composure. Raidan doubted that his own son Raidu could do as well.
“Fathers,” Jelena continued, emphasizing the plural and looking at Keizo and Lord Sen in turn, “And my lords and ladies. I know what I am, and what I’m not. Many of you are not comfortable with my presence, and probably wish that I’d never found my way here, but I did. I’ve no desire to overturn any laws that are fair , nor do I wish to take away something that is not mine. All I want is to know my father, and my family history, and to learn the history of the elven people.” She fell silent.
“Well spoken, Niece,” Raidan said. He scanned the faces of the others, and saw cautious acceptance on a few, but most looked decidedly non-committal. He had expected as much. If it came down to a battle of wills with his brother, then he could count on the necessary support of the majority of the Council.
It seems that my niece will be no real threat after all.
~~~
“She held up well. Even I felt a twinge of pride,” Raidan admitted. “She seemed a little pale, though, and she kept pressing her hand to her belly.” He sat for awhile in silence and watched Taya at her little writing desk as she jotted down notes in a small book bound in scaly red leather.
Raidan didn’t inquire about the nature of her work. He assumed it to be magical, and he preferred to stay out of all business pertaining to the sorcerous arts.
Taya sighed and put down her pen. She closed the little book with a snap and laid it aside. “The girl is pregnant. Amara Sakehera told me this morning,” she said.
“Will this complicate things?” Raidan asked.
Taya shook her head. “No…not really, though Amara will no doubt wish to delay the Sundering until after the child is born.” She paused, then added, “It would be the compassionate thing to do, but I’m not sure we’ll have that luxury. Of course, as Mistress of the Kirian Society, I will have the final word on when the ritual will be performed. Amara must abide by my decision.”
Taya rose from her chair and came to sit beside Raidan, who slid over to make room for her upon the small couch. The scent of jasmine, inextricably linked to all Raidan’s erotic thoughts about his wife, infused the air. “What about Keizo?” he asked.
“You must not tell your brother any of this!” Taya responded sharply. “I realize this puts you in a very difficult position…”
“Yes, it does!” Raidan exclaimed. “You are demanding that I withhold something so important that, by doing so, I’m committing a terrible betrayal! This is the life of my brother’s only child!”
“A life that you would not hesitate to take yourself if you felt it necessary!”
Raidan stared into his wife’s eyes and saw the iron-willed Mistress of the Kirian Society staring back at him.
“You must do this, Husband,” Taya murmured. “Greater things are at stake here than the life of one girl…The very existence of the material world.”
Forty five years of marriage had taught Raidan many things; the most important lesson being the absolute superiority of Taya’s instincts over his own.
He slowly nodded. “If you say that I must lie to my brother…that I have no choice but to do this thing…then I will do it, because I trust you completely.”
Despite the seriousness of their conversation, Raidan found the smell of his wife’s perfume distracting. He gazed at Taya and marveled again at his great fortune. Most married couples counted themselves lucky if they even liked each other. He had received in Taya a gift beyond price-a best friend as well as a wife. He pulled her close and kissed her.
“What was that for?” she asked.
“Do I need a reason to kiss my wife?” He brushed her cheek with a forefinger.
“No, of course not,” she replied softly.
“How could I ever live without you?” he whispered.
“You’ll never have to find out.”
~~~
Two days later, Raidan stood beside Keizo before a glittering assemblage of the elite of Sendai as the king formally claimed Jelena as his own.
“I hereby proclaim her to be my legitimized child, a true daughter of the House of Onjara, and I now elevate her to the rank of Princess.” Keizo’s voice rang out clear and strong, reaching even those who had to stand at the back of the vast, State Audience Chamber.
Jelena, looking a little overwhelmed in her formal court gown and makeup, nevertheless stood tall by the king’s left hand.
“She shall be known from this day forward as Princess Jelena Onjara Sakehera of Alasiri.” The king beckoned and Jelena knelt before him. He held out his hands to Raidan, who placed within them a coronet of white gold worked all around its circumference with a motif of griffins, each one clutching a moonstone in its claws.
The king placed the coronet on Jelena’s head. “Rise up, Daught
er, and take your rightful place at my side,” he intoned. He took Jelena’s hand and helped her to her feet. She swayed a little, recovered, then moved to Keizo’s left.
The ceremony ended with a fanfare of horns, blown with melodic precision by the court heralds. The formal procession through the streets of Sendai would now commence, so that the common people could see their new princess. Jelena would ride in an open litter, flanked by members of the King’s Guard. Raidan and the king would ride before her, Sen Sakehera and her husband Ashinji directly behind. Raidan had heard his niece protested mightily about the arrangements, insisting that she wished to ride her own horse, but the king had held firm. Keizo had confided to Raidan just this morning that his daughter was with child, and would deliver next spring. Raidan duly congratulated his brother, keeping to himself the fact that he already knew.
The restless crowd parted before them as the royal party moved slowly toward the tall double doors leading out of the hall, which stood open to admit the hazy fall sunshine. Brightly caparisoned horses, held by grooms in formal livery, stamped and snorted on the gravel, harnesses jingling. Members of the King’s Guard stood at each corner of a litter upholstered in pale green silk, ready to hoist the conveyance onto their shoulders. Two additional guards would walk along either side.
Raidan carefully hid his amusement as Jelena frowned at the sight of the litter. She allowed the guards to help her in, then spent several moments arranging the many layers of her gown. Raidan suspected her efforts were not to create an artful display of the sumptuous fabrics, but simply to get them out of her way so she could recline more comfortably against the pillows. After she had composed her garments to her satisfaction, she adjusted the griffin coronet on her brow, then looked about her as if searching for something.
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