Avalyne Series 01: The Queen of Carleon

by Linda Thackeray

  At the wedding of Dare and Arianne they regarded each other for the first time two millennia even though news of his return must have reached her ears through Arianne and Dare. He could have tried explaining himself, but she treated their past association as little more than an old friendship from long ago. Not once did she acknowledge that once upon a time, they had made each other burn beneath the light of the stars.

  *****

  ‘Mage,’ Lylea gazed down at him from her single throne, elevated on a raised platform, resting atop the wooden floor upon which he was presently standing. While she now had the appearance of a woman in forties, she was still no less dazzling than she had been as a young woman. Possessing the same mahogany hair as Arianne, Lylea wore hers up instead with delicate strands brushing her long slender neck. Her cheek bones were high and gave pronouncement to her elfin features as she stared at him with blue eyes lacking their usual warmth.

  Although her personal guards were present, there was no one else in the hall and the emptiness of it made him uneasy. There was too much unspoken between them and the substances of it lingered in the air, waiting to choke them at any moment. However, Tamsyn remembered he was here for a reason that had nothing to do with their turbulent history.

  ‘My queen,’ he replied with a bow. ‘I am sorry to impose upon your realm but...’

  ‘I have seen it too. I know that my daughter’s life is in danger.’ She cut him off abruptly, her voice hard, and he knew that it was not usual for her to speak this way for he noted one of her guards shifting his gaze subtly in their direction, noticing the difference.

  ‘Then you have seen the portents.’ he said grimly, ignoring her aloofness when he knew she had cause for her hostility.

  ‘Yes,’ Lylea nodded immediately thinking of the impending doom hurtling towards her youngest and perhaps most beloved child. ‘I have felt the growing malice coming from the north for some time now but its source is unclear. I had hoped would not manifest itself so soon after her marriage. It does not please me to tell my daughter that her happiest day may soon be her darkest.’

  ‘Nor does it please me,’ Tamsyn spoke in sympathy, ‘both she and her husband are dear to me and this news will surely send them both into panic. However, we must make haste to Sandrine and tell her while we still have time.’

  ‘We have less time than you think,’ she declared, rising from her throne and descending the steps to the floor. Approaching him, she held up her hand revealing letter gilt in gold. ‘The announcement has gone throughout the lands of the kingdom. It is what the Enemy has been waiting to hear.’

  ‘I feared this,’ Tamsyn grimaced. ‘He has been waiting since Balfure’s end for this moment. It has allowed the people of Avalyne to grow complacent with peace.’

  ‘And nothing puts the people more at ease than the arrival of a new prince,’ the queen reminded. ‘A mother to be should not be embarking on any quest, not so soon.’ She said unhappily.

  ‘This is no mere quest,’ Tamsyn pointed out quickly. ‘To strike at the most vulnerable place there can be is evil of the foulest kind.’

  ‘I know,’ Lylea turned away from him, not wishing to see just how much this pained her. With a human for her father, Arianne had chosen to take up the choice that none of her other children had done by giving up her immortality. While Lylea understood her daughter’s reasoning, she would never come to terms with the inevitable end that Arianne would face. However, this evil now threatened to take her daughter away even sooner than that. ‘I wish this did not have to be Arianne’s burden alone. She should share it with Dare.’

  Her pain made Tamsyn wish to offer her comfort, but painfully aware that any gesture he made towards the Queen would not be well received, instead he remained contented to simply agree with her. ‘I wish the same too. He loves her more than anything in this world and would allow nothing to harm her or his unborn child but he is just a man the Enemy has no reason to keep him alive if he becomes inconvenient. Arianne is an elf with powers of her own, so she may be able to guard against the Enemy and not be led astray by his machinations. If we were to allow her husband to know the Enemy’s plan, he would be determined to protect her by going himself, and that is something we cannot allow.’

  ‘Perhaps we do not have the right to make that choice for them. Perhaps assuming what is best for them is wrong.’ She turned around and stared at him directly.

  Tamsyn swallowed thickly, aware that her question was not merely statement but a barb at an old grievance. He ignored it for now because that was too big a subject to delve into now when there were real matters of urgency to contend with. As it was, he felt guilty keeping secrets from Dare. The young king looked to him for counsel, had come to him for help to restore order to the world. Through those shared trials, they had become friends.

  After a moment, he answered her. ‘I love them both dearly too, and my heart aches in fear at the danger that Arianne will face but it must be done this way. If she were to fail in the undertaking we would face a danger far worse than any we could possibly imagine. This could mean the resurrection of powers so dark that no army in Avalyne can withstand it. No race will survive. ‘

  ‘So is she to go alone in this peril?’ Lylea demanded. ‘When we dealt with Balfure, we had an army. Is Arianne not allowed to have such support?’

  ‘She will find her own way,’ Tamsyn replied. ‘There are allies for her in the strangest of places and she will find them. Dare shall not be completely forgotten in this either, but it must be his queen that paves the way for him to act.’

  At least that was something, Lylea thought. However, she could not help feeling as if she were abandoning Arianne to a questionable fate. It was necessary that Arianne carry out this quest, but Lylea could not say for certain whether or not she ought to do it alone.

  ‘I guess then it is time to visit Sandrine,’ Lylea said with a heavy sigh. ‘It appears that we have a celebration to attend.’

  Chapter THREE:

  CELEBRATION

  When the announcement was made at the opening of the celebration that the Queen was with child, jubilation swept throughout the city like the rising swell of an ocean wave. It moved outwards from the city of Sandrine to the rest of the kingdom like wildfire. Messengers departed the instant the news was revealed, riding to the four corners of Carleon to deliver the announcement that an heir was coming, finally marking the successful ascension of King Dare to his throne.

  Days before the celebration, the city of Sandrine was transformed into a magical version of itself, full of lights and coloured banners, with streamers hanging from every window and awnings on every street. Merchants were commissioned to provide food and ale for all the guests in and out of the palace. City workers were soon erecting tents, assembling tables in squares where the feast for the commoners would be held, while stages were erected for the performers who would be entertaining the masses. Fireworks were prepared, and a steady stream of cooks, performers and guests began arriving into the city to take part in the celebration.

  It was a celebration that superseded the grandeur of the King’s coronation following the destruction of Balfure and the final sacking of Abraxes. Too many had suffered and died during Balfure’s tyranny for the king to make his ascension to the throne a celebration. Furthermore, there were families still burying and mourning the dead after the battle of Astaroth had come to an end. Therefore, it was enough to have a coronation and a wedding that symbolised the beginning of a new age for kingdom without the need for any extravagant pomp.

  The arrival of a new prince was something else entirely. It was the hope of new life and a future that promised stability for the next fifty years. That was cause enough for a celebration of a special magnificence.

  The inhabitants of Sandrine lined the streets watching the procession of guests, fascinated to see folk they had only heard about in legend, such as the mage Tamsyn and the High Queen of the Elves—the very beautiful Lylea who was mother to their own queen. The allia
nce made elves known to the people of Sandrine, but even the most jaded were dazzled as Lylea rode by in her robes of white. They gaped in wonder as she passed them, thinking that she could be one of the Celestials walking in their midst.

  Once the announcement was made the festivities truly began and continued into the night. The setting of the sun only brought more revels to the already exciting day as fireworks were launched into the night sky and magic tricks were performed by skilled, if powerless magicians. Gasps of excitement swept through the crowds as each explosion of colour and light superseded the last spectacle. Fireworks of giant wyverns trailed sparkles of glittering embers as they flew overhead in the night air, followed by horses thundering across the sky and butterflies streaking past the audience like clusters of falling stars.

  The merriment was no less spectacular within the palace of the King. Guests were received with much warmth while as friends were reunited, regaling each other with tales of their homeland and their adventures since parting company. Keira related to Dare all the gossip in the Green while Celene, once a member of his Circle during the war, told Aeron and Arianne how things faired Gislaine, the city she and Ronen now ruled in the Southern Provinces. Meanwhile Kyou explained to Tully the tremendous undertaking that was the fortifying of Sandrine’s defences and how fared his family who had returned to Iridia and awaiting his return upon its completion.

  Neither Tamsyn nor Lylea made any mention of the Enemy for the moment.

  *****

  It always amused Celene just how nervous the king seemed to get whenever she, Keira and Arianne wandered off to talk privately away from the hearing of their men.

  She had no idea what secrets Dare thought she might impart upon Arianne or Keira for that matter but Celene took great delight in making the king of the realm a little anxious whenever she made the suggestion. It was truly ludicrous when one considered how highly she held Dare in regard, and obviously she would never dream of embarrassing him before his queen. Well not much anyway. Besides, the only stories she had of him were of their adventures when they crossed Avalyne to create the alliance needed to launch his campaign against Balfure.

  In a houseful of sons, Celene was the only daughter to Yalen, Angarad’s King. Her mother Celene, for whom she was named, died in childbirth leaving her to be raised by her father. Her father saw no reason to treat her any differently than a boy. While certain aspects of her upbringing were handled by her nurse Ilsa, for most part Celene was educated and raised side by side with her brothers.

  Like all women of the Angarad, Celene was required to wield a sword. Angarad could not be expected to defend its borders against Balfure if all of her people were unschooled in the art of war. It was a matter of pride that the Angarad believed themselves to be greatest sword masters, riders and combatants among the race of men. This included the females of their population. Despite their dedication to combat, the Angarad were not mindless warmongers thirsty for blood. Learning to wield a weapon was paramount, but the mind was an instrument too and it had to be honed as sharply as the blade.

  Warriors of Angarad were masters of war in all its forms, both on the battlefield and off. Their military education was not simply about physical combat, but also learning that war could be an art, that armies moved like pieces on a board and a victory could be achieved long before they even touched the field. Her father had been a great proponent of this idea, and though it came at a bloody cost at time, he was able to outmanoeuvre most attempts by Balfure to take Angarad.

  However even his determination was not inexhaustible. She lost three brothers and had two remaining by the time Dare appeared at the capital city of Wyndfyre proposing an alliance. Although the relationship between Angarad and Carleon was close before Balfure, the occupation had kept Angarad isolated but still her father had listened. The exiled king of Carleon proposed something that had not ever been suggested, an alliance that united elves, men and dwarves.

  The advantages were great and though her father had reservations about dealing with the elves he had no such qualms about embracing the dwarves as allies.

  When Iridia fell, the dwarves suffered the worst of it. Hunted for their expertise, they were scattered throughout Avalyne, seeking refuge with anyone who would give them shelter. Some came to Angarad offering their skills as master craftsmen in exchange for a home. Her father saw the advantage, and very soon as sizeable contingent of dwarves were making their home in the Eirian Hills outside Wyndfyre. For the next two decades, the peoples worked together and kept Angarad free of Balfure. By the time Dare arrived in Wyndfyre, the dwarves had become such a large part of Angarad life that it was difficult to imagine a time when they were not apart of it.

  The Angarad had no such experience with the elves.

  Although Dare travelled to Angarad with an elf from the court of Eden Halas, her father was reluctant to believe the elves would participate in any alliance. The Immortals had never shown any interest in the affairs of men in the past and had given no indication that this was likely to change. It was believed that their part in the Primordial Wars, playing the role of canon fodder for the Gods had made them weary of all affairs save their own. However, things have changed Dare explained.

  The elves were under threat too. The Veil protecting Eden Ardhen, home to the High Queen, was breached and the High Queen was forced to flee to the other side of Avalyne. Her son, Adric had been killed in the defence of the city by Berserkers. Such cause for anguish by their most revered elder was affront but the reality that their numbers were no match for Balfure stayed their hand and left them seething with unresolved anger.

  It was Celene who convinced Yalen to let her join Dare’s Circle—to travel with him and see if he did indeed have the support he claimed to possess from the Immortals. Her father was reluctant to let her go but he had sons to defend the realm and he could not deny a daughter who was trained but untested, the chance to prove herself. He understood her need to find her own destiny, to blood her sword and be the warrior he had moulded her to be.

  Celene was nineteen years old when she joined Dare. The exiled king had accepted her presence with some ambivalence, as he was unaccustomed to a woman with a sword. Unlike Angarad, the women of Carleon were not warriors. However, time and experience would soon make him appreciate her skills as they faced many evils over the years. From fighting Berserkers, goblins and ogres to hiding from the Disciples, she had been at his side as the Shadow Lord hurled all the darkness he could at Dare to prevent him from uniting Avalyne.

  When it was time for the campaign to begin, Celene rode at his side along with Aeron and Kyou, leading the warriors of Angarad into battle.

  It was during the siege of Astaroth, deep in the heart of Abraxes that Celene was almost killed by an ogre. She had faced them before but this one was of a breed she had not seen, with a serpent’s tongue and clawed feet. It resembled a lizard more than an ogre. She fought it as best she could but there came a moment when Celene came face-to-face with the realisation that the thing was going to kill her. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than a soldier of Carleon drove a spike through the creature’s side, taking advantage of its single-minded pursuit of the warrior maiden to the expense of all else.

  In its death throes, the beast swung its large mace one last time but it was enough to sweep the soldier off his feet with a blow that should have killed him. Celene heard his bones crack against the boulder when he landed making a chilling sound that would follow her to the grave. Stunned by the sudden rescue, she recovered her senses and rushed to his side, refusing to abandon this man who came out of nowhere to save her. She found him where he landed, his head bleeding and his body limp. However, there was still enough breath left in him for Celene to drag him off the field and place him on a cart bound for the healers’ tent. Then she returned to the battle.

  Days later, she sought him out to learn that he did survive, despite the severity of his wounds. He was not conscious when she happened upon him because his
skull had almost been split open by his landing against the rocks. It was many days after she found him, when he had finally regained consciousness that introductions were made.

  His name was Ronen and he was a Captain of Carleon. Celene knew the name. He was the first Captain of Sandrine to pledge allegiance to the exiled king when Dare came to the city during the occupation. While Celene had not met him in person, Dare had spoken of the captain who was tired of enforcing Balfure’s tyranny and wanted to be a soldier who fought for his people instead of being the instrument of their oppression.

  After Balfure had been vanquished for good and the army recovered its wounds, she would visit him everyday at the healer’s tent and they would talk, she of Angarad and he of Sandrine. He was surprisingly educated for a soldier and had the heart of scholar. Like her, he had lost family to Balfure’s forces and in their shared grief, they formed a deep understanding of how each other mourned and loved.

  When it was time for him to return to Carleon with the rest of wounded, the ache she felt at his departure was like nothing she’d ever known. She missed talking to him, missed how he made her laugh or point out how she was far too serious for a maid even one who wielded the sword. She did not know if Dare had any ulterior motive when the king asked her to accompany the wounded soldier out of the war zone but, for once she had not minded being sent off the field.

  She knew she was in love with Ronen before they even got half way to Sandrine.

  *****

  ‘So tell me Arianne,’ Celene asked as the she, Keira and the Queen walked the gardens of the palace, away from the noise of the celebration taking place in the Great Hall. ‘How does it feel to have the House of Icara’s newest heir growing inside you?’