Talorn looked pained. “Bishop Lyfair crowned her and blessed her reign, by rights she is already the true ruler of Bandara.”
“I will see that blessing revoked when I return to Tyro. For your own good Talorn, I advise you to distance yourself as best you can from your wife. She has destroyed herself, don’t let her evil corrupt you as well.” The Lord Justice opened the chapel door for the Bandaran general. “One of the priests will see you out, my son.”
Talorn walked out of the cathedral with his head down. What could he do now, there was little time before Raygan reached the city. If he helped her, he would be defying the Church and God, if he didn’t he would betray his heart. There was no way to win. He had loved God first and swore to serve him. He had no choice, he would have to stand against the woman he loved. Once he got her away from the evil men that were influencing her, perhaps he could talk Cain and the Lord Justice into being lenient with her. He would pray on the matter and ask God what he should do.
***
“I don’t know why we just don’t arrest the lot of them when they get here?”
Cain could see Lord Bradford was losing patience. The Prince leaned back in the throne. He was surrounded by fools, but what could he do? These were the only men he had with any command experience. When things were settled with his sister, he might have to make some change to the Bandaran command structure. “Lord Fox, would you be so kind as to share with Lord Bradford the message we just received.”
Tobias looked at the message he held and began to read. “The Queen has returned with several hundred Bandaran soldiers, as well as five thousand Ascona knights. They will arrive later today.” Lord Fox lower the message.
“Are you going to arrest them all, Galen? Do you think the Asconans will lay down their arms and surrender to you?”
“Of course not, Majesty, I didn’t know…”
Cain jumped up out of the throne. “I could fill this room with what you don’t know, Lord Bradford. Now, I will tell you what you’re going to do. You and Tobias split the army, leave enough inside the city, so my sister’s officers don’t get suspicious. I also want a company of men left in the palace. Keep the rest hidden just outside the city, if I signal bring them in and kill everyone she brought with her. We still outnumber the Asconans more than two to one.” Cain could see the concern on Lord Fox’s face. “What is it Tobias, you don’t like my strategy?
“What of this Half Elven warrior that has taken up her cause? Some of the Knights of Deliverance say he alone killed thirty of the Hand. They say no one can match his skill.”
“Lord Justice Milara and the Church want him dead. General Blackthorn and I have promised to accommodate Milara and God. We will see the thing killed and my sister deposed. You two worry too much. I have everything under control.”
Bishop Lyfair rode up alongside the Queen, they would be in Turill soon. He felt he had to make her aware of what she was riding into. After all the Holy Tome said a man must try and do the right thing, and he was a priest after all. “Majesty, I must warn you, I have received word that Lord Justice Milara is in Turill. He is searching for the Half Elf, if you are seen with him, it will go bad for you. Kian may be arrested or killed on sight and who knows what lies your brother has told the Lord Justice about you, Highness.
“I will explain to the Lord Justice what happened. I’m sure he will understand the circumstances I was in and show mercy, he is a man of God, after all. Don’t worry, Your Eminence, the Lord Justice will know who speaks the truth. Isn’t that why the Holy Father appointed him to his position? ”
Lyfair only knew Milara by reputation, but if what he had been told about the Lord Justice was true the Eye of God would listen to nothing the Queen had to say. “I’m sure your right, Majesty. I merely wanted you to know the Church had sent the Lord Justice to Turill.”
“Thank you, Bishop, perhaps he can settle our dispute without any bloodshed.”
The Queen obviously didn’t understand the situation she was in. He had his explanation for the Lord Justice well rehearsed. He hoped the Queen did too.
Zachariah watched from the wall as the Queen rode into Turill, he liked to see his prey and study them before the kill. He liked to be as close to his target as he could before he struck. It made the victim’s death so much more pleasurable. The assassin just wouldn’t have that luxury this time.
The Queen was a fine-looking woman. She was very short with beautiful dark hair. The young woman was thin in the waist and had a heavy chest. Zachariah liked heavy chests.
As lovely as the Queen’s breasts were, his attention was jerked away from her by the man who rode at the woman’s side. Zachariah’s heart jumped into his throat. He had to be mistaken. Could it be one of the Kabash Sar traveled with the Queen? Of all of the heartless ones, why did it have to be him? Tavantis.
Zachariah had met him a few times when he lived in the city beyond the Black Gate. The Half Elf assassin was smart and cunning, and he had no mercy in his heart. Zachariah feared few men, but Tavantis was one of them.
It seemed the half-breed was dressing like a warrior these days but Zachariah knew what the bastard really was, a merciless killer. A chill went up his spine. The assassin thought about abandoning the mission, but he was in too deep with the Church. He would have to try and kill Tavantis when he assassinated the Queen. Because if he failed, he wouldn’t live long enough to regret it.
***
Raygan could smell the bodies as she rode through the southern gate, the foul smell hung over the city like a rancid blanket. The grieving city came alive as the people of Turill heard of Queen’s return. They came out of their homes and businesses to welcome their young Queen home. It didn’t take long for Raygan to sort out their shouts and understand what Cain had done.
Her brother must have gone insane, just like the night he almost killed her. “General K’xarr, let us ride to the palace. I want a word with my brother, and please have someone take those people down.”
The Asconans were told to wait at the southern gate to make sure it stayed open in case they had to flee the city. She would have them make camp later outside the city. An army of foreign knights inside the city would only escalate the situation.
The Queen and her six hundred Bandarans rode on to the palace. Raygan intended to make Cain answer for what he had done to her people and her city, if she couldn’t get satisfaction from her crazed sibling, she was sure K’xarr could.
“Rufio, stay at the palace gates with the men, if there is trouble come on the run.”
“Watch your back, General,” The Dragitan, said drawing his short sword.
The Queen and K’xarr dismounted and headed straight for the palace. Endra and Kian walked on either side of the Queen and her general. Rhys, Ansellus, Bishop Lyfair, Cromwell, and thirty Bandaran soldiers followed close behind.
“Majesty, we should have brought more men,” K’xarr said, trying to keep up with the little Queen’s quick pace. “Nonsense, Rufio and the men are within shouting distance and I have you and the others to protect me.”
K’xarr could tell the Queen was furious, he knew the look all too well. She had visited that expression on him on more than one occasion.
Just as they started up the steps of the palace, Cain appeared at the top of the huge marble stairs. He was flanked by a big man dressed in red robes. They were styled in the fashion of a priest. Talorn and William Blackthorn stood alongside Cain too, with at least fifty Church knights behind them, swords drawn and at the ready. K’xarr didn’t know what knight order it was, and it mattered little to him, but their symbol was a pair of open hands with a sunburst inside them. He would remember it.
“Welcome home, Sister.” K’xarr could tell the smile on Cain’s face and his greeting were sinister. The Queen didn’t return his greeting. She threw back her cloak and put her hands on her hips. Raygan’s defiant stance would have been almost comical, if not for the look of iron on her face. Only the narrowing of her eyes betrayed her true
feelings.
“This is Lord Justice Dracen Milara, Sister, he would like a word with you,” Cain said, gesturing to the man in the red robes.
“I want to know why you hung those people, Cain, there was no reason for it.”
Cain pointed his finger at Raygan. “It is your fault, Sister, the people of this city need to be reminded who their ruler truly is. Their deaths are on your head not mine.”
Tears began to well up in the little Queen’s eyes. She struggled to keep her emotions in check, but it was just too hard. “You killed them because they were loyal to me? You monster,” she shouted.
“No, Sister, the only monster is the one that stands there with you.” Cain’s pointed finger slowly moved to Kian. “In the name of God and Holy Mother Church and the throne of Bandara, I hereby arrest that creature for its crimes against the people of this Kingdom.”
“Swords,” K’xarr yelled. As the two factions prepared to charge each other, two women appeared beside the K’xarr and the Queen. They were dressed in black gowns and one of them was red-headed. K’xarr recognized Scarlett instantly, the other a dark-haired woman he didn’t know.
“If you try to take him you will have to come through us … Prince Cain,” Scarlett said with contempt.
No one moved, the witches’ appearance gave K’xarr a moment. “Majesty, what is your order? Fight or flee, you know what your brother means to do.”
Raygan looked at her brother, remembering the shy boy he had been and the days of their childhood. Cain was her brother, her father’s son. All her memories of him flashed quickly through her mind. “Kill him, K’xarr.”
Scarlett grabbed the Queen and winked at K’xarr, then she and Raygan vanished.
“Kian, now,” K’xarr yelled. The swordsman leaped up the steps as K’xarr and the others followed.
Commander Deverall shouted orders to his knights. “Defend the King and the Lord Justice.” The knights circled Prince Cain, as well as the Blackthorns and Milara.
Kian’s blade ripped through the knight’s defenses and their armor. Malice showed no mercy to the Holy warriors. The Knights of Deliverance began to fall back before him. None wanted to face the devil or his vicious blade. Within seconds, K’xarr and the others had followed him into the fray at the top of the stairs.
On the right, Cromwell wielded his great axe like a titan—its heavy blade cleaving his opponents nearly in two. The fury of K’xarr and Endra’s swords pushed the left side of the knights’ line back. As Kian drove into their center, even with the Bandarans loyal to the Queen, the group was outnumbered and the knights were fierce.
The dark-haired witch floated into the air. A bolt of lightning flew from her hand, striking the knights standing in the back ranks, killing several of the metal encased men.
K’xarr looked back long enough to see Rufio and the rest of the Bandarans charging across the palace lawn. Men bearing Cain’s red-winged hawk on their uniform poured out of the place to reinforce the knights. Cain must have stationed men inside the palace. The Prince had been prepared for things to escalate.
K’xarr looked back to the battle. Cromwell caught his eye, the two men looked at each other. Cromwell had a big smile on his face. K’xarr noticed he was smiling too.
Lord Justice Milara and Prince Cain had escaped into the palace as the reinforcements had come out to join in the fight. Duke Blackthorn stood in the doorway, ready to leave the battle as well, but Talorn was refusing to follow. “Come on, Son, we need to get to the army.”
“No, Father, you go, I’m staying,” Talorn said with conviction.
“Why, there is nothing to do back there but die. Those savages and their sorceresses will kill everyone. There is nothing you can do to stop them, Son. We must get out of here while we can.”
“No, I must defend the palace, defend Turill. Raygan is my wife, but those she has put her faith in are evil, Father, and I am forsworn to God to fight evil wherever I find it. Raygan needs me now more than ever; I have to save her, Father.”
William looked at Talorn with disdain. “Then I truly have raised a fool.” The duke turned, fled after Milara and Cain without looking back. The young Bandaran lord’s heart sank as he watched his father flee. Talorn took a deep breath and ran back towards the sounds of the battle.
Oliver Deverall Commander of the Knights of Deliverance found himself face to face with a woman carrying a large bastard sword. She had lost her helmet and he easily recognized her. The woman they had run across in the north. Her looks were unmistakable.
He wondered if the Lord Justice would find her as beautiful now with blood splattered all over her face and her wavy black hair wet with gore.
The young woman was not timid. Deverall nearly failed to block her first attack. She was quick with the heavy sword. The woman parried his blade and pushed him back with a hard kick. The knight commander realized he should take this woman more serious as her bastard sword slid into the crease of the armored cuisse protecting his thigh. The woman tore her blade from his leg as she stepped back.
Blood began to pour from the bottom of his greaves. Stunned, he looked up at her in time to see the blow that knocked the helmet from his head. Deverall fell unceremoniously to the ground. “I yield, woman,” he said holding up his hand.
Endra stood above him bloodstained and winded. She reversed her grip on the sword and drove its point through the top of the knight commander’s head. Putting her foot on his twitching body, she pulled the blade free.
“You are not a woman for the faint of heart, Endra Korlest,” K’xarr said as he came up beside her.
She wiped at the blood on her face, smearing it across her cheek. “We have these holy bastards on the run now.”
K’xarr pointed his sword at the witch now standing at the bottom of the stair. “She helped with that.”
“I don’t remember that one, do you?” Endra asked.
“No, but I will be happy to make her acquaintance. Besides, I need to find out where Scarlett took the Queen.”
The last of the knights went down before the great doors of the palace and Cain’s men had fled the fight or were dead. Talorn had fought alongside the Church knights until only he remained. He saw the abomination that Lord Justice Milara had told them about. If he was going to die, he would at least rid the world of that thing. “Monster, do you have any honor? I Talorn Blackthorn challenge you to single combat.”
Kian looked at the man’s long blonde hair and polished armor; this must be the Queen’s husband. He had heard a great deal about the Bandaran general’s skill.
Cromwell walked up besides Kian, laughing. “Stay here sword brother, you have nothing to prove. I’ll chop this pretty man to pieces for you.”
“It is the Queen’s husband, Cromwell, we should let him be. She may be displeased with us if we kill him.”
The Queen’s men formed a semicircle around the knight, his back to the palace doors. “Are you a coward, monster? Will you not fight like a man or can you only fight like an animal?” Talorn jeered, trying to provoke the half-breed into single combat.
Kian said nothing, his face looked as if it were made of stone.
“Come, beast I have never been defeated, see if you can take my head like you did Donovan and Griffyn.”
Cromwell seethed with anger. “Kill that woman-haired bastard Kian or I will.”
Kian walked into the circle of men. “Why is it you want to kill me?”
Talorn straightened his back and thrust his chin out. “You are an abomination in the Eyes of God and you have attempted to corrupt the woman I love with your evil. I will not allow this to happen.”
“I know who you are, Talorn Blackthorn. you are the Queen’s husband. I want no quarrel with you and I have done nothing to harm your wife. Just walk away, we will let you go back to your men in peace. ”
“You are a demon half-breed, do you think I trust anything you say? God has ordained your death.”
Kian stood arms at his side, sword in it sca
bbard. “I’m no demon, nor am I evil. Would you kill me simply because I’m different than you?”
Talorn hesitated for a moment. “It is what God commands.”
Kian folded his arms across his chest and faced the handsome young man. He could see nothing he could say would change the man’s mind. “Is your God with you today?” Kian asked.
“Yes, and I will strike with his power. The evil you spread will be vanquished half-breed, and my wife will be free of your control, for I intend to slay you in his holy name.”
“I hope you said your prayers last night, you girl-faced braggart,” Cromwell said coldly.
Talorn charged the Half Elf with his long sword raised high in the air. Kian didn’t move until the young knight’s blade was coming down at his head.
The swordsman stepped to his left, pulled his dark blade and blocked Talorn’s cut. He quickly disengaged his blade rolled his wrist and delivered a blow with all his inhuman strength. The Bandaran general’s sword snapped at the hilt.
Talorn looked at the sword in disbelief. Kian put Malice to Talorn’s throat. “Your God must not have been watching that time. Give him another blade.”
Cromwell pulled a sword from one of the Queen’s men and threw it to the young knight.
Talorn again attacked, a mighty horizontal cut came at Kian’s neck. The Half Elf ducked the cut casually and spun away, causing the general to awkwardly stumble forward.
A look of disbelief began to show on Talorn’s face as he thrust at Kian’s unarmored abdomen only to have his blade flicked away and swordsman’s black-hilted long sword put on his throat again. Kian pushed the blonde hair man back without shedding a drop of his blood.
Talorn’s anger began to show. He attack again and again, but his sword could not get past the half-breeds defense.
Cain’s general was tired and his heavy armor had begun to weigh him down. He aimed a cut at Kian’s head. The Half Elf spun his sword, deflecting the blow and sending Talorn’s sword sliding across the marble stairs. The disarmed knight fell to his knees exhausted. He looked at Kian, then he began to crawl towards where his sword landed. “He has had enough,” Kian said.
Gods Of Blood And Fire (Book 1) Page 58
