“Your Majesty!” Lord Alanel exclaimed ironically. “I think I have found something that has gone astray. And I say it in more ways than one.”
The King remained silent.
“I introduce you to your daughter: Prudence Clarke. At least that is the name that has been imposed on her by humans. Remember her? I do. Seventeen years ago she was just a baby. But now she's grown and I can see how much she looks like her mother.”
"Don’t you dare mention my mother! She died because of you. You killed her, and now I'm going to kill you!" Prudence said to Lord Alanel, possessed by hatred and anger.
"I did not kill your mother," Alanel replied with complete tranquility. "But I know who did it," he added quickly. There was a brief silence. Then he laughed. "And what a perfect coincidence this is; that person is here at this precise moment."
Prudence felt the urge to look at the King's face, but she forced herself not to. She would not let herself be enveloped in the traps of such a manipulative and evil being.
"You dare to kill him too?" Alanel finally asked.
"Him?" Prudence repeated.
"Oh, of course. Him. Your father," Lord Alanel said aloud.
Those two final words were devastating — not only for Prudence, but for all the servants of the King who were standing behind him, to the people of Arkana, and to his army.
"Tareos the Great, the beloved and respected King of Arkana. He killed his much-loved to keep his crown! Of course he did. Who would have allowed a King to leave an heir of impure blood to his kingdom? Your birth was disapproved by the King's Assembly. He killed your mother, and he would have done the same you, if she had not received help from a group of souls who were too charitable for the uses of these lands." He looked at the mark Prudence had on her wrist — The Company of the Rose.
“He's lying, please do not believe him. That is not how things happened. I beg you to not believe him,” the King sobbed.
Prudence's gaze focused on her father. The most powerful man of the Five Kingdoms, now begging for his honor before all his people. "You're lying," she said to Alanel.
"Sadly not. Your father does not love you and he never has. He needs you, to find the runes that once he stole from me and that your mother took away from him. The mighty King Tareos is nothing but a lie, and I do not like liars. I am not one of those who turn around, so I will go straight to the bone."
Prudence was not sure what Alanel was talking about.
“Return all of the runes to me or your father will die.”
Tears sprang from Prudence's eyes and quickly slid down her cheeks. “But I do not have them! I do not know where they are!” she cried.
“Why do you have to make it so hard?” he shouted at her. “I myself will make it easier for you.” He turned to King Tareos. "You took what was mine. Now, not only will I get it back, but I will take everything that is yours."
The king charged up to him, but the next thing Prudence saw was Alanel reaching a hand out to her father. The king collapsed before him, pressing his chest and bleeding from his mouth.
The king turned to Alanel and extended his hands toward him. Thunder sounded, and a halo of seething light slid toward him. Alanel shouted.
Immediately afterwards, the nearest guards rushed at Alanel to capture him, but he extended both hands toward them, and a wave of darkness drove them back, giving Alanel enough time to vanish from sight.
Prudence let out a muffled cry and closed her eyes to keep from recording in her memory the way the blood spilled all over her dying father's body.
The king writhed in agony. He looked at Prudence as his body stirred increasingly. At that moment she got to read her father's soundless lips: I am sorry.
With a mixture of wonder and horror, Prudence left the entrance and ran aimlessly into the palace. She climbed the first staircase she found on her way. Her breath came in gasps. But as she ascended as fast as her legs let her she was grabbed from behind. She fell forward and collapsed to the floor, but her hands broke her fall. She looked back desperately.
“Quiet,” Dedric whispered.
CHAPTER 16
“
Tell me it’s not true! It can’t be true!” Prudence wept over Dedric's shoulders. “Did you know that my father ordered them to get rid of my mother?” she demanded, her voice cracking. Her eyes were full of tears. The bare thought of it was unbearably painful for Prudence. Not even the fragrance of lilacs coming through the immense open windows was comforting for her. Nothing could separate her from that painful thought.
“I knew she was escaping, and it’s true that the previous members of the Company helped her. But the terms of that aid were never clear. She required the protection of the Company and it was granted indeed, during the Azarias Invasions. The whole kingdom was shaken. No one knew for sure who she was escaping from, and since Alanel was the main threat, nobody dared to doubt the king himself. I guess they were all wrong.”
“Please, I need to be alone."
“You know I can’t do that. This place is very dangerous at this moment. Alanel is missing. He could be anywhere near,” he exclaimed, but Prudence would not listen.
“Please, go away,” she cried. The pain she felt in her heart began to translate into a palpable physical pain that extended with the passage of minutes to every part of her body.
“I need you to hold back. We must find a way out of here soon.”
She looked up at Dedric and saw the concern in his eyes. She felt it was real, so she wiped the tears from her face with the sleeve of her coat and rose from the step where she was sitting.
“How are you even here?” Prudence asked between sobs, trying to recover.
“I found all of them locked up in a cell and released them. Did you think I was going to waste time when they left me alone in the camp after Alanel left with you?” Genuss said, appearing silently behind Dedric.
“Where are the others?” Prudence asked.
“Waiting for us in the woods. It is not safe, neither here nor there. We must regroup as soon as possible. The city is besieged. The Azarias are ready to invade Arkana. They come from the south with troops of more than two thousand men. The orcs duplicate them in quantity. I also saw something in the camp. I'm not sure what it is, but it’s big and it’s locked and hidden. My intuition tells me that it is something I do not want to deal with.”
“We must get going,” Dedric exclaimed.
As they descended one of the staircases and took a high ceiling deserted corridor of the palace, the troops could be heard mobilizing in the distance. The marked pace of the soldiers echoed on the floor of the palace. A siren sounded over the whole city, warning of the imminent danger. No one could enter or leave the walls of Arkana. The women were sent to lock up with their children in their houses and seal themselves inside. The men were preparing for battle. Slowly, the streets of the city were emptied and soon all that was left was the anticipation that something bad was about to happen. In the midst of that chaos, Prudence, Dedric, and Genuss were to find the rest of the Company.
“There is an exit at the end of the west wall. It is quite far, but it is where we entered. It is hidden behind a waterfall and we have to cross a bridge. Let's hope the elves have not taken it down yet,” Dedric exclaimed.
They headed toward the west side of the city, at the point where the high walls merged into the bowels of the solid rock of the mountains. The clouds danced to the rhythm of the wind that pushed them toward their retreat, quicker each time. The first stars began to glow in the sky, and the fresh scent of the forest began to add a damper tone to the dew.
The royal city of Arkana was much larger than Penrith. It was even bigger than Azmarath. It was for this reason that the road was not short, and their breath was already agitated when they reached the surroundings of the bridge. Soon the warm sound of falling water was present and Prudence realized that the waterfall was only a few steps away.
“Oh no,” Dedric exclaimed as he stood on the edge of
the rock.
“The elves are taking down all the bridges that give access to the city,” Genuss said.
Dedric looked around at a cluster of tall trees that were already erected over the mountains.
“We can climb them.”
“It's too high,” argued Genuss.
“High or not, it’s the only way out.”
As soon as Dedric started climbing the trunk of one of the trees, a group of elves came behind them and aimed at them with lances.
“Quiet,” one said in a tone that was not at all pleasant.
The elves seized them quickly.
"Who are you? Are you the king's daughter? Why are you trying to escape? No one can leave or enter the city,” they pressed.
“There is an assembly at this moment waiting for you in the palace,” said another.
“An assembly? For me?” Prudence asked, surprised.
“Your presence is urgently required by the king's counselors. You must accompany us,” finished the first.
“Well, tell them I have absolutely nothing to talk to them about,” she shouted.
“It will be by your own will or by force. You decide, miss,” said one of the elves as he approached Prudence with his menacing spear.
“It's okay, you do not have to force me! I’ve been pulled by my arms enough times. I will not object!” Prudence complained.
And so they set out on their way back to the palace in the company of the group of elven sentinels.
The interior of the royal palace was filled with thick, clear marble pillars carved with a complicated latticework. Prudence, Dedric, and Genuss crossed an open arched terrace and then entered a very luxurious wing with many smaller balconies and staircases over a large central staircase. The room, although a little dark, was warmly lit by candleholders of hundreds of candles, each of which burned and flickered. The group of sentries stopped their march in front of a large door. The vestibule of that hall was breathtakingly wide and the last rays of sun sneaked into the top of the crystals that were placed on the pillars near the very high ceilings. A group of at least ten guards with swords and shields guarded the entrance to the assembly hall.
After stopping, one of the guards knocked on the door and it was answered a few seconds later. He entered. With nervous eyes, Prudence watched everything around her. She imagined herself for a moment spending her childhood with her mother there. Who would she be now? How many skills would she have developed, growing among those of her race? Her powers would definitely be as easy to manipulate as moving her fingers. But fate had wanted none of that to happen. All of this was taken away from her, and with it, the alchemy of a distant and strange happiness. After a few moments the elven guard emerged from inside the room and addressed Dedric in the Elvish language, which was of course incomprehensible to Prudence. Dedric nodded in silence and turned to her.
“Prudence,” Dedric whispered, round wide eyes fixed on the guard, “they are claiming for you. The elves demand to see you. You should go with them.”
“Just you.” They were stopped by the guards as soon as they set out.
“I will not go in without them,” Prudence replied stubbornly.
The door opened. She slowly stepped forward wrapped by the beauty she was witnessing. In front of her was a large and pristine room with white bleached stone walls and gorgeous crystalline windows. The room was bright and the delicious smell of herbs filled the air.
“Don’t be scared…” said an old elf. “It’s fine. You are safe in here. My name is Trodor. I’m the counselor in chief.”
The King's Assembly was composed of six elves who served as counselors. They were the elders and wise men of the kingdom. Many of them had lived two reigns. The oldest of them all, Trodor, was surviving the third.
Dedric and Genuss stood by the door escorted by the guards. Prudence was led to the far end of the room where six chairs with the appearance of thrones were located facing one of three. Each of the counselors stood up as Trodor approached Prudence.
“I know it is a sensitive issue to deal with at the moment but it is our duty to do so: The king is dead. We must dismiss his remains and crown an heir. In this case, an heiress.”
“Do you want to crown me?”
“Yes, we need you, my Lady. This is your right and responsibility. The Kingdom of Arkana is under threat of invasion. The royal city is under siege. The throne cannot be leaderless at such risk. Our troops need to receive orders from someone.”
“How could you?!” Prudence shouted. Her voice was corrupted by rage and impotence. “How could you ask me to take over that duty? Weren’t you the ones who disapproved of the birth of an heir of impure blood? A half-human, half-elf? I was raised far from your kingdom and I am grateful for that because my grandparents are exceptional people and have given me infinite love. But my identity was taken from me, as well as my mother. Now you need me?”
“We are not to blame for your departure from the kingdom. It was not due to us that you were taken from the life to which you were destined. Nor had we arranged for your mother to be persecuted. Alanel has falsely accused us and had put you against us at this delicate time. He also did it with your father. He had nothing to do with Eloise's death. He loved her.”
“Eloise...” A chill ran down her spine.
“Yes, wasn’t that her name?” asked Trodor in surprise.
“Yes. I just- It's been a long time since I last heard her name.”
“I understand, but there are things you need to know in order to comprehend the truth,” Trodor took a deep breath. “The late King Tareos, your father, and Alanel are indeed cousins. When your grandfather died, the throne was to be occupied by his brother. But his eldest son was not like the rest. There was no light inside of him. Ambition and greed seized Alanel, who ended up killing his father to take his place in the succession line to the throne. Consequently, this Assembly, along with the Council of the Five Kingdoms, decided that Alanel should be locked up in Morgadot for life. The crown was given to the son of the late king, Prince Tareos, who assumed the Crown to this day. Since then, hatred and revenge have grown in Alanel and he has sworn to take from your father everything that was his.”
It took Prudence a few moments to process everything that had been revealed to her. Her head was spinning and she found it difficult to understand. Soon, she came to the certainty that Alanel's evil had no limits and that she must do something about it. Defeat him.
“So... the crown. I have neither the preparation nor the determination to assume a duty of such magnitude. I truly believe that you should give the crown to Genuss. As far as I know, she's the second in the line of succession to the throne.”
“What?” exclaimed Genuss in complete surprise. All of them turned to her. “No, I cannot do it. I’m not going to do it. You are the heiress of the king. It belongs to you by right. All this time you sought your identity, and here you have it. This is what you are. You must face it and accept your destiny. This kingdom is yours.”
And right at the moment Prudence thought that Genuss was speaking to her in a kind and heartfelt way-
“Just stop being such a coward for once in your life,” she snapped.
“My lady...” said an elf captain as he approached, “my name is Forod.” His figure was tall and thin. Her skin was pale and her hair shone like sand in the sun.
“It will not be beyond dawn that the enemies reach our gates,” he added, and looked at Prudence. The whole room did. There were at least thirty elves that looked very serious and worried standing behind Forod, and it was clear that they were in a hurry.
“We are waiting your majesty’s orders,” Forod insisted.
“Do you mean my orders?” Prudence exclaimed in complete surprise, pointing her index finger at her chest.
“I do not have the slightest or most remote idea of what should be done in this situation. I am a librarian, not a commandant of armies. Dedric will know what to do. You should ask him. He is very good at that.”
“Fine then,” sighed Prudence, feeling she should take charge of making decisions herself, and soon. Prudence looked at Dedric, then at Genuss. At that moment she remembered every detail of their journey together.
“I’ll do it,” she said. “But I have one condition: My friends are trapped in the woods. Send soldiers to rescue them and bring them safely to the palace. Only then I'll agree.”
“Right away, Your Majesty,” said Forod.
“The first task you will perform will not be easy at all” Trodor said, moving her away from the rest of the group to a point farther from the room. In her ear he said: “As you will know, the king, like every elf king, is a being of light. When elves perish in battle or from some other cause of unnatural death, their being must be disembodied. They will change their state and become something like a memory that can be summoned. They will inhabit the Endless Gardens, but there will be no space limits restraining their existence. To reach this state they must be guided by light. You, are the only one of your kind that can do it now, because there is no other Astor here.”
More than a ceremony, it was a ritual, and it was prepared quickly. It would be practiced in the throne room. Right there where the king had ruled for most of the years he had lived.
When Prudence entered the room, she felt her heart racing. The king rested with a placid expression on his face, as if asleep, on a marble altar surrounded by white flowers. There were so many that it was difficult to get close. The scent of flowers flooded the room pleasantly.
Apart from her and her father, only the king's six counselors were there. Prudence was dressed differently. Special clothing had been prepared for her. A long, limpid, ethereal white dress with gold embroidery on the long sleeves had been granted.
Trodor approached her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Whenever you are ready,” he said.
Prudence clasped her hands together as if something were to fall on them and closed her eyes tightly. Within her, she tried to visualize the light that had already been present before. She needed to summon it now, and she could not fail. She had too much responsibility in her hands.
The Elven Tales: The Company of the Rose Page 13
