Seve calmed her with a look. “We will get back that diary for you, Zima,” he said. “But first, let’s concentrate on the matter at hand. Someone needs to go with Alicia, and we need to decide on an emissary to send to the kings and queens of the free kingdoms across the mountain range.”
“Jace will go with me,” said Alicia. “If he wants to, of course.”
“I would be honored to go with you, Princess.” Jace inclined his head. Alicia knew that he was perfect for the task she had in mind.
Zima snorted. “Heed my warning. Don’t underestimate Vindha. He was always a cunning child, and as an adult I am sure he is a worthy opponent. Don’t forget that he poisoned Seve with the sole purpose of killing him and enticing you and Zo to the mainland so he could kill you both. His men ambushed Zo, and even though she killed his son and got away from a demon mage, it was more luck than anything.”
Arkon coughed, suppressing a chuckle.
“Thank you for that vote of confidence, Zima,” said Zo in a dry voice, glaring at her fiancé.
“Don’t be obtuse, girl.” Zima stared her down. “You are talented beyond measure, but those demon mages are more than a match for you or anyone of us. And Vindha would be sure to use them to his advantage. By making you step off the mainland, he managed to break the blood oath initiated by your father that gave you all protection from any magical attacks. He can now pick a time to kill you all. And you can be sure he is ready for one or more of you to step onto the mainland. So be prepared for a reception party or an ambush. Keep your guard up always and stay together,” she instructed them.
Alicia nodded. “I will be careful.”
Zo nodded. “So will I. I learnt my lesson the hard way last time.”
“Now since all that is settled, allow me to share my battle plan with you. See here, this valley.” Seve put his finger on the eastern pass that connected the North of the mainland to the South. “This is where we will attack Vindha. We will wait until they are crossing this pass. The lack of space will work to our advantage, but only if we can convince the northern kingdoms to join us. We will crush Vindha’s army in our midst.”
“The northern kingdoms don’t have a choice. They will have to agree to join us,” Arkon predicted.
“Not if Vindha offers them a chance to ally with him,” said Seve with a worried frown.
“Why would they ally with him and lose their freedom?” Zo asked.
“I’ve heard rumors that Vindha has sent an offer to all the northern kingdoms. He has offered his terms; all kingdoms who surrender will pay a tax to him, answer to his rule, and all able-bodied men will be recruited in an army under his command. In return he will allow the kings to remain on the throne where they will act as his administrators,” Seve explained.
“They will be no more than puppets.” Zo snorted.
“He will put enough of his people in place to make sure the kings have no more authority than a common solider,” said Seve. “But at least their lives will be spared.”
“As long as they agree to his demands, they will remain safe.” said Alicia. “Vindha has definite ideas on how he intends to run the world, and he will not tolerate any alterations to his plans.”
“Do you think they will join us?” Aed asked. He was the commander of warriors, and Seve’s main general.
Seve frowned. “If they don’t join, we are doomed. We can’t hope to fight Vindha alone, even if the resistance army joins our ranks. Let’s hope they value their dignity and freedom of their subjects more than they value their own lives. Maya and Theodore, you will both go to the kingdoms in the North. You will meet the council and convince them to fight with us.”
Alicia approved of his choice. Maya was the administrator in the castle since Seve’s previous advisor Sultan died while trying to track the mage who poisoned Seve. She was a competent mage, and an accomplished solider. Theodore was also perfect for the job; he was diplomatic, logical and well versed in ways to convince people in authority to his way of thinking. They both were loyal and courageous. Seve couldn’t have chosen better people for this task.
“It’s a good plan. If it all falls into place, we will soon meet Vindha on the battlefield,” said Zo with an unholy gleam in her eyes.
Seve smiled. “Does anyone have anything else to add?”
Everybody shook their head.
“Well, back to the wedding preparations then,” he said.
“Best of luck to all those going about their way.” Zima pushed her chair back. “May the Goddess be with you. If you need any information from me, I will be in the library.”
Alicia stood. As she waited for Zo to lift the spell that sealed the room, she wondered if she was perhaps making a mistake by withholding information from her siblings and the rest of the council. But if she told Zo and Seve the real reason why she didn’t intend to take anyone with her on this journey, she knew they would never let her go.
For she didn’t intend to go straight to the temple but instead intended to take a detour that may very well end her journey before it began.
There was no point in discussing it. She had little choice in this matter and her decision was final.
Chapter Three
Zo eyed herself critically in the mirror. “I feel like an idiot in this dress.”
“You look absolutely beautiful.” Alicia adjusted the veil on her sister’s head as she checked Zo’s image in the mirror. Zo looked resplendent in the rich, green satin gown that clung to her body at exactly the right places. Her heart-shaped face shone with happiness, and her eyes sparkled with excitement.
“You’re only saying that because we are identical twins.” Zo laughed as she turned.
“Maybe!” Alicia handed her sister a bouquet of white roses. “Or maybe it’s because you do look ravishing. Arkon might just faint when he sees you!”
“Not before we exchange wedding vows I hope.” Zo shifted on her feet. “I wish Seve had allowed us to have the simple wedding we wanted. I am not too sure about this hoopla, especially at a time like this when the war is upon us.”
Alicia waved her hand. “This is the perfect time to have a wedding. It will take everyone’s mind off this terrible situation. Trouble will come, but not before we have our share of fun.”
Zo cocked her head. “Do you always have to be so wise?”
“I try. Now, do you have your gift?”
Zo picked up the silver amulet she had created for Arkon. It was a traditional wedding gift. She handed it over to her sister for safekeeping.
Alicia ran her thumb over the delicately wrought design of a sun. She put it in a pouch. “He will love this,” she said.
Zo turned once more to observe her image in the mirror. She was more at home in a battle ground then a wedding feast. “I don’t know why I agreed to this.”
“It’s because you love us, and we wanted to have one special day of shared happiness before we all wander off in different directions.” Alicia put her hand on her sister’s shoulder. The two of them were mirror images, except Zo had short hair and Alicia’s tresses were long and reached down to her waist. “Just breathe through the ceremony and you’ll be fine.”
“Not with three hundred guests staring at me.”
“You keep your eyes on Arkon and don’t look at anyone else. You’ve found yourself a wonderful man. If he didn’t love you so much, I would have been tempted to steal him from right under your nose.”
Zo snorted. “He does seem to have a soft corner for you. Did you think I missed the way he sided with you in the council meeting?”
Alicia kissed her sister on the cheek. “It’s only because he knows I am right. We all must do what needs to be done, or everything is lost. We can’t remain locked inside the castle. It is our duty to do whatever we can to avert this danger Vindha has put us in.”
Zo gripped her sister’s hand. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“And you will not.” Alicia smiled with reassurance, pushing back the tears that sprang to
her eyes. “And now, it’s time. Go on, you! Arkon must be waiting.”
Zo walked to the door. “Aren’t you coming?”
“I am going to put this in your room.” She held up the pouch with the wedding gift. “Make sure he wears it tonight. It will protect him from most magical attacks, if not all.”
All three siblings had boosted the amulet with special spells to ensure Arkon was safe from magical attacks. He wasn’t a mage, but as long as he wore the amulet, he would always have a magical shield around him.
“I will put it around his neck myself,” Zo said as she walked out the door.
The wedding was going to take place in the castle’s temple, and later a lunch was organized for the guests. Since this was the first royal wedding in a long time, Seve had gone all out to make sure everything was perfect for his sister. Alicia smiled as she realized that this was the first time she had seen her twin being railroaded into doing things she had no intention of doing. Zo’s idea of a small wedding with just her siblings in attendance was rejected in favor of three hundred guests. Some were joining from other towns on the island, although most of the invitees lived in the castle or worked at the mage training camp where Zo taught.
This might be the last time they would all have a pleasant evening together. The war had changed everything, and soon, Alicia was afraid, things might change even more. She sighed as she walked out of the room. It couldn’t be helped. They were all doing whatever they could to make sure the world was at peace again. Sacrifices would have to be made to achieve that goal.
Leo was standing outside.
“Well, hello! Don’t you look handsome?” He was wearing a new, royal blue doublet with silver buttons. His hair was recently trimmed, and his face as clean as she had ever seen. There was a serious expression on his face. “What are you doing here? I thought you were carrying the rings the bride and groom would exchange?”
He stepped forward. “I came to talk to you.”
“Well, I am in a hurry.” She turned towards Zo’s room. “But you can walk with me and tell me what’s on your mind.”
“It’s something important. I had another vision.” He fell into step beside her.
“Oh! After the council meeting?”
“No. Before that.”
Alicia stopped. “Why didn’t you tell Seve about it?”
“It’s just for you,” he said, looking sober. “It is like that other vision, the one I saw before.”
He had come to her ten days ago. A vision for her, he had said. “There is a man trapped in a cave. He is in great pain, and you must save him. Even now he withers with agony, and you are the only one who can help him. Your destiny is entwined with his. You need him. Without him, you will be lost,” he had narrated.
Alicia had asked him to keep his vision a secret from everyone. If Seve or Zo found out about it, they would do their best to stop her from taking the unnecessary risk. But Alicia knew that it was terribly important she go to this man’s aid.
“I remember that, Leo.” She assured the boy. “I think I know who that man is, and I will try to do all I can to help him.”
“This new vision was different.” Leo took a deep breath as if trying to gain courage. “I saw you in the temple where Vindha is making the demon mages, and I saw you hesitate. When you needed to do something really important, you made a mistake.” He gripped her arm. “If you don’t make the right choice at the right moment, you will fail to close the gap. And if Vindha keeps on making the demon mages, the war will turn in his favor. He will win, and we will all be doomed.”
For a moment Alicia felt her hands go cold. She knew what the boy was talking about. After a great deal of research she had perfected a spell that would close that unnatural gap in the face of the earth, but in doing so, she would have to do something that was vital for the success of this particular magic. “I will not fail, Leo,” she said. “I know what I have to do, and I will not hesitate. Don’t worry!”
Leo sighed. He took a step back. “It will be harder than you think Princess, but I believe you. You will not fail us.”
“Thank you, Leo.” She smiled. “Now I must go put this in Zo’s room, and I will see you at the wedding.”
He nodded. “Alright.”
“Leo?”
“Yes.”
“You remember that you can’t tell anyone about these visions. Not even my sister or the akachimas. They will try to stop me, and we can’t let that happen.”
He nodded, looking pained. His loyalty towards Zo caused him grief to hold this back from her, but Alicia knew he would do as she asked. He knew the importance of her plans, and he would do all he could to help her.
Alicia put the pouch in Zo’s room. Carefully she studied the flower arrangement on the table, the fresh fruit tray and the ale jug beside it. Everything was organized according to her instructions. Traditionally the bride moved into the groom’s house, but keeping in mind the recent attack on Seve, Zo and Arkon had agreed to shift into the castle for the short duration of their stay on the island. Soon, they would both travel to the mainland to establish contact with the resistance army. Until then they would remain safe in the castle, and also help Seve with his war plans.
Alicia went to the kitchen. As she stepped inside, her senses were assailed by the heady aromas from the food that was being prepared. An organized chaos reigned. Malala, the head chef, stood in the center of the room directing her assistants. Alicia watched the plump, short woman terrorize a young cook as he seasoned the soup.
“Too much of that black pepper and no one will be able to swallow a spoonful, Araam. I will not have you tarnish my reputation just because you can’t recall the recipe without looking at the book.” She pointed to the heavy, black book that sat on the center table.
Araam’s hand hovered over the soup cauldron as he frantically tried to recall the exact quantity he was supposed to add. “Two spoons?” he offered tentatively.
Malala glared at him. “That is correct. Do it! And what’s next?”
Releasing a sigh of relief, Araam did the needful. He stirred the pot with a wooden spoon and glanced longingly at the black recipe book.
Alicia decided to offer him a chance to recheck the recipe. “Malala, I hope everything is under control?” She took a few steps towards the center table, and stopped just in time to avoid a collision with a young boy who was carrying in a load of newly washed pots.
“Watch where you are going, Ruben, or I will have to ask your mother to find another apprenticeship for you. You nearly plowed into the princess,” Malala barked as she walked over to Alicia.
Out of the corner of her eyes, Alicia saw Araam run to the black book and turn the pages quickly to peek at the soup’s recipe. Alicia knew for a fact that every single page in that book was handwritten in Malala’s clear writing, and contained the exact measurement for everything that was made in her kitchen. She had ruled this domain for the past fifteen years, and knew the exact count of spoons in the pantry to the number of oil jars that were used each day.
She was fierce a guardian of her domain as was Zima, the head librarian. And both of them were supremely good at their jobs, and didn’t take anything for granted.
“Everything is nearly ready, that is if Araam manages to get that soup right. Be sure you read the instructions about the amount of time the soup needs to simmer before you add the thyme,” she shouted to her assistant, proving she knew exactly what he was up to.
“Go easy on them, Malala. It’s a wedding after all. A happy occasion,” Alicia requested.
“All the more reason for everything to be perfect. It’s not every day that a princess gets married.” Malala picked up a tray of fresh asparagus from the counter and handed it over Ruben who had placed the pots in neat line on the shelf. “Wash these, and mind you do a good job.”
Ruben hurried off with his new assignment, a look of intense concentration on his face.
“Aren’t you coming, Malala? The wedding is about to begin
.”
“I need to make sure the food is ready before I step outside, Princess.” Malala put her hand on Alicia’s arm and steered her towards the door. “Please inform the king that we will be ready to serve as soon as he sends word. I’ve cooked Princess Zo’s favorite spicy herbed chicken and banana pudding. We want it to be a special day she will remember forever.”
Alicia was amused to see herself standing outside the door of the kitchen while Malala bustled inside, no doubt eager to give her assistants a piece of her mind. Knowing that she had little time to spare before the ceremony began, she headed for the wedding venue.
The temple was brightly lit with lanterns placed in niches on the wall. The priestess stood ready under the dome, clad in a traditional white robe, a ritual cord in her hand.
“Do you require anything, priestess?”
“No Princess.”
Alicia stood in one corner, waiting for the bride and groom who would arrive together. She was joined by Seve, Maya, Zima, and a few other relatives who had arrived from other parts of the island just this morning.
“Uncle Vernon, it’s a pleasure to see you.” She kissed a short, stout man on the cheek. He was their mother’s cousin. As a water mage he was highly accomplished. She especially remembered the magic tricks he used to teach them when they were children. He had once played a flute and made the water fountain dance to its tunes. It was something she recalled with great fondness.
“Well, girl, you are next in line.”
She winked at her brother. “It could very well be Seve.”
“Not before you, sis!”
Vernon scratched his chin with one long fingernail. “Never thought I would see the day when Zo would marry a commoner. A mage marrying a non-magic person, it dilutes the line.”
“Vernon! Keep your silly thoughts to yourself,” his wife, an air mage, hissed at him. A foot taller than him, she was always barely able to keep up with her energetic husband’s antics.
“I don’t really mean anything by it, Anna. Just thought the girl would marry a mage that’s all. Think of the kids she would have had if she had married a mage. Powerhouse of talent they would have been! Still, that Arkon is a decent enough fellow, I suppose.”
The Warrior Mage (The Power of Three Book 2) Page 3
