by Brad Clark
He tried to enjoy the moment, but between thinking about what was to come and the painful empty void of missing Elissa, he could not clear his mind. Eventually, he left the merrymaking while it was still in full swing and found a warm corner in the castle where he slept fitfully until morning came.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The snow that had once covered the ground in front of the walls that protected Neffenmark Castle was now gone. The gray and browns of winter were slowly being replaced by green buds of springtime. The locals insisted that the snows weren’t over for the year and they could still get hit with more storms, but the scent of springtime had come to the mountains.
As she had every day since she arrived, Queen Elissa stood atop those walls that had protected them all winter. Across the open field between the walls and the mountaintop forests were fresh mounds where goblin corpses had been burned and their remains buried. Not one major battle would have been won without the help of Hargon. Since then, handfuls of goblins had tried to attack the walls, possibly testing their defenses. They had been slaughtered by archers who were more than happy to rid the world of their grotesque existence.
The sound of feet scuffling across the stone walls distracted her. Her heart ached of loneliness, and her mind could only think of the worst things that could have happened to Conner. Too many days had passed since she and the Elves had arrived without him. Each day she was reassured that he really was not too late, and he would come before too long. Her heart held out hope, but her mind could not stop thinking about worst-case scenarios.
She sniffled and wiped tears from her eyes before she turned.
Sir Marik approached, his face showing its usual grim demeanor. He still wore the burden of lost souls in his face, but his eyes had a hint of sparkle. The fact that he had found love in the middle of war had a lot to do with it.
“Your Majesty,” he said with a bow. Although there was no immediate threat of battle, he wore a mix of leather armor and banded plates. His sword swung at his side, always in easy reach.
“Sir Marik,” she said, with a forced smile. She hoped that he had not seen her wipe the tears from her eyes. She was queen and needed to stay strong, even for her friends. “You look rested and refreshed.”
“Very much so,” Marik replied. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a warm bed and hot food. I can’t get too comfortable, though. There is much work to do.”
“Is that why you’re up so early?”
“Sir Gossmire and I needed to go over the marching plans before we meet with King Illichian. The logistics of battle with the Elves will be difficult. Our fighting styles are different, and we need to figure out how to work as a single force instead of two separate armies.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
Marik gave a sharp nod. “We don’t really have a choice, do we?”
“No, we don’t,” Elissa replied with solemnness. She quickly perked up her tone. Wallowing in despair was not helpful. “I have not seen much of Ilasha since you returned. Can I assume she has taken your return well?”
Marik smiled. The memory of Ilasha hugging him and holding him for a full five minutes when he returned would be a moment that he would never forget. He was dirty, bloody, and smelled horrible, but Ilasha had not wanted to let him go. He had never really thought about falling into love, and if he had, he would have chosen not to. Love and war did not mix, especially when the end of the world was at stake. Regardless, the feeling of his love for Ilasha was something that he was not going to give up, and if they survived this war, he just might give up his sword for a small farm and start a family.
But, those were thoughts for a time far, far in the future. There was much work to get done and little time for thoughts of the future.
With a businesslike tone, Marik said, “Scouts from the west have returned. They reported seeing the horizon on fire from the top of the White Mountains. We can only assume that they have sacked Tara City and it is on fire.”
Her heart sank. With emotions already ravaged by the absence of Conner, she did her best to not burst out in tears. She knew as the queen that she could not afford to let such emotion control her, but some days it took too much effort. Today, though, she was strong enough to hold her emotions at bay.
Marik continued, “The scouts traveled as far as Iseron, and it is a wasteland. The goblin horde destroyed everything in its wake. Every tree, bush, and blade of grass between Iseron and Tara City has been either burnt or trampled.” He paused for a moment to gauge the queen’s reaction. She stood stoically and emotionless, even though he knew that she was suffering. “We had hoped that we could ally ourselves with the Taran army once the mountain passes allowed our army to pass through. We have to assume that we are on our own and must make our plans accordingly.”
She nodded her head to show that she understood. Too many late nights had been spent arguing about their war strategy. Some days she wished she could just stay in bed and sleep through it all. Listening to grown men arguing like children made her furious. She had to keep reminding herself that they all had the best interest of their people in mind. It was just that they all had different ideas on how to accomplish that task. Everyone had agreed that there would be losses during their journey. What would be acceptable as losses were debated through those late nights. She finally decided that they were not going to risk lives by moving the army in the middle of winter through impassable mountain passes. They would have to wait until the winter snows melted before the army could move west. Her position was that the Taran army was large and formidable and should have been able to stave off the Deceiver’s goblin hordes. As it turned out, she was wrong.
As queen and leader of her people, she could not afford to be wrong. Lives and the fate of the world depended upon her being right all the time. Even though everyone else agreed with her, it was still her decision, and they might have lost an opportunity to help the Taran army.
“Have you told King Illichian?” Elissa asked. The leader of the Elves had wanted to strike right away, to attack the goblin army from behind. His Elves might have been able to survive the freezing cold journey, but she knew many of her people would not have been able to survive. He ended up acquiescing to her leadership, but privately she knew that he completely disagreed.
Marik shook his head. “The scouts came in before sunrise and reported directly to me. They are now sound asleep next to a warm fire.”
“I will tell him,” Elissa said, starting to walk past him. She would own up to her mistake and take the blame for losing the chance for a surprise attack.
Marik put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. “There is no hurry. We can wait a little while.”
“He will want to know,” Elissa argued. “He was right. We should have attacked them right away.”
“As I recall, he did not oppose your decision to keep the army here until spring.”
“Yes, but he disagreed with it. You know that. You know he wanted to attack right away.”
Marik let out a soft laugh. “That is not the same thing. He is a very wise king, and he spoke his mind. Yes, he thought the best option was to attack right away, to take advantage of surprise. But, that was not the only option. He was also wise enough to let you make the decision. This is your kingdom, your army, your people.”
She could not hold her emotions any longer. “I do not want this! I did not want this! I am not fit to rule these people. My father was a great leader and a great warrior. It should be him that is leading our soldiers and Knights into war. I can barely hold a sword, much less fight with one.”
Marik let out a sigh. “Do not sell yourself short. You stood in those war counsels giving solid, sound advice. You are listened to because they trust you. Even King Thorndale was wrong at times. Do you not recall that he tried to invade Thell because he was duped into thinking that they were going to attack us? He got his army drawn into a battle that he almost lost. He gave his life for his mistake.” Marik knew bringing u
p her father was going to crush her, but she needed to know that even those that were revered were often wrong. It hurt his heart to see the look on her face as the memory of her father came flooding back into her thoughts, but it had to be said. “He was a great man and a great warrior. Being wrong does not define him. All the other great things he did for this kingdom does. Plus, he raised a wonderful, strong daughter.”
She put a hand over mouth to stifle a cry. Her eyes narrowed, and anger quickly replaced her tears. “Look at me!” She cried out. “I am bawling like a little girl. Queen Elissa? Ha! Queens are not supposed to cry.”
Marik’s eyes dropped to her midsection.
“What?” She said, realizing that he was staring at her.
“You try and hide it, but you cannot anymore. The child within you grows, and you must not let it be your own secret. Soon, even your oversized cloaks will not cover the fact that you are with child. Why do you hold this secret while you have the burden of the kingdom on your shoulders? This is something that you should share with your friends.”
She had tried desperately to deny it, wearing clothes that would hide her growing belly. Having the truth come out was a welcome relief, but it did not help her emotional state. Her tears burst out into a stifled cry, and she found herself burying her head in Marik’s shoulder.
“Life goes on,” Marik said. “Whether we like the path we are on or not, we must follow it. Sometimes we can forge our own path, blaze our own trail. Most often, though, we must take what is given to us and not only make the best of it but make that path our own.”
“You are starting to sound like my father,” she said, half laughing and half crying.
“I am old enough to be your father.”
After a few moments of embrace, she stepped back, touching her belly. She had avoided even that, knowing that touching her belly confirmed that she was indeed with child. “King Illichian will surely not let me into battle, now.”
“You are a strong woman. I think he will not be able to stop you from doing what you want. However, using a sword with a child in your belly will likely be difficult.”
She burst out a laugh. He joined her, and they laughed together for several minutes.
Too soon, the moment passed, and she regained her composure. “Thank you for coming up here to see me. I think I am ready to see King Illichian, now. He should know about me and the Taran army.”
Marik continued to smile. “Soon enough,” he said.
“What is it?” There was something about the tone of Marik’s voice that was just a bit off. Between that and the odd smile on his face, she knew he was holding something back from her. “Tell me!” She demanded, just a bit too harshly.
“Very well,” he replied. He cleared his throat. “As our scouts returned, they went south to avoid a snowstorm that hit the mountains. It seems they came across a small army of men.”
“What?” Her heart suddenly pounded hard thinking that more of the Deceiver’s army was on its way to them.
“No, it is not the enemy,” he said, seeing her thoughts in the expression on her face. “Help for us. Soldiers, they said. Maybe a hundred or so.”
“That’s great news!” Elissa exclaimed. “We can use every one of them!”
“They are on foot and will take at least another day to get here.” Marik’s eyes flashed up as a movement in the sky caught his attention.
Elissa turned to see Myllia, the golden-eyed dragon come into view. She circled as she descended and landed gracefully on top of the wall.
“Myllia!” Elissa said. “It is good to see you. I thought you were going to be gone until spring?”
Myllia folded her wings tight against her body and dropped onto her front legs. “Fires burn to the west,” she said. “I came to warn you that several Human cities to the west are burning.”
“Our scouts have reported just that,” Elissa said.
“Then you know that with the largest of the Human army now destroyed, the Deceiver will probably turn his attention back to you and your small army. I don’t think he will send just one of his generals this time. He will likely send a whole army of them.”
“We are prepared as best we can be, and we will be ready for them,” Marik said. Then he added, “What of the other?”
“Oh, yes,” Myllia replied. “A short flight away.”
“Then you’ll take her?”
Elissa looked from Marik to Myllia. “Short flight? To where?”
Marik smiled. “I did not want to tell you until I knew that Myllia could take you.”
Elissa’s heart pounded hard in her chest. The tears flowed again. “Do not tease me, Sir Marik.”
Marik’s smile widened. “The soldiers are led by Conner. He has returned.”
Elissa’s knees became weak, and she almost collapsed. She put a hand to her mouth to hold in her cry.
“Go to him.”
Elissa did not hesitate. She sprinted to Myllia, who lowered her head to allow Elissa to climb on. With tears streaming down her face, Elissa held tightly to Myllia’s neck as the dragon lifted into the air.
Marik turned to see King Illichian and some Elves finish climbing the stairs up to the top of the wall.
“Sir Marik, where is Queen Elissa going? I have heard that your scouts have returned, and we must begin preparing for war.”
“Yes, of course,” Marik replied. “There will be plenty of time for that. It is still winter, and even if the Deceiver’s army turns to come after us, it will take the army time to march all the way here.”
King Illichian did not have the friendliest look on his face. “Now, more than ever, we must take the fight to them.”
“We will,” Marik replied. “The time to attack the Deceiver has come, and the queen will fully support that.”
“You are sure?”
Marik’s eyes followed Myllia as she sped westward. “The greatest Karmon Knight has returned, and he brings with him the weapon that will kill the Deceiver.”
Hellandrielle, who had trailed behind the king pushed forward. “Conner? Conner has returned.”
“As has Glaerion. And a hundred more soldiers.”
“We are together, then?” King Illichian said.
“Yes, we are together in this fight. Once and for all, the best soldiers of the world are together. If we cannot defeat the Deceiver now, we never will.” Marik straightened and put a hand on the pommel of his sword. “King Illichian, it is time for war. My Karmon Knights will be ready to march as soon as Conner and Glaerion arrive with the soldiers they have.”
“My warriors are ready as well. The fate of the world will soon be decided.”
***
Marila watched Marik climb the stairs with intrigue. Queen Elissa had left her chambers earlier and walked the wall like as she had done every morning since she had arrived. Occasionally, she would look out across the open field to the forests that lined the far ridge as if she were waiting for someone to arrive. Marik and the queen were talking with their backs to her. She wished she were closer so that she could hear what they were saying. Not only would the Deceiver like the necklace stolen and given to him, but any intelligence on their plans for the war would be nearly as important. She thought about trying to move closer when she noticed the dragon come flying in. The majestic beast was an incredible sight, and she could not stop staring at it. It was strong and powerful, able to wreak havoc with her breath, her claws, and her immense size. Yet, it was also gentle in how it landed and spoke to the Humans. Whoever the dragon fought for, she would be an invaluable ally. It was a shame the beast had chosen to side with the Humans.
Soon after the dragon landed, the Elven king came trotting out from the main entrance to the castle. Behind him were a half dozen armed Elves. She watched them for a moment until she realized that for the first time since Elissa and the Elves had arrived that all the leaders of the Human army were not together in one place. Not willing to waste what was her first chance at being alone with Hargon, she dart
ed from the shadows of the wall and raced through the main entrance of the castle.
Hargon had taken a chamber deep in the lower floors of the castle. It was likely he would be there, as he wasn’t with the rest of his friends. Ignoring the strange looks she got from those she passed by, she continued to run down the castles lower corridors. Only when she reached the last turn did she slow to a walk and catch her breath.
Her heart was racing with excitement and anticipation. All her sneaking around and keeping her disguise hidden from even Ilasha had taken an emotional toll on her. It bothered her to think that the past few days was harder than fighting in battle.
His door was closed, and she gave a sharp knock on the hardwood door.
“Come!” Hargon shouted from inside.
Marila pushed the door open and stuck her head through first. Hargon was seated on a couch, a large goblet of wine in one hand and a book in the other. When he looked up, their eyes caught and then his widened.
“Well!” He exclaimed. “I had not expected to see you. I thought it was Sir Marik wanting to go over more of his battle plans. I do not know why he keeps including me in his discussions. I have little care for what his army intends to do. Just put me at the front, and I’ll clear out anything that gets in my way.”
He waved the goblet at her. It took her a moment to realize that he was beckoning her into his chambers. After taking a long drink from the goblet, he set it down on the table in front of him.
“Yes, come in! Your face is much prettier that Marik’s if you don’t mind me saying so.”
“No,” Marila replied with as sensual of a smile as she could muster. His eyes sparkled, and his words were slurred, which she knew would only help her.
“Well, Marla, shall you join me on my couch? I have some wine we can share.”
She ignored that he said her name wrong and sauntered into the room. She quickly gauged the room’s furnishings and came away impressed. It was more suited to being the queen’s chamber, but Hargon came across as one who would wish to have only the best.