Chapter Sixteen
Talon
Elainne wraps her confidence, fake or real I know not, around herself and goes in search of the first person to feel her wrath. Everyone seems to understand that she is projecting her father because they step out of the way, bowing and scraping as she passes, never speaking out of turn or whispering behind their hands. That phase of her life is over.
I follow closely, trying to scan everyone for ill and magical intentions. One of the mages greatest weapons is being able to see the pull of magic. Magic rests deep within the soul. When someone is going to use magic, they have to summon it forth from the depths to the surface, where they can use it. It is a replenishable life force.
"Where to, your highness?"
"Viktor tried to visit my father."
I wouldn’t want to be him, dragon Kemp or not.
"I believe he has taken over the library."
"So, he can burn anything that will help me against him and Avren."
I can’t believe her biggest allies have turned on her. Viktor has been the one to tell me that she is the only one he can see being worthy of serving. I heard that at the mages village he even offered to pick up and leave their lives behind, so she could find somewhere peaceful and safe where she would not be judged because of her birth. Now… now he has turned on her, and he and Avren are forcing her into a life she doesn’t want.
"Viktor. If you torch a single book, I will have you beheaded."
I should have paid more attention. Viktor has a bunch of seemingly random books piled up in the center of the room with Avren taking a deep breath. They are going to use dragon fire to burn every magical volume.
"Elainne, I am doing this…"
She holds up a hand. I don’t see her cast a spell; however, he makes the motions to speak but nothing comes out.
"Avren, I command you to circle the borders and keep a lookout for enemies. You report to the nearest guard station if you find them. Then, you will contact me so I can give orders to the unit and you if I permit you to stay and help. Is that understood?"
Avren is her familiar. He has to obey a direct command. He bows his head and flies off. She looks pained. She wants her subjects to have free will. It has to hurt, to take one step closer to what they want to stop them from making her something she doesn’t want to be. Her world has become its own little paradox.
"Viktor, you will help the librarian return these books to their shelves, and after that you may come report to me. If you find anything you think I would like to read, you will bring it to me or I will sever our Kemp bond so fast that you will get whiplash. Is that understood?"
He nods once but says nothing. This time I am not sure if it is by choice or not.
"Come Talon, I have some people to see about obedience."
We turn to leave, but she stops at the door, turning to glare at Viktor. It is the glare death wears when someone fights her grasp.
"Viktor, you will stay away from my father and the other injured or so help me I will not just sever our bond, I will kill you."
She walks out, not waiting for any response. I look back at him. He looks so sad and alone. Also, proud. Is this what he wanted? To break her and make her become something more… more violent and self-serving? Will that not destroy the very reason he thinks she deserved to rule? What are Avren and he really thinking?
I follow, not asking her highness what she thinks. Doubt is the last thing she needs. She is at war. Not just with her father's courtiers; now her own familiar and Kemp plots against her. She is a ship in a storm. I will have to be one hell of a heavy anchor.
When we arrive in the throne room, she looks up at the man still hanging close to the ceiling.
"Are you ready to come down and obey, sir, or shall I make this example more painful? I was hoping to avoid torture or killing, because the dragon attack left the army weakened, but if I need to, I will use it. Make no mistake about that."
Either she has a hell of a court face or she is not joking.
"I am ready to take my place in service, your majesty."
She brings him down and he is turned away, but I am looking close enough to see her flinch. That kicks her where it hurts most.
I summon magic and fling it out, looking for nefarious intentions. I find fear and even some curiosity, but no rebellion. So far, this is going well.
After the lord backs out of the throne room, bowing, she puts up magical barriers. No one will enter without her knowledge.
"I need to send my aunt a spell to let her know what has happened."
"Is that wise? Will she not try to take over? From what I have heard, she would welcome the chance to return here."
She drops her arms and sighs.
"Yes, of course. I shall have to think on how best to word this. Perhaps for now I should just say I convinced father not to attack."
I agree to that. After all, we don’t want her deciding to get in the first strike when there is no chance that a follow up can happen. We came to prevent war; it has to happen on both sides.
"This will not be painful but I will be unable to sense much around me. Please be on guard, Talon."
I cast my own spells behind hers and summon up elemental armor around us. I have my staff ready.
Her magic is as distracting as it is beautiful. While it spirals around us and floats off, I feel relaxed. Her magic is full of peace. I am not sure how, considering her life is spiraling now. I understand where Viktor and Avren are coming from more than ever in that moment. She could calm the torrent of emotions inside herself to bring peace to those around her. She would be so good for the world. Still, what good is a world of peace and free will if she has no choice in where she sits in it?
"Come, let us go see the other patients. My father will have to wait until we find something to help, but you know basic healing for those that need only wounds closed and I can do advanced healing."
I nod and follow her. If her father even opens his mouth, I hope she will magically cut off his tongue. I just might do it myself this next time. At least I understand my people's intense dislike of Elves; he doesn’t set a stellar example for his kind. I am not all that sure he should be allowed to continue to reign, but if he does it will be through Elainne's good graces, and she will hold his leash. That has to make things better.
Elainne
Talon and I arrive in the healer's wing and I instantly go to the back where the worst patients are kept. Parents sit by a little girl's bed. She is bleeding and a complete mess. Her bones are pointed in directions that they shouldn’t be. Magic is holding her to life but it won’t last long. The healers don’t have enough for everyone and they will always go for the ones most likely to survive.
"Hold her still. I can set her bones and stop the bleeding."
Her parents look ready to argue but do as I ask. She is in too much pain to feel much more, so I do it all at once. She gives one yelp, small and weak, and goes unconscious again. I stop all the bleeding and do the same spell that I had to the mages to speed up the body's natural healing abilities.
"I need a journeyman healer to do a blood transfer to this girl. Take some from each parent so you can give her as much as possible without putting them in danger."
A healer in training can accomplish this much easier. One comes over with the needed materials and starts with the father who is closer to her.
"Thank you, your majesty."
I smile. I need to project confidence but also be honest. "There are no guarantees here. I have sped up her natural healing abilities and the internal damage is knitted, but she lost so much blood. Now it depends on whether her body can process your donations fast enough to survive. I am sorry, I cannot do more."
They give me sad, pained smiles as I finish and walk to the next patient. I continue until everyone in the wing has been seen to, and the healers can break to eat and rest themselves. Healing is a constant process and it is not often that they have such a luxury as rest.
I leave for the kitchens, going over the need for increased ordering with all the extra people in the castle getting help. I order it and somehow get stuck in my father's study, going over finances. My father likes to buy on credit. It is going to destroy the kingdom if he is not put straight. I end up in the treasury with the treasurer, filling bags for vendors and sending payments long overdue to them with notes of apology from me. The poor man bagging the gold under my orders looks terrified. Likely of what my father will do when I am gone. We have kept his non-magical state secret. I want to tell Aiden, the treasurer, that all will be well, my father cannot harm him, but in reality, he could physically… not that I will let him. Also, because we are trying to keep my father alive, if one person finds out that he is weak, they will all know.
Talon makes sure someone regularly brings food as well as drink for us, and sends us updates from the medical wing. I am grateful for his help, especially since I do not have time to stop and eat or to visit the medics again. For two days. That is how long it takes me to see that my father was running his country into the ground. The lords have too much power and too much profit. The average household will not last long. Only the lords and ladies will survive at this rate. The tax system needs an overhaul.
"Aiden, I am going to need detailed records of petitions to the king for work around the kingdom. I also need information on infrastructure and government aide. I hope to leave soon to return home, and I need this taken care of before then."
"I can have everything to you in three days, your majesty."
We are once again in my father's study, going over the books. For the third day in a row. This is a mess.
"Thank you, Aiden. I am going to have to give you a bonus when we are done, for being so willing to cooperate with me on this. I was never supposed to have to do this. What was my father thinking?"
People are starting to get suspicious. My father is back in his own rooms and I am still running things. Whispers are going around. Whispers that both Viktor and Talon are keeping track of. Rumors of the dragon has kept all of the kingdoms on high alert but standing down. No one wants to get into that battle. Avren is working as a wonderful deterrent so far. He and I are only speaking about the state of the country, nothing else yet. Viktor and I are on the same page as Avren and I. We talk of the military, the rebuilding of its structures - thanks Avren for giving more money away - and of the mages back in the caves, when messengers arrive.
"I do not believe your father cared for anything other than pleasure… your majesty."
That right there is indicative of what is happening here. He is referred to as 'my father' and I am being referred to as the queen.
"Yes, well I shall have to enter his rooms and sell off his things if this keeps up."
Aiden smiles, but quickly swallows it and bends his head back over the documents that we have been poring over for days. He is warming up to me, but past royals have taught him that they are a fickle bunch. People will take a bit to warm up to me. My father always referred to me as evil, as all humans are, of course.
"Aiden, I am assigning you this office. The one you have is too small, and when I return home, I need someone that I can trust and rely on working in here, in constant communication with me."
"So, you are the new ruler."
I hadn't realized what I said until it was already out of my mouth.
"My father's illness will be a permanent one that will affect him from time to time, so we will be joint rulers. I will have to take over the more arduous tasks. Luckily, it seems he has no interest in those tasks so he should not mind much."
"Things will destabilize that way… I am sorry your majesty, I speak out of turn."
Before I can say anything, Talon speaks up.
"Don't bother saying something and then regretting it. She would rather hear your opinion up front so she can deal with the problem head-on."
Talon is still reading the books Viktor tried to burn. He has learned about a lot of artifacts and spells, but nothing to suit our purposes.
"Yes, Aiden please do give me your opinion. Just try to refrain from using the same amount of exasperation as Talon when you do."
Talon smiles and harrumphs at me, returning to his book. I smile. The constant bickering is more fun than annoying, plus it keeps me feeling a little normal and sane. Aiden watches the exchange in awe. No one has ever seen a ruler like me before. I am getting used to that face. Most in the healing wing wore it on the day that I spent there.
I will have to go again soon. Most are healed up by now, but the ones that had been worst off might need a boost and I really want to see the little girl. I need to see her awake and healthy. Avren and Viktor targeted military buildings, but she had been bringing her uncle something for lunch when the dragon fire hit. Both Avren and Viktor got an earful, and the threat of death if anyone died, especially that little girl.
"I think… I think you should stay and take the mantel entirely."
I have heard that from a few Elves. The common people seem more willing to open up and accept me as their leader because so far I had healed, housed, and fed them. Now the lords are pissed and closing up their borders against me. They rule the territories, but I am wondering if I should allow that to continue. If I do stay, the country will be completely overhauled. There needs to be a new, less corrupt, system. At the very least, new people in charge.
"Aiden, I need some other information from you. Think you can help?"
He looks afraid to ask. I guess it is not every day that people see my plotting smile.
"Are you serious about this, Elainne?"
Talon rarely uses my first name, so when he does, I always stop to look him in the eyes. It is not a passing conversation but a meaningful, trust-filled comment.
"I don’t want to be, but I can't leave things like this. From what we have seen so far, what do you think?"
He sighs, looking around, gathering his thoughts before answering.
"If you are sure, then I agree. Just do not do something you will regret later."
"I will never regret helping people. Let us go find my father."
Talon
Elainne speaks to her father and ends up leaving more annoyed than before. His complete disregard for his people makes her spitting mad. Afterward, I manage to convince her to get something to eat in the garden. Her time in the palace gardens is likely the only time she enjoys. She goes from flower to flower, tree to tree, smelling, touching, and embracing the nature around her. Elves are truly people of the wood. One oak, in particular, seems to call to her. The golden oak. A source of power for the royal family, hence it is housed in the royal garden. It is higher than the castle walls. The leaves are a range of greens. It is an awe-inspiring sight. She sits down, leaning against its trunk, hand at the base, whispering to it. I wonder if it whispers back. Could it actually communicate with her, or any of the royals, for that matter? What does it whisper back to her?
A few moments later she stands, brushing imagined dirt off her gown. I have spelled it to be dirt proof. Unless Avren breathes dragon fire on it, it is going to be perfect forever.
"Talon, we need to join the army in magical sparring."
That can only end badly.
"I do not think that’s a good idea. What if someone tries to assassinate you? You are a tough magical opponent, but if they braid their magic…"
She smiles and nods.
"Yes. That is what I am hoping for."
I can’t imagine her taking suicide as an out, which means she has a plan. I can do little more than follow.
"As you wish, your highness."
"Can you hold your own in a purely magical battle?"
"It's my specialty."
She nods and waves me along.
"Good."
Well, this is about to get extra interesting.
Chapter Seventeen
We arrive and Viktor is already there. I look at Elainne, wondering how that is going to play. Is she thinking what I hope sh
e will not do? I can’t see any form of this ending well.
She watches at first. Just walks around the arena, watching Viktor and the others magically battle. He is getting so much better with his magic. Magic bounces off his dragon scales or is absorbed in, making him stronger. It is an unfair advantage he has used to put the commanders in their places, so he could take over the Elvin army. It worked like a dream. Elves admire strength and anyone that will take advantage of a situation. Perhaps Viktor is more Elvin than they thought.
Many people whisper and point in her wake. I have a feeling that they will all regret that later. After a few battles, she holds up a hand and walks into the dirt-covered arena. That dress will not stand up to the physical confrontation.
Viktor gets his first good look and gapes, then seems to remember himself. He gets down on one knee, bowing and showing his respect. The others copy his movements one by one. That is not good. They are loyal to him, not her. She needs to change that.
"I have two champions and yet one is here instead of by my side. I wonder if it has been worth it. It seems not, as you all need a reminder of who and what I am. If anyone were to forget bowing the instant that my father entered the arena, they would be beheaded. You have mistaken my kindness for weakness. I wish for the three magically strong Elves and my Kemp to take the field."
Everyone shuffles out of the way, as they hurry to do as she says. Viktor goes to stand next to her and I hear whispers of how they know it will be unfair. She uses wind to push him back.
"No, Viktor, you shall fight as the enemy today. See, my Kemp has angered me. He has not been permitted in my presence for the four days that we have been here. Just as you all have angered me, thinking that because I am not my father that it is all right to ignore me. If this type of battle garners your respect, I shall earn it. Once I do prove myself, I expect to not have to do so again. You are forewarned."
Champion Complete Series Page 40