“Had I had your ability, Maea, I might have been able to stop this from happening. But I did not realize the error of my ways until I took on the mantle of the sorcerer myself. By then it was too late, and the plans were in motion. I came back here and hoped to alter the path, but Johai had partially bonded with the specter, and Adair was plotting to take over the kingdoms.”
“Why... what changed?” It was difficult to grasp. Johai’s father has been here in Keisan all along, pretending to be a sorcerer-priest.
“I’m not completely certain. I went north in search of power and found the priesthood. Once a generation a man is chosen to take on the spirit of their god, Mrawa. I connived and won my way into their inner circle and hoped to take the power, come back, and take what I had failed to acquire. Once I had the power, I lost myself. I forgot my ambition and dedicated my life to the people. I became the original spirit. That was until three years ago. I dreamed of you and of my son. I knew I had to come here, to guide the prophecy the best I could, and to help save what I had broken with my selfish actions.” He bowed his head.
I stared at him. This is the man whose ambition nearly tore our country apart from within. He corrupted two boys, who grew up into men who were damaged and warped. Now Adair is dead, and Johai may die if I do not go to him soon. “I do not know if I can forgive you,” I said. He did not look up. “However, I can understand wanting to make amends. It may be too late. The magiker says Johai is at death’s door. Everything I did was for nothing.” A tear slid down my cheek. It was more difficult to speak the words aloud than I realized.
He glanced up at me. “It is true that he clings to life by a thread, but he will not die.”
“How can you know that?” I demanded.
“Do you know why I married Johai’s mother?”
“I thought it was a political match,” I replied.
“It was in part, but I chose her for a purpose. The prophecy spoke of the child of two crowns, one whose birth betokened the destruction of all things.”
“You mean Sabine and Adair’s son? He is the child of two crowns.”
“No. Johai’s mother was of royal blood. Though the Jerauchians have not had a true king in centuries, they were once a powerful kingdom, and Johai’s mother descended from the female line of that once powerful house. Johai was the child of two crowns, born of both Jerauchian and Danhadine noble lines. Our kingdoms share similar roots. The first king was from Jerauch, so his vessel would have to be made from that same blood in order for him to withstand the power of the specter. He needed Jerauchian blood to use the power. Many had come before, but they were not pure, and they were destroyed by the power just as they were destroyed by the diviners of old.”
He planned this from the beginning. It had always been his intention to make Johai the vessel. “Did you think you would be able to control him?” I whispered.
“I did.”
The prophecy rang in my ears. The daughter of sunlight slain by love... Johai’s mother had been blonde, and she had died giving birth to him. “The prophecy speaks of when east and west become one; what does that mean?”
“Johai was born in the middle of the war between Neaux and Danhad. Both Danhadines and Neaux died on foreign land, buried in unmarked graves; women were raped on both sides. When war happens, we all bleed and die just the same, and as our bodies return to the earth, we are nothing but ash and dirt,” he explained.
I could not believe it. I had misinterpreted the prophecy from the start. I never could have stopped any of this from happening. It was all destined before my own birth. Even my birth was part of the prophecy’s design. I felt a weight lift off my chest.
“Do not worry for my son. He will wake from this slumber. He was meant to be the vessel just as you were destined to be his.”
He stood and replaced his glamour. He once more appeared as the elder priest. “I am sorry for the pain I caused, but I thank you for what you have done for my son. Take care of him for me.”
He walked out of the chamber, and the door closed with an echoing thud. I sank back onto the bed. He will live. I needed to bide my time until we could be reunited. The days passed in a crawl. Visitors trickled in one by one. Beau came to see me. He said little, and I could not find the words to express my regrets about Sabine’s passing.
When he got up to leave, he said, “I have decided to live.” He left me with my thoughts.
Layton came by and filled me in on the negotiations. Arlene was demanding reparations for the battle in Sanore, and Aland was asking for land to settle along the borders of both Neaux and Danhad. Layton sat at the edge of my bed, his head cradled in his hands.
“I do not know if I can do this, Maea.”
I touched his shoulder. “I know you will be a fair and honest ruler.”
“They ask much of me. How can I make them all happy without upsetting someone? I feel as if I am dancing on a knife’s edge. Duke Nanore and Quince are red in the face from shouting against giving any land to the Biski. Duke Delanty, Ilore and others do not want to give gold to Queen Arlene. What should I do?”
I thought about his dilemma for a moment. The traditional dukes, born of long lines of houses, did not want to lose land. They were already threatened by the growing merchant class. The lower born merchants who had been raised up by Adair valued gold above land and antiquated titles.
“Make trade agreements with Arlene to help repay the damages from the Sanore attack, and as for the Stone Clan, if they wish to settle, they will need to pay tax and homage to the lords of the region in which they settle, as any other landed people would do. If they wish to live in our kingdom, they shall be like one of our kingdom.”
Layton stared at me for a moment. “I suppose there was a reason your ancestors were advisors. When I take the throne, I would have you continue to act as one of my council.”
I blushed. I was pleased. Perhaps I will be of some use in this new kingdom.
The day came at last when the magiker thought me well enough to visit Johai. I was allowed about under the strict precaution that I did not overexert myself. I half ran to his chambers, despite the magiker’s warnings. I could not wait another moment to be with Johai. It was not far from my own, and he was given a place of honor among the royal apartments. When I entered the chamber, he lay still as the dead. His hands were palm down on the coverlet, which was pulled up onto his chest. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, the only indication that he yet lived. His white hair was fanned out across the pillow. Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes as I approached him. I kneeled down beside his bed. I touched his cheek; it was cold. His eyelids were veined and blue, and his skin was clammy.
“He sleeps an endless sleep unless you wake him.”
I glanced up. My mother was standing above Johai. When I blinked, it was not my mother but Elenna. She wore a cloak pulled forward so that I could not see her face, but I recognized her honeyed voice.
“Where have you been? I thought you had left Keisan. They want you to stand trial for Adair’s death.”
She hid her hands in her sleeves. “I have been waiting for you. I will leave the palace soon and return to our people.”
“Why did you not seek me out before? I have been worried for you.”
“I dared not go to you. No one comes here but the maid who tends the fire. They think he is dying, but he is sleeping, waiting for you at the gateway. The power was too much, and you have not awakened him fully yet. I knew I had to guide you to complete the task.”
“Why did you kill Adair? I know now that he could not have been the one to take the specter. It had to be a daughter of the blood who took the specter beyond the veil.”
“His death was necessary. The kingdom could not heal until he was gone.”
“You planned to take my place beyond the veil; why?”
“Because I thought it was my destiny. Your mother spoke to me in my dreams back in Sanore after that first time I saw you in the theater. She told me that I ha
d to lead you, help you learn about your powers and your past. I was meant to lead you to the Sea Chamber, where I was to take the specter beyond the veil. I did not know that she was going to use me as her avatar.” She lowered her head.
“I don’t even know how to thank you.”
“There is no need. I did what was necessary to protect our people.”
She turned to walk away. I stood up and called out to her, “Wait. What do I do now?”
“Wake him. Bring him from the dream world.”
Elenna slipped into the shadows. I did not even hear her footsteps fade away. A chill crept up my spine. Perhaps I imagined it. I sat down on the edge of Johai’s bed and looked down at his face. I brushed the hairs from his temples and felt the thrumming of his heartbeat. I did not have the herbs I would use in a traditional reading, but our connection went deeper than that. I matched his heartbeat, and for a space of time we were one body with two hearts.
I opened my eyes in the dream space. We were standing in the hallway, the same one where I had battled the specter for the last time. At the end of the hall, there was a small child crouched down. His knees were drawn up to his chest. I went over to him. He looked up at me as I approached. He had bright blue eyes that were wide with fear. His hair was golden and framed his round face.
“Hello,” I said as I squatted down beside him.
“Are you the monster?” he asked.
I arched a brow at him. “Do I look like a monster?”
He looked me up and down. “No, you don’t seem like a monster.”
“Good. Have you seen a monster? Is that why you’re hiding here?”
He nodded.
“Can I hide with you?”
He nodded again.
I sat down on the ground beside him and arranged my skirt to cover my feet. “What does this monster look like?”
He looked at his hands laced around his knees. “Like a beast, with fangs and white fur and red eyes.”
“That sounds terrifying.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you know the best way to defeat a monster?”
He shook his head.
“To face it head-on.” I jumped to my feet; in the dream I was not limited in my movements by my pregnancy.
A roar echoed down the hall. The child-Johai screamed and covered his ears and closed his eyes. “Get down. He’s coming.”
“There’s nothing to fear; I am with you now.”
The monster roared again, and then a lumbering shape came around the corner. Its shadow was long, but I could see the teeth and the claws. This is a creature of his own imagining. He has to face it to break free of the dream world. This is the place where the specter trapped him. It is up to me to free him.
When Johai looked up at me again, he was a man grown. He took my hand, and together we faced the monster. It came roaring towards us, all slavering jaws full of sharp teeth. Red eyes burned like coals, and the fur was pale as fresh snow.
“Maea, run,” he shouted.
I held his hand and refused to move. The monster came within an inch of us. I felt its hot breath upon my face, but it came no closer. It stayed at a distance, not coming nearer, just pacing back and forth in front of us.
“This is it?” I laughed.
The monster roared in response. It reared on its hind legs, and when it came to the ground, the floor shuddered.
I laughed again. “I have faced worse than you. Leave us.”
Johai was watching me. And then he, too, laughed, long and loud. The monster roared, reared a final time, and fled from us. When the creature left, Johai and I were left alone. Light began to fill the hall, and Johai touched my face.
“I thought I would remain here in the darkness forever.”
“I would never have left you behind,” I replied.
I leaned in to kiss him, but as I did, the vision faded. I opened my eyes, and I was leaning over Johai. His eyes were closed still, but he was stirring. I saw his eyes rolling behind his lids. Then his eyelids flickered open as he looked up at me.
“Maea?” His voice cracked from lack of use.
I burst into tears and kissed him. I kissed him as if it was the last, first and every kiss in between that we had been denied. I had saved him. I had stopped the ultimate evil from walking the earth. I had the man I loved.
I pulled back and looked him in the eye.
“Is this a dream?” he asked.
I shook my head and rubbed the tears from my eyes. “No, my love, this is our life.” I grabbed his hand and put it upon my stomach. “And this is our child.”
Chapter Twenty-four
THERE WAS STILL MUCH left to do once Johai and I had been relieved from our bed rest. Terms had been settled on for the treaties between the three nations, and everyone left with some measure of disappointment. No one had taken more than the others; all had to compromise. Layton had promised ships to Arlene, which could be used to distribute goods more quickly between Jerauch and Neaux by rowing up the river from the sea. The Stone Clan was given some open land along the border between both countries, which until now had been a largely unincorporated part of the land bordering Duke Nanore’s region. The taxes to be paid made Duke Nanore happy, and he found a use for otherwise unused land. Danhad had asked for little in the balance other than renewed peace. Given Adair’s sins, I thought it a wise choice. The terms of the renewed treaty between Danhad and Neaux surprised me. Arlene had agreed to acknowledge Prince Leonel, Sabine and Adair’s son, as her heir in the event that she had no children of her own. When I had been in Sanore, she was adamant against giving her sister’s son the throne after her. I wondered what had swayed her. Did Damara convince her in the end?
I went to the ceremony of the treaty signing as a member of the council and the peerage. I was given a place near the front, and I could see everything. The council of twelve was arrayed to one side, each wearing their house colors. Sixton in purple and silver, Nanore in green and orange, Magdale in black and maroon, and my father, Duke Wodell, wore black and white with the white thorn embroidered on his doublet. Each was there in representation of Danhad and their old and noble houses. Layton stood in front of them. He was dashing in the sky blue and yellow of House Florett. He looks every inch the king he is meant to be. I wore a gown of violet, and the swell of my child was great. Johai stood beside me. He was not one for displays of public affection, but he held my hand just the same. We were inseparable. Though we did not sleep in the same chamber, ours were next to each other so I could feel him close to me. We talked about our daughter and our future. It was a marvel to think about. Until now we had never considered the future, and now it lay open before us, full of possibilities.
There were those that remained at court who would question the paternity of my child, and even more who might whisper about me and Johai, but I did not care. None of them know me or what I have done for them. It does not matter. We are one, and we are happy.
The procession began. First came the Neaux, and Arlene led them into the audience hall. She wore the garb of a man once more. Her doublet was the color of dark blood. She wore on her head a crown inset with rubies. Over her shoulder was a golden cloak, which dragged across the ground. At her back were Neaux representatives. There were those among them that I recognized, members of her council and those who had been close to her. I had half hoped to see Damara among their numbers, but I was disappointed to see she had not joined us in Danhad. If Arlene agreed to her terms, then Damara will be exiled to Neaux.
After the Neaux came Aland and members of the Stone Clan. He wore the long tunic favored by the Biski people. His party was a mix of elders from the tribe and his first wife. There were younger men amongst their number, who I assumed were Aland’s sons or nephews. I spotted Aland’s daughter amongst the crowd, the one who had been Johai’s lover when he was possessed, and I felt a ping of jealousy. Johai had not been in control of his body at the time, but I could not fully suppress the feelings it invoked in me.
&n
bsp; A table was set at the front of the chamber, and it was here that all those involved stood around. Seeing the commingling of leaders left me with a feeling of both pride and apprehension. The tension remained, and I was under no delusion that this would be a lasting peace. Something will happen, and the peace we sign here will crumble. Aland and the Biski like him will never be happy until they take back their homeland and regain their sacred places that we destroyed when we came to this land. Arlene will never be satisfied; she is too distrustful and fearful. While her mother remains at large, she will suspect Danhad even though Adair is gone.
Adair had been killed, but the Order of the Oak remained at large. Many of its members had fled, fearing punishment now that Adair was gone. My father and Layton knew many of the members and the threat of retribution would be enough for now to keep many complacent. However, the Order’s reach was far, and to find them all would be a difficult undertaking. Trying them for treason would be equally complicated, because so many of the Order members remained on the council, including my father and Layton. A majority of them had not committed any treason other than joining the Order. They would kill too many and create instability to accuse everyone. For now we are safe because Adair is gone, but one day someone will rise in his place. I have no doubt the Order is not done with their work here.
The court crier read off the terms of the treaty in a sonorous voice. Once the terms were read for the court to hear, the three parties walked up to sign. Layton went first as the chosen representative of Danhad. He signed and bowed to the other two before stepping back for Arlene to sign. She took her time, and I could see the size of her signature was twice that of Layton’s. Aland went last. He made his mark hesitatingly, but it was there, if a bit shaky. The court crier held up the document for the court to see, and a great cheer rose up to the ceiling, bouncing off the columns that lined the chamber.
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