Her head came up and the book fell forgotten to the floor as she rushed to the bed. She sat beside him and touched his face tenderly. “How do you feel?”
He had to wait for moisture to work its way back into his mouth to answer. “Thirsty.”
A cup appeared in her hands from somewhere and was placed against his lips. He swallowed what made it into his mouth. More water ended up on his chin and neck than passed by his lips. When she removed it he felt a little better.
“Thank you,” his voice still sounded raw to his ears.
“Shhh. Don’t talk.” Her hand returned to his face. “You will be all right now.”
He felt his eyelids growing heavy.
When he awoke again, it was to near darkness. Candles were lit and the light reflected off the walls enough for him to make out the shape of someone sitting in the chair.
“Katelyn?” he called a little more strongly than the last time.
The shape rose up and approached the bed. “No. I convinced her to get some sleep in her own bed for a change.” The voice was soft and comforting to his ears.
“Margery?”
“Yes. Here.” Another cup was placed to his mouth and he drank again. He thought he caught a little bit more of the liquid this time. “Gelarus says that you have to drink as much as you can. We did not get very much into you while you were sleeping.”
“How long have I been here?”
“Three days in this room. It has been almost five since you were hurt.” She sounded concerned, but he caught a touch of curiosity. She must have a great many questions for him. Maybe they didn’t know what had happened to him. Of course they didn’t, it had all occurred inside his head. Or had it? His memory of the experience was a little fuzzy. “Are you all right?” she asked him and put a hand to his forehead.
He didn’t know how to answer. He was suddenly so tired he wasn’t feeling anything right now. So tired. He fell back into sleep.
The next time he awoke it was light again. He hoped it was only the next morning, and not days later. Losing so much time like that was discomforting. He struggled to sit up and made it as far as resting back on his elbows before he had to stop. He couldn’t understand why he felt so weak. He remembered being in pain, but if it had happened in his head, then it should not have affected his body. Unless it had been real.
Coran saw that the room was empty and the door to the outer room was ajar. He could make out voices and strained to hear.
“...wishes to be informed when he is awake,” a man’s voice was saying.
“You can tell my father that I will inform him when I decide,” Katelyn responded with her authoritative tone.
Coran winced. He could imagine how the messenger felt about taking that back to the King. Katelyn must not have forgiven Stemis yet for his scheme in Westhaven. She probably wanted him to suffer for a while. A bit petty, maybe, but Coran couldn’t fault her for it. Stemis deserved a little suffering.
He tried to push himself up into a sitting position, but his hand slipped and his head fell back onto the pillow. “Damn!” he cursed his infirmity.
“What are you doing?” Katelyn asked. He had missed her slipping back into the room.
“I just wanted to sit up for a while. You know, a change of scenery from staring at the ceiling,” he said in half jest and half bitterness.
“Wait a moment,” she said and slipped back out of the room again. When she came back she was carrying two white, puffy pillows in her arms. She set them beside him and helped him up so she could place the pillows behind him, then helped ease him back. “Better?”
“Much better,” he sighed. “Now tell me what I missed while I was sleeping.”
She told him about their race to reach Summerhall and the arrival of Gelarus. She then informed him that everyone had stopped by to look in on him at least once. Apparently he had missed one of his watchers. Alys had also shared in the duty of staying by his bedside. He was grateful to them all.
“And my father wants to see you when you are well enough,” she finished. He thought he caught something in her tone when she mentioned her father.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
Her hesitation told him he had hit the mark. “I do not know if it is anything, but at dinner last night my father and yours did not mention you at all. There was definitely some tension in the room. That and my father constantly pestering Gelarus on how soon until you are on your feet again.” She bit her lip in concern. “I hate to admit it, but I think he has plans for you. More plans I should say. Plans for which your father does not approve.”
Coran remembered something from the dream. The Lady in white had told him something about choices. A choice to come? Yes, that was part of it. She said that he had to recover first and that there was time. She also said he had to do what he felt was right.
“What are you thinking? I can tell by the way your eyes seem to see something that isn’t there.”
So he told her about the woman he had seen and what she told him, at least the part he remembered.
“What choice do you think she means?” she asked when he finished.
“I don’t know. Maybe it has something to do with what your father wants with me.”
“Maybe. Can you remember anything else?”
“A figure. He was robed.” He could picture the man, but that was all.
“Do you know who he was?”
Coran shook his head. “I think he was the one who wanted me dead for some reason, and the woman helped save me.”
“Anything else?”
He tried to think, but the rest was still foggy. There was one thing, but he wasn’t ready to tell her about that. He remembered the woman explaining about a choice between power and love. He would have to recall more before revealing that. “Nothing.”
“So strange.” She held up one finger. “Onatel all but offers his allegiance if things go badly as he thinks it will.” She held up a second finger. “That robed figure wants you dead. Gelarus said someone powerful was attacking you, which means it was not a dream. That woman saved you so I assume she was real too.” She raised a third finger. “She shows up to save you and goes on to tell you about some choice you have to make.” She let her hand drop. “Who do they think you are?”
“I don’t know, but I mean to find out.” They both sat quietly for a time.
Katelyn broke the silence. “So what will you do if my father asks you to do something?”
“I can handle your father.” He thought for a moment. “You can tell him that I am unable to meet with him today and tomorrow might be too soon as well.”
“I will,” she said happily. “You should get your rest.”
“I have been resting for too long already.”
Margery stepped into the room and looked at them. “I hope I am not interrupting?”
“Of course not,” Katelyn assured her.
“Good,” Margery stated flatly, “I came to take Katelyn outside. She needs some fresh air. She has not left the palace since she got here.”
“You should go,” he said to Katelyn in agreement.
“But you can’t even sit up without help,” Katelyn protested.
“Alys will check on him in a little while. I already asked her,” her sister told her in a voice that said she would tolerate no more objections.
There was nothing for Katelyn to do but acquiesce. “I will come back later,” she promised him and was gone.
The news that he was awake spread quickly through the palace. Margery and Alys visited him again, which gave him a chance to thank them for watching over him. As soon as they left Devon came.
“You don’t look so bad to me. Not like when we first brought you here. So why are you still in bed?” Devon asked him as he sat in the empty chair that was still by the bed.
“If I could get up I would.” Then he frowned. “Did you talk to Loras at all about what happened in the woods?”
“Not really, why?”
; “I wondered if he found the one that shot me.”
“He didn’t mention it.” It was Devon’s turn to frown. “Why do you think he would? Didn’t you see who it was?”
Coran shook his head. “It came from behind me. I managed to turn my horse around, but the person was already gone.”
“From behind?” Devon said in confusion. “One of them must have hid until you passed, then fired at your back.”
“That makes sense, but why did he not stay to finish me off?”
“The arrow,” Devon exclaimed. “It was meant for you from the beginning. The whole attack was aimed at you.”
“How do you know that?”
“Katelyn questioned one of the prisoners. The man said they were there after gold. He also said that they were recruited for the job by another man named Naras.”
Coran groaned. What did the man have against him? “So the purpose of the attack was to get that arrow in me?”
“That is what we think. Of course we assumed you saw who did it,” Devon stated thoughtfully. “There was something else that bothered me, but there was no time before. When Katelyn asked Loras where you were he pointed in the direction you went.”
Coran could finish the thought for him. “Why did he not send someone after me himself?”
“Exactly.”
“He could have thought I was chasing after some of the attackers. He had no reason to believe I was in trouble.” It made sense, but something about it didn’t feel right. He could tell by Devon’s face that he didn’t believe it either.
His blonde friend stood. “If I don’t let you get some rest, Katelyn will have me flogged.” He moved for the door and stopped before going through. “I will keep an eye on Loras, just to be sure.” Then he left.
The Queen came for a visit next. She kept it short and when she left, his father appeared. Oran sat in the chair and was quiet for a while. Katelyn was right. He looked worried about something.
“Are you well?”
“Fine, Father.”
“Good. Then I should say that I am proud of you for what you accomplished in Westhaven,” his father said. “You did extremely well under the circumstances.” The words were spoken carefully as if Oran was afraid to let his feelings influence them.
“Thank you.” He waited for more.
“What Stemis did was not proper, and I want you to know that I had no knowledge of it beforehand.”
“I know that,” Coran assured him. His father would have told him no matter what the King wanted.
“If you do not wish to marry her you will not have to do so.” Oran did not make idle statements. If Coran wanted out of the betrothal, his father would make it happen.
The thing was that Coran had time to think between visits. What he thought about was the first choice he was supposed to make, that and the betrothal. After getting nowhere he finally decided on one thing. What decided him was the thought of Katelyn marrying anyone else. He didn’t like that idea at all. “No. Leave it the way it is for now.”
Oran gave him an inquisitive look. “Are you sure?”
“I am.”
“Very well.” The Lord of Tyelin stood. “I will come by and see you again when I can.”
“Thank you.”
Oran nodded as he departed.
The next morning Coran felt well enough to test the strength of his legs. Being confined was starting to get to him and he looked longingly out the window at the sky. Using the bed and furniture for support he crossed the room several times before sitting down to rest. After a lunch of soup he set out on a mission to find his clothes. He checked the dresser and the wardrobe but they were empty. He began to have some suspicions at that point. Someone was seeing to it that he did not leave his rooms before he was ready. Feeling defiant he staggered out into the sitting room and took a chair in nothing but his under clothes.
It was not long before Katelyn came to check on him. She took in his lack of attire and blushed. “You should not be out of bed yet.”
“If I have to stay in that room another day I will go crazy,” he grumbled. “I want to ride a horse and practice the sword. I want out of here.” Until that moment he did not understand his own feeling of growing frustration. He did not like feeling weak. It was not something to which he was accustomed.
She nodded in sympathy. “Tomorrow, I promise. I will take you down to the gardens and we can walk. Just give it one more day?”
He nodded, unable to deny her when she obviously had his best interests at heart. He endured the rest of that day and another restless night. He was not recovered yet and he knew it, but he was not made for laziness.
He rose from the bed expectantly. Today he would leave his prison for the first time. He waited with as much patience as he could muster. An hour went by and still he waited. Two hours went by and he was starting to get a little worried. It was not like her to be late. He slipped his legs out from under the sheets and off the bed. He stood up and took a few testing steps. He felt good.
That was when Katelyn came in. She was breathing heavy as if she had been running. “I am sorry. Mother wanted to talk to me and it took longer than I expected.” She smoothed the front of the light blue dress she wore.
“Did you bring my clothes?” he asked. He didn’t even wonder what took so long to talk about, not after spending hours waiting in a hall in Westhaven.
“You did not see them? I had them put in the outer room earlier.” She went out and came back in carrying a pile of clothing. “Let me help you.”
“I can dress myself,” he told her and she laughed. She let him do it, but she didn’t leave. After he put on the white, long sleeved shirt and black pants she held out a coat for him to wear. It was black with silver around the cuffs. He shrugged it on and saw a silver hawk on the left breast. The coat was new, he wondered where it came from..
As if reading his mind she answered. “I had it made for you. I think it looks good.”
One coat was as good as another. “Where are we going today?”
Her smile wilted away. “I should have told you right away. If you can go for a walk than you can see my father.” She mimicked her father’s stern face. “That is what he said,” she told him unhappily.
It had to come sooner or later. He might as well get it over with. “Then let us see what your father wants from me this time.”
He felt more like his old self as they made their way to the council chambers where the King was waiting for them. Coran moved slowly, but without assistance. Katelyn laid a hand on his arm, but it was not to support him.
When they reached the chambers the King was not alone. Oran, Margery, Gelarus, and Queen Anne were with him. Alys was there, standing by the window along the opposite wall. They sat around the long oak table on carved, high backed chairs.
Coran noticed another man there as well. He recognized Martin, Commander of the Knights of Soros. That was the order of warriors whose loyalty was unwavering to whoever sat on the throne of the sun. Not to the throne, or to Summerhall, but to the person on the throne. Coran hadn’t seen the man since leaving for Tyelin. He remembered that the young man was a captain at the time. He was young even for that position and that he was made commander at such an age spoke highly of his abilities. Coran gave a respectful nod to the brown haired, clean cut man, who returned it in kind.
“Please have a seat,” Stemis began. He waited for Coran to take the chair between Margery and Katelyn, who sat down after him. She probably watched to see if he would stumble with the chair. “We have waited to talk about certain things until you were well enough to participate.” Stemis looked tired. His eyes had dark circles underneath them. “Gelarus, you said that Coran was attacked. Who attacked him?”
The wizard was sitting beside Oran who was on the King’s left. “I cannot be sure, but with the power needed to do what was done, I can make a good guess.”
“Then please enlighten us,” Stemis told him.
“As you may know, the number of peo
ple able to touch the power in nature are very few. Of those, the number who are actually trained to use the power is much smaller. Those who have the power to do something like this are even fewer. My first thought would have to be a rogue wizard. Anyone of that ability would be known to me, and the few I do know of would have no reason to attack Coran.” Gelarus went on in his lecturing voice. “A wizard from Daes Shael is certainly a possibility, but again, why? I must, therefore, acquiesce to the one answer that makes the most sense.” He sounded reluctant to state it now.
“What is it?” Stemis prodded.
“Little knowledge survived the last Great War, in Midia at least, but enough was written in the first century of Summer to give us some ideas of what happened and who was involved. The invaders who came from across the Eastern Sea had their own wizards, and still do I suppose. There they are called Maji. The senior, most powerful of the Maji are called the Majin. The Majin lead and train the Maji, along with the more numerous ni-Maji. The ni-Maji are like the people here who have some abilities with Naturus but not enough to be wizards. The most powerful of the Majin is named the Ra Majin. It is my belief that only the Ra Majin would have the necessary power to do what he did to Coran.”
“Then we have our proof to take to the others. That the Easterners are involved,” Stemis said excitedly.
“Proof enough for us, but what evidence do we really have?” Oran pointed out. “Something that happened in a dream?”
“It was more than a dream,” Gelarus stated. “But you are correct in the fact that we have no proof to show anyone.”
Stemis looked like he wanted to respond, but they all knew that both Oran and Gelarus were right.
“Could the people of the East have actually returned?” the Queen asked in her warm, motherly voice that Margery had inherited. Only now it was touched with a panic. “What do we even know about them, or the lands they come from? And why are they here?”
Gelarus cleared his throat as he prepared to speak. “Now the Ancients flourished under the kind rule of the Gods until one decided he no longer wished to be a guide for his people, but be their ruler in all things. The other Gods did not approve but did nothing until it was clear that the Dark God would not be satisfied with just ruling his own people. He longed to rule over all the world. The other Gods united against him and imprisoned him in a mountain.”
Fire And Ice (Book 1) Page 18