Children of the Elementi

by Ceri Clark

  She tuned back into their conversation.

  “Sori, you have to understand. The Elementi are nearly all dead. Soon the entire civilized world will be under the control of the two Magi Empires. Why not pledge your allegiance fully now? The Merpeople won’t stand a chance against the Empire’s military and once the last of the Elementi has been eliminated, well, Aras will turn to the independent states. Even underwater you will not be safe. And we all know that you can’t stay under there forever.”

  “Surely not,” the Ambassador replied, “I have assurances from Aras himself that he will let my people be as long as we give him his yearly tribute.”

  “Yes, but why settle for a yearly tribute when the Empire can have everything?”

  “You know this for certain?”

  “Of course no one can tell the Emperor’s mind but I have it on good authority that Aras’ policies will change soon.”

  With the Ambassador in confusion Ecu left to talk to the Chirrian representative nearby. Sori lost in thought, went to re-join his party. Shenella was about to follow Ecu when the speaker at the door announced that Aras was now ready for petitions. All in the room craned their necks to watch for his entrance.

  Ecu disappeared as the room melted to the sides to make way for Aras. All thoughts of him ended when she saw Aras’ figure enter. To Shenella’s eyes, Aras looked every inch the arrogant Emperor. His dark blonde hair was slicked back from his face. His mouth was pursed in a straight line, his head held high. How she hated him!

  To begin with she didn’t want anything to do with Aras and his infernal court. Her parents had been supportive. They were frightened of him, but at the same time they were one of the oldest families in Eleria. Her family had a proud history. They had been friends and advisers to countless Elementi rulers in the past. They thought their status would protect them as it had since the Change.

  Shenella recalled her governess’s words. After the coup, Rayse Deveaux, the great-grandmother of the current Emperor had formed a government that took over the old Elementi Empire - lock, stock and barrel. “Why bother to make your own Empire when there was one already made?” the governess had asked. But where the Elementi ruled by trade and politics, the Magi used force, fear and illusion.

  Successive governments had managed to keep the structure together with a harsh hand but Aras had changed over the last few years. She had watched him reach out to the breakaway and independent states since she had been in court, hence the daily audiences. No one knew why he changed, but Shenella had heard a rumor that his mother made him promise before she died. He in turn had to wait until he was crowned before he could change anything.

  Shenella could not help it but each time she saw him she was reminded of her parent’s death. She was told it was an accident - that her parents had left the city a day early, that halfway home a stray stone in the road had jarred the carriage. The horses in their panic had jerked forward. The couplings had snapped and the carriage had careered off the cliff to the beach below.

  Each time she remembered, it was as if she relived the memories. A few days after it had happened, her family’s stern lawyer, his face craggy and sorrowful, had sat her down in the gloom of his over-furnished office. Her parents had been his friends for many years as well as just clients. As she stared at the old leather-bound volumes behind him, he explained how the coachman was thrown clear before the coach left the cliff. The coachman had raced down to the beach but it was too late - her parents were dead.

  “Where was Yeru?” she had asked him. She had not seen the gruff coachman since he left with her parents. It would never have happened if he had been driving. Patiently, the lawyer explained that he was taken ill suddenly the night before and they had hired a coachman from the local stables. His relatives in the city were looking after him and there would be no point coming back until the estate was settled.

  She knew at that moment it was no accident. The accident must have been deliberate. It was too much of a coincidence. Within days of her parents’ death, the court had appointed new guardians. They were good people the lawyer tried to reassure her. They were also from an established family, high at court. Shenella shivered, if she knew what she knew now - she would have tried to run away.

  She had to go immediately, the lawyer told her, and his tone turned apologetic. He walked to the door and ushered in a stern looking woman who had been sitting quietly in the outer office.

  “This is Vel. She has been hired to escort you to your new home.” Vel stood up and nodded. Shenella recognized from her dress that she must be one of the nomadic people who hired themselves out as escorts and fighters. Nervously, Shenella’s fingers played with the satin purse strings on her lap.

  “It’s all right, Shenella, she’ll make sure you arrive safely.”

  She was given no time to pack, but there was plenty of time to think on the journey. From the lawyer’s office, Vel took her straight to the coach. She was only allowed to bring what she had with her at the time, a small travelling bag and her small dog, Friel.

  Three days of hard travel later with stops only to change the horses and refreshments, she arrived at what she believed was to be her new home. Although Vel hadn’t said a word since they met, she still felt abandoned when the older lady left. As soon as her feet touched the gravel, she knew there was no going back. Her parents were never coming back.

  Still in shock, she was met by Lord Reik himself. He stood waiting alone, impatiently stamping his feet on the decorative gravel to keep warm outside his grand home. He wore dark clothes and from his immaculate suit to his highly polished boots. Shenella knew that this was a man to be wary of.

  The house was an imposing building surrounded by well-kept formal gardens. Given the obvious wealth of her new guardians she was surprised to find no household line-up to greet her. However, with no one around, he made no bones about her new position. He was in charge and she was going to marry the Emperor-King when she came of age - whether she liked it or not.

  Lord and Lady Reik had tried to convince her with words at first.

  “You’ll get the best dresses, Shenella, as well as the finest food.” She could still hear that woman’s voice in her head. No matter how they painted the life as glamorous, she knew the truth. Life as a consort to an Arellian monarch was a fate worse than death. She still refused so they took Friel away... as well as the few keepsakes she had with her.

  Years before, in her parent’s library, she had read stories of past consorts, silly women she had thought with scorn. They were like dolls, no will of their own and only there to look good on the Emperor’s arm and of course to provide the next generation. They were beautiful - she conceded that. The pictures on the walls of Aras’ apartment she saw later proved it. She had to admit that was flattering. Some of those past queens however did not always live a long life. They certainly never outlived the Emperor they married.

  It had only taken her new guardians two weeks to break her - to send the message to the Council of her consent. She endured two long weeks of beatings and deprivation. She wanted to be stronger, like the heroines in the books she read from before the Arellian Empire - but at the thought of the pain, her eyes clouded. They had only given her enough food and water to keep her alive.

  Even so she could have resisted. Lord Reik forbade all her old friends from seeing her. Cut off from her old life they locked her in an empty room. The first night they locked her up she had made a pillow of her coat to sleep on the dirty wooden floor. They waited just until her breathing evened and woke her up. Every time she was near sleep a servant was told to go in to wake her up again - and they did.

  It wasn’t long before she was near breaking point. A mere ten days after her arrival, her health was failing. Fearing repercussions if they failed, the Reiks did the last and worst thing they could think to do.

  The door opened quietly enough the night she capitulated. Lord Reik walked in carrying Friel. Weak as she was, she managed a small smile. He dropped th
e puppy on the floor and it ran to her, happy to see his mistress again. She honestly thought they had reconsidered - that they had a change of heart. Reaching out she half sat up and lifted Friel into her lap. Her mood lifted as she stroked the soft golden fur. Friel was a gift from her parents a few months before their death. Now she was the only reminder of a happier time. The puppy too was ecstatic at being reunited with his mistress. He licked her face and squirmed joyfully on her lap. Shenella was speechless with gratitude.

  “Will you marry Lord Aras?” Lord Reik intoned kneeling beside her.

  “What? ...I don’t understand” Shenella mumbled confused. The puppy snuggled closer, yapping quietly.

  “I’ll ask again, will you marry Lord Aras?”

  “No!”

  The man stood, his face set hard as granite only inches from her face.

  “You leave me no choice.” Reaching into his pocket, he brought out a small hunting knife. He held it up for her to have a good look. The light from the high window glinted on its shiny surface. Shenella’s eyes swiveled fearfully from the knife to his face and back, pulling the puppy tight against her.

  “N-no, you wouldn’t.” Her eyes pleaded with his.

  He ignored her and grabbed the small animal from her roughly. His manservant, who she hadn’t noticed come in, stood nearby.

  “Hold her!” Lord Reik ordered.

  With an apologetic shrug the man gripped her. She struggled to look away but his hold was strong. Every time she moved her head, he twisted her so she faced Lord Reik. She watched with growing horror as Lord Reik plunged the knife into the heart of the frightened puppy. Friel jerked and gave one last small yelp of pain and fear and died.

  She didn’t want to believe it had happened, but her mind couldn’t deny the evidence. There was silence for a moment - pierced by her scream. She couldn’t stop. The manservant let her go. Reik tried to say something but the grief was too much. She’d lost her parents and now her last companion. She was alone. All the grief she had been holding back took over. They left her alone with the small dead dog as a reminder.

  The next day she agreed to the marriage.

  Watching him dealing with petitioners on the throne, Shenella considered what she had learnt since. In the last couple of years she had grown to know Aras, although he wasn’t as bad as she first thought, she still hated him for taking away her life. She blamed him almost as much as she blamed herself for her parents’ death.

  She felt conflicted. Of course he was cruel - but not to her. She understood him better now, even though she didn’t agree with his methods. One person could change history. Hadn’t his great, great-grandmother brought down the powerful Elementi Empire? Maybe she could change Aras? She hated him but as her parents would say, two wrongs did not make a right.

  In the corner, Marta was defending herself to Ecu.

  “I just haven’t been able to get close to him. He is never on his own. A couple of days ago he holed up in the anteroom for some reason. He didn’t come out until this morning and he called a meeting of the generals. He’d think it was strange if I turned up to that!”

  “Well, you’ll just have to find a way to do it tonight. I’ve done my part, I’ve talked to all the people we need to get on our side first and got the others thinking. We need to control Aras, and soon.” Marta nodded in silent agreement.

  CHAPTER EIGHT: SPELLED

  It had been a long day, Aras thought as he stretched his muscles. He raised his arms over his head, letting the muscles tighten then loosen. Things were a lot easier in father’s time. Merchants want to pay less tax? Send the militia in. Farmers providing less grain? Send the militia in. In fact any problems just send the militia in. He grimaced. Diplomacy was so wearing. He had a good mind to just go with the Council and follow his father’s example... but the savings in military costs outweighed any gains made by force. Again, it would be a lot easier just to leave it to the generals.

  He thought again about the meeting this morning. The mercenaries still hadn’t found anything about the Citadel. Adramelech hadn’t reported about the boy either. He’d give him another day he decided. Aras stood up and began to pace the room, studiously ignoring the maid tidying across from him. He could feel the glimmerings of a headache beginning to throb in his temple.

  “Marta.” He called out into the corridor. Marta hastened into the room. She curtsied and bowed her head.

  “Yes, my lord?”

  “Get me a drink and one of those pills Ecu made.”

  “Yes, my Lord.” This was it. She grinned. Hiding her smile, she turned away. Marta stepped over to the window first and pulled the heavy wooden shutters across the glass. In the resultant gloom, she quietly ushered out the maid who had been making the bed. Following the maid out, she stooped to light a candle outside the room.

  Back inside, she opened a small gilt cabinet beside the bed and took out the small box of pills Ecu had given Aras. She reached up to pick up the water jug and poured half a glass. Darting a glance behind her, she prayed the powder would be tasteless as well as colorless. She held out her left-hand over the glass and lightly pressed the sides of the ring. The ruby popped up, releasing the white powder into the glass. Swirling the mixture, she turned gracefully to hand the drink and pill to Aras.

  “Here, my Lord.”

  “Thanks.” His voice was terse although grateful enough.

  The headache was intense now, the throbbing behind the eyes like an axe hitting the walls in a Salarian mine. Aras closed his eyes to control the pain. He cradled the glass for a moment and took a deep swig of water. Placing the tablet on his tongue, he jerked his head back to swallow the mixture. His head tingled pleasantly. It hadn’t done that before; maybe Ecu had improved the recipe?

  Marta positioned herself in front of him. As she did so, the door to the side opened unexpectedly. Aras faced the door, his eyes flying open in anger. Everyone knew to leave him alone when the candle was lit!

  At that, he saw her. H actually saw her. It was if she suddenly popped into existence before him. The pain in his head receded to be replaced by another pain deep in his heart. He knew she hadn’t wanted to come to the castle. He hadn’t murdered her parents personally but he knew for a fact he was the reason they died. He remembered the flippant remark to his first adviser as if it were yesterday.

  “I don’t care how you do it, but make sure she will be my wife.”

  He hadn’t given it a moment’s thought before now. The pain twisted like a knife in his heart at the realization.

  Shenella stood in the doorway confused. Marta was here? Aras and Marta stood in front of her. Aras looked strange... in pain. Shenella swiveled to look at the other occupant, Marta... If looks could kill, Shenella thought wryly, I would be ash on the floor right now.

  She didn’t know what had just happened but Shenella knew something was up. She’d seen the candle and thought that perhaps now would be a good time to talk to Aras. If she could foil a plot maybe he would trust her. From there... who knows? She hadn’t thought any further than that. Seeing Marta there, she retreated. She wasn’t silly enough to say anything with her there.

  Aras stepped towards her, his palms upturned.

  “Shenella, my love, don’t go.” He put both arms out and touched her fingertips. He drew her to him. Not even acknowledging Marta, he dismissed her.

  Furious Marta stared disbelievingly as the couple embraced. Her mouth opened and closed with a snap. This was ridiculous. She stalked to the door. She had to find Ecu quickly. Hopefully the potion was reversible. Racing through corridors reserved for servants, she pushed through, leaving startled glances in her wake. She reached Ecu’s rooms out of breath. She paused before the door to compose herself. Brushing her dark hair back, she took a moment before opening the door calling his name. She found him in what used to be the servant rooms of the suite.

  He had been busy in the last few days, she thought, noting the changes. He had managed to get the castle carpenters to convert the ex
isting furniture into a laboratory in record time. Where once there stood bunk beds, dressers and cupboards, now tables covered every inch of available space. Every surface was covered with jars, test tubes, burners and such occult equipment she had no hope of ever understanding.

  “It didn’t work,” she said as she burst into the room.

  “What didn’t work?” He calmly poured two colorless liquids together.

  “The powder, the love potion - it didn’t work!”

  He set the mixture down, “Calm down. It was only supposed to last a couple of hours anyway. I thought that something like this would happen. ...By the way, what did happen?”

  “That stupid creature-in-waiting got in the way. It was going perfectly. He asked me to prepare him a drink with one of those tablets you made him. I managed to get the powder in the glass without him suspecting. Just as he took the draught, that ninny walked in.

  “Ah, right. I made that potion to last only a couple of hours for just such an event. If it had been successful we could have topped it up with ease at our leisure... and if you failed it wouldn’t do too much damage. You’ll have to try again later. He won’t remember.” Ecu waved his hand to dismiss her.

  “It would have worked this time, if it wasn’t for that interfering idiot!”

  The healer peered over the jar he was holding.

  “I told you it’s all right.” His voice was reassuring. “The precognition told me something like this could happen. You can sometimes change fate but in this case, obviously not. I knew something would go wrong, I just didn’t know what.”