“Silence! I will have silence in this chamber, or it will be cleared. Tyrian, do you have more evidence to present?”
“Yes, my lord I do. The gypsy testimony is only part of the evidence I wish to present. I call on Eclasius Jortac, heir to the seat of the Jortac Duchy.”
Eclair cleared his throat, and nervously approached the podium. He purposely avoided looking at his father.
Ty signaled for him to begin, and sat back down.
Eclair looked back at Dyla for support. She nodded for him to proceed.
“Grand Duke, Lords and Ladies, I have a unique gift that allows me access to places that I might not otherwise be invited to. Lord Vogdo, may I have your permission to demonstrate this gift, so all will understand its power.”
Vogdo raised an eyebrow. “You may demonstrate, Eclasius, if it won’t take too long.”
Eclair nodded, bent the light around him and promptly disappeared from view.
Lucas Jortac jumped out of his seat. “Eclasius, what’s this trickery?”
Eclair released his concentration, reappearing in full view.
“It’s no trick, Father. I can bend the light around myself, and become invisible. This is what allows me to access many unique places.”
Duke Lucas choked back a reply, and sat down, staring at his son as if seeing him for the first time.
Eclair looked at the Grand Duke, and continued his explanation. “Bending light is how I became privy to a meeting between my Father and Baron Avikar.”
“Are you saying you spied on their private conversation?” Vogdo asked.
“Unintentionally and much to my shame, yes, Sire, I did,” Eclair replied, red-faced.
“Please, continue. I am most interested in what you learned from this conversation.”
“I was in my father’s study, resting after walking too far from my bedchamber. I was home recovering from my poisoning at the Grand Competition, and not as strong as I originally thought. That’s when I heard Baron Avikar arrive. I heard footsteps coming towards the study. You must understand that my father does not like me in his private study. I panicked and bent the light around myself to prevent myself from being seen. I did not want to stay, but I had no way to leave.”
Eclair stole a quick glance at his father. He swallowed hard, and continued.
“My father and Avikar came into the study, and my father locked the door. Avikar began yelling about why the Telkur twins weren’t prevented from entering the Grand Competition.”
Eclair paused and wiped his sweaty palms on his pants.
“Avikar wanted to know why they weren’t stopped along the way, and then asked how the Dalcon team was killed in their stead. He was incensed. The twins had won the competition, and Darius had the money to pay off the duchy’s debts. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to happen. ‘What are you going to do now,’ Avikar screamed at my father.”
Many heads swiveled to Duke Lucas, trying to gauge his reaction to his son’s words. Lucas sat rigidly in his chair, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes.
“Please continue, Eclasius. What happened next?” Vogdo asked.
Eclair took a deep breath, and went on with his narration.
“My father replied that Avikar should calm himself, because the situation was not as it seemed. There was evidence that showed that the Telkur twins were complicit in the murders of the Dalcon team. They would be arrested, tried and imprisoned for life. He also told Avikar that he would be awarded the ruling seat of the Telkur Duchy once the twins were convicted.”
“Did you hear anything more, Eclasius?” Lord Vogdo asked. “The Council must hear everything that was said that day.”
Eclair bobbed his head up and down, nervously licking his lips.
“At that point in their conversation, Avikar did calm down, and replied, ‘Oh, so the twins are to be blamed for killing the Dalcon team, how delicious, how delightful. That will work out nicely for me. Thank you, my Lord Duke.’ After saying that, Avikar left my father as quickly as he arrived. My father also left the study, and that is all I heard that day.”
“Lies, lies!” screamed Avikar, visibly shaking with rage. “It was Jortac who masterminded the whole plan.”
“Guards, restrain Baron Avikar,” Grand Duke Vogdo ordered, sternly. “One more outburst and you are to remove him from these chambers.”
The guards quickly grabbed Avikar’s arms, and held him roughly between them. Avikar stood as if in stasis.
“Eclasius, thank you for your testimony. You may step aside,” the Grand Duke said.
Eclair bowed and walked to the back of the chamber, rejoining Darius and Dyla. Dyla slipped her hand in his, and gave him a reassuring squeeze to help calm his shaking.
Ty stood again, raising his hand to quiet the crowd.
“My Lords, I have one more piece of evidence to present. I ask Captain Sardel to bring forth his irrefutable evidence supporting the Brotherhood’s tale of that fateful night in the Telkur Duchy.”
Ty found it hard to still his wildly beating heart, and he was not successful in hiding his nervousness at the coming event. Many of the Council members noticed him shaking before he took his seat again.
Sardel returned to the podium. “It seems undeniable that Avikar has masterminded this trickery, so I shall crush any hope he might have of proving his innocence.”
He motioned his group of followers to move forward toward the Council members.
“Let us bring our sister forward, and present her in her rightful manner,” he said.
The band of gypsies walked to within a few feet of the Council table. They parted and, from their midst, a woman stepped forward, her face shadowed by the shawl she wore. She boldly stepped forward, standing directly before the Grand Duke. She raised her face, letting her shawl fall from her head, and stretched her right hand in front of her for all to see. On her hand sat a ducal ring. Everyone looked on, transfixed, and she cried out in a loud voice.
“I am Lady Lilliana Telkur, the rightful duchess and ruler of the Telkur Duchy.”
A collective gasp rose from the chamber. Everyone leaned forward to get a better view of the woman.
Above the noise, one voice could be distinctly heard.
“No,” Avikar screamed, startling the guards as he broke away from them. “I killed you myself!”
Avikar jumped over the low railing of the gallery, and raced towards Lilliana.
Lilliana turned and saw a mad man racing toward her. A window opened in her mind. Memories came flooding forward in a fast and furious torrent, transporting her back to the warehouse where Avikar taunted her before murdering her beloved husband, Levon. The memory threatened to overwhelm her, but Lilly was not the same woman who had stood fearful in that warehouse two years ago.
She reached to the small of her back, and pulled out the blade that every gypsy carried. As Avikar came rushing at her, with murder in his eyes, she stepped forward and thrust the blade deep into his chest. His eyes bulged in shock when she pushed the knife in deeper.
“You killed the only man I ever loved, you bastard,” she said icily, thrusting the knife to its hilt. “You failed to kill me two years ago, and you’ve failed again.”
The world slowed for Lilly while she watched the life drain from Avikar’s eyes, and then he slumped dead at her feet. She pulled the knife from his chest and cast a steely eye in Vogdo's direction, riveting his attention.
No one at the Council table moved. They stared open-mouthed at the woman they used to know as Lilliana Telkur.
Dyla rushed forward to the gypsy woman. Physically, the woman was the same, but Lilliana’s essence had changed. She was no longer the benevolent woman Dyla remembered, but she was still her mother. After praying for this moment for so long, it Dyla took only a second before she found her voice.
“Mother?”
Lilliana turned toward the young woman. “Dyla,” she whispered. She dropped the bloody knife, and pulled her daughter in to a fierce bear hug.
B
BC news report: Where is Professor Catiana Spencer?
The disappearance of renowned archaeologist Dr. Catiana Spencer continues to baffle investigators. Dr. Spencer, a leading expert on Stonehenge, Arthurian lore, and Druidic society, has been missing for several months. Investigators have found no evidence of foul play, and interviews with colleagues have provided no clues to her whereabouts.
Epilogue
The two young men walked along the grassy knoll outside the Telkur mansion. The day was brisk, and the tall grasses swayed in the wind. Ty glanced at Darius and thought his friend looked content. The last few months had been a whirlwind of activity, and the two had rarely found a chance to talk alone since the fateful Council meeting.
“So, how do you like it so far?” Ty asked. “You seem to be handling the stress well enough. Find any problems you can’t handle yet?”
Darius chuckled softly.
“You know, one day at a time. Sometimes things come at me so fast that the day is gone before it starts.”
“Believe me, I understand. When I first started, I didn’t sleep for a week straight.”
“Ty, you know, I wouldn’t be standing here today if it hadn’t been for you and Trinity helping to solve that mystery. I don’t know how to thank you.”
Ty nodded. “Well, cousin, I can’t have you messing up the family name, now, can I?”
Darius slapped Ty on the back. “Yeah, you do that enough for both of us.”
Ty had created quite a stir when it came to light that he had opened official trading with the gypsy nation. Months later, more than a few of the older dukes were still in an uproar over his new policy.
“So, how’s Dyla coping?” Ty asked.
“She’s fine. She and Eclair are very close these days.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, they’re seeing each other regularly. Eclair spends more time at the mansion than anywhere else.”
“I never would have guessed that those two would end up together. She never gave him a second glance at the Institute.”
“I know. Life is strange.”
“How does she like being First Counselor?”
“She’s doing well. She didn’t want it at first. She thought I was giving her a cushy job; that is, until she started doing it.”
“Why appoint her First Counselor?”
“I want her to know everything that’s happening, in case she has to step in sometime.”
“What do you mean? Are you going somewhere?”
“No, I’m being careful,” Darius explained. “I don’t think this is over yet. I have the throne, but there are a lot of unanswered questions out there.”
“What about your mother? She could step in to help you.”
“Not any more. She officially abdicated her title as duchess, and all her rights revert to me. She wants to go back to the gypsies. That way of life appeals to her now.”
“The gypsies?”
“Evidently they fulfill an emptiness she feels. We’ll still see her, but with Father gone, I don’t think she wants her old life back.”
“With Telkur added to the new trade agreement, the gypsies will be able to come and go as they please. You’ll see her often enough.”
“I know; that’s the good part.”
“And, no more Avikar,” Ty said.
“I wanted to kill him at the Council meeting. I would have, if my mother hadn’t done it first. But, something’s still bothering me about that little weasel. There’s no way he could have done all that planning by himself; he was spineless. He had help from someone, someone who pushed him from the shadows.”
“I agree, although I half-believed Avikar when he accused Lucas of being the mastermind behind everything. Lucas is smart enough to plan such a devious plot, and he’s an arrogant power hungry bastard, as well.”
Darius nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, I believed Avikar too. If the Grand Duke hadn’t backed up Lucas’s account about conducting an official Council investigation, while leading Avikar on, I never would have believed Lucas innocent. So, that still leaves someone else helping Avikar. Believe me; I’m going to find out who’s behind this. My father is dead, and someone is going to pay for it.”
“I’m right beside you,” Ty said. “I have questions about my own parents’ deaths. My councilors ordered the execution of the murderer while I was in mourning, and I never got a chance to question him directly. I think we’ll find more than a few snakes when we start turning over rocks.”
Darius nodded as they strolled along the hillside. Ty looked at his friend, concern clearly written on his face.
“You ready for this? Restoring the damage Avikar caused with the treasury and the trust of your people?”
“I’m ready. Avikar did a lot of damage, but we found the money he embezzled, and I’ve already reinstated most of the programs my father had started. The competition prize money doesn’t hurt either.”
Ty chuckled. “Money is always good.”
“Did you know that Eclair didn’t take his share of the money? He said that the experience was more than enough payment.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“How’s Eclair getting along with his father? After his testimony, life at the Jortac manor must be an adventure in itself.”
“Eclair’s not living there any more. He went back for awhile, but he has a position at the Institute and took rooms there, at least when he’s not visiting Dyla.”
“I’m happy for him,” Ty said. “I knew he was better than what most people thought of him. He was always powerful and now, with that trick of bending light, he’s one of the best ever. It’s no wonder he got a job at school.”
“It’s funny though,” Darius said, “all those years in school, Eclair didn’t want anything to do with the professors, and now he’s one of them.”
“Life’s strange, my friend. So, what’s up with Cat?”
Darius shrugged.
“She’s something else, and she’s not happy at the moment. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but at least I convinced her to keep quiet about Earth. She’s angry that she can’t go home, but I told her that Munroe will be watching for her, and would probably kill her on sight.”
“Doesn’t she realize that?”
“Apparently not; she thought she could go home and resume her life.”
“There are too many unanswered questions about that planet, especially with that Henry guy looking so much like the Grand Duke. We must move very cautiously investigating this. It’s odd that none of the ancient Chronicles mention anything about survivors remaining on Earth.”
“I agree.”
“Has anyone questioned your story of why Cat is here?”
“No, she’s the least exciting thing that has happened around here lately. Everyone believes we were hiding in the Beckson Duchy, and that she came back with us from the war zone. Every day’s a new adventure with her, and I have a hard time keeping up with her. Thankfully, she and Dyla are getting along.”
“With both of them under one roof, I bet you’re glad about that.”
“Yep, always an adventure,” Darius said.
The two young men turned, and slowly walked back to the Telkur Manor, enjoying their last quiet moments together.
***
Grand Duke Vogdo sat in his study, staring out the window, deep in thought, his finger tapping the desk.
I must change tactics.
His quest to become King was temporarily curtailed. Although his plans to be rid of the Telkur twins had failed, he believed he could still turn the situation to his advantage. It was a matter of leverage, and he was a master at finding and taking advantage of every possibility.
I shall turn this around yet. Those two young dukes will need an experienced hand to guide them, and who has more experience than the Grand Duke of Otharia? Yes, this will work out nicely.
He thought through the machinations he would employ. Bringing the two newly-crowned Du
kes of Telkur and Persing under his tutelage would be the first step. Some careful guidance and manipulation should ensure Darius’s and Ty’s loyalties, and guarantee their votes when he made his move to become King.
"Yes, things will work out. I will be King, and no one will stop me again."
Vogdo cackled with delight, envisioning himself sitting as King of Otharia.
Vogdo turned from the window when he heard the familiar sound of a portal opening. A shadowy presence stepped through and bowed to the Grand Duke.
"My Lord, you summoned me?"
"Ah, Nils, my elusive fellow. You never fail me, and I won’t forget such dedication and loyalty. I applaud you for keeping a low profile after the last Grand Council meeting.”
“Thank you, Sire.”
“I’ll have a new assignment for you soon that will take you away from any lingering attention regarding the Avikar incident."
"My Lord?"
"You’ll be going to Earth to check on the activities there. The flow of crystals has slowed to a trickle, and it has me concerned. I’m afraid my dear nephew, Sir Henry Hanover, might be encountering some problems. His explanation about the slowdown has not been as forthcoming as I would like. I want you to go there as my personal representative.”
"As you wish, my lord.”
“While you’re there, check on every aspect of the crystal operation. I want to know why the flow has slowed, and who is complicit in that slowdown. Then report back to me your findings, but take no actions until I command you.”
“Of course, my lord.” Nils turned to leave.
“One more thing, Nils. I want you to determine where Henry’s loyalties lie.”
“As you wish, my lord.”
“I’ll contact you soon about the departure date.”
Vogdo dismissed his personal assassin with a swish of his hand, turning back to the window and his thoughts of becoming King. He saw a lone hawk come into view, soaring majestically on the winds, vigilant in its search for prey. Vogdo smiled as he watched the hawk’s deadly dive toward its next kill.
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The Quest for Nobility Page 31