Janay was not deterred. “They get along quite well. Perhaps too well. Rynda and Billy are becoming quite attached to each other, and I do not feel comfortable when I do not know the true identity of the boys courting my girls.”
“They are hardly girls any more,” smiled the queen. “They have grown into wonderful young women. You should be proud of them.”
“I am proud of them, but I am also protective of them as a parent should be. Who is Billy?”
“It is not my place to speak of such things,” the queen responded cautiously. “Your daughters are not in any danger. Let them enjoy themselves. Spring is nearly here, and all will be revealed then.”
“Do you know the true identity of all the people in the Lair?” persisted Janay.
Queen Romani sighed and nodded. “I doubt that your daughters have had much in the way of companionship, Janay. Let them enjoy what little time they have here. Do not push against a wall that will not yield. You will only wear yourself out.”
“Meaning you will never yield?” scowled Janay. “I have been told that I am a guest here, yet I am treated as a prisoner. A woman in my position can accept that. It comes with marriage to a man such as my husband, but I will not lose control of my daughters. You have no right to conceal the truth from me. Put yourself in my place. What if those were your daughters down there, and you did not have any idea who their companions were? Do you really think that you would accept that? You would not. I do not know who you are, but I recognize a woman of quality when I see one. Tell me that I am wrong.”
The attack was unexpected, and Queen Romani found herself nodding in agreement. “There is truth in your words,” she conceded, “but you do not know what is going on in the world outside these walls. We are doing our very best to keep you and your daughters safe, but that requires that we do not let others know of your existence here. Do you have any idea what your husband would do if he discovered that you were living in Herinak?”
The scowl fell from Janay’s face as she considered the words spoken. She had been fairly certain that she was in Herinak, but it was good to have that confirmed.
“He would demand our safe and immediate return.”
“He is in no position to do such a thing,” retorted Queen Romani. “If he did know where you were, he could not afford to let others know the location. Are you so quick to forget that you were kidnapped by Badgers? Do you not think that the Badgers might have confederates in Herinak who would be overjoyed to learn of your location?”
“Do you think he would do nothing?” frowned Janay. “You do not know my husband well.”
“I think it is you, Janay, who does not know your husband well. The Federation would need very little excuse to attack the horse countries. If he learned that you were here, he would send the Federation armies against Korocca and Zarocca. He would not mention your presence here, but he would have special troops designated to retrieve you. Are your unwarranted feelings of unease worth starting a war over?”
“Jaar is not an evil man,” protested Janay. “Why would he attack the horse countries?”
“You have not been kept well informed of what is happening in the world,” answered the queen. “Are you aware that the horse countries are the only countries on the continent that your husband has not conquered?”
“That can’t be true. I would have been told if it were true.”
“Evidently, you were not told the truth. Karamin was the first to fall, over a year ago, followed closely by my own country. Tyronia was the last. The horse countries are the only holdouts now.”
A puzzled frown fell over Janay’s face. She could not imagine such news being kept from her, but Colonel Jurgon had grown quiet during the last few years. Could he have been trying to shield her from the truth for some reason? She let the woman’s words bounce around in her head for a while and then it struck her.
“You are Queen Romani. How is it that you are here?”
It had been a hunch on Janay’s part based upon the woman saying that she was from Vinafor, but Janay smiled at the woman’s response. The expression of shock on the queen’s face was all the proof that Janay needed. It also confirmed Queen Romani’s words. There would be no reason for the queen to be living here if she still ruled over Vinafor.
Queen Romani sighed. She knew that she had given herself away, and that there was no use in trying to cover it up now. “Pretty much the same way you got here. Some brave souls that I had never met spirited me away to save my life. I will forever be thankful to them.”
“As I should be to Forshire?”
“General Forshire risked his life to get you here. I might add that many men lost their lives in the process. You do indeed owe a great debt to them.”
“I do indeed,” admitted Janay, “but there is still a great deal that I do not understand. If my husband truly seeks to rule the world, and General Forshire is loyal to him, why would the general bring me here into the enemy’s lair?”
“You were not meant to come here,” answered Queen Romani. “General Forshire entrusted your safety to a loyal friend when your camp was attacked. That friend brought you here. The general had intended to take you to Despair to be reunited with your husband.”
“Yet I have seen General Forshire walk these halls,” frowned Janay. “How can King Wendal allow an enemy general free access to such a sensitive place? And why hasn’t General Forshire told my husband where I am?”
“General Forshire has told your husband that you are safe, but he has not told him where you are. He does not want to see war between the Federation and the horse countries.”
“A loyal soldier who goes against the emperor’s plans? That makes no sense to me. Either he is loyal, or he is not. Which is it?”
“There are many things that I cannot and will not go into,” answered the queen. “Suffice it to say that he has delivered you someplace safe, and he is working hard to free your husband from captivity.”
“Jaar is in trouble?” Janay said with concern.
“Grave trouble,” nodded Queen Romani. “The Badgers were supposed to kidnap the entire family, but your son was not with you. They will not kill your husband until they are sure that his entire family can be eliminated, but they intend to keep Emperor Jaar under their control until that is accomplished.”
“My son died years ago,” lied Janay.
“Do not demand the truth from me and then repay me with lies, Janay,” retorted the queen. “I understand that you are trying to protect your son, but we are not the ones trying to overthrow the empire by killing Jaar and his family. If we knew where your son was, he would be brought here to safety to be with you.”
“I am sorry,” Janay said softly. “I suppose that there are secrets that each of us must hold closely. Still, I need to know the truth about General Forshire. Samana, my eldest, is infatuated with him. I need to know if he is truly a good man, and from what I hear, he is a maze of contradictions.”
“I believe him to be an excellent man,” answered the queen as she turned away from Janay and stared down at the heirs, “but I would advise you to discourage your daughter. At this moment, General Forshire is working hard to free your husband, but I would be willing to wager that the general will not survive the coming spring. She would be wise to forget about him.”
Janay nodded sadly and gazed down at her daughters. The seven youths were starting a new run down the hill. Harry and Bonnay were sharing a sled, as were Sam and Jeanie. Rynda was paired off with Billy, and Samana rode alone. The sleds raced down the slope, and the one carrying Harry and Bonnay flipped over at the bottom. Harry was thrown some distance and Bonnay scrambled to her feet and raced over to where the prince was sprawled.
“Are you all right?” Bonnay asked with concern.
Harry grinned broadly. “Stop mothering me,” he replied with a chuckle. “I am no longer brittle.” Harry jumped to his feet and picked Bonnay off the ground and whirled her around.
“So I see,” laughed Bonn
ay. “What do you say we take a break and have some hot cocoa?”
“An excellent idea,” Billy responded as he led Rynda towards Harry. “While Harry and I might be used to this cold weather, I am not sure that the others are quite as hardy. The cocoa will warm everyone up.”
“I could use some warming up,” replied Rynda. “I have never seen this much snow in all my life. I’m cold.”
The three couples grabbed their sleds and started making their way to a small stand set up outside the city walls. Samana followed quietly, pulling her own sled. Billy purchased the cocoa and carried it to a small table set up alongside the wall. Everyone sat down and started drinking, but Samana sat quietly, looking at each of the others in turn. To her eye, Billy and Jeanie appeared to be in their element, but neither Sam nor Harry appeared to be used to such weather. Being a southern girl herself, it made her curious.
“How much snow do you normally see each year, Sam?” she asked.
“Nothing like this,” Sam answered. “A few flurries once in a while, but this amount of snow is awesome.”
“How about you, Harry?” asked Samana.
Harry frowned at the question. When she had asked Sam it sounded like normal conversation, but when she asked him it seemed as if she was fishing for something.
“I can’t remember ever seeing this much snow,” he answered, “but I am curious why it matters. Can’t we just enjoy the snow without comparing it to other years?”
“I don’t think this year is typical anyways,” interjected Billy. “The early winter seems to be fiercer than anything I ever saw, and I am used to a lot of snow.”
Rynda looked at her sister curiously. She knew that Samana was after something, but she wasn’t sure what it was. “What is the real question, Samana?”
“I would think that the real question would be obvious,” Samana replied. “Look at each other. Look closely. Bonnay has Occan features, but none of the rest of us do. Aren’t any of you curious who we all are?”
“Such topics are off-limits,” warned Harry. “You should know that.”
“I know that we are not to let others know who we are,” countered Samana, “but that should not include each other. We all occupy the same lair. Why shouldn’t we know about each other?”
“Because it is forbidden,” answered Harry. “There are reasons for the rules given to us, and I will not abuse the hospitality given to me.”
“I thought I was the only stranger here,” frowned Billy. “Now that Samana has pointed it out, I am curious, too.”
“You were just the last to arrive,” stated Samana. “Who are you, Billy?”
Billy really had nothing to hide, so he answered. “I am Bultar. I am from Candanar.”
“Prince Bultar?” asked Rynda.
“Yes,” the prince answered meekly. “Does that make a difference between us?”
“Hardly,” grinned Rynda. “Samana and I are the daughters of Emperor Jaar.”
Harry and Sam looked at each other with anxious gazes.
“We shouldn’t be talking about this,” warned Jeanie. “Nothing good will come of it.”
“Oh?” retorted Samana. “And what country are you a princess of?”
“She’s Tyronian,” offered Rynda. “I heard her talking about the Ur Woods.”
“Princess Jeanel,” smiled Samana. “I am pleased to make your acquaintance.” Samana turned to gaze at Harry, expecting him to be the next to reveal himself, but Bonnay interrupted.
“I am not a princess,” Bonnay declared. “My father is a minor baron in Zarocca. I think that ruins your theory about everyone here being royalty of some kind. Let’s just drop the interrogations and enjoy each other as friends.”
Sam had not heard Bonnay’s words. His eyes were staring at Princess Jeanel with adoration. He had feared that assuming the throne of Spino would mean having to forego his love for Jeanie, and it had torn him apart each night. His mouth widened in a broad smile as he looked into her eyes.
“I am Prince Samuel of Spino, and I love you.”
Princess Jeanel grinned and wrapped her arms around Prince Samuel.
“That, Harry, makes you Prince Harold of Ertak,” declared Samana. “Am I wrong?”
Harry sighed and shook his head. “What is the point of these revelations, Samana? You are purposely breaking all of our vows. There are reasons for the secrecy surrounding the Lair, and those reasons are more important than our curiosities. Have you given any thought to what effect this knowledge would mean to the poor people of Herinak who have been gracious enough to keep us safe?”
“You misunderstand me, Harry,” replied Samana. “I do not mean for this knowledge to leave the Lair. I just think we need to be open and honest with each other.”
“Why would our identities cause harm to the people of Herinak?” asked Rynda.
“Because your father would order his armies to crush the horse countries if he discovered any one of us here,” scowled Harry. “Are you totally unaware of what is happening in the world, or are you intentionally trying to sound ignorant?”
“What are you talking about?” snapped Samana. “I know that my father would be anxious to have Rynda and me return to Despair, but why should he care about the rest of you being here?”
“The Federation and the horse countries are enemies,” Prince Samuel said softly. “Did you really not know?”
Samana and Rynda looked at each other in disbelief. “I don’t believe you,” scowled Samana.
“It is true,” stated Prince Harold. “Both King Harowin and General Montero would kill thousands to get their hands on me right now, and I am quite sure that Emperor Jaar would agree with them and aid them. The Koroccans are taking a huge risk by sheltering us here, and I do not think we are repaying them properly by abusing their hospitality.”
“The same goes for Queen Samir,” nodded Prince Samuel. “Hopefully she has not even discovered that I have left Spino, but if one word were to reach her ears that I was living in Herinak, she would demand that the Federation attack.”
“We truly did not know,” Rynda said apologetically. “We have not heard about any hostilities between the Empire and the horse countries. Why are they enemies?”
“The Federation is trying to conquer the world,” offered Princess Jeanel. “If you do not know of such things, then you have been sheltered from the truth for some time. Are you aware that the Federation has taken over Karamin, Vinafor, and Tyronia?”
Samana and Rynda shook their heads, their faces betraying their amazement. Samana looked to Prince Bultar for confirmation. The Prince of Candanar nodded.
“Karamin and Vinafor fell last year,” he stated. “Tyronia was the last to fall. There have been rumors of an attack on the horse countries, but I understand that the invasion fleet was destroyed last year by rebels.”
“It seems that we truly have been kept in the dark,” sighed Samana. “I wonder if mother knows about this?”
“She would have told us.” Rynda shook her head. “I am sure that she is as much in the dark as we are.”
“All of this gives me pause,” frowned Prince Bultar. “I know why I am here. I was rescued from a deadly snowstorm, and I am grateful for the rescue, but it appears too much of a coincidence that we all are gathered here together. Do you think the Koroccans are holding us hostage to avert a war?”
“No,” Prince Harold said quickly. “In fact, that is the very reason that they have us isolated. They do not want the Federation to know that we are here, and they fear Federation spies among the populace. That is the reason for the false names, and why I have been urged to change my appearance. If there is the slightest chance that any of us will be recognized, Baron Stikman will confine all of us to the lair.”
“Then why are we here?” asked Prince Bultar.
Prince Harold knew better than any of them, but he did not speak.
“A war is coming,” offered Prince Samuel, “but not the war any of you think is coming. There is another count
ry far across the sea, and the Federation also seeks to conquer them.”
“What country?” asked Samana.
“It is called Alcea,” answered the Prince of Spino. “As I understand it, the Alceans are grossly outnumbered, but they are an optimistic people. One of them came to the monastery where I lived and spent some time to get to know me. He questioned me about many things and challenged me about others. When he felt confident that I would rule Spino in a way that would benefit the citizens, he revealed himself to me. The Alceans want just rulers for the nations of Zara. I suspect that is the reason for protecting us. The Alceans want to make sure that we survive the coming war.”
“Bah,” scowled Prince Bultar. “I cannot imagine a government such as the one you describe. If the Alceans win the war, they will install puppet monarchs to rule as the Alceans see fit.”
“You are wrong, Bultar, “declared Princess Jeanel. “I have also met some of these Alceans. They are the most noble of people. They saved my life and the life of my father, and they asked for nothing in return. When Tyronia is liberated, King Myer will assume the throne, with no strings attached, which is the only way my father would ever rule.”
“I agree,” stated Prince Harold. “I was on the verge of death when the Alceans came to me. They healed me, which none of the Federation mages were able to accomplish. But even then they made it clear that I was free to do whatever I wanted. They hoped that I would assume the throne and treat my citizens as people should be treated, but it was not a requirement of their healing. Before I was healed, I expressed a desire to merely go somewhere where no one knew me that I might live out my days in peace and obscurity. They told me that if that was my choice, they would honor my wishes. I could walk out of Herinak Castle today and be free if I wished.”
“You would be most welcome in Zarocca,” smiled Bonnay. “If that is your desire, I will speak to my father. I am certain that he would welcome you to his barony without question.”
“I am not prepared to leave Herinak Castle at this time,” answered Prince Harold. “I have read enough to know that the situation in Ertak is horrible. The people are starving and crime is rampant. People are dying of diseases at an alarming rate, and yet we continue to build the largest army ever seen in history. If I can change that in some way, I would feel obligated to try.”
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