Jelena tried to imagine such a catastrophe and couldn’t. Her mind would not, could not form those images of horror and despair, simply because she had never experienced death and destruction on such a massive scale. She prayed that she never would.
Ashinji had fallen silent, and the set of his jaw told Jelena that he no longer felt like talking, so she turned her attention to the castle ahead.
The great fortress of Sendai Castle sat atop a hill rising from the heart of the city, dominating the view from all quarters. The broad road upon which they approached led to the edge of a vast, gravel-covered parade ground laid out beneath the castle walls.
The architecture of the castle closely resembled that of Kerala, except on a much grander scale, and rendered almost entirely of whitewashed stone instead of wood. The red light of the dying sun painted the walls a bloody crimson.
A mounted figure emerged from the shadows beneath the main gate and approached at a trot. Jelena grinned as the figure resolved itself into Aneko. As second in command of Kerala’s guard, she had gone ahead to announce the arrival of the king’s Commanding General.
Aneko pulled up and saluted briskly. “My lord, the Steward of Sendai Castle is pleased to send you his greetings and requests that you proceed to the outer ward where he awaits your arrival.”
“Thank you, Sergeant. You may return to the line,” Sen replied. “Sadaiyo! Ashinji! By me.”
Ashinji flashed a quick smile toward Jelena as he moved his horse forward to position himself at his father’s left hand. Sadaiyo took his place at the right. He looked every bit the nobleman in his brightly colored silks and conspicuous jewelry while Ashinji could have easily passed as his father’s Captain of the Guard, were it not for the fact that he rode at Sen’s left hand.
Jelena now found herself riding beside Misune, who studiously ignored her. She did not mind; she wouldn’t have known what to say even if her sister-in-law had deigned to speak.
Lord Sen and his entourage passed through the castle gates into the outer ward. There, they were met by the most diminutive man, human or elf, that Jelena had ever seen. He stood no more than the height of a well-grown human child of six or seven years. The air of importance with which he carried himself, and the large gold chain of office that hung about his neck told her that this must be the Steward of Sendai Castle.
“Ah, ah, so good to see you again, Lord Sen!” the little man exclaimed in a high-pitched voice.
“And you, Karogi. It has been awhile,” Sen replied warmly.
“The king sends his greetings and has charged me personally with seeing to the comfort of you and your family. Your guards will be shown to the barracks and the servants that you don’t require right away can go directly to the staff hall.
“Lu! Attend!” A young boy, dressed in the livery of a page, sprang forward. “Take Lord Sen’s civilian staff to the hall. Get moving, boy! Ajisai, show Lord Sen’s guards to the barracks and see that the horses are taken care of.” A lanky youth stepped forward and gestured to Gendan, indicating that he and the rest of the guards should follow him.
Jelena ferociously suppressed an urge to laugh. The sight of this tiny man snapping orders in his squeaky voice struck her as comical, but she had no doubts as to the enormous power he wielded within the hierarchy of Sendai’s vast staff.
He deserves my respect, she chided herself, not my derision.
Sen dismounted, Sadaiyo and Ashinji following suit. Ashinji then came to steady Willow’s head while Jelena slid from the saddle. Misune flung herself down from her cranky stallion and strode boldly up beside her husband to pose, hand resting on her sword hilt, like the haughty warrior princess she fancied herself to be. Jelena would have preferred to remain in the background, but Ashinji led her forward with gentle insistence. Sen walked back to the carriage and escorted Amara and the Sakehera daughters forward.
“Lady Amara, this is a wonderful surprise! So good to see you! My, my, your daughters have all blossomed into such lovely young ladies. My lord, I remember your eldest son, Lord Sadaiyo,” the Steward bobbed as he spoke, “and of course Lord Ashinji, welcome back, my lord! Peregrine Company will be overjoyed to have its captain returned to it, but I do not know this beautiful and formidable lady.” Karogi proffered a courtly bow to Misune.
“This is my Heir’s new wife, the Lady Misune Sakehera,” Sen replied with a touch of pride in his voice.
Karogi bowed again. “My congratulations to you both,” he piped. He then turned to Ashinji after flicking the barest glance at Jelena. “My lord, will your servant be sharing your quarters, or will she need a cot in the staff hall?”
Misune snickered. Jelena’s cheeks ignited.
“Jelena is not my servant,” Ashinji said. His eyes had gone hard and cold.
Jelena laid a hand on his arm and squeezed. “Ashi, it is an honest mistake,” she spoke very softly, so that only he could hear. She felt no anger, only resignation and understanding. A hikui girl dressed in simple cotton and leather-of course this little man had mistaken her for Ashinji’s servant.
“Hmmm, uh, my youngest son has also married recently. This is my other daughter-in-law, Jelena,” Sen explained hastily. Jelena glanced over at Sadaiyo and cringed at the smirk on his face. The sight of his enjoyment of her humiliation made her burn with renewed hatred.
Karogi cast a dubious eye over Jelena, but he was a consummate courtier, and swiftly adjusted his attitude. “A thousand apologies to you, my lady, and to you, Lord Ashinji. Please forgive my stupid blunder. It seems, then, that congratulations are in order for you as well, my lord. Am I to assume that you and your new bride will be needing accommodations within the keep itself, rather than the barracks?”
“Yes,” Ashinji replied curtly.
“Very good, my lords, my ladies, please come with me, then.”
They followed the tiny steward-who walked far more quickly than Jelena would have guessed possible-across the spacious outer ward and through a second set of gates that pierced the inner walls of the castle. After traversing the smaller inner ward and a flight of wide, shallow stone stairs, they reached the massive double doors of the keep itself. A pair of guards snapped to attention as they approached.
The doors to the keep stood open. Karogi swept through, waving perfunctorily to the guards. As Jelena passed over the threshold, she looked about her with awe. Even the twins remained silent and wide-eyed.
This is the biggest building I’ve ever seen, she thought.
The steward led them across a wide entrance hall toward a broad staircase. The expansive space flickered with shadows cast by the flames of dozens of brass lamps-many fashioned in the shapes of fishes, roosters, lions, and other animals-hanging from chains attached to the ceiling. Stone columns spaced at regular intervals supported the roof overhead; finely woven, well-padded matting covered the stone floors.
There seemed to be no one else about, not even servants. Jelena realized that most of the people of the household would be involved in the evening meal, either eating it, or serving it.
“Lord Sen, the king has requested that when you have gotten your family settled, that you attend him in his private study. He has several matters of importance that he needs to discuss with you,” Karogi said as he led the way up the stairs. They climbed two flights and passed down a long corridor into one of the castle’s many towers. “Your lodgings,” Karogi announced as he threw open a door.
The tower was, in fact, a multistory apartment, with a common room at the base and several bedchambers on the floors above. It had a private entrance from the yard below, and the biggest and most luxurious of the several bathhouses set aside for guests stood directly across the yard.
“Your baggage is on its way up, my lord,” the steward assured Sen. “The lamps are lit, and there is wine, beer, and fruit juice for the children. I shall send servants to assist you straightaway.”
“My thanks, Karogi,” Sen replied. The steward bowed, and, quick as a cat, he departed.
&nb
sp; The twins immediately clamored for permission to go find a bedchamber for themselves and Lani.
“Yes, yes, girls. Go ahead.” Amara wearily waved towards the staircase leading to the upper floors.
“Come on, Mariso, Jena,” Lani called. She shepherded the chattering girls upward, admonishing them to be careful and not to run.
“Where do they get all of that energy?” Sen muttered. Looking around, he spotted a sideboard upon which stood a couple of pitchers, a carafe, and an assortment of glasses and cups. He poured a glass of wine and handed it to Amara. Helping himself to a cup of beer, he then claimed the most comfortable chair in the room for himself and sat down with a grateful sigh. Amara settled on a couch set before the unlit fireplace.
“I’m sorry about what happened earlier, Jelena. Please forgive me.” Sen said. “I should have introduced you properly, as you deserve. Rest assured that it won’t happen again.” He raised his cup to his lips and took a long, deep swallow.
“If she insists on dressing like a servant, no one should be surprised that she’s treated like one,” Sadaiyo commented. He had also helped himself to the wine; he and Misune now sat on a smaller couch near the window, sharing the cup between them.
“I dress this way because it is comfortable,” Jelena replied, her voice low and hard. Sadaiyo sneered. She turned her back on him and went to pour a glass of wine for herself and a cup of beer for Ashinji. She briefly entertained the idea of throwing the pitcher at Sadaiyo’s head.
No. Why waste good beer on such filth?
“Comfortable though it may be, it is not suitable garb in which to go before the royal court,” Amara gently pointed out. “I think the new green outfit I gave you as a wedding gift should do nicely.”
“Yes, Mother. I’ll be sure to unpack it first thing,” Jelena replied.
A knock at the door signaled the arrival of the baggage, along with several servants bearing trays. With the efficiency of experience, the servers soon had a hearty meal laid out-turtle soup, cold poached fish, a platter of steamed vegetables, wheat cakes fried to a crisp, golden brown, several loaves of bread, and a small wheel of hard yellow cheese. Apples and berry tarts made up dessert.
The delicious aromas of the food set Jelena’s stomach to rumbling; however, decorum dictated that she, along with the rest of the family, must wait until Sen and Amara had taken what they wanted before serving themselves.
The food tasted as good as it looked. As they ate, Sen spoke. “I expect the king’ll have a lot to discuss with me, so most likely, it’ll be a late night,” he said between mouthfuls. “Prince Raidan will probably be there, too. Sadaiyo and Ashinji, you’ll accompany me, of course, though I doubt you’ll need to stay the whole evening.”
“The king will be calling the war council soon, don’t you think, Father?” Ashinji asked.
“Yes, when all of the lords entitled to sit in council have arrived, he will, but I don’t know who all is here yet. Jelena, I’ll need your ring. I intend to show it to the king this very night.”
“Yes, of course, thank you, Father!” With eagerness born of hope, Jelena pulled the ring out from its hiding place beneath her tunic and slipped the chain over her head. She presented the ring to Sen and returned to her seat on a floor cushion next to Ashinji.
Sen held the ring up before his face, where it swung gently, back and forth, like a fortune teller’s pendulum. Pensively, he examined the gleaming white band of metal for a few heartbeats, then closed his fist around it and shifted his gaze to Jelena.
“Jelena,” he began, “You know family means everything to us and-right or wrong-a person with no family can’t expect to rise very far in elven society.” He paused to look at Amara, who nodded in agreement. “When you married my son,” he continued, “you became a member of the House of Sakehera which, though no small thing, is not the same as knowing the house from which you came.”
As if sensing her anxiety, Sen smiled in reassurance. “It’s an understatement to say that your life has changed since you first came to us,” he said, “but it will be nothing compared to what could happen if your true father embraces you as his own. Are you ready to face that?”
“I’m ready for whatever happens, Father,” Jelena replied, but her bold words rang hollow in her own ears. In truth, she didn’t know which she dreaded most-acceptance or rejection.
“Are you implying, Father, that she could be the daughter of a noble house?” Sadaiyo asked, eyebrows raised. “That’s impossible! What self-respecting elf of good family would mate with a human? Her mother could have stolen that ring, or found it in a field somewhere. A marchland farm boy’s by-blow… Now that I could believe!” Misune laughed at her husband’s cruel words, her golden, lioness eyes flashing with mean-spirited amusement.
“Shut up, Sadaiyo!” Ashinji growled, rising halfway from his seat, hands knotted into fists. Jelena reached out to restrain him.
“What’s wrong, Little Brother? Can’t stand to hear the truth about your precious little mongrel?” Sadaiyo retorted, rising to his feet in anticipation.
“That’s enough!” Amara cried. Before anyone could react, she sprang from the couch and launched herself at her eldest son. Planting her hands against his chest, she shoved Sadaiyo hard. He fell backward into Misune’s arms where he lay, staring up in shock at his mother’s face. Amara stood over him, rigid with fury. “Sadaiyo, you have no idea who and what this girl is, none at all!” She spat her words like slingshot bullets.
Sadaiyo flinched as if struck, and all the color drained from his face. He swallowed hard and bowed his head. Misune wisely followed suit. Jelena had never seen Amara so angry nor Sadaiyo so cowed, and she found the vehemence of her mother-in-law’s outburst disturbing.
What does she mean, who…and what…I am? Is she talking about my father…or something else?
“You will never again speak to Jelena in so disrespectful a manner. Need I remind you that you insult your father and me each time you insult her? She is our daughter-in-law now, and we were the ones who gave our consent to her joining our family.”
“Please forgive me, Mother,” Sadaiyo murmured, his proud head still bent in submission.
“Don’t ask me for forgiveness. I’m not the one to give it to you!” Amara retorted. Sadaiyo opened his mouth as if to reply, then apparently thought better of it and remained silent.
“Your mother is right.” Sen spoke up, his own voice razor sharp. “Like it or not, you are all family, my family, and by the One, you will behave like it! Things are going to be very different soon, you mark my words!”
No one moved or spoke for several heartbeats.
Sen finally broke the tense silence.
“We’re all tired and filthy from the road, but that can’t be helped. The king has commanded my presence, so I must go. You two, c’mon.” He jabbed an index finger at Sadaiyo and Ashinji, then gestured toward the door.
With a soft “I love you” whispered into her ear, Ashinji kissed Jelena on the lips and followed his father and brother out of the apartment. Without saying a word, Misune fled up the stairs, leaving Jelena and Amara alone in the sitting room.
Jelena’s mind whirled with unvoiced questions.
You have no idea who and what this girl is…
“Mother, what did you mean…what you said to Sadaiyo just now?” she asked.
Amara returned to the couch and settled down with a weary sigh. She patted the cushion next to her. “Come sit by me, child,” she commanded. She held out her hands so Jelena could see the intricate designs tattooed on both palms. “These designs are not meant as mere ornamentation,” she explained.
Jelena nodded in understanding. “I always thought they must have some higher meaning.”
“For those with the knowledge to read them, they are sigils-magical symbols.”
“Of what, Mother?”
Amara stared at her hands for a moment before folding them in her lap. “Jelena, I’ve a confession to make. It concerns your blue fir
e. When you first came to me for help, I told you I was unsure of its exact nature, but in truth, I’ve known all along what it is.”
Jelena had always suspected Amara knew more about the mysterious and frightening blue energy than she admitted to, but to hear her mother-in-law confirm her suspicion still disturbed her. The look of firm resolve mingled with profound sadness on Amara’s face disturbed her even more.
“I had to keep the full truth from you until now, Jelena, because I did not want to frighten you, but things are moving far too swiftly. I’m just so sorry that you will have this burden to carry along with everything else you’ll have to deal with.”
“Whatever burdens I have to carry, I’ll have Ashinji to help me. As long as he’s by my side, I won’t be afraid,” Jelena replied, trying to sound as brave as she could, but realizing that Amara saw through her false courage.
“There’s no shame in being afraid, Jelena. You are young, but I have faith in you. I believe you possess great strength-far more than you know-and you are going to need every bit it of it in the end. Now, listen carefully…”
~~~
Later that night, Jelena lay awake in bed, awaiting Ashinji’s return and trying to make sense of Amara’s revelation. She turned it over and over in her mind, but from every angle, it seemed so unbelievable. Jelena had the utmost respect for Amara’s powers as a mage, and she felt certain that every one of her mother-in-law’s fellows in this mysterious Kirian Society were equally as Talented, but…
Surely they’ve made a mistake! How can I possibly be this Key they’ve been awaiting? Shouldn’t the one chosen to carry such powerful magic be someone with the strength to control it?
Tomorrow, Amara had promised to present her to the other members of the Kirian Society who lived in the capital, and then her training would begin in earnest.
But what exactly am I being trained for?
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