Someone, Raidan realized, as Ashinji Sakehera appeared at her side. He crouched down and the two of them bent their heads together, whispering earnestly to each other.
Your fortunes have risen quickly, young Sakehera. I doubt this sits well with your brother, Raidan thought.
“Your Highness, at your pleasure!”
Raidan looked away from the lovers to see that a groom had brought his horse. All around him, the procession formed up, preparing to move out across the parade ground and down the main avenue into the city. Even at this distance, the prince could hear, like waves crashing against the shoreline, the muted roar of the crowd gathered along the street.
Keizo had already mounted his horse and sat waiting. Raidan swung into his saddle and the king signaled to the litter bearers. Ashinji Sakehera stepped away as they raised Jelena and her litter to their shoulders. He grabbed her hand and kissed it, then went to mount up beside his father. Raidan maneuvered his horse into position next to the king, and they moved off.
The procession wound its way slowly through the streets of Sendai. The largely okui crowds greeted their king and his newly legitimized daughter with polite cheers and muted applause.
All of that changed the moment they entered Jokimichi.
The hikui folk had turned out as if for a festival day. All the shops and houses were hung with streamers and brightly painted banners. The people greeted Jelena with tumultuous cries, surging forward in a desperate attempt to touch her.
At first, Jelena appeared too overwhelmed to move. She sat as still as a painted statue, one manicured hand pressed to her lips. Then, as if awakening from a dream, she turned her head from side to side, and Raidan could see tears flowing from her eyes, carving streaks through her heavy white court makeup. She leaned forward and thrust her hand over the side of the litter, like a woman dangling her fingers over the gunwale of a boat.
An old man seized her fingers, kissed them, then just as quickly released them. Another and yet another person grabbed her hand, each one pressing it fervently to adoring lips.
The King’s Guard made a move to close in and put a stop to things, but Jelena shouted at them to maintain their places. Keizo nodded his head, signaling to the bewildered guardsmen that they should obey his daughter.
“It appears that the hikui folk have already taken your daughter into their hearts!” Raidan had to shout in order to be heard above the crowd.
“So it would seem!” Keizo replied. “Would that the rest of our people were as accepting!”
“Give them time, Brother! The people love you, so they will love your daughter because she is yours!” Raidan spoke to reassure his brother, though he, himself did not really believe his own words, and he could see the uncertainty written on Keizo’s face. The king had always paid close attention to popular opinion, even before he had come to his throne. Raidan felt certain that his brother had noticed the lukewarm reception given to Jelena by the majority of the okui in the city. The prince did not think it realistic to expect that Jelena would be able to win over the okui people of Sendai, despite her likeability and determination.
The procession flowed like a colorful snake out of the hikui district, then turned around and began the slow ascent back toward the castle. Raidan glanced over his shoulder at Jelena, who now leaned back against her pillows, eyes closed. She looked so young and vulnerable, and despite the ruin of her makeup, exquisitely pretty. Raidan could now understand Ashinji Sakehera’s attraction to her.
The crowds had become once again mostly okui folk, curious to see the hikui girl from the east whom the king had declared an Onjara princess. They cheered, but Raidan knew they directed their devotions toward Keizo and not his newly proclaimed offspring. The prince was well-pleased.
It seems that ambition will be served merely by awaiting the inevitable turn of events, he thought.
Chapter 13
Dark Ambition
Within a cold, shadow-haunted chamber, far below the light and warmth of the inhabited levels of Sendai Castle, the King’s Companion knelt before a small altar of rough-hewn stone. Scattered about the room lay the tools of the sorcerer’s trade-thuribles, rock crystal orbs of various sizes, wands, and an extensive collection of vials, bags, bundles, and bottles-all crammed together on plank shelves affixed to the plastered stone walls.
Sonoe had chosen her workplace with care-an abandoned storeroom deep within the warren of chambers that made up the undercroft of the castle. Hers was a secretive business.
The altar stood in the exact center of an intricate circular pattern of lines painstakingly etched into the hard-packed clay of the cellar floor. Viewed from above, a discerning eye could see the many smaller patterns that made up the larger arcane construct. At each point where two or more lesser patterns intersected, a small beeswax taper burned.
Sonoe focused her mind on the task at hand. She removed the gold pins holding her fiery tresses in place and shook them free. She then untied the sash of her thin silk robe and let it slip from her shoulders to the floor. Her bare skin-pale as fresh cream in the candlelight-roughened with gooseflesh in the chilly air, but she ignored the discomfort.
She removed the black stone pendant that hung about her neck and placed it on the altar, then paused to steel herself against what she knew she must soon endure.
The spirit will no doubt wish to…abuse me first, she thought . I mustn’t break, mustn’t show any weakness…No matter what it does to my flesh.
Casting a pinch of incense upon the glowing coals in the small iron thurible, she inhaled the pungent fumes and felt a rush as the mildly narcotic smoke entered her body. Her mind drifted into the still place at the center of her being-that part of her wherein dwelt the essence of her Talent. She drew on the well of energy that fed her power and directed it outward, so that it could be shaped according to her will.
Her fingers tingled and sparked as she picked up the small blade lying beside the thurible, and with a quick, sure stroke, she made a shallow cut across the ball of her left thumb. She squeezed and a crimson bead of blood appeared. Carefully, so as not to spill a single drop, she let her life force drip, along with her blood, into a silver chalice. One, two, three…
After she had counted six drops, she bound her slashed thumb in a strip of clean linen. The first part of the spell was complete.
Next, she poured a measure of wine into the chalice. “I maketh this draught from the blood of my veins and the life force of my body, so that it may be a worthy offering,” she murmured, stirring the wine with an ivory rod.
She cast another pinch of incense onto the thurible, then lit two red candles.
She raised her arms. “I entreat thee, O Nameless One! Thy servant Sonoe awaits your dread touch. I am ready to receive thee, Master!”
She let all of her mental shields drop, and waited.
The black stone now glowed from within, emitting an eerie, blue light. Sonoe could feel the approach of the ancient spirit, the one who had dwelt in darkness, imprisoned, for a millennium, and now hovered on the verge of freedom. He had first come to her in a vision, whispering promises of power beyond all imagining, the power of an empress who would rule at his side.
The stone served as a link, and she, Sonoe, acted as the living tool by which the Nameless One would obtain the one thing essential to his plan.
The Key.
He came like the wind before a storm, surging along the link forged between them by the combined strength of their magics. He slammed into her body, hurling her onto her back with brutal force. She felt her legs forced apart and then the sensation of some thing entering her. Though she had anticipated this, still she screamed in pain and fury as the Nameless One assaulted her. She felt as if she were impaled upon a spear of ice, the frozen organ of a frost giant.
It seemed as if the rape went on for hours, but in reality, it lasted no more than a few heartbeats.
The Nameless One withdrew and hovered before her, radiating malevolent satisfaction.
His voice rang in her head like the peal of a huge, brazen bell.
You are mine, to do with as I please.
Sonoe licked dry, cracked lips. She struggled to rise, wincing in pain, but the spirit lashed out and forced her into a servile crouch.
You will always be on your knees before me, unless I give you permission to be otherwise, or unless I wish you on your back.
Sonoe shook with fury and fear in equal measure. “When you first came to me, you promised me power! You said that you would make me an empress, but instead, I find that I am to be your slave?” She glared up at the Nameless One through a curtain of mussed hair.
A rough sound, like the grinding of metal upon metal, rent the air. Sonoe flushed in humiliation at the Nameless One’s scornful laughter.
The moment you forged the mind link with me, you became my slave, Sonoe. But do not despair. Though you are my slave, you shall indeed share my triumph and my power. No other shall be set above you, save me. I shall reshape reality to my will and we will rule over all things, side by side.
Sonoe’s anger began to cool, then hardened into steely resolve. “I submit then, willingly, Master,” she murmured.
Again, the metallic grinding of the Nameless One’s laughter tore at her ears and her mind.
Submission does not come easily to you, beautiful one, but you will learn, and it will be my pleasure to teach you.
Sonoe felt her breasts and thighs caressed by an unseen, icy hand. Though bitter bile rose in her throat and threatened to choke her, she remained still.
The one who harbors the Key. Tell me of her.
“She sleeps in the arms of her husband, in chambers near the king’s private quarters,” Sonoe answered in a rough voice. “I have scanned her and tasted her energy! It is…delicious!” Sonoe found herself becoming aroused at the memory of how the Key had felt. She had experienced nothing like it before – intoxicating, exhilarating, yet terrifying all at once. She had immediately craved more, but there had been a barrier, like a layer of clear ice, preventing more than a cursory touch.
The vessel knows nothing of what she harbors?
“She knows she has Talent, and she knows some facts about the Key. I couldn’t prevent my…colleague, Amara Sakehera, from telling her. The girl is her daughter-in-law, after all.” Sonoe paused.
You must be careful. I need not tell you the dire consequences if you are discovered.
“I am well aware of the risks!” Sonoe hissed in annoyance. If any of her fellows in the Society discovered her duplicity, not even the king himself could save her. But none of that mattered. The Nameless One offered a prize worth any amount of risk.
You must be prepared to kill them all to gain control of the vessel.
Sonoe knew full well that “them” meant her fellow Kirians, as well as anyone else who might interfere. Amara Sakehera she could deal with easily, but Taya Onjara was another matter. As for the rest of the Kirian Society, the one person who had the power to stop her-the former Mistress of the Society, Chiana Hiraino-mysteriously disappeared years ago. The only remaining members-Iza Fudai and Keyak Hyuga-were both retired from practice.
“I can do whatever it takes,” Sonoe declared. “But you must be ready to do your part when the time comes!” She watched the spirit’s misty form grow ever more insubstantial as the power that sustained the link between them weakened.
My strength is fading, otherwise you would be writhing in agony for your insolence. The link must be severed soon, so listen carefully. First, you must befriend the girl, earn her trust. Only then will we be able to gain control of her. I shall…keep watch…on…your… progress…!
“I understand…Master,” Sonoe replied.
The Nameless One severed the link.
Sonoe knew the spirit had withdrawn to his prison beneath the icy wastes of the Kesen Numai Mountains to rest and rebuild his strength. She felt like a spent wineskin. The dull pain between her legs served as a brutal reminder of the price for her ambition. She crawled over to where her robe lay and pulled the thin fabric over her naked and bruised body, then slowly climbed to her feet. How she would explain her condition to Keizo she had not yet decided, but he knew that, at times, her work as a high level mage could be hazardous. He would not question her too closely.
With her remaining strength, she conjured a magelight, then extinguished the guttering tapers and slipped the black stone pendant around her neck. Lifting the offering chalice to her lips, she drained it to the dregs. Her magical sense detected not a trace of her blood left in the wine. The Nameless One had taken it all.
With the magelight drifting before her, Sonoe began the long walk back to the king’s private quarters.
Chapter 14
A Question Of Loyalty
"I’ve just received an urgent message from my steward.” Sen Sakehera waved a small piece of paper in the air like a flag. “Several reports have come in, leading him to believe that a sizable fighting force is gathering just beyond my borders at Amsara Castle.”
Raidan had never before seen Sakehera so agitated. Raidan and Keizo, along with Sakehera, now met in the king’s private chambers each morning, to eat breakfast and review any reports that had come in from the previous day. Six weeks had come and gone since Keizo had presented his daughter to the people, and during that time, the plans for the defense of Alasiri had begun to take their final shape.
“So. It begins,” Keizo said quietly. “But why so soon? Winter will be on us in a matter of weeks. Surely, the humans don’t mean to attack us in the snow!”
“No, the Soldarans are not stupid; on the contrary, they are very clever,” Raidan pointed out. “This move is meant as a diversionary tactic. We expected they might try this very thing.”
“Of course,” Keizo said, nodding. “The Soldarans know we will have to send a force out to deal with them… The empress is trying to distract us, split our forces and disrupt our plans for the defense of Tono next spring.”
“My steward also reports that there’ve been some isolated attacks,” Sakehera continued. “Crops destroyed, livestock slaughtered or stolen… but so far, nothing more organized.” He paced around the room, pausing at last to gaze out of a window. “The duke’s been a good neighbor up ‘til now,” he said, “but, when all’s said and done, he’s a Soldaran nobleman and must obey his empress. Our peaceful coexistence is over, I s’pose.”
“I see no other alternative but to send your own troops back to Kerala, augmented with a contingent from the regular army. Kerala and its people must be protected,” Keizo said. “Unfortunately, I simply can’t spare you, Sen. Your son will to have to lead the troops in your place.”
“Sadaiyo may be my Heir, but he was not trained as an army officer. Leading a unit of Kerala guardsmen is one thing, but…” Sakehera spread wide his hands, as if offering an apology for his son’s perceived shortcomings.
“Then I’ll put my son-in-law in charge,” Keizo said. “He is a trained officer with years of experience.”
“No, Brother,” Raidan interjected. “Sen’s Heir should lead the force back to Kerala. It wouldn’t be proper to give command to his younger brother, even if he is more qualified. Let them both go, but send your son-in-law as his brother’s second. That way, rank is maintained and you have an experienced officer to keep an eye on things.”
“Yes, of course. A sensible solution,” the king agreed. He turned a rueful face toward Sakehera. “My daughter will not be at all pleased when she learns that she’s to be separated from her husband,” he sighed.
“No. Neither will my son, especially now, with his first child on the way,” Sakehera agreed. “But they both realize what’s at stake here. They know their duty.” The Commanding General came away from the window and sat down at the table where a s
ervant had just finished laying out the morning meal. “My sons have never had anything other than enmity between them, much to my sorrow,” he said, rubbing his chin pensively. “It’s entirely my own fault. Truth is, I’ve always loved Ashinji best. Of all my children, he’s the one that comes closest to the person I wish I could be. I just pray Sadaiyo can put aside his bitterness…” He shook his head. “No, no. Both my sons will do what’s required of them.”
“Of course they will. They both have my complete trust, old friend,” Keizo assured. Sakehera nodded in gratitude. “With any luck, this operation should take only about two months time, three at the most,” the king continued. “The first snowfall will put an end to it, if we don’t succeed in driving the Soldarans back before then.”
Raidan drummed his fingertips on the dark, polished wood of the table. “There’s another pressing matter, I’m afraid,” he said. “I’ve gotten several more reports from Tono about the human plague. There’s been an increase in the number of cases of the disease striking elves, and what’s worse, Odata thinks some of her troops have come down with it.”
“Damn!” Keizo exclaimed. “If this plague takes hold in a serious way among Odata’s people, we are in very deep trouble. I don’t need to tell you what devastation an unchecked illness can wreak on an army.”
“I’m researching a preventative,” Raidan stated. “I’ve been studying the writings of a certain human physician who has come up with a very interesting theory, which I intend to test… on myself if I have to.”
“That sounds too dangerous. I can’t allow you to risk your life in such a manner. I rely on you too much!” Keizo replied forcefully.
Raidan raised his hands in a gesture of appeasement. “I promise I won’t take any foolish risks, Brother, and I swear I’ll do nothing until I have learned more about Nazarius’ theory.”
“What does this theory say?” Sakehera asked. “How can the disease be prevented?”
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