Emerald of the Elves

by Richard S. Tuttle

  The eagle landed on another rooftop closer to the Royal Palace and transformed into Jenneva. She peered at the windows across the street from her and saw no threats. With the Royal Palace so close, Jenneva remained on the rooftop as she watched the parade enter the grounds of the palace.

  Chapter 14

  Death of Targa

  The entrance parade ended at the Royal Palace in Tagaret. Prince Oscar and Princess Callie stood waiting for Prince Arik to arrive. Kamil and Konic waited as well. The Rangers dismounted and the Red Swords set up a defensive shield around all of them.

  “It would appear that your entrance to Tagaret was warm and welcomed,” smiled Prince Oscar.

  “More than warm, I would say,” smiled Princess Callie. “The people love you, Arik.”

  “The people do not even know me,” retorted Prince Arik. “I think the welcome was for Queen Marta’s grandson.”

  “Perhaps,” conceded Princess Callie, “but they will learn to love you.”

  “I shall try my best to ensure that they do,” responded Prince Arik. “What do I do next?”

  Oscar looked at the growing crowd outside the gates to the Royal Palace. “I think you should seize the moment,” he suggested. “The people have not had enough of you yet, and we still have the burial to preside over.”

  “And your coronation,” added Callie. “I think you should make that a very public affair.”

  “Where is she?” asked Arik, “and where will she be buried?”

  “She will be buried alongside King Byron,” Oscar said sadly. “There is a mausoleum in the gardens at the rear of the Royal Palace. Currently, she rests in the throne room.”

  “What would you do, Father?” asked Arik.

  “The people are gathering outside the walls,” Oscar stated. “They are expecting something more to happen, or they would have dispersed. I suggest giving them a speech to introduce yourself and explain how you will continue with Queen Marta’s plans for Tagaret.”

  “I am not much on speech giving,” frowned Arik. “I would not know what to say.”

  “Speech giving is something that you must learn,” sighed Callie. “It is expected of a monarch.”

  “Couldn’t Oscar give the speech?” frowned Arik. “I could learn by listening.”

  Oscar looked at Arik and then turned his gaze to Callie with concern on his face. “Perhaps he is not ready for this yet,” sighed Oscar. “It is a lot to ask of anyone.”

  “Well the people need to hear from someone,” replied Callie. “We can not let them leave with disappointment. She was your mother, Oscar. I know you can deliver a fine speech.”

  “No,” Tanya insisted strongly. “It is Arik that these people must follow.”

  “But she was Oscar’s mother,” argued Arik. “He has a right to speak of his loss.”

  “I am not arguing that point,” countered Tanya. “Prince Oscar is entitled to address the people of Tagaret and express his sorrow, but you must also speak. Just because you have never given a speech before is no excuse to abrogate your duty. The citizens of Tagaret gathered today to see the entrance of their new prince and future king. You said yourself that they do not know you yet. Well let them know you. Speak to them, Arik.”

  “And what will I say?” frowned Arik. “I do not know what they want to hear.”

  “Put yourself in their position, Arik,” instructed Tanya. “If you were a loyal citizen of Tagaret and your beloved queen had died, what would you want to hear?”

  “That her memory would be cherished,” shrugged Arik.

  “If you were a citizen that feared for his future and was working day and night to prepare the city’s defenses,” pushed Tanya, “what would you want to hear?”

  “That I would continue the queen’s policies?” questioned Arik.

  “Or improve upon them,” interjected Konic. “The people were thrilled to see your new allies.”

  “Give them some hope for the future,” smiled Oscar. “These people have lived through misery. Queen Marta came as a savior to them, only to be killed when their spirits had been raised. They want desperately to believe that things will get better. You can give them that hope.”

  “But will things get better?” retorted Arik. “If anything, the worst is yet to come.”

  “Do not lie to them,” suggested Kamil. “They know things are going to get worse, but that does not mean that they cannot look forward with hope. Encourage them that victory is obtainable.”

  “If you can rouse the people, Arik,” smiled Callie, “anything is possible.”

  “What if I say something wrong?” fretted Arik.

  “There is nothing you can say that will be wrong,” comforted Oscar. “You are the prince and about to become the king. Your word is law.”

  “Just be yourself,” encouraged Tanya. “Say whatever you want. Do whatever you want. I am positive that the people will love you for what you are. Do you remember what it is like to feel that you have no hope?”

  Arik nodded silently.

  “Well that is how these people feel right now,” smiled Tanya. “Give them hope. Let them participate in your grief, and then let them join with you in preparing for the worst. They will follow you.”

  Arik turned and stared at the growing multitude outside the gates. He tried to put himself in the place of a man standing with them. A tear welled up in his eye. He felt the grief and the fear that he imagined the ordinary citizen was feeling. Slowly he nodded as Alex and Jenneva were let through the gate.

  “When is the burial to take place?” asked Arik. “And when is the coronation?”

  “We thought it would be important to crown you as soon as possible,” replied Oscar. “I have been made regent in your stead, but the people should have their king. The timing of the burial or the coronation is entirely up to you. What are you thinking?”

  “I am thinking that I should not be crowned before my grandmother is buried,” declared Arik.

  “Remember that the Ancient Prophecy rests on you being crowned,” interjected Jenneva as she and Alex joined the group. “Do not delay it needlessly.”

  “I won’t,” replied Arik, “but neither will I grab the crown from my grandmother’s head before she is buried. You said that I could do anything that I wanted, Oscar, is that true?”

  “What are you thinking?” Oscar asked suspiciously.

  “If I have to give a speech,” stated Arik, “I want it to have meaning. I want her casket brought into this courtyard.”

  “Why?” asked Callie.

  “Because if I was outside that gate,” replied Arik, “I would want the chance to pay my last respects.”

  “They will not be able to see her from beyond the gates,” Alex pointed out. “I do not see how the placement of the casket will matter to them.”

  “They will not be remaining outside the gates,” countered Arik. “I will allow them to each pay their respects before my coronation.”

  “Each?” asked Callie. “Do you realize how many people reside in Tagaret? That could take days.”

  “Then days it shall take,” shrugged Arik. “Do you think I am wrong in this?”

  “No,” interjected Tanya. “I think it is a wise and wonderful thing. It will not take days. If I was outside the gates I would come with my candle after darkness set in. So will the citizens of Tagaret.”

  “I agree,” smiled Alex. “In fact, we should make candles available for everyone.”

  “Then that is what will be done,” agreed Oscar. “Will you give a speech, Arik?”

  Tanya reached for Arik’s hand and squeezed it comfortingly.

  “I will,” nodded Arik. “I may stumble over my words, but all of you have always encouraged me to meet my challenges and not avoid them. Help me organize how we will do this.”

  “There should be a procession for the queen,” posed Callie. “Somehow the casket needs to end up in the garden. Should that be before or after the citizens say their farewells?”

  “Logis
tically,” advised Alex, “it would be easier for the line of citizens to stretch from the gates to the gardens. That would suggest that the procession precede the speech.”

  “The people will need to know what is going on,” added Oscar. “I will make a short speech before the procession. After the procession, Arik will address the citizens.”

  “Let us do this before the people disperse then,” suggested Konic.

  “What about security?” asked Alex. “There is still a danger to Arik.”

  “I will not leave his side,” promised Tanya. “Jenneva can find a high perch to protect against magical threats, and you can organize the Red Swords in a manner to your liking.”

  “I will have the casket sent out,” declared Oscar. “You can work out the security problems while I address the people.”

  Kamil left the group and walked to the gates. She mentioned to the people staring through the gates that there would be a speech soon. The word spread through the gathering crowd like a prairie fire. The people pushed excitedly to get closer to the Royal Palace. After a few minutes, they saw the casket appear in the courtyard. Kamil turned and returned to the group. Alex and Jenneva were gone.

  Arik walked to the casket and had the lid removed. He looked down at his grandmother and tears came to his eyes. General Gregor approached and placed a velvet-covered knee-bench alongside the casket. Arik knelt silently.

  “Citizens of Tagaret,” Oscar said loudly from the balcony off of the library, “as you all know, Prince Arik arrived in Tagaret this morning. As regent for my son, it is my duty to see him crowned quickly so that Tagaret does not have to exist long without a monarch.”

  The crowd split their attention between Arik kneeling before the casket and Oscar high on the balcony.

  “Prince Arik, however, feels that Queen Marta should be properly buried before the coronation,” Oscar continued. “Therefore, it is his wish that the body of Queen Marta be taken to the burial gardens where we may pay our last respects to her. After the procession, Prince Arik will address the people of Tagaret from this balcony. It is his wish that those among you who desire to pay your last respects to Queen Marta be given that chance. I will let him explain after the procession.”

  Oscar left the balcony and returned to the courtyard. When he arrived, the Red Swords had formed a double human corridor stretching around the Royal Palace. Konic had gathered the members of the Council together, and they waited off to one side. General Gregor stood with fifty Red Swords as an honor guard behind the casket. Princess Callie came over and took Oscar’s arm. Together they walked to the casket.

  Arik rose and wiped his tears. A Red Sword removed the kneeling-bench while the casket was covered. The parties formed a line behind the casket as eight Red Swords lifted it. Oscar and Callie attempted to get behind Arik, but Arik shook his head.

  “You and Princess Callie will go first,” declared Arik.

  “The king is always first,” objected Oscar.

  “I am not king yet,” Arik shook his head. “Besides, she was your mother. It is my wish.”

  Oscar smiled and nodded. General Gregor led the honor guard as the casket was carried between the two lines of Red Swords. Arik stepped in behind Oscar, and Tanya appeared at his side. She walked slightly behind him and held a magical shield over him. Konic led the members of the Council next.

  The corridor of Red Swords shouted and raised their swords high, creating a tunnel for the casket to pass under. As the casket passed, the Red Swords bowed and sheathed their swords. They fell to one knee as Arik passed.

  Arik had never seen the gardens of the Royal Palace. He gazed upon them distractedly as the procession wound its way through the intricate paths. Finally, the casket was placed before the mausoleum. The lid was removed once again, and the kneeling-bench was placed by its side. The members of the procession paid their last respects. They reversed their course and returned to the front of the Royal Palace. The people waited quietly. Arik walked over to Prince Darok who was standing in the courtyard where the mounts were tied up.

  “I want you to accompany me,” Arik said to Prince Darok as he untied Chaco.

  Darok nodded and followed Arik as the prince led Chaco into the Royal Palace. People looked strangely as the prince led the unicorn through the door. Murmurs ran through the crowd. A few minutes later, Arik appeared on the balcony outside the library. Tanya stood quietly behind him. Jenneva stood on a higher balcony where Fredrik had stood for Queen Marta.

  “Open the gates and let this courtyard be filled,” Arik said loudly.

  “I can amplify your voice,” Tanya whispered. “It will allow them to hear you clearly.”

  “Will they know it is magic?” asked Arik as the citizens swarmed into the courtyard.

  “They might,” shrugged Tanya. “Does that really matter?”

  “I guess not,” frowned Arik. “Can you maintain my shields as well?”

  “Child’s play,” grinned Tanya.

  “Do so,” decided Arik as he watched the crowd assemble, “but turn it off if I touch you.”

  “So it shall be,” nodded Tanya. “Tap me when you want it to start.”

  Arik pondered what he would say while he waited for the citizens to gather. He opened his pocket and enticed Prince Midge out. He whispered in his ear, and the fairy prince disappeared into the library. It took a while for the citizens to position themselves. It gave Arik time to consolidate his thoughts. Finally, he began with a slight touch to Tanya.

  “Citizens of Tagaret,” Arik started, “it is a sad day that brings us all together. Today we mourn. We mourn the passing of a great woman, a great queen. Unbeknownst to many of you, we are also gathered today to mourn the death of Targa. Our nation that was once the envy of the world was mortally wounded with the coming of the Collapse. We became little more than a city, but still we clung to the name Targa. Today, Targa died.”

  Murmurs ran through the crowd as people discussed what the prince was talking about.

  “Let me deal first with our grief for Queen Marta,” continued Arik, “and I will return to the death of Targa in a moment. My words are insufficient to carry the loss that I feel over the death of my grandmother. I know that many of you share that feeling of loss, and mere words will not ease that emptiness we all feel. Queen Marta began an ambitious program of preparing Tagaret for the coming struggles that we must endure. I have heard that the citizens of Tagaret enthusiastically endorsed her plan. So do I.”

  Arik drummed his fingers against his leg to ease his nervousness. He gazed out over the citizens to gauge their reaction, but everyone merely watched him.

  “I do not know if you have been informed of why this defensive plan was necessary,” he continued, “but I will tell you. Before my birth the world learned of an Ancient Prophecy. This prophecy foretold of the rise of the Dark One and the collapse of the Universes. The prophecy set out the conditions that the world must fulfill to rid ourselves of the Darkness and the Dark One. Fulfilling this prophecy is not an easy task. It will require great sacrifices from all of us. In a sense, it required the greatest sacrifice of all for my grandmother. There were two important reasons why Queen Marta returned to Tagaret, even though she was sure that it would result in her death.”

  The crowd quieted down and Arik continued, “One reason for her return was the deplorable conditions imposed upon the citizens of this great city by a corrupt Council. That Council, which no longer exists, thrived upon the misery of the people. Queen Marta could not let this go unchallenged.”

  Cheers broke out among the people as they chanted Queen Marta’s name. Arik smiled at the reaction of the citizens. He let them carry on until they were ready for him to continue.

  “I am thrilled to see your enthusiasm for my grandmother,” smiled Arik. “You feel as I do. The second reason for her return was to ensure that I was crowned as king. The Ancient Prophecy sets out two conditions for the Dark One to be defeated. The first condition is the ascension of the true King of
Alcea. Citizens of Tagaret, you heard me say before that Targa died with my grandmother. The reason that Targa must die is because Alcea must be born.”

  “What is this Alcea?” shouted a voice from the crowd.

  “A good question,” acknowledged Arik. “Alcea is an ancient country that existed long before Targa. Ages ago a great king, King Auric, united the entire world under his banner. That banner is the one you see flying over the Royal Palace today. It is also the banner proudly displayed upon my breast, for the breastplate that I wear is King Auric’s breastplate. It is the Breastplate of Alcea.”

  “But what does it mean?” asked the same voice.

  “It means that I represent one half of the fulfilled Ancient Prophecy,” explained Arik. “It means that the whole of Targa, should we be able to resurrect it, would not be enough to withstand the forces of evil that will be thrown against us. It means that we must unite more of the world than has ever been done since King Auric’s death.”

  “How can we do that?” questioned another voice.

  Arik drew the Sword of Heavens and held it high for everyone to see. “This,” he declared, “is the Sword of Heavens. It is the sword that will banish the Darkness. It is the sword that will unite the many peoples of this world. It is the sword that will end the days of the Dark One. This sword shall pierce the heart of the Dark One and banish his evil for all time.”

  A dozen fireballs screamed towards Arik. He heard Tanya utter a soft moan as the fireballs impacted on her shields. The citizens below screamed. Some tried to duck, but the crowd was too dense for anyone to move much. Other citizens shouted and scanned the crowd for the evil magicians. Arik saw several bolts of lightning strike a rooftop not far away. Bodies flew through the air and plunged to the streets below. Citizens mobbed the fallen bodies and kicked the lifeless corpses.

  “See how the Dark One fears what is happening here in Tagaret?” Arik continued. “He is losing control over this world. People like you are standing up and saying that enough is enough. We shall not live under the Darkness anymore.”