“Did you ask her first?”
“Well… I told her before Mother signed the papers.”
“Right, you told her.” Miceral opened the door before Farrell could answer.
Jagwin and a squad snapped to attention. Farrell couldn’t suppress his smile. This would be the last time the guards would swarm him whenever he left his rooms.
“You’ll not get away from us, Your Majesty.” Jagwin raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. “You are both still kings of Trellham.”
Miceral snickered, but Farrell laughed outright. The confused look on Jagwin’s face made it even funnier. “Whatever you say, Captain.”
Jagwin stared suspiciously at Farrell but didn’t say anything. Finally he turned away.
“Don’t you tell him,” Farrell said silently to Miceral. “I’m not giving him the chance to run away.”
“We should be off, Captain,” Miceral said. “Otherwise the new emperors will be late for their coronation.”
“That won’t bother King Farrell if that happened,” Jagwin said without turning around.
“Actually, I’m quite anxious for this ceremony,” Farrell said just as Jagwin was about to order the guard to move out.
The captain turned around and shook his head. “Wizards.”
Despite his taunts, Farrell wanted nothing more than to skip the ceremony. Even with assurances from the heads of all six temples that it would be short, what followed after would take most of the day. It couldn’t be helped. Ardus would take decades to recover from the effects of the war. By uniting the continent as the Six directed, Farrell and Miceral could heal the wounds his father had caused. If people would let them.
It was lost on no one that while Zargon’s old king failed to conquer Ardus, Zargon’s new king would become emperor. Miceral’s presence as co-emperor didn’t make it better. Neither could they ignore Yar-del and Zargon were united in the east, the dwarves of Trellham answered to Farrell in the west, and Bendar had pledged its allegiance to Farrell in the south. As if that weren’t enough, Yar-del and Zargon announced a more formal alliance with Dumbarten and Tilerstig.
Markus tried to assure the other kings that the pact was defensive. He said it was meant to prevent Neldin’s servants from conquering any of Kel and Hevnor’s heirs. But no one forgot Meglar had also claimed he had no designs on conquering Ardus at first. Were it not for Heldin, the other kings might have objected longer and harder.
Farrell hated Heldin, but the fool had turned out to be his best argument. Meglar had decimated the population of every nation except Bendar and Pelipan. That meant Heldin had the largest army in the Seven Kingdoms. He had marshaled his forces to defend against Meglar’s attack, but Pelipan avoided an invasion. When he moved units to the eastern border with Respital, the other kings realized their danger. Honal, Respital, Arvendia, and Endor joined Yar-del and acknowledged Farrell and Miceral as emperors of Ardus.
If that hadn’t been enough, the dwarves abolished the title of high king. In its place they acknowledged Miceral and Farrell as the first among equals. Bendar declared Farrell a son of the Endless Snows and vowed to defend him and Miceral to the last Bendari. Finally, Dumbarten, Tilerstig, Ze’arder, and Rastoria acknowledged Miceral and Farrell’s new title. They pledged their full military support.
Farrell suspected the Six had a hand in everyone’s agreement. It didn’t matter. He could have crushed Heldin before he left his palace. This way evoked less fear about Farrell personally. At least until the memory of Meglar’s atrocities wore off.
After accepting the fealty of others, Farrell and Miceral planned to announce the new western kingdom. Farrell had expected an outcry from the other princes when he told them his plans and that Peter would be the new king. They surprised him by expressing their full support. If they thought they’d control Peter, they were going to be disappointed.
Markus and Pertrice agreed to a situation similar to how the dwarf kingdoms had been ruled. Should anyone attack either of them or Ardus, Farrell and Miceral would speak for all three. It was hard to imagine any kingdom being able to stand up to such an alliance.
Those were the easy decisions of the new world order. Zargon presented a more difficult problem. The kingdom was nearly barren, but those who remained were loyal to Meglar. And he still needed to find his grandmother and half brother. He dreaded that task the most.
He’d practiced for the ceremony for weeks so when it happened, he walked through it without thinking. Finally everyone had said their part and waited for Farrell and Miceral to excuse them. They no doubt saw his smile as relief that the ceremony was over.
“Before we begin the celebration, we have one more announcement.” He moved closer to Miceral. “As emperors, we can’t be ruler of any one kingdom. Zargon is a kingdom in name only, and we plan to give that to Bren to rule when he’s of age. That leaves only Trellham. Father Aswick, would you attend me?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Aswick barely contained his smirk. “How may the temple assist you?”
“Is it still your position that Trellham needs a king in residence?”
“More now than ever, Your Majesty.”
Farrell nodded. “As you know, Miceral and I have a new responsibility. We do not believe we can carry out the duties of king. We are both needed to rule the new empire.”
“That is not acceptable, Your Majesty,” Aswick said. “Trellham needs to see its king.”
“I agree,” Farrell said. “Brothers, can I ask your help?”
“Of course,” Drendar said as he and Thrinton walked over to them.
“Miceral and I can no longer carry out the duties of kings of Trellham. Is there any precedent for such a situation?”
“None, Your Majesty,” Thrinton said. “Nor is there any guidance on what to do when co-emperors are appointed.”
“Do our wise and experienced brothers have any suggestions?” Farrell struggled to hold in a laugh.
Drendar rubbed his chin and ran his fingers through his beard before speaking. “If either Fracturn or Colograd were without a king or a clear heir, the emperors would select our replacement. I suggest you do the same with Trellham.”
“Do you agree, King Thrinton?”
“I am in full agreement with my brother’s suggestion.”
“And what of the temples?” Farrell asked, turning to Aswick.
“So long it’s a wise choice, the temples will support the new king.” Aswick tapped his crozier for emphasis.
“Excellent.” Farrell motioned for a servant to bring over his crown.
He turned his back to Jagwin and winked at the others. Lifting the crown off the velvet cushion, he handed it to Father Aswick and faced Jagwin. “Miceral and I appoint Jagwin the new King of Trellham.”
For the first time since he’d met his onetime captain, Jagwin looked stunned. Before he could respond, Aswick stepped forward and placed the crown on Jagwin’s head. “As high priest of Khron for Trellham, I appoint you and your future heirs the new king of Trellham.”
Farrell smiled and gave his friend a nod. “Choose your captain of the guard well, Brother. They will shadow you every step of your life from now on.”
Jagwin glared at Farrell, but a cheer went up before he could say anything. Drendar and Thrinton moved to his side and thumped him on the back.
Farrell stepped back and reached for Miceral’s hand. “Now the celebration may begin!”
Epilogue
THE HUMIDITY wore on Farrell’s already frayed nerves. He’d wanted to deal with his grandmother, Valara, right after his coronation, but hadn’t. Heldin and the pirate princes of the Northern Free Cities had made sure he hadn’t acted sooner. Now she’d entrenched herself in this Six-forsaken place. Another reason to dislike the lot of them.
He tried to break out of those thoughts by checking if his forces were ready. Seeing what they faced had him back to the verge of cursing Heldin and the others. Instead, he stayed positive and said a prayer of thanks for Drendar.
On advice of Rothdin and Nerti, Farrell and Miceral created a new position for Drendar. As chancellor of the empire, Drendar spoke with the emperors’ voice whenever Farrell and Miceral were absent. The old dwarf hadn’t expected such authority, and his already-fierce loyalty to the pair increased.
After the other world leaders had left Ardus, Heldin complained about the heavy-handed way Meglar’s son had fulfilled his father’s dream. Those who knew Farrell didn’t listen, but there were enough dissatisfied nobles who secretly nodded their agreement. Drendar had led the army into Pelipan that forced Heldin to step down. His diplomacy consisted of patting the head of his war hammer and giving his foe ten minutes to surrender or be crushed. Having several siege engines loaded and ready helped. Then he had Heminaltose and Sanduval step forward to show he had magical superiority as well. Heldin had surrendered without an arrow being fired.
Next, Farrell and Miceral received word pirate activity had resumed. They had hoped the destruction of the fleets at Tilerstig and Dumbarten would put an end to the plundering of merchant vessels. For a time it had, but only for a few months. Using the Eye, Farrell learned the princes had withheld a number of “damaged” vessels from Meglar. When the specter of conscription had passed, these vessels became seaworthy in quick order.
Rather than track down the individual ships, Farrell and Miceral had followed Drendar’s suggestion to bring the Free Cities into the empire. Their armies appeared out of the air in front of Kelse, Realth, Tabrum, and Spagrom. Zenora, Heminaltose, and Sanduval accompanied the expeditions to the first three cities, and Farrell paid a visit to Draneth of Spagrom. They borrowed extra ships from Tilerstig and Dumbarten and blocked the cities from land and sea. Only Draneth refused to surrender.
Farrell enjoyed tearing down Spagrom’s walls. He ignored the request for parlay until he reduced the entire structure to rubble. Then he ordered Draneth to appear before him or he’d destroy the palace next. Seeing the man cower made up for what had happened to Hendris.
With the surrender of the other four cities, the empire’s forces converged on Glaston. Prince Hugen was not a pirate like the other four, but he was not entirely trustworthy. He’d turned a blind eye to illegal activity and allowed his fellow princes the use of his port for their ships. Unlike the others, Farrell and Miceral offered to let Hugen remain in power if he surrendered. Under the shadow of the empire’s full might, he accepted.
That left Farrell and Miceral with what to do with the cities. Without constant oversight, they’d revert to their old ways. Markus provided them with a solution. No one was more surprised than Emerson when Markus suggested he be given rule over the area.
“The sea is in Emerson’s blood, and he’s been groomed to rule,” Markus had said. “You trust him and he’s an able commander. It seems ready-made.”
And it was. The investiture of Emerson as king of the newly created Kingdom of Tehbra forced piracy into the shadows. It gave the merchants a measure of confidence and brought peace to the last lawless area of Ardus. It also removed Farrell’s last excuse for not pursing his grandmother.
Despite his desire to blame Heldin or Draneth, Farrell knew he’d caused the delay himself. He dreaded what he had to do next. Valara’s compound had been built underground in the tropical jungles south of Colograd. There were three side exits in addition to the main entrance. She’d invested heavily to hide her sanctuary and did her best to keep out of Farrell’s thoughts. She also had his half brother.
He kept the Eye out and shared the images with his commanders. Breaching the fortress would be easy. Getting to his grandmother before she fled would not. The compound was vast, and its narrow hallways restricted the flow of soldiers. More than enough time for her to open a Door and leave.
Three armies stood ready at the secondary gates. Cendreth and Barett led the force to the east, Miceral and Heminaltose were stationed south, and Thrinton and Sanduval guarded the west. They’d attack at the same time as Farrell. Every bit of intelligence he’d gleaned from the Eye showed Valara had only a few master wizards left in her numbers. There were numerous magical defenses, but he scouted them with Honorus’s Gift. His friends and their supporting wizards could neutralize them.
Farrell turned to face the heads of the six temples. “Is everyone ready?”
“Ours is the easy part, Chosen,” Father Lingum said. “Let us know when you are ready?”
It took an effort not to say he’d never be ready. He’d delayed this day almost two years and had run out of reasons. Farrell pulled his staff off his back and nodded. “It’s time to end this.”
The others moved into formation behind him. Gedrin placed his hand on Farrell’s left shoulder, and Grenda put her horn on his right. Farrell didn’t check but knew the other four clerics joined the connection. When he felt something flow from the six, he raised his staff and slammed it into the dirt.
With his wizard’s sight, Farrell saw the magic spread out and sink into the ground. He shifted his vision to see if the divine part of the spell had worked. It was hard to see, but he detected enough to know it had deployed. He wondered if Valara knew what he’d done.
Farrell paused before breaking open the underground citadel. Having all six first prelates together made him uneasy. He’d tried several times to convince them to stay above ground, but they unanimously insisted they had to accompany him. Hearing that didn’t fill him with confidence.
At Farrell’s request, Mother Burcia brought three companies of Arlefors to help guard the clerics. Each temple supplied their chief wizard, and Farrell asked Lingum to bring as many temple mages as he could spare. None of it made Farrell less apprehensive.
Realizing it was out of his hands, Farrell tapped his staff again. Three balls of energy sped east, west, and south. They’d mark the exits once Farrell began his attack.
Out of reasons to delay, Farrell let loose the spell he’d held ready. Dirt flew everywhere as he punched a hole into the warren of tunnels. He considered offering to accept people’s surrender, but he dismissed the idea. These were Neldin’s most fanatical followers. He could never trust them. They would also die rather than risk upsetting their god.
Farrell couldn’t remember much about the hour that followed. They made steady progress toward their goal, and he kept a sharp focus on protecting his important companions. Nothing was too small to overlook as they moved deeper into Valara’s sanctuary. Finally he stood before his goal.
The corridor ended at a blank wall. He hadn’t expected the move, but it wouldn’t stop him. Using the Eye, he showed the others what he already knew. His grandmother had returned the tunnel to its natural rock state. A few feet beyond, she and the last of her followers waited in a large open room. Valara appeared irate. She flung her arms and screamed at anyone close to her. It reminded him why he didn’t want to be there.
He put his staff on his back and extended his left arm to the side. The rock melted away, expanding the space around him. He repeated the move to the right. Behind him, the other wizards mimicked his efforts, and they created an open staging area for the last push.
Magic permeated the rock face in front of him. He retrieved his staff, intending to blast their way in, but Burcia put her hand on his shoulder.
“You cannot breach this defense alone.” She reached over him and put her hand on his staff.
The other prelates joined their sister and made contact with him. Farrell shifted his vision and saw the faint divine presence in the stone. He heard the prayers, and their energy filled him.
“On two,” he said.
Gathering the power around the end of his staff, he
counted and released it in one large burst. The energy had a rainbow hue he hadn’t intended. It spread across the rock face and sank into the stone.
Farrell waited, hoping his spell worked. They’d practiced the spell above ground and tested it against other Doors created by clerics. No one anticipated the need to try working together to dissolve rocks.
Someone walked in front of him. At least he thought he saw movement. The rock hadn’t changed, so he couldn’t have seen….
“There!” Gedrin said in a loud whisper. “The rock looks like paper held up to the sun.”
Farrell stared more closely and understood what he’d seen. The spell had worked, only slower than he expected.
“You can’t come with us,” Jolella said as she moved in front of him. “This is a temple matter.”
“What?” He took a moment to process what she’d said. “Of course I’m going in there.”
“No, Chosen, you can’t,” Gedrin repeated Jolella’s prohibition. “You are the Chosen of all Six and Their Champion. Valara knows she lost, but she can harm you on her way down.”
“If she can hurt me, then you six are in even more danger.”
“Not so, Chosen,” Grenda said. “She will try to curse you before she dies.”
“She’ll try to curse you as well.”
“That may be, but we are replaceable. You are not.” Father Aswick moved toward the slowly fading stone. “It is not clear her curse could affect you or us given our status, but you are too important to risk.”
“So this is why you six insisted on coming with me?”
Lingum snorted. “You make it sound like it was our decision alone. Each of us was directed to be here and to prevent you from confronting Valara. Trust this is the right course.”
“But my brother… I need to be there.”
“One of us will make sure he is safe,” Jolella said. “You have my promise.”
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