by Luna Lais
"Because this time it is about me," She said waiting to see his reaction.
"What do you mean about you?" he looked startled. He had never heard of an Acumen having a vision that they were included in.
"I mean it is a vision of something I must accomplish. If I do not I am afraid others besides me will die, a great many others." Alli was growing uncomfortable discussing her vision with him. She had always discussed them with him before, but for some reason alarms were suddenly sounding in her head.
"It's your Pinnacle then?" he questioned.
"No it is not my Pinnacle. That scares me as well. How much more could the Gods ask of me, before giving me my freedom? I feel the fate of the world depends on this vision, but it is not the most important vision I will ever have." He was silent at her words. She understood there was nothing he could say. The way things looked now she would probably perish before ever receiving her Pinnacle. It was enough that he was holding her hand and offering what little comfort he could. The sound of the heavy door opening drew both their eyes.
"He's ready for you" Sir Cate said motioning in the room.
"Of course" she said rising from her seat. Moraken rose as well still holding her hand. They entered the room together.
Harold watched the two of them enter the room. He remained seated behind the large ornate desk that sat in front of a tall arched window which reached from ceiling to floor. He had never seen more somber faces in all his life. Perhaps this meeting was more than the vision he thought his daughter must have had. A vision was the only thing that caused her to make an appointment. Any other time she would have simply walked in. Looking at them he felt more confident in the decision he had made. He had not known Moraken would be here as well, but it worked better for what he had planned.
He lightly stroked his beard as they approached, his eyes never leaving Moraken's. Moraken would be pleased by his decision, Allista would not, but she did not see the treachery of the kingdom as he did. Harold was protecting her.
Harold nodded to Cate indicating he should stay. Cate took a few steps into the room then turned and closed the door. He faced the room with his arms folding in front of him and his back to the door. He was the head of the royal guard and had been since before Allista's birth. Harold had never known a man more hardened by battle. He was a little rough around the edges, but he was what his daughter needed. His height and girth made him an intimidating man. His black eyes only added to his fearsomeness. While his hair was starting to show gray mixing with the brown he was still young enough to keep up with Allista. He only hoped his judgment of the man held true.
He offered them a smile as they sat in the plush arm chairs before the desk. "Why the long faces?" Harold thought it best to hear what his daughter had to say first, it was she who had requested the audience with him. Moraken diverted his eyes away from Harold's intense glare.
Alli was trying to stop the flow of tears running down her cheeks. Harold's heart ached for his only child. He hated to see her in pain. As the minutes passed in silence Harold was growing more concerned, neither Moraken nor Allista had ever had any trouble speaking to him before.
"What is it?" he asked a little firmer his own smile now gone from his face. Moraken spoke first softly breaking the silence, "I have decided to marry."
Both Alli and Harold looked at him in astonishment. From their expressions Moraken could see neither had been expecting him to make such an announcement. Harold's brow creased with concern, he could think of only one reason Moraken would marry. He silently kept his initial thoughts to himself.
"You've what?" Alli exclaimed after recovering from the shock of his news. "Why did you not you say something before?"
"I would have" Moraken replied, "but you were so upset I completely forgot what had brought me to see your father."
"Well do not keep us in suspense any longer my boy, who is she?" Harold asked. Since Moraken had made the announcement he had been running ladies names through his heads trying to figure out who would serve Moraken's purposes the best.
"Her name is Tia," he said. "Her father is Lord Welch from Calandoria." Alli and Harold both waited for Moraken to elaborate, but he sat quietly avoiding their eyes.
"Well where did you meet her, is she beautiful?" Alli asked as soon as it became apparent that Moraken had no intentions of saying more on the subject.
Moraken looked at her then. His eyes held no emotion, no warmth. It was a look she had never seen in him before. It was a look that made chills run up her spine. "I do not know if she is beautiful. I have not yet met her."
"What do you mean you have not met her!" Harold exclaimed. "How can you marry a girl without having met her?"
"I am sure I will meet her before the wedding," he shrugged. That was the only answer he gave. Apparently he thought it would be enough. Neither Harold nor Alli thought that answer would suffice for a decision as monumental as marriage.
"Did I miss something, while I was on my last journey" she asked the two of them. Turning to Moraken "When did we start keeping secrets from each other?"
"We have secrets we keep," he said glaring at Harold. "Granted we have not always had a choice, but there are secrets among us."
"You know I can not share everything. I am bound by the rules of my curse. Telling you everything would mean my death," she said defensively. She did not notice that Moraken was still looking at Harold and barely heard her words.
"I did not mean to imply that you intentionally kept things from us Alli." Moraken said still looking at Harold, "I only meant to say that some things a person keeps to himself until a time when he can tell those he is close to." Harold had grown uncomfortable at Moraken's stare and averted his eyes to his daughter.
"What I do is done for the people of Hokaren. The people grow restless that neither Alli nor I have yet to secure our families rule by producing an heir. I decided to ease their hearts and secure future alliances by choosing a nobleman from Calandoria as father-in-law. The lady herself is a distant cousin to the king.
"So you sacrifice your future happiness for Hokaren" Harold said quietly.
"I do not consider it a sacrifice," Moraken said meeting Harold's eyes again. "She might turn out to be the love of my life and I would never see easing Hikirians fear as a sacrifice. I am hopeful for the future and enter this marriage with as much love in my heart and conviction to its success as any man who ever knelled upon one knee and asked his beloved to marry him."
"Why choose her?" Alli asked harshly, "Why not try for one of the Calandorian Princesses? There are two of them both are unmarried. Marriage to the sister of the king would build a stronger alliance."
Moraken was taken back by the harshness of her words. He knew she was hurt he had not confided in her.
"That was my first thought as well," he said surprising Alli who had instantly regretted her words. "King Jimreth turned me down. One sister is tucked away in the Temple of the Moon's Soul destine to live a celibate life. As for the youngest, she is too wholesome and pure in Jimreth's eyes to ever be considered for anything as vile as matrimony. I got the impression he never intends on letting the girl marry."
"Poor girl" Harold said knowing that what Moraken said was more than likely true. In Calandoria a woman had no more rights than livestock. Jimreth would not be eager to have his sister treated so. Harold had met the man several times and found him just and honorable.
"So why this Tia, surely there are others who could help build stronger alliances?" Alli asked.
"A favor to the King of Calandoria" Moraken smiled at her. "Sometime ago the older sister caught the eye of his brother Darien. Lord Welch refused to let the older sister marry the prince. He felt his daughter was more suited to being a Queen than a princess, Lord Welch favored Ashebourn of Pearoandorn. When Ashebourn offered for the girl, she went to him, instead of the Calandorian Prince."
"I am sure it only rubs salt into Lord Welch wounds knowing that it was that same Prince who insured Maeorus's crown an
d Ashebourn's defeat." Alli smiled. Welch would really regret his decision soon. Instead of just one daughter on a throne he could have had two had he only favored the Prince.
"Yes, I am sure knowing the Prince who was not good enough for his daughter was the one to crush his plans more than irritated him." Harold added.
"Indeed" Moraken replied "but, Welch is still a man hungry for power."
"I still do not understand how marrying Tia is a favor to King Jimreth." Harold could see no benefit to Jimreth in the marriage.
"Well it seems Welch now considers the prince to be more than suitable for his daughter, but he also knows his first in daughter is no longer a suitable choice having been already married once. He has been trying to pressure Jimreth to insist his brother marry the younger daughter." Moraken said giving Alli a wink.
"I can see how a man like Welch might be more than a mild irritation, especially if the prince had feelings for the older sister. What makes you think he will not become an irritation for us?" Harold asked.
"Easy" Moraken said to Harold. "First of all he is only a nobleman in Calandoria, not here. The only esteem he has here will be that I chose his daughter. I certainly have no plans to take him on as an advisor and other than at the wedding he will not be given the opportunity to see you unless you wish it. Further more, if he annoys us to much we can simply forbid him from entering the kingdom." Moraken did not mention that execution would be a remedy as well. "All in all the arrangement works well for us. King Jimreth has assured me of his appreciation. He worries his brother might kill the man."
Harold nodded; Moraken had thought it through well. The only flaw was that Moraken did not know of Harold's plans for the crown of Hokaren.
"I can see the value of strengthening our relationship with Calandoria" Alli said, "but marrying someone you have not met seems extreme."
"That is how these things are done in Calandoria." Harold knew well the laws in that kingdom. "A man approach a girl's father for her hand. Many times the man has only seen the girl once or twice and decides she is comely enough to be his wife. The men do not have to speak with her at all if that is their wish. Once they our married, the man has absolute rule over her, no matter her rank. She is no more than her husband's property. If she defies him or disagrees with him, he has ever right to have her publicly lashed or even killed. A woman from that land has only one purpose to breed sons fit enough to be soldiers in the Calandorian army. That is probably why Jimreth has no desire to see either of his sisters wed. By the laws of Calandoria not even he could protect them from their husbands."
Alli cringed at the thought of a life with no liberties. She did not know much about the land other than it had an impressive army unmatched by any and that it bordered both Pearoandorn and Hokaren to the north. The miseries of the women in that country sadden Alli. "As king could he not change the law?"
"Of course, but he is also a man and the men of his kingdom have no desire to see the law changed. It has been around as long as Calandoria itself." Moraken replied. "Perhaps one day a female will rule the land and change the laws."
"If you wish to marry this girl, then I will approve of the match." Harold said to Moraken. "She will be welcomed into this palace as a daughter and wife to the only son I have." Alli thought her father's tone suggested he was holding something back, but she could not imagine what it could be. "I would like you to know something before you dedicate yourself to the path." He added, "I have made a decision for all of Hokaren. It is a decision that has weighed heavy on my heart for sometime. As Alli's visions begin to increase both in difficulty and frequency it is time for me to do what I feel I must. I have decided to declare Moraken as my heir." He winced as the hurt filled Alli's face. Slowly tears began to fall.
"Alli you must understand that it is not that I feel you are not capable, but truthfully there is a good possibility that you will never be free and will die of your curse. Though it pains me I must admit that there is a possibility you might not live out the year. While I love you more than anything, I also have obligations as King to the people of Hokaren." Harold could not say anymore. He had to remind himself this was for her protection.
"Alli is your heir uncle, Hokaren is hers to rule. She loves this land more herself. It is all she has in this world. All she may ever have. You can not take this from her." Alli reached her hand out to Moraken to stop his next words.
"Please, Moraken" she gave him a tear filled look, "Please do not say more. He is right." Alli wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at her father. "You are right. Hokaren needs stability that I can not give her. Even if I live another fifty years as long as I am Acumen, I can never devote myself to her fully. As long as I am ruled by visions I can not rule this land. I understand your decision and it does hurt, but not because I can not be queen. It hurts because I can not be the daughter you want me to be."
Harold came around his desk and embraced his daughter, both of their tears falling unchecked.
"No matter what you are Allista you will always be the daughter I want. Never think different."
Moraken watched the two of them cling to one another. "I will give it back," he said. They both turned to look at him. "When you are free, I will give you the crown back," he explained.
"Thank you" Alli said releasing her father and bending over to hug Moraken. "I thank you for the offer, but that does not put Hokaren first. Flip-flopping between heirs would only make the monarch appear weak. I love you for it, but I can not accept it."
Harold standing once again leaned back against the heavy desk. "There is more," he said once more gaining their attention. "I am appointing Cate as your personal guard. If I die before you are twenty-five he will become your guardian. After that age I will trust you to make your own decisions if you have not married. If you marry before twenty-five I assume your husband can keep you out of trouble"
"Do we live in Calandoria now? Since when do we believe a woman incapable of making decisions?" Moraken said surprised by Harold's decree.
"Of course not, but Alli is not like other women. Circumstances being what they are, I plan to see her safe should the worst happen" Harold leveled his eyes on Moraken. "Both of you came to me when I was well past my prime. When most men's children are marrying I was having my first child. No one lives for ever, therefore I must take steps to ensure both Hokaren and my family, are seen to before my death."
"And you think me incapable of the job" Moraken questioned.
"I think you are too soft hearted where she is concerned, but I also think the responsibility for ruling will be a large enough burden to bear." Harold said to ease Moraken's fears.
Alli had been watching them go back and forth as if she were not sitting right in front of them. Suddenly she felt she knew what the women in Calandoria felt like. "What ever you wish father I will accept," she turned her eye to Moraken. "You will need time to adjust to ruling and you will have a wife to care for as well. I would not be happy if I felt you worried for my welfare." Moraken seemed to accept her reaction to this decision, but the idea still did not sit well with him. She could tell by the look in his eyes.
Collecting her thoughts Alli remembered what brought her to her father's office in the first place. Her father was already helping her with her next vision. "You have reminded me why I am here, Father. Please sit back down." Her tone worried him, but he did as she asked. Alli waited until he was seated before she continued.
"I had another vision." Harold nodded at this news it was why he assumed she had come. "Not just any vision. The peace of Hokaren may very well depend on my success. You know that I can not share much with you, but since Hokaren is required to aid me in this vision I can share some." She paused to think of the words she could say. "I am going to Calandoria tomorrow. It must be tomorrow" she added in case either of them thought to delay her journey a few days. "The fates have placed time restrictions on parts of what I must accomplish. They have also demanded that I take a thousand Hikirian soldiers with me a
s well."
Harold moved forward in his seat and met her eyes with an intense gaze. "Calandoria will think we plan on attacking with a force that large marching into their kingdom."
Alli shook her head, "No, they will not. I can not say why they will not believe we are invading, that would be saying too much. I can only ask you to trust me. We will be welcomed and our army's presences will ensure the security of the crown."
"Which crown?" Moraken asked wondering if it was the Calandorian or Hikirian crown at risk.
She did not know how to answer the question. She felt it must be the Calandorian crown, but truthfully that was just a guess. "Troubled times are about to visit the House of Raven. The fates have chosen me to be there. I do not fully understand my role to play in the future, only I must be there."
Both her father and Moraken seemed to accept that the fates would yield no more information to them. They had grown use to the mystery over the years.