Prophecy's Queen (The Triadine Saga)

by Timothy Bond

  "I can think of nothing I would like more, Anne, than to share this event with the two of you," Rozlynn replied, squeezing her hand in confirmation.

  "Lady Rozlynn, may I have a moment please?" The voice was that of Drianna, standing in the small door leading to a private parlor the sorceress had taken to occupying as her personal study

  "Of course, Drianna," Rozlynn replied. "If you will excuse me, Anne?"

  Rozlynn rose and walked over to the small doorway where Drianna motioned for her to come inside. Reluctantly she did so, not really wanting to be lectured by her friend again today.

  "Good afternoon, Princess," Rendil greeted Rozlynn as she entered the parlor.

  "Rendil," Rozlynn said, smiling, "how nice to see you. What brings you here?"

  "To congratulate you on your upcoming wedding, of course," the wizard replied, "and to update you on news from Kalystra."

  "He has not told me anything yet.” Drianna looked to the wizard with a scowl on her face.

  "I thought it best to share the news only once," Rendil replied. "Do you think we could have some refreshments sent in? I am quite famished from my travels."

  "Of course," Rozlynn replied and then walked toward the inner door to summon a servant.

  "I ordered food and drink already," Drianna interrupted with a sigh. "The wizard does not believe me, but I expect it to arrive shortly."

  The Princess opened the door to a startled servant who was just preparing to knock.

  "Excuse me, Lady Rozlynn," she stammered, "I was not aware you were here. I brought some food and drink as the woman, um, the Lady Drianna requested, but I will go and get a different selection now. Please, excuse me."

  "Wait.” Rozlynn stopped the woman from going. “Please leave what you have, and then return to the kitchen for something more substantial for my friend here. He just arrived and will want something more than this."

  "Right away, my Lady.” The servant left the platter and rushed away to please the Lady. Rozlynn had quickly won the hearts of all the castle staff, and they wanted nothing more than to please their future Queen.

  "You see what they bring me?" Drianna said, standing over the small platter of cheese, bread, and dried meat. "I really cannot wait to be out of this place."

  "Oh, it's not that bad," Rendil replied as he stacked up several pieces of cheese and meat between slices of the rough wheat bread. "I will need more ale to wash it down, but it will do nicely for now. Thank you."

  "The news from Kalystra, Wizard," Drianna demanded.

  Rendil waved his hand in the air signaling that his mouth was full, finished the bite, and washed it down with half the mug of ale before speaking.

  "The Queen is furious at what you have done, Princess, though that should not come as a surprise."

  "No," the Princess replied, dropping into one of the chairs, "not a surprise."

  "King Theinial is more understanding, and your niece, Lynntania, is ready to do whatever it takes to protect The Children when they are born. How is that going, anyway?"

  "The Children?" Rozlynn questioned, "Are you so certain there will be twins?"

  "Of course, aren't you?" the wizard asked, surprised.

  "There is no guarantee, of course," Drianna replied, "but if this is the correct Path, then twins are likely."

  "You know what that means I hope," Rendil said looking sternly at the Princess. "The twins cannot stay with the King. They must be taken away."

  "What?" Rozlynn said in shock. "You cannot be serious? You are not going to take away my children to be raised by the Elves!"

  "Not by the Elves, but they cannot be raised by Leondis. Doesn't The Prophecy say something like, 'He will seek them and kill them as they threaten his reign?'"

  "We don't know that refers to Leondis," Rozlynn objected. "That could very well refer to the Dark Wizard. In fact, there are several different interpretations of that very passage."

  "We cannot take the risk," Rendil said calmly. "We must be prepared."

  Rozlynn rose, walked to the window, and stared out into the garden.

  There was a knock on the door, and Rendil announced, "Very good, the food is here!"

  Eighteen

  The wedding was only a week away. Randolf arrived from Eagles Reach, his second trip since being named Duke. The nobles from Eagles Reach were streaming into the city for the wedding, along with people from all over the Kingdom.

  Duke Haren and his wife were arriving later today from Lands End. This was her first trip out of the Duchy since the birth of their daughter. Her health was poor, but she would not miss the Royal Wedding.

  Anne and Rozlynn were pleased that they made the decision to have both weddings in the same ceremony. Although the Archbishop was not happy at first, even he came around to the arrangement, and things were coming together nicely.

  The wedding was to be held in the large square in front of the castle. Several receptions were planned afterward. One would be in the Royal Ballroom for those very important guests of the King and Queen; one would be in the small ballroom for the Lady Anne and Duke Randolf's invited guests; the third would be held in the square, and the whole city was invited!

  Never in the history of Solenta had there been a more magnificent event. This was the first Royal Wedding to be held in the new capital, and the treasury was opened wide. Minister Nolan was beside himself at the cost; however, Leondis was determined to make this the event of the century. No expenses were spared.

  "What do you think of all this, Randolf?" the King asked his friend as they strolled the grounds outside the kitchen. Outdoor ovens had been constructed to manage the volume of food that needed to be prepared, and smokers were operating day and night preparing some of the more exotic meat and fish.

  "It will be a grand party, Your Majesty," Randolf replied, "as befits the wedding of the King."

  "Not just mine, old friend, but the Duke of Eagles Reach is getting married as well you know!" Leondis laughed and slapped his friend on the back.

  "True, Your Highness, but only a small number of people will be here because of that. The people are here to see their King joined with a Queen and to watch the next chapter unfold for the Kingdom."

  "I hope they don't plan to watch too closely," Leondis said with a twinkle in his eye, "as I plan to make nasty with the Queen shortly after the ceremony!"

  Both men laughed in the shared way that old friends do, though Randolf did not doubt the King would start to work on creating an Heir as soon as possible. The Lady Rozlynn was one of the most beautiful and desirable women that Randolf had ever met, and it was clear that she had completely captured Leondis' heart.

  "You two rascals should not be here!" The cook came around the corner of one of the large baking ovens, wooden spoon in hand like a dueling sword. "Out of my kitchen, or I'll tan both your backsides!" she announced. The men turned tail and left as quickly as they could, laughing as each of them lifted a piece of fruit from a cart on the way by.

  "What is this fruit?" Randolf asked, holding the orange-colored round fruit in his hand. The fruit was heavily skinned, and though he did not know what he grabbed, he followed the King's example as they passed.

  "It is called, not surprisingly, an 'orange,'" Leondis said. "They grow in the region around Al-Ashal to the south, and were sent here in tribute by the leadership council. My Father was working on a number of trade agreements with the Free Cities, and I am determined to see them through. You peel the heavy outer skin, and eat the segmented fruit inside. Watch for seeds though, they are small, hard, and quite bitter if you bite through one."

  The men sat at the edge of the kitchen area, just out of sight of the patrolling cook, peeled, and ate their oranges.

  "Quite a treat," Randolf said, juice dripping into his short-cropped beard.

  "There are enough here for the entire city," the King remarked, "assuming that I don't eat them all before the wedding!"

  * * *

  "I think perhaps the white vases should go on
the left side of the room, and the red vases on the right," Rozlynn instructed the florist. Though no flowers were part of the arrangement yet, their containers were being arranged in all three areas for the receptions.

  "Yes, Your Majesty," the little man with the bald head replied.

  "I'm not the Queen yet," Rozlynn reminded him.

  "No, Your Majesty," the florist replied, bringing a smile to Rozlynn's lips.

  "Must you attend to every detail?" The sorceress stood by the doors to the garden, a cup of tea in her hand.

  "It keeps my mind occupied," Rozlynn replied, "and helps the time go by. Waiting has never been my strong suit."

  "You have never been the patient one, that is certain. Did you speak with Darius?"

  "Darius is here?" Rozlynn stopped and looked up at Drianna.

  "Yes, I spoke with him yesterday. He is here for the wedding, and, of course, to report back on the festivities."

  "I guess I should not be surprised," Rozlynn said, absently re-folding some cloth napkins sitting on a long side table. "I have not left the castle in quite some time, so I would not have run into him."

  "He is staying in a room over the Boar's Head Tavern,” Drianna offered, "and he wanted me to let you know that."

  "Does he think I will be coming to see him?" Rozlynn questioned.

  "I don't know what he thinks," the sorceress replied. "I told him I would pass along his message, and I did."

  "I sent a bird to my Sister.” Rozlynn changed the subject.

  "You mean the birds here are still capable of carrying messages?"

  "Oh yes," she replied smiling. "They seem to be just waiting for something to do. I have not heard back yet, but it's only been a couple of days."

  "What did you tell her?"

  "Just that I'm sure I am doing the right thing, and that I love her," the Princess replied.

  "I'm certain that will console her," Drianna said sarcastically.

  "I needed to say it," Rozlynn replied. The sorceress' sarcasm was not lost on her.

  "Another week of this and you will release the spell?"

  "I must, yes,” the Princess replied, looking absently at the napkin in her hand. "There can be no delay in giving the King an Heir."

  * * *

  It was nearly midnight when the door to the Boar's Head opened, and a hooded figure entered. There were a few patrons quietly sitting in the common room, and the figure looked them over carefully before proceeding.

  Darius looked up from his ale, one he had nursed most of the evening, as the woman came in. She was obviously a woman to his eyes, though he suspected most of the others were not as certain.

  "The Princess is not coming," Drianna said, sitting down next to the Elven Hunter, though not removing her hood.

  "You told her I wished to see her? That I had a message from the Queen?"

  "I told her you were staying here, no more."

  "Why didn't you pass along the rest of the message?"

  "There is no reason for you to see her before the wedding. You may give me the message, and I will pass it along to her.” The sorceress glared out from under her hood. "Though she may not know you are in love with her, it is very clear to me. She doesn't need that in her head right now.”

  "Though that is not why I am here, what difference would it make if she did know? She is on the path she chose. The magic has bound her to the King as strongly as it bound him to her. Certainly at this point, even if she did love me, it would not matter. The magic would not let her even say it, if what you told me is true."

  "She has not released the spell yet," Drianna said quietly.

  "What?" Darius was not as discreet. "Why not?"

  "You heard me. She has not yet released the magic. What the King feels for her today is genuine, not enhanced by the spell."

  "Is she still committed to the task?"

  "Yes, completely," Drianna said a little too quickly, "but she felt a need to do it this way, and I did not force her to do otherwise."

  The two stared at each other for a while longer, the tension palatable between them.

  "She will still do what is necessary," Darius said, not exactly a question, but not a clear statement either.

  "Which means she will not be coming here to see you," the sorceress added.

  The door to the inn opened and closed silently while the two were deep in conversation. Another hooded figure crossed the room and stepped up to the table.

  "Hello, Darius,” Princess Rozlynn said from beneath her hood. "It was good of you to come."

  Nineteen

  "I sent a bird to my Sister," Rozlynn said, sitting now with Darius in his room above the tavern. The Princess dismissed the sorceress who, under protest, left the two alone.

  "Apparently, the bird did not arrive before I left the city, Princess," Darius replied, pouring Rozlynn a glass of the local red wine.

  "I cannot call off the wedding as my Sister requests, and it does not matter what new information has come to her. She does not believe in The Prophecy, so why would she latch on to these new interpretations?"

  "They came from Laurentis," Darius replied.

  The oldest living Elf was known to have prophetic dreams; however, he refused to share these with Rozlynn every time she spoke with him. For more than a hundred years of her research, she was unable to get the stubborn Elf to say anything. Now, on the eve of her most important task, he decided to tell her sister about his dreams!

  "And you have the details of the new piece of prophecy to tell me?" she asked the Elven Hunter.

  "I have it, Princess," he replied. "Though if you would rather not hear it, I will not repeat the message."

  Rozlynn rose and walked to the small window. The few lights that still flickered in the city reminded her of how late it was. Darius soon stood behind her, his body not quite touching hers, but his presence strong. His comforting smell washed over her, the scent of pine and deep earthy smells comforting her as they had always done. As she closed her eyes against the feelings rising within, he placed both hands on her shoulders. He spoke softly and gently into her ear.

  "You have taken upon yourself a task that will, if successful, ensure the salvation of all who live in the world. Should the Dark Wizard rise again, everything you have learned says evil will prevail, and we will be plunged into a thousand years of suffering."

  "Though your words are true," she said, still facing away, "it does not make the task any easier for me."

  Rozlynn turned inside the Elven Hunter's arms and pressed her face against his broad chest. She moved her own hands to his shoulders and forced herself not to look into his face. She took several deep breaths and felt his strength as he held her close. They stayed this way for several minutes, the feeling of closeness matched only by the feeling of security. Finally, she pushed him back and looked into his moist eyes.

  "This is something I must do, Darius, and though right now I wish for nothing more than to lay in your arms and validate the feelings you have held for me all these years, I must not."

  "Princess, I—"

  "Shhhh.” She pressed a finger against his lips. "I do not wish to cause you any more pain than necessary. This is simply something I must do, and I can let nothing interfere. My personal happiness is not part of my decision, but I am hoping that a life with Leondis is not totally without joy. You know I will live long after he passes, and I must somehow pretend to age along with my human husband and then die. After his eventual death, Drianna tells me the effects of the spell will fade, and eventually I will be able to love another—again. Perhaps then ..."

  "That relates to the message the Queen sent me to deliver," Darius said, his eyes reflecting the sadness he felt inside.

  "I wish not to hear it," Rozlynn replied. "Just hold me a little while longer, and then I must go."

  * * *

  Drianna sat in the darkened coffee shop across from the Boar's Head and watched the lights flickering in the upper window. When she saw the outline of the Princes
s looking out, then the form of Darius outlined behind her, she feared the worst.

  It was not long after this when the Princess emerged from the door of the tavern and began the trek back to the castle. The sorceress heaved a sigh of relief. She did not expect that Rozlynn would be gone so quickly if she and Darius were consummating their love. She knew how Darius felt, of course, but Rozlynn's feelings for the Elven Hunter were mixed at best.

  Drianna let the Princess disappear up the street, not concerned about her safety, even with the lateness of the hour. Any thugs who thought to cross her would find a woman capable of defending herself in nearly any situation, and one that Drianna knew would be armed with a long and exceptionally sharp dirk.

  Entering the building, the sorceress went directly up the stairs and knocked on the Elven Hunter's door.

  "Princess? Have you—" Darius interrupted himself as he opened the door to find the sorceress standing in the hall. "What do you want, Drianna?"

  "You will tell me the full message from the Queen to the Princess," she stated as she pushed her way into the room.

  Darius turned without closing the door and stood with his arms crossed, staring at the woman.

  "I will not," he replied, “and you will leave at once.”

  Drianna held her hands out before her, palms up, and whispered a few words of Wiccan magic. Though he did not know what spell the sorceress was casting, he threw himself across the room to stop whatever it was she was doing. He was too late.

  "You will tell me," Drianna said, holding the larger man back within a blue-green sphere that looked like it was made of water. "Or I will leave you locked in this bubble for a month."

  Darius stopped struggling against the magic and sat on the floor. The bubble collapsed around him, and he found he could no longer stand.

  "You will be quite uncomfortable very soon," she offered, as she crossed the room and closed the door. The spell was tied off and no longer required her attention. "The bubble you see will close in on you as you move around, and once it gets smaller, it cannot be expanded."