Authors: L. M. Roth
Chronicles of Logos Quest For the Kingdom Parts IV, V, VI, and VII Revised With Index (Quest For the Kingdom Set) (40 page)
Quest For the
Kingdom
Part VI
The Sorceress
and the Seer
By L. M. Roth
Copyright 2013
© L. M. Roth
All Rights
Reserved
Preface
“I
have a gift for you.”
She
stood up abruptly and moved to the back room of the hut. Nolwenn wondered what
the gift might be, but did not have to wait very long to find out. Melisande
returned to her chair and held out a pendant to her sister-in-law.
“Take
this,” she said. “I have had it made especially for you.”
Nolwenn
beheld a silver chain and from it dangled a small amulet of some dark clear
stone, capped with a silver link that connected it to the chain. The stone
itself was unadorned and hung freely from the chain.
“Oh,
how lovely,” Nolwenn breathed.
She
stretched her hand out to take it, but Melisande drew it back quickly and
smiled.
“Allow
me to explain first, Nolwenn. The amulet is very powerful. When you have need,
just hold it in your hand and the stone will clear. When it does, it shall show
you the future, and the answer to any question you put to it.
“See?
Like this?”
Melisande
put Nolwenn’s hand on the amulet. The girl cradled it in her grasp, and decided
to ask it a question.
“Where
is my brother, Cort?”
As
she stared into it, the cloudy depths cleared and Nolwenn saw a picture
forming. She saw a ship, and on the deck of the ship she saw her brother and
his wife Siv. She gasped excitedly and showed the picture to Melisande.
Melisande
also gasped but not with delight. Her lips tightened suddenly and she clutched
the pendant so hard that she cried out in pain. When she opened her hand,
Nolwenn saw the deep impression the stone had left in her palm. Melisande
quickly recovered herself and smiled reassuringly at the young girl.
“Take
it, Nolwenn. But let us keep it as our little secret, shall we? I am afraid
that if Maelys knew of its existence it would only make her jealous at the
favor I have shown you. And you know what her temper can be like, don’t you?
The last thing I would desire would be for her to harm you in any way, as she
did the time she hurt your arm.”
I
Distressing
Revelations
Marcus could
not bear to look at Antonius. Not only had his cherished Logos been stolen by
this young man’s father, a man whom he loathed above all others on this earth,
but now his beloved daughter’s heart had been stolen by the young man himself.
And to enlighten them on the nature of Decimus would only break the heart of
both these precious young people.
He agonized
over what to do. And then he remembered his wife’s words: “Through a careless
action on the part of our son, Logos was taken from this house while you were
away.” Lucius. He could not bear to hurt Antonius, nor his daughter, but he
could still deal with Lucius and the pain he caused the family of Maximus.
He turned to
his son where he stood with shoulders slouched, blushing furiously, hoping his
father would not turn his attention to him.
Marcus wasted
no time.
“What did you
do, Lucius?”
Lucius shot a
look at Antonius, who returned only a blank stare. It was plain to see that the
young man knew nothing of the consequences of his friend’s action, Tullia
thought. She sighed impatiently and prompted her son.
“Answer your
father at once, Lucius,” she upbraided him. “He is waiting.”
Lucius
shuffled his feet as he had done as a young boy when he knew consequences
awaited any wrongdoing. He cleared his throat and looked at the floor for
inspiration. None came.
At last he
lifted his head and looked at Marcus.
“Well,
Father,” he murmured. “Well, you see, it was Antonius. He had been ill and I
wished to cheer him. So while you were occupied one day I took Logos from your
room and took it to the House of Hadrianus for Antonius to see. It is truly a
marvel! And we beheld the words on the blade that appeared when we asked a
question of it.
“I stayed
overnight at his house, and when I returned the next day I found that you had
gone to search for Felicia. I did not unpack my knapsack immediately, as we had
guests to dine and I retired rather late. When I woke the next morning I went
for a walk before breaking my fast with Mother. She informed me that the guests
we had the night before had only just left. You see, they stayed because a
fierce storm broke and Grandmother invited them to spend the night.
“I returned to
my room and then remembered that I had not unpacked my knapsack. When I did, I
discovered that Logos was missing. Not even the scabbard remained: it also was
gone.”
Lucius paused,
and turned so pale that Marcus knew he had told the truth and feared his
father’s retribution. Marcus attempted to restrain his wrath, but his son’s
careless handling of such a sacred object infuriated him and his temper
erupted.
“What
possessed you to think that you could treat Logos in such a cavalier manner?
The Sword is not a toy that you can play with for your own amusement! It was
entrusted to me, and all of these years I have treasured it, treating it as my
greatest legacy. And you, through your thoughtlessness and careless behavior
have managed to lose it!”
Marcus did not
dare voice the suspicion that flooded his mind: Antonius was not only ignorant
of his father’s true nature, he was also now Marcus’ son-in-law, and not for
the world would he hurt this gentle young man. He saw Tullia open her mouth to
say something, and with a shake of his head cautioned her to stop. As always,
she divined his intent and closed her lips.
Lucius feebly
attempted to make his amends.
“I am sorry,
Father, truly I am! I meant no harm, and I never dreamed that anyone would take
Logos. But someone did and Mother and I tried to find it; truly we did! There
is only one person who could have taken it and…”
Marcus cut him
off.
“Enough,
Lucius!” he interrupted. “You have said enough already. Your mother and I will
deal with this. For now, you are forbidden to leave this house until we
determine what punishment is fit for you.”
Marcus turned
to face the bewildered eyes of Felicia and Antonius. He glanced at his wife,
and it was clear that he could count on Tullia’s discretion. He breathed a
little easier, but remembered that he had yet to break the news of their
daughter’s new status to her, and dreaded what her response would be.
“Father,”
Felicia began, as she gently put a hand on his arm, “what has happened? How was
Logos taken from you? Who could possibly have taken it? And why?”
“Not now,
Felicia,” he pleaded. “Your mother and I need to talk. When we have more
information we shall tell you all that we know.”
He saw in her
husband’s eyes the same concern and felt relieved that Antonius clearly knew
nothing of the theft. How could he possibly tell him that his own father was
somehow responsible for the theft of Logos?
Marcus and
Tullia withdrew from the family to the library. No sooner had they closed the
door than Tullia whirled around to look her husband in the eye.
“What shall we
do, Marcus? We can not possibly tell Antonius that his father took the Sword,
yet somehow we must confront Decimus, and then all will be revealed. Such a
revelation will only hurt Antonius and Paulina, who I am certain, knows nothing
of the theft.”
Her blue eyes
gazed up at him with the despair he felt in his heart, and he unexpectedly felt
blessed at the love of his wife. It was true that she shared in all of his joys
and his sorrows, somehow increasing the former and making the latter easier to
bear. What happiness she had brought him over the years. And now he was going
to shatter hers with the news of their daughter’s secret nuptials…
“Tullia,” he
began.
His voice
broke suddenly; he could not do it. He alone knew the pain the news he had to
share with her would inflict on his wife. Of all the young men in the world,
why did their daughter have to fall in love with and wed the son of Decimus
Hadrianus, who had brought so much suffering to both of her parents?
He tried
again.
“Tullia,” he
said, as he shuddered inwardly and took a deep breath.
Suddenly he
felt suffocated in the library. The July day was warm, and it was stifling
indoors. He suddenly had a vision of Tullia fainting or even screaming when he
told her his news. Perhaps his news could be better endured if he took her
outdoors.
And there the
family could not hear her reaction.
They strolled
among the red roses and white carnations where he had proposed to her so long
ago, and where, unknown to them, their daughter had met the son of their old
enemy, and who had loved the sight of her among the carnations instantly.
Marcus linked his arm through Tullia’s and attempted to lull her by drawing her
attention to the blooms that she loved so much.
Tullia,
however, was not to be fooled with such trivial comments on the flourishing
garden. She usually bore patiently with others, being careful to treat everyone
with courtesy and kindness. But her patience was at the breaking point and she
broke away from her husband’s encircling arm to look him in the face.
“What is it,
Marcus?” she asked abruptly, her eyes fastened upon his. “What is it that you
find so difficult to tell me?”
Marcus
attempted to find the words but none that would make it easier came to his
mind. He was then inspired to break the news by degrees, preparing her for what
he was about to say.
“Tell me,
Tullia,” he started. “What are your plans for Felicia? Do you have any
particular young man in mind for her? Or are you merely planning the
traditional season for her that she might meet someone suitable?”
Tullia looked
at Marcus in disbelief as a sigh of impatience escaped her lips. She shook her
head and cut off his line of inquiry.
“That is
not
what you were going to ask me, Marcus!” she burst out. “You are hiding
something from me: what is it?”
He knew it was
no use putting her off further. Tullia had never been easy to fool, and he was
glad that she was a woman of intelligence. He had no choice: he simply had to
tell her the news that he knew she would never be able to accept…
“Alright
Tullia: Felicia has found a husband for herself. While you and I were both
gone, she met a young man right here in Lycenium. And she seemed to have
acquired the notion that you already had someone in mind for her, so she
persuaded this young man to marry her in secret. And they did so.”
He found that
he could say no more, and waited for her response.
For a long
moment Tullia stared at him dumbly; then her blue eyes grew wide as
comprehension flooded her brain.
“No,” she
whispered.
She took an
involuntary step backward. Her hand rose to her throat, and she clutched a hand
to her stomach as she doubled over in pain.
“Nooo,” the
word was drawn out from lips grown ashen with shock. “It can not be, it
must
not be!”
Mutely she
looked at Marcus, silently begging him to tell her that he was mistaken, or she
was mistaken in her understanding of his news.
But in his
eyes she saw only the truth of what she feared to say.
