Fate of an Empire (Talurian Empire Trilogy Book 1) (19 page)

The morning
light filtered in through the window, dancing across Amira’s face. She yawned awake
but was startled by a person in her room, hovering over the babies’ bed.
Archaos and the baby they found outside were sharing a makeshift crib that
Klaric had put together.

“Rurik, you
are awake.” Amira jumped to her feet.

He turned and
put his finger to his lips. The small boy, whom he had brought home, lay
cradled in his arms. “His name is Aeronais.”

Amira watched
him. His eyes were dark, his cheeks hollow, yet in that diminished face, she
saw happiness. “How do you know him?” She asked, gently.

“He is my
nephew.”

“Your nephew?”
She paused for a moment, thinking over her next words. “Where did you go last
night, Rurik?”

He stood in
silence, not making an effort to answer the question.

Amira could
take a hint and felt she was pushing something that he wasn't well enough to
talk about. She wrapped herself in a robe, covering her slip, and changed the
subject, “How are you feeling?”

He seemed to
break from the trance brought on by the child. He lowered Aeronais back into
the crib and turned to face her. “I’ve felt better. How long was I out?”

“The break in
was three nights ago. I had managed to keep your fever under control and fed
you broth whenever you gained momentary consciousness. We didn’t want to risk
moving you, so we stayed here, instead of pushing on to Saris’ home.”

Rurik just nodded.

“You need some
real food,” said Amira, “I will go see what we have.” She started past him, but
he reached out for her arm, turning her toward him. He stared at her with those
sensitive brown eyes. Such a complex man, she thought—a warrior, but only by
profession. She knew it wasn’t who he
was
.

“Thank you,”
he finally said, “I felt you there beside me. By the bed.”

Amira put her
hand on his forearm. “I was worried.” They stood looking at each other for a moment
before she started back to the door. “You need something to eat.”

He watched her
walk away and then slowly lowered himself to a chair next to the babies. They
were starting to wake and wiggled around in their blankets. The boys were close
in age, Aeronais being older by a few weeks, but Archaos was the longer of the
two. No one in Rurik’s family was very tall, but Nomik and his children were
all taller than him, maybe their side of the family would give the boy a few
inches.

Rurik was lost
in casual thought when Klaric barged in. “Rurik! You
are
awake! You had
me scared. But only for a minute! I knew you would pull through.” He reached
out to help Rurik to his feet.

Unsteadily, He
followed Klaric out into the living room. Gleb and Elop were both sitting out
there; each welcomed him back to the world of the living. Amira was already
assembling a platter of food on the table, boasting apples, pears, assorted
berries, fresh yogurt she had bought off a local dairy farmer, several
breakfast sausages, and various breads with butter and creamed honey. The sight
made his stomach vocalize its lack of sustenance quite loudly, and everyone
burst out laughing.

They all set into
the food, Rurik eating as if for three. Elop slipped away to grab some sweet
wine he had bought at the market, and alcohol started to flow early. Rurik was
well, so now they joked and laughed, trying to forget the horrible things that
had taken place in that very room. Amira brought in the babies, and the
friendly company lasted till late in the morning.

The men
decided to go out for a walk before packing, leaving Rurik and Amira at the
house. They had agreed on leaving the apartment when they got back. It was time
for them to attempt to get inside Taluria proper—the Trueblood district. The
magistrate should be manning the blockade.

Rurik hobbled
down the hall toward where Galro had been staying, the wound in his stomach
still giving him trouble. Amira followed him in; the babies had already fallen
back asleep and were tucked away in their crib. They would only stay awake for
a couple hours at a time.

She entered
the room as he was crouching down beside a pile of Galro’s belongings. “Klaric
looked through there already. The only thing out of the ordinary was this,” She
pointed to a signet ring on a nearby table—a gold band with a flat round piece
attached to the front, baring a strange looking flower, bordered by a snake.
“We guessed it was probably some way of marking his letters to whoever was
tracking us.”

“Most likely.
And, they weren’t after
us
. They were trying to kill you and the boy,”
said Rurik, bluntly. “Probably one of Saris’ rivals within the circle, maybe
one of the House Lords. We won’t find out now. No leads.”

Amira could
see the frustration gathering between Rurik’s eyes. “Well, thanks to you, we
are still alive.” She touched his hand.

He nodded
slightly. “I am glad I made it back here in time.”

There was a
pause. The air was tight between them. Rurik was wandering through his thoughts.
He needed answers and, the worst of it, he trusted this man.

“Hey…” she
smiled and then continued, slowly, “We had some questions for you, but we
didn't want to spring them on you too fast.”

Rurik set
aside his bothersome feelings and grinned, “You mean about me bringing back a
strange baby in the middle of the night?”

She let out a
soft laugh, “Yeah, that might be it.”

“Well, I can't
tell you much. I am sorry.” The humor in the randomness fell away, and he
contorted his face.

She rushed to
his side, “What? Are you hurting?”

“No. No...
well yes, but that is not the matter at the moment.” He looked into her eyes.
“How well can I trust you?”

“Are you in
some kind of trouble?”

Rurik let out
a sudden, hysterical laugh, “You
could
say that.”

She sat
looking at him.
What had happened?
He seemed to forget himself. This was
a man who was so sure and confident. Now he thrashed about in a storm of
rapidly changing emotions.
Why the need for such serious trust?
But she
would give that to him easily. “You can trust me with your life, Rurik.”

“It may very
well be that price if the trust were broken.”

“Just tell me,”
she said, harsher than intended. She was worried about him.

“The boy is a
Harmite.” There, he said it. He didn't think he could.

Then, she was
quiet, without words, without thoughts, in shock.

He searched
her face for a hint of her feelings. “He was saved from getting his slave
brandings. My brother’s wife, Aeronais’ mother, whom I had no idea existed, is
dead. The boy is my responsibility now.”

She was trying
to catch up with the surprise of information. “Wait, a Harmite? Or a mixed
blood? Because with your brother being...”

“Harmite.”
Rurik stared at Amira, impassively, hardened for a response.

She put her
hands to her mouth. “Are you saying that you too are…?”

“Harmite,” He
said again.

“How is this
possible?”

“My parents,
particularly my father, led an underground rebellion, with the main cause being
to rescue Harmite children out of slavery. He knew nothing could be done for
the older children or adults, but babies and young children, who were born in
slave camps and districts, sometimes avoided their branding until word of their
births spread to the ears of the officials. The Harmites are very crafty at
concealing their pregnancies, and babies, for as long as possible. My father
was freed this way and, when he became old enough, joined the cause, later
becoming their leader.”

Amira looked
so confused. “How was all this going on? Is it still going on?”

“Secretively,
very secretively. A giant network of informants and friends make it possible.
And yes, it is still going, although there are now special groups that have been
put together by the Emperor to deal with this exact problem. Recently, these
teams have gained in successful at hindering the operations of the rebels.”

Amira realized
something about the situation. “You are a soldier! How could you fight for the
empire that enslaves your own race?” There was contempt in her voice. She was a
Talurian, but she didn’t have to like what came along with that.

“I had no
idea.” Rurik’s face sagged. “My father didn’t want us to know. He didn’t want
us to feel the pressures of his life. But my brother found out and, later in
his life, ended up becoming a major officer within the group. He went to war
with me to put up a credible front with the Empire. They had been investigating
informants close to him. He needed to play it safe.”

 “Oh, I’m
sorry, Rurik.” Amira held his hand. “I’m sorry you had to learn all of this,
with everyone gone now.” She couldn’t control herself. Tears started to fill
her eyes.

“Oh no. It’s
okay,” Rurik wiped a tear from her cheek.

“Look at me!” Amira
sniffed and dabbed at her eyes. “You are going through a life-changing time,
and
I’m
the one breaking down.”

He tilted her
chin up. “It’s alright.” Her bright, beautiful eyes stared back at him, and he
couldn’t resist. He leaned in for a kiss. She slowly responded, then snapped
her head back.

“I’m sorry,”
she said, shaking her head, “I really want to…but I can’t. Saris will kill you
if he suspects anything.”

“And now you
care about how he feels?” Rurik cocked his head, growing irritated.

“I didn’t care
when the consequences would only have an effect on me, but now I have more to
live for.” She started to cry. “I’m sorry.”

He couldn’t
stay angry and drew her close to his chest. She stayed there for a few minutes,
collecting herself, before they heard Klaric, Gleb, and Elop come through the
front door.

“Hey! Rurik!
We are home, let’s get a move on,” Klaric shouted from the living room. Then,
he came walking around the corner and spotted them. “Hey…uh.”

Rurik shook
his head and pointed back down the hallway. Klaric nodded and turned around.
“Boys! Let’s load that wagon up!”

They waited a
little longer before Amira slowly pulled away. “Thank you. I needed that. These
last few weeks have been hard, to put it nicely.”

“Things will
get better,” Rurik smiled.

She smiled
back, but it slipped away as quickly as it came, “What are you going to do now?
If Aeronais’ mother was killed, does that mean that someone is tracking him?”

“Possibly.
I’ll have to deal with
that
when it happens.”

She nodded,
assuring herself of his words.

“Come on, it’s
getting on into the afternoon, and we need to get through that blockade today.”
He took her by the hand and led her out of the room.

*
* *

Rurik and
Klaric took their accustomed positions up front, with Rurik driving the horses.
The wagon crawled down the main street, headed toward the wide blockade at the
end of the road.

“What did you
do with the bodies?” Rurik suddenly asked.

“We snuck them
into the slave district. Nobody is going to go very deep into the place to look
for them. And I guess a small group of slaves have taken to cannibalism, since
meat has been restricted, as of late.”

Rurik snapped
his head around, “Don’t say something like that about people you don’t even
know!”

“Wow!” Klaric
put his hands up in mock-surrender. “Calm down.”

Rurik looked
forward again, “Sorry. I am…not myself right now.”

“It’s fine.
You have been through an awful lot lately.” He jabbed Rurik in the side,
playfully, “Hey, I saw you with Amira.” He winked.

“Yeah, I was
there, remember? And, it was nothing. She needed to be comforted.”

Klaric
laughed, “Oh, and I bet you
comforted
her.”

“Would you
stop? Nothing happened. And don’t you want to know what happened to me the
night I was out?”

“Yeah, sure, I
just thought you would want some normality first. You would tell me when you
were ready. That seemed to be the way you wanted it after Aamin.”

Their
conversation was cut short when they reached the head of the line, and a stout
little man in an elaborate robe walked over to the wagon.

“Business
within the capital city?”

“Hello, sir.
You must be the city magistrate. We are on a mission sanctioned by General
Saris of the Talurian Army. I am Corporal Rurik Kaster and this is Private—”

“That’s all
very nice, but I don’t really care who you are. Do you have paperwork? I do
care about that.” He spread his fat lips into a grin. “In times of war, we
don’t just let anyone in the center city.”

Rurik reached
into his vest and pulled out Saris’ letter.

The man
scanned it, his face snarled, as if unhappy at the legitimacy of the letter.
“Very well, everything seems to be in order. You may pass.” He waved his hand,
and a group of soldiers pulled the heavy wooden gate open.

Rurik flicked
the reins, and the horses trotted forward. “He was a nice gentleman.”

Klaric laughed
under his breath, waiting for the magistrate to be out of earshot. “He would
make for a nice suckling pig substitute for those slave cannibals. Mmm…roasting
over the pit. Maybe a sweet, orange glaze.”

Even Rurik
laughed at him this time.

Rurik guided
the wagon through the courtyard of the five Houses—a large, open area, marked
in the center by a towering marble statue of a long dead Emperor. Rurik never
knew the history of it; maybe he would ask Gleb sometime. He seemed to know a
lot about a lot.

Since taking office
in the Taluria court cut one’s ties to their House, the members of the Inner
Circle had separate housing. A manmade forest had been laid out past the center
courtyard, acting as the private divider between the Houses and the Officials.

He steered the
horse down the road leading to Saris’ estate. A high archway, lined with iron
spikes and rivets marked the start of the General’s entranceway. Quickly
getting deeper into the forested area, the sounds and sights of the city faded.

They have quite
the secluded life here.

With the rounding
of one last corner, the home of the Talurian General spread out before them. It
was a long, wide structure, with a second level and two observation towers
overlooking the out-facing corners—the side that looked down on the city. The
majority of the building was made out of marble and accented with touches of
silver. A warrior’s look, nothing like the wooden, mystical home that Rurik had
heard the Chancellor commissioned.

Three men
marched out to meet the wagon. One man stood ahead of the others and raised his
hand into the air, motioning Rurik to halt. Rurik recognized the special
uniforms, especially the one in which the leader was wearing. This man was the
Guard Captain; each of the officials had one—the head of security for each
estate.

“The General
is away,” the Captain said, eyeing the two men, “And I don’t think he would see
either of you even if he were present.”

“You are the
Guard Captain of the estate, correct?” Rurik asked.

“Yes, Guard
Captain Larkin, and I am ordering you away from these premises.
Now
.”

“I have a
letter from the General,” Rurik reached into his vest to retrieve the paper
again. “We are here on his command. His fiancé rides with us.”

Larkin didn’t bother
taking the letter, “General Saris is already married, and now I am warning you
to depart immediately.”

“She died
giving birth. You must have been aware that she was pregnant. And the General
has already fancied another woman. You better show her the respect that her
future title deserves.”

Larkin glared
at Rurik, who met his eyes fiercely.

He unfolded
the letter and began to read. As the magistrate had done, the Captain showed
signs of defeat in his posture and handed back the note. “Alright, this bares
his signet. I am bound by an oath of service to admit and welcome you to the
estate.” He gave a weak bow and turned back to the house.

Klaric looked
to Rurik and stuck out his bottom lip, “Do we have to stay?”

Rurik
chuckled, “Don’t worry, that place is so big, you won’t run into him for at
least a week.”

The wagon
rolled down the last of the pathway, entering into a large stable, with the
house on one side and a perfectly-manicured, flower garden on the other. “Help
Gleb and Elop with the bags.”

Klaric jumped
from the seat, but Rurik sat up top for a moment longer. He needed to collect
himself before his impending confrontation with the Guard Captain. He knew the
letter told the captain who he was going to find within the group. Klaric could
stand in for Galro, but Elop was an addition, and the hardest part to explain
was the extra baby, Aeronais.

*
* *

Rurik walked
into the wide-open entranceway, with his group close behind. Captain Larkin was
waiting for them.

“Your party is
larger than the letter indicated.” Larkin slowly walked around the group.

So quick to
the point.

Before Rurik
could say anything, Amira stepped up to the tall man, with a baby on each hip.
“Captain.”

“Yes?” he
answered raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, ma’am.”
She corrected him, putting on a harsh, better-to-do attitude. “I will be
treated with respect in my own home.”

The Captain
took the words like a slap in the face. “I…I apologize. Ma’am!” he quickly
added.

“Where shall I
rest the General’s sons?” asked Amira.

“Sons?” he
gave a confused look.

“Yes. Bless
her soul! That poor woman,” Amira threw back her head, whipping her hair
around, “Giving birth to one baby is hard enough. I know! I am a nurse. Or,
was. Now I am of a higher class. Better than you, sir.” She looked down her
nose at the man.

Rurik couldn’t
help but grin at the budding actress.

“But two! No
wonder she couldn’t keep it together. Bled out, right there on the table.” Amira
shook her head and then made a show at a quick prayer. To what god, Rurik
didn’t know. “It’s quite a coincidence that I was one of her attending nurses.
I think Saris noticed me right away, maybe a little hasty on his part.” She
winked at Larkin.

“So, wait!”
Larkin put his hand up.

“Excuse me?” Amira
tilted her head and squinted at him.

Larkin changed,
bowing his head, “Sorry, Ma’am. I mean to ask…the General’s deceased wife gave
birth to twins?”

“Yes, did the
letter not indicate that?”

“It only said
fiancé and son, then, of course, the Corporal and Private, along with the
slave.”

“Well maybe you
read it too quickly, or he forgot the
s
.” She pushed the babies into
Larkin’s face, “Tell me these two aren’t the cutest little pair of brothers!”

Larkin tripped
backward to get away from the babies. “I am not a baby person.”

He stood
straight again. “Well, I am very glad for the blessings…” He made a play at
smiling to the boys, “…that have come to General Saris. These men will get you
all settled into your rooms.”

At those
words, the two other guards moved forward and motioned for the group to follow.
Amira rushed out in front of them, making a show of knowing where she was going
already, while Rurik and the other men walked behind, closely together, afraid
of what Amira was going to do next.

*
* *

After a hearty
dinner, frantically thrown together by the house chefs and Elop, who Amira had
said was hired as their cook during the trip, the group slowly gathered, one by
one, into Rurik’s room, trying to not draw attention from the house staff.

Rurik told
some truth about Aeronais—he was his nephew and that he was in possible danger,
but nothing about his Harmite heritage or the underground rebellion. Klaric,
Gleb, and Elop took the news, knowing things were being kept from them, but
they were fine with that.

Larkin bought
all of Amira’s stories and seemed to be understanding of the miscommunication
he sensed in the letter. After all, this was a time of war, and General Saris
was surely rushed in composing the dispatch.

When their
little meeting was over, they left in the same manner in which they came, each
waiting a time before venturing out of the room. Suspicion would quickly spread
through the house if they were found to be secretly gathering together.

Amira was the
last in the room. She was bidding her time after Elop’s departure. “This is
quite an amazing house,” she said.

“You’ve been
quite the amazing actress.” Rurik smiled.

“Once I got
going, it wasn’t all that hard. I could get used to acting that way, especially
if people treat me like the Captain did. He was plain scared!” She laughed.

Rurik walked
over to her. “You should stay a little longer. I can try to get that fire lit.”

“That sounds
nice,” she pretended to not read the underlying offer, “but those nice ladies
watching the boys need to be relieved for the night and I’m tired. Maybe a walk
around the House Courtyard in the morning? We can bring along the guys. They
seem to be squirming in this place. A little rich for their blood.”

“Or maybe just
the two of us could go for a stroll in the garden tomorrow morning.” He touched
her arm.

She almost
gave into her wishes—almost allowed him to see her feelings for him. But she
remained in control.
It was better this way, right?
She didn’t want
anything to happen to Rurik, and if there was someone who could get away with
unjustified murder, it was Saris. “I have to go.” She quickly opened the door
and slipped out into the hallway.

The door
closed and she was gone. Rurik pounded his fist against the wall. He knew it
was wrong, but Saris was
wrong
. Saris was taking a woman who didn’t want
him and, worse, a woman he didn’t deserve. He couldn’t stand for that.

*
* *

Amira closed
the door behind her, forcing herself to separate from Rurik. The distance to
her room was exaggerated from emotion; each step a struggle, sapping her
energy. But she finally arrived at her door and had beaten her temptation.

She dismissed
the maids, not like they really had to do much—the boys had fallen asleep two
hours before her return. They were staying in a bedroom attached to hers, and
she enjoyed the space it gave her. She had been with Archaos every waking
moment, and now there was another little one to steal her affection. She was
already becoming very attached to Aeronais, and it didn’t just stem from her
feelings for Rurik.

Slipping into
her oversized bed, she found herself counting the gaudy tiles that stretched
across the ceiling.
I wonder how much each of those cost. If I have to put
up with being this man’s wife, I will certainly make sure that I get to
redecorate.

A quick knock
rattled off on her door, startling her from her thoughts. She pushed off the
blankets and slipped on a thin silk robe that one of the maids had placed next
to the bed. “Coming.”

Maybe one
of the women forgot something.

The knock went
once more as she neared the door. She undid the latch and cracked the door
open. A strong hand pushed it open.

Rurik.

Without a
word, he grabbed her by the waist with one hand and caressed her neck with the
other, pressing his lips firmly against hers. She pushed to her toes and met
his kiss with fervor. No more strength to resist her desires. And she didn’t
want to. Her need for the man was too great. She wanted this, all of him.

They moved
into the room, and Rurik kicked the door closed.

He wildly
undid the belt of her robe, and it fell open, like the beautiful awakening of a
rare flower. He stopped for a moment, staring at her with such affection, that
she forgot to breathe.

Her bare skin
tingled with excitement, and a deep warmth blushed her breasts.

Her lips
parted, trying to form a word. He raised his finger to her mouth, silencing
her, slowly shaking his head. No.

He pulled her
close, entangling his fingers in her hair as he tasted her lips once again.

Amira grabbed
hold of Rurik’s shoulders and lifted her body onto his, wrapping her legs
around his waist, feeling his body react to hers. As he carried her to the bed,
he kissed and bit at her neck. Her head rolling back in blissful anticipation.

He laid her
down, bracing himself over her. Her chest heaved up and down, waiting for his
touch, longing for it.

Rurik ran his
hand along her side, feeling the shape of her thigh and hip, stopping with his
hand on her slender waist.

She couldn’t
wait a moment longer. She pulled him in, feeling his skin on hers. He rocked
back and forth, while she arched her back, whimpering soft cries of pleasure.
They had come to a full expression of their feelings and manifested their
passions through pure, physical ecstasy.

*
* *

Captain Larkin
moved through the secret passageways of the house that Saris had shown him some
years back. He regularly escorted unnamed whores out during the night, for the
General, and sometimes, a still warm corpse. If Saris was one thing, it was
dishonorable. Larkin despised the man, and if it weren't for his high-paying
benefactor, he would have left his current position long ago.

It wasn’t the
evil that Saris committed, that made Larkin hate him. He considering himself at
least equally monstrous but lacking the rank and financial backing.

The reason for
his strong animosity was simply that he felt
he
should be the one passing
out in a drunken mess of sex and never see the consequences to any of his actions
while someone else took out the trash.

So, now with
one last rendezvous, Larkin thought his information, this time, would be enough
to earn him his promised reward. Then he could go off and live on his own
estate, possibly near the coast, he thought, with a throng of beautiful
mistresses, fine food, expensive furniture, and a fancy wardrobe.

He made sure
everyone was asleep, before making his way through the network of tunnels. A
ladder took him into a small shed located at the edge of Saris’ property. He
covered the trap door and moved out into the night air. He ran through the
trees and soon came to a pond surrounded by dense trees. At his arrival, a man
stepped forward from the shadows.

“Hey! Where is
Krul? Who are you?” Larkin took a defensive step back, “I was ordered to relay
information only to Krul.”

“Be quiet,”
the man whispered, angrily. “Sound carries far from the mouths of idiots.”

The rebuke
shut Larkin up.

“Krul is
dead.” The man spat at the words. “He failed his mission, and if he were still
alive, I would kill him myself.”

Larkin glimpsed
a scowl on the man’s face. He seemed mildly familiar, but he wore a hood, and
any distinguishing features were hidden.

“You are our
last chance to find some way to hurt Saris. We can’t openly attack the man’s
estate without raising suspicion. So, I hope, for your sake, that it was worth
my time responding to your signal.”