Griffin's Destiny (27 page)

“Very good,” Sen commented.

“You see, Father?” Raidu interjected. “Questioning that creature would have been useless, so there’s really no harm done…”

“Be silent!” Raidan barked. He glared at his son. “At this moment, I can barely stand to look at you, much less listen to any opinions you might have.” Raidu’s lips twisted into a petulant bow and for an instant, Raidan thought his son might actually defy him, but the younger prince evidently thought better of it and held his tongue.

Before Raidan could speak again, Lady Odata strode into the pavilion. “I came as soon as I heard, your Highness. Where is the prisoner?” Odata wore a look of high expectation on her face but she stopped short in obvious confusion when she saw the grim expressions confronting her. “What is it? What has happened?” She looked first at Raidan, then at Sen.

“The prisoner is dead,” Sen replied.

“What? How?” Odata exclaimed in dismay.

“It doesn’t matter,” Raidan stated. “He didn’t know anything useful.” Odata glanced at the blood on the mats and her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t press the issue.

“I’m glad you’re here now, Odata. I need to speak with you.” Raidan took a deep breath and forced himself to sit. With that simple act, he banished enough tension in the room to allow everyone else to relax.

“Guardsmen and scouts, you are all dismissed,” the prince ordered. “Mages as well. Lady Sonoe, you and your second, please stay.” He waited until all the guards, the two scouts, and the rest of the mages had filed out before he spoke again. “Tell me about my brother.”

“He died in my arms,” Sonoe answered in a rough whisper. “In the end, he was at peace and in no pain. I saw to that myself.”

“Thank you,” Raidan tried to say, but a strange lassitude had begun to creep over him, turning his body into an unwieldy sack of stones and his mind into treacle. Sonoe’s eyes expanded before his sight, merging into a single, whirling jade pool. He felt it sucking him down, and he struggled to break free. Just as he thought he might be pulled in, he was released.

“Ai, Goddess!” he gasped. “What just happened?” He shook his head and pressed a palm to his brow.

“What do you mean, my lord? Is something wrong?” Sonoe murmured.

“Did you try to scan me just now?” Raidan regarded the sorceress with growing suspicion.

Sonoe’s face lost all color. “No, your, Highness!” she replied, bowing her head. “I would never presume to enter your mind without your permission. I apologize if my own grief somehow disturbed you. The king’s death has affected me very deeply.” Her beautiful mouth trembled.

A sharp pang of remorse stung Raidan’s already aching heart. “Of course. Of course it has. I know how you felt about my brother, Sonoe,” he said softly, “and your love and loyalty won’t go unrewarded.”

“I don’t want any reward, your Highness. All I want is to have my soulmate back, but that’s not possible.” She turned her face away, but not before the prince glimpsed the sparkle of tears on her cheeks.

“The other lords must be informed of the king’s death, Raidan,” Sen said in a low voice.

Raidan raised his hand and Mai Nohe materialized at his shoulder. “See to it that runners are sent to all the other lords. I want them here right away,” he ordered.

“Yes, my lord Prince,” Mai answered and strode out of the tent.

Sen crouched by Raidan’s stool and murmured, too softly for anyone else to hear, “Raidan, you are king of Alasiri now.”

Raidan sighed. Ever since the day when Keizo had ascended the throne and had named him Heir, the prince had prepared for this moment, but now that it had come, he felt nothing but sorrow and desolation.

This is not how I wanted to be made king!

“Yes, I realize that.” he replied aloud. “All too well.”

Raidan rose from his stool and looked around the room. Sen remained kneeling, and the prince saw that everyone else in the pavilion had knelt as well, including Raidu, who for once seemed beyond insolence.

“Please, all of you, get up,” he commanded wearily. “News of my brother’s death must not leave this tent.”

“But why, your Majesty?” Sen exclaimed as he hauled himself to his feet. “The other lords and the army have a right to know!”

“The army, as do the rest of the elven people, love Keizo with a fervor they have yet to feel for me. No, old friend,” Raidan held up a hand to silence Sen’s protest. “Please don’t patronize me. I’m far too sensible to delude myself on that account. The troops need their unconditional love for my brother. It’s what’s sustaining their courage. If they learn of his death, it will break their hearts and take away the edge we need to win this fight.”

Sen nodded in reluctant agreement. “Perhaps, you’re right, but I think you’re selling yourself short, Majesty.”

“Please, remember…all of you must still think of me as I was, not as who I will become if,
when
, we drive out the Soldarans,” Raidan admonished.

A heartbeat later, Mai Nohe returned. “My lord Prince, the other lords are on their way,” he announced.

“Good,” Raidan said. “All of you…pour yourselves more wine and get comfortable. We have a long night ahead of us.”

The rest of the lords agreed that Sen Sakehera, as Raidan’s most experienced commander, should lead the force that would first engage the enemy and hold them at the pass.

Sen rode out well before dawn, his son Sadaiyo beside him, at the head of a force just over eight hundred strong—large enough to be an effective barrier for a time, yet small enough to, hopefully, fool the Soldarans into believing they would have little trouble taking back the valley. With Sakehera in place, the plan would be set and the elves as ready as they could possibly be.

Raidan witnessed Sen’s departure from atop the battlements of Tono Castle, an agitated Odata at his side. From the heights, the army looked like a slim column of ants marching out across the valley floor. The valley itself lay empty as part of the deception. The bulk of the elven forces were in place, positioned among the rocky crags that ringed the valley like dragon’s teeth.

Behind the fortress—hidden by its sturdy walls—awaited the cream of Alasiri’s army. These units were composed of the toughest, most seasoned warriors, men and women who’d been battle-tested through years of border defense on the eastern and northern frontiers.

One hundred and fifty years of peace with the Soldarans had not meant any respite for Alasiri’s armed forces. In the east, they battled nomadic tribes from the windy steppes, whose warlords decorated their battle standards with the severed heads of their enemies. In the north, bearded, pale-haired warriors attacked by sea in dragon-prowed longships. Alasiri had always been a beleaguered nation, surrounded on all sides by humankind who coveted the elves’ fertile land and resources.

Raidan sighed and rubbed his aching eyes. He couldn’t remember when he had last slept. “How many more have fallen sick?”

Odata drummed her gloved fingers on the stone parapet. “Seven, at last count, all among the household staff. So far, our luck appears to be holding. No more guards have gotten sick, and I’ve heard no reports of anything unusual among the army.”

“It’s science, Odata, far more than luck, that’s prevented this plague from spreading,” Raidan commented.

The Lady of Tono sniffed. “Respectfully, my lord Prince, I believe in luck and the One who bestows it. You speak of science and how it has the power to explain everything, yet you still have no idea what causes this sickness.” She paused to wet her lips before continuing. “I believe the Goddess has sent this plague and this war to us as a sign. People have been turning away from Her, turning their backs on She who created us! The temples are empty, the priesthood is dwindling…There are some holy days where I and my family are the only ones attending worship in our village.”

Raidan regarded Odata thoughtfully, one eyebrow raised. “My lady, I had no idea you were so…pious.” He nearly said zealous but thought better of it.

Odata returned his look with a frown. “If the elven people hadn’t been so shamefully negligent in their duty to Her, then none of this would be happening.”

Raidan said nothing; instead, he pushed off from the wall and walked along the rampart toward the stairs. Odata stalked along beside him in silence. Guards stationed at regular intervals along the parapets saluted as he passed; they saluted their commander and prince, not their king, for Raidan’s orders had been obeyed and no one outside the small group who’d been present at Sonoe’s arrival knew of Keizo’s death.

Raidan felt a twinge of unease as he thought of his brother’s Companion. She seemed undeniably different somehow, yet changed in a way too subtle for him to articulate. He had initially ascribed it to grief, but now he was not so sure.

She had taken charge of the other mages competently enough, and they had all seemed content to let her, even the cranky old man who had been in command. She had even improved upon their magical strategy, and had volunteered to ride out with Sakehera’s force.

“I have a few showy tricks I can use…Nothing too lethal,” she had explained. “It will make them think our vaunted magical reputation is mostly myth, so when my mages hit them with the real thing, it will be that much more demoralizing. Also, I can direct the magical attacks much more efficiently if I’m on the battlefield.”

Sen Sakehera had agreed, and so Sonoe had taken two other mages and together, they had ridden out with the Lord of Kerala. For no reason he could explain, Raidan felt relieved to see her go.

“I expect Sakehera to engage the enemy shortly after sunrise,” he said to Odata. The Lady of Tono had turned out in full battle dress, a graceful willow tree motif decorating both breast and back plates. Raidan knew her to be a competent commander and a decent swordswoman, but he also knew it had been years since she had last swung a weapon in battle. He hoped she would do the sensible thing and stay behind Tono’s walls, letting her eldest son lead her troops onto the field when the fight came to the gates of the castle.

“I’m going to my private chapel to pray, Highness,” Odata said as the two of them descended into the inner yard. “You are welcome to join me, of course.”

Raidan shook his head. “Thank you, but no, my lady,” he replied.

“As you wish, my lord Prince.” Odata inclined her head and left him standing alone by the stairs.

Taya, how I wish you were here!
The sudden ache of longing caught Raidan by surprise.
We’ve been separated by duty before, but this time, it’s different. Yes, my life has been at risk, but never have the stakes been so high! If we fail here, I will probably never see you again, my love, for it will mean the end of everything.

The prince went in search of his sons.

***

He found both young men back at the royal pavilion. Kaisik assisted his older brother with the elaborately painted armor Raidu had commissioned just for this day.

“Father!” Raidu called out as Raidan entered. “Your Heir and your spare are ready. It’s killing time!” He pumped his fist in the air, face stretched in a savage grin.

“You would do well to shed some of that arrogance,” Raidan shot back. “This is no game, Raidu. If you don’t keep your wits about you, if your concentration flags for even an instant…”

“My concentration will be perfect, Father, and so will Kaisik’s” he said, looking down at his brother, who crouched on the floor, fighting with a stubborn strap at Raidu’s ankle.

“Kaisik!” Raidan snapped, then instantly regretted his irritable tone as his younger son flinched. “You don’t need to do that,” he said in a gentler voice. It had never bothered him before, but now he hated to see Kaisik in so servile a posture. “You’ve not yet armed yourself, Son. Call for a servant to help you get ready. I need to speak with your brother.”

“Yes, Father,” Kaisik answered as he scrambled to his feet. “Father, am I to ride out with you and Raidu today?” Raidan needed no Talent to sense his younger son’s mood.

The boy is afraid, and yet…

The prince saw determination in Kaisik’s sea-green eyes.

He wants to conquer his fear and acquit himself well today.

Raidan felt a newfound pride in the boy that he had not felt before. “I can’t risk both of you unless it’s absolutely necessary, so no, Kaisik, you will stay behind and help defend the castle from the ramparts,” he said, then added to lessen the sting, “Don’t think I haven’t noticed what a good shot you’ve become, Son.”

The boy looked down at his feet for a moment, then nodded. “You know what’s best, Father, but I would rather be with you and my brother,” he replied. Without another word, he brushed by them and left the tent.

“Why won’t you let Kaisik come with us? He’s got to prove himself sometime, you know.”

Raidan glared at his eldest son. “He’ll never be able to prove himself as long as you keep treating him like your manservant.”

“That’s not fair, Father,” Raidu shot back. “I’ve always looked out for him, always protected him…”

“Be quiet, Son,” Raidan commanded. “This is not the time for us to talk about your relationship with your brother. I need to discuss what will happen should I fall in battle today.”

Raidu swallowed hard and his body tensed.