Kingdom's Reign (3 page)

Talea was immediately to her feet, shouting a warning to all passengers to get below deck. One of the larger crewmen came toward us with his sword drawn and a concerned look on his face.

“Are you hurt, Lady Talea?” he asked.

“No, Yutan, I am unharmed,” she said. The large warrior seemed satisfied and hurried off. The captain ordered a trumpet blast to warn the other ships, and it spread through the armada rapidly. Cullen grabbed Keely and took her below, while I helped Talea and the crew get the remaining passengers to safety, closing the hatch behind us. I could hear an occasional screech in the distance but nothing quite as close as our first encounter.

The captain and another Silent Warrior remained on deck to ensure that we stayed on course. Everyone else was ordered to remain below for a time. I found a place to sit near the hatch, and Talea sat a few feet away, facing me.

“What in the kingdom was that?” I asked.

She paused. “It was a scynth.”

I thought for a moment. “I have never heard of nor seen such a thing. Where do they come from?”

Talea looked at the floor. “They come from the caverns on the Isle of Sedah. Their presence can mean only one thing: all of the evil power of Lucius has been unleashed upon Arrethtrae.”

The last few years in Arrethtrae had been tremendously difficult for the Knights of the Prince, but Talea seemed to indicate that it was only the beginning.

“The years ahead will be the darkest the kingdom has ever seen.” Talea looked up at me. “We can be grateful to the King and the Prince that we are not there.”

Bewildered, I looked at Talea. I did not like a mystery, and she most certainly was one. “Who are you, my lady?”

“I am Talea. Who are you, sir?” she replied tersely.

“I am sorry for the frankness of my question, my lady,” I said. “But your skill, your understanding, and your attire are uncommon.”

“Is that an insult or an observation, sir?”

“Above all, my lady, it is not an insult. It is an observation and a compliment to one who has stirred my curiosity, dare I say, beyond the bounds of appropriate questioning. Please forgive me.”

Talea raised an eyebrow and overwhelmed me once again with her delightful eyes. I felt my cheeks flush, and I wanted to leave … but also wanted to stay. Were it not for the mystery of her presence, I would have departed to spare myself the strangeness I felt within.

“What do you want to know, Sir Cedric?” Talea asked.

I peered into her face. “It would be selfish and unfair of me not to offer answers to your questions first … if you have any.”

“I have none,” she replied matter-of-factly.

I was oddly offended, since either I was not worthy of her asking or she knew much more about me than I imagined. I chose to believe the latter.

“Very well, Lady Talea. Which region of Arrethtrae are you from?”

“I am not,” she said, rather seeming to enjoy the fullness of my perplexed look.

“You are not?”

She smiled. “I am not from any region in Arrethtrae.”

“Then you are from many regions?”

She thought for a moment. “I am not.”

I found myself quickly becoming frustrated with this pretty and uncommon lady. I was not used to being played. With any other lady, I might think she was flirting, but there was enough mystery and genuine hesitation in Talea's willingness to give answers that I knew this was not the case.

“Then you cannot be from Arrethtrae,” I said, trying to reason this through. “But all men and women are from Arrethtrae.” A strange thought entered my mind. “Are you a”—I almost
could not say it—“Silent Warrior?” If she were a Silent Warrior, she was unique indeed.

She gazed into my bewildered eyes. “I am not.”

“Lady Talea, you say you are not from Arrethtrae. You say you are not a Silent Warrior. You know things of which I have not heard. You are obviously very skilled with the use of a sword. I am afraid you are more of a mystery to me now than before!” I said.

“All clear!” came a shout from the main deck.

Talea began to rise. I quickly stood and offered my hand to help her, but she pretended not to see it.

“Will you tell me who you are, Lady Talea?” I asked.

She positioned her sword and straightened her cape. “Perhaps,” she said with a slight smile and moved past me to the hatch that led to the main deck.

I had never felt quite so disregarded in all my life. I often found it uncomfortable to be in the presence of a lady when polite conversation was required, but this was different. Talea was more warrior than lady, and yet she moved between both roles so gracefully that I found myself in a social quandary. I intended to avoid much future interaction, simply to prevent the feelings of awkwardness that come with an inadequate repertoire of social graces.

I almost believed it possible to do so, but a corner of my mind would not rest with the mystery of Talea so brazenly unsolved.

THE WELCOME

The remainder of the voyage was largely uneventful. The scynths did not return, and I learned that our encounter with them was unusual. Most of the Silent Warriors, in fact, had never seen them before.

Cullen and I became instant friends and enjoyed many long hours of discourse. Conversation was easy, and he was refreshing to talk to. I learned much more about Cameria and hoped to one day spend time there. Keely was a spry lass who filled the air with exuberance wherever she went. She coerced me into giving her a few fencing lessons and was a quick study.

As for Talea, she was preoccupied with ship duties for most of the voyage, and our encounters had indeed been limited and casual at best. The journey ended with as much mystery about her as when it began.

After many days at sea, the armada of gallant ships finally
arrived at the coasts of the Kingdom Across the Sea. The land looked truly magnificent.

At the docks, the ships cycled through to unload their precious cargo from Arrethtrae: loyal Followers of the King and the Prince. It was a lengthy process, for there were many. We disembarked, and I thanked the crew of Silent Warriors for their labor. I bowed to Talea and bid her farewell. She responded politely in like manner, and I supposed I would not see her again or ever know who she truly was. I was disappointed but did not wish to look the fool and press the matter when it was not my place to do so.

We boarded charming carriages that followed a roadway for some distance. Cullen, Keely, and I managed to share the same carriage with five others. The caravan of carriages stretched on as far as the eye could see both fore and aft of our own. I could only assume that the Prince Himself was at the head of our procession.

The scenery was breathtaking. Tall green trees and lush grass covered the valleys and hills. The wildflowers were fragrant and beautiful. Mingled within the fragrance of the flowers was a familiar but distant sweet odor that took me back to my first encounter with the Silent Warriors when I first met my dear friend Keef. There was a much stronger scent to the healing salve that was applied to William's wound than what I smelled here, but it was the same, I was certain—pleasant and
unusual. One particular wildflower I had never seen before was more prevalent than all the others. I did not know its name, but its greenery grew low to the ground like clover, and the small green leaves gave way every so often to a tender rose-colored flower.

I was taken with the beauty of a landscape that seemed only possible in the mind of a skilled artist. I felt as though I could reach out and touch the canvas upon which it was painted, but I could not, for it was as real as the delicious air I was breathing. The carriage gently swayed back and forth. My fellow companions were as taken with the country as I, and very little conversation ensued.

We traveled through a break in the mountainous terrain and entered the sanctuary of the kingdom. What opened before us was more magnificent than anything I had ever seen. The King's grand city gleamed in the sunlight and sat cradled in the arms of majestic snow-peaked mountains to the north. The lower portion of the city was bordered by a crystal-blue sea. The city spread across the lush, hilly countryside of the foothills and meshed with a rugged granite base that framed the city's edge nearest the sea to the south. A sparkling river flowed from the mountains through the city. On the side nearest our approach, the river exited the city and spilled over granite cliffs into the sea below. Mist rose from the frothy waters of the waterfall to blanket the granite base upon which the city was built. Toward the western edge, granite outcroppings isolated the turbulent waters of the fall from the rest of the sea. The waters became so calm and clear beyond that it looked like crystal-blue glass.
I could not absorb the beauty that surrounded me, and I fear my words are wholly inadequate to describe it.

As we approached, I slowly became aware of how vast the city truly was. I had heard from Leinad that Daydelon, in its days of glory, was a wonder to behold, but I'm sure this City of the King must be one thousand times beyond that ancient city both in size and beauty. I could hardly make myself grasp its existence.

The spires of many palaces rose to the sky from the city's landscape. In the midst of this grand city rose the majestic towers of the King's palace.

The caravan skirted the sea to the left a short distance and then entered the city across a large granite bridge that arched over the waters below. Beyond the bridge was an enormous courtyard that lay before the city gate. Here we left our carriage and joined the growing host of loyal Followers who were gathering at the gate of the city. Fifty massive Silent Warriors stood guard at the gate that offered entrance to the city. They wore full battle dress, with gold trim on their armor. Each held a sword in one hand and a golden trumpet in the other. They stood silent and still … waiting.

As the carriages continued to arrive, we found friends to talk to and shared our wonderment.

“Cedric! Cedric!”

I heard my name called and turned to see my lifelong friend William.