Redemption (12 page)

A sudden thought passed through the general's mind. With Naveena gone, and Zinan about to be crowned King of Borunda, there was an opening for a king's advisor. If he could snare that position, it would put him over his adversary and allow him to keep an eye on what Zinan was doing. General Ortega altered his path and went to Zinan's quarters instead of the meeting room. The Crown Prince was getting dressed when he arrived.

"Everyone is assembled now," bowed General Ortega, "but I took the liberty of moving your position to that of the ruler of Borunda. That leaves the king's advisor's seat empty."

"Isn't Naveena here?" asked King Zinan.

The general's face clouded with confusion. Naveena had told him that Zinan had attacked her and left her to die. Why would he now expect her to be present?

"Naveena?" echoed the general. "She has not been here in some time. I guess she did not go with you to Laborg?"

"With me?" laughed Zinan. "Hardly. Well, no great loss then. Did you get my message about inviting King Quanto and Princess Tamil to Tarent?"

"I did, my prince," replied the general. "They readily accepted your invitation and are already here. I took the liberty of housing them in the royal residency wing. I hope that was acceptable?"

"Very acceptable," smiled King Zinan, "and there is no longer a need to call me prince. I am already the King of Vineland, and will soon be King of Borunda as well. I think you should get used to calling me king."

"As you wish, my king," replied the general. "About the position of king's advisor…"

"I will take care of it shortly," smiled King Zinan. "Thank you for reminding me about it. A new king should have a new advisor. I think my choice will please you. Go wait for me with the others."

The general bowed and left the room. King Zinan dismissed the servants that had been dressing him and strode out of the room. He made his way to the quarters where the Caprian royalty were housed and entered the chambers. King Quanto and Princess Tamil were seated at a table talking when he entered. They both rose and turned to greet him.

"Congratulations on Borunda's victory over the Vinelanders," King Quanto nodded with respect. "The killing of a king is a despicable act. You have honored him well by avenging his death."

King Zinan's eyes had remained fixed on Princess Tamil since he had entered the room. He barely heard the words King Quanto uttered. The princess smiled coyly at Zinan, and Zinan beamed in return.

"If I might have a few words with you in private, King Quanto?" King Zinan asked without taking his eyes off the princess.

"Of course," King Quanto replied.

Princess Tamil smiled again and left the room. King Zinan crossed the room and sat opposite the King of Capri. King Quanto looked at his host expectantly.

"I will not be coy with you, Quanto," King Zinan said softly. "I want to marry your daughter."

"I suspected as much when I received your note," smiled King Quanto. "It will bring our two nations closer."

"Closer than you think," smiled King Zinan. "I am proposing to join our two nations together."

"How do you mean?" frowned King Quanto.

"I will be frank, Quanto," the Borundan continued. "You have no heir to the throne of Capri, and I am marrying your daughter. Should not the son of Tamil and I rule both countries?"

"Perhaps," nodded King Quanto, "but if Capri ceases to exist, it will have no need for a king."

"Why be a king of a small, poor country, when you can be a powerful man in a large, rich country?" asked King Zinan.

King Quanto looked at the Borundan with skepticism. "Explain your proposal, Zinan?"

"I will make your daughter Queen of Borunda and Queen of Vineland," declared King Zinan. "I will make you the Governor of the province of Capri and the king's advisor of Borunda. You will still rule Capri from the castle if you wish, or you can remain here in Tarent and live in luxury. The choice will be yours."

"But Capri will cease to exist as a country?" frowned King Quanto. "Why is this so important to you? Why can we not keep things as they are?"

"Nothing in the Land of the Nine Kingdoms is going to remain as it is," answered King Zinan. "My armies are going to move into Capri with or without your blessing. It is the only way that I can attack Arin. I could attack your meager forces at the Castle of Capri and defeat you, but that is not the way to treat a queen's father. I am offering you an alternative where you can become the aggressor instead of one of the victims, but the choice is yours to make."

"Do you really think that you can claim all of the Land of the Nine Kingdoms for your own?" asked the Caprian king.

"Of course," shrugged King Zinan. "Vineland was only the beginning. Within a year, all will fall before me. Don't you want to be part of that?"

"That does sound exciting," King Quanto replied hesitantly, "but why haven't you claimed Vineland as part of Borunda?"

"I am the King of Vineland," replied King Zinan, "but I chose to keep it a separate country because it will throw my enemies off guard. The Vinelander army will march when I give the order. Capri has no army to speak of."

"It still has an identity," countered King Quanto. "Let it remain so for the duration of my life, and I will go along with your proposal. I will remain the King of Capri and assume the position of the king's advisor of Borunda. When I die, Capri will become a province."

King Zinan hesitated.

"What troubles you, King Zinan?" asked the Caprian king. "You just mentioned that I have no army, and therefore I am no threat to your ambitions. Your armies will have free reign to come and go as they please, and you can stage the attack on Arin from just across the Arin River."

"And the purpose of this is?" questioned King Zinan.

"Leave me with my title," King Quanto replied. "With Tamil gone, it is all that I have left. I will still be your advisor and servant, but none will know of it outside this palace."

"And you will back my plan to conquer the Land of the Nine Kingdoms?" asked King Zinan.

"Wholeheartedly," smiled King Quanto. "Life in the Land of the Nine Kingdoms has become quite boring since the Great Peace began. It is time to shake things up a bit."

"Your plan would keep the Arinites in the dark about my intentions," mused King Zinan. "By the time my armies marched into Capri, they would have precious little time to prepare a defense. Very well, King Quanto. I believe we have struck a bargain."

"Excellent," nodded King Quanto. "It will be interesting to look at the wedding guests from a new perspective. It will feel like an eagle eyeing up rabbits."

"My coronation and wedding will take place today," declared King Zinan. "I see no point in inviting a bunch of dignitaries who will be dead by this time next year. Everyone who has a reason to celebrate either event is already here in Tarent."

"I suppose you are right," shrugged King Quanto. "I should go find Tamil and tell her the good news."

"Later," King Zinan said as he rose to his feet. "Right now we have a meeting of the advisors. Come and I will introduce you to everyone."

King Quanto rose and followed King Zinan out of the room. The kings continued talking as they strode along the corridor. Neither one of them paid the slightest bit of attention to the old female servant they passed just outside the room in which they had been talking. The old woman turned and watched the two kings until they turned a corner and passed out of view. She shook her head in disgust and waddled away, one of her legs so deformed that she could not walk normally.

The wind howled across the frozen wasteland of Hyrem, and the snow blew in a blinding flurry of white. The small column rode in single file, each man's eyes cast downward to avoid having the snow blown into them and causing tearing that would promptly freeze on their lashes or cheeks. Their clothing was stiff with encrusted snow, and their hands were wrapped in frozen cloth. The horses stepped high to plod through the freshly fallen snow.

Prince Derri led the small procession, and he was the only one who needed to look up, but he only did so occasionally. Each time he glanced about, the view was the same. There were no trees, no change in the terrain, only a world of solid white. He could not even see the mountains that he was sure were nearby on his right.

The Salacian prince lowered his head and closed his eyes to mere slits as he gazed at the white ground directly in front of his horse. He refused to close his eyes completely for fear that they might freeze shut as the vapors from his breath froze on his cheeks. As he gazed mindlessly at the frozen tundra something seemed out of place. He blinked and focused his eyes again on the ground before him. His heart skipped a beat, and his eyes opened wide as he saw the small indentations in the fresh snow. He stared wide-eyed for several moments before he realized what he was seeing.

The tracks had to have been made recently to still exist without having been covered by the blowing snow. The prince raised his head and looked into the wall of white. His eyes narrowed as he tried to find the rider that must have passed by in the last few minutes, but he could see nothing but white. He glanced back down at the tracks and saw them bend slightly to the west. His frozen hands tugged lightly on the stiff reins and his Odessian beauty responded immediately. Behind him the other horses followed the leader, and the column slowly turned to follow the tracks.

Prince Derri raised his head again and stared into the swirling wall of white. He thought he saw dark shapes ahead, but they disappeared behind the white wall and reappeared elsewhere. Snowflakes hit his eyes with a sting, and his eyes started tearing, but the prince refused to shut his eyes. He moved his head slowly from side to side and saw dark shapes ahead of him on both sides of the path. A momentary pause in the wind showed the Salacian prince his first view of the Hyremite camp.

"Camp ahead," Prince Derri yelled as loud as he could.

The other warriors raised their heads and gazed through the blowing snow, but no one bothered to reply. The storm had taken their strength away and even minor movements were an exertion.

As the column rode into the camp, people came out of their yurts and watched the foreigners. The Hyremites' faces were devoid of emotion. Prince Derri gazed around, wondering if anyone would share the shelter of their tent with the visitors. As the column plodded past a yurt that was much larger than the rest, a voice rang out from just inside the door flap. Several men raced out of the large yurt and ran towards Prince Derri. The Salacian prince did not know if they were about to be attacked, but it hardly mattered because he did not have the energy to resist.

The Hyremites moved in front of the column, forcing the horses to come to a stop. As the column stopped, Jared pitched forward and started to fall from his horse. A Hyremite raced towards Jared and caught his body before it could fall to the ground. He carried Jared into the large yurt while the other Hyremites signaled for the riders to dismount. The warriors did not resist. Slowly they slid off their horses and were directed into the large yurt.

Women lined the entrance inside the yurt, and they paired off with the visitors, covering each man with a heavy blanket while leading him towards the fire pit. Other women brought large mugs filled with hot liquid and made the men hold it between their hands. Watching over everything was a large, husky man with a mustache that hung low on each side of his mouth. His hair was black and long and cascaded down his back unbraided.

Prince Derri felt the warmth from the mug spread into his hands with a tingling sensation, as if someone was jabbing his flesh with a thousand tiny needles. He felt rivulets of water trickling down his face as the heat of the fire began to melt the packed snow on his head. A woman alongside him took a heated cloth and placed it on the prince's head, while another woman wrapped a hot cloth around one of his boots to warm it.

The Salacian prince's mind spun in a state of timeless confusion as women moved everywhere and different parts of his body experienced the strange tingling sensation of warmth. When his mind finally cleared, Prince Derri was aware that he was naked except for the heavy blanket wrapped around him. Set before him on the ground was a steaming bowl of mush.

"You must eat," the husky Hyremite commanded, his voice sounding like the low rumble of distant thunder. "Your insides must also be warmed or you will pay a price you would rather not pay."

Prince Derri reached out and took the bowl. It felt warm in his hands, and he smiled. He grasped the wooden spoon and shoveled some of the mush into his mouth. He felt its warmth as it slid down his throat.

"Thank you very much," the Salacian prince managed to say. "To whom do I owe my gratitude?"

"I am Gharkin," replied the large man. "Finish the bowl and then we shall talk."

Prince Derri nodded and took another spoonful of mush. His mind was still confused, but he felt that he knew his host, or had at least heard of him, yet he could not remember having ever seen the man before. As the prince finished the bowl, he became aware of the others in his group doing the same thing. He glanced around and saw everyone eating except Jared. Jared was nowhere to be seen. Prince Derri placed the empty bowl on the ground and looked up at his host. Gharkin had a strange twinkle in his eye as if he was amused, but his mouth showed not the slightest touch of humor.

"You have probably saved our lives," Prince Derri nodded in respect. "I want to thank you and your people for your efforts."

"Spoken like a true prince," smiled Gharkin.

Prince Derri frowned at the mention of his being a prince. How could this Hyremite have known? Then it hit him. Gharkin was the King of Hyrem, but this man was not King Gharkin. The Salacian prince had met the Hyremite king, and while there were similarities in appearance, this man was much larger and sturdier than the real king.

"Did I mention my identity?" asked Prince Derri.

"You have mentioned nothing at all, Prince Derri," Gharkin replied, "but there are those in my camp who know of your identity. Why is a Salacian prince wandering through my country in a snowstorm?"

"We did not expect the snowstorm," answered Prince Derri. "When it did hit, we did not expect it to last so long. In Kyland it is still autumn."

"It is autumn here, too," chuckled Gharkin, "but our autumns are decidedly colder than yours, especially this far north. By the condition of your party, it seems you have been out in the storm for a couple of days."

"Four," corrected Prince Derri. "We have ridden for four days in an attempt to find shelter. We were unsuccessful."

The Hyremite's face showed his surprise. "To survive four days in a whiteout is a testament to the strength of your warriors. I hope you did not lose many."

"If Jared is all right," Prince Derri responded, "then all of us will have survived."

"The one who is not here is being taken care of," offered Gharkin. "He will survive."

"You call yourself Gherkin," frowned Prince Derri, "and you have saved our lives, for which I am grateful, but I have met King Gherkin, and he is not you."

"Met him have you?" laughed Gherkin. "I think not. You have met my brother, Prince Derri. I do not care much for the affairs of other nations, so I practice a small deceit. Whenever I am invited to some foolish occasion, I send my brother in my stead. He enjoys the travel, and I get to stay in the land that owns my heart. It is a small deceit, and I doubt if anyone truly minds. There are few rulers in the Land of the Nine Kingdoms who even consider what is good for Hyrem in any event, so why leave my home? Your father, King Hector, has met me in person, yet he accepts my brother as my stand-in. Does that bother you?"

"Not at all," Prince Derri answered in amazement, "but why the deceit? I am sure that my father does not feel slighted."

"King Hector is a good man," smiled King Gharkin, "but not all of the rulers are. Some would take offense at the lack of my presence. It is for them that I practice my deceit. Do not misunderstand me. I am happy for their betrothals and the birth of their first-borns, but I do not wish to leave my people. I am quite content to remain in Hyrem for the rest of my days."

"But don't they learn of your deception when they come to Hyrem?" asked the Salacian prince.

"Come to Hyrem?" laughed King Gharkin. "They never come to Hyrem. There are no cities here to indulge them. Your father is the only king in my memory to have come up here." 

Prince Derri nodded with understanding, but did not reply.

"Why have you come to Hyrem, Prince Derri," asked the king, "and why have you been so foolish to travel in such a storm?"

"First let me introduce my fellow travelers," the Salacian prince responded, "then we shall answer your questions."

"Very well," the king replied as his eyes swept over the other five warriors.

"Monte is from Caroom," Prince Derri said as he pointed to the Caxon archer. "Next to him is Talot from Lom and then Sandar from Arin. The men on my right are Prince Antion of Arin, and Prince Umal of Odessia."

"That is quite a group you travel with," the king frowned anxiously. "I hope my words have not upset any of your royal friends."

"Your words rang of truth," interjected Prince Antion, "and one should always appreciate hearing the truth. As a member of the royal family of Arin, I apologize for the fact that my king has not taken the time to visit Hyrem. Should I replace him, I will make a point of visiting here."

King Gharkin relaxed somewhat and smiled. His gaze fell on Prince Umal as if waiting to hear from the final prince.

"You have offered me a warm yurt during my greatest time of need," Prince Umal stated. "I am forever in your debt."

"Excellent," grinned the king. "Now surely you have a grand tale to tell with such an illustrious group. Why have you thrown your young bodies at my feet?"

"We seek a pass through the Roof of the World," answered Prince Antion. "It is a matter of great urgency which can not wait for summer. As to why we were traveling in the storm, there are killers tracking us and we sought to avoid a confrontation with them. We thought that traveling through the snow would erase any sign of our passing."

"You thought correctly," replied King Gharkin. "No one will track you here, but you almost paid the supreme price for your freedom. Who are these killers and what do they want?"

"They are Borundans," answered the Arin prince, "and they want our deaths. The Great Peace has ended, King Gharkin. Borunda has conquered Vineland, and they will not stop there. I suspect that war will come to all of the Lands of the Nine Kingdoms, even Hyrem."

"Borundans?" frowned the king. "Up here in Hyrem? That is most unusual. Are they bandits?"

"No," Prince Derri replied. "They are an elite army group under the command of Captain Xero. They had been following us in Vineland and continued into Hyrem. We have had several battles with them already, but we prefer not to engage them if we can avoid it. We really must find the pass through the Roof of the World. Do you know where it might be found?"

"Why are three princes searching for a pass across the mountains?" the king questioned.

"There is an old sage named Orro," explained Prince Antion. "We must find him and seek his help. We heard that he lives in the land beyond the Roof of the World."

"That is preposterous," the king shook his head. "Whoever sent you on this quest knows nothing of what he is talking about. You have wasted your time and energy on a fool's errand, Prince Antion. Now, if you will excuse me, I must inform my warriors about the Borundan soldiers who have invaded the lands of my people. I will not allow Hyrem to become the doormat for their nefarious schemes and plots of murder."

King Gharkin turned and promptly strode out of the yurt. The warriors looked at one another in confusion.

"Did he just leave to avoid answering questions about the pass through the mountains?" asked Monte.

"That is the impression I was left with," nodded Talot. "His departure was most abrupt."

"I wonder why?" mused Prince Derri. "Do you think that there actually is a pass, but he does not want anyone to know about it?"

"You have come all the way up here and do not believe that there is a pass?" frowned Prince Umal. "Why have you come then if you doubt its existence?"

"I came for the same reason you came, Prince Umal," answered the Salacian prince. "Neither of us is willing to abandon our blood brother. Do you really think a pass could exist across the Roof of the World without everyone knowing about it? Yet no one has ever met anyone from the lands beyond the mountains. The pass is a tale told to children to make their imaginations run wild."

"Audric met someone from beyond the Roof of the World," interjected Prince Antion. "He said so, and I believe him. The pass must exist."

"I will not argue this point," conceded Prince Derri. "If you believe in it, we will search for it, but I will withhold my belief until I actually see it."

"I will let the rest of you discuss it as you wish," said Prince Antion as he rose to his feet. "I need to check on Jared and then find a place to sleep. I cannot keep my eyes open any longer."

The Arin prince pulled the blanket tightly about him and walked to the wall of the enormous yurt. Jared was stretched out on a bunk along the wall, and a woman knelt next to him. Prince Antion walked quietly and stood next to the woman. She looked up at him and smiled.

"He will be all right," she offered. "I will keep watch over him until he wakens."

"Thank you," smiled the prince. "Is there a place where I might get some rest myself?"