Suriax (8 page)

Marcy didn’t say much throughout dinner. She
was so distracted she didn’t even notice when everyone went to bed.
Sitting outside, looking up at the stars, she slowly realized the
house was quiet and all the lamps were out. She thought to go to
bed herself, but several minutes later she hadn’t moved. She
listened to the distant hum of music from the ongoing festival.
Bryce would probably be wondering where she was by now. She wished
there was some way to contact him without putting him in danger.
Her eyes grew heavy, and she found herself drifting off where she
sat. Arms wrapped around her and she felt herself be lifted into
the air. Turning in to the embrace, she rested her palm against a
broad chest. It rose and fell with deep, even breaths, his heart
beating loudly under her ear. She relaxed into his arms, feeling
slightly bereft when he laid her down on her bed. Opening her eyes,
she saw Thomas walking quietly to the door. “Veronica thought we
were a couple,” she said softly.

Thomas stopped and looked back at her. “What
did you tell her?”

“That we just met.”

He acknowledged her response through the
slight upturn of his face. “Good night, Marcy.”

* * *

Kern stared up at the stars, the grass at his
back. In the distance he could see the walls surrounding the
palace. The palace tree towered above it. As with most buildings of
importance in Suriax and Aleria, the palace was crafted with
powerful magic and expert designers from the structure of a large
tree. He could almost make out the upper levels, nestled among the
tree limbs. He spent most of his day looking around, gently probing
people for information about the palace and its security. Now he
had to decide how to get in. That could wait until tomorrow, after
a good night’s sleep, he reasoned. Closing his eyes, he strained
his ears to listen for the distant sounds of celebrations. Aleria
was quiet, most everyone asleep. He heard a horse shuffle his feet
in his stall at the stables down the road. A cricket chirped
softly. He almost gave up hearing anything when the slow beat of a
drum caught his ear. One . . . two . . . three . . . three beats.
It was the ceremonial drum announcing the start of the third day of
celebration.

And then he heard the flute. Kern opened his
eyes and saw a wedding procession walking to the gazebo at the
center of the park. They were led by the bride and groom, walking
hand in hand. The man was an elf, the bride a human. This was a
bonding wedding. It was traditional in elven society to hold the
ceremony at midnight and follow it with a full day of celebrating.
Midnight was the start of a new day. The couple joined, not when
all was light and easy, but in the cold darkness of night.
Together, they pledged to face the coming day and all the hopes and
problems it may bring. In a bonding wedding they entered the
ceremony site together with hands joined to signify their added
level of commitment. They walked as equals, already joined in their
hearts.

Kern watched the couple step up to the priest
and recite their vows. Clerics stood to the side, working the
bonding magic. A glow came over the bride and groom. Their features
shifted subtly. It was more noticeable in the man, who aged many
years in the span of a few seconds. They looked into each other’s
eyes and smiled, happier than anyone he ever saw.

Bonding weddings weren’t as common in Suriax.
Full elves and humans were mostly bred out, and few new ones chose
to move to Suriax. While there was a lifespan difference between a
quarter elf and a three quarter elf, it was not as substantial as
that between a full elf and human. Besides, Suriaxians were less
willing to sacrifice any of their life for another, even for
love.

The couple shared a kiss, and their family
and friends cheered. The once quiet night burst into song and
dance. In an odd way, it reminded him of being home for the
Solstice Celebrations. He watched them for some time. Their
happiness was contagious. He longed to be a part of the
celebration, to sing and dance without a care, to know that no
matter what happened, you weren’t alone. Tomorrow, he would meet
his family, and he had no idea what to expect. That thought in the
back of his mind, Kern went to sleep.

Chapter 4

Things were oddly relaxed between Marcy and
Thomas the next day. He wore a loose tunic, borrowed from Bradley.
While he looked dashing, charming and dangerous in his Flame Guard
jacket, the casual clothing seemed to fit him better. He was a
natural with the children. They ran up to him, wanting to show him
a rock or piece of string they decided was an ogre, and he played
right along, pretending to be scared. They would laugh and run off,
only to come back a short while later with a new imaginary monster.
This was who he was, not some hired assassin or mercenary. She
could easily picture him turning his back on Suriax and never
regretting it. The funny thing was, while she watched him, she
could easily picture herself doing the same.

The adults sat around the dining room table
for most of the morning. They drank tea and ate a late breakfast,
talking about how Thomas and Bradley met. As it turned out, Thomas
knew Bradley from his village. They grew up together, getting into
much mischief in their younger years. When Thomas decided to leave,
they traveled to Suriax together. While Bradley never had any
interest in the Guard, he decided he too could find a new start
there.

Veronica tilted her head to the side, her
keen elven ears hearing voices only her and Marcy seemed to notice.
“Is someone outside?” she asked, interrupting a story of how Brad
talked Thomas out of letting a practicing mage try to burn his hair
shorter for a bet. Bradley shot up and went to check on the
children.

Going to the window, Marcy felt her blood run
cold. “It’s the Royal Guard.” She and Thomas looked at each other,
wondering how they were found so quickly.

“Can I help you?” Bradley asked, putting a
protective hand on Max’s shoulder. Vivian hid behind his legs.

“We are looking for a half elf Flame
Guardsman who goes by the name, Kern. He may be traveling with an
older elven man and a young elf woman.”

“I haven’t seen anyone like that around
here.”

“I’ll need to check the house to confirm
that,” the guard said.

Thomas reached for his sword at his waist,
but Marcy stayed his hand. If they got into a fight here, someone,
possibly one of the children, could get hurt. “I have an idea.”
Running to her bag, she pulled out a book with several scrolls
loose inside. She flipped through the scrolls quickly, looking for
the one that could help. “Ah, ha,” she said triumphantly. Putting
the book down, she ran over to Frex and took his hand. “Apelai
Chamealton,” she said. The scroll disappeared in her hand,
dissolving into a glowing mist that surrounded them. When the mist
was gone, Frex and Marcy had the appearance of humans. Before
anyone could say anything, the front door opened. Bradley was the
first to enter. He faltered a half step at seeing them, but quickly
recovered. Marcy could see the look of relief on his face.

The guard looked around the room and then
down at a paper in his hand. “It says here there are only four
people living at this residence.”

“That is correct,” Bradley said. “Some of my
family is visiting for the Solstice Festival.”

The guard nodded and proceeded to check the
rest of the house. He looked in every closet and cabinet, He even
pulled back the curtains. After checking the rest of the house, he
came back in the front, looking around again for anything out of
place. Marcy looked over at Thomas and felt her heart catch.
Directly behind him, on the arm of the chair, was his Flame Guard
jacket. One look at that jacket would give them away. If he found
out any of them were with the Guard he would know they lied about
their identities, and he would not be inclined to look the other
way. The Royal Guard hated the Flame Guard. They were constantly
competing for the crown’s attention. Technically, the Royal Guard
was the Queen’s personal guard, but she used the Flame Guard often
enough that a fair amount of jealousy developed. Marcy caught
Thomas’ eyes and looked over at the jacket. His own eyes widened as
soon as he saw it. Stretching casually, he knocked the jacket to
the floor and kicked it under the chair. The guard turned at the
movement, but Thomas covered by sitting on the arm of the chair
with a sigh. Apparently satisfied, the guard bid them a good day
and left.

Marcy released the breath she was holding and
let go of Frex’s hand. The illusion melted away, restoring their
normal faces.

“How did you do that?” Veronica asked.

“It was a change appearance scroll my friend
Lynnalin gave me. She makes magical items for my brother’s tavern
all the time and threw it in as a gift.”

“Do you have any other ones?” Thomas asked
hopefully.

“Unfortunately, no, that was the only
one.”

Thomas looked off thoughtfully. “How could
they have found us so fast?”

“I don’t think they did.” Marcy answered.
“They didn’t ask about you. I don’t think they know about you, yet.
I sounded like they were checking everyone.”

“What did Kern get himself involved with?”
Thomas asked in wonder. It was no small feat to get that kind of
attention from the Crown, especially during the festival.

“He said it had to do with his parents, but
he didn’t tell me who they were.”

Both of them looked at Frex expectantly.
Looking uncertain, he shifted in his seat. “I suppose you should
know. Kern is the son of Crystillia and Veritan. He is the half
brother to Queen Maerishka.”

The shock in the room was palpable. “No
wonder they’re looking everywhere. If anyone found out there was
another heir to the throne . . .” Thomas let his words trail off.
Everyone knew what would happen. There would be civil war. Those
who desire power would use the situation as an excuse to unseat the
queen, thinking it easier to undermine, influence or dethrone an
inexperienced new king. “Do you think you can get your hands on
another one of those scrolls?”

“I can try, but Lynnalin lives at the mage
academy.” The academy was near Kern’s apartment, just outside the
walls of the palace grounds. Going there would not be easy.

“I think it is worth the risk. We need a back
up plan in case Kern’s contact isn’t able to get us across the
border. Bradley, I know this is asking a lot, but can Frex stay
here while we go get the scroll?”

“He may. The guards have already checked us,
so it is unlikely they will come back again right away. He should
be safe here for the time being.”

Borrowing a shawl from Veronica to cover her
ears and partially hide her face, Marcy and Thomas left.

* * *

Svanteese knocked on the chamber door. He
heard a moan and knocked again. “Your Majesty?” When he didn’t hear
an answer, he pushed open the door. She may kill him for the
intrusion, but the queen missed all her morning meetings and no one
knew where she was. The last anyone saw she was at the temple. Even
more troubling, there was now a fourth name on the scroll of
Venerith.

There was no one in the main chamber. He
heard a groan in the bed chamber and hesitated. “Your Majesty?”

“Help me.”

Svanteese tore open the bedroom door.
Maerishka lay curled in a ball on the floor. “I’ll get help.”

“No,” she reached up, but the movement was
weak and her hand quickly fell heavily to the floor.

Svanteese thought of what to do. She
obviously didn’t want anyone to know she was hurt, but he needed
help if he was to care for her and whatever ailment plagued her.
Rushing from the room, he found her handmaiden. Azalaie was the
only other person the queen trusted. She was, after all, the person
who warned her of the former king and queen’s plot on her life.

“She is burning up,” Azalaie pulled back her
hand. Unable to touch Maerishka without burning themselves, they
grabbed blankets and used those to move her to the bed. Pulling out
a beaded necklace Azalaie ran her hands over the beads and sang.
Healing magic poured forth and surrounded the queen. When the song
was done she tried again to touch her, but the result was the same.
“This is not a natural illness.”

“I fear she may have entered into a pact with
Venerith.”

Her eyes widened. “Then there is little we
can do for her.” Silently they set about the impossible task to
make her as comfortable as possible.

* * *

Walking through the city was nerve wracking.
They opted to walk in the open. No one was looking for a single
elven woman traveling with a human, so they were unlikely to
attract much attention. Hiding in shadows and alleys would only
look suspicious, should they be seen. The festival week was about
halfway over. Mindful of travel delays, visitors often arrived
weeks in advance, not wanting to miss the first two days of
non-stop events and activities. Normally by this time, the tourists
would begin to clear out to start their long journeys home,
thinning the crowds. This was not a normal year. Thousands of
people of every age and race were arriving every day for the
Tournament of Fire. The opening ceremonies were only one day
away.

“You need to relax.” Thomas took her hand as
they rushed in front of a parade float to cross the street. “It’s a
festival. If anyone sees you looking worried or nervous, they may
start to ask questions.” He smiled warmly, waving to people as they
passed.

“Easy for you to say,” she replied through a
fake smile and clenched teeth. “You aren’t the one they are looking
for.”

“Not yet, but that could quickly change,
especially if you don’t loosen up.” Grinning mischievously, he spun
her around to the music playing from a nearby shop. “Relax,” he
whispered into her ear. Her worries temporarily forgotten, she
stared up into his eyes. “Wait here.” Ducking into the shop, Thomas
came out with cake and drinks. He looked completely at ease, and
she could almost pretend they were just two regular people enjoying
the festival together. They ate and drank as they walked, taking in
the sights and stopping to look at some of the performers. He was
right, she felt much less nervous now that she was behaving
normally. By the time they made it to the mage academy, she felt
more like her old self.