Sworn To Defiance (16 page)

The emperor drew a thoughtful finger over his lips as he leaned on the left arm of his throne. “That is why I like you, Weathervane. Forthright, honest, a busybody. All attributes that my son could learn from.”

Ciardis felt relief and indignant ire course through her body. She hadn’t planned on retorting anyway, but Sebastian’s heel ground into her foot certainly stopped her. He had situated it so that the courtiers behind them couldn’t see because her robe and his cloak billowed out and mingled at their backs. Ciardis knew that sight and sound shields could be transparent and this one was. It only blocked noise. But the emperor certainly had, and Ciardis could have sworn a small and brief smile appeared on his face in response.

“It is done then,” he said leaning forward seriously. “You have proposed?”

“Yes,” they both answered in conjunction. Then each looked at the other in amusement.

“Well,” Sebastian amended.

“You see, Your Imperial Majesty—” Ciardis interjected.

The emperor waved a quick hand. “I don’t care
how
it was done. Just that it was done. You’ve sworn vows to each other and now seek my permission to wed as husband and wife, as equals before my court and my laws?”

Ciardis gulped and nodded. Sebastian said, “Yes, Father.”

The emperor sat back. “Then you have it.”

Ciardis felt her heart jump into her throat. Even though she intensely disliked the man and all he represented, having the emperor of her land pronounce his blessing over her intent to wed his heir was something she’d never thought she’d hear. Ever.

It was hard to blink back to tears as she thought about Fervis Miller’s mother’s outright contempt for her, her dark skin, her unruly hair, and her unsavory heritage.

“Now look at me,” Ciardis said silently in a hoarse tone. She knew her voice was too low for even Sebastian to hear. Or least she thought so. But a second later his hand tightened on her own and he pulled her quickly enough that their shoulders brushed before protocol forced him to release his hold.

“Truth be told, I had worried for you, my son,” the emperor said simply.

Ciardis blinked back the tears harshly. Wishing she could wipe her leaking eyes.

“But this woman has truly brought out the ruler in you. A man who can make decisions. A man who can forge his destiny. I approve,” the emperor said.

Ciardis felt like sobbing now. It wasn’t every day you were praised before the entire court. In fact, she remembered quite a few times she had been castigated. It felt nice. Even coming from a back-stabbing, throne-stealing, two-faced man like Maradian.

The emperor continued speaking with some satisfaction. “You’ll do better before the noble court together rather than apart.”

“Thank you, Father,” Sebastian said faintly.

Then a true smile appeared on the emperor’s face, “You have my approval, my son. Now go turn those noble idiots into a flock of squawking geese. I’m sure I won’t hear the end of their silly gobbles for another week.”

Sebastian bowed at the waist and smiled. “It will be my pleasure, Father.”  His voice rang with false bravado, Ciardis could feel his arm shivering with anger, and yet he managed to keep his cool.

As they turned to leave the emperor’s presence, he called out, “One more thing, Ciardis Weathervane.”

She felt a cold shiver go down her spine as the emperor said her name.

She turned, composed. “Yes, sire?”

The emperor looked down at her with carefully blank eyes. “I look forward to the wedding ceremony when I welcome you into the family fold as Princess Heir.”

Ciardis let a trembling smile cross her face. That sounded more like a threat than a promise. But she was careful.

She dipped into a respectful curtsy and said, “As do I, sire.”

With nothing more to be said, she and Sebastian swept out of the emperor’s court.

A
s they exited the formal audience chamber and left the outer waiting area through two silent columns of nobles, Ciardis wondered if the day could get any weirder. Then her silent question was answered as whispers began to follow them in their wake. Nervous sweat beaded down her spine.

Then she felt the magical shielding of the silencers’ gift dissipated. That was a relief, up until the noise began to build. First a chatter, then a conversation, and finally like a wave it enveloped the people as noble after noble muttered disdainfully.

“Think they know?” whispered Ciardis. She didn’t have to speculate what.

“I doubt it as my father had a very thorough shield directly around his throne. Petitioners can see him converse with each individual person or group. But unless he makes a proclamation their secrets are theirs to keep,” Sebastian answered.

“Then what’s got a stick up their asses?”

She could feel Sebastian trying to decide whether or not to be horrified or amused at her comment. She thought he chose both.

Finally he said, “Us. I think they expected us to be dead after run-ins with two dragons and a deadly duke. Not to mention the fact that my father was rumored to want me imprisoned and you beheaded. Yet here we stand, alive and well.”

Ciardis sniffed. “Vultures.”

At that moment one nobleman stepped directly in their path just a few feet away from the exit to the garden courtyard. Ciardis watched him, unsure of what he wanted. His head was bowed and she could see armor peeking out from inside his cloak, where a hand rested ominously on the hilt of a sword. She expected him to look at them before he challenged them.

Instead he went to one knee.

As he did, he finally raised his head and said, “All hail the future Emperor of Algardis. All hail Prince Heir Sebastian Athanos Algardis.”

Then then the man turned his head to Ciardis. “It is good to see you whole and not under attack, Ciardis Weathervane.”

It was then that Ciardis recognized the twinkling blue eyes and the unruly mop of hair. Although the last time she had seen him he had acted like a pretentious fop even before Sebastian had ordered him to redirect troops to his command in the north. Before them knelt the strange, bejeweled man she had first seen at a disciplinary hearing of the Companions’ Guild.

“Please rise, my champion,” Sebastian said grimly. “This is no place for theatrics. These nobles would rather cut off your head than recognize my supremacy.”

Lord Crassius stood and held out a gloved hand to first the prince heir. As they shook, he said, “Then perhaps we need to correct their misconceptions by chopping off a few heads. Their lack of respect for a man who has sacrificed more for his people in a day than they have in a lifetime is revolting.”

Sebastian smiled. “On this we do not disagree.”

Sebastian leaned forward and whispered something into Lord Crassius’s ear.

The man nodded and said, “Your will is my command.”

Ciardis looked over at the two conniving heads suspiciously. “What are you two up to?”

Sebastian stepped back and said, “Merely righting a wrong.”

She raised an eyebrow as Sebastian continued, “Thank you for your support, Lord Crassius. But what are you doing at court? I left you in charge of our troops on the northern border.”

Lord Crassius nodded. He towered over Sebastian, even though Ciardis’s husband-to-be was having a growth spurt, and still managed to seem respectful. “I was there, sire. But I have returned with dire news. News that you and your father must be made aware of.”

“Concerning?”

“Concerning a dark gate that has opened in the mouth of Ban,” Crassius said grimly.

Ciardis paled. “The entrance should not have formed. It’s not time yet. Barnaren said we had months, possibly years!”

Crassius turned his dark gaze to her. “I do not know what magical foresight gave the general, may he rest in peace, this knowledge. But when I left, the tear between the realms was four inches wide. It grew an inch with each week that passed. Nothing we have done has been able to stop it.”

“And the trolls?”

“Still in a stasis as far as we can tell,” confirmed Lord Crassius.

“Well, we knew this day would come,” said Sebastian bitterly. “We had only hoped for more time to prepare.”

“What do you will me to do, Prince Heir?”

Sebastian responded, “Make your report to my father. Ciardis and I will journey by the fleetest of carriages now to the Companions’ Guild. We will seek their aid in our marriage as well as the coming fight before we attend the convening of nobles on this evening. Your support and testimony would be well appreciated at that meeting.”

Lord Crassius pounded an uncharacteristically grim hand to his breastplate. “You shall have it.”

Then Crassius bowed again. “If you’ll forgive me, my impending audience with the emperor is quite imminent. I must depart.”

Sebastian nodded. With his permission, Crassius walked away. Sebastian and Ciardis exchanged calm glances and walked forward as if they hadn’t just had a meeting that could determine the very fate of the entire empire in the middle of the entrance hall.

As they left to go outside, Ciardis whispered, “Did he seem...different to you?”

“How so?” 

“Well, even in the north he was quite the foppish fellow. I confess I expected him to be more likely to be smoking a rare cigar than telling us of troop movements.”

“Appearances can be deceiving, my love,” Sebastian said with a grin as he helped her into the carriage. “Besides, you would be different too if you had glimpsed a portal into the primordial realm of the gods and lived to tell the tale.”

“I suppose I would,” Ciardis said as she sat back on the cushions. They had survived the first meeting of the day. It was now time to survive two more.

As they pulled up into the courtyard of the Companions’ Guild castle Ciardis stared up at the pink monstrosity with fond memories. It was here that she had first learned she was a weathervane. Here that she had first been introduced to her family. Here where she had learned the power of true friendship. Here where she would return with her husband-to-be by her side, not just to get the guild’s approval for the marriage but to win a war.

Apt that my life began here
, she thought calmly as she and Sebastian journeyed into the domain side-by-side.
Also that I have returned to instigate the next chapter in my history
—
war and marriage
.

“You know what?” Ciardis told Sebastian when they entered the entrance foyer for the halls which had guested and trained hundreds of companion trainees.

“What?” said Sebastian as he walked forward and handed his calling card to the butler who smoothly bowed and turned away.

A trainee came forward. Every hair immaculately placed and the latest fashion of the courts garbed his body as he bowed and came forward. He didn’t hesitate or flinch in the presence of one of the most powerful couples in the land.

Holding out a hand, he gestured pleasantly at an antechamber with couches and a tea service already prepared. “I’ve been instructed to offer you the comforts of this humble antechamber.”

Ciardis’s lips twitched. Every word was carefully enunciated but he hadn’t quite managed to hold back his contempt at the word “humble.” The members of the Companions’ Guild were nothing if not proud of what their guild had accomplished, and being given an entire castle for their headquarters by Queen Margie decades ago was high up on that list.

Ciardis murmured graciously, “No, thank you. We merely wish to see the esteemed ladies and lords of the council at their earliest convenience.”

The boy bowed again and prepared to back away. “As you wish.”

He turned away from the tea service he had been prepared to serve, and Ciardis noticed that he managed to glance at her out of the corner of his eye while backing away. Companion trainees were instructed about the proper way to leave the presence of the nobles and mages who they met with. He couldn’t turn his back on Sebastian without it being a faux pas. So he did the proper thing and backed up while his stoic face stared straight ahead at a blank space between Sebastian and Ciardis’s faces. His eyes barely strayed and his face was perfectly composed.

She gave him a brief smile as he managed to successfully reach the entrance to the open doors of the antechamber, bow smoothly once more and turn around the corner.

“My, my,” said Sebastian with a chuckle. “The training has certainly gotten better.”

She poked him in the waist with a pout. “What’s
that
supposed to mean?”

“It means you couldn’t have done that before without falling on your ass,” Sebastian pointed out dryly.

Ciardis couldn’t really complain. “True,” she admitted with a rueful look.

Sebastian turned to her and clasped her lightly by the elbow. She was really beginning to enjoy the fact that he seemed to take every chance he could to lightly touch her. It was reassuring and standing in his presence with the light buzz of his mind in the back of hers was actually comforting. She wondered if it would ever become
too
much. An irritation, really.

Perhaps not
, she thought.
Perhaps this is just what it feels like to be in love. To welcome the other’s touch, crave their presence, and enjoy their sense of self within your own thoughts.

“You were about to say something before he came up?” Sebastian prodded.

“Oh, right,” she said with amused intelligence sparking in her eyes.

Ciardis walked around the antechamber, staring up at the pink marble that peeked out from behind furniture and tapestries. The entire castle wasn’t pink. Just the oldest parts closest to the entrance. But she couldn’t help it. Now that she had seen the structure again for the first time in months, it had a very fixed appearance in her mind now.

“You know what I thought of this place when I first arrived?” she murmured softly while trailing a finger on a hardwood footstool that sat in a corner. Nothing was out of place, but then again nothing was meant to be. Every object, every person, and every room in this castle had a function.

She turned to find Sebastian standing close in front of her. She leaned forward a little to rest her forehead on his chin.