Sworn To Defiance (26 page)

Ciardis nodded briefly.

“Well,” Sebastian continued, “Kifar is right on the border of those lands. When the pronouncement became public that the emperor, my grandfather, was drawing up plans to install an artificial border in parts of the western empire to cut off the worst of the infected from the rest of the populations, some cities fought back. They were included on the other side of the boundary. Others begged for the emperor’s leniency. If not his leniency then they asked for an arrangement. The residents of these cities who begged for the emperor’s leniency were desperate not to be sealed off by the new imperial barrier from their families, friends, and loved ones.”

Ciardis thought back. She knew the virulent infection was one even the healers of the Healers’ Guild couldn’t combat. When the emperor ordered the entirety of the western portion of Algardis sealed off that totaled as much as thirty percent of the empire’s land at the time. Not a decision to be made lightly.

Not a decision anyone with a heart would make either
, Ciardis thought bitterly.
Thousands of citizens essentially given the death penalty by being sacrificed alongside their sick compatriots.

“So what did they do?” asked Terris.

“Kifar and two other cities were very close to the western lands, actually in the middle of what used to be the western portion. Now, of course, they lay on the westernmost edge of the empire,” said Sebastian. “They made a bargain to keep from being included on the other side. Kifar and its sister cities agreed to completely wall off their population and make their entire city self-contained for one hundred years. Through magical means they ensure that no one would venture in or out of those cities, dead or alive. They each built massive walls of white stone hundreds of feet high. Ultimately, they felt that it would be better to submit to self-isolation for a century rather than complete banishment for eternity.”

Ciardis’s mouth gaped. “How is that possible?”

Thanar smiled. “Powerful mages who are also masons, determination and a regiment of imperial soldiers garrisoned in front of each city on orders to kill everyone in sight if even one person ventures outside of those gates.”

“Their term of imprisonment is halfway complete,” commented Vana quietly.

“How do you know the infection hasn’t killed all of them in the city if no one has seen or heard from them in half a century?” demanded Ciardis.

Sebastian looked at her. “Because not one person within the walled cities was sick on the day the self-imposed isolation barrier went up. Every person who exhibited the slightest of symptoms was dragged out and burned alive before the city wardens signed the agreement. Then the healer mages sent in detectors to sniff out infection in the rest. The population was whole and healthy before their fates were sealed.”

Ciardis paled and felt like hurling at the callousness implied in the decision.

“And now?” she said softly.

“And now we must not only break a fifty-year-old law by venturing inside,” Sebastian said softly, “But we must also save a city that my court gave up for dead.”

Silence reigned.

“W
ell, that was illuminating,” said Vana, “but it still doesn’t tell us who is going where.”

Everyone began speaking at once.

“Shut up, all of you,” snarled Thanar.

Ciardis looked at him with irritation in her eyes.

“If we’re doing this, we’re doing it right,” said Thanar. “There’s too much at risk to choose adventurers and choose wrongly. Some of us will go and some of us will stay here. We need people capable, and desirous, of leading both on the home front and on this journey. We will also need a light escort to get through the western lands alive.”

Meres said, surprised, “Are the territories that bad? I confess—I haven’t been that far out west. In fact, I’ve never known anyone to journey beyond the median line of the empire voluntarily.”

Vana said, “Most wouldn’t. Because that area was abandon by the imperial family long ago.”

Sebastian protested. “No, it was not.”

“Yes, it was,” said Vana icily. “The first step in admitting a wrong is acknowledging the mistake. After Emperor Cymus walled off the farthest edge and the three greatest cities left shut themselves away, the tiny towns and hamlets were left to rot. It would have been fine, commerce would have resumed even, if the emperor had also not pulled out every single Algardis soldier and patrol unit in the western lands.”

Tightly, Sebastian said, “He had no choice. We couldn’t risk our men and women in the imperial army being infected with the virus while on patrol.”

Vana looked at him. Just looked at him.

Sebastian stressed, “We had no idea where the infection spread from. Was it in the air, the water, or the food? We
still
don’t know. We had to take precautions.”

“There is nothing bad about taking precautions, Prince Heir,” said Vana quietly, “but it’s genocide to abandon a people with no hope, no food because there’s no crops, and no security. The people became desperate. The lands became lawless. That’s all there is to it.”

Fire raged in Sebastian’s eyes as he stared at Vana. But it was Prince Heir Sebastian who broke first and lowered his gaze.

Meres cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Right, so we need a light guard to ward off brigands.”

“And supplies to get us at least to Kifar—food, blankets, and coin for the journey,” added Terris.

“Yes,” said Thanar.

“What else?” Ciardis said. “You and Vana know the most about this situation. Who would you suggest go?”

Thanar looked around their group. “We’ll need Terris for her ability to connect with the wyvern.”

Everyone nodded.

“I will also be going,” Thanar said.

“Of course you will,” said Sebastian snidely.

Thanar ignored him. “And Sebastian will go.”

Ciardis’s eyes widened. “Why?”

Even Sebastian looked surprised until his look turned crafty as he thought it through.

Both males turned to look at her, but Sebastian was the one who answered. “Because the gates are one hundred feet high, and by imperial decree and a magic seal I’m the only one of my bloodline who can open the door. Or at least the only one who’s
willing
to go. I can’t see the emperor making the journey, can you?”

Ciardis sniffed. “It’s not like you mentioned that interesting little tidbit before now.”

“Who else?” said Vana.

Thanar turned his gaze on Ciardis.

Ciardis waited for Thanar to volunteer her services. Then he said, “I believe the one called Christian will be useful...if he’s well.”

“Where is Christian?” asked Terris with a frown.

Ciardis turned to her. “You don’t know? I thought he was with you in the caves with Caemon.”

Terris shrugged. “Those two came by and asked Christian as well as Caemon to come with them.” By “those two” she clearly meant Vana and Thanar.

Ciardis turned to Vana. “Where is my brother?” she asked softly.

It had been less than two days since she’d seen him. She wouldn’t lie and say there was ache in her heart that he wasn’t there. Ciardis was honest—at least with herself. Life had been busy as hell and she had forgotten to ask about him.

“With Christian,” answered Thanar.

She turned her eyes to Thanar with raised eyebrows.

Thanar responded softly, “They’re on a mission. They’ll meet us here tonight.”

What could she do? Yell at an assassin and a daemoni prince for sending two of ‘her’ people off without notifying her?

Ciardis knew that would be silly. None of the people here reported to her. They listened to her and sometimes followed her lead. For now that was enough.

“Okay,” Ciardis said. “And me?”

Thanar lifted an eyebrow.

Ciardis clarified, “I’ll be going with you, Christian, Sebastian, and Terris.”

“No,” said Vana, “You’ll be staying here with me...and Lord Meres.”

At once both Lord Meres Kinsight and Lady Companion Ciardis Weathervane erupted into protests.

Vana held up a hand with a wrinkled nose. “We don’t have time for childish protests. You think I want to sit here and babysit a bunch of weak-nosed revolutionaries?”

This time Ciardis paused. “Who?”

“The group led by Jason SaAlgardis,” Vana said through gritted teeth.

“He has a group?” Sebastian sounded mildly impressed.

“Seventy-five bankers, butchers, weavers, and a few guardsmen ready to put it all on the line for the crown,” said Vana tiredly.

“You don’t sound too...happy, Lady Vana,” said Terris.

“They’re a bunch of talentless hacks who are more likely to get themselves killed and me hanged, then get the emperor uncrowned,” said Vana through clenched teeth, “so no, I am not happy, as you say. If I could slit of each of their throats without hamstringing myself from the effort, I would.”

Ciardis blinked.

“But for now,” Vana said, “I will babysit them.”

She turned evil eyes on Ciardis. “And so will you.”

“Why me?” Ciardis couldn’t help it—it came out like the whine it was.

“Because you are the future wife of the future emperor and
one
of you needs to be here in case it all goes to hell,” said Vana in a smug tone that hinted that she delighted in torturing Ciardis.

Ciardis sighed and nodded. “And the collar of Diamis?”

“I’ll get the information necessary to locate that
oracle
who can lead us to its location from Lady Hibblebottom,” said Thanar in disgust.

“And the reason
I
should stay?” Lord Meres said with his arms crossed and his eyes flinty.

Ciardis almost rubbed her hands with glee. Meres was no pushover and she was going to love seeing how Vana got out of
this
one.

Vana smiled devilishly. “Would you leave your empire to crumble while going off on an adventure, Lord Meres? You already did so once, twice, and I would think you aren’t the man I knew in training.”

Terris looked over at her husband, a little confused. “You two knew each other?”

“Very well,” said Vana blithely.

Terris flushed. Ciardis winced at the implication.

Meres frowned. “That’s enough of that, Vana.”

He turned to his wife. “What she meant was that Lady Vana and I were paired together in combat.”

“Nothing more?” Terris said with a trembling lip as she looked back and forth between them.

“Nothing more,” said Lord Meres with a firm grip on Terris’s shoulders. Terris looked unconvinced.

Vana sighed and said, “Terris that was unkind of me. You are, or rather were, my trainee. I should have...thought before I said something.”

Terris gulped and looked directly her.

“Which is why I’m telling you this,” Vana said with a calm look. “Meres’s fine ass never once interested me.”

“And why not?” Terris demanded angrily with her hands on her hips.

Ciardis had to fight a smile. It was funny seeing Terris go from nearly crying to fighting for her husband’s honor.

Vana snorted. “Because I can appreciate it without wanting to touch it with a ten-foot pole.”

Realization went through Ciardis. Sebastian’s face turned interested. Poor Terris still looked confused.

“I’m a lover of women, dear girl,” Vana said, “and have been all my life.”

Terris clasped her hands in front of her with an expression on her face that said she had just found the perfect gift.

“That’s wonderful,” said Terris. “Do you know Ariel? She’s a brunette living amongst the Panen people. She’s been looking for another woman who—”

“That was
not
an invitation for you to set me up,” said Vana. “Just an explanation.”

“Oh, right. Well, okay,” Terris said, turning to Meres. She looked a little deflated but happy once more to be in her husband’s arms.

“Back to our original reasoning for Lord Meres to stay here,” said Sebastian.

“Right,” Vana said with an irritated shake of her short, bowl-styled cropped hair. It looked like she had cut it again. This time with a knife.

Vana eyed Meres firmly. “It’s as simple as this. We need your expertise here.
I
need your expertise here. You’re more likely to reason with someone and lead them when I’d rather cut their throats for insubordination and be done with it.”

Meres nodded solemnly with a twinkle in his eyes. “I can’t say that assessment wouldn’t be wrong.”

“So you’ll stay?” Vana asked. Well, asked in Vana’s way. It was still said with a good deal of confidence.

Meres looked down at Terris, whose shoulders he still grasped. “If my wife will let me,” he said softly.

Terris gave him a brilliant smile. “I trust you to keep yourself alive.”

He nodded.

“Great,” said Sebastian. “So Vana, Ciardis, Caemon, and Meres stay here. Thanar, Terris, Christian, and I go.”

Nods confirmed all around.

Ciardis said, “Then let’s get moving. We’ve got less than eight minutes to meet the emperor and Lord Steadfast will be apoplectic if we’re late.”

“Then is this where we part ways?” said Meres.

Sebastian shook his head, “No, Ciardis and I both need to be present before the emperor and I don’t planning on the leaving the city until after the gathering to send off General Barnaren this evening.”

“And if the emperor says you have to leave immediately?” Vana asked.

“We will go,” acceded Sebastian. “We can’t afford to cross him yet. To make sure at least two are here, you and Lord Meres should journey on to your duties.”

Ciardis nodded. “If all goes as planned, I’ll come to you tonight. And if it doesn’t, at least we were prepared.”

Everyone looked uncertain but it was what they had to work with.

Lord Meres raised a hand and sent out a wave of magic.

“What did you do?” asked Sebastian.

“Sent a thought to the four carriage horses waiting outside the gate to wake their masters as we’re ready to leave,” said Meres. True to his word, two carriages pulled by two horses each soon rounded the curve.

Four got in one. Two in another. The carriages split at the path. One ascending the hill to go to the emperor’s audience chamber. The other going downhill into the depths of the city.