The Complete Twilight Reign Ebook Collection (262 page)

Read The Complete Twilight Reign Ebook Collection Online

Authors: Tom Lloyd

Tags: #Fantasy, #Science Fiction, #Vampires, #War, #Fiction, #General, #Epic

BOOK: The Complete Twilight Reign Ebook Collection
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‘What in the name of the Dark Place am I supposed to do, then?’ Vesna whispered, ignoring the question.
‘To pursue a war against Azaer? I believe King Emin is the expert there; perhaps you should ask him. But first, there is something else you must do.’
‘What’s that?’ Vesna asked sharply.
Lesarl gave him a broad smile and indicated Vesna’s dress uniform. ‘Marry that poor girl, Vesna, if she’ll still have you. I believe your bride is waiting for you.’
Outside Tirah Palace the air was heavy and a cold wind blew. Vesna stopped on the stairs leading down to the training ground and squinted up at the sky. He couldn’t see the sun and a dark grey bank of cloud had appeared on the northern horizon and was being driven by the wind towards them. There was a promise of rain in the air. The Farlan considered that a good omen - he was, after all, to be married at a shrine to Nartis, so peals of thunder and pouring rain could hardly be anything but a blessing from the God of Storms.
‘Vesna,’ called a slim man in armour hurrying over from the forges. He carried a teardrop shield and an eight-foot spear, both new, beautifully forged by the palace armourer. ‘You’re early; we don’t need to leave yet.’
‘I have to speak with Tila before the wedding,’ Vesna said once he’d gripped the man’s arm in greeting. ‘I know, Dace,’ he continued as the man opened his mouth to argue, ‘but this is more important than tradition.’
Sir Dace laughed and took a pace back, standing to attention, presenting spear and shield formally. His sleeves and trousers were fitting to the occasion but the rest, as was traditional, were what he would wear into battle. ‘You’re telling that to the wrong man, my friend,’ he said with a smile. ‘You might have always been my better with a sword, but there’s no damned way I’m crossing Lady Tila!’
The two men were the same age; they’d known each other for decades. Dace sported the single gold earring of a knight under his wild black curls, and the same blue tattoos on his neck as Vesna. Born to a cobbler, he had won a place in the Palace Guard the year after Vesna and the two had soon become friends. The day Vesna won his martial honours on the battlefield, Dace had been close behind his friend; he was one of three men knighted that day. Family life had taken Dace away from the army, but for ten years he had stood at Vesna’s side, both on the battlefield and on the duelling ground, just as he was about to as the famous rogue at last followed his friend’s example and married.
‘My circumstances have changed,’ Vesna explained in a lower voice, ‘and Tila needs to know before we marry.’
Sir Dace’s smile widened. He handed his friend the spear and reached into a pocket to out pull a letter. ‘Something you need to learn about married life,’ he explained. ‘They’ll outflank you more often than not, especially when they’re as smart as your intended. Best thing is to accept it without a fight.’ His grin widened. ‘Let that be my first act as sentinel for your marriage!’
‘What are you talking about?’ Vesna swapped the spear for the letter and saw it bore his name in Tila’s handwriting.
‘Read the letter,’ Dace advised. ‘A God I might not be, but Karkarn himself could give you no better advice.’
Sir Dace had travelled south from Anvee after news of the crusade had reached there and all able nobles had been called up. Despite having four children waiting at home, Dace had stayed at Tila’s request. A Farlan wedding called for a man to assume the position of sentinel to the marriage, to watch over the happiness of both parties - and, occasionally, to defend the honour of one or the other, which explained why Vesna, hardly the guardian of marital fidelity, was sentinel to several marriages.
Vesna tore the letter open and scanned the half-dozen lines. As he read it his frown slowly softened.
My dearest,
By now I am sure Lesarl has given you the deed of trust and intimated that you are no longer bound by your military obligations. Let me remind you that Isak was my friend also, and I grieve for him as much as you. You must do what you can to further the cause he died for, but that has no bearing on our marriage. Today we will be married, no matter what tomorrow may bring - and this I do with full understanding, so let Lord Karkarn himself defend you if you try to make my choice otherwise.
With all my love on our wedding day,
Tila
‘See what I mean?’ Dace said cheerfully, ‘anticipated and outflanked. You never stood a chance, my friend.’
He thumped Vesna on his plate-armour shoulder, wincing slightly as he caught his palm on the black-iron.
‘I can still ask Karkarn to be my sentinel,’ Vesna growled, trying to be stern, but feeling his irritation melt away as he reread the letter.
‘And he too will have better sense than to cross a young lady on her wedding day,’ Dace declared. He thoroughly enjoyed being a family man, and he intended to savour every moment as his renowned friend followed in his wake. ‘And anyway, I didn’t see Lord Karkarn taking a paddling in the barracks last night - if I have to share the pain from your wedding rites I’m damned-well going to get some of the pleasure too!’
Vesna grinned at last. ‘Aye, and cruel on you that I don’t feel pain like a normal man these days.’ He took a last look at the letter and pictured Tila writing it. ‘Who am I to argue then?’ he said, unable to restrain his smile.
‘That’s better; at last the face of a man getting married!’ He grabbed Vesna by the sword-arm and started to drag him towards the barracks. ‘Now come and have a last meal with us; there are still a few filthy stories about you that need to be aired before you mend your ways.’
Vesna complied willingly and they repaired to the officers’ quarters, where, surrounded by men he’d fought alongside for years, he found himself the butt of altogether too many jokes. Vesna’s grin was even wider by the time they filed out and mounted up to proceed north to the New District, where Tila’s family lived.
While Vesna had the right to be married in the grandest temples in Tirah, too many were under the direct control of clerics hostile to the nobility. The cults had withdrawn their military threat as soon as it was clear the nobles would unite behind Lord Fernal, but tensions remained.
High Chaplain Mochyd was willing to conduct the service, so Tila had instead chosen an old shrine in the New District and scaled down the ceremony so Lord Fernal, along with half the guard, would not have to attend. As Vesna led a column of fifty Ghosts in dress uniform through the streets he felt a rare jangle of nerves in his stomach.
‘Okay?’ Dace asked, leaning in his saddle towards Vesna.
The Mortal-Aspect of Karkarn nodded, his face pale. ‘Just wondering what comes tomorrow.’
‘Tomorrow? You wake up with a sore head and a better girl than you deserve!’ He laughed. ‘What comes after that is in the hands of the Gods, so you just need to get the first bit right before you start worrying about the rest. And for pity’s sake get that damn look off your face or she’ll want me for her wedding night instead!’
Vesna laughed at the suggestion, but it shook him from his gloom. They continued in cheerful spirits the rest of the way, the Ghosts singing lewd marching songs until they were within sight of the shrine. A few yards out they dismounted and left their horses in the charge of a young lieutenant and formed up in two columns, flanking Vesna and Sir Dace.
The shrine was on a fork in the road, with a door at the top of a dozen stone steps on either street. It was an ancient building, even by the standards of Tirah, and comprised three concentric circles of pillars below a curved roof that rose to a sharp peak in the centre. Directly below that was the carved heart of the shrine: a strung bow resting in crooked stone branches, surrounded by images of Nartis’ face and stylised lightning bolts.
Behind the shrine was a raised garden, enclosed by a stone balustrade, that stretched twenty yards to the stone side wall of the building behind it. Over the slanted roof of the shrine itself he could see a pair of trees that shaded the garden.
There was quite a gathering there, despite this being a restrained affair. A group of nobles clad in all their formal finery were gathered around the steps, while Tila’s immediate family, the High Chaplain and a handful of her closest friends stood around the heart of the shrine.
As he approached, Tila stepped into view from behind the High Chaplain. His beaming bride was wearing a formal dress of blue and white, its simplicity serving to highlight her beauty. Her head was partially covered by a matching blue shawl embroidered with white and gold, and she wore charms to various Gods and Goddesses woven into her hair - a wedding was the only time all Gods were welcome at any temple, so Tila wore her favourite charms safely.
Vesna felt a pang of guilt. The only God accompanying him to his wedding was Karkarn, the God of War. All Gods might be welcome to bless a wedding, but some more so than others, he suspected.
‘
Now, my Iron General,
’ said a cold voice in his mind, ‘
do you ask my blessing on this happy day?
’
‘
I do, Lord Karkarn,
’ Vesna replied silently. ‘
Above all other Gods I ask your blessing.’
‘And it is so granted,
’ Karkarn replied. ‘
Just remember the saying; “War is a jealous mistress” - never has it been so true.
’ Without waiting for a response Karkarn receded into the depths of Vesna’s mind, returning to the distant echo that was a constant presence. Vesna understood his God’s meaning.
He fell in behind his sentinel and Sir Dace led him up the steps, calling his greetings to those assembled. Tila’s father stepped forward and Vesna bowed low to the man. Introl was a slim man with weak eyes; he looked fragile compared with his son-in-law-to-be. Vesna knelt and unbuckled his sword and Introl took it. Next Vesna pulled off his tunic, fumbling a moment with the toggles that had been added to his left side so it could be pulled over his black-iron-encased arm. His stomach tensed instinctively as the cool air rushed in and enveloped him, but then the sensation faded.
Vesna chanced a look up at Tila; she was watching him with a half-smile on her lips. The other women in the party didn’t look so impressed - Vesna’s broad chest was as heavily muscled as any man there, but the scars on his torso from past injuries were now deep red, and starkly obvious. He might be in good condition for a man approaching forty summers, but there was no doubt his body was a monument to the abuse it had received during years of military service. The sight was clearly shocking to Lady Introl and her sisters, but Tila blew him a kiss.
He grinned, then quickly lowered his eyes as Master Introl threw a white sheet over Vesna’s shoulders, unsnagging it as it caught on his jutting pauldron, symbolically clothing him. He rose and continued up the steps to Tila’s side.
As he looked at the faces assembled around the shrine he caught sight of Carel at the rear and felt a knot in his stomach. The marshal was dressed formally, but there was little joy on the old soldier’s face. He stood just outside the consecrated area of the shrine, under the garden’s trees, where the ashes of the dead were scattered. Vesna offered him a half-bow, trying not to dislodge the sheet, and received a cool nod in return. In that moment he knew their friendship was dead. Carel was attending the wedding out of love for Tila and as a memorial to Isak, nothing more.
In the next moment he saw Carel’s eyes narrow, and the veteran was already starting down the steps, thumb on the catch on his sword-stick, by the time Vesna turned. A mutter ran around the crowd of witnesses and faces turned to the door Vesna had entered by.
The street was a hundred yards long, and it sloped up away from the shrine, leaving the Tower of Semar visible behind the buildings. There seemed to be some sort of commotion at the head of the street as two Ghosts advanced towards a third, who drew a massive sword.
Vesna’s breath caught as he tasted magic on the air and he saw two lightning-quick blows take out both Ghosts. As they fell Vesna saw Sir Dace and Swordmaster Pettir were already heading towards him, their weapons drawn - but before they’d gone more than a few steps Vesna saw the Ghost level a black longbow.
Without thinking Vesna called on the magic inside him, reaching out with his empty armoured hand at the archer. The Land fell away from his senses as blistering magic flowed over his body. As the archer fired, Vesna created a smoke-grey shield which appeared in the air to block the arrow before it reached the shrine - then, without warning, he felt the God of War invade his mind.
Before Vesna even had a chance to cry out Karkarn had wrestled control of the magic from his Mortal-Aspect and roughly ripped away the threads binding the shield together. It exploded in white-green light, the energies screaming as they were cast asunder.
Vesna froze in incomprehension as his divine-sharpened eyes watched the arrow race towards him. Then ingrained instinct kicked in and he turned himself left-side-on, bringing his armoured arm across his face to protect himself.
The arrow hit his forearm, driving the black-iron into his face as a searing flash of light exploded all around him. A thunderclap of shattering glass and the copper taste of magic filled the air as a spell blossomed into life upon impact. Vesna felt tiny teeth tearing at his back and shoulders as the force of the blow sent him reeling. He was forced back, barely keeping his feet, as he was buffeted by streams of magic flowing past him. Noise crashed against his ears, and dark stars burst in his eyes as a sudden weight of raw power enveloped him.

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