The Shadow Queen (15 page)

CHAPTER SIX

L
ARA
RETURNED
FROM
the New Outlands to be greeted by her twins. She had been gone for eight days now. Coupled with her sojourn at the Oasis of Zeroun she felt more rested than she had in several months. Anoush had told her mother as they traveled to the New Outlands that she did not want to return to Terah to live.

“I am Fiacre, Mother. I am Vartan’s daughter, and I am happiest with my clan family. I want to remain with them. I will come and visit you, and you will come to see me, but I will not make the castle my home any longer. I had spoken to my stepfather before his death on this matter, and he said I must be where I was happiest,” Anoush said.

Lara sighed but she had known this moment was coming. “I will have a house built for you,” she told her eldest daughter. “Until it is constructed you will live with Liam and Noss.”

“Aye, I should like my own home,” Anoush responded. “It will make me a good marriage prospect despite my un-Fiacre talents.” Then she laughed softly. “But most of my clan folk are now used to me.”

“You wish to wed?”

“When I find a man whom I can love, aye, Mother. And I want children, too,” Anoush surprised her mother by saying. “Despite my talents I am really just a clanswoman.”

“I will see you have livestock and grazing land,” Lara told her eldest daughter.

“Thank you,” Anoush replied.

And so Lara had made the necessary arrangements for her child’s comfort. Vartan’s daughter would rejoin her father’s clan family. She would be a young woman of property, and even before Lara had departed the New Outlands young men were beginning to visit Liam’s hall. Mildri, Liam and Noss’s young daughter, knew all the gossip, and happily expounded to Anoush what she knew of the young men.

Lara could see how happy and relaxed her daughter was to be among her father’s people again. She saw how eagerly they welcomed Anoush, and realized that, as Anoush had assured her, they were used to the girl’s talents now. And, too, Anoush was not faerie as her mother had been. They saw her first as Vartan’s daughter, and that was good enough for the clan folk of the Fiacre. She left Anoush filled with a mixture of both happiness and sadness. She had but three children left.

But now as she hugged Taj and Marzina her eyes were sweeping the room looking about for Zagiri. “Where is your sister?” she asked her twins.

“She is still at Grandmother’s house,” Taj told his mother.

“And she is not yet back?” That was strange. While Lady Persis adored Zagiri, the girl did not usually remain with her grandmother more than three days when she visited. “Zagiri does not usually stay that long.”

“I think she was just avoiding her lessons,” Taj replied. “Marzina and I have studied hard in your absence, Mother. And we have not fought once! My twin is most respectful of my position and my high office.”

“Your twin is clever and wise,” Lara said dryly. Then she called a servant to her. “Send a messenger to Lady Persis’s home saying I have returned and would like Zagiri to come home immediately,” she instructed the servant.

“Yes, Domina,” the servant replied, and bowed himself from the chamber.

An uneasiness overcame Lara. It was very unlike Zagiri to stay so long at her grandmother’s house. But perhaps Persis had attempted to put forth a candidate for Zagiri’s hand in marriage. Perhaps she had invited him to visit while Zagiri was with her and Zagiri actually liked her grandmother’s choice, and remained. Could it actually be that simple?

An hour later the servant returned. “Domina, the messenger has returned. Lady Persis says she has not seen Princess Zagiri in many days.”

Lara had no sooner heard the words he spoke than in a puff of lavender smoke she disappeared from the servant’s sight. Reappearing in her mother-in-law’s hall, she found Lady Persis actually expecting her.

“What is this all about?” the older woman queried Lara.

“I took Anoush to the New Outlands,” Lara said. “Zagiri said she wanted to come and visit you while I was away. I gave her my permission. I just returned this afternoon. I was gone eight days. You have not seen her in that time?”

Lady Persis shook her head. “Nay, I have not. What can have happened to my darling golden girl? Did she ride?”

“Nay, Marzina says she said she would walk because the weather was fair, and the distance short,” Lara said.

“Could she have fallen from the cliffs?” Lady Persis quavered.

“I will send searchers, but Zagiri was like a mountain goat on the fjord paths,” Lara replied. “I do not believe she would have fallen, but we will look.” Then in another puff of smoke she was gone from Lady Persis’s hall.

It was but two miles between the castle and Lady Persis’s home. The cliffs were searched for the remainder of the daylight. Two of the Forest Giants helped, walking in the fjord and searching the cliffsides carefully, but no trace of Zagiri could be found. Lara was beginning to become frantic in her worry. Finally she knew she had no choice.

“Prince Kaliq, heed my plea. Cease all else and come to me!” she called aloud.

He appeared immediately in a swirl of his snow-white robes. “What is it, Lara, my love?” he asked her.

“Zagiri is missing! She said she was going to visit her grandmother, but she never did, Kaliq. No one has seen her in over a week,” Lara cried.

“Have you asked your twins what they know?” he inquired.

“They know nothing! They thought she was at Persis’s house,” Lara said.

The Shadow Prince turned to look at Taj and Marzina. “The Dominus knows nothing,” he told Lara. “But your princess daughter does, don’t you, Marzina?”

“I promised not to tell,” Marzina said softly.

“But you will tell us now because you understand how serious this situation may be, don’t you, Marzina?” Kaliq said quietly.

Marzina nodded slowly, and then she spoke. “A few weeks ago Zagiri awakened to find a miniature of the Lord High Ruler of Hetar on her pillow.”

Lara drew a sharp breath.

“She showed it to me. She thought him handsome. I thought him old,” Marzina said. “Zagiri didn’t know how the miniature had gotten on her pillow, but she didn’t want anyone else to know of it. She was a little angry because you would not let her marry this man so she could become the ruler of Hetar’s wife.” Marzina did not tell her mother that Zagiri had boasted that as
First Lady of Hetar
she would rank above her mother, who was merely the widow of a Dominus. “She seemed intrigued and fascinated by the face in the miniature. She said it was a strong face, the face of a real ruler. If she had not been normal otherwise I would have thought her bewitched.”

“She was,” Kaliq informed the girl.

“How could she be?” Marzina asked, surprised.

“The spell was on both the portrait and Zagiri,” Kaliq explained. “When she looked upon Jonah of Hetar’s face she became ensorcelled. She was meant to desire him so greatly that she would find a way to go to him.”

“No!”
Lara cried out.

Kaliq sighed reluctantly. “The Lady Vilia has died,” he told Lara. “Word came several days ago from the Shadow Princes on the High Council. It was not unexpected.”

“He has taken my daughter!” Lara cried out. “
But how?
How did he manage to steal Zagiri away?” She turned to her twins. “Tell me exactly the last time you saw your sister. What time was it?”

“It was early evening,” Marzina said. “We had finished our meal. Taj and I decided to play a game of Herder. Zagiri said she was going to bed. That was the last we saw of her. She had earlier told us she would walk to Grandmother Persis’s house so when she did not appear for the first meal of the day we thought she had already gone.”

“And so she had,” Kaliq said humorously.

“This is not amusing, my lord,” Lara cried. “How has Hetar managed to gain possession of my daughter?
How?
”

“I would think it was obvious, my love,” he answered her. “They have somehow managed to use magic, but from where they obtained this magic I do not know. But I will, I assure you. You must accept, however, that the Lord High Ruler has probably already taken your daughter for his bride. Vilia’s mourning period would be but a week or so, Lara. The question is, if Zagiri is content to remain with the Lord High Ruler, do you want to bring her back to Terah?”

“You say she has been bewitched,” Lara said slowly. “Then none of it is of her own free will. I will not have her enslaved in Hetar as I was once enslaved!” She was struggling to hold back her tears. Her daughter! Magnus’s daughter! Their beautiful golden girl! Jonah of Hetar would not have her! No! No! No!

Kaliq could see the anger, the fear, the despair as it lit her face. “Lara,” he said gently. “They have taken Zagiri to Hetar by means of magic, it is true. And the portrait of Jonah was enchanted to enchant her. But once she saw him then the magic would be gone. She would regain her free will. If she wants this man then you have no cause to bring her back. She is seventeen, my love. Do you really think a nice Terahn lad will do for Zagiri now? What could such a young man offer a girl who is in love with a powerful man? And who surely by now has been given pleasures beyond her wildest dreams by that man. You know better.”

“Jonah has done this to gain Terah’s allegiance,” Lara replied.

“You are undoubtedly right,” Kaliq agreed.

“Why does he need us?” Lara wondered. “What threatens him that he would go to such lengths to steal a Terahn princess? Why does he need Zagiri?”

“I do not know, but I think we had best find out,” Kaliq told her. “Let me visit our council members, and see what I can learn.” And before she might answer Kaliq was gone, disappearing into the shadows of the chamber. He reappeared in the apartment of the two Shadow Princes currently on the Hetarian High Council. “Lothair, Eskil, good evening to you both.”

“Kaliq! What brings you to Hetar?” Lothair arose to greet his old friend. “You have just caught us. We are shortly to go out.”

“There is magic in Hetar that there should not be,” Kaliq said. “Over a week ago Princess Zagiri of Terah was stolen away. The culprit is, I am certain, the Lord High Ruler himself. He had sought her hand, but been refused not once, but twice. Only magic could have taken this girl from Terah, and as we know, the Hetarians don’t have enough magic of their own to have done this. What have you heard, my brothers?”

“Lara must be furious and devastated by turns,” Lothair said. “She will not be pleased by what I am about to tell you. Listen, Kaliq. Do you hear the music in the streets? Hetar celebrates this night the marriage of the Lord High Ruler. The bride’s identity has not been revealed, however. Eskil and I had intended to later join the wedding party as we were invited. Come with us.”

Kaliq nodded. “I will, but I will remain invisible to all but you and the bride. That way I can bring Lara my own eyewitness account.”

“Then let us be gone,” Lothair said and the three Shadow Princes stepped into the shadows of the chamber to emerge in the midst of the wedding feast.

Seeing them a majordomo hurried to lead the two princes to their table. The hall was lit by the light of a thousand beeswax candles and tapers. The air was heavy with the scent of rose and lily. There were flowers everywhere. There was a High Board, and below it a dozen trestles were set. All the tables were covered in a fine white linen edged in golden lace. Gold candelabra decorated with flowering vines were set at intervals along the tables. The guests ate upon silver plates with silver cutlery. They drank from silver goblets. Liveried servants stood behind each guest. Kaliq, invisible except to his brothers, sat on the very end of a bench. Eskil had spread his robes over it so no one else would attempt to sit there. Light music was being played by musicians in a gallery above the hall where the feast was being held.

There was a flourish of trumpets, and the doors of the hall opened to reveal the Lord High Ruler of Hetar. He was garbed in a black and gold robe, its wide sleeves and hem furred in golden fox fur. Upon his dark head he wore a thin circlet of gold studded with small gemstones. He led by the hand a beautiful young woman in a gold and white silk brocade gown with flowing sleeves, and a low square neckline that revealed her pretty round breasts. Her long flowing hair looked as if it were of spun gold. Upon the third finger of her left hand all could see a heavy red-gold marriage ring.

A gasp arose from those assembled, for they had only been told they were invited to a great feast to celebrate a most special occasion. There had been rumors that Jonah would be quickly taking a new wife so some had thought it would be a betrothal feast, and they wondered who the woman would be. Others thought perhaps that Jonah was giving a final feast to commemorate the life of the Lady Vilia. Her family had been quite certain of it. Now that they saw the young woman the Lord High Ruler led in so proudly they knew that they were wrong. And the marriage ring on her finger hinted at something else entirely, especially with Lady Farah following the couple and looking most smug.

They mounted the dais, and stood at their places at the High Board. The room grew silent with anticipation. It was at that moment Prince Kaliq chose to walk quietly from the bench where he had been seated and into the line of vision of Zagiri. Her green eyes widened slightly but she quickly realized that no one else could see the prince, and so she held her peace as Jonah began to speak.

“Good friends,” he said. “Several days ago I lost my beloved wife, Vilia, to death. Vilia was a good wife, a model of perfection. And so it was before she died she chose for me my new wife. I introduce to you Princess Zagiri of Terah.” Jonah drew the girl forward. “My bride. She is the daughter of our late friend Magnus Hauk, Dominus of Terah, and his wife, Lara, daughter of our own John Swiftsword. Her brother now rules in Terah, guided by the wisdom of his mother. Good friends, please greet Princess Zagiri, the
First Lady of Hetar.
”

A great cheer arose from those assembled, and they clapped wildly as Zagiri stood before them. The girl with a proud smile on her lovely face stared out into the crowd of guests, but her eyes focused briefly upon Prince Kaliq, who stood leaning against one of the marble pillars of the hall, an amused smile upon his face. What was he doing here? Why could no one else but her see him? She looked away, not daring to say anything to Jonah. If Kaliq wanted to speak to her he would find an opportunity. Then suddenly everyone in the hall froze before Zagiri’s startled eyes.