The Royals

Chapter 14

A knock at the door sounded before she was fully disrobed. 'Come,' said a female.

Ginni used her most respectful tone. 'May I dress?'

A rustle of clothing suggested a shrug. 'Revered Sister will not wait long.' Already the voice was fading.

She snatched her boots and ran into the hall.

Hobbling as she pulled them on over her still-damp stockings, she hurried after the receding woman.

She eventually found herself in another bare-bones room without windows. Revered Sister and Dita and the mage at the gate turned out to be one and the same. I understand you control the Sister's fire,' Dita said. 'Show me.' She remained seated behind a broad desk, her manner as stiff as Roslin's at her most severe.

Ginni looked into the mage's eyes, then closed her own. The flame responded sluggishly to her call. It had always been second nature, but this moment held so much more import than whether she might fool others or cook the dragon a hot meal. How had she ever thought she could be satisfied with such trivialities?

'No, concentrate!' shouted Revered Sister.

Ginni opened her eyes. She had scorched the mage's tight-cropped hair. This wouldn't go down well.

'You must maintain discipline, Ginni. The Sisters have gifted you a great talent and you are squandering it with foolish mind-fur!'

The apprentice suppressed a giggle. "Mind-fur' described most of her life. Her tutor made no effort to restrain her scowl. 'You find the situation amusing?' 'No, Revered Sister.' 'You find me amusing?'

'No, Revered Sister.'

'You find me amusing?'

'No, Revered sister .'

'I think maybe you do. Recite the Principals from start to finish.' Dita looked down at a scroll on her desk as if to verify her pupil's answer.

Ginni accepted the task without complaint. Roslin's punishments had been so much harsher and more demean ing. She shuddered inwardly at the number of men she'd had to approach and entice. Though none of them had managed their ultimate goal, a few had come close. The violation had been more her mother's than the men's. They drunkenly followed their natures while she had intentionally established Ginni as prey.

She took a deep breath and exhaled. Though she looked at Dita, she saw only the ancient parchment Roslin had copied in secret. For each of the Seven Sisters, there exists a charge which she maintains. The four elements form the quadrangle of the major Sisters and the three races form the triangle of the minor Sisters.

Of the four elements, fire is the most rare and most difficult to control. It can easily annihilate that which it was meant to aid before the wielder has grasped the degree of devastation. Water seldom races unchecked across the mountainside, but be wary if it should leave its boundaries. Air surrounds us and will ever do so. Earth can be tamed but it will rebel if not properly respected; therefore, it is the most deceptive.

"The three races survive only at the sufferance of the great elements. So too do the little Sisters bow to their great Sisters.' This simple statement had surprised Ginni more than all her other lessons combined when she initially stumbled across it. It seemed only the mages thought to divide the Sisters thus. She'd never heard the common people refer to them this way.

Ginni paused to see if Dita would challenge this assertion, but the woman showed no reaction. So, it was the mages' belief, just as Roslin had taught her.

As Revered Sister continued to study the flattened scroll, Ginni wondered, Could all witch's logic be this forth right? Was it possible that its arcane nature was more in the presentation than in the fact?

Revered Sister looked up at her continued silence. 'Yes?'

'Should I proceed to the Rule of the Races?'

'No need,' said Dita, slightly mollified. 'We will return to the matter at hand. Fire.

Once more Ginni concentrated, and watched as the flame ran unchecked from her hand to one of the tap estries.

Dita scoffed. This is all you've learned in so many years.' Blood ran hot in Ginni's face. Her heart pounded. "No, of course not, Revered Sister. I-'

'Quiet. I did not ask for your excuses. I will speak to Revered Mother.'

And denounce me as a failure, she thought. She could not bear it. Please give me another chance. I will prove myself to you.' She sounded whiny and pathetic even to her own ears. Dita looked hard at Ginni.

'I'm certain you will prove yourself.'

The statement seemed more threat than promise. The young mage shuddered. 'Yes, yes, I will,' she answered, suddenly afraid of achieving her purpose.

Blinded by darkness and snow, Lyda chanted to keep them moving. The Sisters' will. The Sisters' will. We do the Sisters' will.' The words held no comfort, only a rhythm for their feet. To stop in this cold meant death.

Hours crawled by; they could have been days in this land of white on white. Involuntary whimpers threaded their way underneath the howling wind. Pain surrounded her as it had not since she had stumbled through the graveyard of a once lively village. No joy endured in the wake of the elfwitch.

Could this blizzard be her doing? No matter, Lyda told herself. She did the Sisters' will. 'We do the Sisters' will!' she shouted into the storm, daring it to break her.

'We do the Sisters' will!

' Her numb hands and feet began to tingle with warmth. She shook Willam and Ceeley out of their frozen stares until they too took up the chant.

For one brief instant the moon shone clear, bright, and round. In that moment a shadow crossed their path. Lyda followed it without question through the close packed trees. Uphill or down, she had lost the ability to judge. If it directed her over a cliff, that too was the Sisters' will.

It led into the ground. Lyda trod after, pulling her charges along. Warm air struck her face.

The child cried out. 'We're saved!'

They had found a cavern. Not far off slept a bear, a bear as big as a shadow-guide.

Tears streamed down Willam's face.

Ceeley put her stubby arms around him. It's okay, Papa-Wil. It's okay. We're here now.'

'I know,' he said. He tried to smile but the muscles barely responded.

'We can make it to the ends of the world if we have to!'

Willam went pale. "ope we don't have to go that fat,' he whispered. 'It's a long, long way."

'I've been from the Three Falls to Twin Gates to The Cliffs to here,' Ceeley declared. 'I can go anywhere have to, even over the Dunavs.

The girl's delirious, Lyda thought. Or Sister-blessed. She nodded. 'We might just have to at that.'

Prince Henry looked out at the assembled crowd from a safe corner before stepping onto the parapet. He missed Kate more than ever. She and Maarcus would have checked the crowd, the square, all their old contacts. No one could insure against a lone assassin, but he didn't worry as much about that. The Cliffs was a city of conspiracies, of groups huddled in corners making plans. Henry sighed. Just like me and my advisors, he thought.

Already the rumors had spread. Bad enough in truth, the trolls became more terrible in the retellings. All the city's inhabitants could see the wave of refugees. Even now, some few straggled in whenever the weather broke. They were all mobilized, fearing he would rally them to war.

Fearing he would not.

Henry's back itched. Lately, he'd been feeling conjured wounds again. His non-existent wings ached to stretch and soar. Fully a man in form now, he was still a half-breed beast haunted by his past as a misshapen dragon. Unlike Kate, Henry felt no longings to return to his old life. He simply wanted to fly, truly fly just once.

'Feet on the ground now, Prince Henry.' Abadan's voice broke into the man's thoughts.

'Oh, so you read minds too, do you?'

The magician had the good grace not to act surprised at the suggestion though his words denied it. 'It's seldom necessary when the subject of my observation is staring into the sky as if he'd like to be there."

'Here I thought I was checking over the crowd.'

Abadan laughed. 'Unless they're seated among the Sisters, I'd have to say you were staring into the roiling grey clouds overhead."

There was never any use in arguing with a magician, most especially the royal one. 'Do you think we could fly some day?" he found himself asking as if he were a small child.

Abadan shrugged. I've seen my share of strange ness and the Sisters have been known to start men down unusual paths when it suits them. Don't let it distract you. Other matters are more pressing.' He nodded toward the window. There's our man's signal. Do your father proud.

He ignored the longing in his shoulders. Images of fly ing dragons fell away. When the prince stepped forward, the others saw only the regalness he was born to. Thank you all for gathering here,' he began with just a touch of the everyman accent. 'I call you here today to rally you to battle."

"Bout b****y time,' a heckler yelled, and Henry was unsure whether the man was on his side or not. He could have been one of the hastily arranged seeds strewn throughout the group to insure the people swayed in his direction.

'I do not undertake this war lightly. Nor do I ask for each and every one of you to take up your swords with a casual heart. Some, perhaps many, of you will die. Still, we will all surely perish if we remain as we are. The elfwitch and her trolls won't stop until she reaches the sea - if then. We cannot allow this.' He paused and licked his lips. Fist raised to the sky, he shouted, 'And so I say, let's march!'

The crowd cheered and waved their weapons. They seemed perilously close to becoming a mob.

'Now, let's do it now!' yelled the heckler.Today we prepare. We train. We strengthen our skills.'

Men moaned. Let her attack us in our sleep you mean!'

No!' Henry shouted. 'No! But we will confront her on our terms. Within the seven-day, the elfqueen Alvaria will know our strength.'

'Hear, hear,' yelled someone.

'We'll show 'er,' echoed another.

The entire group thundered its assent.

Henry raised both arms triumphantly then bowed low. He rose and looked out without seeing the crowd, only the s*******r many of them would know. Before the vision could show on his face, he stepped back inside.

He was sweating and breathing hard. Somehow he hadn't expected it to take so much out of him. Rallying men to die was not what he'd meant to do, yet he knew with complete certainty he had done exactly that. Little more.

Kate didn't know how to feel, waking up wrapped in Maarcus' arms. Oh, she knew how she felt, but she'd been quite able to avoid these situations. On the rare occasion when she'd been tempted to touch actual flesh, Mut had conveniently stepped in with teeth showing. No man would test that, not if he valued his future.

But there was no Mut. Indeed, the Dragon Prince had sent them off on this mission without him.

She cuddled deeper against Maarcus' shoulder and he tightened his hold.