Forever Knight (The Champion Chronicles Book 3) (2 page)

“No!” Melanie shouted.  “What if there are savages out there, ready to kill us!”

Elissa had a similar thought, but she didn’t let her fear overcome her.  She was the queen and needed to show the courage that her station required.  With her heart beating hard, she stepped out of the carriage.

The sight that greeted her took her breath away.  The snow had stopped falling and the clouds had started to move away, exposing the afternoon sun.  The bright rays lit up the snow-covered landscape with a brightness so bright Elissa had to shield her eyes.  She had spent many long hours riding the countryside, seeing the beauty of nature, but nothing that she had ever seen made her pause quite like this in frozen, stunned silence.  The valley floor stretched for nearly a mile before it opened up to the flat steppes of Thell.  The walls of the valley sloped up slowly at first, then they became steep cliffs.  The immenseness of the mountains was apparent standing on the valley floor.

There was a stillness to the moment that she did not understand.  The sound of the bubbling waters of the Razor River could be heard, even though it was some distance away.  The horses were still, their heads hunched low.  Even her escorts, the former knights and guardsmen, stood stoically in front of the horses.

Elissa stepped forward cautiously through the snow.  It was deeper here than it was the last time they stopped, coming up to her to mid-calf.  She thought that maybe they were stuck or the snow was going to be too deep for them to pass through the valley

Kern turned as she approached.  A tear was falling down his cheek.

“What is it?” Elissa asked, surprised to see emotion of the face of such a hard, stoic former knight.

“You do not know?” he asked softly.

She shook her head, still confused at what the men were doing.

“This is the battlefield where your father fell,” he said.  “I am sorry.  I thought you knew.”

The tears came swiftly and suddenly.  The quick change in emotion shocked her system and her knees buckled.  Kern caught her before she hit the ground and pulled her into a fatherly hug, holding her tight while she sobbed.  It had been a long time since she had last cried like this.  Keeping busy had kept her mind off missing her father, but now the sadness and loss came flooding back to her.  She let the tears fall for some time before she was able to regain her composure.

When she finally pulled away from Kern, the others had gathered around her.  She rubbed the tears from her face and forced a smile upon it.

“I am truly sorry,” Kern repeated.  “We all loved your father.  He was a great leader.”

“Were you all here?” she asked.

A slight smile crept across Kern’s face.  It was the last question that he had expected her to ask, but it was the right one.  One by one, they each nodded their heads.

“We all were,” Kern said.  “Even this young boy Hollin.”

“Tell me about it,” Elissa said.

Kern looked back at her with widened eyes.  “Oh, the stories of battle are not fit for a lady.  At least not these battles.”

“I need to know.  You brought me here, now you need to tell me.”

“I told you that we shouldn’t have stopped!” one of the escorts grumbled.

“We stopped out of respect for the fallen,” Kern shot back.  His eyes looked past Elissa to see Kimmie and Melanie climb down from the carriage.

“What is going on?” Melanie asked.  “Why have we stopped again?  Are we here?”

“No, my dear,” Elissa replied.  “Kern here is about to tell us a story.”

Kern let out a long sigh.  “I will do my best to tell the story so the ladies will not be too afraid.  We marched through the valley strong and confident.  I was in the front in full armor, atop my war horse.  Just as we reached the far end, the crossbows came from everywhere.  They cut down so many of us so quickly.”

Elissa looked over at Melanie whose face had already gone white as the snow on the ground.  She turned back to Kern and asked, “My father?  Was he…?”

“No, he was behind us in the middle of the army.  After the first barrage, we were left alone.  They started attacking the rest of the army so we turned back to engage the Thellian soldiers that had hidden high up on the valley walls.  And that was when the main force of their army attacked us from the front.  It was a classic ambush and we were caught between their army and the onslaught of crossbow bolts.  It was a bloody battle, but our knights fought hard and even the men of the kingdom fought with an incredible courage.”

“Your father fought honorably and bravely.  His sword saved many men,” Hollin interjected.

Kern gave a slight nod.  “But truly it was your friend, the boy Conner that really turned the battle.  He and Sir Brace Hawkden came to the battle late.  But they had come at just the right time.  Well, I guess maybe they came just a little too late.  We would have won the battle regardless, but it would have been bloodier and more deadly without them.  Many more men would have died that day if they had not shown up.  They charged into the fiercest part of the battle and broke through the Thellian ranks and sent them running.  Conner and his swords were so fast.  He cut down so many Thellians so quickly, it was a sight to see.”

“Oh,” was the only response that Elissa could give.

“He had not spoken of this battle?” Kern asked with a raised eyebrow.

Elissa shook her head.  “Not like you described.  He talked about the death and killing and how sick it made him.  But he did not say much more than that.  He seemed pretty unwilling to talk about it at all.”

“Conner is a good man,” Kern said.  “We miss him around the castle.”

Elissa took a deep breath to keep the tears from coming back.  “He will be back soon enough.”

Kern smiled, just like her father had done to her when she was little.  It was the smile of acknowledgment, not agreement.  “Of course, Your Majesty.”  Then he added, “We have some hours before dark.  We should get moving.”

Elissa did not move; she stood in place, her eyes looking across the snow covered valley floor, trying to imagine what the battle looked like.  After a few silent moments, she said, “And now we go to Thell, to see the men who killed my father.”

“The time of war is behind us,” Kern said softly.  “Many good friends died that day.  Their lives were lost in such a senseless way.  If there is anything that I have learned in my years serving the kingdom as a knight, it is that we must do all we can to avoid war.  There is a time for war, and there is a time for peace.  It is now a time for peace.”

“Very well, then,” Elissa said softly.  “Let us go and find that peace.”

Chapter Two

Prince Tarcious wrinkled his nose at the acrid burning smell.  He could still feel the heat from the fire that had ravaged the emperor’s apartment, but the heat was no longer oppressive.  Everything had burned.  All the furniture was either gone or charred pieces of wood.  The wall tapestries had burned up quickly, singeing the walls with long black marks.  The area rugs had all melted into the stone floor, adding to the unrecognizable debris.

He stood in the doorway, his heart still pounding. The moment he had stepped into the room and saw the empty bed, he knew what had happened.  His brother had finally figured out how to escape from him, and his anger exploded.  Not only at his brother, but at himself for being so sloppy that Hargon had been able to get away.  He did not even remember how many fireballs exploded from his hands, but it had been at least ten.  And none had drained him of even an ounce of strength.  In fact, with each one his anger had grown, and the fireballs had gotten stronger.

But then reality had set in.  The heat of the fire surrounded him and his life-preserving instincts had kicked in.  Instead of continuing to cast more and more fireballs, he pulled out a new spell he had just learned.  A cold wave of air encompassed the room, blasting the flames from existence.  As quickly as the fires had started, they had been put out.  But he was left suddenly exhausted.

The casting of a new spell drained him.  At first it didn’t make sense that multiple fireball spells did not affect him, but the last spell did.  It could have been because new spells took more out of him than the one that he had used many times.  But spells always affected him, even a little bit.  But the angrier he got, the less energy it took to cast the spell.  It was an intriguing thought that would take some experimenting.  But right now, as he stood in the doorway of his brother’s apartment, experimenting with spells was the last thing on his mind.

Behind him, many centurions and palace servants had rushed to the aide of the emperor.  And as each one reached the chamber, they all stopped in their tracks, unable to move or speak.  Soon, others arrived as well.  The various ministers who served as leaders within the government appeared, standing well away from Prince Tarcious.  Everyone knew his temper, and none would want to get in his way.

The prince stood stoically, unable to really process what was happening.  Surely all of his plans were now gone, as the emperor would easily be able to regain control of his empire.  Hargon had too many friends and confidants that he could immediately run to.  The generals might have been under direction from the prince, but the soldiers of the army were still the emperor’s.  If it came to a coup, he would likely lose, despite his power.  He would have to change that.  Control of the army was paramount to gaining the throne.

His only true hope was that Hargon would be so afraid of him, that he would simply run away and disappear.  The other obvious solution was to find Hargon and kill him first.

“Has his body been recovered?”  The voice came from an elderly man in a yellow robe with a dark green sash tied around his waist.  It was a timid voice coming from a timid man.  But he was also the wisest and eldest of the empire’s ministers.

“No, Korlius,” Prince Tarcious said sharply, irritated that his thoughts had been interrupted.  He did not like the man, but he had to respect his position in the government.  At least for now.  Men like him had some use, but very little.

“We must find the body and give Emperor Hargon his proper burial.”

Prince Tarcious, in his fuzzy state of mind, almost changed the course of history with one single phrase.  He would never truly realize how differently his life, and that of the world, would be if he had said the words that first came to his mind.  But as he opened his mouth to tell Korlius that there was no body in the fire, that the emperor had disappeared, he caught himself.  He shook off the fuzziness of his thoughts, forcing his mind to think through his words.  After taking a moment to ensure that he was thinking clearly, Prince Tarcious replied, “There is no body, I am afraid.  The fire had burned too hot and nothing survived.  Emperor Hargon is dead.”

Prince Tarcious lifted his hand and pointed at the remains of the bed.  It had been the first victim of his rage.  There was nothing left, other than a large, black smudge on the stone floor.

“How did it start?”

Prince Tarcious shook his head with solemn sadness.  “That I do not know.  I had come here for my daily visit with my dear brother, when I noticed the room was on fire.  It was so hot, but it had not been burning long.  I can only assume that the assassin used some sort of chemical to make the fire burn hotter and faster.”

Korlius took a step forward to look into the room and said, “And yet, the fire burned out.”

“I…” Prince Tarcious stammered.  His mind spun in a million different direction at once as he tried to plan out his words.  Above all, he needed to protect his secret that the emperor was still alive.  If that were revealed, it would be entirely possible that the empire would fall into a very bloody civil war.  “I cannot really explain it, but I think I did it.”

Korlius looked up at the prince.  “Oh?”

“I feared so desperately for my brother, the only thing I could think of was getting the fire to go out, so I just …”

“You what?” Korlius pressed.  “What did you do?”

“I cannot explain it.”

Korlius glanced around and then pulled Prince Tarcious farther into the emperor’s chamber so that no one else could hear them talk.

Korlius’ words were no longer timid, but sharp and biting.  “You must tell me.  Now.”

The prince hesitated for a moment.  Korlius’ actions were surprising him and he wanted to make sure that he kept his composure.  He was weakened and would be unable to defend himself if his true intentions were made known.  He kept his voice low, just like Korlius did.  “I think I did it,” the prince repeated.

Korlius did not act surprised, he simply nodded his head.

“Do you know what that means?” the prince said, raising his voice just a little.

“Shush!” Korlius responded sharply.  Too sharp even for an elderly minister towards the emperor.  “You must be quiet.  You must keep this a secret between you and me.”

“Keep what a secret?” the prince asked.  He was finding it difficult to maintain his ruse.  He looked down upon the smaller, almost fragile figure who stood in front of him.  He would not need magic to snap his neck.  It would only take a quick twist of his hands.  But not in his weakened state.  He would have to play along until he was able to regain his strength.

“You do not know?” Korlius asked.  “I had always suspected, and even your brother had suspected, but we did not know for sure.  Until now.”

“What?” Prince Tarcious snapped angrily.  He was getting impatient with the conversation, and his tone clearly showed it.

Korlius did not flinch.  He had been around the prince for far too long to be surprised by his sudden outburst.  In fact, he was more than surprised at his behavior right now.  The prince was calm, almost too calm.  If he suddenly realized that he could cast spells, he certainly would not be calm.

“It is something that flows through your blood,” Korlius said.  “Through your family’s blood.  It is one of the reasons why your family has ruled the empire for countless generations.  You have the ability to use magic.”

“Magic?” the prince exclaimed.  He tried his best to show surprise.  “I do not know what you are talking about.  Magic?”

“Yes,” Korlius said with a smile.  “Magic.  The ability to manipulate the fabric of the universe to your will.  Your brother came to me many years ago and showed me his power.  He was able to bring wilted flowers back to life.  Dead, lifeless flowers that had burned in the heat of the summer.  He brought them to life and they bloomed like it was spring.  You, too, must have the same power.  The power to extinguish a fire that was killing your brother.  It was that desperation that brought it out.  You saw your brother dying, and unconsciously, the power came forward and you were able to put out the fire.”

Prince Tarcious shook his head.  “I do not believe…”

Korlius put his hand on Prince Tarcious’ shoulder and squeezed gently.  “Believe it!  You must believe it.  Your brother has not died in vain.  His death has given you the power, and you can use it to further the reach of the empire.”

“What?” Prince Tarcious exclaimed.  “My brother died only minutes ago, and already you are plotting the next moves of the empire?  Can you be any more callous?”

The smile remained on Korlius’ face.  “There is no love lost between you and your brother.  I know that you have been wanting his throne since you were a little boy when your father told you only the first born would gain the empire.  You do not mourn him!  You rejoice in the fact that you will be soon crowned as the emperor.”  His smiled grew.  “As long as the regional governors and generals approve of your coronation, of course.  You will need our backing, and the backing of the people of the empire, too.”

“The empire has been in my family for thousands of years, and now you suggest that I cannot have it?”

Korlius lifted his hands and took a partial step back.  “No!  I did not say that.  I am only saying that you will need to have the backing of the governors and the army.  And with my help, I can assure you that you will gain that backing.”

“Oh?  And what will you ask for.”

“My position as the most senior member of the emperor’s ministers is a comfortable position, but it can even be more comfortable.”

“You want me to bribe you to get my throne?”

“It is as it always has been.  The rule of your family is not only because of your blood, but because of the people who have worked with your family to keep that rule.  There is a long line of people that have propped your family up on the throne.  And you must keep them up there, else you will fall.  And with your newfound power, we can finally break the backs of the northern barbarians and slaughter each and every one of them.  The gold in the mountains up there will finally run freely and directly into your hands.”

Prince Tarcious rubbed his chin.  “I did not think you were such a devious person.  I have always thought of you as a timid toad.  It seems that I may have been wrong about you.”

“Once you are upon the throne of the empire, you will realize that you were wrong about many things.  My being timid will be the least of them.”

Prince Tarcious could feel his strength coming back.  It was certainly not back all the way, but it was at the point where he could cast a spell that would easily kill the old man.  Or, he could just reach out and grab him around the neck and crush his windpipe.  He had never seen Korlius or any of the other ministers as threats.  They were the scholars and politicians who did the emperor’s will with a power given to them by the emperor and enforced with the backing of the army.  He had not thought of any of them as adversaries, but clearly they had aspirations of power. 

With the words of a spell on the tip of his tongue, he gave one last thought as to what he should do with this weasel.  If he killed him, then he would have removed someone who could stab him in the back when he wasn’t looking.  That would be the easy way out and one major problem would be resolved.  But, if he did kill him, how many others would he have to kill as well?  Would he have to take out the entire group of ministers?  They were all powerful in their own way and likely they were all looking to gain more power.  And if he did end up killing them all, who would be left to govern his empire?  He had too many other plans to spend his days playing emperor.  He would need someone smart and someone connected.

“My coronation will take place the day after tomorrow,” the prince announced.

“Oh?” Korlius replied.  “This is too soon.  The regional governors must be summoned and it will take weeks for many of them to arrive.”

“Day after tomorrow.  You will make the arrangements.”

“Me?” Korlius said with a light chuckle.  “I am the eldest minister.  There are servants and attendants for those duties.”

Prince Tarcious took a step back and the words of the spell left his lips.  A small ball of fire appeared in his hands and he held out for Korlius to see and to also feel the heat to know it was real.  He closed his fist over the ball of fire and it disappeared in a smoky puff.

Prince Tarcious moved to within inches of Korlius’ shocked face.  His words were in a whisper, but his tone was clearly threatening.  “Do not presume to know what you know, or what you don’t know.  I am now the emperor of this empire, and you will do as I demand.  If you do not, then you will suffer unimaginable pain.  Whatever you were before, I do not care.  You will now be my personal servant.  You will do my bidding, and you will do it exactly as I demand without complaint or discussion.  If you do not, then one morning, you and your family will wake up to the smell of burning flesh.  Yours.  Is that clear?”

Korlius tried not show fear.  He had been around too long to be intimidated by anyone, but the thought of being burned alive was certainly not appealing.  Immediately, he bowed his head and dropped to a knee.  “Yes, Your Imperial…Majesty.  I will do as you ask.”

Prince Tarcious wanted to laugh.  Although he liked the fact that this timid weasel was bowing before him in subjugation, he would have had more respect for him if he would have stood his ground.  Certainly he would end up dead, but at least he would have died with honor and respect rather than living with cowardice.  Korlius would be quickly used up, but in the meantime, his skills and knowledge of the inner workings of the government would be necessary.  He needed someone to run his empire while he waged war.  Korlius was certainly not the right man for the job, but he would at least be able to help the future emperor find who that man might be.