Spirit of the Sword: Pride and Fury (The First Sword Chronicles Book 1) (70 page)

It certainly was quite a menagerie, and Miranda found herself recalling Lord Quirian's pronouncement that the princess was mad. Miranda did not believe that, but she did believe that Romana courted such gossip with eccentricities such as the company she kept and her unabashed enthusiasm for dead religions and forgotten ideals.

As she strode into the square Romana clapped her hands together twice, drawing the attention of all concerned. "Everyone, this is Filia Miranda Callistus, creator of golems and heir to Aurelia, and her companion Filia Octavia Volucris."

One of the ladies, a pretty young thing with her golden hair in ringlets pinned behind her head and falling down her neck, stood up and curtsied. "It is an honour to meet you at last, Filia. Her Highness has told us so much about you."

The scruffy looking girl, whose dark hair was worn in a pixie cut clinging the sides of her face, scowled. "She doesn't look very impressive. She can't even walk by herself."

"Hyllia," Princess Romana said sharply. "That was not courteous. And what is courtesy?"

Hyllia looked down at her feet. "The food that sustains civilisation, your highness."

"Precisely," Romana said. "Barbarians may say as they like and accept all consequences for their bluntness, but we who wish to maintain a society must sometimes dissemble our thoughts for the sake of a harmonious community."

"I'm sorry, Filia."

"Yes, well," Miranda muttered.

"Filia," Romana said. "Allow me to introduce you to my faithful followers. First, my ladies in waiting: Lady Junia Livius, third daughter to Lord Livius. Incidentally, the statue behind Junia happens to be of the first Lord Livius, one of Aegea the Great's legates."

"Filia Miranda," Lady Junia said, her voice so soft it was barely more than a whisper. Her hair was black and tied in a severe bun and her eyes were a dark, earthy brown that regarded Miranda intently.

"Lady Harmonia Rutulus Castra, second daughter to Lord Rutulus."

"A pleasure, Filia." Lady Harmonia was a plump young girl with mousy brown hair and a smile that blossomed across her face, though Miranda had the distinct impression it would fade just as quickly.

"The Honourable Euphemia Salinator, grand-daughter to Lord Salinator," Romana said, gesturing to the pretty blonde ingenue who had curtsied to Miranda earlier, and who nodded her head with an encouraging smile.

"Vespasia Flaminius, of a fine Equestrian family."

"Charmed, Filia," Vespasia said. Of all the ladies present she was the most petite, and also the one wearing the most finery, as if hoping to compensate in display of lavish wealth for her lack of ancestors compared to her titled and blooded companions in the princess' service.

"And Elylyona Castra, natural born daughter to Lord Lacus."

Natural born being a polite way of saying illegitimate, I suppose
, Miranda thought, wondering why a princess would accept the insult of having a bastard placed in her household. Mind you, Elylyona was very pretty, with red hair that was the more striking for being rather unusual, and pale skin and doe eyes of sky blue. Miranda looked away before Octavia started to get jealous.

Next Princess Romana gestured to the young girl who had spoken out of turn before. "Next allow me to present Hyllia of the Subura, my cupbearer."

Hyllia did not move from her lounging posture on the stone bench. "How d'you do?"

"Hyllia," Romana said.

"Sorry, princess," Hyllia said, leaping off the bench and bowing. Her voice drawled as she said, "Absolutely delighted, Filia."

Romana smirked as she passed on to the next member of her assembled host. "And here we have Smerdis, a magi from Xarzia-"

A man with a forked beard and a Xarzian cast to his skin, wearing robes of many colours trimmed with gold, bowed as he interrupted. "With all due respect, Your Highness, I am from Cypris."

"Yes, you're rather particular about that, aren't you?" Romana said. "In any case, he is a magi and one of the interpreters of my dreams. The man next to him is Cambyses, his brother, also a magi, while the man with the bones is Praesutagus, a seer from Mavenor, while Daniel is a Coronim priest and also an interpreter of visions. He's also hoping to convert me to the faith of the Turonim but I haven't the heart to tell him I'm a lost cause. Then of course there are my guards: Captain Demophon Thrakes, Sergeant James Oraka, Optio Acamas Urba, Guardsman Herodian Turius, Guardsman Thurio Crotonius, Guardsman Polites Gonatas, Guardsman Petilius Cerialis, Guardsman-"

"I think, your highness, that you are mocking me ever so slightly," Miranda said, a trifle tersely. "In any event, you may consider your point made."

"Indeed," Romana said. "And what point is that, Filia?"

Miranda shifted a little where she stood, leaning her weight upon her stick. "You introduced your ladies in waiting to demonstrate that you have friends in the noble houses, and then you introduced your guards to demonstrate to me that you knew their names. I confess I do not know why you introduced your dream interpreters. I do not even know why you have dream interpreters."

"To interpret my dreams, Filia, why else?" Romana said with a smile. "Hyllia, give up the seat to Filia Miranda, that she may rest her leg. Would you like some wine, Filia?"

"No, thank you," Miranda said as she sat down. Octavia stood behind her, a comforting if silent presence. "Is this what you wished to show me, your highness, the size and unusual makeup of your retinue?"

"No," Romana said, sitting down beside her. "Although it was a benefit. No, what I wanted you to see is this. Elylyona, if you would."

"Of course, Highness," Elylyona said, rising to her feet and picking up a large flat object covered in a grey cloth. She set it down in front of Miranda and the princess, before removing the cloth covering to revealing a painting in a silver frame.

"That...that is, um," Miranda murmured, not really knowing what to say. She supposed that it was a well painted work, with lots of swirling paint lines and assertive brush strokes, but it was quite unlike anything she had ever seen before. It depicted, as best she could tell, a landscape; although it was not a landscape Miranda recognised nor could imagine seeing in the life. The sky was a ghostly grey, becoming bluer in layers the higher up the canvas one's eye went. The ground was blasted and barren, and the colour was somewhat reminiscent of ash save for the streaks of red and yellow like fiery fingers spreading across it. A single tree, or at least Miranda thought it was a tree though it was the colour of bronze, stood limply one one side of the painting. The ground was cracked, but otherwise featureless. Three suns: one yellow, one red and one black, hung in the sky above.

There was no focus to the piece. Not a living thing stirred anywhere. The closest thing to a centre the painting had was the vortex of black emerging from the dark sun in place of light. As she looked at it, Miranda began to feel very depressed.

She tore her eyes away. "What does it mean, your highness?"

"I really have no idea," Romana said, gesturing for Elylyona to cover it up. "It is a Tarquinian work, from the last decade before the Imperial conquest. It was the era of the Heraklian War, of Aulia and Lartha at the height of their powers, of Cae the Guileless and Helenus the Beguiling, but you would not know it to look at this piece. It is called 'Imagination Unbound' and as best anyone can tell it represents an attempt to depict a genuinely alien landscape. It's quite hideous, isn't it?"

Miranda frowned. "Your Highness, if you do not like it, why did you show it me?"

"Because I thought that you would find it incomprehensible, and so you might come to understand," Romana said. "That feeling of being completely unable to understand something...I fear that is how I feel when I try to comprehend you. If you were motivated by self interest that would be one thing, but I believe, though I cannot be certain, that you are motivated by principle. It is simply that the principles are so far removed from my own that I cannot grasp them."

"Then why do you keep trying?" Miranda asked.

"Because I must," Romana said earnestly. "Because you are important to the destiny of this country. Maybe even more important than I am."

Lady Junia Livius snorted. Vespasia and Elylyona looked deeply sceptical. Harmonia's face was inscrutable. Only Euphemia looked as though she might believe her mistress.

"What makes you say that?" Miranda said.

"Because I dreamed of you," Romana said quietly. "Even before you came to this city, I dreamed of you."

"You...dreamed of me," Miranda said.

Romana nodded. "Even before you arrived I dreamt of you. You were being borne towards Eternal Pantheia upon a wave of gold, shimmering and shining bright. An eagle flew above your head, and you yourself were glowing as brightly as the sun. And yet, at the same time, two wings of shadow hovered above you. You will bring either great glory or destruction to our state, Filia, and I wonder if even the gods have decided which yet."

Miranda blinked. "I'm sorry...all of this is because of your dreams?"

"Don't talk like that!" Hyllia spat. "Princess Romana's dreams are never wrong!"

Romana held up one hand. "Peace, Hyllia."

"Insolent as she is, the girl speaks truth," Junia said, leaning forwards a little. "Her Highness has the sight, as 'tis said Lartha did of old. Since then it is not unheard of for those of the blood to see things that are yet to come."

"Look at her hair, Filia Miranda," Harmonia said. "Look into Her Highness' eyes. Then look at her brothers. Is it not plain to see that the line of princes has bred true in her, as it has not in so many generations? With Lartha's Sight and Aegea's vision she will led us to great things, if she is allowed."

Or at least she will lead your famillies to greater power and influence. I doubt if much beyond that concerns you,
Miranda thought sourly.

"A week before my father's final illness I dreamt of an old wolf, Filia," Romana said, her voice trembling. "An old wolf lying on a bed, swollen with sickness, eyes rheumy, breath wheezing. And around his bed I saw the other wolves gather, with hungry looks in their eyes, eager to devour him. And I saw a dappled unicorn run from the old wolf's bedside with a lioness by his side. A week later my father took to his bed, and within a month he had perished and my brother Jason fled the city in the company of the mage of the Black.

"More recently I dreamt of a city by a river, surrounded by a field of roses red as blood. Roses with sharp thorns like knives or spearpoints, thorns reaching out to choke that city and all within it.

"But in my dream, I saw the gates of the city burst open and a great black bull charged out into the field, trampling the roses wherever he trod. And after him came a serpent, a sea snake and that same lioness and the dappled unicorn that I saw in my earlier dream. They all charged out and they all trampled the roses, until a host of wolves came out of the north and swallowed every last flower that bloomed beyond the city walls. It was only a few days ago that word reached me of events in Corona: the rebel group calling itself the Crimson Rose laid siege to the provincial capital of Davidheyr, but found it defended by a small group of extraordinary individuals who rallied the people and defended the town until the Thirty Fifth Legion arrived to put the rebel forces to flight. Among those people was my father's natural son, Jason, and his mage bodyguard." She smiled. "I believe your brother was among them also."

"Michael?" Miranda asked. "How could you possibly know that?"

"Because amongst those poor children of the Empress now sheltering from the destruction of their homes were a hundred or so folk of the town of Lover's Rock, who told of how the gladiator Michael Sebastian Callistus Dolabella ban Ezekiel had escorted them along the road."

"But when I found him he was in Deucalia," Octavia said. She flushed a little and bowed her head. "I'm sorry, your highness."

"Quite all right, Filia, I believe you," Princess Romana said. "It can only be that he and his companions crossed in Deucalia for some purpose of which I am ignorant. Tell me, Filia Miranda, of all the creatures in my dream which would you say fit your brother best? The unicorn and the lioness are spoken for, so it will be either bull, serpent or sea snake."

"The black bull," Miranda said without hesitation. "The bull is the old symbol of Corona, if I remember right, and Michael does call himself the Last Firstborn of Old Corona. Neither snake nor sea snake fits him so well."

"I see," Romana murmured. "I...am very sorry to hear that, Filia."

"Why?" Miranda demanded. "What else do you know?"

"Two nights ago I had another dream," Romana said, sounding more reluctant this time. "The black bull, the same as before...dead, pierced through the heart."

Miranda's eyes widened. She felt as if, had she not already been sitting down, she might have fallen over. "No," she said. "No, it cannot be true."

"My dreams never lie, Filia," Romana said quietly.

"But they are just dreams," Miranda said fiercely. "They mean nothing, they portend nothing. I refuse to believe that my brother is dead just because you ate cheese before bedtime. You...I..." she climbed to her feet, blinking back the tears that threatened to spring from her eyes.
You damned fool. All that time spent watching you in the arena, rushing to your side, healing your wounds, and your going to go and get yourself killed far away where I can't reach you. You damned fool.