Stars' Light, page 6
“That is enough, brother,” Tamara whispered in his ear, motioning to Duke Tatara, who was trying in vain to get everyone up from the table and off to the study, to conclude the evening with desert and the ceremonial re-signing of the treaty.
Aleksander nodded and smiled warmly at the Duke, even though his expression was devoid of any real warmth, and his eyes betrayed the truth about his emotional state. He moved quickly to the large open door into the hallway, awaiting his host. His eyes never left Jorian, who was at this moment handing his sword to the young girl — the one with the tits.
What was her name again? Oh, yes, Sarannya. He would remember the name. It would not be long, and she would be at court.
“Would you like to hold it? Your family used to have warriors that carried Rimerian Blades. But you must already know this, having studied the older history.”
Sarannya was enchanted with the blade and heard nothing of what Bral had just said. It was shorter than a traditional long sword. It had the same curve, and as her brother had told her earlier, it was curved from the tip of the handle to the point of the blade. The handle was wrapped in silk, but not just any silk. It was royal silk from the Imperial Palace of Nipara. The best silk in the empire. Very rare and almost impossible to get. Only the best swords used this silk for their handles.
The sheath was made from a dense material and was heavier than she thought it would be. Nine decorative metal bands were wrapped around it. They depicted dragons and tigers. She frowned, noting that there were five dragon and four tiger bands. She placed her hand on the handle and looked to Lord Bral with a raise of her eyebrows.
Jorian smiled at her and nodded his consent. He was waiting to see how Shadow would react to her. There was no fear that the blade would harm her, because he had given it freely.
Sarannya lost sight of everything once she broke the seal and began to draw the sword. The blade looked like liquid metal and shone with a brilliance that was blinding. The crystals in the room dimmed, casting everything in swathes of darkness, except for the bright light of the sword in her hand. She sucked in air as silver runes came to life along the blade, and she could read them. “I come from shadow and bring light. Only those who hold darkness in their hearts cannot see me. I am the balance.”
Sarannya exhaled, and the crystals resumed their normal brightness. The runes were gone, and people were moving past her as if no time had passed and nothing had happened. Lord Bral was watching her with the same pensive look that he had when she first saw him.
“You should sheath it. It is rude to draw the entire blade from the sheath when it is not yours.” He waited for her to sheath the sword. He knew what had happened to her, and he sighed to himself. Why, Father? Why would you do this to me after this long? Why are you forcing me into this?
Sarannya sheathed the weapon and reluctantly handed it over. This sword felt alive and wanted to move, in contrast to her brother’s sword, which had felt dead and heavy in comparison. Sadness filled her as she let go of the blade. Everything around her seemed dimmer and less colorful. The world was not as bright as it had been for that single moment.
“Thank you, Lord Bral. That was an experience that I will never forget.” She was humbled and grateful that he had allowed this. “I will never be able to repay you.” She looked away, and as covertly as she could, she wiped away a tear that had formed.
Jorian paused, knowing exactly how she felt, holding Shadow at his side. “The pleasure was all mine, Lady Tatara. I am pleased that I was able to give you this gift on your presentation day. But we should go. The others will be waiting on us.” He gestured to the hall, where her brother was waiting, but trying not to be intrusive.
Sarannya noticed the room was now empty and everyone had filed out and was heading towards her father’s study. “Of course. We would not want that, now, would we?” she muttered the last part under her breath.
Jorian chuckled to himself, following her out into the hallway, where brother and sister shared a look. They quickly caught up with the others and entered Duke Tatara’s study.
CHAPTER SIX
Aleksander followed Lady Tatara through the ornate hallway. He was thinking of the Imperial Palace. It seemed devoid of life, cold and sterile in comparison. The carpets here were soft, and the artwork was of their family, not of battles and trophies won from other nations. Nothing here spoke of victory or wealth at another’s expense. Everything spoke of history, family, and tradition. It touched him, and brought him to think about his own family as he had not in a long time.
Entering the study, Aleksander noticed the study was furnished in all natural wood that had never been stained or varnished. The room had a glow about it, and the light wood panels absorbed any harsh qualities from the light, softening it. There was a stillness here and a peace. He forgot the jealousy he harbored for his brother, the sadness of his wife passing, and the distance that was between him and his children. He sat in the same chair that he had sat in the last time the treaty had been re-signed. He had two treaties in his pocket. One was the regular treaty; the other was a treaty that would start a war, and give the fiefdom to the Imperial Family — something he knew his brother did not want.
Tamara sat offset from him. They were next to each other, but she positioned herself to the right of her brother and slightly behind him. There was a medium wooden table with a very old fountain pen and a bottle of ink. Next to the table was a small tray with Litaer, cigars, and a small piece of cake for each of them. She smiled. Litaer was extremely difficult to get and very expensive. It came from the northern provinces, and was a special liquor that enhanced the flavor and smoothness of cigars. Her legs were crossed at the ankles and her hands were placed properly in her lap.
Duke Colin came into the room last, not wanting to wait for Lord Bral or his youngest daughter. He looked back once and frowned just before sitting down.
“Shall we get to business?” Colin reached forward and took the fountain pen from its display stand. He filled it with ink and looked at Aleksander expectantly.
Aleksander looked around the room, noting the fine furnishings, the old books, an empty sword stand, and everyone who was waiting patiently for him to unveil the treaty. Reaching into his pocket, he put his hand upon the scroll case that held the altered treaty, and stopped as Lord Bral and Sarannya entered into the room. Was it possible that Lord Bral was the immortal warrior of legend? Could he actually be the original Tal, who came through the veil with Azarai and helped the Creator fight against the Darkness that had opposed Him in the creation of the universe?
Aleksander could see the pensive look upon Lord Bral’s face as he was watching Sarannya enter and take her seat with her family; a focus that told him the General was clearly studying her, looking through her. He also noticed that Sarannya was elated. She was walking on air, and there was a slight glow to her eyes that appeared to illuminate them, but he could not tell if that was the light in the room, or if they were really glowing. A weird tremor went through his body, and he glanced back towards the General to see him staring back at him with that same pensive look; the look that penetrated and laid bare all your secrets.
Jorian was studying Aleksander with his hand inside his jacket. There was something off. Something was about to happen, and it was not going to be good for his family. He was getting that feeling; the feeling that he got right before things were going change. Without using too much of the Essences, he opened himself to the Essence of Spirit, the Essence that helped one to see another’s spirit.
Jorian frowned. Much as he expected, he saw a selfish, insecure man, who was trying to be everything that he was not. There was a feeling of danger and darkness that entered the room. Jorian was about to intervene when Aleksander’s hand shifted. His own drifted down towards the handle of Shadow. It was a small thing, going completely unnoticed, or almost.
Analia sensed it right as she saw her husband’s slight shift in posture that normally meant violence was coming. There was an oppressive dark moment, and then it passed. Jorian walked past her without a glance and smiled at Colin and Aleksander.
Jorian kept his hands close to his weapon with a casual grace that only the best warriors would know as dangerous. What he felt as danger, passed the moment Aleksander pulled the treaty from his pocket, laying it on the table.
“I apologize for holding up the signing,” Jorian spoke casually, hiding his true intentions behind his friendly smile and tone. He sat next to Analia and Lillia, not far from the signing table.
Aleksander unrolled the treaty and turned it around for Duke Colin to see. He nodded, removing his hands from it and placing them in his lap. A tension that he had been holding for years leaked out and his whole body relaxed. A peace settled upon him; a peace that he had not experienced in a long time. Things could change; he could make his own decisions free of what he thought he had to do, versus what he knew he should do. He looked over to Jorian and saw a genuine smile there, and he nodded back.
Duke Colin quickly read through the Articles of Declaration that were one hundred and one generations of Tatara old. Everything was in order. He passed it to his wife, who also read through the Articles of Declaration and nodded back, handing the treaty back.
Duke Colin put his signature down and turned the treaty around, holding his fountain pen out for Aleksander to take. “Your son and mine should meet. It will be to them to negotiate this in the future.”
Aleksander took the pen and signed the treaty. “I think that is a great idea. You can stay with us when you bring young Sarannya to court in the Spring. That would be a perfect time for them to meet. We can instruct them on the finer points of the treaty, and the relationship that they must continue.” He laid the pen down and leaned back in his chair. It was done, but now he had other concerns. The Shadow Imperium would be coming after him; they would come after his family.
Lillia moved forward from her seat and took the treaty, rolling it up and placing it in a box that was on her husband’s desk. She then took the cigar punch and punched both cigars, handing one to her husband and the other to Prince Mirogen. Once the cigars were lit, general conversation popped up around the room and everyone relaxed.
Soon cigar smoke was wafting through the air, cake was being eaten, and Litaer was being drank. It was a pleasant evening that Aleksander would not soon forget. It was the evening that he decided to no longer serve the Shadow Imperium. If this really was the Immortal Warrior’s home, there was no way they were going to find the Forges, and even if they did, they would not be able to destroy them. This was a suicide mission. Hell, probably half or more of the Imperial forces would refuse to fight against the General. There would be a revolution. He paused on that thought. Could they really want to topple the throne? Even though he had always been jealous of him, the Emperor was still his brother.
Sarannya smoked for the first time. The cigar smoke was thick, and the Litaer was good. It was very good; she giggled to herself. She leaned over to her brother.
“There is this buzzing in my head. Is this normal?”
Bran laughed, announcing this to the room. “Yes, little sister, it is.” He lightly punched her shoulder.
Lillia removed Sarannya’s glass of Litaer from her hand and replaced it with a glass of water. “No more alcohol for you. Only water.” She shook her head.
Sarannya put what was left of her cigar out. The water was good as she sipped it.
“So…what was it like, holding a War Blade?” Kristina leaned forward, from where she was sitting in an arm chair across from her. She was excited enough to hear about the War Blade that she was not focused on her discomfort for the festive environment.
“Yes, you are the first one to hold a War Blade in generations of our family,” Nivae commented. She was enjoying herself. It had been a long time coming that all of them could be together in the study. And now, her sister had been the first in two thousand years of the family to hold a Rimerian blade.
Bran was silent, but was waiting on the edge of his seat. He noticed that even Dusan was listening, although, he was trying not to look like he was listening.
Sarannya was a little nervous, but the alcohol overrode her inhibitions. “It was amazing. There was so much light and color. It was like the whole world was brighter and more vibrant. There was this weird vibration that went through me.” She was becoming more animated and emphatic about her experience, and she was about to talk about the runes she read when she felt trepidation about speaking about it, so she left that part out. “The whole room went away. There was just light and vibrant color. I could sense and feel everything around me. It was like being connected to everything at the same time. It was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced.” The room had grown quiet, and she blushed at being the center of attention.
She glanced over at Lord Bral and Lady Alena; Alena had a slight smile to her and there was a knowing glint in her eye. Lord Bral was looking pensive and serious again. He was leaning forward with his hands steepled in front of his face, not really looking at her. An expression of profound sadness creased his face, but disappeared when he met her eyes. Sarannya could see the smile on his face, but knew that it was only a mask, hiding his real feelings. As soon as she recognized this, the feeling was gone, and Lord Bral was joking with her father about swords, boys, and girls. There was much laughter, and her mother chastised him for being crass in front of ladies.
It was a night that would stay with her for the rest of her life.
Jorian and Analia rode in silence for about half the distance back to their home. It was near the orchard where the tombs were when Analia finally spoke.
“Did you see what you wanted?” She did not even look at him, but kept facing forward on her horse.
Jorian took in a deep breath.
“You gave her the test, and I know that she passed.” Analia stated, turning towards him as they passed out of the orchard.
Jorian knew that she had waited until now to ask him, being near the tombs and where Zorian was crafting the blades. His wife never did or said anything that was not calculated and almost always done at the right moment. He knew that if he trained Sarannya, her life would effectively be over. If he gave her a choice, she would choose the sword. He recognized the look in her eyes when she had held Shadow. She was born to hold one, but in this era, women were not allowed. It would be like when the Mirogen had erased Zorian’s history, but it would be done while Sarannya was still here, still trying to show them a means to overcome the limitations they kept placing on themselves. They would wear her down the way he was worn down, and that, he did not want for her. He did not want that for anyone.
“You and I both know what will happen to her if I train her. Better that Kiril is trained and takes his blade. He can lead the next generation. The empire will accept him and his changes more readily.” Jorian finally said, his tone a bit more gruff than he had intended it to be.
“So, you agree with the Empire you despise, and feel that only men should be trained. By doing what they would do, you are helping them erase what is left of her in your own heart. Sarannya is Zorian’s legacy!” Analia was angry. Her voice did not hide the fact, nor did her upright posture. She spurred Atlas past her husband and Titan. She was tired of this attitude that had crept into her husband over the last few centuries. He whined and bitched about not having the right students, but when he got them, he was afraid to train them. It took a year for him to decide to train Kiril. She knew this was a part of Jorian’s struggle, so he could do what he was made to do after all of this was over. It still made her angry.
Jorian watched her go as if he been hit in the head, and was dazed. She was right. By not training Sarannya and what he had said about Kiril, he was furthering the goals of an empire that he despised.
“Damn!” He took in a deep breath to gain some sense of control over his emotions. He was warring with himself and making decisions and judgements that were better left to life.
Getting to the stables, he found that Atlas was tied up, but not put away. He smiled and laughed. He put both horses in their stalls, removing their saddles and rubbing them down. It did not take a lot of time, but it still took longer than it would have before he was able to enter the house. His clothes were a bit dusty from working in the stable, but the time spent doing menial tasks had helped to calm him, and helped him to gain some control of his thoughts and worries.
Walking up the stairs to his bedroom, he was thinking back to all those he had trained and everything he had built. He knew that he needed to set that all aside. He was not living in those eras anymore. He entered the bedroom and went to the walk-through closet to change into his night clothes. Analia was already in bed with her back to him. She did not say anything to him, nor did he say anything to her. When he laid down and pulled the covers over, she turned to face him.
“You are right about everything,” he said. “I will train her, but you know that my feelings are not going to change that fast. This will take some time for me.” He took hold of her hand and kissed it.
“I know. That is why I’m here. You can always lean on me. Add my strength to yours, and I know that you remember when we work together, we are invincible. Sarannya needs you; the world needs you with the sky going dark. You need to leave a strong foundation for the humans to be able to continue on their own after this Darkening, and I know that you are the only one who can do this.” She rested her forehead against his.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“I know.” She smiled coyly.
“What were you thinking?” Tamara asked, looking up from the treaty to her brother, who sat next to her with his head in his hands. She was in shock and angry that her brother would have even thought to do this. This would have brought the throne to war against some of their strongest supporters.
