“Your imperial highness.” He bowed. “Forgive us, but we wanted answers. Our kingdoms have been destroyed, our rulers killed—the human boy tells us that Queen Trina is to blame, but many suspected Tejus…” He trailed off.
Ash disembarked from the horse and then turned to help me down.
“What kingdom are you from?” he asked the minister.
“Hadalix, your highness.”
Ash nodded.
“The human boy is right—but we face a greater danger than Queen Trina; the entity, an unknown threat to us all, rises, and we will not survive if we do not unite.”
Benedict sighed from behind me. “That’s what I said,” he muttered.
“Your highness, with all due respect,” the minister continued, “we have not managed to unify in the whole of Nevertide’s history—what makes you think we will be able to accomplish such a thing now?”
“He’s right!” piped up another sentry from the crowd. “There’s never been harmony between the kingdoms—and that’s been mostly the fault of the Hellswans!”
Ash raised his arms, signifying silence.
“Tejus is not to blame for any of this. Today we will forgive the rulers who came before us.” He glanced toward Tejus, who had come to stand at Hazel’s side. “Forgive them their mistakes, so that we can save Nevertide from the entity—so we can build ourselves a better future. One that isn’t shrouded in lies and deceit, divided by rulers and their subjects; one where each sentry can choose their future. It will come at a price, but it will be the price of freedom. I urge you to join me, to join us.”
“I will pay that price—I will fight for my freedom.” A voice, distinctly female, came from the back of the lawn. I couldn’t see who it belonged to, until the crowds parted and a familiar face appeared. It was Queen Memenion. She walked toward us, as radiantly beautiful as I remembered, flanked by her ministers, a soft smile on her face.
“Well said, Emperor Ashbik.” She bowed low as she reached the palace. “The kingdom of Memenion pledges our allegiance to you—as my husband would have wanted it, so it shall be.”
I glanced up at Ash. He swallowed, speechless, and then returned the bow.
“I see many of you are in need of medical assistance,” she commented, looking around the groups of sentries from Hellswan and then those from the other kingdoms. “If you agree, your imperial highness, I can take those who are critically sick or injured back to my palace—we haven’t incurred too much damage from the earthquake. Miraculously, we avoided the largest fissure through the earth — my home and our grounds still stand.”
“Thank you,” Ash replied, “that would be a great help, your highness.”
“Ruby.” Queen Memenion turned to me. “It’s a pleasure to see you again. I was very saddened to hear of Commander Varga.” She lowered her eyes, and a look of physical pain flashed across her expression.
“And I am sorry to hear about your husband,” I replied quietly. At this, the queen merely nodded, thanking me. I wondered why the news of Varga’s death seemed to cause her more pain than that of King Memenion. Was it because she knew of her son’s likely role in it? Or was it something more personal than that?
I wanted to ask Ash if he thought it was safe for the sentries to go to a palace where the queen’s son was a known member of the Acolytes, but I couldn’t ask with the queen present. She probably had no idea.
“I will take my leave, then. Please don’t hesitate to contact me should you require further assistance.”
“Your highness.” Ash stopped her before she turned to leave. “Queen Trina—”
“We are on our guard,” Queen Memenion replied before he said anything further. “I know what she is. Don’t concern yourself with that. We will be ready for her.”
I heaved a sigh of relief. If Queen Memenion knew about Queen Trina, then she would also know about the Acolytes—the sentries in her care would be protected. I realized we were putting a lot of faith in the woman being more like her husband than her son…but it was a leap of faith that we would have to take. We couldn’t look after everyone here; we just didn’t have the space or the facilities.
Slowly the crowd started to disperse. I even saw the Hellswan guards helping those who were less able to walk, and the ministers offering their assistance to others from different kingdoms. It looked like Ash’s plan was coming into effect already.
“I am so unbelievably impressed with you,” I muttered as we turned to walk indoors. “The stuff you said in that speech…you were born for this, Ash. You were born to lead people.”
“Thanks, Shortie.” He grinned, a more genuine smile this time. “I’m going to speak to the guards about leaving for Hellswan. I’ll come and find you when I’m finished?”
I nodded, remaining in the doorway.
It was only as I watched his retreating figure that I realized that perhaps I needed to start getting used to the idea that the dream Ash and I had once shared—about him coming back to Earth with me when the time came—was probably over. It hurt.
It hurt a lot.
“Ruby?” Hazel came to stand next to me, glancing first at me and then at Ash as he went off into one of the rooms, followed by an assortment of guards.
“Are you all right?”
“No,” I whispered, “I don’t think so.”
“It will work out. Somehow.”
She held my hand tightly, knowing, without me having to explain a thing.
Hazel
By the time the commotion had died down, it was too late to head out to the castle. We would be leaving first thing tomorrow morning, and until then we just had to wait. Ruby and I had tried to keep ourselves busy by making sure everyone got fed. For the first hour or so, I tried to keep Ruby occupied with inane prattle, but it was difficult…it wasn’t exactly a skill of mine, and too much had happened since we’d arrived in Nevertide to keep conversation light.
“I’m impressed with how the herbs are working,” Ruby commented as we sorted through more damp sheets. “How is it feeling? Have you been hungry?”
“No—it’s been amazing, actually. I didn’t expect it to work so well…I mean, my powers are next to useless, and I feel a bit like I’m floating around in a medicated bubble—but other than that, it’s great!”
Ruby laughed. “I don’t know how much I’d mind a medicated bubble about now.”
“It has its plus points,” I agreed.
“What about that water the Impartial Ministers were floating in?” Ruby commented. “Do you think it has healing properties…like keeping them alive for centuries or something?”
“I think so—I’ve never come across anything like that before.”
The conversation prompted me to revisit a thought I’d had when we were at the ridge, and I put the sheets down, reaching for the dagger that Tejus had given me. I kept it sheathed in a belt around my waist, and now I pulled it out, studying it, in particular the white stone on the ornate handle.
“Don’t you think this looks similar?” I asked, showing the dagger to Ruby.
She peered over at the dagger, her eyebrows rising. “The stone? I wouldn’t say similar,” she replied, taking the dagger to inspect it more closely, “I would say exactly the same. The white glow…”
I nodded as she handed it back to me. It looked just like the light that had come from the water the ministers had been submerged in.
“Impressive weapon.” Ruby smiled. “Did Tejus give you that?”
“Who else?” I grinned. “It’s his idea of a romantic gesture.”
“Figures.”
“I should probably mention this to him, he might know what it is,” I replied, realizing that I hadn’t seen so much as a glimpse of Tejus for a while.
“I’m almost finished here anyway. Go.” Ruby pushed me gently toward the door. I left, looking down from the mezzanine to see if Tejus was downstairs. I couldn’t see him, so I checked a couple of rooms on the floor I was on. Finding them empty, I rushed down to the gro
und floor.
“Have you seen Tejus?” I asked Benedict, when I peered around the door of the kitchen.
He and Julian turned to me from the table with blank looks.
“Not seen him,” Benedict replied. “He’s probably with Ash somewhere—I haven’t seen him either.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, slightly concerned that Julian’s head looked like it was coming up with a monster bruise. Poor kid. I left them to it, not wanting to fuss, and walked through to the front entrance.
“Have you seen Tejus?” I asked one of the guards.
“In the garden,” he replied. “He and the emperor have been out there for a while.”
I frowned. Why were they outside now? It was almost dusk…I stepped out onto the lawn, looking around for them. Not seeing anyone, I went around the back, coming to a halt when I saw a small group of guards, Tejus, Ash and the Impartial Ministers, hidden by a cluster of trees to the right of the palace.
Not wanting to disturb them, I crept closer, chastising myself for trying to eavesdrop again. Would I ever learn? It was a strange scene though, and the fact that they were doing it far away from the palace, at dusk, made me curious.
Ash and the Impartial Ministers were standing directly in front of Tejus, who was kneeling on the grass, his chest bare. I watched for a few moments, my mouth drying as I became transfixed by the beauty of his skin and physique, at once lit up and heavily shadowed by the dying sun. His profile was solemn, looking up at Ash and the ministers. He looked like a fallen angel, the light making his skin appear marble-white and his otherworldly beauty contrasting with his long jet-black hair and impregnable lines of his face.
One of the ministers recited something, his voice low and methodical. After a few moments, Ash leant down, holding his fist out. He held a sharpened rock, and I watched in astonishment as he began to carve something into Tejus’s left pectoral. Tejus inhaled ever so slightly. It must have stung, but his body remained completely still.
When Ash was finished, Tejus rose, bowing before Ash. Then the three guards who had been standing behind Tejus knelt down on their knees.
“We pledge our service to the commander of the six kingdoms,” they chanted. “His sword leads us, his command we follow in faith. We are the sons of Nevertide, sworn to protect our brethren, sworn to protect our land.”
The guards rose, and a silence fell upon them. Ash handed Tejus a sword with both hands, his head lowered in reverence.
Commander of the six kingdoms?
I realized that I had truly intruded on a private moment, something that I wasn’t meant to see, and wasn’t meant to know about until Tejus chose to tell me. As quietly as I could, I made my way back to the entrance of the palace. I would just have to stay silent on the matter until Tejus was ready to talk to me about it.
As soon as I entered the palace, I rushed back upstairs, finding an empty room and shutting the door behind me. I needed a moment to myself. I leaned against its wood, my heart thumping in my chest, my legs feeling like jelly, as if they were going to give way at any moment. I couldn’t get out of my mind the image of Tejus’s face, serene and solemn, as he surrendered himself to Ash. It reminded me of the night that I’d overheard him telling the council that he was resigning as king. I felt the same overwhelming rush as I had that night, love and admiration feeling like it was going to burst out of my body. He was a soldier—a protector, a leader, capable of making the decisions that the rest of us couldn’t, the choices that none of us wanted to—and I loved him for it.
Tejus
My shirt stuck to the blood that trickled down from the carving on my chest; it stung lightly, a reminder of what I had promised to Nevertide, and to Ash. Walking ahead of the group that had been present at the small, makeshift ceremony—all the more meaningful to me without the pomp and extravagance of my coronation—I reflected on the task that lay ahead. It wasn’t a position I took lightly. I felt honored and humbled that I had been chosen to unite the guards of the six kingdoms. How that would actually be achieved, I had no idea; the guards, like the populations of the kingdoms, were scattered—some would be residing with Queen Memenion, but not all. Another problematic aspect was the fact that this position had only just been created; the commanders of the kingdoms had never before had someone appointed over them. Telling them would require diplomacy. A skill I had never grasped.
“Tejus, wait a moment,” Ash called out, hastening to catch up with me as I headed in the direction of the summer palace. I came to a halt, noticing that Ash had left the Impartial Ministers and the guards back by the trees in order to join me.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I want to talk to you about Queen Trina,” he replied, continuing to walk and indicating that I should do the same.
“Go on.”
“Before he died, King Memenion told me he was worried that you wouldn’t be able to kill the queen, if given the chance…that because of your history, you might…hesitate.”
It was dark, but I knew that color would be rising in the emperor’s cheeks. He was clearly uncomfortable bringing the subject up, but that didn’t make me feel any better—the insult was severe.
“That is absolute nonsense,” I hissed back at him. “I’ve sworn to end that woman’s life, and I shall do so—happily.”
I could barely contain my fury. How dare he question me? More insultingly, mere seconds after he had sworn me in to command his armies, to protect the sentries of Nevertide.
“Ash, have you ever killed another?” I asked, when he fell silent.
He hesitated for a moment.
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Are you thinking about my father?” I asked him wryly.
Ash came to an abrupt halt – staring up at me, his eyes wild. As much as I was enjoying his discomfort, I decided to let him out of his misery.
“I know you poisoned the soup, but I also know that it wouldn’t have been enough to kill my father – someone finished off what you started.”
Ash looked down at the floor, and I could see a violent blush appearing at the back of his neck.
“My deepest apologies, Tejus. It was only to distract everyone while I retrieved Ruby and the others…” He trailed off.
“I know. No apologies necessary – he had it coming I suppose.”
We walked on in silence for a while, until Ash cleared his throat.
“Do you know who it was that actually killed him?” he asked quietly.
I didn’t have any firm evidence, but there were obvious candidates – more than a few, but I had only one true suspect.
“My first guess is Queen Trina.”
Ash nodded, “makes sense – she wouldn’t have wanted him to return the stone after the trials. Did she admit it, when you questioned her?”
“I didn’t even ask.” It hadn’t actually occurred to me to do so — there were so many other pressing matters at hand, and I wasn’t sure whether or not I even cared if she had killed my father. Her crimes were extensive — I didn’t need any further reasons to end her existence.
“So your answer is no,” I stated, returning to our original conversation. “If you haven’t ever killed anyone, then you have no idea what you’re talking about. It is never easy—no matter if it’s a stranger or someone you know. But you do it because it needs to be done, because taking that one life might prevent a handful of others from meeting their maker. I will not hesitate, and I will not fail.”
“I’m sorry I doubted you,” he mumbled. “I should have known better.”
“It’s fine,” I replied curtly, dismissing him.
“I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
He left, heading through the entrance doors to the palace. I decided to wait a while to calm down before I went in search of Hazel. I walked further along the moonlit lawn, avoiding bumping into the Impartial Ministers and guards as they retired for the night. My fury hadn’t dissipated at his apology, and a part of me wondered if it was so offensive because it
was true.
The truth was, I had shown Queen Trina leniency that I wouldn’t show another. Had it been anyone else who had attempted to kidnap Hazel, they wouldn’t have gotten away with it. Was it because I couldn’t bear to end the life of someone I had known so intimately? Or was it because she was more valuable alive, for the moment? I hoped that it was the latter, but I could no longer be sure. Damn Ash for making me question myself. Before our conversation, I had never once doubted my ability to kill her, and now I feared that the doubt itself would be what made me falter when the time came.
“You’re back.” Hazel smiled at me, color staining the tops of her cheekbones. Ah. I suspected she’d seen the ceremony—I’d thought I’d felt her presence, but I’d assumed it was because I was still in close proximity to the palace.
“I am.” I smirked. “What have you been doing?”
The blush intensified. “Nothing much…helping Ruby with the rooms and…stuff.”
I nodded, waiting for her to come clean.
“Did you do much?” she asked brightly.
“No. Not much.”
Her face fell, and she pushed a falling strand of her hair behind her ear. “Oh, okay.”
Before I lost the last vestiges of my self-control and wrapped her up in my arms, I decided to let her out of her misery.
“So, you saw the ceremony, then?” I asked dryly.
“It was an accident!” she protested. “I was looking for you in the garden, and then I saw…”
“It doesn’t matter. I was on my way to tell you anyway.” I pulled her toward me, making sure she knew I didn’t mean any of it seriously—I had decided to stop keeping secrets from Hazel after the harm my silence had done in causing her transformation. Her fingers tentatively snaked up to my left pectoral, finding the warm damp of the wound beneath my shirt.
“Does it hurt?”
“Not badly.”
“What is it?” she asked, trying to pry open my shirt as her curiosity was piqued. I unbuttoned the collar, exposing the mark so she could see. It was difficult to make out the symbol—it was smudged with drying blood, but it was three short lines, crossed with another three lines the same length, representing the six kingdoms, and then a circle around the cross to represent their unity.