***
Sleep came fitfully over the next couple of nights, both for me, and I suspect, the men on the surrounding hills. Only Iderra, who shared my tent, seemed to have no trouble sleeping. Days were spent preparing our defenses, building walls out of trees and rocks, so we would have protection from the Army of Dunre's archers. On the morning of the third day, the Army of Dunre arrived.
Like us, they were on the southern side of the Istansada River, where the valley was wider. You had a good mile of relatively flat land facing the Porch Hills, providing enough room for an army to spread out. And spread out they did, clad in their purple, black, and silver uniforms, until they stretched from the river's southern bank to the hills a good mile south of the river.
A rider carrying a white flag rode ahead of the Army of Dunre. Two men rode with him. They stopped about halfway between their army and ours.
"Looks like they want to talk," Iderra said.
I sat on my white horse, Biscuit. To my right, Iderra sat on her horse, the crown of the heir upon her head. A mounted Patera sat next to her. Vomeir and Bokham sat on my left. Patera's twelve men and twelve of Bokham's men sat on horses directly behind us. Sardis, Botek, Miletus, and Derbe were further down the hill, commanding our troops.
"Do you want one of us to ride down and meet them?" Vomeir asked. "Find out what they want?"
"I can talk to them without anyone riding down there," I said. "Besides, I know what they want."
"Our deaths?" Bokham said.
"My death," I said.
I closed my eyes and pictured myself dressed in black leather breeches, polished black riding boots, a red silk shirt that laced down the front, and a black wool cloak that framed my body. Queen Catlett's seven pointed crown rested on my head. My black hair was tied in a ponytail. And of course, my cutlass was strapped around my waist. I pictured myself sitting on my white horse with his red and gold saddle. Two quivers of arrows were attached to my saddle, but I carried no bow or crossbow. I didn't need one.
A second later, my point of view shifted, from where I was, to where my image was, which was right in front of me. I pictured the image of Biscuit and myself walking down the hill, moving toward the three men that wanted to talk.
As my image neared the three men, I recognized two of them. The men on each side of the soldier holding the white flag were the two generals that I had seen conferring with Max and my father. I wasn't surprised that Max and my father weren't with them. They would be tucked safely in the back, behind their best troops, as far away from danger as they could get.
"What do you want?" I said, stopping my image a safe distance from them. Because I had let my image walk down the hill, instead of just appearing in front of them, they wouldn't be able to tell if it was the real me or just an image.
"You are hereby ordered to surrender yourself, your lands, and holdings, to Maximillian Bedard, the soul and rightful king of all lands this side of the Great Desert," the soldier holding the white flag declared. "Failure to do so will result in the immediate destruction of yourself and your army."
"Why would I surrender my lands to a puppet?" I tried to add as disdainful a sneer to my voice as I could.
"You're out numbered two to one," the first general said. "You can't win."
"If you surrender now, the lives of your men will be spared," the second general said. "And your execution will be as quick as possible."
"If you refuse to surrender, their blood will be on your hands," the first general said. "And your death with be slow and painful."
"I have a counter offer," I said. "You turn Max and my father over to me and I will allow you and your army to return to Dunre. If you refuse this offer, then the two of you will be the first to die in this battle. Along with your king."
I pointed at the two generals, so there would be no doubt as to who I was referring to. Needless to say, they both laughed at my threat.
"I guess we'll do this the hard way," the first general said.
He turned his horse around and headed back toward his troops. The other general and the soldier with the white flag followed suit. I let my image fade away, but maintained a presence behind them, following them to where Max and my father sat on their horses at the rear of their army. Once I knew where Max and the generals were, I opened my eyes.
I was back on the hill, sitting on Biscuit. I drew four arrows out of one of the quivers attached to my saddle and tossed them into the air. Then I used my power to move small objects to send the four arrows flying down the hill.
The arrows took off, gaining speed as they moved. I closed my eyes and followed the arrows, pushing them so they moved faster and faster, keeping them close together, so they looked like a single arrow. I pushed them over the heads of my army. I pushed them across the brown plain that separated our two armies. I pushed them over the heads of the Army of Dunre.
As the four arrows neared their targets, I separated them. I sent one toward the first general, one toward the second general, the third toward Maximillian Bedard, and the fourth toward my father.
Being a seer, my father saw the four arrows speeding toward them. I suspect he had a vision of one of the arrows striking him in the heart. Which was why he spun his black stallion around and retreated at a full gallop.
Max and his generals didn't know what my father was doing, let alone why he was running. They barely had time to turn in the saddle and watch my father ride away before the arrows hit them. A single arrow struck each of the three men in the chest, penetrating their breastplates and lodging themselves deep within each man's heart.
The three men gasped in surprise then collapsed face first onto the necks of their horses, before falling sideways off their horses and onto the ground. Dead, dead, and dead.
With that accomplished, I changed my focus to my father, picturing him in my mind. A second later, I saw him, still retreating, his black hair and black clothes flying in the wind.
I let the arrow fall to the ground because it had done its job. He had been so concerned about the vision of the arrow striking him in the chest, that he hadn't bothered to warn Max and his generals that there were arrows headed for them. Besides, I had little doubt that something as simple as an arrow wouldn't kill my father.
I pictured a transparent image of myself floating in front of him. When that image appeared, I said, "Where will you run to father? The Finger States are mine, Landish is mine, and now Dunre is mine. It's time to stop running. It's time to remember that you're still the King of Sorea. It's time to don your crown and become a king one last time."
My father pulled back on the reins of his horse, drawing it to a stop. He looked at my image, floating in front of him, and sighed. "I knew this was how it would end when I learned that Queen Catlett wanted to bring an Adan princess to this part of the world. That was why I tried to kill her, and then you."
With that said, he dismounted, opened one of his saddlebags, and pulled out something wrapped in black velvet. He unwrapped the velvet, revealing a crown, a golden headband with a series of interconnected half circles rising above the headband. Circling around the middle of the headband were fifteen jewels, each a different color.
My father studied the crown for a second, then with shaking hands, tried to place it on his head. When he couldn't do it, he looked at my image. "I need your help, daughter."
I knew what he wanted me to do, so I imagined holding the crown in my hands and placing it on his head. A second later, I felt the crown in my hands. A second after that, I saw the hands of my ghost image take the crown and move it toward my father's head.
"This crown will soon become yours, daughter. Don't let power corrupt you the way it did me. And never make a deal with the Prince of the Air, for he will betray you in the end." My father smiled. "But then why would you lust for more power. When the sun sets on this day, you will rule a fair portion of the world."
The crown settled on his head.
I don't know what he saw or fe
lt, I only know that his hair turned white and his face grew wrinkled and weathered, as if his unnaturally long life had finally caught up with him. The next thing I knew, he collapsed onto the ground. Whether he died from overwhelming sorrow, or from old age, or a combination of the two, I cannot say. I only know the Crown of Sorrows, and the curse that it carried, had done its job.
I opened my eyes to find myself sitting on Biscuit, with Iderra still alongside of me. "It's over."
"What's over?" Patera said.
"The war is over."
"It hasn't even started," Vomeir said.
"Bedard is dead, as are his two generals. My father is also dead."
Nobody asked me how they died. They all saw me toss the arrows into the air. Saw them fly off toward the Army of Dunre.
"What's next?" Bokham asked.
"I have a pair of crowns to claim."
"Do you think that's wise?" Vomeir said. "Riding into the heart of the Army of Dunre. An army that's been ordered to kill you."
"The men that gave that order are dead."
I started down the hill. When Vomeir, Patera, Bokham, and their men started to come with me, I held up my hand, stopping them. "I have to do this alone."
"We took an oath to defend you," Patera said.
"You can't protect me against an entire army. Plus, your presence may anger them. I'll do this alone."
Bokham pulled his horse alongside of mine and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"The people of Dunre used to worship the One God. Before my father and Bedard forced them to worship the Prince of the Air. They know about the prophecies concerning Destiny's Queen. I don't believe they will try to kill someone that might be Destiny's Queen."
I rode alone, toward the bottom of the hill. I rode past our embedded troops. I rode across the brown plain that separated our two armies. I rode into the heart of the Army of Dunre.
They parted to let me pass. Perhaps because they knew their king was dead. Perhaps because they believed me to be Destiny's Queen.
Eventually, I reached the bodies of Maximillian Bedard and his two generals. The soldiers had taken their horses away and laid the three men on their backs, with the two generals flanking Max. Their weapons were at their sides. The arrows that killed them were still in their chests.
The Army of Dunre gathered around me, waiting to see what I would do. What I did was picture the Queen of Vassa's crown floating off my head and into my lap. Once the crown was in my lap, I pictured the King of Dunre's crown on my head. A second later, it floated off Max's head, through the air, and onto my head. As far as the men surrounding me knew, the One God himself had transferred the crown from Max's head to mine.
I admit that it was a bit showy, but when you're surrounded by three thousand men that came to kill you, it pays to be a bit showy. Mother always said that a queen is judged by what she says and does, not by how she feels. To say that I was a bit nervous, sitting on my horse, surrounded by the Army of Dunre, would be an understatement. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it would burst out of my chest.
"My father's body lies on the ground a half mile east of here," I said to the nearest mounted soldier. "The Crown of Sorrows lies upon his head. Bring it to me."
The man bowed and rode off at a full gallop. Once he had gone, I turned to the soldiers surrounding me. "I need to speak to your ranking officer."
"We have no ranking officer," one man said, steering his horse in front of mine. "Our army is divided into two divisions of fifteen hundred men each, with each division headed by a general. But both generals are . . . ." His voice trailed off as he looked at the two dead generals.
"Who reported to the generals?"
"That would be the brigade commanders. Each division is divided into ten brigades with each brigade headed by a commander. I am Tatis, Commander of the Fifth Brigade, First Division."
Lying beside the dead general closest to Tatis was a silver helmet with a plumage of purple feathers. I used my power to move the helmet off the ground and into the hands of Commander Tatis.
"You were, Commander Tatis, you are now General Tatis, Commander of the Army of Dunre. You will appoint two new division commanders, who will report to you. You will report to me."
Tatis studied the helmet for a second, then donned it and bowed his head. "What is your command?"
"Take your men home, General. The One God has granted the prayers of their loved ones. He has removed those that worshiped the Prince of the Air from power. When you get home, tell those that are in charge of the palace to prepare for their queen's arrival."
I waited until the soldier returned with my father's crown. I dropped it in my saddle bags then turned Biscuit around and headed back toward my army. This time the Army of Dunre didn't just watch me pass. With the Crown of Dunre upon my head, three thousand soldiers dropped to one knee, acknowledging their new queen.
When I was safely beyond the reach of their arrows, I breathed a sigh of relief. Somehow, I managed to pull it off. Somehow, I managed to bring peace to this side of the desert with a minimum of bloodshed. Even so, it was hard for me to get excited. Not when I knew that Bedonna was on the other side of the desert, preparing for a war that would make the one we just averted look like child's play.