Closing her eyes, Iszalie suddenly felt unnerved. Tentatively opening her eyes, she froze. Before her, stood a figure shrouded in a black cloak.
‘The time has come child, do not fear, the time has come.’
Iszalie blinked and the figure was gone. She rubbed her eyes. Had she seen him? She shifted uncomfortably, and looked around the large chamber once more. She shakily stood, and wrapped her arms around her, she could hear her heart thumping in her ears.
The time has come child. ‘What time?’ Iszalie asked out loud, her voice catching. Who was that man? Those eyes! He seemed so familiar. A shiver ran through her as she recalled the initiation she completed on her thirteenth birthday. She remembered the man with the piercing blue eyes that comforted her, and tenderly applied lotion to the whip marks across her back.
The initiation was a rite of passage for the women in Iszalie’s family. It was a secret ceremony where the next generation were prepared to become the protector and destroyer of an ancient power. It was a promise made between her Elders and the Order Lords, one she knew could not be broken. Was that the time the man in black meant?
Iszalie jumped when two servers entered and promptly cleaned up the remnants of her brothers’ illness. She watched as the older of the two splashed the soiled water on her front, and waited impatiently until they left.
She needed to release.
Looking around to ensure the room was empty; Iszalie lifted her hand, and stretched open her fingers - two wooden chairs set in a far corner suddenly evaporated, leaving only a pile of dust. She whispered, ‘the time has come.’
Before she could try again the doors to the chamber opened, and sent an echo through the chamber. Iszalie turned and watched her border scouts approach; recognisable by the markings on their faces. They were out of breath and covered in sweat. The head scout stepped forward and bowed.
‘Speak’ Iszalie said.
‘Majesty, we bring news.’ Iszalie looked the head scout up and down, he was typically Aelian – broad shouldered, olive skinned and with dark hair that was braided and wrapped in a bun – a custom she had not seen for a long time, but it had been many years since she had ventured beyond the city. There was never a need for her to leave the palace or the city for that matter; her brother Daon dealt with everything beyond the great wall.
Iszalie motioned for the three to stand and they promptly fell into a soldier’s stance. She turned to the head scout. Beads of sweat began dripping down his face, and his voice caught in his throat as he attempted to speak,
'We have had reports that the temples and homelands of Luia have been destroyed Majesty.'
'By whom?’ Iszalie asked softly.
'It is believed by the Order Lords, Majesty,' Iszalie felt her breath catch. Luia attacked, and the man in black appearing to her – this was not a coincidence. Iszalie’s forehead creased as she tried to process the news. Why would the Order Lords attack Luia? It was a land that studied the laws of fire, and followed strict doctrines and rules that Iszalie thought to be old and boorish. It was a small insignificant land that posed no threat to anyone.
'Anything else?'
The head scout took a drawn breath and looked up, 'There are emissaries from Luia at one of the distant outposts.'
'What do they want?'
‘They… wish passage through our border with possible asylum, Majesty. They believe the Order Lords will make another attack, and their army is depleted.’
This decision to allow the people of Luia within her borders would surely bring trouble, not to mention break the ancient law. The scout moved forward and dropped to his knees, holding a rolled parchment which Iszalie snatched from his hand. The Sister of the Flame seal.
Iszalie’s frustration was obvious as she stormed across the chamber toward the window. Her tight grip on the parchment made her knuckles turn white. She opened the parchment and read its contents, then angrily ripped it in two.
‘Tell the emissary their request is granted, but I want to see their leaders immediately upon arrival. But the rest are to go no further than the wall, do you understand?’ The scouts bowed and turned to leave.
‘You there. You stay.’ The man at the rear bowed again as his companions exited the room. ‘Do you enjoy hunting?’
The man looked up towards his Queen, his eyes filled with fear and confusion, ‘Majesty?’