The Blind King (17 page)

D
uke Arden could
barely contain the amusement in his voice as he announced the arrival of King
Tyrol. “Your Majesty, King Tyrol has come to meet with you.”

Still being half-dragged
by the dwarves, Tyrol entered the throne room. A look of disgust graced his visage
as the dwarves released their grip. Straightening the front of his tunic, he
stuck out his chest and lifted his head high.

“It is customary to
bow before a king,” Arden stated proudly.

Tyrol refused,
maintaining his defiant stance. Glancing at each other, the dwarves grabbed
hold of him once more, forcing him to his knees. With a nod from Arden, they
backed away, allowing Tyrol to his feet once more.

“Welcome, King
Tyrol,” Efren said, sitting upon his throne. “Your arrival has come at a great
price.”

Tyrol said nothing.
Though he had many words to say, none of them would help his situation. This
meeting was a formality that would be over quickly. Once he was back in
Na’zora, he could forget any promise he made here. His historians would write
what he commanded, and it would not include the demands of a blind man
pretending to be a king.

“Your surrender brings an end to this war,” Efren
stated. “I look forward to a future of peace.”

“I would expect better treatment, but these
friends of yours from the mountains have no respect for kings.” Tyrol’s voice
was full of contempt. If he had any idea Ra’jhou had such an ally, he never would
have attempted the siege. The fire weapons wielded by the dwarves were more
powerful than any magefire. Given a chance to prepare, Tyrol felt certain he
would have found a way to combat them.

“These friends of mine would respect you more had
you earned it,” Efren replied. “Your friends upon the sea, on the other hand,
found you quite worthy of respect. It took much effort to convince them
otherwise.”

“It was you who convinced the Enlightened Elves to
withdraw their aid,” Tyrol said, realizing what had happened.

Master Uhnar had provided Efren with the names of
several members of the Grand Council on the Sunswept Isles. Efren had written each
of them numerous times until he finally convinced them to withdraw. The money
paid them by King Tyrol was a vast sum, but it could not compare with dwarf-crafted
silver, which Efren promised in hopes that he would eventually win dwarven support.
The offer had proved too difficult to resist for the Enlightened Elves, who
prized this metal above all others. With a steady supply from Ra’jhou’s mine,
they would use the precious silver to craft items of unimaginable power. With
the elves out of the equation, Na’zora was left without a potion supplier. Had
the war continued, Na’zora’s mages would have proved useless within a matter of
days.

“Indeed, it was I who convinced them to cease
their shipments to you, and now I have some demands of my own,” Efren replied.
“You are holding my wife and my nephew. I want them returned immediately. My
army is marching south to reclaim our conquered cities. They will continue into
Na’zora until they reach your palace. That is, unless my wife is returned
before then.”

“I heard a rumor that a queen was in my dungeons,”
he said. “I did not believe it. I will see that your wife is released at once
and escorted to the border. She has not been harmed, as far as I know.”

“I will hold you to that,” Efren said. “If she is
harmed in any way, you will see retaliation on a level you could never
imagine.” His face reflected the sincerity behind his threat. “I also expect
your kingdom to make amends. You have destroyed many of my cities in your path,
and you will help to rebuild them.”

Not wanting to admit that his kingdom was low on
funds, King Tyrol simply agreed. “I will,” he stated flatly. Tyrol was
convinced he could easily back out of such an agreement once he returned to his
own kingdom.

“You have also mistreated my sister,” Efren
replied.

“She was suspected of treason,” he said, defending
himself.

“I’m sure she has a few things to say on the
subject,” Efren stated.

The doors opened, allowing the princess inside.
She had been listening to the conversation and was angry that Tyrol still
believed her a traitor. “It isn’t true!” she cried, rushing to King Tyrol’s
side. “I did nothing against the Kingdom of Na’zora.” Turning to face her
brother, a lump rose to her throat. “My crimes are against Ra’jhou. I wish only
to be reunited with my son.”

Tyrol thought for a moment. “My grandson is heir
to the throne now that my son is gone. Rayne cannot leave, but I will grant you
permission to return and live with him. You shall be treated as a princess and
a widow.”

“Is that acceptable to you, Aubriana?” Efren
asked.

“It is,” she replied, tears filling her eyes.

“I expect her to be treated well,” Efren said.
“Any rumor of her mistreatment will be met with military action.”

King Tyrol nodded. “You have my word.”

“Then our two kingdoms shall know peace,” Efren
declared. “I have no desire to continue this war.” After a pause, he added,
“You shall stay as my guest until my wife returns.”

Once again, Tyrol was escorted by dwarves. This
time they walked next to him rather than dragging him. Their firm grips still
held tight to his arms, in case the king decided to take a different route than
the one they had planned. Leading him to the lowest level of the castle, they
showed him to a room with no windows and only a straw bed for furniture.

“This is your room,” one of the dwarves grunted.
“Enjoy your stay.”

Slamming the door behind them, the dwarves left
the king in silence. He was fuming with anger, his teeth clenched tightly. What
right did they have to keep him prisoner? He had agreed to all of Ra’jhou’s
terms.

Lieutenant Jak appeared outside the door. With a
knock, he said, “Majesty what are your orders?”

“See that their wretched queen is returned here at
once!” he shouted through the door. “And get me out of here!”

A
ubriana made
ready to depart immediately. Though she loved the land of Ra’jhou dearly, she
would gladly live in Na’zora next to her son, the heir to the kingdom’s throne.
With his mother to watch over him, he would learn to become a proper king. She
would make sure King Tyrol did not have any influence over him. No longer would
she be the weak, eager-to-please princess she had been before. From now on, she
would be strong, like Ryshel. She would speak out and take a stand when
necessary, and she would not let others determine what was best for her own
son. If she had to fight for him, she would. Ra’jhou had proved itself a
powerful kingdom, and she hoped she and her son would be welcome to return here
should life in Na’zora prove too difficult.

Shala prepared the
princess’s luggage and saw that it was loaded into a carriage. A second
carriage waited in the courtyard to carry the two ladies to the palace. As she
made her way down the stairs, Aubriana realized there was one more thing she
needed to do before departing.

It was still early,
and Efren had not yet arrived at his throne room. Hurrying down the corridor,
she hoped to catch him before he was surrounded by nobles and servants. What
she needed to say was a private matter between brother and sister.

Arriving outside
his bedchamber, she hesitated a moment before knocking. To her surprise, Efren
himself opened the door. He was dressed rather plainly, considering his day
would be spent at court discussing the rebuilding of his kingdom.

“Good morning, dear
brother,” she said. “I’m set to leave for Na’zora, and I wanted to say
goodbye.”

Efren reached out
for her hand and squeezed it. “I wish you well, my sister,” he said. “Give
Rayne my love.”

Nervously, she
asked, “Can you ever forgive me? My mistake has cost you much, and I deeply
regret my actions. I cannot express—”

“Think of it no
more,” he said, interrupting her. “The matter is done.”

Aubriana nodded, wiping
the tears from her eyes. “I love you, Efren,” she said. “You are the finest
king this land has ever known. I hope you will allow me to visit on occasion.”

Efren held his
sister tightly to his chest. “I love you too,” he replied. “You are always welcome
here, and I look forward to our next meeting. Now go. Your son is waiting.”

* * * * *

Footsteps hurried toward Ryshel’s cell as she sat
in the darkness. Rising to her feet, she saw the face of the young guard as he
approached. Rattling his keys, he unlocked the door and opened it wide.

“What’s going on?” she asked, her voice cracking.
She feared this might be the day of her execution.

“I am to escort you to the palace.” Hesitating a
moment, he added, “My lady.”

“Am I to be put on trial?” she wondered aloud.

“No, Your Majesty,” he responded. “You are to be
treated as an honored guest.”

Ryshel could hardly believe her ears. What had
occurred to warrant such a drastic change? “Please,” she said. “Tell me what
has happened.”

Leading her away from the prison, the guard said,
“A messenger arrived this morning with word from the king. You are to be
released and taken back to Ra’jhou immediately.”

“But how did the king know I was here?”

The guard paused in his walking and turned to face
the queen. “Our army was defeated, and Ra’jhou’s king, your husband, has
threatened to invade Na’zora if you are not released unharmed.” He stared at
her a moment, still shocked to discover she was truly a queen as she had
insisted.

Ryshel was led inside the palace to an expansive
chamber. Four ladies had been assigned to tend to her needs, and they greeted
her as she stepped inside the room. A warm bath was prepared for her, and she
gladly removed her clothing and sank into the tub.

“You might as well burn that dress,” she said to
one servant. “You’ll never wash away the smell of that prison.” She rubbed her
skin vigorously, hoping the same was not true for herself. “Bring more
rosewater,” she commanded them. Never before had she been a demanding person,
but today was different. Her kingdom now had the upper hand, though she did not
know how.

As she relaxed in the warm water, a smile spread
over her face. How had Efren managed to defeat the Na’zorans? He was a clever
man, but what he had accomplished was nearly impossible.
It’s too bad he
didn’t send a personal message for me,
she thought. She looked forward to
hearing the rest of the story.

After soaking for more than an hour, Ryshel
finally rose from her bath. She was given a fine golden gown that had belonged
to the previous queen of Na’zora. With her servants trailing behind her, she
made her way through the palace to visit with Rayne.

“Auntie Rysh!” he cried upon seeing her. He ran to
greet her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“How are you, sweet child?” she asked, looking at
his shining face. A twinge of pain entered her heart as she thought of her own
children. Hopefully, they had been spared knowledge of her imprisonment. The
last thing she wanted was for them to worry about her. She longed to reunite
with them.

“I’m taking the prince to Ra’jhou to his mother,”
she declared to her servants.

“My lady, the king has forbidden it!” one of them
replied. “His mother is on her way here.”

Ryshel was displeased by the news. It was best for
Rayne to reside in Ra’jhou. “Are you certain of this?”

“Yes, my lady,” the woman responded. “The princess
has already departed and will be here any day now.”

Ryshel wasn’t sure why Aubriana would choose to
reside in Na’zora, but there was nothing else she could do. She would have to
wait until Aubriana arrived before she could depart. Leaving Rayne alone in the
hands of the Na’zorans was not an option. Without his mother to protect him, he
would need Ryshel as his advocate. Though it pained her to stay away from her
own family, there was no other choice. Her stay in Na’zora was not yet over.

M
orning arrived
and found Efren alone in his bedchamber once more. Each day without Ryshel was
agony, even in what should be his moment of glory. His kingdom was safe, and
his people were no longer in danger. Ryshel, on the other hand, was still in
Na’zora, or somewhere in between the two kingdoms. He had heard no word from
her, and he had no information as to her safety. Her absence weighed heavily on
his heart, and he longed for her to return to him.

This morning he was preparing to address his
people to let them know that he would not forget about them. There was an
entire kingdom to be rebuilt, including several key cities. Farms had been
destroyed, and trade had been halted to all major markets. All of these things
would take time to repair, but as long as his people were willing to work hard,
their goals would be accomplished. He looked forward to having his kingdom
restored. It would shine once more, as it had in the days of peace he had enjoyed
as a child.

A large crowd gathered in the castle courtyard to
listen to the king’s address. There had been plenty to celebrate since the
defeat of the Na’zorans. No Ra’jhouan lives had been lost during the siege,
thanks to the appearance of the dwarven army.

Arden escorted the king to the castle walls to
speak to the crowd. It was a beautiful day without any clouds above to
interrupt the blue of the sky. The sun’s rays sent warmth to touch the faces of
the gathered citizens. Eagerly they watched as the king took his place above
them.

Stepping out into the sunlight, Efren drew in a
deep breath. The air smelled of hope, and the birds chirped happily overhead,
unaware of the destruction that had occurred in their kingdom. Standing proudly
upon the wall, a broad smile spread across his face. “People of Ra’jhou,” he
said to the crowd.

Immediately, the citizens began to cheer and
applaud. Their king had led them to victory and saved all their lives. The
people were well aware that he had arranged the alliance between Ra’jhou and
the dwarves, and they had been informed about his marvelous invention. They
were proud to call him their king, and they celebrated the sight of him upon
the wall.

“People of Ra’jhou,” he repeated. Finally, the
crowd quieted, allowing him to speak. “Our kingdom is safe!” The crowd cheered
again, and he paused to allow them to finish before continuing his speech.
“There is still much work to be done. Rebuilding will take time, and we must
work together to ensure each of you has a home to go back to. We have lost
much, but together, we shall rebuild and restore the beauty of Ra’jhou. I will
personally travel to each district to be certain the work is going as planned.”

The crowd erupted in applause. No king in their
lifetime had bothered to visit each portion of the kingdom. The thought of
having the king walk among them gave them a sense of pride, especially among
the poorer citizens.

Turning to Arden, Efren said, “Invite the leaders
of the dwarf army for a conference. I would like to speak with them.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Arden said, bowing.

The leaders of the dwarf army soon assembled
within the throne room. Pedr stood proudly at the front, his face beaming as
the king took his seat.

“Pedr,” Efren began, “I cannot begin to express my
gratitude to your people.”

“Think nothing of it,” the dwarf replied. “Your
silver has placed me back in my own king’s good graces. Though I admit I had to
offer him a higher percentage of the profits than I wanted to.”

“Do not trouble yourself with that,” Efren
responded. “No amount of silver could ever compare with the safety of my
people. I am in your debt.”

“I am the one who is indebted to you,” Pedr
stated. “Without your help, I would never have been allowed to set foot in my
homeland again. Now I have a mine to run and trade between our kingdoms to
oversee.”

“Then we have both found victory,” Efren replied.
“There shall be free trade between our two peoples from now on. I would have
your finest general train my men into a true fighting force. Ra’jhou has never
had an army that would equal the strength of the dwarves. I would have us
prepared for any future invasion.”

“That’s a wise plan,” Pedr replied. “I have a few
men in mind who would be honored to hold such a position. Groot and his
apprentices have already begun crafting new weapons for your troops. Your men’s
weapons were inferior to that of your enemy, but they will never be so again.”

“There is also the matter of your new settlement
along my northern border,” Efren said. “I invite you to settle within the
borders of Ra’jhou. I know you have a camp at the outskirts, but that is not
territory that I can claim. That area is occasionally visited by the Wild Elves
who live among the forests. They may not take kindly to your people living
there.”

“I’d be honored to build a village within your
borders,” Pedr replied. “The area just outside the mine will do nicely, and my
people will appreciate the added protection of being within your kingdom.”

Efren stood to shake hands with the dwarf who had
arranged Ra’jhou’s military victory. He owed this man a great deal, and he
would see to it that he was repaid in every way possible.

Pedr marched proudly from the throne room, ready
for his journey north. It was time to reunite with his kinsmen and begin
building the new life they had come here to find. There would be more
challenges along the way, but Pedr looked forward to facing them. The home he
had lost in the mountains would be replaced with one in Ra’jhou. With his own
hands, he would see to the building of a community—one he could take pride in.
Serving an honorable king would bring him honor of his own.