The Catastrophe of the Emerald Queen (33 page)

 “
For
you young master,” she said, eager to please. “A light so you don’t
trip and hurt yourself.”

 “
What
are we going to do when we get into the city?” Jared asked
confused.

 
Mordalayn continued walking. “Steal some transport and get to
the castle as soon as we can.” As he made it to the wooden fence at
the edge of the field he vaulted over and made straight for the
road, Bue and Jared struggling to keep up with his long
strides.

Milus
Forsinavue was bored. His master was still busy inside the tavern
and he had no doubt he’d have to help him get into the carriage
when the time came. The old man was spending more and more of his
evenings here and sometimes didn’t leave until the tavern closed.
The job wasn’t so badly paid but the lack of activity dragged Milus
down and frustrated him. He looked at the sky and saw that dawn was
not too far away. He decided to make certain everything was tidy.
His master tended to get irritable unless his private coach was
kept in immaculate condition. Whistling softly he jumped down from
the cab and walked around to inspect the vehicle. The four horses
had been fed and watered and he patted the nearest one as he walked
past it. He took a cloth and began wiping the surface of the
exterior, lifting off the few smudges and dust streaks that had
appeared since the last time he checked.

 
As he
bent down to begin wiping the spokes on one of the large wooden
wheels he heard the sound of footsteps. He could see three pairs of
legs approaching him through the gaps in the wheel. He straightened
up and made his way around to the other side.

 “
Good
evening gentlemen,” he said cheerfully, hoping for some
conversation to relieve the boredom and then recognised the tallest
figure. “Takoba, my respect,” he said, touching his hand to his
forehead.  

Mordalayn
stopped. From the tavern there were voices and the sound of
laughter. Life carrying on as normal for the people of Alegria.
There were very few people about in the dark street, only a woman
further up emptying dirty water into the gutter who looked at them
disinterestedly and then went back into her house, shutting the
door. Further down were a couple of people walking, one supporting
the other and both laughing occasionally. In the distance a dog
barked then was silent.

 “
Do I
know you?” 

Milus smiled.
“Oh yes. Milus Forsinavue. Former coachman to the council of
Alegria. Recently fallen on harder times…at your
service.”

 
Mordalayn paused for a moment as he looked at Milus. “I need
your coach. I don’t have time to argue and if you try to stop me
you will fail.” 

Milus looked
puzzled for a split second then looked at the closed door of the
tavern and back at the group in front of him. 

“
Whatever.”
he shrugged “I take it this is important if the Queen’s Sword
wishes to steal a common coach…albeit a very nice, clean and well
looked after one.”

 
Mordalayn was silent. 

The man
shrugged again. “Fair enough, I never really liked this job. I
might as well take you. You steal this coach I’m out of work
anyway.” He looked at the Caracalic’s companions. One was a
bewildered looking young boy of about 11 who looked foreign. The
other was about 13 and had a hard look in his eyes. Slightly behind
the younger child was a glowing, hovering fairy who frowned at him
as he looked at her. 

“
Young miss,”
he said, again touching his hand to his forehead as he acknowledged
Kloee, who pouted even harder.

 
He
stepped up into the cab and gestured for them to get in. Mordalayn
swung the door open and Bue and Jared struggled on board. Milus
turned back and looked through the small hatch behind him. “Where
we off to then?”

 “
The
royal palace, stop for no one,” Mordalayn replied and Milus cracked
the whip. The horses moved off as the first rays of sun pricked the
sky.

Chapter
29

The carriage
swayed to a stop at the watch tower beyond the bridge to the
palace. The bridge was vast and beneath it was a drop of awe
inspiring depth that led to the forests and fields far below. Milus
cracked his whip and brought the horses to a trot but before they
had stopped, the door opened and Mordalayn jumped out. The startled
guards at the bridge jerked to attention. “Takoba,” they said
saluting. He quickly glanced at their uniforms and identified the
guard captain. 

“
I need to
see the council now,” he snapped and the confused officer cleared
his throat to reply but Mordalayn was already walking to the
captain’s tethered horse. He quickly untied it and swung himself
lithely up into the saddle. He turned back. “Escort the passengers
and this man to the palace. I will meet you there.”

 
Before
the still startled officer could respond Mordalayn kicked the horse
with his heels and charged down the long, wide bridge to the palace
half a mile away. 

The
thundering hooves faded. The guard captain looked up at Milus who
gave him a half smile and then to the faces of the two boys and the
fairy peering at him from the window of the coach. He turned to one
of his men; “Ride with them, escort them to the council chamber.”
The soldier saluted and climbed up next to Milus who cracked his
whip again and the horses moved off. As the carriage retreated one
soldier turned to the captain. “What was that all about
sir?” 

The captain
shook his head. “I have no idea, but whatever it is I’ll wager it’s
very bad news.”

Jared and Mordalayn faced the
council. Bue and Kloee had been told to wait outside and Milus
Forsinavue was tending his ex-master’s horses. 

Unlike the
first meeting this one was in a large oval room with a large oval,
wooden table in the centre. Since the absence of the queen most of
the council were living in their designated quarters and had been
hastily roused by the palace guard. Messages had been sent to the
absent members but as this meeting was not planned it was doubtful
any would attend before it was over, even by Shimmer. There was not
one tired face amongst them. The urgency was paramount even though
the assembled council was incomplete, five chairs sat empty. The
councillor Lighvoor went to speak.  

“
May I call
this meeting to order and…” he began but Mordalayn stepped
forward. 

“
We do not
have time for pomp and ceremony Lighvoor,” he snapped, looking
round the table. 

Lighvoor’s
voice trailed off. Then after a pause. “You are right Takoba,
please say what you must.” 

Mordalayn
stepped to the far end of the table and placed his clenched hands
on the polished surface. “Anghofio have a spy amongst us that knows
secrets only the innermost circle of priests, myself and Our Lady
are privy to.” 

There were
murmurs of shock and he continued. “Your mission to send spies to
Anghofio was a success; they found what we needed to know, albeit
at a terrible price.” 

The murmuring
increased in volume then the rat faced general Degrezen spoke.
“Forgive us for not informing you of that mission Takoba, there was
no time.” 

Mordalayn did
not look at him. “There is no need to explain your actions to me
general. I trust this council implicitly and regard all actions and
decisions as for the greater good.” 

“
What was the
information they found?” the one eyed woman asked in a lilting
voice. 

“
The
Anghofians placed spies here. They now know how to summon the
Queen. As I stated before, only a handful of people know of Our
Lady’s true origins and more than half of them are in this room
now.” 

More
murmuring and again Mordalayn spoke. “While you all know that this
can be done, none of you are aware of how. Which means someone in
the priesthood has betrayed us. If they are able to activate the
signal to summon her then they can trap her when she
arrives.” 

“
What are
they planning to do exactly?” a man further down the table
asked. 

“
They failed
to assassinate, now they will try to bring her here. If they can
bring her through and trap or kill her then her power and the power
we rely on will be snuffed out like a candle. Anghofio can invade
as we will have no time to find a new monarch. The usual interim
for changeover will not happen and we will be
defenceless.”

 
There
were gasps of astonishment around the table and then someone else
spoke. “But Takoba, surely if they bring the Queen here she will be
able to help us.” 

“
No! They are
fully aware now of her fragile state and will trap her the moment
she appears. I am sure you are all aware that the only reason we
never tried this method ourselves is that we knew something was
terribly wrong. Any attempts to forcibly bring her here might end
her life.”

 
Lighvoor spoke up. “The Queen’s Sword is correct,” he said.
“Any attempt to bring the Queen here when she is so badly hurt may
cause her permanent or fatal injury. She needs to come to Alegria
aware of who and what she is, not wrenched here against her
will.”

 
Mordalayn continued. “The summons is used when her presence
is needed urgently. There has been no problem with this before…but
Anghofio know that by activating it now they will possibly force
her here with devastating results.”

He looked once more around the
table and then to Jared before speaking again.

 
"I was at her side here when she was hurt. She was
frightened, didn't know what was happening and as I reached out to
her she faded away in front of me. This council took over as she
had planned but Our Lady is in a limbo between three worlds. The
normal dreaming world, her waking world and this one. Until she is
returned to health we are incredibly vulnerable.” 

“
Doorways exist all over both worlds, linking
them. Anyone with the power and knowledge may use them. Luckily
very few people have the tools to do so or the magic to make them
work. All are inactive now as a precaution in this terrible
time
.”
 

“
Prime
Guardian Jacoban is missing.” Mordalayn indicated an empty chair.
“This in itself indicates that the plot may have already been
initiated.” 

Degrezen
spoke again, his nose twitching. “Whatever you need Takoba, the
council will grant you.” There were further murmurs, this time of
approval from the assembled councillors.  

“
I myself do
not know how to access the portal,” Mordalayn said. “I need you to
grant me the right to do that. I need you to tell me where the
inner sanctum is.” 

There was an
uncomfortable silence and then a woman spoke up. “Takoba we don’t
know either. It was always assumed that as Our Lady’s sword you
were given all knowledge she had.” 

Mordalayn
stared at her in disbelief. “Power corrupts. I know more than many
but there are some things even I was not told. Do you mean that
only the priesthood know where the sanctum is?”

 
There
was another long silence and the woman looked away. “I am sorry
Takoba, neither us nor our ancestors ever expected such a
catastrophe as this.”