The Destiny of Amalah (10 page)

Michael gently took hold of Amara’s arm and he bent his head slightly to look into her eyes before speaking: ‘I am so sorry for you Amara. Know that I – and all of us here now – will be here for you, your sister and your mother.’

‘Thank you,’ she said distantly and then went back to where her mother and sister were.

All five men walked to Kai’s bed, they each in turn hugged Elana and Ellora and then paid their respects to Kai before bowing deferentially and stepping back and left his room to allow the women alone to grieve once more.

It was Amara who approached the five men once again.

‘Empress,’ Michael said to Amara, as he and the five men looked solemnly at the new Empress.

Chapter 7

Amara had not realised that Michael was talking to her, she had forgotten that it was she, who was now the monarch and she remained silent, caught up in her own thoughts and grief.

‘Empress,’ Michael said again softly, as he touched her on the shoulder. The men then bowed to Amara and nodded in acceptance of the new sovereign. ‘Empress, we shall take care of your father and see that he receives the burial befitting for him, in the meantime; is there anything I can do for you or the princesses?’

‘Thank you Michael and thank you: Garrick, Häkan, Thaddeus and Raynor. I am glad that you will take care of our father and no, there is nothing that any of you can do for us at the moment except for giving us some time and space.’

‘We will make the arrangements but please feel free to call on any one of us if you need to. I understand your loss Empress and if you need anything at all, please do not hesitate to call on me, regardless of the hour.’

‘Thank you Michael, that is very kind but for now, I think the three of us need to be alone.

‘Very well Empress but sadly I must remind you, that as the Empress of the nations, you do not have much time for yourself; you must announce the death of the Emperor and address the Council and you must formally accept your role as Empress.’

‘Now?’

‘Not right now, I can perhaps give you a few hours but it must be done this very day.’

‘Very well Michael,’ she said in a sad and resigned tone. ‘Give me that time, but at this moment I wish to spend some time with my mother and Ellora, so please ensure that we are not disturbed until then.’

‘Very well Empress,’ Michael said, bowing respectfully.

Amara went back into her father’s room and placed her hand on her mother’s shoulder. ‘Mother, Ellora,’ Amara said quietly. ‘Let us leave this place now, Michael and the others will make arrangements for our father, let us leave him here in peace.’

‘Let me say goodbye,’ Elana said sadly and somewhat desperately.

The former Empress walked over to where her husband was and took hold of his hand and placed it in hers, she stroked his hand and then his arm and laid her head on his chest. She listened to the silence of it, for years she had rested her head on his chest and felt his heart beating, it had been strong and regular and reassuring and now that sound was gone and at that moment she realised her beloved Kai was gone too. He was truly dead and she would no longer listen to his beating heart or his voice or touch him again and then once again the tears began to fall freely from her face. She lifted her head up and touched his cheek and then kissed him tenderly on the lips before she whispered to him:

‘Goodbye my love, may the gods protect you wherever you may journey.’

Elana mustered all of her strength to stand up and when she rose, she took hold of Ellora and gently led her out of the room. The three women went to Amara’s room to grieve in private. Time seemed to have no meaning for the women in those few hours that went by and mourned the loss of the man who had been the centre of their world.

All too suddenly – Michael knocked on their door and after apologising for disturbing them – he looked solemnly at Amara, who in turn understood that her private time was now over and she would have to grieve later.

Now it was time for her to take on her duties as the Empress, as she had been taught and as she had promised her father that she would. She turned to her mother and sister and hugged and kissed them both before speaking:

‘I must go now, there are things that I have to attend to that cannot wait, I love you mother and I love you too Ellora.’

Amara kissed them both and then hugged Ellora tightly, not wanting to let her go in what was their darkest hour. Amara followed Michael out of the room and left her mother and sister to console each other while she attended to her duties. Oh how she wished she could remain there with them and grieve with them and hold onto them as they were holding onto each other. As he looked at them she once again felt truly alone and realised – that being an Empress and being in her position – she always would be.

‘I have convened the council Empress, they are ready and awaiting your announcement, although you will inform the council that you are accepting the role of Empress you will have an official crowning ceremony after your father’s funeral. There is also a guard on the Emperor’s door and so no one will know of his death outside of your family, myself, Garrick, Häkan, Thaddeus and Raynor.’

‘Thank you Michael.’

‘I have convened the Council Empress, they are ready and awaiting your announcement, although you will inform the council that you are accepting the role of Empress you will have an official coronation after your father’s funeral. There is a guard at the Emperor’s door, no one will know of his death outside of your family, myself, Garrick, Häkan, Thaddeus and Raynor.’

‘Thank you Michael,’ she said softly.

‘Of course, I am here to help you Empress, please remember that and please, feel free to call on me whenever necessary. I shall take you to the Council now.’

Michael and Amara walked slowly and in silence to the Crest Room where the council meetings were held. Garrick, Häkan, Thaddeus and Raynor were already in attendance and they stood quietly, lost in their own thoughts. The remaining council members arrived shortly and they took their seats, unlike the four men, they were waiting for the Emperor and they did not hide their surprise when they saw Amara and Michael enter the room but they remained standing nonetheless.

Amara reached the large oval table that housed the eighteen members of the World Council and then she turned to Michael; uncertain of where she should sit and what she should say. Michael held out his arm and pointed to the chair where her father had sat for so many years and he smiled reassuringly at her.

Amara walked slowly, nervously and uncomfortably towards her fathers seat, visualising him sitting there and convening the Council. The young Empress was still reeling from his death and now, she had to take his place but not before conveying the sad news to the council. With Michael by her side, she eventually walked to the back of her father’s chair and grasped it firmly. She turned and gazed at each and every one of the council members; who by now had began to pull the chairs out from under the table in order to sit down.

‘Please, remain standing,’ Amara said quietly.

The council members looked at her curiously and then pushed the chairs back under the table, waiting to hear from Kai’s daughter.

‘It is with great sorrow and grief,’ she began, trembling slightly; ‘that I inform you that the Emperor, my father, died in the last few hours and it is with a very heavy heart, that I now take his place, both as Empress and as the head of this, the World Council.’

A few gasps escaped some of the Council members and they looked at Amara and each other, as they processed the news. Grief came upon them all, and they collectively and instinctively bowed their heads as a gesture of respect.

They had known the Emperor personally and for years and they had all come to like and respect him deeply. In turn, each member of the council stepped away from their seat and made their way to Amara and offered their condolences and assistance to the Empress. The time would come for them to officially swear their allegiance to her but they each chose to immediately swear their allegiance to her as they had her father.

For the first time, no member of the Council sat down, as the preliminaries were dealt with. The council meeting was adjourned shortly after the announcement and the council members went their separate ways, with the exception of Michael, who stayed by Amara’s side.

‘Is there anything you need Empress?’ he asked her.

‘My father,’ she said in a melancholy tone.

‘I know that your loss is deep, your responsibilities burdensome and your age tender…’

‘And I bear this burden alone,’ she said, her stare becoming distant.

‘But I will remain by your side.

‘Thank you Michael,’ she said smiling wanly.

Garrick and Häkan went to find the six boys and broke the news to them all. The men and boys sat and talked for a while and then a heavy silence fell upon them.

‘Can we see the princesses?’ Rakan asked, breaking the silence.

‘Not yet my son,’ said Garrick; ‘they need time to be alone. They need each other, so give them that time.’

Garrick comforted his two sons and the other boys but all too soon the two men had to leave to attend to their duties, while the boys alone in the garden. For the most part, the boys sat in silence and said a few words now and then but after a while, they went their separate ways.

Rakan and Kalon were staying at the palace as their father had been away quite often as of late and so they made their way into the palace together and then they went to their separate rooms. As they walked through the palace, they noticed that the palace had become uncharacteristically quiet and the atmosphere was now sombre.

Once he was in his room, Rakan sat quietly reading and at the same time, thinking about Kai. He thought about all of the times he had taken them hunting and tracking and when he had looked after them as toddlers. He remembered Kai’s infinite patience with them and how this gentle giant had always made them feel at ease.

Rakan smiled as he thought of the times when Kai had made them laugh, and when he would carry them on his shoulders and they thought that they could see the world from up there. Oh how he missed him.

Rakan’s thoughts went to Ellora, Amara and their mother and how devastated they would be. He wished he could do more for them. He could barely remember the time when he had lost his mother, but he remembered the loss. He remembered how he had often cried out for her in the beginning and even though many years had passed, he still missed her now: but he had been so young then, too young to understand that much pain, unlike Amara and Ellora.

Rakan continued to think about the three women and the profound loss that he too felt. He was still deep in thought when he heard quiet tapping on the door and then a small figure appeared at the door – it was Ellora.

‘Rakan,’ Ellora whispered, as she stood at the door. She was shaking and tears were falling down her face. ‘He’s dead, father, he’s...’

Rakan stood up and rushed to where Ellora was.

‘Ellora I am truly sorry,’ he said, taking her hand in his and leading her into the room.

‘You’re the only one I can turn to,’ Ellora said, trying to hold back her tears and sobs. ‘He’s gone, he’s really gone Rakan and I feel like I’ve lost my world.’

‘Shh princess,’ Rakan said soothingly. ‘I’m here and I will be here for you as long as you need me,’ he said stroking her hair and then he hugged her.

Ellora immediately began to feel strange. An inexplicable feeling had suddenly come over her and it scared her slightly and then, she slowly began to sense something. She tried to understand what it was; a feeling, a thought or words, and then it suddenly dawned on her as to why she did not recognise the sensations within. The feelings within were not hers – they were Rakan’s – and it was in that moment that the empath in Ellora awoke.

There in that time of grief and extreme emotion, the empath in Ellora was born, and at that time, it was slightly comforting to her. She said nothing to Rakan; she simply held his gaze and let him comfort her. He enveloped her in his arms and she clung on to him so tightly and wept and she began to feel some of the pain and anguish that had been torturing her so slightly abate.

Rakan truly felt for the Ellora, she was too young to be having dark days like these, he thought to himself. He picked her up and carried her over to the bed and put her gently on to it, he put a blanket over her and knelt beside her. She was all cried out now and he could see just how wretched she felt, he put his hand on her shoulder and stroked her hair.

‘Sleep princess,’ he said softly. ‘I shall remain with you he said kissing her on the forehead.

‘Thank you,’ she said.’ I’m sorry, I...’ she began.

‘Do not be, you can always come to me and I will always be here for you, sleep now,’ he said to her.

Ellora fell into a deep and troubled sleep and Rakan watched over her as she slept.

Chapter 8

As night fell, news of the Emperor’s death spread throughout Amalah and as it spread, a sadness and silence fell upon the city. Tonight, Amalah’s heart was breaking as the people grieved for the man and the Emperor that they had known and loved.

The Emperor’s guard mourned him heavily but they carried out their duties in silence and with a heavy heart. Many of the older guard had fought by Kai’s side and they had known him as a man and a friend. Garrick despatched eight of the guard to ride out to the edges the other eight nations and relay the news to the leaders. It was the last deed that they would do for their Emperor and they would all do it with great sorrow.