The Drifting (58 page)

“Thank you for checking in on me, captain.” 

Kalis continues to stare down at me until
she
finally gives me a slight bow and reach
es
for her sword.  She moves toward the door
while
buckling her belt and walks out
without looking back
.

I sit back down facing the mirror. 
I look at my reflection, not seeing but
staring off in to space as
mind replays the image of Kalis and Tharin in bed together.  That’s just it.  It’s like an ongoing movie
I
stumbled
into,
disrupting the script and upsetting the actors.  I can feel my eyes well up and I tilt my head back.  “Whatever,” I say quietly.

I grab the
offered napkin and nearly jump
out of my chair to find Walem at my side.  I didn’t even hear him move.  I glance up at him
,
catching my breath, “Sorry.  I do that sometime
s
…talk to myself.”

“Yes, I know,
P
rincess.  You do that often I’ve noticed.”  He stares at me in the mirror giving me a warm smile. 

I relax
,
looking back at him.  “Did you hear?” I ask
,
dabbing at my eyes.

“Yes, my princess, but I shall keep it to myself if you ask me to,” he replies.

I give him a small smile, “Yes, Walem.  Please don’t say a word.  It’s none of our business really.  I don’t want to know anything more about it.”

He gives me a look and then bows, “As you wish,
P
rincess.”  He then turns and walks out of the room.  Well, at least I have one friend here I can trust.  I continue to stare at the double doors through the mirror.  Walem
–
did the king really send him here?  Since I’ve arrived
,
he’s been quietly and diligently giving orders to see to all my needs.  He’s always nearby and never out of sight, but because of his quiet ways I forget he’s there most of the time.  Lea’ith told me that my father was here in the tower.  Could Walem be my father?  I give it more thought when the double doors open and Sema walks in with Colie and Mathal as more helpers follow close behind. 

For the rest of the morning it’s business as usual.  Sema tells me they’ve moved the Seating until after lunch.  King Thilthen decided to make it a quick event and have the coronation a private affair for security reasons.  Only the kings and queens of the clans will be there
,
along with the Summoner and his son, Phoris.  Knowing there isn’t going to be
a
large audience helps with my nerves, but my mind lingers on the events of the morning.  Lea’ith, Harlu, Milina and Kalis.

First Lea’ith.  Her news that Harlu is my brother knocked me over, literally. 

Milina.  I choke back my emotions, afraid they
will
erupt
and spoil
all of Sema’s work. As soon as the events of the day are over, I’ll ask Mellis to take me to the clearing to be with them.  I know he would want to go with me.  It’s the least I can do. 

Harlu.  I cringe at the mere thought of him.  Before Tharin came in earlier, I scrubbed at my neck until it burned from the rubbing.  Sema put
on
some solvent from one of he
r bottles and it instantly cooled
the irritated skin.  In fact, it made it feel as if it was new again. 

Was
Harlu
serious about wanting to be with me?  I breathe in deeply when I realize my hands were shaking thinking about him.  I was scared when Ziri took me, but somehow I knew, just knew, he wasn’t dangerous.  But Harlu, he scares the hell out me.  A sense of panic I’ve never felt before crawls over my skin and seeps into my chest
,
taking a grip of my heart.  He terrifies me and the worst part is that he knows it. 

Kalis.  Can I really be mad at her for protecting what’s hers?  She’s right. Tharin would say and do anything to save his people.  I would have helped even without the lies.

“There,” says Sema giving me an admiring look.  She stands back and turns to look at my reflection in the mirror, assessing her work.  The dress now has a higher neckline to cover the cut.  I had asked if she could just heal the wound, but because of her own nick on top of Harlu’s cut she
said it needed time to counter
act any spell Harlu may have cast on it.  I can still see about
an
inch of it over the trim but only because I was looking for it.  Sema did a great job covering it with makeup.

“You look beautiful, my dear,” she says with a warm smile.

I catch her gaze in the mirror and despite Tharin’s mistrust
of
her, I turn and give her an unexpected hug.  She laughs and hugs me
back,
and when I pull
away
there are tears in her eyes.  I smile at her knowing when all this is over, I won’t ever see her again.  Whatever issues Tharin has with her, they’re not mine.  I hug the old woman who has only been kind to me since she had me kidnapped.

Sema smacks her lips
, wiping at her eyes.  In crisp
tones she says, “All right, enough.  We have a Seating to go
to
and a clan to claim.  I laugh and follow her out
of
the room.  I wonder what the weather is like in
Australia
this time of year.  God, I hope it’s not raining. 

~ * ~

Chapter Thirty-Nine

~ Tharin ~

I stand with Dalim near the thrones in the great hall as we wait for Lily to arrive.  Alorn and Mellis have separated and are now sitting in the empty seats opposite each other.  I had pulled Mellis aside after leaving Lily’s suite.  As I expected, he became quiet and withdrawn looking even more like Alorn.  It will be interesting to see who gets to Harlu first.

I look over at the head of the clans near their perspective thrones.  Nine kings, three queens and Lily will make four.  Of the thirteen, Lily is the only royalty
who
isn’t related to any of the others seated.  Centuries ago
,
the Willow Clan was ruled by Cilan, cousin to my father and husband to the daughter of Kainikai, ruler and cu
rrent king of the Jōmon Sugi Clan.  Cilan was challenged by a stranger, a Sidhe, who kept his name to himself.  In order to take the throne from a current ruler, you must challenge not just the king you want to usurp, but all the kings and queens of the Th
irteen Clan. 
The Unnamed Sidhe
took them out, including my father with an ease never seen before in any challenge, whether here in Velesi or Eirrell. 

Once he gained the throne, as the story goes, he gave it to a Sidhe healer by the name of Tileanith.  After she was with child, he disappeared, leaving her queen of the Willow Clan.  Since then, only women of her line have taken the throne
, whether on purpose or by fate
. 

Once, Tileanith was challenged.  Although the other rulers would have defended her as they did Cilan, her lover came back to fight for her instead.  Her challenger was defeated and never seen again.  Because Senestra and John Michaels gave guardianship of Lily to my father, he is the next in line for the throne after Lily.  However, since she will be queen of the Oak Clan, the throne falls to my father
immediately
instead of after her death.  The throne will therefore accept his choice of heir, making Tolan the next in line for the
Willow
throne.  Any of the other rulers can challenge my father for the seat, but it seems that he has already discussed the matter
with the royal counci
l and Tolan will
be
king
of the
Willow
without challenge. 

Inikai, Kainikai’s eldest son, is
more than
a century older than me and is one of my closest friends.  It was Inikai’s wife who gifted me with Tazo.  I nod at Inikai when he catches my eye and he gives me a feign look of
insult.  I smile at him anyway
.  The throne of Jōmon Sugi will be Inikai’s when his father passes on.

I take
a
cursory look along the throne line and note the other rulers with their heirs.  They speak quietly among themselves, catching up since the last of their meetings at the
Allian
ce
coun
ci
l.  They are all here, except for Lily.

I move to stand by father’s side when Ka gives me the signal.  Sema has arrived with Lily and I find myself strangely nervous as the giant oak doors open slowly.  Kalis and her men move into position as the rulers take to their thrones, their heir apparent standing beside them.  I keep my eye on Kalis for a minute.  When she came out of the Lily’s room she took her time walking to the doors of the suite, giving me a knowing look.  I remember the feeling in the pit of my stomach and I was about to walk into the bedroom to confront Lily when
F
ather called for me.  I would have to talk t
o Walem the next time I see him. 
I was surprise to see
the old valet
walk into Lily’s room after Kalis. 

All thoughts of Walem, Kalis, the royal court…everything, stops when Sema walks in followed by Lily.  Is this the same girl I went to retrieve from
San Diego
?  I stare with pride at seeing her walk regally behind Sema.  When I was with her earlier I have to admit that I didn’t notice the dress.  It’s the dress in my vision, the royal gown of the Willow Clan.  Lily resembles her mother more than ever
–
beautiful, calm and the way she carries herself now gives everyone in the room the sense they are in the presence of true royalty.  She
will be a
queen who will carry the responsibilities and duties that warrants being queen of the realm.  I may have saved a girl in the park that night, but I watch a young woman proceed toward her destiny as queen of Velesi and wife to the future king.

“Lily,”
I call quietly.

“Don’t talk to me, Tharin.  You’ll mess me up on the oath.”

I laugh inwardly and then sober up at the thought of Lily being sick on my father.  If that happens, she’d be mortified. 

“Lily, it’s okay.  I’ll help you through it,”
I offer.

“No.  I don’t need your help.  I can do this on my own.”

Sema reaches the end of the aisle and stands before the royal court.  She bows low and moves to the side, presenting Lily.  Lily, as practiced, moves forward, hand
s
at her side, chin up.

“
Y
ou look beautiful,”
I say. 

“Tharin, she said not to talk to her.  You’re going to mess her up
.
”
pipes in Mellis.

“Will you two knock it off?”
snaps Lily.