Flower of Light | Chapter 8
Flower of Light: The Eternal Stones 1 by Allison Wade.
The full book is available in ebook and print on Amazon.
8. The Sun of the Empire
Month IV, day 1
A flash of lightning ripped through the sky and rain soon followed, soaking the gray early spring morning.
“How do I look?” asked Zarkon, examining himself carefully in the mirror.
“Impeccable as always,” Arjanna replied, adjusting his collar.
“Do you have the final list of representatives?” he added, noticing her worried face.
“Several absences, as we anticipated. Some we didn’t anticipate.”
“Explain yourself.”
“The whole Northwest has turned its back on us. Only the Waterfall remains.”
“Even your family, Arjanna?”
“I haven’t heard from them in months. I’m afraid the throne of the Mists has won their favor.”
Zarkon gave a snort that almost sounded like a growl.
“The Red Sun is also missing.”
“But it’s on the other side of the Empire! I haven’t received any news about it.”
“You can ask the Star representatives directly.”
“What is important to me now is to hear from Gendon and his men.”
“I think it’s still early. And after the Star, the Great River awaits them,” the woman replied.
“I know. The Imperial fleet has already moved. Now, we just have to see what the other Councilors have to say.”
She nodded again and stepped aside, letting him through. “Good luck, Farquhar.”
He waved and then walked toward the High Council Hall.
Stepping confidently, he entered the sumptuous room with wood-paneled walls covered in tapestries. A large fireplace warmed the air. Morning light streamed in through windows protected by iron grates and was made warmer by candelabra and lanterns.
The tables around which the representatives of the twenty-five kingdoms sat were arranged in a horseshoe shape, and the seats assigned according to their position on the continent. At the head was the Emperor’s throne, adorned with the colors of the Bluand dynasty, the symbol of the white iris, with a gold star in the middle, on a blue background.
The palace servants were doing their best to help the Councilors take their seats, and immediately, the numerous absences became evident.
Although the East side was almost full, the same could not be said of the South and West. There were a few empty seats between the Center and South of the continent, and from the Northwest, only the Waterfall was present.
Lord Zarkon had hoped that, at least, the Bear Kingdom and Sohwl would show up, but that absence spoke volumes, more than any of their representatives could have.
As the General pondered his next moves, the secretary announced the Emperor’s entrance.
“On the first day of the Month of Light, in the Year 665 of the Bluand Era,” said the man, in a trained voice, for all to hear. “We extend our greetings to His Imperial Majesty Christopher III Bluand, Only Sun of our Empire.”
“Praise to the Sun,” replied those present, raising their goblets, as it was custom.
Followed like a shadow by the Palace Steward, Christopher Bluand advanced stiffly and went to sit on the throne, while five guards in armor stood behind it like metal statues.
Zarkon indolently endured the tedious appeal of all representatives, although this time, it was shorter than usual. Then, the first courses arrived, and the long discussions began.
He only hoped that the complaints and verbal bickering would not escalate into brawling as had happened a few times in previous sessions.
The subject of war came up almost immediately. The representative of the Forests was one of the first to speak. “If I may say so, Your Majesties. Our Council of Sages is shaken by a growing concern over the unrest in the neighboring Rain Kingdom. Seeing so many absences at today’s session only adds to our apprehension.”
“I understand your concerns,” replied the Emperor in a calm voice. “We are informed of the situation, and I assure you that the Empire is doing everything possible to restore order and bring peace to our lands.”
“And you plan to do all this without involving the most powerful kingdoms and your allies?” came a voice from the East, from the King of the Star. “A foreign army has invaded the Red Sun and is pressing our borders. How should we behave? Wait for help that has never come to the other kingdoms that have fallen?”
“I assure you that the Empire will take care of that too,” said Zarkon. “We just need to gather more men. Unfortunately, our troops have been busy on the Western Front, and it will take time to move toward lands that are on the opposite side of the continent.”
“We are already deployed on the border,” replied the Star King. “We will not allow any foreigners to enter our territory. And if the Empire does not give us support, we will march on the Red Sun ourselves.”
“No one cares about that spit of land,” stated the Ur representative from the other side. “There are more pressing problems in the Southwest. Rumors of a rebellion came from the Fire Kingdom. King Myelle is not present. We fear the worst. What will happen if one of the largest kingdoms in the South falls? Should we send our men to the mountains?”
“I think it would be a wise thing to do,” replied the Emperor. “But we will dispatch the Imperial Army to verify the situation as soon as the Council is closed.”
“His Imperial Majesty is right,” reiterated Zarkon. “There is no cause for alarm. It is true that the War of the Wind has created hostilities between the Northwest and the court, but I assure you that this will have no impact on the rest of the Empire. We will also deal with local skirmishes in due course.”
This time it was Brayn Bluand who intervened. “Aren’t you downplaying the effects the War of the Wind has had on all of us? Especially, the Waterfall. We have an enemy flank attached to our most vulnerable side and we have to keep the fleet deployed to guard the coasts. All of these are costs to the crown since the Empire seems to have turned its back on us in recent years.”
“This is not true, I assure you,” replied the General, trying to calm the waters. “The Empire has the welfare of every people at heart and only wants peace and harmony to reign among us. Tomorrow, the Emperor will be at your disposal in the audience hall to receive you privately and discuss in detail the most pressing problems. Isn’t that so, Your Highness?” he moved his gaze to Christopher Bluand, seeking confirmation.
The Emperor merely nodded.
“What about the Great River? Why haven’t they sent anyone?” This time it was the representative of the Snake who took the floor. Rather young, he was the son of the old ruler, tanned skin and austere profile, his black hair concealed by an embroidered headdress.
“We have already sent the Imperial fleet, we are waiting for news,” Zarkon replied promptly.
“You want news?” asked the prince in a sarcastic tone. “I bring you news. The Rose has fallen, an army has moved up along the Great River. La-Shar has fallen. And we will be next. All we know is that they carry the Lily of the Mists. It is time for the Empire to accept reality and prepare for war.” He looked around, extending his arms almost theatrically. “Look at the seats around us. Every empty chair is a choice. Those who are not present today are against us. They have chosen to oppose the Empire. But now, I wonder how many of those here will decide to do the same in the coming months. And it will happen if the Empire doesn’t take matters into its own hands.”
“The Empire is moving…” Zarkon began, but Christopher overlapped with him. “We will find the new Light Wardens. With them, balance will return.”
“Magic?” scoffed the Snake Prince. “Is it with magic that you want to face war? The same magic that led to your father’s demise?”
A hushed buzz rose through the room. Christopher, however, didn’t seem to take the hit. Another king rose to speak in his defense. It was the King of the Mountain, and his stature only amplified the impressiveness of his voice. “Hold your tongue, little prince. It’s the Emperor you are speaking to. Remember your place. You should ask your elder advisors to tell you how many times the Flower of Light has saved our people, maybe you would change your mind about magic.”
The Snake Prince snorted in annoyance but remained silent.
“Your Majesties, please,” Zarkon stepped in. “This is not the time to quarrel with each other. What the prince said is true. We must remain united. The fate of the Empire depends on our cooperation. If we join forces, we can crush our enemies, with or without magic.”
* * *
After long hours of discussion, when the sun had already set, the General was finally able to retire to his private rooms.
Arjanna was brushing her long ash-blond hair, sitting at the dressing table, while Zarkon shed his fancy clothes, tossing them contemptuously on an armchair. “Tomorrow, there will be private hearings with the various representatives. It’s going to be another long day,” he huffed. “I hate this kind of fluff. Luckily, it only happens once every five years.”
“How did Christopher behave?” the woman asked instead.
“More alert than usual. He managed to hold conversations without sounding odd. And he didn’t say anything inappropriate.”
Arjanna paused with the brush in midair. “Maybe we can start reducing the doses…”
The General shrugged. “You need to talk to Romar about these things. I already have to think about how to keep the Empire standing.”
She lowered her gaze, pondering. “When the Wardens return… it will be harder to keep things under control. They will ask difficult questions.”
“Do you think I don’t know that? But what alternative do I have? We knew that the Wardens would awaken eventually. We might as well try to get them on our side right away. Do you have any better ideas?”
Arjanna shook her head. “I trust you, Farquhar.”
He gave her a half smile. “Now, we just have to make sure your protégés do their part.”
“They will,” Arjanna replied. “I’m just disappointed they barely missed the Warden of Life. Maybe we should have waited for them to leave. Or maybe it was fate that wanted it.”
Zarkon laughed. “Since when do you care about fate?”
She put down her brush and walked toward him. “I never cared about it, that’s why I’m here with you,” she said, running a hand through his brown hair and letting him kiss her.
* * *
In the middle of the night, Kyra woke up suddenly, her heart racing.
The shadows of a dream were slowly slipping away from her mind, brightened by moonlight.
“The shadows…” she repeated to herself, trying not to tremble.
They had settled on the deck of a small merchant boat, sheltered by the quarterdeck. There was no room below deck for everyone, but the night wasn’t so cold if they wrapped themselves well in their cloaks.
Kris and Jonathan lay a short distance away, on either side of her, as if guarding her. She couldn’t explain that sensation, but their presence made her feel safe. Although the Fay had always advised her to beware of strangers, now she had no choice but to trust them. Besides, Jonathan was a Warden, and his bright power gave her a sense of nostalgia she hadn’t felt in a long time.
“What’s going on…?” the knight asked her, his voice a bit slurred with sleep.
Kyra felt as if caught red-handed. “Did I wake you up?”
“Do you always fidget this much in your sleep?” he replied, ending the sentence with a yawn.
“I think… I had a nightmare. I don’t remember, it was all dark…”
“No big deal then,” he murmured, turning over on the uncomfortable bedding.
“I’ve been having strange dreams ever since the Flower was reactivated. This one… I think it had to do with another power, the power opposite to mine…”
Jonathan let out a sigh and stretched, sitting up. “You want to make conversation, I see.”
“What? No, sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you, I’m going back to sleep now,” she replied, embarrassed.
“That sounds like a big deal, doesn’t it? I still have to really understand this whole power thing. Have you sensed another Warden? How far away does this work?”
Kyra turned her gaze to the sea, thoughtful. “I think… I’m not sure. I only know that my power, Love, is opposed to Hate. That’s a dangerous stone.”
Jonathan rearranged his messy hair. “More dangerous than yours?”
“It is, in a different way. Fire is clear and direct. It burns to purify. The shadows of Hate, on the other hand, cloud the mind, feed on what is most negative and…” she paused, noticing the way he stared at her. She gave a nervous smile. “But I don’t know much, the Fay told me about it to prepare me for my fate.”
“The Fay?”
Kyra brought a hand to her forehead. “I shouldn’t have said that. I… I’m a disaster. Maybe I really need to shut up.”
“Or maybe you need to tell me the truth.”
She shook her head. “Not now. Things will become clearer when we find the stones and the other Wardens. Now let’s just think about sleeping.” She turned her back to him and curled up, covering herself well with her cloak, without adding anything else.
Jonathan shrugged. “If you say so. Goodnight,” he concluded with another yawn and went back to lying down, lulled by the waves.
