Chapter Thirty-Six

The Naming Ceremony had gone without as much as a sniff of disapproval, due in large part to the slightly twisted white lie that had been allowed to run free as truth. Rumor had it that the reason that Jedah hadn't been seen was that he and Amelia had secretly married, and he'd been caring for their child until appropriate for the announcement.

Never let it be said that Rumor didn't have its place in a kingdom.

Jedah had been all too keenly aware of that rumor, for it was he who had first whispered it within a tavern, giving it wings and life to spread across Saillune with the speed that only the working class could manage. This largely meant that the day after Jedah had whispered it in a bar on the far side of town, the Palace servants were looking at him with secretive knowing smiles.

It was so fairy tale that it made his teeth hurt.

The day's next order of business was to officially announce the removal of Jedah from the Council, and during that, Amelia had planned that Jedah would be revealed as the Scion of Ambervale, granting him title and rank to be equal and partner. But Jedah had other plans, as usual. He simply needed to wait until the proper moment to reveal them.

That moment came in the silence before Amelia's announcement of his removal from the Council.

Jedah rose quietly from the seat that he had only occupied for show, moving across the front of the room to kneel before Amelia in the throne. "My Queen, it has been my pleasure to serve you as your High Sorcerer, and I shall continue to aid you as long as you will have me. But, I fear that I have not been entirely forthcoming in certain matters, and I beg you give me leave to address both yourself and your people."

There was silence for a long moment as Amelia looked to Jedah, very carefully concealing any alarm that she might have had. Certainly he wouldn't be intending to reveal his identity as Hellmaster; that would be tantamount to cataclysmic. Painfully aware that everyone was looking to her for an answer, she simply nodded her head, her face clear and still.

Jedah nodded, though more to himself than to Amelia, and straightened, turning to look around the room, as if in attempt to make eye contact with all within the Council. "Many of you know me as Jedah Greywords, related in some fashion or another to Zelgadis Greywords, though it's never been made clear how. Many of you wondered how it was that I came to be High Sorcerer, myself included." He laughed a little, self-depreciatingly, and it eased the tension in the room as others chuckled along with him.

"But in order to explain to you the truth, I need to tell you a story. It's not a long story, so we won't be here past lunch." He flashed a grin across the room, not needing to turn on the charm, but hinting at it anyway. When the second ripple of amusement had settled, Jedah continued.

"Many of you know the Tale of Ambervale, and the madness that consumed the inhabitants. It's a story almost as grim as Sairaag's fall at the hands of Hellmaster Phibrizzo." Jedah watched those listening as they nodded, and smiled grimly in reaction. "Time has faded the memories, has obscured the names of the ruling family, though perhaps that was in part the doings of the Red Priest Rezo."

Gasps came from around the room, everyone keenly aware of the Red Priest and his sudden shift from Cepheid to Shabranigdo. Amelia sat straighter, wondering what Jedah was playing, but she remained silent as Lina stared at her from across the room next to Zelgadis. She could almost hear Lina beg her to be quiet.

"What time has forgotten was that Rezo himself was a Son of Ambervale, though he was not in line to rule. He was the second son of Lord Terim, though the first son had no desire to lay claim, and refused the title. Because Rezo was a priest, he could not rule, and the rule lay uneasily in the hands of his daughter Jennia, for what young Lord has not had his moments of indiscretion?"

A curious stillness had fallen over the room, for Jedah was giving voice to things that until now had only been whispers of rumored truths that had struggled to remain alive through recent memory. When Lina glanced to Zelgadis, she could see that he had grown quite pale, and rested her hand on his arm.

"Rezo acknowledged her, and gave her his name, and she grew to be a powerful Shaman in her own right, leading the people of Ambervale with kindness and love. Unfortunately, that kindness was what invited the evil that brought the plague and the initial downfall of the lands. Jennia's son was born into the plague, and he was taken away from the city proper by Rezo."

"In time, Rezo's older brother learned of the plight of Ambervale, and returned to try to help rebuild what was left. When he learned of Jennia's death and the birth of her son, he reluctantly took the title of Ambervale, claiming his birthname: Jedaikun." Jedah paused as the Council members murmured amongst themselves, and then he lifted his hands to still them, letting the silence settle for a few moments.

When Jedah finally spoke, his voice was clear and powerful, though he used nothing of his powers to amplify it. "I am Jedaikun, older brother of Rezo. It was I who stilled the attacks, and it was my powers that sent the people away from the ruins that were left. I held the lands in trust while I sought out the missing Son of Ambervale, so that I could restore him to his birthright."

Lifting a hand, Jedah pointed across the room, his clear blue eyes fixing on Zelgadis. "I name him now, the son of Jennia Greywords Ambervale and the Heir to the title and lands that I currently hold in trust: Zelgadis Greywords san Ambervale."