Thanks for your patience!!!


Kel paused for a moment. She knew that the Queen's threat was empty but she still felt the threat to her homeland like a dagger straight into her heart. She missed home. Kel turned her face away from the Queen again and spoke once more to the crowd.

"This is the life you want? Speak up! Raise your voice! Now is the moment to grasp the freedom offered to you!!"

Kel glanced briefly toward were Tomas knelt beside the gallows pole. His eyes locked with hers and she felt her voice surge out of her.

"Look what she has done to her own children, look what she does to yours.... she will kill all the earth that she lands on and then make you move on to the next place. Do you remember what it means to live in peace?"

Kel drew her sword from the scabbard at her waist and held it aloft.

"I have challenged her and she has yet to come down to meet me in the field of battle. She is afraid to show her might, she hides behind the bodies of her soldiers. Is that the kind of leader you want?" It was almost impossible to hear Kel's parade voice over the din of the crowd. The queen started down a short set of stone stairs toward her and the crowd. When a cry rose from the assembled mob. It was carried through the crowd on a breeze and they murmured their agreement.

"Let the Prince fight her."

"Let Tomas fight."

"Let the boy lead us... he has always been better to us then his mother."

"Cut his bonds and give him a sword he will handle this."

"SILENCE"

The queen shouted over the din. Her voice carried in a way that Kel couldn't help but be a little jealous of. She looked at her people and knew that she was would have to give them what they asked for or they would rip the palace apart, stone by stone. She had returned to the flat platform where her son knelt. Kel looked at Tomas again. His breathing was ragged and his hands were clenched in rage. His dark eyes were locked on his mother.

The queen held up her hand for the crowd to quiet themselves. When a hush fell over them, she spoke. Her voice had taken on a concerned tone, but Kel's trained ear could hear the fabricated emotion that tinted the falsetto. It was the same fake care that Kel had experienced as a page in the palace.

"My People, my people..." The Queen trailed off looking out over them. "I will submit myself to this trial, knowing that the God's will protect me for I have done no wrong by you. You let a traitor decide the fate of this country, that is your choice, but know that when I kill him the blood is on your souls, I will wash my hands of it." She nodded to the guards to cut Tomas' bonds. He fell forward on quivering arms, for a moment Kel was worried that this was a bad plan, but Tomas slowly got himself to his feet and met Kel's eyes. The rage their chilled her soul. She reached out and clutched Dom's hand, he had moved closer as the Queen spoke. One of the guards handed Tomas his sword with a subtle nod. The queen watched all of this with a clenched jaw.

"Well, Son, shall we?" She raised her sword to the guard position and slid her feet into a perfect stance. Kel's heart beat a little faster. Tomas didn't speak. He raised his sword, and squared his stance. The queen made the first move. She darted in quickly, faking a thrust to the right, and plunging her sword into Tomas left shoulder. She drew back, not ready to end this or press her advantage. Tomas rolled his shoulder and his face contorted briefly then returned to a mask of anger.

"Come, boy, I taught you better than that." The queen taunted as she tapped her sword against Tomas' testing his guard strength. The circled each other, still Tomas said nothing.

The queen thrust in, but this time Tomas was ready and rolled his hip with the thrust, throwing his mother off balance. She regained her footing with barely enough time to block Tomas' overhead chop, the weight and force of the blow forced her knees to bend and her arms to strain. She dropped and rolled away. Tomas pursued her. The crowd cheered as Tomas continued to press his advantage. The queen looked dismayed at this turn of events. She motioned to her guards, but no one moved. This fight was long overdue and everyone knew it.

"Alright Son you want to do this the hard way? Fine."

The queen danced out of Tomas' way and moved along side of him. All of the breath escaped Kel's body. The Queen moved in for the killing blow, but Tomas was ready with his sword in hand. One quick turn, and a fast but powerful slash and the queen pulled away. From her right shoulder to her left hip stretched a long bloody gash. The Queen's sword arm trembled as she lifted it to defend herself. It was the last thing she did. Tomas was swift and made powerful by anger built up from years of his mother's abuse. The blow removed her head from her body. Both fell to the floor in the silence that followed.

"I am no son of yours." Tomas dropped his sword and walked to the edge of the platform to face the gathered masses.

"I submit myself to your will. I have killed the Queen. I will lead you to freedom if you will let me."

The silence persisted for a moment before a thunderous cheer rose from the streets.

"LONG LIVE THE KING."

"GODS ALL BLESS TOMAS THE FAIR"

"HUZZAH...."

Kel felt her heart rise and soar with the spirits of the crowd. She drew her sword and raised it aloft shouting with the others, praises and congratulations to the new king. A shiver of awareness raced down Kel's spine and her horse's flanks quivered in anticipation. There in the crowd stood two women, who were not cheering with the others. One Kel knew… the Wave Walker herself stood amongst the people of the Muroc… which comforted Kel. The other was a beauty so fair in complexion that she seemed to have no features or hair. Her eyes were fully white, having no iris or pupil to mark them. She turned her pale head to meet Kel's level gaze… the air left Kel's lungs… in the moment of connection to those ghostly eyes… she saw the future… the battle to come.


More to come... Please Review!