Chapter 53

Throughout the next day, Raenald of house Caron wisely stayed out of sight and he kept his mouth shut which was new for him. Apolo suspected that the turncoat had more to do with the attack on Imperia than he had led them to believe, but his story was plausible enough given that Caron made no secret of the loathing he felt for his younger son. The man would have been better off disposing of him and claiming Amyr, but Amyr would always pay the price for his mother's actions.

Thinking of Amyr, Apolo tried to reach out with his senses to the man's sword, but he had no connection to it. Amyr would know if Apolo were in danger, but not the other way around, and the blessing Apolo had put on it would help him minimally in battle, yet it would only be as effective as the man wielding it.

Even worse, the ancestors had fallen silent, and Apolo worried over the reason. Even Shamara, riding with her father again, sensed their absence and it confused her when they had been with her probably since the moment of her conception. She cried more than she ever had, and that made Apolo believe that something may have happened to her mother, something she could feel through the connection Apolo did not have with her. He could not think the worst or push Trey any faster than they were riding now lest Trey realize he believed Arora was in danger. The men were tired, the horses were exhausted, and if he pushed them any harder, they would collapse before reaching Imperia. For now they kept up the pace, pausing to rest briefly so that they could take water or find food both for them and their mounts.

When they were only a day away, the stench of burning corpses carried on the winds, and Trey became frantic. It took both Apolo and Wattan to keep him from riding ahead with the scouts so that he could reach Imperia sooner. Before the city came into view, they saw several streams of smoke rising from that direction, so they moved faster until they could see the city. The smoke seemed to be coming from the heart of Imperia, the palace, which was easily discernible on the horizon rising above the city. Apolo's heart began to beat faster, fear for his sister almost overcoming his reason, especially when Shamara began to cry so much that Trey handed her over to Apolo to calm. With much difficulty, he was able to quiet her and send her into a comforting sleep, but her outburst put him on edge. This time Wattan had to stop both him and Trey rushing forward, warning him that they would surely be riding into a trap. His glance at Raenald told Apolo that if that were true, Raenald would be dead before he could earn his father's praise.

They continued until they were close enough to the city walls that their shadow nearly reached them, where Wattan warned them to wait for news from the scouts. The men he had sent forward approached the western gate, usually open to all, but now closed, and one of the handful of men dismounted to walk warily to the gate, sword in hand. Apolo was suspicious when the door opened enough for him to speak to someone on the other side, and he was not surprised when a man wearing Caron colors stepped out followed by a handful of other men. For a moment they spoke, but they were too far away for anyone to hear what they said. Then one of the scouts turned his horse and galloped back to where they were waiting.

"My lord," he spoke to Trey who was doing an admirable job of curbing his impatience. "The men of house Caron holding the city wish to surrender. They say that Lord Caron and his men were overcome in the palace, and they wish give their oaths to Raenald."

Apolo glanced back along with Trey to where Raenald was waiting, trying not to look self-satisfied about his new position in life.

Trey did not betray his feelings as he looked back to the man. "Have they been informed that Raenald has given his oath to me."

"They have and are willing to do the same outside the city."

Apolo could not trust men that had fought for Caron, nor could he believe the warlord was dead. "We do not know how many men are in the city," he warned Trey. "Nor do we know if they are telling us the truth. Once they are outside, we may find ourselves fighting for our lives after riding for days without sleep." He didn't remind him that Raenald's dire warnings had put them in this vulnerable position.

"The sight of Caron's men is all I need to find the strength to kill them," declared Wattan with a glance towards Raenald. "And if this is a trap, I know whose blood my sword will drink first."

Trey put up his hand. "There is a sizable army only a few days behind us and Caron does not know we came alone or that we are exhausted. I believe them. Tell them to come out, and after I am assured that my mate is unharmed and the palace is secure, I will take their oaths before they give them to Raenald."

"My lord..." spoke up Raenald after the man had turned his horse and ridden away. Apolo guessed that he was probably angered that the men of his father's house would be beholden to the emperor before him.

But Trey cut him off with a sharp glare. "The men of your house attacked my city and my palace. If I were not sick of fighting, I would gladly wait here for my army and force them to do battle. I want some peace to be with my family, and I want to give that same peace to my people. Do you have an objection, Raenald of house Caron?"

Apolo watched Raenald, hoping that he would argue so that he would have an excuse to end his loathsome existence.

Raenald wasn't stupid enough to argue, especially with Apolo and Wattan fantasizing about how to kill him. He lowered his head subserviently. "I have given you my oath, my lord emperor. After the men have given their oaths to you, then to me, I will return immediately to my lands."

"See that you do before I change my mind and have the lot of you put to the sword for what was done to my city." Trey spun back around and ordered Wattan to deploy their men so that the warriors of house Caron were under guard until he had a chance to return.

The gates opened and as men began to pour out, Apolo's stomach dropped as he saw how large the force had been that Caron had taken to the city while they were chasing shadows in the Wastelands. If Trey was dismayed, he did not show it as he sat upon his horse facing them, his face stony and reminiscent of his powerful father. Caron had gambled that Trey was soft as Zeno had always accused, and Apolo had once worried that Trey had been influenced too much by his mother. But his time on the other side of the wormhole had made him stronger and harder when the terrans had forced him to kill countless people in a machine that did not discriminate between men, women and children. Apolo had already witnessed his cold-blooded fighting on the battlefield. Gone was the crown prince that had lamented over what his father had forced him to do to prove he was capable of leading. In his place was a man who could be as ruthless as Zeno had been if he did not have Apolo and Arora to check him impulses.

Once the men had stopped leaving the city, Trey urged his horse forward and they parted for him and Apolo who were accompanied by a handful of the finest of Lord Wattan's warriors. When Raenald did not join them, only Apolo heard Trey's sound of disgust. Raenald was distancing himself from the destruction his father and brother had wrought on the city. Apolo did not trust that he had no hand in it, but if this was part of a ploy, Wattan would be at Raenald's side to kill him.

Once they passed through the gate, Apolo thought Trey might race for the palace, but he went through the streets slowly, surveying the damage the invading force had done to his city. Although Shamara was sleeping, Apolo drew the edge of the sling up so that she would not see what Caron's men had done in case she woke. The few people that stood in the doorways of their homes or peered out their windows looked terrified which baffled Apolo when they were being liberated. Reaching out with his senses, that was exactly what they felt, but he did not know why they would be afraid of the emperor. There were rotting corpses in the gutters, and they passed more than one burned out building. Apolo could sense that Trey was both distressed and furious, but he showed his people only the hard face of their ruler. He wondered if Trey was regretting his decision to take Raenald's oath or if he would refuse to accept the men that had done this destruction to Imperia. Now his only concern was for Arora, a concern that Apolo shared because he still could not reach her through their link.

When they came to the wall of the palace, the gate, which had never been anything but wide open at any time during Apolo's lifetime, was now closed tightly and bearing a grisly warning to any who would approach. Apolo was horrified to recognize the two bloated corpses that had been nailed to it with swords rammed through them. Despite the ravages of being feasted on by carrion birds that did not even bother to look up from their grisly meal, Apolo recognized the heads that were attached to the bodies with their own swords, their daggers sticking out from their black hearts.

"I am guessing that is the handiwork of Duo Maxwell," remarked Trey under his breath.

"A Calabrian would not do that to his defeated foe," agreed Apolo with a shake of his head. "They deserved no better," he added as his lips curved in a satisfied smile. The only thing that would make this end more fitting is if they were alive as the birds feasted on their flesh.

"Deliver the bodies to Raenald to dispose of," Trey ordered the men accompanying them. "If he wants to give them a proper funereal rite, then it is for him to arrange."

A man appeared on the wall over the gate, and seeing who waited on the other side, he quickly disappeared and the huge doors opened soon after. Apolo was glad to see no evidence that the fight had spilled into the palace. There were only a handful of men in the plaza which would normally be bustling with activity as merchants sold their wares at this central occasion. Today it was eerily silent.

One of the men waiting in the plaza came forward to bow to Trey. "My lord, I was told that you are needed urgently in the imperial apartments."

Apolo's brows shot up. Could Arora have waited this long to bear her child, and was she doing it now upon learning of his return? He could hardly believe it, and he could see that Trey was both shocked and elated that he had returned on time. He was shaking nervously as he dismounted, and when he had trouble getting his legs to cooperate after so many hours in the saddle, Apolo helped him.

As Apolo steadied him, Trey looked at the man. "Where is Lord Amyr? He should be here giving me a report."

"I am sorry, my lord, but the fighting was fierce. Lord Amyr was killed defending the palace."

Trey looked at Apolo who was shocked that such a fine warrior was dead.

"How many men are left of the palace guard?" he asked.

"Fourteen, my lord, not including Duo Maxwell," he was told. "Gracious Lady Arora and Lord Amyr held the palace but lost many men here and in the city."

Given the amount of Caron's men that had retreated from the city, Apolo was surprised the palace had not fallen to the enemy and Arora killed, but then, if Caron had been killed along with Raemon, his men had no choice but to yield. The warriors that had surrendered must have been fearful of what would become of them when Caron's body had been nailed to the gate. They probably realized they would be at the mercy of the emperor so they surrendered before Trey discovered exactly what they had done to the city and palace. There had been at least a hundred men with Lord Amyr which should have been enough to protect the palace and patrol the streets at any other time. But it would not have been enough to protect both from the men Caron had gotten into the city. That Arora had defended the palace and ended the warlords plans to seize the throne was nothing short of a miracle. Surely the gods had been with her.

"My lord," spoke up the man when Trey did not move or speak. "I was told that you should go immediately to the imperial apartments where your gracious lady awaits."

Apolo put a hand on Trey's shoulder. "After all that has happened, you had best go to her now. I doubt she can wait much longer."

They quickly left the men behind, but when they entered the empty palace, their footsteps echoing in the deserted halls, Trey suddenly stopped and turned to look at Apolo. "I am ready for this. Tell me that I am ready, Apolo."

Apolo smiled and urged him to move with a gentle push. "Is any man ever ready to welcome his son into the world?"

"Some day I hope to be there for you when your son is born," said Trey before they hurried up the steps to head in the direction of the emperor's private living quarters.

When they came to the door, Trey paused to take a deep, calming breath before he strode in. They found Duo Maxwell, sitting on a wooden stool which was the only piece of furniture in the room, and while he could smell as well as see the new whitewash that had been applied to the floors, walls and ceiling, Apolo sensed the death of many here that could not be disguised with new paint.

Duo did not rise to greet Trey, but he raised his head to look at him and Apolo was shocked by the emptiness he saw in his eyes. "Arora is in your chamber waiting for you," he announced tonelessly.

Trey glanced at Apolo, then hurried away in the direction of his chamber. Apolo started to follow him, but Duo stood and moved to block his path. "You stay here."

Apolo stared after Trey who disappeared into his chamber, then he turned to look at Duo. "I should be with them."

"This is something they need to sort out without you," said Duo with a sigh. "Are Caron's men out of the city?"

"They wait for Trey so they can give him their oaths, and then Raenald will take them back to his holdings in the south," Apolo told him. He was anxious for Arora, knowing how difficult a time she had giving birth to Shamara.

As if she knew he was thinking about her, Shamara struggled in the sling. Light returned to Duo's eyes and he smiled as he came to them. "There is my princess! I have missed you." He reached out to take the squirming toddler from Apolo and when he held her in his arms, he kissed her cheeks.

Apolo smiled as he watched Shamara rub her little face against him. "I think she missed you, too," said Apolo as he put a hand on Duo's shoulder. When he could not read Duo's thoughts, he drew back his hand in surprise, and he saw that Duo knew what he had done and why. "How did you block me?" he asked instead of trying to think of an excuse for his intrusion.

Duo gave him a half smile. "It's a long story that I would rather not tell. Let's just say I picked up a handy trick in my dreams."

Apolo's brows drew together. "My father?"

"If by father you mean that nasty demon, then yes. He's been pestering me lately. He called me a conduit, zapped me with a giga wattage of magic and then poof!" Duo snapped his fingers. "He said you and Arora wouldn't be able to read me any more. It's been nice to have my thoughts to myself again."

"You will have to tell me how Arora managed to defend the palace against Caron," Apolo told him.

Duo sliced his hand through the air. "A little of this and a little of that. Correction, a lot of this," he swung his hand in a chopping motion, "and a lot of that." He finished by mimicking stabbing. Shamara giggled, and Duo smiled down at her. "Some day I'll tell you the story."

"Lord Amyr was killed?" Apolo prompted, wondering why Duo was being more obtuse than usual.

"Caron killed him," Duo told Apolo. "I did not know Amyr very well, but Arora took his death very hard. They worked closely in the days when I was recovering from my wound."

"Wound?" Apolo raised his brow.

"Yeah, I am guessing that pile of rat shit, Raenald, slipped a blade into me while I was keeping Raemon from killing Arora when they ambushed us on the way to the city."

"Gods damn!" snarled Apolo furiously. "I knew he was lying!"

Duo looked at him. "Raenald? You know where he is?"

"He is outside the wall waiting for Trey to return. He has given his oath to Trey who accepted it. Do not tell me that he was here attacking the palace with his father and brother! He claimed innocence, that his father was displeased by what happened in the Wastelands."

Duo snorted derisively. "We were attacked twice on the road, once by Raenald, and then again by him and his brother, but we drove them off. Now that Caron's plan has run its course, I guess they attacked us to delay our return so that they could get the bulk of their men into the city in position to attack."

Shaking his head, Apolo said, "I can scarcely believe Arora survived the attack and killed Caron. Did she also kill Raemon?"

Duo shrugged. "Does it matter? They are both dead. I only wish Raenald had been there to finish off as well."

"We are probably better off sending Raenald back when having no one left of house Caron would have set off the warlords against each other to claim his warriors." Apolo might have discussed it further, but the door at the far end of the hallway opened and Trey exited holding a bundle that was crying.

Apolo smiled. "He has a healthy cry." His smile faded when he saw that Trey appeared to be troubled as he looked down at the infant in his hands as he walked, and when he came to them, he raised his head to look at Duo.

"He is your son."

Apolo's gaze flew to Duo who shrugged dismissively. "I'm a dolt when it comes to such things, but I do know how a baby is made and I definitely did not do that with your wife."

"He was born into your hands," Trey said, and Apolo's heart ached for him.

"Because your hands weren't here," said Duo, and he handed Shamara back to Apolo. He rubbed his hands, then cracked his knuckles. "Why don't you take the baby back to Arora, and then come out here so we can discuss this mano a mano."

"I'm not fighting with you," said Trey irritably as he juggled with the baby that was still crying.

"Who said anything about fighting?" asked Duo. "I'm going to beat the shit out of you for putting Arora in this position. You should have been here."

"I have obligations," retorted Trey, glancing from Duo to the baby that was becoming red in the face from its crying.

Duo advanced on Trey, curling his fingers tightly into fists. "Obligations more important than protecting the honor of your wife?"

Apolo wondered if he should step between them to protect Trey, but he knew that Duo wouldn't hit him while he was holding the baby. Shamara was watching them with wide eyes, and he felt the question she was unable to ask. Why is Duo so angry? What happened in the palace? The battle must have been horrific, and given the new coat of paint in the imperial salon, it had spilled into this very room.

The now screaming baby brought Arora from her chamber, and Apolo was both relieved and surprised that she looked unharmed. She took the baby from Trey, and the moment she stepped away, Duo launched himself at him. Apolo expected Arora to stop them from throwing punches at each other, but she huffed, spun on her heel and returned to her chamber. Apolo sidestepped the men now grappling with each other on the floor, Duo angry that Trey had all but abandoned Arora and Trey upset that Duo had usurped his right as a father.

When he entered Arora's bedchamber, he saw that whatever violence had happened in the imperial apartments had been confined to the salon because her chamber was as he remembered. He went to her where she reclined among the pillows with the baby at her breast. Shamara squirmed in Apolo's arms, so he went to the bed and put her near her mother. She crawled to the baby and with surprising gentleness for a toddler, she reached out to touch his small face before she curled up beside him to put a protective arm around him.

Arora leaned over to kiss the top of her head, and then she looked up at Apolo. "You have been unusually quiet. You must have many questions."

"I would rather not ask them aloud," he confessed as he went around the bed and laid down beside her at her back. "Will you allow me to read you, sister?"

She reached back for his hand, entwining her fingers with his and he was surprised by the intense magic he felt in her touch. "I don't know when or how this happened, especially since I was so weak after fighting and then birthing the baby. I did not know how I would recover, but I went to sleep one night, and when I awoke, the injuries I suffered in the battle were healed and I had this power."

Recalling what Duo said, he asked, "Was Duo with you as you slept?"

"Beside me," she responded. "I am glad that he did not leave me to sleep alone. The gods gave me a wonderful gift in arranging for Duo to be at my side."

Through Duo, the ancestors must have infused Arora with much power and that was why they had been silent for several days. "Were you badly injured during the fighting in the palace?"

She did not answer for a few moments, and although he tried to find out the answers from her touch, she was as closed off to him as Duo had been. That Duo did not want his most private thoughts to be read was only natural, but Apolo had been linked to Arora since her birth and it hurt to discover that she hid something from him.

She turned her head to look at him. "I do not want you to be burdened with my memories of the fight," she told him. "It is over and I am safe. You would worry needlessly about something that cannot be changed."

The ancestors surely agreed with her and had sent Dax to assure that she could keep those memories to herself. "I am sorry that Trey was not here for you." Apolo reached over her to touch the baby and he was dismayed not to feel any power within his tiny body.

"He has more of his sire in him," Arora said with a sigh.

"Perhaps he will develop powers in the future," suggested Apolo. He did not know enough about his own people to know for certain that children born without Guerani powers could develop them as they grew.

"And perhaps the gods meant for him to be a warrior."

A crashing sound came from the salon and Arora shook her head. "I told Duo not to break the stool over Trey's head, although it was the only reason he brought it here in the first place." She met Apolo's gaze. "Duo helped me when I needed him, and I am very grateful for him. Now, more than ever, I believe the gods intended for him to keep me safe. Since the moment I left Edgeland Fortress, I was a target for house Caron warriors. Even with all my training, without Duo's help, I could not have held off all those that tried to kill me. And he saved me one last time, by staying with me when I gave this child life."

Apolo watched the dark-haired baby nurse at her breast for a moment, and then he said, "Your son will always feel an affinity to Duo. Did you explain that to him?"

She shook her head. "He would not like to hear that. As much as he cares about Shamara, and yes, this baby too now, he would not want to know how important he will always be in my son's life."

"Have you thought of a name for him?" There were several ancestral names that he wanted to suggest to Arora since Trey had said he would leave it up to her. He did not want to give his son any names from Zeno's house.

"I would honor the man that gave his life protecting me. I will call him Amyr," Arora announced, and he saw tears in her eyes. "Lord Amyr was a good man whose life was too short. Despite the misery to which Caron subjected him, he chose the path of honor instead of bitterness. I only wish there was more I could do to show how grateful I am for all that Amyr sacrificed so that I might live."

Even though she blocked him from searching her memories, he could see that she felt deep anguish so he drew her close. "Tell me what happened so that I might give you comfort."

"This is my burden to bear alone," she said tearfully, and then she smiled as she looked down at the baby. "I think it shall not be so very difficult to forget the horror when the bright memory of my beautiful son's birth that night will drive it into the shadows."

Apolo wished he could help her, but he knew that she would never allow him into the thoughts she guarded so well with the help of the ancestors. He would just have to accept it, and maybe some day when the memory was not so painful, she would tell him how she had defended the palace against the onslaught of a monster.