[u]Part 38[/u]
Alexander had been riding for close to half the day when he stopped to water his horse. By nightfall he would have left the forest, but even continuing at the pace he was currently setting, he knew that he would not reach London in less than three days. He had absolutely no desire to kill his horse and even if he traded him at the next town and rode straight through without sleeping or eating, this journey would not end soon enough to be of any real help to his friends or even the king. It was true that at least Queen Eleanor would be aware of the Sheriff of Nottingham's treachery, but by the time Alex reached her, Prince John could already be in firm control of the country. All John needed to do was seize the treasury and any hope of ransoming Richard would disappear, leaving the throne empty and John, as regent, in charge.
As he remounted, Alex reflected bitterly on the fact that the treasure Mary and Max had hidden in the forest would have made all the difference in saving the king, but until he reached Eleanor, it was useless and Richard would continue to rot in his German prison. When Alex had told Mary that he really didn't care whether it was Richard or John on the throne, he had not been lying. At least John cared enough about England to stay on its shores, but because of his loyalty to Eleanor, Alex would continue to support her favorite son, and for that reason, he was angry that Nottingham's taxes had been saved for naught.
His main concern in all of this though was, of course, Lizzy. If the queen only knew the disaster she had set in motion by betrothing her ward to Sir Kyle, he was sure she would regret it. She might even agree to allow Maxwell and Elizabeth to stay married because of the sheriff's perfidy and Max's loyalty. Maxwell of Huntington had no real reason for that fidelity after all. He was a king in his own right, but he knew how important Eleanor, and consequentially Richard, were to his wife, and so he had risked his own life to save those taxes. The queen could not overlook such an act.
Of course, none of this made a shred of difference considering the fact that there was no way that Alexander was going to reach the queen in time for her to help. By the time they returned to Nottingham, especially considering the slow pace at which the elderly Eleanor's cortège tended to travel, Kyle could have figured out a way to marry Elizabeth, in spite of the vows she had already exchanged with Max. Alex would not put it past their enemy to ignore the first wedding completely. He had no qualms at raping and pillaging after all. What was a little bigamy when a fortune the size of Lizzy's was involved?
Alexander reflected grimly that he should have allowed his sword to take Kyle's head during their mock battle the week before. Had he done so, none of this would have occurred. But, then, without Kyle's infernal interference, it was unlikely that Alexander would have ever met Isabel either. There was no way Alexander could ever regret that. Even now he remembered the sweetness with which she had kissed him, remembered lovingly the bravery she had shown in her dream searches for Michael.
The chance to love Isabel DeHarding was worth any price and Alexander was determined that he would not fail her. This had to work out somehow! It simply had to!
So it was that Alexander Delucie was feeling slightly more optimistic as he broke through the final trees and emerged on the southern plain that marked the entrance to Sherwood. And well he should have because arrayed before him was an extensive camp, dominated by a large pavilion over which flew Eleanor of Aquitaine's standard. He actually felt tears fill his eyes at the sight of it and crossed himself, saying a silent prayer of thanks to his lord and maker.
The battle was far from over.
*********************************************
Mary breathed a sigh of relief when Maxwell, Isabel and Tess broke through the trees and into the clearing marked by Lord Edmund's hunting lodge. She was holding Michael's hand, seated beside him on a bench outside the cottage. She felt the spasm that had gone through him at the sight of Lord Edmund's body tied face-down to Evander. She knew that Michael still regretted that he had been unable to save his guardian from the fate that had befallen him, nor Tess from the ordeal she had undergone in Nottingham Castle.
There was no time left for sorrow, however. Mary knew from the conversation that she and Michael had held on the return from the pod chamber, as Michael called the place of his birth, that Michael did not regret meeting her any longer, nor Elizabeth or Alexander. From the way Michael spoke of Elizabeth, Mary understood that her beloved held her closest friend in a great deal of respect now, and not simply because she was his queen through her marriage to Maxwell. He had recognized Lizzy's true worth during their time together prior to their capture and was just as determined as any of them to rescue her.
It was why he jumped to his feet now, pulling Mary up after him. Mary did not miss the way Tess's blue eyes sparked with annoyance at the sight of her hand still in Michael's, but she ignored it. Mary did not care a fig what Tess thought. She was the only one whose attitude towards the humans had not changed. Mary could not blame her, after all the small blonde had undergone at the hands of Sir Kyle, but she could not like her, and not even out of loyalty to Lizzy. Tess was not a kind person and that was all there was to it.
"Did you get them?" Maxwell asked, drawing Mary out of her analysis of Tess's character. He too seemed to notice how closely Michael was holding Mary, but he did not appear at all surprised, nor displeased. His dark eyes were, in fact, unreadable at the moment. Mary glanced at Isabel and saw that her friend was also holding herself quite stiffly, as though something of great meaning had taken place in the forest. Mary frowned and wondered at it.
"Yes," Michael replied. He looked at Tess. "Although I still don't think this is going to work."
"The healing stones were where Lord Edmund said they would be, were they not?" Tess demanded, sticking her nose in the air. Mary watched Michael press his lips together, but he nodded.
"Very well then," Maxwell sighed. "Let us try this." He addressed Tess. "Did Lord Edmund explain to you how to do it?"
"Yes," Tess replied, her tone softening because she was now speaking to Max. "It must be done outside so that we can use the power of nature." Mary stared at her, felt her heart beginning to flutter nervously. She was actually going to watch her friends try and bring someone back to life. While she had already witnessed Max's healing of Elizabeth, she still could not quite grasp the concept that anyone besides their lord and savior would even attempt such a thing. She had been raised all her life to believe that no one had the power of life and death other than the Father in Heaven and it was only now that she understood that everything she had ever been taught was, in some ways, a lie. She had never cared as much for learning as Elizabeth, or even Alexander, but at least she had hoped that what she was being taught was the truth.
Mary realized that Maxwell was regarding her seriously. "Mary, you need not watch this if you do not like to." She met his gaze, saw that he seemed to understand what was running through her mind.
"No, I want to," Mary replied.
"Your God still exists, in spite of what we can do," Maxwell continued quietly. "We are [I]not[/I] gods, but simply different because of the gifts we possess. We are not all powerful and certainly not all- forgiving." His tone darkened, making Mary frown slightly because she saw Isabel flinch at that last comment.
Was it her imagination or was Maxwell making a concerted effort [I]not[/I] to look at Tess? Mary's eyes met Isabel's. The tall blonde looked upset. Mary raised an eyebrow at her questioningly, but Isabel simply mouthed the word [I]later[/I]. Mary nodded, understanding. She felt warmth enter her heart that Isabel felt close enough to her to even share that much.
"I want to," Mary repeated when she realized that Maxwell was still waiting for an answer.
"Very well then." Max moved to Evander and gently lifted Lord Edmund's body to the ground. Michael hurried away from Mary to lend a hand. When they had settled their guardian's corpse, Max, who was crouched over the body, glanced up at Tess. "You will lead us through this Tess."
Mary took a step backwards, in order to not get in the way. She watched Michael hand the velvet bag they had found in the pod chamber to Tess, who opened it carefully. She removed the amber stones within and handed one to Michael before moving toward Lord Edmund's body and giving a stone to Max and Isabel as well.
"We should all take our places around him," Tess explained. "One of us at each of the four points of the wind. His head should be facing north." She looked at Max. "You will be placed there and Isabel at the south as you are the two of us who carry royal blood."
Mary saw Isabel jump at that. She looked at Tess in shock. "Then it is true? Maxwell and I are siblings?"
"Yes," Tess replied grimly. "Zan and Vilandra were brother and sister." She did not elaborate.
"How long have you known this?" Michael demanded.
"Not long," Tess said. "I swear it."
Mary did not miss how Isabel and Maxwell's eyes met and locked from their respective positions. She frowned slightly, wondered what in the world was going on between the three who had retrieved Lord Edmund's body, but it was becoming ever more clear to her that it was something major. It was as though every word out of Tess's mouth was being judged and weighed by either Max or Isabel and that they were looking to each other for agreement on the conclusions they drew. Very strange. What had Tess done? This could not be a result of the simple bad-mouthing of Elizabeth for which Tess was commonly guilty.
Mary glanced at Michael, saw that he seemed to be watching the interplay between Max and Isabel as well. He was scowling, but managed to focus on Tess again when she continued, "Michael you will take west and I will take east."
Mary tried to ignore her curiosity about the tension in the air and focused on the stone in Michael's hand. How could a simple rock, even one from another world, bring someone as lifeless as Lord Edmund back to this world? It seemed completely impossible and, yet, from the expression of determination that was now appearing on Tess's face, the small blonde had no doubts.
"Close your eyes," Tess instructed quietly. Max, Isabel and Michael all complied immediately. They had all automatically clasped their hands together and their stones were resting on their palms in almost exactly the same position, although Tess had not told them to do so. Mary felt her heart skip a beat, wondered if some inherent knowledge of what to do was not overtaking her friends.
"Now concentrate on connecting to each other," Tess continued. "Once that is done, Max will take control of our essences through the stones and will use them to force Lord Edmund awake."
Silence fell over the clearing. Mary could hear her own erratic breathing, but as she continued to watch the other four, it seemed to her that all of their chests stopped moving. Just as she was wondering if she should intervene, completely unwilling for them to sacrifice themselves in the attempt to resurrect someone already dead, she noticed that the stone in Isabel's hands was beginning to glow. Mary felt her eyes widen as her gaze skipped to the other three and saw that the same thing was happening.
Time seemed to stand still. Mary looked at Lord Edmund's face and was, thus, the first to see a spasm of movement cross its placid expression. She gasped and stumbled backwards when the grey-haired man suddenly took a deep breath and, in the next instant, sat straight up, his eyes meeting hers.
It had worked. By all that was holy, they had brought him back from the dead. Mary crossed herself quickly but when she next glanced at Michael she saw that his eyes were open and that he had seen her do it. His expression darkened, but he didn't say anything, merely joined Max in helping their guardian to his feet.
It took Mary a moment to realize that Lord Edmund was speaking, mainly addressing Tess, but it was clear that he was talking to all of them. "I am proud of you."
Tess threw herself at her guardian. "Thank the stars you are back. Everything has gone completely [I]wrong[/I] since you left us."
Lord Edmund frowned, looked at Max. "What has happened that could possibly be worse than what occurred before?"
Max did not cower under the older man's fierce regard though. Instead he met his gaze steadily and replied, "Nothing that I have not willed. I am king here and it is time that it is recognized milord. I am glad that we were able to bring you back, but it will not change anything that we still intend to do."
"What does this mean?" Lord Edmund demanded, setting Tess away from him and looking to Michael next. "Michael, I expect I can depend on you to tell me the truth."
Mary felt a flash of pride when Michael simply folded his arms and went to stand beside Max. Isabel was already there, of course.
"My wife has been captured," Max told Lord Edmund. "And we fully intend to go after her."
"Your wife stands right here," Lord Edmund flared. He indicated Tess, who was glaring at Max. "No human ties you create can change that Tess is your queen Maxwell." He glanced at Mary disdainfully, causing a flash of fear to descend Mary's spine. She took another unwilling step backwards.
"No," Max replied. "I refuse to acknowledge Tess as anything other than my sister. She may have been my wife in another life, but I am a different person now. I am half-human and I choose to take a bride here." He softened at Lord Edmund's sudden look of complete befuddlement, like he couldn't quite believe that Max was openly defying him. "It does not change that we will return to Antar milord. I promise that we will, but without Elizabeth I have no heart for the fight. I [I]need[/I] her." He finished simply, but Mary could hear the plea in his voice for Lord Edmund to understand so that they would not have to break from him entirely.
The resurrected Lord Edmund stared at Max for what felt like forever, glancing at Isabel and Michael before finally sighing. "Very well then. You are right that, in the end, as long as the Royal Four are united and strong, it makes little difference."
"What?" Tess shrieked. "My lord! Do not do this to me! You are my only hope! You cannot allow that bitch to take my place!"
"Calm down Tess," Lord Edmund said flatly. "You will still be queen on Antar. A human cannot hold that position. She will be Max's wife, but you will rule."
Mary saw a bevy of emotions cross Tess's pretty face. They ranged from shock to rage to despair. Mary almost felt sorry for her because she understood the one thing that Lord Edmund did not. Tess did not care one bit about being queen. She wanted to be Max's [I]wife[/I]. She wanted him to love her the way he loved Lizzy.
And it was the one thing she could never have.
Max was obviously slightly displeased with the news that Elizabeth would not be his queen, but Mary could see him decide to ignore it for the moment. They had more important things to worry about at the present time. He looked at Tess. "We still need you Tess. Please say that you will help us."
"Why should I?" Tess sneered.
"Because, without you, we will never return to Antar. You heard Lord Edmund. The Royal Four must be strong, but it need not be through marriage," Isabel put in, sounding seriously annoyed. "Tess, stop thinking about yourself for once and think about our people. We will not be able to focus on what needs to be done until we know once and for all that Elizabeth is safe."
"Was Max thinking of our people when he married [I]her[/I]?" Tess demanded.
"No," Max admitted. "I was not. Nor have I thought of them for years. I do not [I]know[/I] them Tess. I do not remember anything about being King of Antar. But being with Elizabeth makes me want to. You must begin to understand this and accept it."
Tess stared at him for so long, Mary wondered if she was trying to set him afire with her glare. She swallowed nervously, remembered that the line that ran between love and hate was very narrow. Tess spurned was dangerous indeed. If she now hated Max, there was no telling what she would do to hurt him - or Elizabeth.
"Very well," she finally muttered, turning away.
Mary saw Michael breathe an obvious sigh of relief, but it was not shared by Isabel or Max. She frowned, wondered again what they had happened between the three of them before.
"We must plan," Max said into the stillness that had descended again.
"I will not help to decide what is to be done," Tess snapped, turning back. "Just tell me what my role is to be." She stormed away.
Lord Edmund was scowling again. "This does not seem like unity to me Maxwell."
Max raised his eyes to the treetops and sighed again. "I will speak to her anon." Mary felt a pang of sympathy for him. Since he could not understand how Tess felt about him, being as he did not return the feeling, he really did not understand why she was being so difficult.
"I will try," Lord Edmund told him. "She will listen to me."
Max looked at his guardian with the first glimmering of affection for the other man that Mary had ever seen. "Thank you."
Lord Edmund continued to eye him for a moment before turning away. "You truly have become a king in my absence Maxwell." He paused. "I look forward to meeting this Elizabeth at last." With that, he went after Tess.
Alexander had been riding for close to half the day when he stopped to water his horse. By nightfall he would have left the forest, but even continuing at the pace he was currently setting, he knew that he would not reach London in less than three days. He had absolutely no desire to kill his horse and even if he traded him at the next town and rode straight through without sleeping or eating, this journey would not end soon enough to be of any real help to his friends or even the king. It was true that at least Queen Eleanor would be aware of the Sheriff of Nottingham's treachery, but by the time Alex reached her, Prince John could already be in firm control of the country. All John needed to do was seize the treasury and any hope of ransoming Richard would disappear, leaving the throne empty and John, as regent, in charge.
As he remounted, Alex reflected bitterly on the fact that the treasure Mary and Max had hidden in the forest would have made all the difference in saving the king, but until he reached Eleanor, it was useless and Richard would continue to rot in his German prison. When Alex had told Mary that he really didn't care whether it was Richard or John on the throne, he had not been lying. At least John cared enough about England to stay on its shores, but because of his loyalty to Eleanor, Alex would continue to support her favorite son, and for that reason, he was angry that Nottingham's taxes had been saved for naught.
His main concern in all of this though was, of course, Lizzy. If the queen only knew the disaster she had set in motion by betrothing her ward to Sir Kyle, he was sure she would regret it. She might even agree to allow Maxwell and Elizabeth to stay married because of the sheriff's perfidy and Max's loyalty. Maxwell of Huntington had no real reason for that fidelity after all. He was a king in his own right, but he knew how important Eleanor, and consequentially Richard, were to his wife, and so he had risked his own life to save those taxes. The queen could not overlook such an act.
Of course, none of this made a shred of difference considering the fact that there was no way that Alexander was going to reach the queen in time for her to help. By the time they returned to Nottingham, especially considering the slow pace at which the elderly Eleanor's cortège tended to travel, Kyle could have figured out a way to marry Elizabeth, in spite of the vows she had already exchanged with Max. Alex would not put it past their enemy to ignore the first wedding completely. He had no qualms at raping and pillaging after all. What was a little bigamy when a fortune the size of Lizzy's was involved?
Alexander reflected grimly that he should have allowed his sword to take Kyle's head during their mock battle the week before. Had he done so, none of this would have occurred. But, then, without Kyle's infernal interference, it was unlikely that Alexander would have ever met Isabel either. There was no way Alexander could ever regret that. Even now he remembered the sweetness with which she had kissed him, remembered lovingly the bravery she had shown in her dream searches for Michael.
The chance to love Isabel DeHarding was worth any price and Alexander was determined that he would not fail her. This had to work out somehow! It simply had to!
So it was that Alexander Delucie was feeling slightly more optimistic as he broke through the final trees and emerged on the southern plain that marked the entrance to Sherwood. And well he should have because arrayed before him was an extensive camp, dominated by a large pavilion over which flew Eleanor of Aquitaine's standard. He actually felt tears fill his eyes at the sight of it and crossed himself, saying a silent prayer of thanks to his lord and maker.
The battle was far from over.
*********************************************
Mary breathed a sigh of relief when Maxwell, Isabel and Tess broke through the trees and into the clearing marked by Lord Edmund's hunting lodge. She was holding Michael's hand, seated beside him on a bench outside the cottage. She felt the spasm that had gone through him at the sight of Lord Edmund's body tied face-down to Evander. She knew that Michael still regretted that he had been unable to save his guardian from the fate that had befallen him, nor Tess from the ordeal she had undergone in Nottingham Castle.
There was no time left for sorrow, however. Mary knew from the conversation that she and Michael had held on the return from the pod chamber, as Michael called the place of his birth, that Michael did not regret meeting her any longer, nor Elizabeth or Alexander. From the way Michael spoke of Elizabeth, Mary understood that her beloved held her closest friend in a great deal of respect now, and not simply because she was his queen through her marriage to Maxwell. He had recognized Lizzy's true worth during their time together prior to their capture and was just as determined as any of them to rescue her.
It was why he jumped to his feet now, pulling Mary up after him. Mary did not miss the way Tess's blue eyes sparked with annoyance at the sight of her hand still in Michael's, but she ignored it. Mary did not care a fig what Tess thought. She was the only one whose attitude towards the humans had not changed. Mary could not blame her, after all the small blonde had undergone at the hands of Sir Kyle, but she could not like her, and not even out of loyalty to Lizzy. Tess was not a kind person and that was all there was to it.
"Did you get them?" Maxwell asked, drawing Mary out of her analysis of Tess's character. He too seemed to notice how closely Michael was holding Mary, but he did not appear at all surprised, nor displeased. His dark eyes were, in fact, unreadable at the moment. Mary glanced at Isabel and saw that her friend was also holding herself quite stiffly, as though something of great meaning had taken place in the forest. Mary frowned and wondered at it.
"Yes," Michael replied. He looked at Tess. "Although I still don't think this is going to work."
"The healing stones were where Lord Edmund said they would be, were they not?" Tess demanded, sticking her nose in the air. Mary watched Michael press his lips together, but he nodded.
"Very well then," Maxwell sighed. "Let us try this." He addressed Tess. "Did Lord Edmund explain to you how to do it?"
"Yes," Tess replied, her tone softening because she was now speaking to Max. "It must be done outside so that we can use the power of nature." Mary stared at her, felt her heart beginning to flutter nervously. She was actually going to watch her friends try and bring someone back to life. While she had already witnessed Max's healing of Elizabeth, she still could not quite grasp the concept that anyone besides their lord and savior would even attempt such a thing. She had been raised all her life to believe that no one had the power of life and death other than the Father in Heaven and it was only now that she understood that everything she had ever been taught was, in some ways, a lie. She had never cared as much for learning as Elizabeth, or even Alexander, but at least she had hoped that what she was being taught was the truth.
Mary realized that Maxwell was regarding her seriously. "Mary, you need not watch this if you do not like to." She met his gaze, saw that he seemed to understand what was running through her mind.
"No, I want to," Mary replied.
"Your God still exists, in spite of what we can do," Maxwell continued quietly. "We are [I]not[/I] gods, but simply different because of the gifts we possess. We are not all powerful and certainly not all- forgiving." His tone darkened, making Mary frown slightly because she saw Isabel flinch at that last comment.
Was it her imagination or was Maxwell making a concerted effort [I]not[/I] to look at Tess? Mary's eyes met Isabel's. The tall blonde looked upset. Mary raised an eyebrow at her questioningly, but Isabel simply mouthed the word [I]later[/I]. Mary nodded, understanding. She felt warmth enter her heart that Isabel felt close enough to her to even share that much.
"I want to," Mary repeated when she realized that Maxwell was still waiting for an answer.
"Very well then." Max moved to Evander and gently lifted Lord Edmund's body to the ground. Michael hurried away from Mary to lend a hand. When they had settled their guardian's corpse, Max, who was crouched over the body, glanced up at Tess. "You will lead us through this Tess."
Mary took a step backwards, in order to not get in the way. She watched Michael hand the velvet bag they had found in the pod chamber to Tess, who opened it carefully. She removed the amber stones within and handed one to Michael before moving toward Lord Edmund's body and giving a stone to Max and Isabel as well.
"We should all take our places around him," Tess explained. "One of us at each of the four points of the wind. His head should be facing north." She looked at Max. "You will be placed there and Isabel at the south as you are the two of us who carry royal blood."
Mary saw Isabel jump at that. She looked at Tess in shock. "Then it is true? Maxwell and I are siblings?"
"Yes," Tess replied grimly. "Zan and Vilandra were brother and sister." She did not elaborate.
"How long have you known this?" Michael demanded.
"Not long," Tess said. "I swear it."
Mary did not miss how Isabel and Maxwell's eyes met and locked from their respective positions. She frowned slightly, wondered what in the world was going on between the three who had retrieved Lord Edmund's body, but it was becoming ever more clear to her that it was something major. It was as though every word out of Tess's mouth was being judged and weighed by either Max or Isabel and that they were looking to each other for agreement on the conclusions they drew. Very strange. What had Tess done? This could not be a result of the simple bad-mouthing of Elizabeth for which Tess was commonly guilty.
Mary glanced at Michael, saw that he seemed to be watching the interplay between Max and Isabel as well. He was scowling, but managed to focus on Tess again when she continued, "Michael you will take west and I will take east."
Mary tried to ignore her curiosity about the tension in the air and focused on the stone in Michael's hand. How could a simple rock, even one from another world, bring someone as lifeless as Lord Edmund back to this world? It seemed completely impossible and, yet, from the expression of determination that was now appearing on Tess's face, the small blonde had no doubts.
"Close your eyes," Tess instructed quietly. Max, Isabel and Michael all complied immediately. They had all automatically clasped their hands together and their stones were resting on their palms in almost exactly the same position, although Tess had not told them to do so. Mary felt her heart skip a beat, wondered if some inherent knowledge of what to do was not overtaking her friends.
"Now concentrate on connecting to each other," Tess continued. "Once that is done, Max will take control of our essences through the stones and will use them to force Lord Edmund awake."
Silence fell over the clearing. Mary could hear her own erratic breathing, but as she continued to watch the other four, it seemed to her that all of their chests stopped moving. Just as she was wondering if she should intervene, completely unwilling for them to sacrifice themselves in the attempt to resurrect someone already dead, she noticed that the stone in Isabel's hands was beginning to glow. Mary felt her eyes widen as her gaze skipped to the other three and saw that the same thing was happening.
Time seemed to stand still. Mary looked at Lord Edmund's face and was, thus, the first to see a spasm of movement cross its placid expression. She gasped and stumbled backwards when the grey-haired man suddenly took a deep breath and, in the next instant, sat straight up, his eyes meeting hers.
It had worked. By all that was holy, they had brought him back from the dead. Mary crossed herself quickly but when she next glanced at Michael she saw that his eyes were open and that he had seen her do it. His expression darkened, but he didn't say anything, merely joined Max in helping their guardian to his feet.
It took Mary a moment to realize that Lord Edmund was speaking, mainly addressing Tess, but it was clear that he was talking to all of them. "I am proud of you."
Tess threw herself at her guardian. "Thank the stars you are back. Everything has gone completely [I]wrong[/I] since you left us."
Lord Edmund frowned, looked at Max. "What has happened that could possibly be worse than what occurred before?"
Max did not cower under the older man's fierce regard though. Instead he met his gaze steadily and replied, "Nothing that I have not willed. I am king here and it is time that it is recognized milord. I am glad that we were able to bring you back, but it will not change anything that we still intend to do."
"What does this mean?" Lord Edmund demanded, setting Tess away from him and looking to Michael next. "Michael, I expect I can depend on you to tell me the truth."
Mary felt a flash of pride when Michael simply folded his arms and went to stand beside Max. Isabel was already there, of course.
"My wife has been captured," Max told Lord Edmund. "And we fully intend to go after her."
"Your wife stands right here," Lord Edmund flared. He indicated Tess, who was glaring at Max. "No human ties you create can change that Tess is your queen Maxwell." He glanced at Mary disdainfully, causing a flash of fear to descend Mary's spine. She took another unwilling step backwards.
"No," Max replied. "I refuse to acknowledge Tess as anything other than my sister. She may have been my wife in another life, but I am a different person now. I am half-human and I choose to take a bride here." He softened at Lord Edmund's sudden look of complete befuddlement, like he couldn't quite believe that Max was openly defying him. "It does not change that we will return to Antar milord. I promise that we will, but without Elizabeth I have no heart for the fight. I [I]need[/I] her." He finished simply, but Mary could hear the plea in his voice for Lord Edmund to understand so that they would not have to break from him entirely.
The resurrected Lord Edmund stared at Max for what felt like forever, glancing at Isabel and Michael before finally sighing. "Very well then. You are right that, in the end, as long as the Royal Four are united and strong, it makes little difference."
"What?" Tess shrieked. "My lord! Do not do this to me! You are my only hope! You cannot allow that bitch to take my place!"
"Calm down Tess," Lord Edmund said flatly. "You will still be queen on Antar. A human cannot hold that position. She will be Max's wife, but you will rule."
Mary saw a bevy of emotions cross Tess's pretty face. They ranged from shock to rage to despair. Mary almost felt sorry for her because she understood the one thing that Lord Edmund did not. Tess did not care one bit about being queen. She wanted to be Max's [I]wife[/I]. She wanted him to love her the way he loved Lizzy.
And it was the one thing she could never have.
Max was obviously slightly displeased with the news that Elizabeth would not be his queen, but Mary could see him decide to ignore it for the moment. They had more important things to worry about at the present time. He looked at Tess. "We still need you Tess. Please say that you will help us."
"Why should I?" Tess sneered.
"Because, without you, we will never return to Antar. You heard Lord Edmund. The Royal Four must be strong, but it need not be through marriage," Isabel put in, sounding seriously annoyed. "Tess, stop thinking about yourself for once and think about our people. We will not be able to focus on what needs to be done until we know once and for all that Elizabeth is safe."
"Was Max thinking of our people when he married [I]her[/I]?" Tess demanded.
"No," Max admitted. "I was not. Nor have I thought of them for years. I do not [I]know[/I] them Tess. I do not remember anything about being King of Antar. But being with Elizabeth makes me want to. You must begin to understand this and accept it."
Tess stared at him for so long, Mary wondered if she was trying to set him afire with her glare. She swallowed nervously, remembered that the line that ran between love and hate was very narrow. Tess spurned was dangerous indeed. If she now hated Max, there was no telling what she would do to hurt him - or Elizabeth.
"Very well," she finally muttered, turning away.
Mary saw Michael breathe an obvious sigh of relief, but it was not shared by Isabel or Max. She frowned, wondered again what they had happened between the three of them before.
"We must plan," Max said into the stillness that had descended again.
"I will not help to decide what is to be done," Tess snapped, turning back. "Just tell me what my role is to be." She stormed away.
Lord Edmund was scowling again. "This does not seem like unity to me Maxwell."
Max raised his eyes to the treetops and sighed again. "I will speak to her anon." Mary felt a pang of sympathy for him. Since he could not understand how Tess felt about him, being as he did not return the feeling, he really did not understand why she was being so difficult.
"I will try," Lord Edmund told him. "She will listen to me."
Max looked at his guardian with the first glimmering of affection for the other man that Mary had ever seen. "Thank you."
Lord Edmund continued to eye him for a moment before turning away. "You truly have become a king in my absence Maxwell." He paused. "I look forward to meeting this Elizabeth at last." With that, he went after Tess.