Chapter 13: Divine Intervention

'Tisn't mine, 'tis Tamora Pierce's. Give me credit for Imogen, Loge and the plot. And don't sue me, I'm trying to save my money for music school!

Imogen spent the next few days walking around in a daze. She had retreated to some inner sanctuary in her mind and observed all events with detached wonder as she tried to figure out exactly what had happened in the courtyard as Thom and Alanna headed off to war. It was as though somebody had taken her world, shaken it up, and then put it down again, upside-down.

Needless to say, Kalasin and Alianne were postively cackling with glee. The news of the scene in the courtyard spread like wildfire throughout the castle and King Jonathan suddenly became much more gracious to Imogen. After all, truthsense was hereditary. Even Domingo was smirking, but that may have been because he was the one who had put the idea into Thom's head in the first place.

"Honestly," he said after Kalasin told him, "you two are the densest people I have ever met. Thom had to be whacked in the face with the fact that he was head-over-heels for you before he could see it. I've heard that love was blind, but not that blind!"

About a week after the departure of the troops from Corus, Kalasin suddenly burst into her friend's room, seething with fury.

"I'm engaged," she declared before Imogen could even open her mouth. "That great, tremendous, foolish, stuck-up prig I call my father has engaged me to Emperor Kaddar. Kaddar! In Carthak! I'll murder him!"

Imogen raised an eyebrow. "Who, your father or Kaddar?" she asked, her voice faintly amused.

"Argh…both!" Kally said, burying her face in a chair. "Why, why did I have to be born a princess to be sold at auction like a cow? It happened to Roald too, but at least he loves Shinko, and at least he gets to do something. Carthaki women are supposed to be meek, beautiful, and absolutely useless! I should have run away when Father refused to let me become a knight!"

Imogen got up from the window where she had been sitting and walked over to Kalasin. "Oh Kally, it can't really be that bad," she said soothingly. "Look on the bright side, at least your father isn't trying to end this foolish war by betrothing you to King Maggoty Bread. And you can make Kaddar's life miserable if you want. Be unconventional. Shock the stupid Carthaki nobles. Heaven knows I've done enough of that in just a few short months."

Kally raised her head, managing a grin. "I suppose it isn't really so bad," she admitted. "Daine says Kaddar's nice. Maybe we can be friends." Then Kally bared her teeth in a snarl. "Oh, I wouldn't take it so badly if I could do something useful for once. Being cooped up in this castle while there's a war going on is driving me mad with impatience!"

Imogen's head shot up abruptly. A devilish light sprang to life in her green-gold eyes. "Kally, you have the Gift, right?" she asked. "And I'm a truthsayer. Two very useful weapons in a war. Hmmm…"

Kalasin caught on immediately. "And with the metal devices, they need all the help they can get," she continued, a gleam in her own eyes. "I'm a princess and know how to behave, and you – you're practically the adopted daughter of the Lioness." Then suddenly she crumpled again. "But he won't let us go, Imogen, I know he won't. He'll say it's too dangerous and forbid us."

"Then we'll go anyway," Imogen said determinedly. "I'm not going to let some stupid king stop me from doing my part."

Kalasin looked at the determined light in her friend's eyes and suddenly knew that no mortal could stop her now that her mind was made up. The eldest princess sprang to her feet and linked arms with her friend and together they marched towards the king's council chamber.

"No," said King Jonathan firmly. "It's too dangerous. Kalasin, you should know better. You're the eldest princess, after all. And Lady Imogen, you're the only truthsayer Tortall has."

"All the more reason for me to go," Imogen said persuasively, though internally she was screaming with anger. They had been coaxing the king for almost an hour and he hadn't budged an inch. It looked like total stalemate, but Imogen wasn't giving up and neither was Kally. "The mages need me to see through the illusions. They need Kally to heal their wounds. Is the risk to our lives greater than the value of all the lives we could save?"

King Jonathan sighed. "We've been over this before, Imogen. As Kalasin's father and your king, I forbid you to go."

Imogen's patience finally snapped. "You're not my king. You have no authority over me whatsoever, since I'm not a citizen of Tortall and never swore allegiance to you. I'm going whether you like it or not."

"That can be easily fixed," Jonathan said icily, his patience gone too. "Guards!" he called. "Confine these two girls to their rooms. Treat them gently, but until they give in, they are not to leave without escort."

Kalasin shrieked with fury and indignation. "Father, you can't do this. Father! You pompous ignoramus, you can't confine us just because we have minds of our own! Imogen! Help me!"

But Imogen had retreated, far, far into her mind, chasing a presence that had been with her since she first set foot on Tortallan soil…

Loge! LOGE! she screamed. Curse you, Loge, where are you when I need you?

Right here said that familiar voice. Right where I always am. You keep me entertained, especially around that young red-haired mortal. You liked his kisses, didn't you?

Be that as it may, that is not what I came here to talk about Imogen snapped. Use your divine influence to snap that infernal pig Jonathan out of his self-righteous state of mind. Kally and I need to get to the Scanran border.

But I don't have a physical manifestation the god protested. I exist only in the minds of chosen people, and King Jonathan is not one of them.

Then get a physical manifestation Imogen said. I don't care if you come as a talking sneaker, I need some help here! If you don't I'll simply sit in my room and rot rather than provide you with any more 'entertainment'.

Imogen could feel the god smile. A talking sneaker, I like that. However, I think I'll go for something a little more imposing. I'll help you, little mortal, if only for the expression on that king's face when he sees me.

Imogen came back to her real body with a gasp to find everyone in the room staring at her. She glared at them all and stepped over to Kalasin. "Don't worry, Kalasin. I've enlisted a bit of divine intervention."

Any reply the princess might have made was lost in the shouts of alarm as suddenly a huge revolving pillar of fire erupted from floor to ceiling. The guards seized Imogen, Kalasin and the king, pulling them back against the wall and drawing their swords. The pillar was between them and the door.

Suddenly the pillar vanished and in its stead stood a seven-foot tall figure with orange hair and eyes and flowing green robes.

Imogen sighed and rolled her eyes. She pushed past the guards and confronted the god, hands on hips. "You never do anything by halves, do you?" she asked in exasperation.

Loge grinned. "You did ask for my help, mortal," he reminded her. "Can I help it if I like melodrama?"

Imogen sighed again and reluctantly grinned back. "I suppose not. Very effective, though."

The king interrupted, having followed their interchange with growing confusion on his face. 'You're a – a god?" he inquired of Loge.

"Course he's a god," Imogen said. "He brought me here."

Jonathan sat back in his chair with a thump, eyes wide and mouth gaping. Imogen caught Kalasin's eye and grinned. Judging by the king's astonished expression, he was overawed to be in the presence of a god. Things were looking up…

Loge drew himself to his full and very imposing height. "MORTAL," he boomed. "By my divine right as a god and with the support of Mithros, I order you to permit these two girls, one my chosen human vessel, to travel to the Scanran front and assist in your conflict. To disobey this order risks incurring the wrath of the gods. Beware, lest your disobedience cost you the realm and your life."

Jonathan by this time was paper white and seemed to have shrunk quite a bit. "Well, of course," he babbled. "Wouldn't dream about going against the will of the gods. So sorry. Yes, they can go immediately."

Loge smiled distantly. "Very wise, mortal," he said. He spun around, winked at Imogen, and vanished into a pillar of smoke.

The silence in the King's council chamber was deafening. Jonathan sat collapsed in his chair, his skin an unhealthy shade of pale green. The guards seemed stunned at the sudden appearance and just as abrupt disappearance of such a strange deity. Kalasin and Imogen barely dared breathe as they waited for the king's verdict.

Finally Jonathan seemed to rouse himself from his trance. He stared at his eldest daughter and her best friend, eyes dark with confusion. He opened his mouth but no words came out. He swallowed, cleared his throat and tried again. "You may go to the Scanran front," he managed hoarsely. "I'll send you with a squad of soldiers to Steadfast. Raoul can take care of you."

Imogen and Kalasin glanced at each other, eyes sparkling. "Thank you, Father," Kalasin said respectfully, barely able to contain her glee.

"Yes, well, I can hardly argue with a god, can I?" Jonathan said, pulling a piece of parchment and a quill towards him. "I'll give you a letter to take to Raoul. You may depart now."

Not daring to glance at each other, the two girls bowed respectfully to the king and eased out the door. Once in the corridor Kalasin turned to Imogen, blue eyes dancing. "Divine intervention? Imogen, that was spectacular!"

Imogen rolled her eyes. "There are some good points to being the protégé of an insane god with a taste for melodrama," she said. "We get to go to Scanra!"

The two girls linked arms and skipped down the corridor, chanting "To Steadfast we will go, to Steadfast we will go, heigh-ho the derry-oh, to Steadfast we will go!"

I'm sorry about the wait. My grandmother has cancer and my mother's taking it hard. I had to take a break from writing for a while because everything I produced was really depressed. If this chapter's not quite up to standard, that's my excuse.

In the next chapter Kally and Imogen are at Steadfast, they meet some of our favorite characters, and both Thom and Domingo return to the scene. I promise I won't go mushy. I hate mush.

Love to all reviewers, you're the salt of the earth! Also many thanks to Tamora Pierce for getting Cleon out of Kel's life in Lady Knight. She shouldn't have been with Cleon in the first place. I have nothing against Cleon, but he wasn't right for Kel. Too clingy. Now Dom on the other hand… KEL/DOM! KEL/DOM ALWAYS!