Current Music: Still Nightwish!
CHAPTER 12
It had been a busy time for Ctuchik. His master and God had decided to focus his attention on the death of the one person who would be most likely to cross his plans. It had taken Ctuchik's messengers a while to find a suitable person to carry out this particular assignment. It had to be an individual who knew his way around the court of Cimmura. First, Ctuchik had wanted to dominate the person in the usual way, but he found that their man was suitably corrupt to do what he was told to do without any outside guidance. A small amount of gold had been sufficient to make him do their bidding.
"Sparhawk", the cadaverous Grolim crowed in delight, having just received the news that everything was in place, "I hope you enjoyed the dawn this morning – it will be your last!"
Once Anakha, the Man Without Destiny, was dead, Zoltach would not have to fear any interference in his plans – and both their plans of vengeance would finally come true...
Queen Ehlana of Elenia looked out of the window, the Atana Mirtai at her side. It had been a few minutes since Danae had suddenly decided that her father and all his friends had to join her in her room, because she wanted to show them Mmrr's newest trick. The young, pale blonde woman smiled when she thought of the wondrous things Danae had been able to teach the young cat so far. She would have to ask her for a demonstration later...
Mirtai, seemingly not realizing that the queen was only listening with one ear, had been talking in her familiar musical Tamul accent to her since the others had left the throne room, telling her about her happy marriage to Domi Kring, whose Peloi camped just outside the city, and about their son Tassal, who, even at his two years, seemed to be an accomplished rider.
The Peloi had been the ones to escort Sephrenia and Vanion to Cimmura – a big surprise for Sparhawk, who knew that it would be quite a journey from Sarsos for his friends to join them at their annual reunions.
"Ehlana? Are you listening?" Obviously, Mirtai had noticed her vacant look. The queen gave her friend and former servant an apologetic look. "I am sorry, Mirtai – I just got lost in thought. Will you bring Tassal along with you tomorrow?"
"Of course – he is very eager to meet you all!" Mirtai, who had mothered her for a couple of years – her and everybody else in her immediate vicinity, in fact – seemed to enjoy her own motherhood enormously. "He is already practicing with his short sword – I believe he will make a fine Atan and Domi once he is all grown up."
Ehlana had to smile. The warriors of Atana were legendary fighters – there were few things who could risk a serious fight with them. Of course Mirtai's son was starting early to practice with his weapons – it was in their blood to fight, and Mirtai as well as Kring were most likely encouraging the boy in his efforts.
She turned to the Atana to reply to her when suddenly, the throne on which her husband usually sat at this time exploded with a loud noise into a multitude of wooden splinters. Mirtai threw her down to the floor as fast as she could to guard her from the pointed pieces of wood flying in their direction, but she could not fully keep them away from Ehlana. The Queen felt sharp pains in her back and her legs where the wood struck her, and then a larger piece sharply banged against her head, rendering her unconscious.
The Atana had not been struck as hard as Ehlana, as she had been standing further away from the source of the explosion; she was bleeding from a multitude of small wounds, and large bruises on her arms marked the spots where larger pieces of the totally demolished throne had hit her.
She ran over to the door and tore it open, finding a surprised guard standing in front of it. Obviously, the man had not known how to respond to the unexpected noise in the throne room.
"Get Sparhawk, quickly!", she barked at the man, who nodded quickly and ran off. Then she went back to the limp form of Ehlana. Hopefully, her injuries had not been grave...
In Danae's room, Sephrenia sharply turned her head to Sparhawk. "Something just happened," she announced in an urgent tone. "A kind of magic has been invoked here – and it wasn't friendly magic."
Everybody, including Belgarath and Polgara, who had just returned from the armory with Ulath, turned to look at her for further explanation. But Sephrenia did not have to elaborate any further; at that moment, the door flew open, and a man of the Royal Guard stood there, panting to catch his breath.
"Sir, something happened in the throne room – your wife..."
Sparhawk uttered a rather vile curse and hurried out of the door, the others just behind him.
When the knights and their friends entered the large hall in which Sparhawk and Sephrenia normally addressed government matters, the first thing to catch their eye was the mess of wooden splinters all over the floor; the second was the blackened ruin of what had once been Sparhawk's throne. Mirtai knelt at Ehlana's side; the queen seemed conscious, and none of her various wounds seemed to be grave.
While the prince consort rushed over to his wife to ensure that she was, in fact, going to be fine, Danae/Aphrael joining him instantly, Sephrenia stepped up to the remainder of the wooden throne with Dorgatan, Belgarath and Polgara at her side. She sniffed the air, bowing down to pick up some of the splinters and looking at them carefully.
The Styric woman wrinkled her nose in disgust. Then she explained in a low voice: "A potion of some kind, set to rip the throne apart at a certain time by a carefully timed magic spell. If Sparhawk had been sitting here as he usually does at this time, he would have been torn apart along with his chair. It seems that whoever of the Gods is involved in this drain you have been talking about, Dorgatan, wants to ensure that there is no Anakha anymore to dispose of him."
Will go on from here in a couple of days – hope you liked! Please review!