The Veil of Darkness

Her mother had learned to play it when she'd been a little girl. Her mother had taught her to play it.

Her mother was gone now. Only her father remained, and he was not the man he had once been.

The soft music her delicate fingers wrought from the instrument in her hands flowed out and filled the sitting room. Her ladies-in-waiting sat rapt, their eyes glistening over with the beauty of the song she played as it filled their minds with its hauntingly profound melody.

She felt as if she did not play it, but it played her, or spoke through her. She felt as if every one of her line before her who had learned to pluck gracefully at its strings were guiding her as sure as the hand of fate itself.

She played for several minutes, sitting upon her high-backed pale wood chair, heavily gilded and cushioned in green velvet. With no armrests, it gave her sufficient room to play the lute to her fullest ability.

The instrument itself was of an exotic dark wood streaked with silvery striations aligned within the grain. Though ancient, its strings had never once needed tuning, and any melody wrought from it was absolutely enchanting with a skilled practitioner at the strings.

The woman finished with a slight bow in sitting and her ladies-in-waiting clapped delightedly, more than one dabbing at her eyes with a lacy handkerchief.

"You play so beautifully, Princess."

Sarah nodded graciously with a small smile. "Thank you, Lilia."

Afterward, Sarah stood, carefully setting the Lute of Ages aside upon a silver stand, meant for the sole purpose of holding the old family heirloom aloft. She then turned toward the room's single tall arched window, and immediately felt something wrong. It was an intermittent sense she often got of late, though she could never place its source. Oddly enough, no one else seemed bothered by it, and Sarah found herself keeping it a secret from even her most trusted confidants.

The young woman was tall and slender in a flowing dress of white silk, of unusually simple cut for her station, but embroidered liberally with rose-colored scrollwork up the arms and across the bodice. Her long blond hair was held in place mainly by a silver net set with small amethysts, though one long loch fell down over her temple to curl just under her chin. Her face was angular, but far from severe, with high cheekbones set off with a natural flush. Her nose was slender between her large crystal green eyes, and she had to work at every moment to keep the worry out of them when she was amongst the sycophants and self-serving nobles of the court. Such people had once been anomalous back when her father had been himself, but the king's... change... the last two years had led to many such injustices throughout the Kingdom.

Still troubled and distant, the princess heard her friends gossiping together amongst the many plush chairs all about the pale-paneled sitting room. "It just fell out of the sky into one of the orchards to the east of the city, and no one knows why."

Another young woman gasped in shock, a hand covering her mouth. "Truly, Vera, are you certain? I have never heard of such a thing, an airship crashing! I thought the guild made sure they could never crash."

Adra, the oldest of them, shook her head. "It wasn't the only one from what I've heard. A dozen ships of all different classes in the last month have fallen out of the sky for no reason."

A plump girl shook her head with a squeak. "Oh, how dreadful! Does anyone know what the Skyborne Guild has said about this? Surely the guildmaster or one of the engineers has had something to say."

Vera tapped her chin in thought. "I've not heard a thing about any official statement, but I most certainly won't be flying on any airship anytime soon."

Lilia shoved her playfully. "Oh, not even with that princeling Ryton. He is quite taken with you, Vera, and you said there would be nothing finer in the realm than taking a long secluded voyage with him into the skies on a private raker."

Vera tittered. "Well, I suppose it would be romantic at that... at least until we plummeted to our deaths!"

They all thought it a great joke, falling about each other giggling.

Princess Sarah remained unusually aloof, and stopped listening. Yes, innocent merchants and shipmen had died as over a dozen airships had simply failed. It was no joke, but these girls had lived such sheltered lives that they knew very little of real pain or suffering. Sarah had dealt with little herself, but she felt a duty to her people now, if she had not before. She was no girl any longer, and even though her father had recently told her she would have nothing to do with ruling Highland, Sarah could not simply titter about those who were dying inexplicably.

She got a sense then, a feeling that something dire was descending on them all –

Yellow...Red...Blue...Green...

Colors flickered through her head and a weight fell subtly upon her shoulders. She tried unconsciously to shrug it off, but it did not leave. In fact, it grew heavier. Her emerald eyes widened of their own accord as she saw images of the world with red writhing clouds raining flame down upon the black broken land beneath. The dead outnumbered the living, and the oceans were as boiling blood.

The princess fell to her knees with a gasp.

The other girls all looked over suddenly. "Princess Sarah, what is wrong?" asked Lilia.

Sarah did not hear, did not know she herself was speaking, her voice strained as if each word brought gut-wrenching pain. "The earth rots... the seas rage... the wind dies... Veil of Darkness..."

Her ladies-in-waiting gathered around her with concern etched upon their faces as she knelt there, but Sarah saw them not, only the horrid visions, the screams of those torn asunder... the black fire, the rotting earth, the groaning wind, the poison water... all of it crashing down upon her...

Darkness was coming... coming for her.

The princess tried to scream, to quail, but her voice was gone. Quivering lips was all she could muster...

And then it was suddenly gone, just as a knock came at the chamber door.

Her friends surrounded her, fear for her painting their faces, when Sarah suddenly pushed herself to her feet, still clammy cold from what she had witnessed. She kept it to herself, however, as the knocking came again, this time rudely insistent.

"Come," the princess managed, finding her voice again.

The door opened and the Count Sumpter Baigan came in, dressed in usual finery. His ruggedly handsome face wore no hint of diffidence toward her as he entered, his mouth turning down as he surveyed her surrounded by her ladies-in-waiting. "The Lady General Mari is waiting for you in the King's council chamber," he said flatly.

Odious man this one was and the Princess Sarah banished her previous fear to raise her chin, glaring at him imperiously. "So you are the Duchess Mari's errand-boy this week, are you, Count Baigan?"

The man's jaw clenched. There was a distinct edge to his words. "This is a meeting of utmost urgency, called by the King himself. You are to be in the private council chamber as soon as you are able and not a second longer!" With that, he slammed the door shut and was gone.

Vera shook her head. "Horrid man, and he clearly forgets himself."

Lilia looked frightened. "He had such hate in his eyes after your words, Princess."

Sarah remarked them all calmly, and then gave a sigh. "He is a self-serving buffoon, and a fool besides, no more than a glorified boot licker."

Vera nodded, but folded her arms cautiously. "True, Princess, but... I think he is dangerous."

The princess nodded slightly, her response a mere whisper. "I know." She spoke normally after. "I must go, and if it is in the private council chamber, then I must go alone."

They all looked uneasy and uncertain about leaving her alone after the strangeness that had just happened to her, but she reassured them firmly that she was all right.

Minutes later, she walked the high-arched corridors of the Castle Cornelia lined with colorful tapestries depicting coats-of-arms or hunting scenes or old battles. These bright halls, once so reassuring and secure, now felt hollow and empty, despite the many blue-and-white liveried servants that scurried about performing their duties. There were thrice as many servants as there used to be, and Sarah knew beyond a doubt that many of the newer people were agents working for some noble or merchant prince or other magnate that had set them here to learn what they could for the benefit of their master's power games.

The young woman suppressed a weary sigh, keeping herself calm and self-assured as she glided along the halls toward her destination. Many servants bowed, as well as nobles or merchants or other guests who saw her as they went by. She acknowledged them all with appropriate nods, but kept her pace brisk making it clear she did not wish to be engaged. Besides, she didn't trust half the people in the castle these days. She dare not.

Despite her quick pace, one person came up from a side hall to match her stride with a very formal bow, doffing his wide-brimmed red hat, a white feather in it. Sarah was tall, but this young man, no more than a year or two older than she at most, was taller by inches. He was quite handsome, with sparkling violet eyes and a smiling face. He made a flourish with his stylish red hat and red cloak that was amazingly smooth despite that they were both walking quickly. He must have practiced that flourish a great deal.

He carefully fit the red hat back onto his bronze-colored hair, shoulder-length and styled to accentuate his handsomeness. "Ah, Princess Sarah, you look truly enchanting this day, may I have a word?"

The princess frowned at him. "You've already a sentence, good sir, may I have your name first?"

"Of course, Princess, how ungracious of me." He flashed her another smile. "I am True Herring, the Red Bard. Have you heard of me?" he asked hopefully.

The young woman wiped the irritation from her face. "No, I do not believe I have."

He immediately seemed put off, but was smiling again all too quickly. "Not to worry. Anyhow, your Highness, I was wondering if I might have a word about your cousin."

The princess glanced at him, before facing straight ahead. "You are going to have to be much more specific, good sir. I have many cousins."

"Valor Loftlan, Highness. I have a message for him that is most urgent. I am new to the city, however, and have so far been unable to find my way to his manor. If it pleases you, I can give you a small bit of the letter to assure you of its importance."

The princess frowned. A bard was supposed to be a world-traveler, a teller of tales and gatherer of information. That was part of the trade, so she had heard, so this man must be a very great fool indeed if he could not so much as find his way around a city without intruding on her.

While she debated, he leaned in close, whispering: "Yellow, Red, Blue, Green." Princess Sarah suddenly stopped to glare at him in shock, before she caught herself and hurried on. He followed, barely breaking stride. His seemingly ingratiating smile was still in place, but there was seriousness in his eyes now. "I think you will agree, Highness, that this letter is worth it."

The princess nodded curtly and turned down a side corridor, which would take her the long way around toward the throne room and the private council chamber to its side. She did not want to be seen whispering since the rumors would carry, but neither would she allow any of the eyes-and-ears to hear what they discussed so she leaned close to the young man. "Who are you?"

He leaned in as well. "A friend of a friend, Highness, someone who knows someone who liked the way this country used to be. We've been trying to get word to you, but your position makes it quite difficult. You are surrounded, Princess, surrounded by those who mean you harm. Your cousin Valor is also more important than you can imagine."

Sarah considered his words carefully. She remembered Valor, but had not seen him much in the past four years. She remembered him back from when she had still been a silly girl before her father's change had given her new insight. She always remembered Valor being too rigid and boring. However, as with many other things, she might see him in a different light now.

She became pensive as she continued on, remembering all too well those horrid visions from earlier and suddenly it all came crashing down on her. She knew the legend, she had been versed in it as all nobles were supposed to be, to remind them of their duty to the people of Highland when the time of prophecy came. "It cannot be," she whispered breathily.

True kept next to her, still smiling for others to see. "Yes, Princess, it is upon us."

She looked up at him. "You know where Valor lives, correct?" He nodded and she spoke up. "Very well, good sir, a pleasant day to you."

The young man smiled, stopping where he was to flourish his hat and cloak at her back. He then turned and strode down the opposite way.

The slight smile on her face died quickly after the red-cloaked man had gone. In fact, there was nothing to smile about now, nothing at all. She barely even remembered stopping before the throne room doors for the gold-armored guards to open them before she stepped through. She entered the throne room, seeing none of it before she came up before Chancellor Breen. The old man had been more like a father to her the last few years than her own. He was shorter than she, wrapped in his ceremonial robes of royal blue trimmed in white with the rampant silver griffon of Highland large on its back. A worried frown creased his weathered face; his tall ceremonial miter perched upon his white-haired head. "You look as distant as I have ever seen you, Sarah."

She came back to herself enough to glance at him worriedly. "I must see father. Is he in the private council chamber, Breen?"

The old man wrung his hands. "No, Princess, he is in the Chamber of War with the military officials that returned with Lady General Mari. She is the only one that awaits you in the private council chamber."

"This cannot wait, Breen, I must see my father with all haste."

"All haste, Princess... I think not," came a dark voice from behind.

Sarah whirled.

There she stood, taller than most men in her scarlet armor, with its wicked serpentine motif. Her severe face and red eyes were visible through the open jaws of a her helm that resembled a hooded cobra. Despite her ornate plate-mail, the Lady General seemed to slither forward, armored hands resting casually on the pommels of her falchions in their bejeweled sheaths.

Princess Sarah drew herself up in confrontation, her chin lifting. "The Duchess Mari."

The woman gave her a sly look as she came up to stand, quite casually, before Sarah. There was no deference here, none at all. This woman had never given any such when it came to Sarah, nor to anyone that she had seen, except toward her father and that barely. The princess had never liked her. Mari wore temerity the way most people wore cloaks, and there was a danger to this one, Sarah could feel it like she could feel her own skin. "You will come with me on a mission of grave importance, Princess." She paused to bring out the royal scepter from behind her back. "You will take this and we will go north to the ruins where you will show it to the King's Army under Garland, and draw them away from his influence. Your father has named this duty paramount."

"What has Lord Garland done, Mari, that I should have to travel anywhere in your company."

The Lady General gave a dark chuckle at her tone. "Why, he has become a villain and a traitor to Highland's cause. I must go to find out his intentions, you must go to draw the army back in time to meet the invasion of the Dragon, or this precious kingdom will be crushed, I fear."

If she really feared it, her tone was no indication. Sarah could not help but narrow her eyes, though she kept her face smooth. "Very well, but I must speak to my father first."

The armored woman took another casual step forward, but Sarah felt fear surge through her. It took a considerable act of will not to let it show on her face.

Mari spoke menacingly: "No, girl, you will not speak to your father, because he has already spoken! This is your duty now, and you will come with me, my company notwithstanding. We leave immediately."

"Do you mean to take an airship?"

Mari gave her a look that called her a fool. "Of course, I do not mean to walk all the way there."

"Have you not heard, Lady Mari, that airships are falling out of the sky for no reason?"

The woman suddenly laughed. "Oh-ho, Princess, do not fear, our ship will not fall out of the sky." She turned and walked from the throne room.

The princess looked to Chancellor Breen, the old fellow having kept silent during their exchange. "Please take the utmost care, Princess Sarah, there is something wrong now, with the world. I can feel it."

Sarah nodded at him with a sad smile. "I know, Breen. I know it all too well... now."

Without another word, Princess Sarah turned and followed the Lady General. She knew then for certain that she would have to play all the games she had been avoiding now, if she wanted to make her father really see what was about to descend upon them all.