Chapter 65
Dijana did not even have time to get over the shock she experienced from the news Lady Trynity had given her before the healer informed her that they would be leaving for the surface within the hour now that she was awake. While she had been sleeping, one of the men had retrieved her belongings from the Varoonyan ship, so Dijana was able to change into one of her own gowns and when she put on her shoes, she noted that her feet had healed and wondered if Lady Trynity had the same healing magic as Chaela.
As she waited for the healer to return, Dijana put a trembling hand on her belly, awed that she was nurturing life inside her when she had believed it impossible. Although Lady Trynity assured her that Taeron would have a similar reaction to hers, that he would be very pleased that the woman he loved would give him a child, Dijana was not so certain. She had told Taeron that she would not be able to conceive when he had offered to take precautions. Now she feared that he might believe she had lied to him. She did not want to think about how her parents were going to react, in particular her father. He would already be infuriated that she had left Teralon with the Varoonyans, sneaking away under Guillem and Valter's nose through the grotto tunnel. Dijana hoped they did not suffer for her actions because she had grown to like the musclebound winged warriors.
Because she did not want to risk an attack from Guerani palace, Lady Trynity took the Varoonyan ship to the surface. Dijana was already on the ship when the imperials brought Princess Cydeara aboard, her hands bound behind her back.
The Varoonyan glared at Dijana when they passed in the corridor and she struggled to stop to speak to her. For just a moment they faced each other and Cydeara said, "You will pay for this, you Teralonian whore! If Kai doesn't rip you to shreds and drink you dry for your betrayal, then I will."
The guards shoved the princess so hard in the middle of her back that she stumbled forward, but Cydeara caught herself and her crimson glare met Dijana's gaze one more time, silently promising retribution before the imperials dragged her from her sight.
As Lady Trynity suspected, the trip to the surface was uneventful, and Dijana was surprised that she piloted the craft. When they cleared the atmosphere, she directed the them towards a mountain range and then flew so low that Dijana saw a beautiful palace rising out of the forest.
"Keldar, I don't suppose there is any Varoonyan waste we can decorate Guerani Palace with."
The man sitting idly in the co-pilot's seat shook his head. "Regretfully, my lady, we disposed of it before taking off since it stunk so badly."
"We will buzz Prince Staefyn anyway, although a little Varoonyan shit would have been a nice touch."
"My lady, I didn't know you had such a mean streak," remarked Keldar with a laugh.
"Then you don't really know me."
The space landing port on the surface, Edgeland Fortress, had been warned of their unconventional method of arrival and since Guerani Palace was expecting the Varoonyan vessel, Kai did not send any fighters to challenge either. Dijana shuddered to think how differently this day could have ended for her if those that served the emperor were even a little less diligent. Princess Cydeara had not stood a chance against the Calabrians when Emperor Trey's people did not let anything in his empire fall beneath their notice.
When the ship touched down near the large, sprawling fortress, Dijana's stomach was fluttering with nerves at meeting Taeron's other set of parents, especially the woman that had given him life. Dijana knew that Taeron adored his mother, but he admitted to Dijana that she could, and often purposely did, wear on the nerves of others. Knowing that Lady Larya counted herself a friend of Queen Neria, Dijana was anxious that she would not shame her mother or Taeron.
Lady Trynity left the ship before her and Dijana could hear her exclamation of delighted surprise, so Dijana was afraid that she was going to make the acquaintance of the governor of the first moon at the space port and not at the fortress. Steeling herself, trying to hold back the nausea that had made its reappearance with a vengeance after she learned of her condition, Dijana ducked out of the portal and headed slowly down the ramp from the ship.
She saw Lady Trynity hugging a beautiful dark haired woman who stood with a very handsome dark haired man who received the healer's hug afterward. Dijana was sure that the other woman was Taeron's mother although she did not see any resemblance between them. Dijana waited with her hands clasped before her until Lady Trynity turned to her.
"I present to you, Princess Dijana of Teralon," she said with an encouraging smile.
Dijana could not move as she faced Taeron's mother.
"I think our guest is confused," said the dark haired woman. Her smile instantly put Dijana at ease and the nausea quickly dissapated. The woman raised her brows and turned her head to look at the man beside her.
"Did you do that, Apolo?"
"You were taking too long and I was afraid she was going to vomit upon my new tunic." He rolled his shoulders as if he were uncomfortable. "I told Larya that I do not like this stiff fabric, yet she insisted I make a good impression."
Dijana realized that the man was Lord Apolo, the governor of Edgeland Fortress and the husband of Taeron's mother, and she was dismayed to hear that the other woman was not Taeron's mother and she wondered what it meant that she had not come to greet her.
Lord Apolo, stepped forward to put his hands on Dijana's shoulders and she nearly jumped at his touch, but his warm grasp put her at ease. "I am delighted to finally meet you, Princess Dijana. Allow me to introduce my sister, Lady Arora."
Dijana gasped in shock to find herself facing the wife of the emperor, and she was overwhelmed when the woman came to embrace her.
"She is speechless," remarked Lady Trynity with a smile. "Did I not tell you that she has little to say?"
Lady Arora stood back to look at Dijana. "You are very pretty. I am pleased by the choice Taeron has made."
"You told him I am here?" asked Dijana, horrified that she was going to have to face Taeron sooner than expected.
Lord Apolo slipped an arm around her shoulder and Dijana realized that the calming effect of his touch was due to his Guerani powers. "You need not worry. None of us has told Taeron that you are here otherwise he would have ripped open the ship and carried you out and away before we had a chance to meet you. I doubt we would have seen the two of you again for several weeks."
As Dijana blushed and Lady Trynity laughed, the emperor's wife frowned. "You jest, brother, but we all know that my mate will be very displeased by this turn of events."
Their attention was diverted when the imperial warriors dragged the uncooperative Varoonyan princess from the ship. They brought her to stand before Lord Apolo who moved away from Dijana to face the crimson eyed female.
"Princess Cydeara, how nice of you to visit."
"Fool," she hissed at him. "When my husband rules this rotted system, I will see that you suffer daily for this insult."
He did not seem bothered by her threat. "You should have told Taeron where to find your husband when he questioned you on Varoonya many months ago. Now you will share his fate." Without giving her a chance to reply, he signaled to the warriors. "I believe we have some suitable accomodations for the princess. I will question her later."
The Varoonyan female gave Dijana a scathing glare again before they dragged her away.
Lady Arora watched her depart until she could no longer be seen and she was frowning when she looked back at her brother. "Do not mistreat her, Apolo."
He laughed. "I am incapable of mistreating such a beautiful woman. It is a shame that she is tied to a creature like Kai when she could have done much good for her people."
"Do not mistake her for a wronged female," Lady Trynity spoke up. "She is as manipulative as her mate. If ever there was a match made in the netherworld, it is that one."
"Regardless," said Lady Arora. "She is the sole heir of the ruling house of Varoonya. Andwar had to dig deep under that house to find another with only a drop of their blood."
"Yet the new ruler of Varoonya has been enthusiastically accepted," pointed out Apolo.
His sister's troubled frown eased to a smile as she turned her attention back to Dijana. She hooked her arm around Dijana's and said, "Come with me and I shall introduce you to the most powerful woman in the empire."
"It is not you, gracious lady?" Dijana was surprised.
"Gods no!" she responded.
Lady Trynity laughed with the emperor's wife and Dijana heard Lord Apolo chuckling as he walked behind them. "Lady Larya can lay waste to many a male in the empire," Lady Arora told her. "She is even better at browbeating my mate than I am."
"You are frightening her, sister," remarked Apolo from behind them. Dijana was, indeed, feeling even more nervous about meeting Taeron's mother.
"How are your children, Trynity? We do not see them often enough." Dijana was glad that Lady Trynity began to talk about her young son and daughter, Taeron's siblings. Dijana had only gotten a glimpse of them when the healer had entrusted them into the care of the black clad warriors. By the time they stood before the gate of the fortress, the three very powerful people in the empire were trading stories about their small children.
The guards at the gates opened them readily and Dijana saw them exchange grins upon seeing her, and Lord Apolo told her that they had served on Teralon and were happy that she had followed their lord prince back to Calabria. They walked through a practice yard where men were honing their skills, but they stopped to bow low, whether for the governor or Lady Arora, Dijana did not know, but when they started to hum, she stumbled and turned to look at the men when she recognized the melody of the ballad Taeron had sung for her.
"They love their crown prince," Lady Arora told her as she reached up to squeeze Dijana's arm. "And they honor you."
The large double doors to the fortress swung open and Dijana turned to see that a woman was waiting inside. She was neither tall nor short, with long white hair that was swept up in front and held with jeweled combs while falling down her back in waves. Dijana could not believe that the beautiful woman approaching her was Taeron's mother, and yet as she drew closer, she saw the resemblance between her and the man she loved.
Lady Larya held out her hands and when the women on either side of her released Dijana, she stepped forward to take them. The other woman did not seem to know what to say as she met Dijana's gaze and Dijana was awed by her beauty.
"This is a first," remarked Lady Trynity after a moment. "Larya is speechless."
Tears made Lady Larya's pale violet eyes glisten and Dijana hardly needed even that prompting to make her own vision grow blurred.
"By the gods, Larya, don't cry!" Apolo started toward them but he stopped when Larya moved to bring Dijana into her embrace.
"Princess Dijana! I am so happy to finally meet you." She held her for a moment and Dijana did not know what to say. Her heart ached as she imagined Taeron talking about her to all these people that loved him, and by their reaction to meeting her, he had much good to say. She hoped that she did not disappoint them.
After a moment, the other woman stepped back but she continued to hold Dijana's hands although tears rolled down her cheeks. "Let me look at you. You are radiant!" She released Dijana and after swiping at her wet eyes, she put an arm around her shoulders. "You must be tired after the trip from the moon."
"I slept almost all of yesterday," Dijana told her, but she let her lead her away from the others.
"You should rest anyway." By her knowing smile, Dijana knew that Lady Trynity had told Taeron's mother about the baby. She did not know how she felt about another person sharing her secret, but the arm around her shoulders was comforting.
"I am hungry," she confessed. "Perhaps you have some fruit or nuts?"
Lady Larya's nose wrinkled in distaste. "Fruit or nuts?" She shook her head. "No, no, no, princess! You need to eat a healthy meal for the child." She turned to look at Apolo. "Do we not have some of the delicacies left from Teralon?"
Her stomach lurched violently as she imagined a platter of murkwater spider and she could barely hear Apolo's laughter over the retching that left Lady Larya's lovely gown drenched in the vile contents of Dijana's stomach. Once the spasms settled thanks to Lord Apolo's soothing touch, Dijana was horrified to see what she had done to Lady Larya.
The other woman looked down at her gown, her arched brows drawn together a moment, and then she settled her gaze on her mate. "Do we have any fruits or nuts in the fortress? Perhaps you can take some to Princess Dijana while I make myself presentable." She smiled warmly at Dijana who was still horrified by what she had done. "You will feel better after you rest and have something to eat."
"I will show Princess Dijana to a room," offered Lady Arora and she came forward to tuck her hand on her arm again.
"And I will find her something to eat that will agree with her," said Lady Trynity.
Taeron's mother sniffed. "It is the least you can do after you bring her to the surface starving."
Dijana opened her mouth to say that she was not starving, but Lady Trynity responded first.
"You demanded that I bring her today, and gods forbid I do not do as you demand. And I offered a meal to the princess, but she insisted that she did not want anything to eat and since I know a thing or two about breeding females, I did not press her."
Lady Larya frowned at the healer for a moment and then made a sound of disgust. "I suppose you are uniquely qualified to find food that might please the princess." She looked back at Dijana who was still mortified by what she had done to Taeron's mother. "Do not trouble yourself, princess. I have carried a babe in my belly on more than one occasion. Lady Trynity is not Calabrian, so she may be able to find food that is palatable to you. After you have have been settled, you may join us in a meal."
Lady Arora came forward to hook her arm around Dijana's. "I will show you to a room."
Although she was surprised that the emperor's wife escorted her, Dijana went with her. "I hope she is not angered," she murmured more to herself than to the woman beside her.
The other woman laughed. "You could never anger Larya, not when she knows that you are the key to her son's happiness."
She led her to a large room with a comfortable bed which opened to a small bathing chamber. "Your things will be brought here, and were I you, I would bathe and rest. We have much to discuss before you go to the imperial court."
While bathing in the small, deep pool after Lady Arora left her, Dijana wondered what the emperor's wife had meant about having much to discuss. Dijana had not asked Lady Trynity more about the call she had overheard, but she was worried that Taeron's choice for a mate may have dire consequences for the emperor. The war on Teralon was awful, but she could not imagine how horrific such a fight would be on Calabria. She had heard her mother tell Roehan that to avoid such a conflict, the emperor had not sent an offensive against his son in the mountains. Dijana did not want to be the cause of a war on Calabria. She would rather return to Teralon shamed with the crown prince's bastard, and she would tell the emperor's wife so. Dijana would renounce her claim to the throne of Teralon, and if her mother did not have another daughter to follow her, then Dijana would marry Guillem and provide an heir.
After bathing, Dijana wrapped herself in the drying cloth and settled on cushions and pillows on the floor. Annoyed at first that there was no bed off the floor, she soon discovered that the arrangement was quite comfortable and she fell asleep before she could worry any more about what she must do.
The second sun was descending when Dijana awoke, and for several moments she remained among the pillows with her eyes closed. She did not want to get up to tell Taeron's family what she had decided to do, but she knew that she must, so she put on her gown and shoes and after running her fingers through her hair, she retraced her steps to the hall where she had first come into the fortress. Except for groups of young men and boys, she did not see the women, so she asked one of the least threatening of the warriors where they had gone. He smiled broadly at her before quickly gave her directions, and as she continued on her way, she was acutely aware of the many eyes of the warriors on her and that conversations had ceased to watch her with approving smiles that made her feel more miserable about what she intended to announce to Taeron's family.
The emperor's wife was sitting in an elegant salon with Ladies Larya and Trynity. The three were sharing tea and they were eating something that made Dijana's stomach violently protest the sight it, but since she had nothing inside, she was able to swallow her revulsion to the green beetles. At least they were not eating the hideous spider.
Seeing her, Lady Trynity waved her in and Dijana saw that there was a bowl of fruit near the plate of 'delicacies' from Teralon. Lady Larya left her place on the high backed padded bench and went to Dijana. "You look much rested, Princess Dijana."
"You need not call me princess," she told the women watching her. "And I am very well rested. I feel foolish for resisting you earlier."
"We have all been through what you are going through," commented Lady Trynity.
Lady Arora smiled at her warmly. "I am sure that you are planning to throw yourself on your own sword."
"Some of us do not carry swords," remarked Lady Larya as she drew Dijana down to sit beside her on the sofa. "You see that Trynity has found what you consider edible."
Dijana avoided looking at the many legged creatures on the plate as she took a pale pink fruit.
"I made sure there were no surprises in the fruit," Trynity told her with a laugh. "If you are not going to eat like a Calabrian, then I shall warn you now that if they have fruit on the table, it is riddled with things you do not want to see."
Dijana had taken a bite of the fruit and was savoring it, but she now looked in horror at the remainder in her hand and was relieved that nothing was wriggling inside.
"Foolish females," remarked Larya as she reached for one of the multi-colored beetles. Dijana looked quickly away and her throat tightened as she imagined her chewing on it. "There were many times when I was a child in the Wastelands that the tribesmen lived on the land. If you dig deep enough you can always find something to eat."
"You do not speak often of your childhood," remarked Arora after taking a sip of tea.
Larya's perfect brows furrowed. "I have little memory of those days although I remember hearing that the woman I called mother was not my mother. Her mate rescued me from the sands."
"Your father was very likely an imperial," said Arora.
Dijana was horrified although she had heard enough of old Calabrian customs to know that the imperial nobility once put their female offspring in the desert. Emperor Trey had put a stop to it, but as Dijana thought of the innocent babes that had been sacrificed, she put her hand on her belly protectively.
Larya shrugged. "Xuxa is the only mother I remember clearly, and since there were no females at the palace who were not there for the sole purpose of pleasuring the males, I thought the things she forced me to do were natural for females until you came to the palace."
Arora sighed deeply. "When I was a child, I did not even know you existed. We might have been friends."
Larya smiled sadly and reached out to pat her hands. "We had very different lives, Arora. We never could have been friends."
The other woman smiled and reached out to twine their fingers. "I would never have imagined so many years ago that the white harlot would be the sister of my heart."
For a moment they said nothing as they looked at each other and then Arora shook her head. "Apolo is right. There is powerful magic blocking your past."
Larya drew her hand away and she reached up to touch her colorless hair. "I have no memory of meeting any Guerani until coming to the palace, and even then I did not know that Dax and his children were sorcerers. Xuxa would not allow Dax or the emperor to see me because she was a jealous woman." She shudded visibly. "In retrospect, I am quite glad. I much preferred the younger males she sent me to seduce. The older ones were jaded and demanded acts that were repulsive even to a female like me."
Now Taeron's mother looked at Dijana who had listened to the conversation with mingled shock and pity. Taeron had told her about his mother, of how she had lived before trying to get the emperor's imperial guard to bond with her, but she spoke of her sordid past with no shame or disgust.
"You must have conceived my grandchild on Teralon," she commented with a raised brow. "When my son was courting you?"
There was a hint of censure in her voice and Dijana felt compelled to defend herself. "I was his mate."
"And yet you are no longer." She took a sip of her tea.
Dijana glanced at the other two women and realized that they considered it wise that they remain out of their conversation. So she took a breath and was going to explain her decision, but Larya spoke again.
"I am disappointed that my son was careless with you when he must have realized, given that he was forced to court you, that he might not be able to secure you as his wife. What sort of bungling male puts his child in a female that he cannot call his own?"
"I can think of one," remarked Trynity.
"I can think of another," said Arora and the two women shared a smile.
Larya grimaced. "I suppose I can think of a third. What are we going to do with those arrogant males?"
"You have no excuse, Larya," pointed out Trynity. "You could have sent Apolo away after you had made preparations to mate with another man."
Larya sighed and Dijana saw a dreamy look in her eyes. "I could not resist that Guerani rascal?"
"We are all guilty of succumbing to males when we should not have," announced Arora and she smiled warmly at Dijana. "You are in very good company."
Dijana thought it best to tell them now of her plan, so she took a deep breath, and ignoring the arrival of Lord Apolo, she looked at the females seated with her. "I cannot be the cause of strife on Calabria. I shall return to Teralon so that Taeron can marry a female agreeable to your people. I will marry my guard, Guillem, for he is very kind and I like him, and we shall raise the child. If the child is male, I will see that he returns to Calabria to be with his father, and if she is female..."
"By the gods! You will do no such thing!"
Dijana was shocked speechless when she recognized her father's enraged bellow.