Chapter 85
The following morning after Taeron had slept the remainder of the day and the entire night without stirring, he felt refreshed enough to get up and help Lady Trynity any way he could, but the emperor had other plans. Trey was well enough to move around with the aid of a walking stick, so he went out among the warriors accompanied by Taeron's father. After putting on the fresh clothing his mother left for him, Taeron was going to find Lady Trynity to ask if she needed him to help, but Jeshed cut him off with an order from the emperor that he look after the welfare of the house Caron men.
Among the injured, those warriors were easy to identify by the red and green colors they wore, and since they had been positioned on either side of the the thralls during the battle, many of the injured had been from that house. From his excursions to Teralon and Varoonya, Taeron knew many of the men and could talk to them about their families. For those that were seriously wounded, he sent Jeshed for healers and he made plans to ask Stryfe to record the names of those that had fallen so that he could personally visit with their families after the rebellion was completely crushed. By the time the suns were at equal distance, Taeron was also accompanied by two healers as well as Amyr.
As he was talking to one of the men, he received a message from Trey to meet him at the house Caron camp, so Taeron went to the camp near the foot of the hills where he was surprised to find the emperor overseeing the removal of house Caron banners. Many uninjured warriors gathered to watch with Taeron as men from Meridon's clan tore down the ostentatious tent that had been occupied by Aevan and Caerl, replacing it with a black and green tent trimmed with gold that matched the banners that were now being raised.
As Taeron watched the men drape the camp in the colors he had chosen for his own house, his father came to stand with him and he was glad when Lord Duo put his hand on his shoulder because he was overwhelmed with the honor the enperor was giving him. The warriors of the fallen house were silent, but they gave Taeron smiles and nods of approval that made his heart swell.
When the tent was in place, Trey motioned for Taeron to step forward to join him, and his father led him to the emperor who stood with Meridon.
He held out his hand to Taeron. "Give me your sword."
Taeron gave him the sword and Trey turned to the sea of men that had gathered.
"House Caron is no more. On this day, I grant all the lands formerly of house Caron, to house Taeron. Crown Prince Taeron shall henceforth rule those lands in my name." He stabbed the sword of the crown prince into the ground before Taeron. "Step forward and give your oath to be called warriors of house Taeron."
The first man came forward and dropping to a knee, he put his hand on the hilt of the sword. "I vow to serve you, lord prince Taeron."
Taeron knew that the emperor expected him to govern in the south, but he had not forseen that Trey would give him all that had once belonged to house Caron. Each warrior that stepped forward to pledge service to Taeron did so eagerly and he detected no rancor among them. His father stood nearby beaming with pride and Stryfe was sitting on a padded chair before a small table, a scroll before him as he recorded the names of the men as they gave their oath. There were many warriors, and Trey took a seat on a bench next to Meridon to watch when his injury began to bother him.
By the time the last of the men had spoken his oath, the second sun had set and campfires had been lit with a particularly large one placed before Taeron's tent. Because they had gone a considerable distance from the healers' camp, Trey sent Duo back to inform Lady Arora that he was going to stay in Taeron's camp for the night. Duo returned with Larya and an army of servants with enough food to make a feast to celebrate. When Darlac arrived with men rolling barrels, Taeron wondered if they had been brewing ale on the way to the battlefield. After a few cups of the brew, he did not care and he was relaxed as he sat with Jeshed and Stryfe listening to his father and the emperor reminisce about past battles.
They were joined during the feast by the Guerani healers who were weary from the long hours of caring for the wounded, but they seemed to be rejuvenated by the celebration. Taeron felt guilty to be enjoying himself when Dijana was a prisoner and he noted that Neria and Roehan had not come, nor had any of their warriors. He realized that they must be angry by his inaction, but there was nothing Taeron could do.
"You should not be so glum," Amyr said as he nudged Jeshed from his side. Taeron was going to scold Amyr for taking Jeshed's place, but Jeshed moved away to take up a position in the shadows where he could watch Chaela as she sat with her parents near the fire.
Sighing, he looked back at Amyr. "How can I be happy celebrating when Dijana is at Guerani Palace with Kai?"
"Kai hasn't returned to the palace yet," Amyr told him. "He's been seen in the hills, probably looking for more men to enthrall."
Taeron could not believe there were any men left in the hills that Kai had not already sent to their deaths.
Amyr drew Taeron away from their families and led him behind the tent. He looked past Taeron to be sure they were alone before he said, "Come to the Teralonian camp tomorrow after equal distance. Roehan has a plan for getting into the palace that I think will work, but I have to talk to Shamara and Chaela first before we can implement it."
"Does it involve Yori?" Taeron did not like using Yori in any plan to infiltrate the palace, even if it was to rescue Dijana and Quynn.
"I will have to contact Yori," admitted Amyr. "But I will not ask him to do anything dangerous."
"Using his powers around Staefyn is dangerous," Taeron reminded him tersely. He would have said more, but his father came around the side of the tent.
"There you are! I thought you might have gotten lost in the dark. Or maybe you were discussing things that would displease your fathers?"
Taeron did not respond.
Amyr chuckled. "What could we possibly be discussing that would displease you or my father?"
"Whatever it is, I suggest you run it past us or the gods know there will be hell to pay if what you are planning goes south." With one last warning frown, Duo left them.
"Run it past him? What should I be running past him with?" Taeron looked at Amyr. "And what did he mean by going south? Guerani Palace is northwest of here and I have no intention of heading south until my mate is at my side."
"I do not understand half of what your father says," Amyr admitted as they walked back around the tent. When they came around the side, Taeron saw his father bending to say something to Trey that had Arora leaning over to listen.
"That does not bode well," muttered Amyr under his breath.
Shamara distracted him by coming to hug him. "Congratulations, Taeron! The gods have shown their favor yet again!" She leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Amyr says I should meet you at the Teralonian camp tomorrow. I will sleep beside you tonight to heal you."
"You think Dagan would like that?" teased Amyr.
"I am already healed," said Taeron before Shamara could retort although his arm chose that moment to throb, reminding him that he might need to accept her offer.
She smiled knowingly over her shoulder as she went back to sit by Chaela. Taeron saw Jeshed now sitting beside his mother watching Chaela, but Larya said something to him that made him rise and cross to Taeron.
"Mother wishes for you to join her."
Joining her meant passing by Trey, and if Trey questioned him outright, Taeron would not lie. But Amyr stayed by his side and when it looked as though the emperor was about to speak to him, Amyr decided it was a good time to tell his father what he had been doing that day.
When Taeron sat beside his mother, she looked at him and frowned. "You look tired, my son. I am hoping that you are not planning to do something foolish because I would not be happy to learn that you are planning to risk your life needlessly."
He raised his brows. "I would not do that, mother."
"I have heard from the house Caron … your warriors that Warlord Kai is a formidable warrior. The thought of you fighting such a man in your present condition is frightening." She put her hand on his shoulder. "I could not bear to lose you."
Taeron did not need to hear her heartfelt words. She was just as important to him. For many years it seemed as if they had only each other although Taeron knew now that had not been true. Amyr might have scorned him when they were younger, but Staefyn had been a beloved friend and brother, and when he had faced Staefyn on the battlefield, he knew that Staefyn still cared about him. So he had one more task to add to his plans. He must somehow save Staefyn, from harm and from himself.
The celebration lasted almost until first sunrise, but after second sunrise Taeron was awake and receiving reports from the battalion commanders. There were ten battalions whose commanders Taeron promptly made warlords with Trey's blessing. They had earned the honor by serving as examples to their men and once Taeron traveled south to administer to his lands, he would assign them their own holdings. Now they reported how many had been killed, wounded and how many remained under their command. The casualties had been relatively few because many men of his new house had served under him in Varoonya and were prepared to fight the berserking thralls under Kai's control, and that left Taeron with an enormous army under his personal command. When he went to his holdings he would find that another three large battalions had remained behind to protect house Caron's stronghold. Trey did not betray how relieved he was that the warriors of the rotting house had not forsaken their vows, but Taeron knew that he surely felt it.
They rode back to the imperial camp where Trey found several other house lords waiting to speak to him. Most wanted to know what the emperor wished for them to do and since the fighting was over, he told them they could return to their holdings. The massive army was not needed for the hills where Meridon's older warriors would be of more use because they knew the mountains well and could fight the thralls that may have escaped with Kai.
Trey profusely thanked them for their loyalty, and they each told Trey that they would do it again, would rather die fighting for him than live under the rule of men like those of house Caron. The emperors preceding Trey had played the warlords against each other so that they did not set their sights on his throne. Before Trey had taken the throne and united them, it was not unusual for them to go to war against each other, but for many years now they had been free from attack from their neighbors which allowed them to prosper. The obligations of imperial rule had expanded considerably and no warlord wanted the trouble of ruling, preferring instead the peace and security of their own holdings.
The last warlord to approach was an older man that Trey greeted with a friendly hug. Lord Wattan had been instrumental in helping Trey gain his throne, had, in fact, served briefly as Zeno's imperial guard after Dax's death. He had gathered the forces who dared to oppose everything that Zeno stood for, who recognized him as Zeno's son when Trey had been declared a pretender. Taeron had never met Lord Wattan because his holdings were far to the southwest and he rarely visited Imperia although he had provided warriors for both engagements on Teralon.
"Where is your beautiful wife?" Wattan asked Trey. "I have not seen her in many years."
"She is aiding the healers."
"I hope to speak to her before I return to my lands." His eyes fell briefly on Taeron before he looked back at Trey. "And Duo? I understand that his brilliant wife is commanding the healing battalion."
Trey grunted. "Commanding the battalion is an apt description and at the moment they are entrenched in war. She has Duo and his men digging trenches to divert fresh water through the camp and she has enlisted the help of dozens of warriors to keep her hospital camp clean."
"I remember well the horror of the battles we fought when so many warriors needlessly lost their lives after the battle had been won," remarked the other man ruefully. "Lady Trynity has done much to prevent the spread of sickness, not just today, but with her wondrous healing potions."
"Don't tell her that I said this, but I owe much to that arrogant female."
Wattan threw back his head in laughter. "She reminds me of your mother, beautiful and intelligent. Where is your mother now? She has not returned to Calabria?"
"She lives in the human system where she has taken a position teaching." His face looked as if he had swallowed something sour. "She is married to Lady Trynity's father."
Wattan chuckled and put his hand on Trey's shoulder. "That would make her your sister."
"Step-sister," grumbled Trey, "but I will never acknowledge her as such."
"And now you have discovered that you have a sister who shares your blood." Wattan sighed deeply. "Virinea never forgave Zeno for what he did to their daughter, and I often wondered if she resented Lady Arora because he saved her."
"My mother came to understand who the true villain was. Camridaeus was a master at sowing dissention and distrust."
"Will you send word to her about Lady … Princess Larya?"
Trey reached up to nervously rub the back of his neck. "She has confided in me that she is afraid that our mother will not want to acknowledge her because of what she has done." Trey shook his head. "I am more anxious of how she will feel to discover that her daughter was within reach, that Xuxa had tortured her throughout her childhood to pay for the rejections of both Zeno and Dax."
Wattan grunted. "I should have cut off that female's head instead of delivering her back to her people. Zeno did not want her blood on his hands, not when Virinea had come back into his life. He knew he was not going to live much longer and he did not want one of her last memories of him to be him ordering a woman's death."
"His uncharacteristic clemency has come back to bite us in the backside." He turned to include Taeron in their conversation. "Lord Wattan, you have not met my crown prince, my sister Larya's son, Taeron."
Wattan bowed to him. "I have heard much of your skill. My warriors have only words of praise for your leadership."
Taeron returned his bow. "I am honored to have served the emperor with them."
The older man chuckled. "Trey, I would have accepted Amyr as your heir, but naming Taeron crown prince instead was a shrewd decision. I will not live to see his reign, but I am sure that he will be wise and firm, as his father has been on Ulfynaeus. If anyone questioned your choice before, learning that Larya is your sister and he has Zeno's blood has legitimized his right to rule."
Trey waved his hand dismissively. "I did not care about that. Calabria needs a strong ruler and Taeron has proven his worthiness again and again."
"Renaeld has always coveted your rule, Trey. He surely believed he would gain it through his daughter and that is why he tried to force Prince Taeron to take the female of his house as his wife." Wattan fell silent for a moment and then he met the emperor's gaze. "You probably do not know this, Trey, but my father secretly mated and bonded with my mother, and when she bore a female, he kept her."
Trey did not seem surprised. "I did not believe I was the first imperial to refuse to expose my daughter."
Wattan nodded. "I know of others who have kept their females secret for many years. Because our lands are far from the imperial court, my father was able to hide his mate and my sister from Zeno, but he was unable to hide my sister from house Caron whose lands border our own to the south."
Trey sighed deeply and sat back on his chair, waving for Wattan to sit beside him. "I think I understand now why you have always had such enmity to house Caron."
"I don't remember how it happened although my father was certain Caron had spies in our house, but Caron discovered our secret. He threatened to report the females to the emperor, and my father feared I would lose my position in Zeno's house should the truth become known, so he was forced to surrender my sister to Renaeld."
Wattan sighed deeply. "Renaeld would not allow us to see her, and I had no way of knowing how she fared. She was innocent and gentle, and I knew firsthand from his days at the palace when being Dilan's friend meant he could do whatever he wished to females with impunity how he was probably treating her."
He fell silent for a moment and Taeron noticed that color touched the man's cheeks as he looked away from Trey. Wattan had not been at Taeron's oath ceremony, but he had surely heard what Trey had done and why.
"Do not feel discomfort on my account," Trey told him to dispel the awkwardness of the moment. "I cannot change what happened to my wife at his hands any more than you can change what he did to your sister. And I would not change what I did to him."
"For that you have my gratitude, and if I had felt any hesitation in joining this insane venture, what you did to that foul miscreant would have erased it. As for my sister, when she left our home, we did not hear from her again. One day several years later, some of warriors patrolling the boundary with Caron lands found her body and those of several men of house Caron. Based on the items left behind, she was traveling with a child, a female, and I think she must have been her daughter."
"You have never seen her?" asked Trey in surprise.
"I made the mistake of inquiring about her and Renaeld sent several squadrons to our boundary to warn me of the consequences of meddling in the affairs of his house. I worried that he might dispose of the child, so I regretfully let the matter drop. What could I do? Even if my sister did have a child, she was his daughter."
Trey shook his head in remorse. "I was so glad not to be in constant war with house Caron that I allowed him more leeway than I should have." He glanced at Taeron and he knew without Trey saying so that he was still ashamed for trying to force him into marriage with Keilana.
"Their warriors served you well," said Wattan. "I do not fault you for what happened to my sister. The fault lay with Renaeld and you have avenged the many females he abused and disposed of. Which brings me to what I wish to speak of now. Based on the description that the men serving in the palace have given me, I believe that Keilana is my sister's daughter. Maera had my mother's black hair and blue eyes."
"That certainly sounds like Keilana." He glanced at Taeron before looking at Wattan. "Will you demand redress for Taeron's decision to take Dijana of Teralon as his wife instead of your niece?"
"Not at all!" Wattan looked at Taeron. "I love my own wife, so I understand your choice probably more than many, given the consequences. I have no grievance against you." He looked back at Trey. "I have heard that house Caron faced us on the field because Prince Staefyn has exchanged oaths with Keilana."
"Where did you learn this?" asked Trey. The news of Staefyn's marriage to Keilana was not common knowledge.
"One of Aevan's commanders heard him discussing how they intended to dispose of Prince Staefyn once she had given him a son. Is it true, Trey? Is Keilana his wife?"
"My son is bonded to Xuxa," Trey reminded him. "He cannot give her a son; his marriage exists only as an alliance and that alliance has failed."
"Which is why I wish to speak to you about Keilana. I fear what will happen to her when the betrayal of her house is made known."
Trey sucked in his breath. "You think my son will hurt Keilana?" He was outraged that a man he had known for many years would accuse his son of harming a female.
Wattan put up his hand. "Peace, Trey! I saw your children healing with their powers, and I have heard that Staefyn has powers that rival Dax. As a Guerani, he would not hurt her, but I cannot say the same about his allies. Is it true that Warlord Kai killed the sister of Princess Dijana?" He glanced at Taeron for confirmation and when he nodded, Wattan continued. "Trey, you have your sister, but all I could have of mine is her child."
Taeron could guess what Trey was thinking, that Keilana shared the guilt of her house. She had not balked at marrying Taeron, had never asked for help against the males of her house, and she had gained a powerful male as her mate. But Taeron realized he had seen the signs that Renaeld had abused and terrified her. The one time she did let her true feelings show had been when she was probably afraid that Taeron would balk at marrying her. He had never been interested in Keilana, seeing her as an obligation when he could not have the woman he loved. As he thought of her now, he realized that she was not pale, she was sickly white. She was not thin and elegant, but bony and starved. She was not cold and detached, but terrified of what would happen to her if she failed. Taeron wished he had not been so selfishly grieving his own loss or he might have been able to offer her help in escaping the males of her house.
He could do something now. "My lord," he spoke up when Trey remained silent, "I have taken Caron's lands and warriors, so it is only right that I accept responsibility for the female of his house."
Trey made a sound of disgust. "Say what she really was to house Caron, Taeron. She was the means to an end, a means that they meant to discard just as quickly as they would have you. Before you make any promises concerning Keilana, perhaps you should discuss it with your unbonded mate. I imagine Neria might have a few words about you taking responsibility for another female."
"She is married to your son, Trey," pointed out Wattan. "Will you take her into your house?" When Trey did not respond, Wattan smiled grimly. "I thought not. But I do not blame you after what her sire did to your wife." He looked at Taeron. "I will be in your debt, my lord prince, if you can help my sister's child."
Trey gave him a warning frown.
Taeron ignored him. "I vow, Lord Wattan, that I will take Keilana into my house to give her my protection."
Trey huffed with annoyance. "Your heart is too good, Taeron. When she causes you trouble, I will not restrain myself from reminding you that I warned you against this."
"My mother would want me to protect her."
But later when Taeron told her about what he had discussed with them, his mother shook her head. "Taeron, you are not bonded. Giving protection to Staefyn's wife may prove to be a mistake." She patted his cheek. "But I am pleased that you would offer to help a woman, Keilana of house Caron included, even if there is little hope of her surviving Xuxa's hospitality at Guerani Palace."
Disturbed by his mother's remark and considering Wattan's fears about Kai's retribution, Taeron began to feel even more anxious to rescue the females. He was glad when the suns were at equal distance so that he could meet Amyr at the Teralonian camp. Amyr was already there with Chaela and Shamara, and Taeron was surprised to see Stryfe with Jeshed sitting among them.
Taeron sat down by Amyr. "What is my brother doing here?" he asked nodding at Stryfe. Having the imperial scribe at the meeting did not seem prudent if they wanted to keep their plans secret.
Stryfe tapped his head with his finger. "I memorized the layout of Guerani Palace when it was under construction."
Roehan came to stand over them. "We will have only one chance to get you into that palace so we cannot make mistakes."
Taeron raised his brows. "You are going to take us in? How do you intend to get past their defenses?"
"There is only one way to do it." said Shamara. "Amyr, Chaela and myself will have to go with you. We will provide whatever shielding is necessary."
"Did you shield Dijana?" Taeron asked Chaela. By the red that crept into her cheeks, he knew that she had. "You are new to your powers Chaela ..."
"I can do it!" she exclaimed anxiously. "I will do it!"
"None of you can do it if Staefyn knows you are coming," Taeron told them. "When we were younger, he developed his senses so that he could detect you, Shamara, your mother and Apolo from a considerable distance."
"Yori will provide a distraction," Amyr told him. "That is all we need Yori to do."
"Yori is a child!"
"Yori has great power, certainly enough to provide a brief distraction," said Jeshed. "I have been with him since he was born, so I know what he is capable of."
Shaking his head, Taeron said, "I do not like this plan."
"Staefyn won't kill us," argued Amyr.
"He cannot!" cried Shamara.
Taeron turned to look at Roehan and his wife who were standing with Guillem and Valter. "You are taking a great risk. Staefyn might not kill us, but Kai and his men won't even blink before shooting you down."
"We would take such a risk for my daughter," stated Neria and the three males nodded. "I trust your sorcerers."
"I am not comfortable risking Yori," Taeron shook his head.
"I would expect his father to say that." They all turned as Arora entered the tent accompanied by Apolo and Duo. She gave Amyr a censorious look.
He straightened his shoulders. "I have experienced his power and know what he is capable of."
"And we all felt Staefyn's power yesterday," said Apolo, giving Amyr the same look as his sister. This time he included Shamara in the glare. "Why am I not surprised to find you at the heart of a hare-brained plan?"
She looked down at her hands.
"Would you risk your own child in such a scheme?" Arora asked Shamara.
She lifted her head. "If he were here, I might. He has fire magic and Dagan has been training him..."
"Somehow I doubt Dagan would allow it."
"He would if I were held at Guerani Palace," sniffed Shamara.
"We have a plan," announced Neria imperiously. "You will help or you will be a hindrance."
Silence fell on the group until Duo said, "We can also cause a distraction at the gates by launching an assault. The older warriors in Meridon's clan are familiar with the hills and can move quietly. If we can surprise them, the chaos at the front coupled with Yori's distraction could be enough to draw Staefyn's attention."
Taeron was surprised that his father was agreeing to the plan when it hinged on the actions of his young grandson. "You think this will work?"
"It will work," said Arora, "if Apolo and I add our powers to Yori. We will make contact with him through a trance. Yori does not need to enter the trance to connect with us."
"Do you feel up to fighting again so soon?" Amyr asked Taeron. "If not..." he held out his hand. "Perhaps we can spend a week or two in a trance."
Taeron was not going to turn him down, but he looked at Arora. "Will you tell Trey? If you do not, he will be furious to discover that you have gone behind his back again."
"I will tell him tonight when he is in a conducive mood," she said with a half-smile that left no guessing as to when that might be. He wondered how often she manipulated her mate in such a manner.
"Then all that is left is for me to work the stiffness out of my injury." When he reached for Amyr's hand and their fingers twined, he quickly found himself in Guerani Palace – rather the Guerani Palace that he remembered from the trance that Amyr had taken him in.
"We have much work to do."
Wincing from the dull ache in his arm as he drew his sword, Taeron had the odd sense that they were being watched.