***
We ate breakfast in bed together the next morning. Exinious’ servants magically knew all his wants without any action from him. We munched and cuddled together.
“I suppose I’ll have to descend to the village today.”
I gave him a confused look while nibbling a persimmon.
“For the marriage rite of your people.”
“Oh,” I said. “The senators do all the marriages in the morning. I’m sure it’s too late.”
“Pah!” He laughed at me. “I’m not bound by their petty rules. They’ll see to me whenever I wish.”
Of course he was right, but I wondered how they would feel about having to cater to me at the same time. “I would prefer a traditional morning marriage. There’s no rush. If we go at once I may find a herd of sick goats waiting in my healing tents.”
Candy came in later with the servants who gathered up our dishes. She held a fluffy robe for me.
“Mistress! It’s after noon. You must wash and get dressed.”
I smiled at her gentle chastising. Exinious nudged me.
“Go with Candy, dearest. The leaders of my followers report in with me each morning. I fear I’ve kept them waiting.”
I kissed him and obeyed, while saving my questions about his followers for later.
Candy treated me to the full toilette routine. I bathed and coated myself with cream, then donned a lovely violet gown. She was just finishing my eye make-up when another maid staggered into the room.
“Something’s happening,” the maid said to Candy.
“What do you mean?” Candy said, while pausing from her work.
“There’s clouds all around, but the sun’s shining a beam on the fortress. Master’s on his throne all dressed up like he’s waiting for something.”
Candy set her brush down slowly. “Oh dear…”
“What is it?”
She put her wooden mittens to the place where her mouth would be. “I don’t know, mistress. I fear there is some trouble.”
Exinious’ throne was in the great hall far removed from his parlor area. My groom was slumped in a jagged throne that looked to be made of black rock. He was no longer dressed as a wealthy villager. He wore a golden collar, a golden band on his upper arm, and golden gauntlets on his wrists. His chest was now bare (and beautiful) and he had fabric draped about his hips secured with a golden belt. There was now a jeweled scepter in his hand which made me realize this to be some kind of godly uniform.
When I caught his eye he sat up and beckoned to me. I ran to his side. Exinious took my hand.
“Stay with me, Ashla.”
“What’s going on?”
He closed his eyes as though it were difficult for him to speak. “Helder’s coming. I don’t know why.”
My heart began to race. “Has he come before?”
Exinious shook his head. “I haven’t seen any of my kin for almost 1,000 years.”
I winced.
“It has something to do with you,” he said.
I swallowed a heavy lump of dread. “Oh…I hope not.”
I smelled smoke. When I looked up I could see a spot of the ceiling was on fire. I gasped, but Exinious watched this also without emotion. The flames burned open a broad circle and sunlight streamed through. The beam shone blindingly bright. I was reminded of Ashla’s transformation beside the creek. When the light receded, a being like Exinious stood before us. He had a full blond beard and long hair separated into three pleats. He wore gold and white robes and held a golden scepter with some animal that was unknown to me carved on the end. His eyes were aquamarine and cruel. Crueler than even Exinious’ had been at his worst.
The two gods stared at one another several moments.
Finally, Exinious gestured to his ceiling. “You damaged my fortress, Helder.”
Helder scoffed with extreme annoyance. “Who cares about your hideous roof?”
Exinious tented his fingers beneath his chin and waited. This made the other god fidget.
“Look,” he said, “your term is up in 47 years. I was coming to let you free early. I thought you deserved it for your good behavior.”
“Rubbish,” Exinious said.
Helder’s voice grew louder. “Then my wife noticed this abomination you’ve created here. That village, peopled by soulless automatons, mere vessels of flesh given life through nothing but your dark magic.”
“Watch your tongue. You’re insulting my wife.”
I was fearful, but not insulted. Exinious had made us with great care.
Helder sneered at me. “Of course you married one. You’re obscene.”
Exinious hugged me around my hip to refute him. “Leave, Helder. You’ve no concern here. You cursed me to a lifeless world and I made the best of it.”
“No. You made the worst of it.” His fist tightened on his scepter. “Even worse than when you drink the souls of children. You’ve blighted the life essence of the universe like never before.”
Exinious smirked. “Oh? You’re here for Arma’s sake? Since when did you care about her?”
“I care for mortals—my children. You’ve created heinous facsimiles here.”
“So heinous it only took you a thousand years to notice them?”
“Enough!” He pounded his scepter against the floor. “I’ve met with the others, all except Thina. I told them how you made humans who have no souls. Who become voids upon the grand ring of life essence—who simply disintegrate to nothingness, to oblivion, when their mortal spans are complete.”
I blinked while scowling at him. How else could it be?
“You robbed an entire civilization of an afterlife.”
Exinious shook his head in exasperation. “That’s how you described it? I gave life to nothingness. It returns to nothingness when that life’s completed. I’ve done no harm.”
“You have done harm—all for your own selfish entertainment. All of us, save for Thina, are in agreement. You deserve another thousand year term for this crime.”
Exinious bolted upright. “No!”
Dark energies began to radiate around him like black and purple smoke. I could feel the ominous power, but held my ground beside his throne.
I saw Helder’s cruel expression quaver for a moment. He regained his composure and spoke calmly.
“Hear me, Exinious. What we rule is fair. You must abide by it.”
“I won’t!” His voice sounded demonic now. “I’ll resist you with every ounce of my being. Thina will sense the ruckus. She’ll come and fight beside me.”
“I said hear me. You’ve not heard it all. Cease your threats. A new war will benefit no one.”
Exinious dropped back into his throne. He covered his forehead with his hand. His anguish made my stomach clench. Why? Why did these beastly gods get to rule him?
“You have a choice. To exist with your wretched creations another thousand years, or to destroy the evil things you’ve created and go free at once.”
I felt as if a fist had reached into my chest and seized my heart.
Exinious lifted his head slowly. He trembled with anger. “You call that a choice?”
“How does killing us remedy anything?” I screamed this before I could help myself.
“There is no remedy for soulless things,” Helder said. He looked back at Exinious. “If you’ve grown sentimental I’ll destroy them for you. I can take care of this one immediately.”
I staggered back. Exinious clutched my arm. The dark energies poured out of him with new fervor.
“Touch her and I’ll kill a million of your followers.”
Helder’s eyes narrowed at the threat. Then he raised his nose. “It seems you’ve made your choice, then.”
“I choose neither option.” He stood again, walked to Helder, and brought his face mere inches from him. “I choose war.”
Helder turned away fro
m him as though he couldn’t bear him so near. “Don’t say this, Exinious. You’re my godly brother and I’ve tried to be fair to you.”
Exinious jabbed his chest with a finger. “You’ve never been fair! You only seek to con me into accepting another thousand year term. The first one wasn’t fair and neither is this!”
Helder swallowed. “If you feel so strongly then I’ll bring the others here. We’ll judge you in your presence.”
Exinious hesitated, and then strode away from him. “All of them. Thina also.”
“Absolutely not.”
He returned to his throne. “And how is that fair?”
“You expect me to deliver your ally should you decide to war with me?”
Exinious scowled at him.
“We’ll form our tribunal this evening. Tell me you’ll accept this, and our ruling.”
“I accept nothing!” He clenched his jaw. “We’re at war now, Helder. Unless the tribunal makes things right, it will remain so.”
Helder considered him a moment. Then swept his outer robe closed. “Be thankful I’m not as reckless as you.” His sunbeam intensified to blinding light once again, and he vanished.
Exinious slumped in his throne and covered his face with both hands. I felt stricken. Tears spilled down my face easily. Just as before, Exinious brought up emotion too strong to hold in. I soothed his back while feeling helpless.
“Comfort me,” he said, with a voice weighted with just as much emotion.
I climbed onto his lap and muffled my tears in his shoulder.
“This is just the first part of his trick.”
I looked at him, but Exinious had turned his face away from me.
“He knew it wouldn’t work, but he got me to consent to a tribunal. That’s what he’d wanted to begin with.”
“What will happen?”
“Helder, Arma, and Fizu will stand together. Egar won’t accept a preposterous verdict against me. He knows he may one day have to face his own tribunal. He’d rely on the same civility from me if so. Helder would have to convince him his verdict was truly fair. Brekka can be easily conned by Helder, but she may be Egar’s wife right now, and could vote with him. Helder’s case against me is weak. Thina’s vote will be presumed in my favor, regardless if she’s absent.”
I gave him a plaintive look. “The odds are already stacked against you.”
He held me closer. “There’s one thing in my favor: none of them want a war. If a guilty vote means they have to fight me, they’ll compromise to avoid it.”
That was of little solace to me. I clung to him in the silence that followed with a horrid ache in my middle. What part did I play in this? Arma must have presumed Exinious didn’t care about the villagers enough not to sacrifice them for his freedom. She used me to get close to him to give him a greater stake here. That’s how it seemed for now, but I feared there were even greater consequences to our union that I couldn’t yet fathom. The tribunal would become a trial for both of us. I couldn’t bear to remain an encumbrance for him.
His enemy gave me my gift. It was naïve to think she’d let me keep it while conniving with her husband against Exinious.
“Arma…”
Exinious looked at me.
“Arma gave me the healing power.” The words became more difficult for me. “She…she said if I told anyone she’d take the power away.”
Exinious’ lips parted. “That…was your secret?”
I nodded.
He drew a deep breath. “I’m relieved it wasn’t something more.” He resumed his gaze to the side. “What does it mean? It made me notice you, but that was no guarantee I’d wed you. Even though I have, what difference does it make?”
“Maybe they thought you’d have destroyed the village if you didn’t love one of the villagers?”
Exinious shook his head. “I wouldn’t do it even if you weren’t my wife. They know me better than that.”
My brow furrowed above a plaintive expression. “Then why…why did she go to all that trouble ten years ago?”
He petted my hair with one hand. “There’s more. I told you. Helder’s treachery hasn’t fully revealed itself. It’s all part of an elaborate plan to keep me imprisoned. I need to concentrate…to figure out their next move before they make it tonight.”
I pursed my lips. “How can I help?”
“By trusting me.” He spoke without meeting my eyes. “No matter what decisions I make for us you must not contradict me. Even if I ask for great sacrifice from you.” Now he looked at me. “Promise you’ll trust me no matter what, Ashla.”
I swallowed and nodded. “I promise.”