Chapter VII:
The Princess and the Plan
Ele
The sun was already high in the sky when the maiden awoke, kicking aside her bedcovers and making her way lazily down the stairs. Her hair was reddish-brown, and her skin was as white as porcelain. She wore a long white nightgown and a pair of silk slippers. The silence of the house alarmed her; it was not like Amro to be idle, and she had not heard his forge for nearly a half hour. This did not trouble her as much as it puzzled her. In these lands there were not many terrible things that such a woman as she needed to fear.
Lubine and its surrounding area was well guarded, as the Sunlan palace was within a four days' ride. She assumed that Amro had gone to the market. 'What else would he be doing on such a morning?' she thought to herself. 'He is certainly not resting; nor can he be passing the time in idleness.'
Ele was the cousin of Amro, and she had been left in Lubine by her father, who had gone on to Sunlan Palace for a council with King Ijjan. Amro was her nearest relation, and the only one with whom her father felt she could be entrusted.
She came to the main hall of the house and looked out the southern windows toward the forge. There was no smoke rising now, and she was convinced Amro had gone to the market, probably taking his little brother along as well. She slumped down into a chair and pouted. Her primary disappointment was in the absence of Ghastin, who was charged with the cooking of breakfast in her cousin's house. And Ghastin was a very good cook for one so young. If any excellence should be granted the elves, it must be their dominance in the arts of cookery and in the creation of fine foods. An immortal life lends itself to infinite advancements, the elves were fond of saying.
There would be no breakfast for her this morning, for she could not possibly, she thought miserably, cook her own food. There were four taps on the door. 'Three,' she said to herself, 'is about as much as a polite man can get away with. 'Any more than three and the caller proves themselves to be too eager for an audience.' She sighed and made her way to the door, thinking it would be one of her cousin's servants, or some merchant with whom he had dealings. There was, on a typical day, a great deal of such traffic. But when she opened the door and found Agonas, the son of Parganas, staring at her with a drawn blade, she collapsed in a heap on the cold stone floor.
When at last she awoke she found herself blindfolded and, it seemed, riding upon a horse supported by the strong arms of her captor. Her hands were bound tightly together, though they were not uncomfortable, and she felt a soft rope tied about her throat. When her head began to bob in the first moments of her wakefulness, Agonas spoke, sternly but kindly.
'I will gag your mouth as well if you attempt to call out, or to speak out of turn. These matters are higher than you; and there are none to save you.' She knew he spoke the truth, and she remained silent for a great while, softly sobbing and quietly wetting her blindfold with her tears. The man was hard but not cruel, she thought - he likes this little better than she. 'Where are you taking me?' she asked after some time had passed.
Agonas hesitated, but finally spoke, 'I am taking you to Amro, your kinsman,' he answered, as if he expected her spirits to be lifted by the mention of her mighty relative. But she gave no reaction. They rode on in silence for the rest of the day, and well into the dark of the night.
'You could remove my blindfolds,' she suggested gently. 'I will give you no trouble.'
'No,' he said, 'if you ask me for lenience again I shall cut your throat.' It sounded to her as though he meant to do it, and her mind was thrown into fear.
It would not do, for Agonas' purposes, for his captive to be at ease. He had already acted foolishly, he believed, in binding her so gently, and speaking to her as though she were worthy of some greater honor. 'At least now she will be afraid,' he thought.
When night came he took her roughly from atop the horse and laid her against a rough tree, binding her feet together and securing the rope on her neck to one of the branches. The night was chill, and she shivered and shook as the wind howled through her nightgown. 'Are there stars tonight,' she seemed to plead, hoping to rekindle some semblance of the kindness she detected in her captor earlier. Agonas looked up at the wheeling host of the upper heavens, but he said nothing. She began to weep, quietly, almost as though she were doing so in deference to his request that she remain silent. 'Such a gentle creature,' Agonas said. 'But what can be done about it?'
For several more days they traveled in this manner. Each night he set her down on the cold, damp ground, sometimes with roots beneath her back or thorns at her feet. He grew rougher each day, it seemed, but she grew more and more peaceful and kindly toward him. By the end of the fourth day he could no longer bring himself to harm her. He set a fire, unbound her and fed her warm soup.
She did not speak, but her gentle eyes revealed her gratitude all the same.
Agonas cursed himself for his circumstances. 'For my brother's sake I injure this spring flower,' he whispered to himself. 'Yet her grace endures.' He shook his head. 'But what shall Pelas give to me? I have promised him the throne.'
Ele seemed to comprehend much more than Agonas intended; indeed, Agonas said nothing to her, but her keen eyes and kind heart pierced through his uneasiness and were a comfort to him. For all that she had endured, he could tell that she looked upon him with pity. This filled him with conflict all the more. By the time he overtook Amro and Ghastin he was very nearly mad with shame. He had intended to compel the smith, threatening to take the life of his terrified kinswoman if he did not, without treachery, agree to give them the secret of steel. When he rode up and dismounted he could scarcely look the man in the eye.
Amro looked as though he were expecting Agonas to find him; he even seemed somewhat relieved when at last the dark-haired son of Parganas rode his horse into his small encampment.
Ghastin was afraid, and upon seeing the rider he prepared to run.
Amro held his arm fast.
Ele was no longer bound and her beauty did not seem in the least diminished by the journey. If one were to judge by appearances they would never know that Agonas had meant to anything more than transport the maiden to her relative in the wilderness.
'I will go with you,' Amro said, when they had all taken places at the fire. 'I could kill any one of you,' he said confidently. Agonas felt a flush of resentment pass over him, but when he saw the sadness in Amro's eyes he felt calm again. 'But what good would it do? And who knows what the end would be? Nay, no one knows what fate their feet pursue; not even the oldest of the elves can discern the future. It is in vain that we strive, whatever our goal may be.'
It was not until the next evening that Pelas, Cheru and Oblis, who had rejoined the others after getting lost for most of a day, arrived, panting, filthy and in no condition to do any of the things they had planned to do to Amro and his brother. Pelas took Amro's sudden decision to assist them as a sign of his coming ascendance. 'My kingdom draws breath,' he whispered to his brother. 'I can feel it within my bones; there is nothing that can stop what soon must be.'
Sunlan
Pelas ordered Amro to be bound with chains and brought, along with Ele and Ghastin, back to Ilvas, and set to work procuring iron and producing steel. The three were sent back with Ginat, Oblis and Cheru, who treated the smith with the greatest of disdain. Pelas looked upon Ele with a grin and said, 'Cheru, see to it that Dalta is introduced to the girl. He has served us well, and he has had no woman since we left the swamplands.'
Agonas looked into her eyes, but turned away, not being able to bear her gaze. Hatred burned within his chest, but he made no complaint. 'I have wronged her too much for her ever to think kindly of me,' he thought to himself as their three servants rode away toward the north with the prisoners.
The sword that had been left for Ghastin, however, Pelas took as his own.
'We must continue on, and spy out the land,' Pelas said.
'And perhaps we shall have b
etter success now that those fools have been sent home.' Agonas thought for a moment and then added, 'That, of course, presumes that they are capable of finding their way to the Esse and then on to Ilvas.'
'Esse is west, and Ilvas is north along its course,' Pelas marveled, not comprehending the sarcasm of his brother. 'Cheru shall have no trouble finding it.'
Agonas laughed coldly, 'Cheru, yes; and it is a good thing you have sent him along. Oblis would fall into the first ditch along the road, and Ginat would follow him out of curiosity.'
Pelas laughed insincerely; the brothers had very different opinions concerning the worth of their servants. In Pelas' eyes Bralohi had become very dear. Of all the other elves they commanded, Bralohi alone seemed to truly believe that Pelas could accomplish that which he had been sent out to do. Ruvis had, over the course of many years, slowly begun to accept Pelas' command, and even to serve him with sincerity, and not merely in deference to Bralohi's authority. Falruvis, on the other hand, had become almost a son to Pelas, and was now highly regarded throughout the small land of Ilvas. Sol also had become somewhat important; Pelas set him to rule over all the economic affairs in the kingdom, and to keep peace among the Essenes, the Lupith and the Knariss. Kolohi, though not as well esteemed as his brother, was regarded as a trustworthy servant. Aebral, the son of Bralohi, had become the captain of the guard in Ilvas, overseeing the fighting men, both of the elves and of the humans. There were many other elves of Gilwel who rose to prominence in the new kingdom, but it would be alien to my purposes to give a complete list of them here. The records of their names are recorded in Dadron as well as in the Magic Tower of Lapulia, to whence all knowledge finds its way.
From the encampment where Agonas had come upon Amro the brothers traveled south for a day, coming at last to a great stony hill. When they climbed to the top they were looking down upon the heart of West Sunlan. The clear Spring air gave them a view of many distant places. Due south they could see a great fortress, guarded on the north by a tributary of the Westalon. To the west they could see a great walled city and an enormous highway of stone stretching out into the distant south. A forest lay between the city and the fortress, the trees of which were taller than any they had seen in Alwan or even in the Far North. The forest continued on into the south, vanishing with the horizon.
'If we follow this river we will come to the Westalon,' Agonas said, looking out to the west. 'Then we can see what manner of defenses their fortresses have with our own eyes.'
As Kolohi had indicated, Sunlan Palace had no defenses of its own. But the country surrounding it was so fortified with towers, forts, walls and castles that it made very little difference. 'The palace is unguarded indeed,' Pelas snorted.
'The country itself is a fortress,' Agonas said, shaking his head. 'This is madness. If we built our army for a thousand years we could not hope to defeat such a foe.'
'You speak nonsense, brother,' Pelas laughed. 'You have given no consideration to Fate.'
'Fate favors the prepared; and such we shall never be, if this be our task.'
The brothers were not troubled in any way as they made their way to the palace. 'They have naught to fear from armies; why should they take note of two travelers,' Agonas marveled to himself. The land grew flat as they approached Sunlan Palace. It was almost as though a great carpenter had smoothed the land itself with a plane, and scratched out any imperfections. The road to the palace was lined on each side by ancient oak trees, each of which was planted some thirty feet from their neighbors. Every detail of the landscape was exact and ordered. There were flowering fields to the north and south of the road, which gently wound its way west toward the city of Sunlan. The road, too, was well kept; there were no grooves or inequities on its surface. It was clear that the whole region was not merely planned, but also preserved with meticulous detail.
The city itself was little different from the road thereto. Every brick seemed to be newly laid, and there were no cracks or blemishes in the stones. At the eastern gate there stood two tall sentries, clad in Steel armor with spears at their sides. They did not so much as glance at the brothers as they passed. 'They have no fear,' Pelas said, his voice sounding doubtful, if only for that moment.
'We shall teach them otherwise,' Agonas said, in an attempt to lift his spirits. But he too felt overwhelmed by their enemy's defenses. 'The forest itself is a greater defense than the walls of Parganas,' he said as the two made their way down the King's Road toward Sunlan. There were a great many people on the streets, most of whom were elves. 'Kolohi tells me that the eastern lands are even as the northern: filled with mortals. But here the endless lives of the elves are guarded from all foes.'
'Could the Essenes of the north be turned against Sunlan?' Pelas wondered aloud.
'I know not; they were poor, as are all mortals, but they were not miserable.'
The sun drew to its height, warming the Spring air so much that the brothers were forced to remove their cloaks. As it reached its summit the glittering gold upon the palace gates was illuminated, making the whole palace seem as though it were made of that precious metal. Pelas gazed at the palace with his hand over his brow. 'There are hundreds of sentries, armed for show to be sure, but armed none the less.'
Sure enough, when Agonas looked he saw their scarlet and white tunics, covered with glittering chain armor, each with a red gemstone set in their polished steel helmets. Their swords were overlaid with gold.
'Such wealth!' Agonas marveled. 'How is it possible that the mighty lord of Alwan lives in a palace of stone while these outcast elves have mansions of gold?'
'It is here because we are here,' Pelas said, suddenly remembering his mother's training. 'Our father gave us royal blood, but Sunlan shall give us a royal kingdom.'
'They shall give it to us?' Agonas chuckled, thinking also of his mother's lessons, though not fondly as his brother did (for indeed the lessons his mother gave him were quite different).
'Indeed,' when we march from Ilvas, Fate herself shall go before our host, and grind to powder all who oppose us.'
At that moment, a trumpet blared and the gates of Sunlan Palace opened.
The Second Oath
'Clear the road for the Prince Unijan and the Princess Indra!' a voice called out. All over the city people seemed to be scattering. The mortal men and women lay themselves prostrate upon the ground. The elves bowed low, but retained their nobility as the Prince and his servants passed.
Pelas and Agonas did as the elves, putting their right arms across their waists and bowing low, so that their heads were lower than their belts. When Unijan had passed, Agonas risked a glance at the princess as she was carried up the street seated upon a gilt wooden litter.
The sun shone brightly upon her face, and it was the most beautiful face he had ever seen. Her crown gleamed in her golden hair like a thousand stars. Her dress was white with gold threat embroidered in an ornate design. She wore a white veil that hid her shoulders from sight. Agonas felt as though she were too holy and too fair to even look upon. Indeed, no other soul was looking at her. Even Pelas remained with his eyes downcast. 'Strange fate,' Agonas thought to himself, 'that here, in the heart of the enemy's kingdom, Pelas should be more cunning than I.'
Suddenly a voice whispered to him from his side. It was an old mortal who was laying on the ground with his face hidden beneath his arms. From where he lay, however, he could see Agonas' face.
'The penalty for seeing the face of Indra Ijjanda is death, if you are an elf - torture and death if you are a mortal.'
He looked back upon the face of the Princess without thinking. Her eyes met his, but she showed no alarm or offense as she studied him She turned away, returning her attention to the road as she was carried off to the palace.
When at last she was gone, life returned to the city. People all around them were rising from the dust, groaning and brushing the dirt from their clothes. The older humans were clutching their backs or their
legs as their weakened limbs required. There was a short bustle of conversation and then, as if it were waking from slumber, the sound of the city returned to the streets.
Agonas had a fire in his eyes and a passion in his soul that could not be contained. He clasped his brother by the arm and led him behind a shop, swung his brother's face before his and hissed, 'Swear it, brother!!'
'Swear what?' Pelas said, startled by his brother's actions.
'Swear to me, Pelas Parganascon, that when we come into our kingdom, the daughter of Ijjan will be mine. Swear it!'
Pelas laughed. 'Of course,' he said, as though it were a mere trifle to him. 'You shall have whomsoever you please.'
'I shall have Indra Ijjanda,' he said, as though the mere utterance made it all the more certain, or added strength to his brother's oath. 'Swear it to me.'
'You shall have Indra Ijjanda, I swear it,' Pelas said.
Once the oath had been taken, Agonas smiled and struck Pelas hard upon the shoulder. 'Look at this place, brother! It shall all belong to us, and Alwan too, when we have returned to our father in triumph.'
'You mean it shall be mine,' Pelas said, peering at his brother through narrow eyes.
'Of course,' Agonas laughed. 'That is what I meant, brother. I have not forgotten my oath.'
'Nor I,' Pelas said. Agonas shook his head and laughed, not willing to let the tension distract him from his excitement.
The brothers spent another month surveying the land before finally returning to Ilvas even as the weather began to grow warm. That summer, they took council with the people of Lohi in Lushlin, and procured for themselves arms and men of war. 'Our alliance with the lord of Lushlin,' Agonas said, when he and his brother were alone, 'would serve us just as well if we were to take Alwan by force.'
Pelas looked upon him with horror.
Agonas laughed. 'You think I am treacherous, brother?'
'I know not,' Pelas said, hiding his concerns.
'Remember this only, brother: We are not the first of his sons to be sent away on a Doom Path. And as we are the youngest, we are entitled to fewer honors than our predecessors.'
'You forget, brother,' Pelas said, 'that we are sons, not of Parganas alone, but of the Queen Aedanla also.'
'Indeed,' Agonas said, wincing at the sound of her name. He felt a deep envy rise within him. Circumstances would not permit either of them to bear a superfluous amount of affection toward their father, who had effectively sent them off to perish in battle. Yet Pelas retained his mother's love, and loved her also. Agonas had neither of these. 'If there is any hope of victory, brother, it is in that thought - that we are bearers of a godly bloodline.'
He meant this in jest, but Pelas nodded soberly.
Amro in Ilvas
Cheru was greatly disappointed when it became clear that they would not need to torment and torture Amro to compel his obedience. From the day he surrendered to their authority he gave no sign of rebellion or resistance, but contributed all his efforts to their mission. In the city of Ilvas, which was now a large and cultured place, frequented by man and elf alike, he built for himself a forge such as he had when he labored for the king of Sunlan. With the help of Kolohi he organized the procurement of iron ore, both through trade and craft. His knowledge of Sunlan allowed him to acquire great stores of iron for Pelas and Agonas. The armory of Nhest, which was just thirty leagues north of Tinot, was pillaged and burned by the servants of Pelas. The crime was blamed on the Essenes of northern Sunlan, who soon repaid Ijjan with their blood.
Ele was given to Dalta to be his bride, and the pair married within a year of her arrival. Ele did not love him, but she submitted to everything for the sake of Amro, who she knew suffered greatly throughout their imprisonment. If she could convince him that she was happy with her lot and with her husband, then it would ease his sorrow. Thus she made every effort to appear affectionate toward her new master, though it consumed her from within to do so.
After seven years she gave birth to a daughter, Dalele, whom history remembers by the name Dalia, the very same who was to become mother to Marin of Olgrost, who founded the nation that bears her name. When Dalia was grown she became enamored of a distant kinsman of Ruvis named Thuru, who would one day become her avenger. But the list of the elf lords and their marriages must await its proper place; it would be both tedious and unnecessary to recount all their names and histories here.
Ghastin was raised in Ilvas, and instructed according to the ways of Alwan. But he was a cunning child, and could tell at once what was history and what was myth. Even in his youth he could see more clearly what was an invention of Parganas than even Agonas, who prided himself on his lack of credulity. He was trained for combat, and his instructors spoke well of him, but he had no heart for fighting. He would often sneak away under the darkness of night to gaze at the moon or to study the stars. Pelas tried to encourage him to learn the names of the stars and how they interacted one with the other, but Ghastin just laughed, saying, 'They do no such things.' He grew strong in Ilvas, but he remained aloof from the court of Pelas, keeping to himself as much as he was able.
He remembered how he had come to Ilvas, and how much it had cost his brother Amro, who was in every way his opposite as well as his better. Where Ghastin was quiet, Amro was bold but thoughtful. Where Ghastin struggled, Amro excelled. Where Ghastin feared, Amro laughed. 'Do you not miss our old forge in Lubine?' Ghastin asked on occasion, when his heart longed for the days of peace, ere the ambitions of Pelas had dragged them from their old lives.
'Of course, brother,' Amro said compassionately. 'But I could not bear it if anything happened to you and Ele. We must serve these for a time.'
But Ghastin knew that it was not for fear over him and Ele that Amro served Pelas. He did not know of the vision, but he knew that it was no power of man or elf that had driven his brother to surrender to these treacherous princes. He never inquired after a reason, however, as it would, he thought, injure his brother's pride. 'You bear so much on our behalf, brother,' he said softly. 'Our father would be proud.' Every mention of his father made Ghastin's heart swell within his chest, for every day he saw his father's sword hung upon the belt of Lord Pelas Parganascon.