Dwarven Ruby (42 page)

“I would love to see her,” mused Sheri. “I doubt I would get anywhere near her, though.”

“Sure you can,” offered Kendal. “They are opening the grounds to the Royal Palace for the speech today. Anyone can enter. I suspect it will be quite crowded though. Most of the city will try to squeeze in to see what it is all about.”

“Sounds like a great time for a heist,” grinned Jon. “Strike while everyone is listening to the royal wench.”

“No,” scowled Sheri. “We have been through this before. We will not steal any more food until Arik’s money is gone. We agreed.”

“You agreed,” retorted Jon. “I promised nothing. Some foreigner gives you some gold and you can’t keep your mind off of him. I am not so easily swayed by pretty looks.”

“It is not his looks that sway me,” argued Sheri, “although I will admit that he is very handsome. He is different than any man I have ever met. There is a quality about him that speaks of righteousness and courage. As if everything is black and white in his mind. There is no room for gray or in between. He lives to fight evil.”

“What a dreamer,” laughed Jon. “He is just another foreigner tramping through Tagaret and looking for whatever he can lay his hands on.”

“Who is this foreigner?” asked Kendal with sadness in his eyes.

“He saved us from an ambush a few days ago,” answered Sheri. “He gave us a pouch of gold when he left. He wanted us to use the gold to buy food instead of stealing it.”

“Is he one of the two lads who held off the army?” asked Kendal. “Near the Falcon’s Hood?”

“Yes,” nodded Sheri. “The other one was named Wylan. They both left the city the next morning.”

“I heard about that,” Kendal said. “Some men spoke highly of their skills. They were beaten for it. It is not safe to voice your opinions under Colonel Salvo.”

“I want to go see this queen speak,” decided Sheri. “Will you take me, Kendal?”

“Certainly,” brightened the Targa soldier with a twinkle in his eye. “It will be fun, and you will be a good excuse as to why I was not in the barracks when Colonel Salvo came by.”

* * *

Konic, Alan, and Fredrik stood on the balcony of the Royal Palace, gazing down at the grounds that were already swelling with people. Fredrik scanned the rooftops of the surrounding buildings in search of any Black Devils who might wish to take advantage of the queen’s appearance.

“See anything?” Konic asked softly.

“Nothing,” Fredrik answered. “That doesn’t mean the threat won’t materialize when the queen appears.”

“She is a courageous woman,” admired Alan.

Fredrik looked up and saw a higher balcony high above him. “I want to take a look from up there,” he said.

Konic followed his gaze and nodded. “It is time to get back inside anyway,” he added.

The three councilors entered the library that hosted the balcony.

“What does it look like?” asked General Gregor.

“Nothing so far,” answered Fredrik. “I noticed a balcony higher up. Can I have access to it?”

“Certainly,” nodded Queen Marta. “Before you go, I wanted to ask the three of you to serve on my new council. Will you accept?”

“I do not know that I can offer you much in the way of advice,” replied Konic, “but I offer you whatever you wish to avail yourself of.”

“I agree with Konic,” nodded Alan. “I will do whatever I can to see Arik on the throne.”

“Fredrik,” questioned the queen, “you seem hesitant. Is there a problem?”

“I am not sure that I am suited for such a lofty position,” frowned Fredrik. “I do not have the years of wisdom that Lord Clava and Lord Markel possess, nor do I have the intimate knowledge of Tagaret that Oscar and the General have. I want to do what I can for Arik, but I wonder whether my calling is here, or on the trail with the Alcea Rangers. Frankly, I miss the Rangers, but most of all, I miss Niki.”

“Where is Niki?” asked Oscar.

“She is with Master Khatama,” Fredrik answered. “He is planning on leaving the city today. Niki wants to leave with him.”

“You must follow your heart,” smiled Queen Marta. “Being on the Council is not the only way that you can aid the cause. Should you change your mind, you have but to ask.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” bowed Fredrik.

* * *

“How come she gets to be queen?” scowled Niki as she followed Boris onto the roof of the inn. “Why can’t I be the queen?”

“You have much more important things to do,” smiled Boris as he gazed at the other rooftops. “Stick with your animals. They will be much more loyal than people can be.”

“Really?” puzzled Niki. “I guess I never thought about it that way. You mean people are not always loyal to the queen?”

“A queen must work hard to win the loyalty of her people,” answered Master Khatama. “She can lose their loyalty just as quickly. Animals are not so fickle.”

“What are we looking for up here?” questioned Niki.

“We are looking for evil,” declared Boris. “There is much of it hidden in Tagaret. Keep your head down or someone will mistake you for an assassin.”

A fairy fluttered down and landed on Master Khatama’s shoulder.

“What have you found, Nixy?” asked Boris.

“Nothing yet, Mage,” chirped the fairy. “We have dozens of our people searching. If any of them do show up, we shall put them to sleep.”

“Make sure that your people are not detected,” warned Boris. “Your secrecy in Tagaret may still be needed.”

“We shall be careful, Mage,” promised Nixy as she shot into the air.

“Why did she call you a mage?” questioned Niki.

“Everyone has a bit of magic in them,” smiled Boris. “Some people would not recognize your skill as magic, but we both know that it is.”

“Oh,” frowned Niki. “You have a strange way of looking at things.”

“Here comes the queen now,” Boris pointed. “Hear how some of the crowd is booing?”

* * *

Queen Marta gazed down at the multitude below. The palace grounds were full to overflowing. Youngsters had climbed the wall and were seated upon it. The streets outside the wall were also packed with people. Some of the people waved joyously. Others bowed. Many of those assembled below were shouting and booing. The queen watched with sadness as people started pushing one another over their individual reactions to seeing the queen. She gave the signal for the horns to sound. The sounding of the horns quieted the crowd for a moment, and Queen Marta seized her chance to speak.

“Citizens of Tagaret,” she said loudly, “some of you are glad to see me, while others are not. I find no fault with any of you. I ask only that you hear my words, and then decide whether my return to Tagaret is good or evil. Whether you believe in me or not, do not disparage your neighbor for his views. Beginning tomorrow, I will hear complaints regarding the rule of Tagaret. Today I ask only that you listen.”

Some dissenters continued to heckle the queen, but she was glad to see that her supporters were refraining from shouting or pushing. She waited patiently for the noise to subside.

When it did, she continued, “Citizens of Tagaret, you have been ruled poorly. You have been over-taxed and under-fed. The Contest of Power that has ruled this city for too long has resulted in near disaster. Fortunately, the Council has finally ruled to abolish itself. This kingdom is now under the rule of the monarchy once again.”

“You’re too late,” shouted a heckler. “We have nothing left for you to steal. Go back where you came from.”

Somebody cursed and shoved the heckler. Others joined in.

“Stop,” shouted the queen. “Let him speak.”

The crowd stopped pushing the man and he glared up at the queen, but said nothing.

“Please,” instructed the queen, “if anyone has complaints, do not punish them for airing them here. You have been treated unfairly, and I know that many of you are angry with the government. I, too, am angry. I want to help you, and I want your help. This city is on the verge of extinction, and I will not let that happen.”

“And what are you going to do about it?” yelled another heckler.

Queen Marta smiled when nobody moved to silence the heckler. “There is a lot that I can do,” answered the queen. “As of today, I have instructed the tax collectors that the taxes in Tagaret had been suspended. That includes past due taxes.”

Gasps of surprise rippled through the crowd and the queen smiled.

“Furthermore,” she continued, “wagons loaded with food are already on their way here from locations near and far. While the crown can afford it, food will be distributed free to everyone.”

Cheers erupted throughout the crowd. Queen Marta held up her hands for quiet, and the crowd fell deathly silent.

“That is the good news,” announced the queen. “There is plenty of bad news to offset it. Duke Everich has been looting the treasury of this city. He sent the funds to the Black Devils and the Dark Riders, so we cannot recover what he has stolen. He has been arrested for treason.”

A fiery projectile soared up from the street and smashed into the invisible shield surrounding Queen Marta. Fredrik felt the shield absorb the force as he scanned the street below. He spotted a man running away, and then saw him fall to the ground. Red Swords immediately surrounded the body and hauled it off.

Four Red Swords rushed onto the balcony to usher the queen inside, but she waved them off.

“Even now the forces of evil seek to destroy what they can of Tagaret,” the queen stated defiantly. “Do you citizens know why the forces of the Dark One have focused so much on our fair city?”

The queen watched the mass shaking of heads below. She gave a signal and banners unfolded from each of the towers. Each balcony of the Royal Palace had a banner unfurled, and a huge banner rose from the roof of the Royal Palace.

“The Dark One seeks to destroy Tagaret because of the Ancient Prophecy,” continued the queen. “This banner that flies before you is the ancient banner of Alcea. It is the symbol of all that is good in our world. It is the banner of the warrior king who will return the sun and the moon to Tagaret as surely as he has already done in other parts of the world. Citizens of Tagaret, it is the banner of YOUR king.”

“Who is this king?” shouted a voice from below. “Where is he?”

“This king,” Queen Marta declared proudly, “is my grandson. As to where he is, he is out fighting the forces of evil to restore the Sword of Heavens. Within a short time, he will be coming to Tagaret to clear our skies of the Darkness. When he does, Tagaret can expect the forces of evil to descend upon us in a most terrifying fashion. They will come not because he has banished the Darkness, but because they need to kill him to complete their destruction of our world. I vow to you now that I will not let Tagaret fall to the forces of evil, but I need your help.”

“What can we do?” yelled a voice.

“We need soldiers,” the queen said loudly. “We need workers to prepare defenses. We need thinking minds to study our weaknesses and advise us how to adjust for them. We need the citizens of Tagaret to unite and work together, because together we shall defeat this evil. Do we have citizens here in Tagaret who stand ready to fight the evil?”

The crowd roared with approval. The queen noted that there were still numerous skeptics in the crowd, but she was pleased with the initial enthusiasm.

“We also need cooks to feed the workers,” the queen continued. “We need smiths to fashion weapons and stone masons to raise the walls. There is work for everyone, and there will be food for everyone.”

“Where is all of this money coming from?” asked a citizen.

“A good question,” nodded the queen as she signaled for her son. “Our treasury is bare, and yet we have much need of gold. Many of you can remember the time of the Collapse. At that time my son, Prince Oscar, went into hiding as instructed by the Ancient Prophecy. It is his son who will be the warrior king. It is his money that will feed all of you. Some of you think that the monarchy is here to steal your gold. Let me set you straight. My son earned his gold long before he became royalty. When this is all over, he will be penniless. This monarchy is not interested in your gold, only your survival.”

Prince Oscar stepped forward and bowed to the queen. He turned and bowed to the citizens below. A dozen fiery projectiles slammed into the shield that was now protecting both the queen and the prince. The combined force of the fireballs hitting the shields jolted Fredrik. He shouted a warning to the queen.

The street beyond the wall became a hive of activity. Red Swords raced through the crowds trying to reach the magicians that were attacking the queen. The Black Devils prepared to strike again, and Fredrik shouted a warning to the queen. As soon as he did, he felt his shields strengthen considerably. He frantically scanned the crowd, wondering who was aiding him

The four Red Swords appeared to escort the queen from the balcony, but again she refused to leave. She nodded approvingly as the citizens of Tagaret started striking out at the Black Devils. Within moments the Black Devils were all knocked down and were being kicked by the citizens. The Red Swords arrived and parted the angry mob. They seized the bloodied magicians and hauled them away.

“That, citizens of Alcea,” shouted the queen, “is the way we shall deal with evil. Sarac’s forces will try to conquer us, but I know the people of Tagaret as good hard working loyal people. There are no finer people in the entire world. Let the evil come and we shall dispense with it together.”

The crowd raised their fists and shouted. A wide grin spread over Queen Marta’s face as she basked in the enthusiasm of her people. For the first time since learning of her grandson, Queen Marta knew she was right to have come back to Tagaret.

“There is one other thing,” continued Queen Marta. “There will be many attempts to kill me in the future. Whatever happens to me, or my son Prince Oscar, never let anyone replace the monarchy. Only the warrior king can save Alcea. This throne must remain open to him if Sarac is to be defeated.”

Sheri stared at the queen and the banner flowing from the balcony she stood on. “What is the name of this warrior king?” she shouted.

“Prince Arik,” answered the queen, “is the warrior king.”