Empress Aurora Trilogy Quest For the Kingdom Parts I, II, and III Revised With Index (Quest For the Kingdom Set) (17 page)

A pearl. What
was the significance behind the showing of such an object in greetings between
two people? Marcus puzzled over it while the others talked and attended to
their food. He himself had suddenly lost his appetite in the excitement of his
discovery.

Their
proprietor, whose name was Eusebias, came to their table to inquire if all was
to their satisfaction. They assured him of the excellence of the meal. Felix asked
him what places he could recommend for the traveler to explore. Eusebias
pondered a moment, then replied that the ruins of the Temple of Lopponios was
most impressive. It was no longer used as a place of worship, but the edifice
was still splendid. It was located at the top of the highest hill of the main
island at the edge of a grove of ancient olive trees.

They thanked
him and prepared to depart. They walked out of the inn and into the bright
morning light. The sun bathed them in the warming rays of a May morning. After
the baking heat of the Desert of Dubar and of Koohyaram, the gentler warmth was
welcome to all.

Felix’s sharp
eyes spotted the Temple before the others did. As Eusebias had said, it was
indeed at the top of the highest hill on the island. They set out to climb it
and explore the summit.

As they
ascended, Marcus pondered to himself how best to obtain more information
regarding the Pearl. The merchant of Koohyaram had told him that the majority
of valuable pearls came from the Isles of Solone, but how could he make
discreet inquiries without arousing suspicion?

He knew of the
need for caution, yet he felt a sense of urgency in the knowledge that every
day that passed meant another day of imprisonment for his parents. He felt the
temptation to throw prudence aside and march to the nearest merchant of pearls
and demand information. But he could not risk that peril.

Lost in
thought, Marcus was jerked to reality when they reached the summit of the hill.
And there before them, in ruined grandeur, were the remains of the Temple of
Light, the place of worship for the god Lopponios.

Here at the
edge of a grove of olive trees, so large and gnarled that they seemed to have
been planted there at the dawn of time, stood what remained of what must have been
a magnificent temple. The base of perfectly cut and symmetrically laid blocks
of white stone still covered the floor, with a low ledge of stone surrounding
what had once been a courtyard. Dotting the courtyard here and there were stone
benches, still intact and functional.

But the truly
imposing feature were the perfectly carved pillars of white marble that rose to
a height of sixty feet above the stone floor. The roof they had once supported
had vanished, having fallen victim to war, weather, and the ravages of time.
For its glory days lay a full five hundred years in the past, when all of
Solone came to pay homage to the god of Light. Now it lay in ruins, the olive
grove the only remaining witness to the halcyon days of old.

Felix strolled
casually through the courtyard and idly kicked a loose stone. He whistled
aimlessly, but his thoughts seemed elsewhere. He gazed out over the ledge to
the city below, and the opposite hilltops. Then he seemed to collect himself,
as though he had been far away. He glanced at Marcus.

“Sad, really.
And yet, inevitable I suppose. I wonder what this place was like when people
came to inquire of the Sybillia for guidance from the god. He appears to be all
but forgotten.”

Marcus
shrugged. He who had no belief in any deity saw little need to rue the downfall
of this one. The ruined temple to him merely confirmed his observation of the
transient nature of all things, including divinity.

“I see no need
to mourn, Felix. If Lopponios really existed, surely his followers would not have
abandoned his place of worship.”

“Yes, but is
that not the fault of Valerium? This place thrived until we conquered Solone
more than five hundred years ago. People were afraid to practice their rituals
perhaps.”

“Perhaps. Yet
if that be the case, one must question the depth of their devotion. For surely
a man does not abandon his god because of some human ruler who has conquered
his homeland and forbidden, or at least discouraged, the practice of his
rituals. Such a man’s faith is not worth having. Nor is a god whose worship
depends on outward circumstances worthy of adoration.”

“Hear, hear,”
Fanchon chimed in. “Indeed, who would waste time on such weighty matters on
such a glorious morning! In Gaudereaux, we do not give a thought to
any
gods. What is of importance is the present moment and the enjoyment of life.
Who cares for sacrifices and pilgrimages, when one could revel in music,
dancing, and the vine instead? Let those with nothing better to do devote
themselves to such dreary practices, no? I intend to seize the moment and
live!”

Dag and Cort
were silent, and offered no opinion on the matter. Marcus knew their veneration
was firmly given to Bjorrne the Bear, of all deities the most illogical to
Marcus. For why would a man worship something that could not speak, could not
answer prayer, and could be killed by one of his own creation?

Their talk
died down, each lost in their own thoughts. For the space of half an hour they
explored the ruins and sunned themselves in the open air. A stray olive tree here
and there offered refreshing shade as the sun rose higher in the sky. When it
reached its zenith at noon, they decided to make their descent and return to
the inn in quest of food.

Just as they
began their descent, their attention was captured by the sight of a young woman
who was making her ascent up the hill. The sight of a lone woman was unusual,
it being the custom in Valerium for young girls to travel in groups of two or
three, even if they were only walking in the marketplace. The purpose was for protection
from any strange male who might be tempted to take advantage of a lone maiden.
It also served as protection from gossip. It was a widely held belief in
Valerium that a lady traveling unaccompanied did so to encourage the attentions
of men with dishonorable intentions.

After a brief,
whispered consultation, the group decided to wait at the summit to satisfy
their curiosity regarding the stranger.

She made her
way leisurely up the slope, as if haste was a word whose meaning was not known
to her. She stopped here and there to examine a pebble of shiny quartz that
took her fancy, to smell a wildflower whose perfume she was unable to resist.
The slope was covered with them, so it took some time for her to reach the
crest of the hill. Marcus had been too preoccupied in his thoughts to take note
of the scenery during the ascent, and he noticed now that it was remarkably
pretty.

The young
woman’s pace was so slow that Fanchon became visibly impatient. Just as she
decided to make the return to the inn without the others, the other girl at
last reached them.

Clearly she
had not been aware of their presence, and she started at the sight of their
group. She was tall, nearly half a head taller than Fanchon, with the slow,
graceful movements of some large jungle cat. Marcus had once seen a lioness on
an expedition with his father to one of the more far-flung of the Empire’s
outposts, and the young woman who stood before him bore a striking resemblance
to that exotic creature.

Her tawny hair
of golden-brown waves looked as if it would spring back from a stroking hand.
Her short, straight nose with slightly flaring nostrils bespoke a patrician
background. Her wide hazel eyes had a depth in them that he had never glimpsed
in another’s. They hinted of mysteries sought and discovered such as he could
not fathom. But her sweetly shaped lips curved slowly into a warm smile at the
sight of them. She bowed her head slightly, albeit with dignity.

“Good day to
you,” she said in a low, heavy voice as warm and rich as golden velvet. “I did
not mean to intrude on your respite.”

She spoke in
the Common Tongue, but with a cultured accent. Marcus took the lead.

“Good day to
you also, lady. You have not intruded at all. We were just taking our leave.”

“Then I will
not detain you,” she answered.

She stood
aside for them to pass, but Felix broke with convention to go to her side. He
bowed and took her hand, much to her astonishment.

“Good day,
lady,” he smiled into her eyes with a sparkle in his own. “I am Felix Lucius, a
citizen of Valerium.”

He quickly
introduced the others, then continued addressing her.

“May I have
your name, and may I be so bold as to ask if I may offer you my protection? For
surely it is not wise for one so fair to wander about the city alone.”

The young
woman flushed, and Marcus noted that she did not hasten to remove her hand from
Felix’s. She was either too startled or too bemused to notice that he still
held it in his own.

Just at that
moment he heard an indignant snort of “Hmpf!” from Fanchon. Evidently she also
noticed the fact. Perhaps she was peeved that Felix had never displayed such
gallantry to her, Marcus reflected wryly.

The strange
young lady seemed to recover herself. She drew back her hand and straightened
her cloak as well as her dignity. Felix merely smiled, the cocksure smile of
one who has just thrown the highest pair at dice and is sure to win.

“My name is
Kyrene Nicandros,” she said, her voice faltering.

She seemed
flustered, and moved slightly away from Felix. Marcus was uncertain whether she
was rattled out of her composure by Felix’s charm or merely by the attention he
lavished on her. Felix did not take offense, just looked at her with mischief
in his brown eyes.

“I live on the
main Isle of Solone. I am not afraid to walk alone, for my father is one of the
leading merchants of the city. None would dare accost me, for his fury would be
terrible. It would take a brave man indeed to risk incurring the wrath of
Philokrates Nicandros!”

Kyrene lifted
her head and tossed back her mane of tawny waves, a flash in her hazel eyes.
Clearly she was proud of her father. He must, Marcus thought, be a man to be
reckoned with.

Felix was not
deterred.

“And why would
none dare to incur the wrath of your father? Is he a great warrior?” he asked.

“He
was
a great warrior, but is an even greater man. He was born not in Solone,
although that is his ancestry, but in Lycenium, making him a citizen of
Valerium, and not one of its slaves. He fought bravely and served long in the
Imperial Army. When he was past the age for fighting he came here to settle in
Solone, the land of his forefathers.

“Here he
started his own business. He is a respected merchant of fine pearls, and a very
influential man, one whose opinion is soundly respected.”

At the word
“pearls“, Marcus’ head snapped up with an involuntary jerk. Felix shot a
sidelong glance at him, but kept his attention on Kyrene.

“Pearls? Are
pearls of such high value in this land? In my land it is rubies. I sometimes
think it is for the color, red as the color of blood. One must admit that the
Valerian people seem a bloodthirsty lot, eager to subdue and enslave every
other people under them.”

He shook his
head as if in regret. Then he turned back to Kyrene.

“Why are
pearls so valuable in your land?”

Kyrene gave
him a long measuring look. She appeared to debate some question within herself.

“Pearls,” she
answered, “are abundant in our waters. Many peoples travel to these islands to
purchase our pearls.”

Marcus came to
a decision of his own. If anyone would know the answer to the salutations with
pearls that he witnessed in the inn, it would surely be the daughter of a
merchant of pearls. And as a stranger in town, it would be only natural to
question her on any unusual customs he happened to witness.

“I also have a
question for you, Lady Kyrene. This morning while breaking my fast at the inn,
per chance I noticed several people passing kerchiefs to one another, then
passing them back again. I happened to see that the object in one of the
kerchiefs was a pearl. Do you know the reason behind this strange greeting?”

Kyrene became
very still. The only movement of her body was the widening of her eyes. She
looked at Marcus so long and so deeply that he became uncomfortable. The
strange girl seemed as though she were probing the depths of his soul.

“You have an
obsession with pearls, Marcus Maximus. Indeed, the life of your father depends
upon finding one. Yet you may need to forsake him to find the greatest Pearl of
them all.”

Marcus gasped.
All of the air seemed to leave his lungs. For one long moment he could not
breathe at all.

Felix quickly
came to his side when he saw Marcus falter. His face paled as he looked at
Kyrene in stunned amazement.

Kyrene now
turned her attention to him.

“And you,
Felix Lucius, you think all is concealed. But I say to you that all is known,
but you may yet find mercy. And you will find true love when you love the One
whose heart is true.”