The Drifting (46 page)

“The throne will never accept him, there’s too much innocent blood on his hands,” answers my father.  “As for retaliation, we have men throughout the
Willow
city and in court now, ready for my orders to move i
n.  You’ll prepare for the take
over and leave for the Willow Clan tonight.  While Falsad and Harlu are here for the Seating, you and your men will be within the Willow Clan walls.  I have removed their entire natural defense and the Kufftai are there now.”

“So it was you who called the silver wolves from our woods,” questions Tolan, trying to hold back his anger.  “You put our lives at stake, father.”

“We had no clue there would be an attack
on the path that night
.  Besides, we sent out Kalis and her men to escort you safely to the bridge once we heard you were
outside the gates
.”  I step up to Tolan’s side as
our father continues with his reasons behind his motives
. 

Ka steps forward, “I’m afraid I’m the cause of all the secrecy.  However, I won’t apologize for it.  We did what we felt was necessary.”

“You’ve had this plan for a while it seems, yet you left us
out of it.
” I stare at the old man
and
finally
ask
, “Who are you really?”

“There’s no time for that,” interrupts my father.  He looks over at Milina and orders, “You will return where you came from.  Tharin has told me who you are and I don’t need you here for now.  Give the Mother my gratitude, but Lily will be taken cared of and your services are not needed at this time.”  Milina hesitates, looking over at me to speak on their behalf.  After a moment’s thought
,
I nod at her.  She straightens her shoulders, looks over at her sister and walks out with Glynnis, who gives Ziri one last glance.  I watch as his eyes follow her out of the room.

“Is there anything else you would like to share with us, Father?” I ask.

“Tharin, have you forgotten what’s at
stake
here?  What will happen once the four remaining Ancients are gone?” questions
Father,
stepping closer.  “We fear for them and they have been warned.  They are powerful in their own right, but by no means are they safe.”  He turns to Tolan, “Nedleid is dead.  He was discovered this morning in his suites, poisoned.  That only leaves three.  Soon the energy of the realm will shift and it will only be a matter of time before it starts to break apart.” 

Tolan sits back into his chair, shock
ed
to hear of his mentor’s death.  Out of the six, he was closes
t
to Nedleid. 

Softening his tone, Father continues. 
“Do you understand now why you need to take the
Willow
throne as soon as Lily is made queen?  She has to remain here.  She will be vulnerable at the Willow Clan a
nd I need Tharin here with
me.
”

Father turns back to me. 
“I would have told you about our plans in regards to Lily after the Seating.  It was my choice to keep it that way.”

“When do you plan on taking her to the doorway?” I ask. 

“Immediately after the wedding, in fact, right after you and Lily say your vows.  The formality with her advisors will be completed by then and she will be queen of two clans, a first for our realm.”

To
Tolan
he
says
, “I need you to prepare to leave.” 
He
makes his way to stand directly before him.  “I know it’s not what you expected for your future and I’m sorry that it has to come about this way
.  The
Willow Clan was always going to be yours, and if it weren’t for the current circumstances, I would have presented it to you as wedding gift.”

Tolan stands stiffly and doesn’t make eye contact until the mention of a wedding.  Anger flashes in his eyes and he stares at our father, locking gazes with him.  In the end, it’s Tolan who looks away, gives a curt nod and walks past
our
father without a word.

Father looks over at Ziri, “Go with him, stay by his side.”

Ziri stands, giving me a look before walking out after Tolan.

“I will have your cooperation on this
, Tharin,” demands Father.  “
I know you feel cheated and I’m sorry about that, but my first concern is of the people of Velesi.  Promise me you won’t interfere in any way that will stop us from taking Lily to Eirrell
.
”

After a moment’s thought, I nod
,
saying, “Yes,
F
ather, I promise…on two conditions.
  And if you refuse, I will take Lily from here where even Ka can’t find her.
”

It is Tolan who finds me first.  I’ve been sitting in the
Summer
Garden
since leaving the war room about half an hour ago.  My brother approaches from behind and sits down on the long bench beside me.  He leans forward placing his elbows on his knees and clasps his hand, identical to my own posture. 

“So now what?”
he asks.

“Now, you prepare to be king of the
Willow
Clan
,
”
I answer quietly.  “
You will make a good king, brother.”

Tolan drops his head, eyes close
d
. 
“I don’t want it, Tharin.  For the past weeks the only planning I’ve done is to break through Julia’s stubbornness, find out what the hell is going on in her head, marry her and live the rest of my life in blissful exile lying next to her, listening to beautiful sonorous lullabies every night.”

I smile at his description of paradise with Julia and I feel for him. 
“Who would have thought that the one command
F
ather gives each of us is one we each hesitate to follow because of a woman.”

“I certainly didn’t think I would be king before you,”
he muses.

“Neither did I,”
I reply.

“I didn’t think things would turn out like this at all.  I knew that one day we would find our own paths, I just didn’t expect it to happen now,”
says Tolan.

We both become silent, lost in our own thoughts of the women we have come to love and the responsibility that comes with our birthright.  Silently, Alorn sits on the opposite side of me.  I didn’t even hear him approach.  I look over at the side bench and see Mellis and Phoris
have
joined us, too.  I notice Ziri leaning against the tree that the benches are set under
,
staring out into the garden.

Tolan asks once again, this time out loud.  “Now what?”

~ * ~

Chapter Thirty-Two

~ Lily ~

I was hit by a hurricane name
d
Sema.  From the moment I awoke the next day after meeting Jarhan, Sema kept me busy and occupied.  By the time we were done with dinner each night
,
I crashed, exhausted with keeping up with the old woman. 

Before daylight she had me up to continue my lessons with Alorn.  I had expected to see Ziri with him, but I was told he was off on an errand by the king.  It was okay as Julia joined me in our workout and as I predicted she kicked my butt in all our sparring matches.  I did get some surprise
d
looks from Julia when I pulled a fast
hit
or
unexpected
move on her.  At the end of each workout
,
Alorn would move into the center and it was our job to take him down.  Despite the bruises, aches and pain
s
we never touched him.

Next, Sema spent an hour on our own lesson.  She never asked me about Jarhan, but I had a feeling she already knew.  When I stepped into the same arena area where my earlier workout was, she eyed me and again I felt she was seeing everything I didn’t.  Most of my lessons with her were how to move the energy around me, how to call it to my will and how to manipulate the energy around others.  This time she showed me how to use the energy as a defense, but not like what Asi showed me at the young oak in
Las Vegas
, but against actual physical attacks. 

Lessons and practices were done before breakfast.  But after a late night and the early workout I almost fell as
leep while eating.  The oatmeal-
like dish tasted so good
,
but I could barely eat any of it I was so tired.  Julia joined me for breakfast
and seemed wide-
awake and energized.  She had no problem ea
ting her bowl
and mine when I couldn’t finish.  Fruit, bread and cheese were also available and Julia had no trouble helping herself.

Once breakfast was done
,
we were both dragged to, and I was surprised Julia was included in all the preparation, to meet with a dress designer and seamstress.  This seemed more tiring than the workouts with the standing and holding poses as they took our measurements.  We were pulled, pinched, stretched and even smacked several times by Sema when we came out of a held position. 

By lunch
time even Julia was too tired to eat.  Lessons on how to walk, to talk, to nod, to wave, to sit, to eat, to gesture fatigue, to gesture annoyance (or rather gesture a
nnoyance without being annoyed)
and the etiquette lessons went on and on until dinner time.  And once dinner was over, we went back to the etiquette lessons until it was time to turn in.  Sema kept saying years of lessons need
ed
to fit
in
the two days left until it felt like our ears would bleed from hearing her saying it over and over again.

When we’re not in the
suties
, I’m always undercover.  Sema came to me the first morning and gave me a short hooded coat, something similar to my hooded jersey, but made out of the material from the cloth Tharin once gave me to wrap my feet in.  The hood, when pulled over, covered my face completely, allowing me to move freely from suites to the practice area and kitchen.  We weren’t served in the main halls as it was too easy to be discovered, and I was told the queen never took her meals in her room.  Out of respect, I refused to have any served there while I was using it.

At one point Julia asked why she had to go through the torture with me.  Sema told her as the best friend of the new queen, she had to know the ways of the clans so not to embarrass me during “the most important day of my life
.
”

Tonight is the last night of our lessons before the Seating tomorrow morning and my stomach was doing cartwheels.  The spread they put out for our dinner is beautiful, but seriously, did they
really
think two girls would be able to eat all this food?  In fact, the more I look at the food, the more I feel sick.  All I can think about is memorizing the oath I have to
say
before the clan leaders.  Kings and queens watching every move I make, listening for any mistake during the oath and along with them thousands of the Velesi people who will be here to witness the Seating.  I feel the nausea coming on when Julia plops next to me, turning sideways so
she’s facing me straight
on.