Emerald of the Elves (23 page)

Oscar left the balcony and returned to the courtyard. When he arrived, the Red Swords had formed a double human corridor stretching around the Royal Palace. Konic had gathered the members of the Council together, and they waited off to one side. General Gregor stood with fifty Red Swords as an honor guard behind the casket. Princess Callie came over and took Oscar’s arm. Together they walked to the casket.

Arik rose and wiped his tears. A Red Sword removed the kneeling-bench while the casket was covered. The parties formed a line behind the casket as eight Red Swords lifted it. Oscar and Callie attempted to get behind Arik, but Arik shook his head.

“You and Princess Callie will go first,” declared Arik.

“The king is always first,” objected Oscar.

“I am not king yet,” Arik shook his head. “Besides, she was your mother. It is my wish.”

Oscar smiled and nodded. General Gregor led the honor guard as the casket was carried between the two lines of Red Swords. Arik stepped in behind Oscar, and Tanya appeared at his side. She walked slightly behind him and held a magical shield over him. Konic led the members of the Council next.

The corridor of Red Swords shouted and raised their swords high, creating a tunnel for the casket to pass under. As the casket passed, the Red Swords bowed and sheathed their swords. They fell to one knee as Arik passed.

Arik had never seen the gardens of the Royal Palace. He gazed upon them distractedly as the procession wound its way through the intricate paths. Finally, the casket was placed before the mausoleum. The lid was removed once again, and the kneeling-bench was placed by its side. The members of the procession paid their last respects. They reversed their course and returned to the front of the Royal Palace. The people waited quietly. Arik walked over to Prince Darok who was standing in the courtyard where the mounts were tied up.

“I want you to accompany me,” Arik said to Prince Darok as he untied Chaco.

Darok nodded and followed Arik as the prince led Chaco into the Royal Palace. People looked strangely as the prince led the unicorn through the door. Murmurs ran through the crowd. A few minutes later, Arik appeared on the balcony outside the library. Tanya stood quietly behind him. Jenneva stood on a higher balcony where Fredrik had stood for Queen Marta.

“Open the gates and let this courtyard be filled,” Arik said loudly.

“I can amplify your voice,” Tanya whispered. “It will allow them to hear you clearly.”

“Will they know it is magic?” asked Arik as the citizens swarmed into the courtyard.

“They might,” shrugged Tanya. “Does that really matter?”

“I guess not,” frowned Arik. “Can you maintain my shields as well?”

“Child’s play,” grinned Tanya.

“Do so,” decided Arik as he watched the crowd assemble, “but turn it off if I touch you.”

“So it shall be,” nodded Tanya. “Tap me when you want it to start.”

Arik pondered what he would say while he waited for the citizens to gather. He opened his pocket and enticed Prince Midge out. He whispered in his ear, and the fairy prince disappeared into the library. It took a while for the citizens to position themselves. It gave Arik time to consolidate his thoughts. Finally, he began with a slight touch to Tanya.

“Citizens of Tagaret,” Arik started, “it is a sad day that brings us all together. Today we mourn. We mourn the passing of a great woman, a great queen. Unbeknownst to many of you, we are also gathered today to mourn the death of Targa. Our nation that was once the envy of the world was mortally wounded with the coming of the Collapse. We became little more than a city, but still we clung to the name Targa. Today, Targa died.”

Murmurs ran through the crowd as people discussed what the prince was talking about.

“Let me deal first with our grief for Queen Marta,” continued Arik, “and I will return to the death of Targa in a moment. My words are insufficient to carry the loss that I feel over the death of my grandmother. I know that many of you share that feeling of loss, and mere words will not ease that emptiness we all feel. Queen Marta began an ambitious program of preparing Tagaret for the coming struggles that we must endure. I have heard that the citizens of Tagaret enthusiastically endorsed her plan. So do I.”

Arik drummed his fingers against his leg to ease his nervousness. He gazed out over the citizens to gauge their reaction, but everyone merely watched him.

“I do not know if you have been informed of why this defensive plan was necessary,” he continued, “but I will tell you. Before my birth the world learned of an Ancient Prophecy. This prophecy foretold of the rise of the Dark One and the collapse of the Universes. The prophecy set out the conditions that the world must fulfill to rid ourselves of the Darkness and the Dark One. Fulfilling this prophecy is not an easy task. It will require great sacrifices from all of us. In a sense, it required the greatest sacrifice of all for my grandmother. There were two important reasons why Queen Marta returned to Tagaret, even though she was sure that it would result in her death.”

The crowd quieted down and Arik continued, “One reason for her return was the deplorable conditions imposed upon the citizens of this great city by a corrupt Council. That Council, which no longer exists, thrived upon the misery of the people. Queen Marta could not let this go unchallenged.”

Cheers broke out among the people as they chanted Queen Marta’s name. Arik smiled at the reaction of the citizens. He let them carry on until they were ready for him to continue.

“I am thrilled to see your enthusiasm for my grandmother,” smiled Arik. “You feel as I do. The second reason for her return was to ensure that I was crowned as king. The Ancient Prophecy sets out two conditions for the Dark One to be defeated. The first condition is the ascension of the true King of Alcea. Citizens of Tagaret, you heard me say before that Targa died with my grandmother. The reason that Targa must die is because Alcea must be born.”

“What is this Alcea?” shouted a voice from the crowd.

“A good question,” acknowledged Arik. “Alcea is an ancient country that existed long before Targa. Ages ago a great king, King Auric, united the entire world under his banner. That banner is the one you see flying over the Royal Palace today. It is also the banner proudly displayed upon my breast, for the breastplate that I wear is King Auric’s breastplate. It is the Breastplate of Alcea.”

“But what does it mean?” asked the same voice.

“It means that I represent one half of the fulfilled Ancient Prophecy,” explained Arik. “It means that the whole of Targa, should we be able to resurrect it, would not be enough to withstand the forces of evil that will be thrown against us. It means that we must unite more of the world than has ever been done since King Auric’s death.”

“How can we do that?” questioned another voice.

Arik drew the Sword of Heavens and held it high for everyone to see. “This,” he declared, “is the Sword of Heavens. It is the sword that will banish the Darkness. It is the sword that will unite the many peoples of this world. It is the sword that will end the days of the Dark One. This sword shall pierce the heart of the Dark One and banish his evil for all time.”

A dozen fireballs screamed towards Arik. He heard Tanya utter a soft moan as the fireballs impacted on her shields. The citizens below screamed. Some tried to duck, but the crowd was too dense for anyone to move much. Other citizens shouted and scanned the crowd for the evil magicians. Arik saw several bolts of lightning strike a rooftop not far away. Bodies flew through the air and plunged to the streets below. Citizens mobbed the fallen bodies and kicked the lifeless corpses.

“See how the Dark One fears what is happening here in Tagaret?” Arik continued. “He is losing control over this world. People like you are standing up and saying that enough is enough. We shall not live under the Darkness anymore.”

The crowd roared its approval and chants of Arik’s name rippled through the citizens. As the crowd quieted down, a voice shouted asking how they could banish the Darkness with just a sword. Arik nodded and smiled.

“Those of you who saw the procession today,” stated Arik, “saw some things that you may not have believed existed in our world. Allow me to explain what I have been doing while Queen Marta was securing the throne of Alcea for me. This Sword of Heavens is a magical artifact that contains seven gems. These seven gems represent the seven Universes that were affected by the Collapse. I have been traveling around this world with a small band of incredible people. We have managed to restore four of the gems required by the Sword of Heavens. With the restoration of each gem comes the clearing of the skies where the gem is found.”

“Do you mean the Darkness is gone in parts of the world?” shouted a citizen.

“That is exactly what I mean,” nodded Arik as he signaled for Prince Midge, “but there is more to it than that. This fairy,” Arik continued as Prince Midge hopped onto Arik’s outstretched palm, “is Prince Midge. This is the prince of the fairy people. They have pledged their loyalty to our struggle. Now you can see that the people of Tagaret do not stand alone in this struggle against the Dark One.”

Chaco came out next as Arik signaled.

“Many of you marveled when you saw me ride a unicorn into this city,” Arik said. “Now you shall meet him. Chaco is a Shamta of the unicorn people. That is like a prince in our society. The unicorns have also pledged to join us in this struggle. While many of you have never seen a fairy or a unicorn before, let me assure you that they number in the thousands. They are mighty allies in this struggle.”

Arik’s nervousness was gone as he indicated that Darok should join him on the balcony. “This is Prince Darok,” Arik continued. “He travels with me to represent the allegiance of the dwarf people. They, too, have joined with us to fight against the Dark One. The point is, citizens of Tagaret, that we are not alone in this struggle. We will persevere, and we will win this battle against evil. I will not tell you that it is going to be an easy task. Quite the contrary, it will be the hardest task that we have ever faced. Many of us will die in the coming battles, but we are blessed with the spirit of many good peoples. We will unite together to make this city stronger. We will join forces to defeat the armies of evil that are sent against us. We will demand the return of the sun, and the stars, and the moon.”

The citizens roared with enthusiasm. Raised fists filled the courtyard and beyond, while people began shouting Arik’s name again. A grin spread over Arik’s face as he felt the energy of the crowd. Slowly he remembered why he was speaking. His grin gave way to sadness again. He waited for the crowd to quiet down.

“The birth of Alcea must wait for tomorrow,” declared Prince Arik. “Today is a day for remembrance of a great woman and a great queen. I believe that every citizen has the right to pay his last respects to such a wonderful ruler. I have requested that the grounds of the Royal Palace be opened to the citizens of Tagaret to allow them that opportunity. The queen’s casket resides in the gardens behind this palace. If you wish to pay your respects, you may do so. The grounds of the palace will remain open until all who wish to visit the garden have done so.”

“Will it be open tomorrow?” shouted a citizen. “Not all of us will be able to get in there today.”

“The grounds will remain open day and night,” answered Prince Arik. “They will remain open as long as there is a line to visit with Queen Marta. The coronation will not take place until our mourning is complete. After the coronation, we shall all get to work on defeating the Dark One. “

Arik turned and left the balcony as people queued up to pay their respects to the queen. Both sets of his parents waited in the library for him. They congratulated him on a magnificent speech, but Arik merely nodded. With Tanya in tow, Arik worked his way through the Royal Palace to the gardens. He stood beside the casket before the first citizen arrived.

“What are you doing?” questioned Tanya.

“I am making myself visible to the citizens of Tagaret,” Arik responded. “They are being asked to put their lives on the line for me. The least I can do is offer them the chance to see me.”

“How long do you expect to do this?” questioned Tanya.

“As long as I can,” answered Arik as the first citizen arrived at the casket.

The citizen knelt for a brief moment on the kneeling-bench, and then bowed to Prince Arik. “Never have I felt so much a part of the royal family,” declared the old man. “Your grandmother taught you well. She would be proud of you. Know that the people of Tagaret will follow you to the Dark One’s lair and back.”

Murmurs of agreement rippled softly through those waiting in line. Each citizen expressed their condolences and their support as the day wore on. When the sky darkened, the light from the candles stretched around the entire Royal Palace and illuminated the courtyard and the gardens. The Red Swords took shifts protecting Prince Arik, but Tanya stayed by his side the whole time. The night turned to day and people were amazed that they had not missed talking to the prince, even though they had been far back in the line.

“I do not understand it,” Arik said softly to Tanya when there was a small break in the line. “I still do not feel tired. I guess their enthusiasm is keeping my spirits buoyed.”

Tanya smiled and nodded while she quietly cast another spell on Arik.

“You wouldn’t believe it,” beamed Sheri. “I do not think in the whole history of Tagaret a prince has been more accessible to the people. All day and all night, Prince Arik stood by the casket of Queen Marta. He spoke to every citizen who came by.”

“Why are you so naïve,” Jon shook his head. “So he talked to you, so what? He wants us all to die to save his throne. If a little talk will get us to do that, so what?”

“How can you possibly see any bad in what he is doing?” argued Sheri. “I don’t understand you, Jon.”

“He speaks with a Sordoan accent,” retorted Jon. “The boy is not even Targan. You are only thrilled because you think he will bed you. Well guess what? Do you really think he will pay any attention to you while that blonde goddess shadows him wherever he goes? You mean no more to him than the dirt beneath his boots.”