The air in the room, saturated with violence and horror, shimmered on the verge of ignition.
“We…are not…barbarians,” Raidan finally managed to croak through jaws clenched so tight, they ached. “We do not kick prisoners to death!” He whirled around to glare at the guards, who all fell to their knees like wheat beneath the scythe, heads bowed. Out of the corner of his eye, Raidan saw Kaisik staring at his brother, whey-faced. The boy pressed a hand to his mouth, stumbled over to the wall then vomited against the canvas.
“Sorry, Father, but the cur had it coming,” Raidu drawled. “He dared to insult an elven prince.”
Raidan lowered his head and focused for a moment on his dusty, spittle-stained boots, reining in his anger so he could respond to his son without howling.
“I needed the information that man could have provided,” he said. “Something he knew may have spared the lives of many of our troops. Did you even… for an instant …consider that?” He looked into Raidu’s eyes, hoping to find the tiniest scrap of remorse, but he saw none. His son merely shrugged.
“Your Highness,” Sonoe spoke up softly. “I’ve scanned the dead man’s mind and retrieved some images. They might be of use.”
If a trained mage scanned a person’s mind immediately after death, the deceased’s last thoughts, impressions, and memories could sometimes be recovered.
Perhaps Sonoe has been able to salvage something useful out of this debacle , Raidan thought.
“I commend you on your quick thinking, my lady,” he replied, then snapped to the guards, “Get this body out of here!”
The guards scrambled to obey, dragging the dead human out of the tent, leaving a bloody trail in their wake.
“You,” Sen gestured to the two scouts, both of whom had jumped out of the way the moment Raidu had attacked. “Could you tell whether or not the Soldaran had a partner?”
The pair stepped forward, shaking their heads in unison. “No, my lord,” the older man answered. “He was alone. Neither of us sensed any others nearby.”
“Tell us what you learned,” Sen ordered, turning to Sonoe.
“He did have a partner, Highness,” she answered. “But I got no sense that they were together when your scouts discovered this man. The other one may very well still be up on the ridge, or he may have already returned to the main body of the Soldaran army. This man felt certain, though, that the Soldarans will have no difficulty retaking the valley.”
“Very good,” Sen commented.
“You see, Father?” Raidu interjected. “Questioning that creature would have been useless, so there’s really no harm done…”
“Be silent!” Raidan barked. He glared at his son. “At this moment, I can barely stand to look at you, much less listen to any opinions you might have.” Raidu’s lips twisted into a petulant bow and for an instant, Raidan thought his son might actually defy him, but the younger prince evidently thought better of it and held his tongue.
Before Raidan could speak again, Lady Odata strode into the pavilion. “I came as soon as I heard, your Highness. Where is the prisoner?” Odata wore a look of high expectation on her face but she stopped short in obvious confusion when she saw the grim expressions confronting her. “What is it? What has happened?” She looked first at Raidan, then at Sen.
“The prisoner is dead,” Sen replied.
“What? How?” Odata exclaimed in dismay.
“It doesn’t matter,” Raidan stated. “He didn’t know anything useful.” Odata glanced at the blood on the mats and her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t press the issue.
“I’m glad you’re here now, Odata. I need to speak with you.” Raidan took a deep breath and forced himself to sit. With that simple act, he banished enough tension in the room to allow everyone else to relax.
“Guardsmen and scouts, you are all dismissed,” the prince ordered. “Mages as well. Lady Sonoe, you and your second, please stay.” He waited until all the guards, the two scouts, and the rest of the mages had filed out before he spoke again. “Tell me about my brother.”
“He died in my arms,” Sonoe answered in a rough whisper. “In the end, he was at peace and in no pain. I saw to that myself.”
“Thank you,” Raidan tried to say, but a strange lassitude had begun to creep over him, turning his body into an unwieldy sack of stones and his mind into treacle. Sonoe’s eyes expanded before his sight, merging into a single, whirling jade pool. He felt it sucking him down, and he struggled to break free. Just as he thought he might be pulled in, he was released.
“Ai, Goddess!” he gasped. “What just happened?” He shook his head and pressed a palm to his brow.
“What do you mean, my lord? Is something wrong?” Sonoe murmured.
“Did you try to scan me just now?” Raidan regarded the sorceress with growing suspicion.
Sonoe’s face lost all color. “No, your, Highness!” she replied, bowing her head. “I would never presume to enter your mind without your permission. I apologize if my own grief somehow disturbed you. The king’s death has affected me very deeply.” Her beautiful mouth trembled.
A sharp pang of remorse stung Raidan’s already aching heart. “Of course. Of course it has. I know how you felt about my brother, Sonoe,” he said softly, “and your love and loyalty won’t go unrewarded.”
“I don’t want any reward, your Highness. All I want is to have my soulmate back, but that’s not possible.” She turned her face away, but not before the prince glimpsed the sparkle of tears on her cheeks.
“The other lords must be informed of the king’s death, Raidan,” Sen said in a low voice.
Raidan raised his hand and Mai Nohe materialized at his shoulder. “See to it that runners are sent to all the other lords. I want them here right away,” he ordered.
“Yes, my lord Prince,” Mai answered and strode out of the tent.
Sen crouched by Raidan’s stool and murmured, too softly for anyone else to hear, “Raidan, you are king of Alasiri now.”
Raidan sighed. Ever since the day when Keizo had ascended the throne and had named him Heir, the prince had prepared for this moment, but now that it had come, he felt nothing but sorrow and desolation.
This is not how I wanted to be made king!
“Yes, I realize that.” he replied aloud. “All too well.”
Raidan rose from his stool and looked around the room. Sen remained kneeling, and the prince saw that everyone else in the pavilion had knelt as well, including Raidu, who for once seemed beyond insolence.
“Please, all of you, get up,” he commanded wearily. “News of my brother’s death must not leave this tent.”
“But why, your Majesty?” Sen exclaimed as he hauled himself to his feet. “The other lords and the army have a right to know!”
“The army, as do the rest of the elven people, love Keizo with a fervor they have yet to feel for me. No, old friend,” Raidan held up a hand to silence Sen’s protest. “Please don’t patronize me. I’m far too sensible to delude myself on that account. The troops need their unconditional love for my brother. It’s what’s sustaining their courage. If they learn of his death, it will break their hearts and take away the edge we need to win this fight.”
Sen nodded in reluctant agreement. “Perhaps, you’re right, but I think you’re selling yourself short, Majesty.”
“Please, remember…all of you must still think of me as I was, not as who I will become if, when , we drive out the Soldarans,” Raidan admonished.
A heartbeat later, Mai Nohe returned. “My lord Prince, the other lords are on their way,” he announced.
“Good,” Raidan said. “All of you…pour yourselves more wine and get comfortable. We have a long night ahead of us.”