The wedding feast was given by Queen Magali and King Tai. Skylan and Aylaen entered the chamber hand in hand, both of them dazed by their happiness. There were no long wooden tables such as the Vindrasi used for their feasts. The Aquin women sat on mats or cushions on the floor. The men served them, bringing in large trays filled with seashells that bore vegetables and fruits and rice.
Aylaen, seated on a cushion beside the Queen, laughingly ordered Skylan to bring her food. Skylan thought of his homeland, where Aylaen would be serving him, and he thought he should be angry, but he found he liked serving Aylaen.
The men were not all that different, he discovered, for as they were filling the plates for their women, they made the same ribald jests, teased Skylan about his prowess, and shared some of their wine with him. The wine was made from bamboo and he found it atrocious, but he drank it, not wanting to insult anyone.
He was thinking of this night, dreaming of taking Aylaen into his arms, and wondering when they could slip away without offending their hosts. Aylaen sat laughing and talking with the Queen and her daughters and other female members of the court. Skylan had risen and was going over to speak to her, to persuade her to come to their wedding bed with him, when Commander Neda entered the room.
She went swiftly to the Queen, who rose to meet her. They exchanged a few words. The Queen looked grim, her lips tightened. She motioned for Aylaen to join them. Aylaen listened and then turned, crying out urgently, “Skylan!”
He dropped the food and shoved aside the men and hurried to her side.
“It’s Farinn,” Aylaen told him. “He’s been abducted. Aelon’s followers are holding him hostage. Oh, Skylan, they threaten to kill him!”
CHAPTER 29
“Who has him? Who is threatening to kill him?” Skylan demanded.
“Aelon’s followers,” said Commander Neda. “They have taken the young Vindrasi to the City of the Fourth Daughter.” She held a scroll case made of ivory in her hand. “I was given this. I assume it is their demands. Should I read it, Your Majesty?”
Queen Magali pressed her lips tightly together and gave a stiff nod. The commander drew out a sheet of paper made of bamboo and glanced swiftly through it, then began to read aloud.
“We gave our cousin, the Queen of the City of the First Daughter, fair warning that she should hand over to us the dangerous criminals she has in her care. She has chosen to ignore our warnings and refuses to heed our request. We have therefore taken it upon ourselves to apprehend one of these criminals ourselves. We demand that the Vindrasi Priestess and her mate, as well as their dragonship, be turned over to us by orders of Priest-General Raegar. If Her Majesty refuses our request, we will send pieces of this young man’s body to his friends.”
Aylaen turned in dismay to Skylan.
“I won’t let that happen,” he promised, putting his arm around her.
Commander Neda glanced at them, and then continued her reading. “If Queen Magali refuses our request, let it be known that a state of war will exist between our two kingdoms.”
A stunned and disbelieving silence fell over the chamber. War-the word was almost unknown to these people.
“This may be some trick,” said the Queen. “Do we have proof that they have taken the young Vindrasi?”
“My warriors have been searching for him, Your Majesty, and they cannot find him,” said Commander Neda. “The young woman he left with gave her name as Kailani. No one serving in my ranks goes by that name.”
“All this talk is wasting time,” said Skylan angrily. “We must go after him-”
“And go where? And do what?” Queen Magali asked sharply. “Will you take on a thousand warriors?”
“If I have to!” Skylan retorted.
The Queen looked shocked. Aylaen rested her hand on Skylan’s arm.
“I think we should find out the facts, Skylan. They may help guide us to Farinn.”
“I know how to find him,” Skylan said grimly.
Aylaen flashed him a glance and dug her nails into his flesh. Skylan fell silent.
Commander Neda summoned the troops who had been given the charge of guarding the Vindrasi. Upon questioning, none of them could remember having ever seen the young man’s guard before. She said that she had been newly transferred from the detail that guarded the city beyond the walls.
The two had left by a passageway off the tower rooms known as the old stairs. They found the caftan Farinn had been wearing.
“We found it on the landing beside the Crystal Stream,” the guard reported.
“No one told me this!” Skylan said, growing angrier still.
The guard shrugged. “We thought he had gone for a swim with his admirer. We did not think that he could possibly be in any danger.”
“This woman must be a follower of Aelon, sent here to lure your young friend out of the palace,” said the Queen.
“How could she know her way around? How could she know of secret passages?” Skylan demanded, glowering.
“Our city is open to all,” said the Queen. “Any Aquin may enter and find welcome.” She sighed, sorrow darkening her eyes. “And now one has betrayed us. Her people ambushed your friend and took him captive.”
“I blame myself, Your Majesty,” said Commander Neda. “I saw this woman among the guards and the thought came to me that there was something not right about her. I was busy at the time and I did not pursue my doubts.”
“I am the only one to blame,” Skylan said impatiently. “Farinn is young and naïve. I should have warned him to be careful. Instead I wished him joy of his conquest! And since I am to blame, I will go to this City of the Fourth Daughter where Farinn is being held prisoner and bring him back.”
He glared at the Queen. “Unless, of course, you intend to give into their demands, Your Majesty. In which case, there will be war between us.” Skylan rested his hand upon the hilt of his sword.
The Queen’s eyes flashed with anger. She rose to her feet. “Our course of action will be determined by what is best for our people, Vindrasi. Not by threats of violence!”
Acronis walked over to stand beside Skylan. “Apologize,” he said.
“But-” Skylan sought to argue.
“You were in the wrong,” said Acronis. “What if the situation was reversed? What if your people were being threatened? Put yourself in her position.”
Skylan could not possibly understand a people in love with peace, a people who had never known war. He could, however, understand what it meant to decide the fate of those who looked to him for leadership. Queen Magali had been placed in a terrible position and he was, in some respects, responsible.
“Your Majesty,” he said in a softer tone, “I do apologize. Before you make any decision or reply to the terms of Priest-General Raegar, I ask to speak to you and the commander of your forces in private. I believe that I may have a way out of this dilemma, a way that does not involve bloodshed.”
Queen Magali gazed at him and then shifted her gaze to Aylaen. “You are the wife and head of the household. What do you say to his proposal?”
Aylaen reached out to Skylan and took hold of his hand. She smiled at him and said softly, “My husband and I-we stand together.”
* * *
The Queen dismissed the court. The Aquins left to carry word of the crisis to the rest of the population. Fear and unease flowed through the city, as neighbor told neighbor. Queen Magali could hear the murmurings that washed like the waves upon the shores of her palace. She stood at the window gazing out upon her city.
She had asked for a moment alone to consider her decision. The Vindrasi, Skylan, had proposed a plan that used the ploys of Aelon’s followers against them. He and a group of warriors would disguise themselves as Aelon’s followers.
To the Queen’s surprise, Commander Neda was in favor of the Vindrasi’s plan. “I believe it will work, Your Majesty.”