The Lifesaving Power: Goldenfields and Stronghold (16 page)
Read The Lifesaving Power: Goldenfields and Stronghold Online
Authors: Jeffrey Quyle
He glanced up at a window and saw that it was dark outside. “I’ve heard enough for tonight,” he said. “I’ve been on a ship for two weeks, and I’d like to take a ride to stretch my legs.”
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We’ll plan to meet again tomorrow,” Aristotle said quickly. “I think we all need time to rest and consider what we’ve heard here, then decide what comes next.”
Heads nodded in agreement, chairs pushed back from the table, and after an extended round of comments and camaraderie, Alec was left alone. He slipped away from the meeting room and went back to the stables, where he saddled up Walnut and left the palace grounds, asking the guardsmen to remember him and let him in on his return.
Alec rode through the crowds on the great boulevard, passing by the cathedral on his way to the gates at the foot of the ingenairii domain. He wanted to see Ari, to talk with him privately, to have a chance to speak freely and open his heart for a change. A guardsman stood at the gate, a man he did not recognize, who stopped him to ask his business.
Alec stood at the edge of the cobblestone plaza where he had last been publicly acknowledged as protector of the crown of the Dominion. The damage to the plaza had been repaired, and there was only one sign of the explosive discharge of energy he had produced at that spot, killing many of the ingenairii among the coup leaders. A tall stone monolith stood, and a stream of water flowed from it, into a gutter that carried it off the plaza and down a well many yards away. Even ow,e early evening, several women were gathering pitchers of the water at the end of the gutter, and carrying them away. Alec imagined he could see shadows around the periphery of his vision, perhaps the ghosts of the ingenairii who had died in his blast of power, but direct sight showed nothing there.
He turned to face the guardsman again and spoke. “I am a healer ingenaire, returning to see Aristotle,” he said calmly. “My name is Alec.”
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We don’t have healer ingenairii,” the guard said stoically.
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Well, you have one, and I’m standing right here,” Alec replied.
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I’ve been here for several weeks, and I’ve never seen you before. Master Aristotle is very busy. Is there someone else who can help you?” the guard answered.
Alec thought for a moment, trying to remember what ingenairii might have returned from their flight to Goldenfields, or otherwise be trustworthy allies present on the Hill; if someone would approve his entrance to the grounds, he really would settle for just walking around on the Hill to revisit the sites. “Is Rubicon or Nathaniel available?” he asked.
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Neither of them are presently here. You ought to try the palace,” the guard told him.
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May I see Viola?” he asked for an ingenaire from the Water House, not wanting to see Genia, if she was even still alive.
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There is no Viola here,” the guard said, growing exasperated while Alec felt sorrow as he presumed Viola had fallen victim to the violence on the Hill. “Why don’t you give up and go about your business?”
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Wait. Let me ask for one more. Is Bethany from the Water House here?” Alec asked with trepidation, not sure whether he wanted to have success or not.
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I would have expected a young ruffian like you to ask for a pretty girl the first time, instead of beating around,” the gate keeper told him. “She won’t want to be bothered by the likes of you.”
Alec debated whether to push past the man, give up, or argue more. “Here now, send her a note. Tell her Alec the healer has returned,” he suggested meekly.
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I won’t have anyone to deliver a note for another twenty minutes when the rounds pass by. Will you wait?” the guard responded.
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No, I won’t wait,” Alec said, feeling defeated. “I’ll return later.”
With that he remounted Walnut and rode back down the boulevard to the plaza in front of the cathedral; he felt lonely and in need of companionship. “Is Cardinal Humano available?” he asked at the entrance to the administrative building.
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The Cardinal has gone to Bondell. He is not available,” the priest at the front desk answered.
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What do I have to do to find someone I know in this place?” Alec at last burst out loudly in aggravation as he stepped away from the door.
The armed guards stationed nearby turned to look at him, but all they saw was a man peacefully walking away from the door.
Although it was getting late, Alec remounted Walnut, turned the horse around, and rode past the Ingenairii gate to the far side of the hill. Alec tied Walnut to a tree, and climbed through the underbrush until he found the small, seldom-used seaside gate through the wall around Ingenairii Hill. And with that he was back inside his old haunts, ready to go find Aristotle and begin to talk about the future.
Chapter 20 – A Meeting With Ari
The path he followed led uphill to the Warriors house that had been run by Rubicon. The building was empty, and appeared to have been deserted for some time. Alec stood on the balcony that looked out over the ocean. He remained there for a long time, leaning on the railing, watching the white lines of the ocean waves crawl upon the beach.
At last he tore himself away from the memories that dwelt in the place, and hurried down the hill towards Aristotle’s office. The lights were on, a sign that the old man was at work.
Alec entered the hallway, but saw no sign of Willis, Aristotle’s aide in former times. He walked to the door of Ari’s office, and knocked softly. After an appropriate wait, he knocked again, louder.
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Who is it?” Aristotle’s voice called. Alec felt relief course through his spirit; he had reached Aristotle finally. He turned the knob and opened the door, finding Ari sitting at his desk, his head up to see who had entered his office.
Alec saw a rare thing in that moment; he watched raw emotions play across the face of the eldest ingenaire in the dominion. From annoyance the features switched to surprise, and then a teary smile.
“
Alec, is it really you? Is it truly you on my threshold? I’m so glad you have come by this evening,” Ari told him, rising from behind his desk and walking forward.
The two men wordlessly hugged. For Alec the contact with his mentor was a relief and a release, and he felt unrealized tension drain away. For a long time they stood silently together, then parted so that Aristotle could hold Alec at arm’s length and study him.
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What has the world done to you, my son?” Ari asked gently. “I heard your story this afternoon, but I can see so much more in your eyes; what has changed you so much?”
With that they sat down, and Alec proceeded to tell his story, dwelling over the times in Stronghold with John Mark, remembering details he didn’t realize he knew. Then he spoke about Bethany, and the letter he had finally written to her.
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So now I am back here,” Alec said at last. “I guess I’ve completed the compulsion I was under to oust the coup leaders and to restore Noranda. Now I can do something else, do what I want to do for myself. I want to return to Bethany; that’s the commitment I really want to make most of all.”
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Well, if you plan to speak of commitment, do you want to be the crown protector, Alec? Do you remember that title you received? It wasn’t solely given to you by spirits or holy voices, but it was given to you by the leaders of the Dominion who are looking for someone to help lead them as they try to restore order. They must have been motivated by some higher force to unite in this decision. Are you ready to do that?” Ari pressed urgently. “If you cannot answer yes to all those questions, you will harm the Dominion by failing to serve it.”
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Yes, Ari, I want to help the Dominion,” Alec said defensively. “But how do I do that? Do I just announce that I’ve selected a king and expect people to believe things will get better? Who could I pick to be the right person?”
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You need to wait for a sign,” Ari replied. “The same divine providence that selected you to protect the crown will show you how to dispose of it. In the mean time, you have three things that you need to use to win the hearts of your subjects, most immediately those who live here in troubled Oyster Bay, Alec. Do you know what they are?” the gray eminence asked him.
Alec sat back in his chair. “Ari, I feel like I’ve had so much taken away from me lately. Once upon a time I cared for Noranda, but now she’s Brandeis’; my full use of warrior powers have left me; even the joy of life has diminished a little bit…” he trailed off. With an effort he straightened his shoulders. “Well, I still have my healing powers, and I’m thankful for that. If anything, I think I’m stronger than before. But how can I use that to make the people support me? I can’t heal everyone in town.”
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You don’t have to heal everyone, but you can heal many. There’s an old belief that the hands of the king carry a healing touch. I’ve never thought about where that came from, but perhaps there was a time when kings were healers,” Ari explained. “As the crown protector, and the present proxy for a king, you can heal many people, and show them that you care for their well-being, for them as individuals, as people with lives and pains and needs. That will win their love, Alec. They want a leader who cares for them.”
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What’s the second thing you have?” Ari asked.
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I have no idea,” Alec replied.
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I’ll make it quick; you have legitimacy. You told us you were divinely charged with protecting the crown and the throne for a true heir of the king. You have a right to take actions on his behalf, and many good things will come your way because it is God’s plan, unexpected as it turns out often-times,” Ari told him patiently. “You will be amazed that as problems are brought to you for attention, the solutions will present themselves. If you are the bridge to the rightful heir, then you are meant to be the vessel that brings the answers to questions.”
Alec pondered the powerful faith the second answer relied upon. “Alright, what is the third advantage I have?”
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It is the many people already waiting to support you. You have Rander and people in the palace, you have the bishops at the cathedral, I daresay you might even have an ingenairii or two who will stand up for you!” Ari told him with a flash of a grin. “On the other side you have many disaffected nobles, and you have forces of malevolence – robbers and thugs in the streets. But there is no organized force of ingenairii left in Oyster Bay that will resist, nor, from the tale you told today, does it seem there is any longer any Locksfort funding or meddling to strengthen the unhappy nobles, those who killed and stole to gain power. In fact, it seems you may have the support of the Locksfort youth.”
Alec sat in silence. Suddenly he stood up. “I’ve left Walnut tied up at the small gate. I have to go get him!”
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Who is Walnut? Your horse? Why is he outside the hill?” Ari queried.
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Because,” Alec paused at the door, “your guard at the gate didn’t believe that a vagrant such as myself had any place on Ingenairii Hill!” he laughed. “I should be returning to the palace anyway, Ari. Thanks for talking and listening. It’s a lot to think about. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Alec walked through the evening gloom around the perimeter of the hill, looking for a shortcut to find Walnut. As he passed out from the trees into an opening, he crossed the path of a young couple walking alone. They focused on each other, and did not see him, but Alec caught a glimpse of the profile of the girl. The blond hair had been cut very short, but the brow and chin, and the infectious laugh he heard, all told him that Bethany was on Ingenairii Hill, enjoying the company of someone who was paying rapt attention to her. He felt his heart sink to his stomach.
So she did come back from Goldenfields, he realized. And she is receiving attention from someone; that is what she wanted, even what she needed, Alec reflected. For a moment he stood rooted in place yearning to talk to Bethany; to be the person who held her rapt attention, but ultimately uncertain what to do. When we were together, I never could give her the right attention or simply admit that I loved her, because of duties, or cowardice, or maybe I just paid more attention to my own life instead of hers, he considered as he continued on his way to the gate. Perhaps he was still a bit of a coward.
Soon he was back with Walnut, and they rode around the base of the hill to the plaza, then back to the palace to call it a night. He had much to think about – his responsibilities as protector of the crown and of course Bethany. Alec settled Walnut into the stable and set out for the residential wing of the palace, where he hoped to find a room to sleep in. As he walked, his thoughts were focused on Bethany, paying little attention to the world around him.
Suddenly he felt a crushing pain shove him in the center of his back, sending him flying to the floor. Before he could rise he was slapped hard in the face, rolled onto his back as if he was a rag doll, and slapped again, then lifted by his shirt collar.
Alec was stunned. Armilla was holding him, staring at him with an angry look on her face. “I was supposed to be your personal guard, and look what you did to me,” she shouted angrily. “You ran away and got yourself hurt,” she gestured towards the scar on his face. “And you ran away from me!” She took a deep breath and released him, letting him fall to the floor. “You made me look bad.”
Alec looked up at the imposing woman standing over him. He felt a flash of spiritual powers, and sensed the deep frustration Armilla felt, and he also felt the even deeper, genuine affection she held for him, and the desire, a maternal desire, to protect him. He stood up, spread his arms wide, and hugged her, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
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I may have been gone, but you knew I’d come back to you, didn’t you?” he said jovially. “We’re going to stick together from now on.”
She looked at him in shock, then her eyes narrowed. “You’re not going to get away with this little lover boy act,” she thundered. “You ran away, you let us all think you had died, and then you sent a note to taunt me by admitting you were alive.”
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I’ve had a long day,” Alec answered, releasing her but keeping a grasp on her hand. “I’d like to go to bed now. Will you come with me?”
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You and I, first thing tomorrow, on the practice mat,” she answered ignoring his outrageous question, slowly allowing him to drag her towards his room, one step at a time. “I’m going to wipe you all over that armory.”
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Which room should we pick?” Alec continued in a humorous attempt to redirect the conversation and her anger.
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You know well and good it’s the big room. We’ve kept it ready for you since you left,” she pointed down a hallway.
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I’ll see you in the morning,” he said moments later as he stood at the door. Armilla scowled at him as he closed the door smiling. Minutes later he fell asleep musing about becoming a king, and contemplating what other people wanted, whether it was the people in the streets, or Armilla, or especially Bethany.
Chapter 21 – The Ceremony at the Cathedral
Alec awoke to see Armilla standing over him. “Get dressed and get down to the armory,” she barked at him before she stalked out of the room. Alec pulled on his dirty clothes from the previous day and walked to the armory, where he found his bodyguard already suited in protective padding. He sighed and sat down to pull his own equipment on, knowing that he was going to be worked over and pummeled in the course of the next hour.
Armilla’s first attack with her heavy sword was vicious, and Alec staggered back two steps as he blocked and absorbed the power she devoted to the bruising shot. Nothing got any easier thereafter. Alec began to secretly wish he could tap into his warrior ingenaire powers to protect himself, something he never did in practice, as the rain of strong, brutal contacts continued to push him around.
Every few minutes he would gather himself together and launch a flurry of jabs and strokes in a counter-attack that neutralized Armilla for a little while. But inevitably Alec’s arms would start to tire from the activity and he’d slow down, at which point Armilla would re-initiate her relentless siege and back him away again. At last Alec became desperate to take a break. “Whoa,” he called out, and stepped back.
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What? Quitting already?” Armilla asked in surprise and disgust, lowering her sword.
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No!” Alec replied, and started another surprise attack, one that aimed to put a stop to his humiliation. With all his strength he swung his sword at Armilla’s, knowing that he was leaving himself wide open to a damaging counter attack if his plan failed. Alec’s aim was good, and his anticipation of her reaction, an educated guess, was correct. His blade’s midpoint struck near the guard of hers, and knocked it from her hand, so that it went flying ten feet away.
She looked at him in amazement, and he could see humor glinting in her eyes. A moment later her large hand slapped down on his sword hand, and as she trapped it to the floor they both fell to their knees. Armilla lowered her shoulder and tackled him, knocking him back onto his back with her ending up on top of him.
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See, it doesn’t pay to try to cheat me,” she rumbled. “Don’t try it again.”
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I won’t,” Alec promised.
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Good. Now we’re slightly closer to being even,” she said, and she stood up, holding his hand and pulling him deftly to his feet as well. Alec didn’t look down, but he knew a number of welts had to cover his body despite the padding, and bruises were undoubtedly beginning to form. While their hands were still clasped, Alec sent a small stream of his healing powers into Armilla, to take away the same rash of minor injuries he knew he had inflicted on her. Their hands released instantly. “What was that?” she asked.
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Just a gift,” Alec said happily. “Now, I need to get back to the room to clean up and change and find out what we’re going to do today. Are you ready to go?”
They removed their protective clothes and went back to the residential wing, where Alec covertly healed his own injuries. An hour later Alec was back in the meeting room and others were gathering to resume the conversation they had started the day before.
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Our goal today is to try to begin to plan what comes next for Oyster Bay,” Ari began the meeting, causing the small conversations around the table to die down. “Bishop Kar may we plan to take Alec to the cathedral today for a ceremony to recognize his duty as the crown protector? It would hearten the people to know that he is back here among us, and has a role of leadership recognized by the church.”
Ari had clearly not prepared the bishop for his request, because the man looked very uncomfortable to be put on the spot with such a decision.
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We’ll bring folks like Rander and Rubicon from the palace to meet us at the cathedral,” Aristotle explained. “The Prelate’s bells will summon people, and Alec’s return will be announced.”
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What about the army? Should General Hewlett be invited?” Alec asked.
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If you so desire,” Ari told him. “All the people in this room and their followers will be invited, as well as the population at large. Just be prepared, regardless of who is present. Remember Alec, you will go forward as a very public person, and you will need to stay here to attend to the city and the Dominion. You won’t be able to go off on a personal quest again. It wouldn’t be fair to your people, if the bishop agrees to this, that is,” Ari added.
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I understand,” Alec told him. “I watched the Duke of Goldenfields, and the way he was always acting as a leader of his people.” Alec recollected his surprise at how quickly the Duke and his staff had put the Duke on public display after an assassination attempt. As he listened to Ari explain his plans, Alec better understood the hasty need for a leader to be seen in charge.
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I think this will be good for the city,” the bishop decided. “Yes we can do it; give me two hours past noon. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll need to go make the arrangements,” he said and he left the room.
Ari had notes sent to people throughout the city, calling them together at the cathedral, and other folks started to file out of the room to carry out various tasks in preparation of the public event. “We’ve got a little time now. You’ll need to prepare yourself, Alec,” Ari advised.
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Ari, how long have you been planning this?” Alec asked.
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Since our talk last night,” Ari replied. “I realized that you have been chosen, and we need to recognize that. There really isn’t any question of choice, Alec.” He spoke in a tone that indicated there was nothing further to be said.
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How many ingenairii are left?” Alec asked, seeking to relieve his growing nervousness by asking questions.
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We are so few, Alec, so few,” Aristotle answered with regret in his voice. “The coup attempt led to so many deaths, of so many good people. Your disappearing event managed to kill a few more, and I was happy to see them go, though I’ll admit that even I really don’t understand what you did. And there are some that I think just decided to sneak off, for reasons good and bad, so we may not ever have them back. The total number left is less than 100; and a few of those are out about the land, principally in Goldenfields, where about two dozen have become soldiers of a sort for the Duke. Back before all this began, we had more than 250.”
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How long will it take to build back up?” Alec followed.
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It depends. Probably a generation, maybe two. If you, or the eventual new king, promote more recruitment for the ingenairii, maybe less,” Ari hypothesized. “I’ve never thought we knew how to recruit and select appropriately. I’m sure there are people out there who live their entire lives with the potential, but we never find them to train them. Maybe a good healer ingenaire as the crown protector will inspire more people to consider testing their own potential powers.
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Ah, Alec, that’s a serious problem for another day,” Aristotle said. “You ought to go get a bite to eat and change your clothes and then come back here, so we can be ready to go.”
Alec stood up and looked at the doorway, where he saw Armilla was standing waiting for him. “Let’s go get something to eat,” he said, and Armilla walked beside him through the halls to the dining room, where several staff people were having their meals.
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This used to be where the nobility came to eat, and the staff ate in a corner of the kitchen, but there aren’t really any nobles left in the palace anymore, so the staff enjoys this,” she explained as they ate simple fare of cold meat and warm vegetables.
Afterwards she led him to the wardrobes, where a seamstress hurriedly made temporary adjustments to a coat and trousers that Armilla insisted were suitable for the event at the cathedral. With those duties completed, they walked back to the meeting room Aristotle had told him to return to, and waited.
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You’ll do fine. Stop fidgeting,” Armilla told Alec for the third time in five minutes as he sat and waited. “These are your friends and supporters. They’re going to make this as good for you as they can.”
Alec understood and accepted her logic; but he still continued to feel nervous at the thought of being displayed in the cathedral to scores of strangers. The sound of the door opening drew their attention, and Rubicon beckoned for Alec to follow.
Rubicon had selected a score of guards to travel with Alec as an escort to the cathedral. They were waiting at ease outside the palace gate, but when Rubicon signaled to their captain, they were called to attention, and immediately thereafter began walking in a protective cordon around Alec down the center of the boulevard to the cathedral.
At the plaza entrance to the cathedral, a larger military force stood in rows. As Alec’s Guard approached, the other force silently parted, and the entourage walked through, and into the cathedral. Alec wondered at the efficiency that had managed to arrange so much coordination so rapidly; if Oyster Bay could still muster this level of effectiveness, the city could be easily restored, Alec thought. If only he could figure out how to inspire people, he chided himself.
Inside the great limestone structure, a group of officials stood waiting in front of the altar. Alec’s Guard stopped at the beginning of the aisle. “Let’s join our hosts,” Aristotle said, taking him by the arm. “Your majesty.”
Alec turned and looked at his friend wordlessly, then began taking measured steps along the wide aisle that spanned the length of the nave. People were packed in on either side, a far larger crowd than Alec had expected. He looked up at the triforium above the high windows, where beautiful paintings portrayed the journeys of Jesus and John Mark among the people of the land.
The Prelate stood foremost among the many familiar faces waiting for him, with Bishop Karst at his shoulder. He held his arms before him, holding a large white robe spread wide. Alec understood he was to allow the robe be draped upon him.
Why did I let Armilla talk me into these fancy clothes if they’re going to be covered up
, he irreverently asked himself.
As he stepped up and turned, the Prelate placed the robe upon him, stating, “These clothes of state symbolize the power to put our nation’s best face on, and our best foot forward, so that we may take pride in ourselves and the representation you give us. Let this robe remind you that you are clothed to be clean and free of human frailties, and are to rule with the wisdom that comes from a godly life, until the day comes that the Lord reveals your successor to you and the Dominion.”
Alec paused to consider the meaning of the words. The implications were much more profound than just protecting the crown. He was listening to a ceremony that invested him with the power of the ruler, something he didn’t want. He wasn’t interested. What’s more, he knew in his heart he wasn’t ready. Could he shed his failings and his weaknesses and learn to rule wisely?
His musing was halted as he watched Rubicon step forward to present him with the fasces. “This rod is the emblem of the strength that comes from many united to act as one. In your reign may you pull together the many factions of society, and the many parts of your kingdom, so that they grow strong by relying upon one another.”
Alec felt the solid weight of the fasces in his hands, as Rubicon released his grip on it and returned to his spot, maintaining a solemn expression on his face.
Rander stepped forward, holding the crown before him, and approached Alec with measured steps. As he stretched out his arms to place the crown in Alec’s hands, he spoke loudly, “This crown symbolizes God’s anointment to act in the interest of his people. May it shine brightly while in your care, to reflect your good judgment and actions as we await the revelation of the new heir to the throne.”
He too returned to the group that stood before Alec. Alec was thankful that he at least had acknowledged the hidden heir who would supplant Alec; this crowd needed to be reminded that Alec’s role was temporary. Aristotle allowed the silence to reverberate through the open space, interrupted only by the sound of shuffling feet as more and more people came into the cathedral to witness the unexpected investment of authority.
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Alec is the crown protector of the Dominion. He has returned from a pilgrimage that was set for him in a vision, and he is here now to restore the rule of law, and to provide protection to the people and the land,” Ari paused for a moment. “It has been said that the hands of a king carry a healing power, and never was that your reige true than with this ruler. Not only is he here now to heal the Dominion and the city while he holds his office, but he has the power to heal his people. Let those who are ill come back to this cathedral tomorrow morning, and the morning a week after that, and the week after that and the week after that, to let the protector strengthen and serve his people in the most humble of fashions by treating their ills.”
“
Now, Alec shall confer with the Prelate and then take his leave to return to his palace. As head of the Ingenairii Council, I pledge our support for Alec’s service on the throne.”
The Prelate stepped forward, and Alec beckoned for him to approach closer. “What does your majesty wish to discuss?” the Prelate asked Alec.
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I’ll be darned if I know,” Alec said with a slight grin. “I didn’t know what was going to happen here, let alone that Ari was going to say that part. I would like to hear anything you have to tell me about how to bring peace to the city quickly though, if you have any ideas,” Alec admitted.