Sofia stood with
her eyes closed, arms folded across her chest as if in a hug. A barely
perceptible change in her expression caused her face to look softer and
slightly wilted. Opening her eyes, and in a voice minus the usual arrogance,
she admitted. “This is very difficult for me Ronald. For the first time in my
life, I am unsure of myself.”
“We have both been
thrust into a situation that neither of us has had to face before, Princess.
Why don’t we take care of the horses, see what there is in the coach that we
can make use of and then eat something. Afterwards we will talk.”
The Princess was
uncommonly quiet as they went about their individual tasks. No caustic remarks
were made when he took charge and started giving orders to her just as he would
to any of his men. Ronald was seriously concerned, not only for her but for
himself as well.
They settled down
on a couple of overturned buckets in a corner of the barn. A small brazier
provided some light and comforting warmth as the rain on the roof could be
heard over the moaning of the wind. Ronald glanced over at the Princess and
knew he would have to initiate the conversation.
“I think the first
thing we need to talk about is your new found power.”
“Power? I have no
idea what you are talking about.”
Her eyes never
left the glowing coals but Ronald recognized the signs of fear on her face. He
had seen it enough times on the faces of the young guardsmen he commanded.
“What are you
afraid of Princess?”
“Even if there was
something to be afraid of, I won’t let it deter me. I am afraid of nothing,
Ronald.”
“Princess, the absence
of fear is death. When we feel fear, it reminds us that we are still alive and
gives us the strength to stay that way. You cannot deny the fact that you
healed Gilfor and myself with something more than herbs and stitches. And what
about this afternoon? It was you who stopped my horse dead in its tracks and
nearly killed us both, wasn’t it?”
For a moment,
Ronald felt his own fear as her eyes locked onto his and was surprised he
couldn’t feel the heat from the fire burning within them. The flames flickered
and died only to be replaced by shame.
“By the Eyes,
Ronald!” she cried.”I didn’t want to hurt you. I was angry and just wanted you
to stop. I acted without thinking. I’m so sorry.”
“Apology accepted.
At least you have finally admitted to yourself and to me that there is a power
in you to do things that others cannot. It is enough for now. What I would like
to know is what is so significant about your handmaiden? I agree with you that
those men probably had orders to kill everyone, yet she still lives and you
have given up your crown to rescue her. Why?”
Sofia leaned
forward to add more coal to the brazier, her eyes once again focused on the
glowing embers before she answered. “I don’t fully understand it myself Ronald.
She carries an item of great power. I cannot describe it since I have never
seen it but I have felt its power. Somehow it made me swear to guard her life
with my own. I must find her.”
Ronald jumped up
and started pacing back and forth, mumbling to himself. “By the Eyes, it must
be one of the lost Deluti Amulets of Power. That means the Princess … I never
dreamed …” At which point he stopped to stare with apprehension at the
Princess.
“Ronald, what are
you babbling about? Sit down and talk to me.”
He slowly returned
to his bucket, eyes still locked on the Princess, trying to gather his
thoughts. How could he convince her that what he suspected was true?
“Princess, I may
be a simple soldier but I love to read history, especially the history of the
Deluti wars. As you may remember, the High Lord Demitrios ruled the world
through the Council of Five. Each of the councilors wore an amulet that helped
to focus their power, as a symbol of their position. Toward the end of the war,
the councilors gave up their lives by forging their spirits and power into each
one of the amulets.”
Sofia was never
interested in history, but when Ronald began to speak of the Deluti, the hairs
on the back of her neck stood up and she felt something stir deep inside of
her. “Why would they do such a horrible thing?”
“None of the Five
were as powerful as the Dark Lord, even with their amulets. If he had defeated
any one of them and gained the power of their amulet, it would have given him
an advantage over his brother Demitrios. After they died, the amulets were
scattered and hidden throughout the land. He must not be allowed to gain
possession of even one of those amulets.”
“But how would
that be possible, Ronald? The Deluti War is hundreds of years in the past.
Surely, Scorpios must have passed away a long time ago.”
“Princess, the
Deluti are not human. They are immortal beings and can only die at the hand of
someone who wields the power of a Deluti. It is said that the High Lord still
lives in the far northern reaches of Marlinor and I have no doubt that Scorpios
lives far to the south of us in the Stagwood Marshe. Even the pirates avoid the
evil that surrounds the South Shore.”
Ronald went to
check on the horses and look for more coals for the brazier. He also wanted to
give the Princess time to absorb what she had just heard before he shared his
conclusions on the source of her power. When he returned to their corner, the
confusion was still evident in her expression.
“I must admit that
what Floane carries could very well be one of those lost amulets, but what does
that have to do with me?”
“The last thing
written in the history I read was a foretelling by the High Lord himself. ‘Many generations from now, the blood of the
Deluti will return through the line of humans even stronger than before and our
time on this world will come to an end.’”
Once again he
stood, pulling his sword and holding it point down as he knelt before the
Princess who shivered while searching his face for any sign of deceit.
“The power of the
Deluti is in you. As long as there is
life left in me, I will stand by your side to support you and be your friend,
if you’ll have me. In memory of my father who gifted me this sword, this I
swear to you Princess.”
“Never call me
that again, Ronald,” she whispered. “The Princess is dead.”
Just then a bolt of
lightning and the corresponding thunder shook the barn to its foundation. As
the thunder continued to echo off into the distance, the two of them shared a
look filled with apprehension and no little fear, then smiled.
