Blind to Men (9 page)

The royal court waited
for them in the reception hall. Standing in line, noble men and women bowed to
them with reverence before following in their wake. She spotted Xandor in their
midst just as the wizard winked at her. No doubt friendly, his gesture nevertheless
reminded her of Kylor locked up in the keep. A prisoner in his own city.

Unaccustomed to such
grandeur, she tightened her grip on her father’s arm, awe and fright
threatening to overwhelm her. She took reassurance in the smile he bestowed on
her. At the main doors opening onto the dais and the courtyard, he whispered to
her.

"Stay by the door
until I call you."

She nodded but he must
have perceived her abrupt bout of shyness for he squeezed her hand.

"Just wait for my
signal to join me. You are a brave girl, Anya. You will make a great princess."

He left her to climb the
three steps of the platform rising above the level of his expectant subjects.
Heavily guarded on all sides, the dais and the soldiers around it blocked views
of the crowd.

Without little else to do
until her father called for her, she settled for watching his straight back. She
had experienced extraordinary moments since leaving the farm but nothing
prepared her for the clamor that followed the king's apparition. Gooseflesh
rose on every inch of her skin when the constant noise of the crowd rose to
shouts and cheers as he came into their sight.

She heard loud
salutations whizzing from all sides, the great sovereign being greeted with enthusiastic
"Hail, O King!" and "May the mighty gods bless our
monarch!" Wishing she could observe as well as listen, she twisted her
neck right and left but without much result.

The noble men and women
standing behind her had now all been ushered outside through side doors. She
felt alone as the few guards remaining in the vast hall offered protection but
not support.

Engulfed in the applause
and eager acclamations of his subjects, the king offered them his august
presence for a while before acknowledging the plaudits of the crowd. He raised
his arms. Cheers lessened to a drone, quickly coming to a lull to allow him to
speak.

"People of
Palance!"

His booming voice could
certainly be heard all the way to the outer end of the drawbridge. Riding on
the effectiveness of his arrival, he lowered his arms and paused to create
expectancy.

"I come before you
this day to deny the prediction and to denounce the lies of the sorceress
Melisande."

He unsheathed his blade
in a swift move to brandish it toward the skies. Catching fierce rays of
sunshine, the weapon glittered while seeming to absorb the vivid light. He held
the position a little longer and the iron sword appeared imbued with magical
powers. Below the proud monarch, two thousand men, women, and children gasped.

"Today is summer
solstice."

His blade shining silver,
arm outstretched, the king looked like a god as his loud voice reached all the
way to the back.

"People of Palance,
the sun is high and bright!"

Although she still couldn’t
see the crowd, she caught an insistent rustling akin to fabric being creased.
She realized the assembly was kneeling, awestruck by the monarch’s display. He
placed the sword flat in the palms of his hands and held it out for all to see.

"There shall be no
endless night on this kingdom, but I too have been confounded by the witch’s
knavish tongue. By my sword and by the mighty gods, I humble myself before you
and beseech mercy."

Not a sound rent the
silence as King Harfayn of Palance went down on one knee, still holding out his
weapon.

Sovereigns never kneeled
in front of their subjects, but this one did. It was as if time suspended its
passing, as if the ethers empowered him with a sacred duty. The magical instant
lasted until a loud shout from the back broke the spell.

"Long live King
Harfayn! Long endure our creators! The mighty gods bless our good king!"

The crowd erupted in
cheers and blessings, getting to their feet as one. Women laced their hands in
prayer, wailed tears of wonderment, and sniveled. Children jumped up on their
fathers’ shoulders to wave their arms, their deafening shouts and cries ringing
in her ears.

Submerged in their
intense emotion, deeply moved by her father’s genuine act of contrition and
humility, she also wiped a tear from her eye. He might have been right when he
told her she'd need time to comprehend the mysteries of the world. What he had
just done stunned her.

On the dais, the king
rose and sheathed his sword. He bathed in the crowd's enthusiasm for a short
while then glanced back at her and nodded. The time to join her father was upon
her.

Heart pounding in her
chest, knees weak, she advanced toward the steps while addressing a silent
prayer to the ethers. She needed courage to face the spirited crowd and Kylor
didn't stand by her side. They only began to quiet down when King Harfayn held
a hand up.

"People and friends,
I hereby present to you my daughter."

The church bell struck
midday. The sovereign slowly stretched his arm back while she climbed the last
step, stepped on the thick dais, and came forward to put her hand in his.

"Princess Anya of
Palance!"

A deep silence met her
appearance. To them, she must look like a young, beautiful, fragile princess
dressed in white. She was the king’s sole child, stolen from the cradle by a
vengeful sorceress.

She was the infant
offered in sacrifice for the life of her people, the cursed girl they all knew
about but had never seen in the flesh. Yet there she stood before them, flooded
in sunshine and smiling.

Fingers enfolded in her
father’s hand, she laid eyes on her people for the first time. So many watched
her, mouths agape, gazes brimming with shock, joy, astonishment and hope. She
could tell from their wondrous expressions that they recognized her as a real
princess. One proud of them, drawn to them, willing to serve and protect them.

Enraptured by their awe,
she waved at them. They broke free from their admiration and the ensuing
roaring was thunderous, rent by wild cries of "An angel of mercy!",
"The blessed child has come!" and "Long live Princess Anya!"
filling the air around her.

Uplifted by their
demonstration of approval and amity, she floated on happiness, wondering if
Kylor watched the ceremony from his cell in the keep. He was no doubt proud of
her. As her protector and savior, as her beloved, his rightful place should
have been beside her on the dais.

The crowd still hailing
them, King Harfayn took a step back to indicate the ceremony came to an end.
She was about to follow his lead when the throng suddenly looked past them.
Eyes widened and mouths dropped, an immense surprise etched on their faces.

One by one, old and young
alike, they went down on one knee in a gesture of veneration. A respectful
silence hung in the air as they all stared behind her. Intrigued, she turned
her head.

Her mother walked to her,
magnificent in a long golden dress, a diadem crowning her head, the loving
smile she knew so well stretching her lips. Hardly able to breathe, she joined
the assembly in watching the Queen of Palance with amazement and adoration.

She heard her father gasp
beside her. He let go of her fingers while respectful, hushed exclamations started
coming up from the crowd and filled the silence with "Our queen is
back!"

Her mother took hold of
her hand without glancing at her husband and faced the crowd.

"My beloved people,
I have missed you so much I cannot begin to express the depth of my feelings."

Her tone conveyed such
vibrant emotion that she wondered if her mother was addressing them or her
father.

"I am here to stay
and wish with all my heart that our lives will now be joyful and
peaceful."

A big man with a child on
his shoulders shouted from the right side of the dais, instantly followed by
others.

"Welcome to our
gentle queen! Welcome to our princess!"

Before they could all
start cheering again, her mother took a step forward but kept avoiding her
husband's puzzled stare.

"Dear people, King
Harfayn and I have an announcement to make."

She felt her father stiffen.
He hadn’t known his queen would be here and he obviously had no idea what she
was about to say. Too late anyway as her mother's voice resounded loud and
clear across the courtyard.

"On this blessed
summer solstice, we are both very proud and happy to proclaim the betrothal of
Princess Anya of Palance to Kylor, son of Xandor."

The three of them had
climbed down from the dais in a single file, leaving behind them the ecstatic
crowd. The events of this special summer solstice proved the sorceress wrong.

Eighteen springs had
passed since she abducted the royal infant, yet the creators didn't strike
their children and no giant rocks fell from the skies to transform the land
into darkness and desolation.

The king ascertained the
falsity of the prediction, the queen returned to them after so many years of
absence, and the princess was betrothed to the highly respected wizard’s son.

To the people of Palance,
such an eventful day was unheard of, restoring hope and confidence in their
hearts for years to come. Leaving the courtyard, they had all gone back to
their lives filled with eager anticipation.

It was a different story
inside the castle. Her mind was in turmoil, surprise and confusion threatening
to prevail over her natural virtue. Although the unexpected arrival of her
mother might play to Kylor's advantage, she feared her father wouldn't take it
well.

She observed his stocky,
tense body as she hurried behind him. His face had struck her as a mask of fury
when they went down the steps. His back straight as an arrow, he strode down
the hallways at present and they were having a hard time keeping up with him.

Her dear mother walked
beside her, but she wasn’t a farmer anymore. She was the Queen of Palance. She
had quickly whispered to her that her former Amazons had come to the farm on
Xandor’s orders, at dawn the morning following her departure.

Fearful of his son’s
fate, the wizard had the sensible idea to ask for the queen’s protection. Now his
long, dark red and yellow ceremonial robes flapped around his legs as he
shuffled right behind them, hurrying to wherever the determined king decided to
take them.

Try as she might, she
couldn’t understand her father’s anger. He'd just been reunited with his
long-lost daughter and wife. Instead of feeling happy and grateful, he seemed
furious with them.

Was he irked because the
queen spoke to their people on his behalf without his permission? Was he
offended because she announced her daughter’s betrothal without his royal consent,
thus preventing him from hanging Kylor? Or was it only a matter of wounded
pride?

She would know soon
enough for they reached her wonderful apartments. They all went inside, her
father slamming the door behind them, and she had little time to wonder what a
betrothal was.

Did it have something to
do with being wed? The word didn’t mean anything to her, but as long as it
happened with Kylor she would enjoy it. Once more, she wished he could be here
with her. She missed his blue eyes on her mouth, his strong arms around her
shoulders, and his erect cock inside her.

"How could you?"

The sovereign pointed an
accusing finger at her mother, choking on his words as he unleashed his wrath.

"How could you
announce their betrothal?"

"I'm happy to see
you, husband."

The queen spoke softly
while completely ignoring the tempestuous man's anger. She stood barely a few
feet apart from the king, yet the distance between them seemed a lot wider.

Feeling as though the
gates of the netherworld were about to open, she stayed by Xandor’s side, both
of them watching her parents’ reunion while exchanging discreet glances.

"I trust Xandor told
you everything, so you knew Kylor broke a law. You knew he had to be punished
for his offense."

The king shouted, cheeks
red, eyes blazing with fury, a shaky finger aimed at his wife.

"Whatever his
motives, he fell under my authority when he touched Anya. She is the Princess
of Palance. She is
my
daughter."

Having yelled his piece,
he hit his chest with his fist and the room seemed to shrink with unspent
energy.

She was amazed at her
mother’s absence of response and total lack of reaction. The queen didn’t
attempt to assuage him or defend herself. She didn’t even try to explain her
point of view. She just stood there, beautiful in her golden dress, her face
serene.

"But no, you don’t
have a care."

Apparently, her husband
wasn't finished with her and she stared at him while he carried on.

"You abandon me for
almost twenty years then you just walk in here unheralded and dictate your
terms to my people. Do you really believe I will allow that kind of behavior in
my kingdom?"

He yelled the entire
tirade in one breath, his chest heaving, his forehead creased with new
wrinkles.

"By the mighty gods,
Lucinda, you aren't a peasant living on a farm. You're the queen of
Palance."

Watching her father, she
wasn’t at all sure if he was infuriated, frustrated, or resentful. Whatever the
case, he was tempestuously having his say, venting his indignation, expecting
an answer but getting none.

This bizarre situation
had to be reaching its paroxysm before his veins burst from pressure. Yet her
mother just looked at him, as though alone in a quiet room, a gentle smile
curving her soft lips.

"You formally
proclaimed their betrothal on my behalf in front of the whole of Palance. They
all heard your ridiculous announcement. You know I cannot disavow your words now
without looking like a fool."

The king shouted again,
almost breathless, his features and body tense, blatantly exasperated by the
queen’s muteness.

"Or is it what you
have in mind? Is that it, Lucinda? Do you want me to look like a fool?"

She glanced at Xandor to
see how he was taking her parents’ reunion and noticed that the wizard didn’t
seem troubled by her mother’s absence of reaction. On the contrary, he looked
peaceful.

Standing opposite the
three of them, the queen waited. She didn’t move a single muscle upon hearing
her husband’s accusations or voice a word. At last, her peculiar attitude
struck a chord because the monarch ceased his rambling to scrutinize her right
before yelling in a final eruption.

"Oh, for the love of
the mighty gods, say something, woman!"

The queen came up to him
slowly. Their bodies inches apart, she looked deep into his eyes and stroked
his cheeks with loving fingers. He stayed motionless but the surprise in his
gaze was apparent. Then she put her arms around his neck and rested her head on
his shoulder.

The king opened his mouth
as if though about to say something, yet only a deep sigh came out. When his
arms took hold of her, it looked like a shield shattered inside him. He seized
her, pressed her fiercely against his chest and buried his face in her neck.
Eyes closed, they clung to each other.

A rush of happiness making
her a little dizzy, she watched her parents' embrace with fondness in her
heart. It seemed that love sometimes proved powerful enough to survive time. Would
she have that for herself? Could she experience such a profound emotion with
Kylor?

A sudden, weird noise derailed
her train of thought. The clanging sounded like an alarm bell being rung from
another part of the castle and raised the hair on the back of her neck.

She rushed to the window
as her parents raised their heads and disentangled themselves. Noble men and
women were coming out from the main wing, guards already running across the now
deserted courtyard. Something bad was happening yet she couldn’t tell what it
was.

But when she saw a dozen
guards scurrying toward the keep, her heart leapt in her chest. She looked up,
her fingers flat on the glass panel, and spied Kylor at the window of his cell.

She thought at first that
he was dangerously leaning out of the window, but she was wrong. Facing upward,
he was actually being pushed out by what looked like a strange light
surrounding his body.

Her stomach flipped and
lurched. She balled her quivering hands into fists and cried out in alarm.

"Father!"

Her parents and Xandor
rushed to her side. They were staring at the window keep when Kylor was roughly
thrust out from the tower. Without the slightest sound, his body plummeted to
the ground.