Chronicles of Logos Quest For the Kingdom Parts IV, V, VI, and VII Revised With Index (Quest For the Kingdom Set) (5 page)

When the
summons came from the Palace, Marcus found that he was unprepared. True, he had
not had an opportunity for conversation with the Emperor at the banquet, a fact
which astonished him in view of their old friendship. Yet some part of him felt
that he could always rely on Urbanus to remember their history together, and
that he would be perpetually in his favor.

He showed the
summons to Tullia, who shared in all of his trials and triumphs. Ah, what a
blessing she was to him, just as he had foreseen so many years ago! Truly she
was the best gift he had ever received, with the exception of the fabulous
Sword Logos which had been entrusted to his care.

Tullia frowned
slightly and studied the summons intently; then turned to Marcus with a sigh.

“Whatever may
come of this, I shall endure it with you,” she assured him as she took his hand
and held it tenderly to her cheek. “Whether it be blessing or…” she did not
finish. “I shall be prepared, Marcus,” she finished in a whisper.

“Come; let us
pray that it will be good news. After all, the Emperor is an old friend of
mine,” he stated with a confidence he did not truly feel. “We shall pray and
ask for the protection of Dominio.”

They clasped
hands and bowed their heads, taking this moment to entrust to Dominio whatever
lay before Marcus in his interview with the Emperor. When they had finished,
Marcus kissed Tullia gently on the lips and clutched her hands. She nodded her
head and smiled reassuringly at him, the biting of her bottom lip the only
betrayal of her lack of inner peace.

“I shall
return shortly,” Marcus said. “Please pray while I am gone, that I may find
favor with my old friend, and that any trouble be averted.”

Thus he strode
from the atrium and out the door of the villa, and headed for his interview
with Emperor Urbanus.

How long had
it been since he had entered these walls with trepidation, with a beating heart
and in fear of his life? Surely not since the Empress Aurora had died, she who
had tormented him so ruthlessly and destroyed his parents. Not since then…

It was an
entirely different thing to enter the Palace for an audience with Emperor
Urbanus! Although he found the Emperor’s tendency to gossip somewhat tedious,
he deeply admired his goodness and respected his ability to rule. He had
changed the atmosphere of the Imperial Palace from one of cold intimidation to
one of warm hospitality. The citizens of Valerium took to Urbanus and his lady
Renata like flowers to sunshine in the spring, following the harsh cold of winter.
What a relief after the ruthless reign of Aurora to have so kind and benevolent
a man to rule over them!

Yet…what
reception lay in wait for Marcus this day?

He did not
have to wait long to find out.

It was the
guards who alerted him that all was not well. Odelius and Iosephus, who had
long ago led him into the presence of the Empress Aurora with admonitions on
how to address her, escorted him once again. Although they were now middle aged
and growing stout, age had not softened the biting comments of the one or the
sour observations of the other.

“Well, Lord
Maximus,” the odious Odelius smirked. “How you
do
seem to attract the
attention of rulers! What is your secret, I wonder?”

Iosephus, as
usual, attempted to restrain him, but Marcus himself pondered the same
question, and thought it more enlightening to allow Odelius to speak his mind,
insolent though he was. He was no longer the proud young man who had challenged
the Empress Aurora, and had learned that it was sometimes wiser to humble
oneself even if in the right.

Iosephus
permitted himself an appreciative chuckle that rumbled out of the vast expanse
of his robe with all the salutary effect of lava rising to the surface of a
volcano to give warning of an impending explosion.

“Yes, what
is
your secret for attracting trouble?” Iosephus murmured. “Perhaps you should
share it so others may take heed from your tribulations.”

Odelius
guffawed aloud, and then noted the look on the face of Marcus. He blinked his
eyes and abruptly stopped laughing. Iosephus found his gaze drawn to Marcus as
well, and cleared his throat.

Marcus decided
that he would not take offense at their amusement at his expense.

“Tell me,
Iosephus, how is the pain in your joints these days? I recall that you were
afflicted quite badly over the winter. Have you had any improvement during the
spring months?”

Iosephus
looked somewhat sheepishly at Marcus. It was true that during the winter he had
limped in pain while escorting Marcus and Tullia into the Emperor’s presence at
a banquet and found himself confiding his problem when prompted by Tullia. She
had immediately offered to pray for him, much to his discomfiture. Marcus
observed that he was walking today without any seeming impediment.

“Well,”
Iosephus fumbled. “I have had some improvement since you last saw me. Perhaps
it was due to your lady’s care and concern. I do not know about this Dominio
you pray to, but perhaps just knowing someone had compassion eased my pain.”

He gave a
stiff little bow to Marcus.

Odelius looked
somewhat abashed as well, as he lowered his head and glanced up at Marcus from
the corner of his eyes. He then shrugged his shoulders and smiled reluctantly
at Marcus; a real smile with none of his usual smirking.

“May it go
well with you today, sir,” he said in a somewhat unsteady voice. “It truly
is
pleasant to know that someone sees us as more than just the Emperor’s
servants.”

Marcus
returned the smile warmly and they proceeded in amiable silence to the
Emperor’s Throne Room.

If he had any
lingering doubt, the expression on the face of the Emperor erased it at once.
Urbanus appeared troubled and the smile he gave his old friend did not quite
reach his eyes. For such a warm and friendly man as he, that fact alone warned
Marcus that this interview would not be easy.

“Ah, Marcus!”
the Emperor gestured for him to be seated on a stool placed before the throne.

Marcus obeyed
and waited in trepidation with palms suddenly gone wet with perspiration and a
queer beating of his heart; waiting for he knew not what…

They spent a
few moments speaking desultorily of trivial things. To Marcus it seemed that
Urbanus wanted to take the sting off of whatever he was about to say. He now
fretted for whatever tidings he was about to receive to be imparted, and threw
his head back with increasing frustration.

Urbanus
finally noticed his agitation and came to the point.

“I have had
some news that I find rather disturbing, Marcus,” he began.

He paused a
moment as though searching for words, while Marcus riveted his gaze on the
Emperor as he hung on his next words.

“What news,
Your Grace?” he ventured to ask, in an attempt for Urbanus to stop keeping him
in suspense.

He was not
prepared for what came next.

Urbanus
plunged in.

“I have been
hearing tales of you and your Alexandrians, my old friend. Tales I have been
most reluctant to believe, yet they persist. As you know, I have been very
tolerant in permitting your sect to meet openly, although I am not clear as to
what you actually believe. But the news lately has troubled me greatly.”

Iacomus,
Marcus thought. His daughter was right.

“What have you
heard, Your Grace? I have been very open in sharing with you the beliefs of the
Alexandrians, how Alexandros came to us to live among us and take the
punishment on our behalf for our treason against Dominio in siding with Leon,
the Lord of the Astra. Dominio desires our love and commitment in service to
Him. What else have you been told?”

Urbanus looked
him directly in the eye and Marcus felt a small quiver of apprehension.

“Yes, you have
told me this already, and although I can not quite grasp such a concept myself,
I have allowed you full freedom. But how is that you have never told me of your
allegiance to another kingdom? You pledge your allegiance to a kingdom other
than Valerium? How is that?”

Marcus
swallowed hard. This was going to be worse than he thought.

“Our
allegiance is to spreading Dominio’s Kingdom of Heaven on Earth as we share it
with others. It is a set of laws that deal with our hearts, and we submit them
to Him and declare Him the Lord of our lives.”

Marcus hoped
that would satisfy Urbanus, but the Emperor now looked at him with the
unblinking gaze of someone who is determined to bore a hole in his soul.

“Yet you
declare allegiance to this “kingdom”? Even a greater allegiance than to the
Empire of Valerium?”

Marcus’ mouth
went so dry that he found speech difficult. His heart now pounded so loudly
that he was surprised that Urbanus did not hear it and remark on it.

“Yes, Your
Grace: my allegiance to the Kingdom of Heaven is even greater than my
allegiance to the Valeriun Empire,” he finally managed to speak through lips
that felt like rubber and the sound of his voice distant to his own ears.

Urbanus looked
at him with eyes wide in disbelief. For a very long moment he looked at Marcus
as if seeing him for the first time. Then he slowly shook his head.

“And what of
your allegiance to your Emperor, eh? What about your allegiance to your old
friend, he who restored your estates to you after they had been taken by my
cousin Aurora? Does that mean
nothing
to you?”

Marcus could
have wept, as he felt torn between his faith and his friend. Yet he gave to
Urbanus the only answer possible to him.

“Believe me
when I tell you how grateful I am for your favor, and how thankful for your
friendship. It is something I treasure dearly. Yet the Kingdom of Heaven is not
an earthly rival for power to Valerium. It is a state of heart that submits to
the rule of Dominio and obeys His holy laws and surrenders the desires of the
flesh to His Spirit. It is not a kingdom that you need fear, my gracious lord
and old friend.”

Marcus hoped
that would suffice, but even as he finished speaking he saw in the eyes of
Urbanus what his response would be.

Urbanus paused
a moment as though reluctant to proceed, then exhaled slowly.

“My good
Marcus,” he began, “in view of our long friendship and the regard I hold you
and your family in, I wish I could leave this matter alone. But I have been
informed that your entire sect believes this, and that they pledge themselves
to a power that they hold to be superior to the Valeriun Empire. Is this true?”

Marcus was
usually poised and in control of his emotions, but the accusation caught him
off guard and he found himself sputtering for the right words to appease his
friend.

“Well, yes, in
a way they do,” he finally managed to speak. “That is they, and I, vow to serve
Dominio, the One true God, and pledge our lives in service to Him.”

“Ah ha!”
Urbanus pounced on the words. “Then they
do
pledge allegiance to a
greater power than the Valeriun Empire! That, Marcus, is treasonous, and will
not be tolerated. I have allowed you to meet openly, but no more. You will cease
such seditious talk or find yourselves in disfavor with the Empire. And its
ruler!”

And with an
imperial flick of his hand he dismissed his old friend from his presence.

Marcus walked
into his villa with the staggering stride of one who is drunk or walks in his
sleep. Tullia stood waiting for him in the atrium, and saw in an instant the
outcome of the interview. She did not ask him questions, but put her arm threw
his and raised his hand to her lips to kiss it. Then she snuggled against his
shoulder in the gesture that always blessed his heart, so intimate and
confiding was it.

“It is
Iacomus,” he finally spoke. “Just as Felicia warned. Who is he, and why is he
here?”

And Tullia
looked into his eyes with the despairing gaze of one who has asked the same
question, and has no answer to give.

The
Alexandrians were assembled in the Maximus library. Marcus noted that Iacomus
was not among them this week, confirming the dreaded suspicion that gnawed at
his heart. This man had come in among them as a false believer, even as their
mentor Xenon had warned them against so many years ago. Like a wolf, one who
claimed to belong to Alexandros, yet was not of His spirit. And who desires
power above all else…

He was just
about to share with them the news of his interview with Emperor Urbanus, when
the doors to the library were suddenly thrown open. Armed Guards from the Imperial
Palace stood with spears thrust outward.

“Cease and
desist at once!” their Captain shouted.

He withdrew a
scroll from the folds of his cloak and whipped it out. In a piercing voice that
stabbed Marcus with every word he read: