The Age of Light (The Ava'Lonan Herstories Book 1) (29 page)

Soku narrowed her eyes, showing her disapproval of
Tokia’s words and her unseemly display of passionate emotion.

“Sister, what you say borders on treason,” she said
coldly. “I will forget that you uttered these words in my presence.” Then she
let her face soften, as though being charitable. “Sister,” she said, sounding
truly contrite, “I do not think we will be able to do business.” It was a
formal closing of all talks of Trade or any other thing until Soku lifted the
edict. Tokia’s face went stiff and she formally rose out of respect, bowed.
Soku rose also and bowed in return, and gratefully took her leave of the
lain
.

the
turning of light was long, endless...

The turn had been long, and it was still not over.

Audola sighed as yet another server entered and
bowed, representing yet another petitioner. She looked at the name and nodded
acceptance.

It was the Doan. Remembering the last in a series of
discreet notes, she perked up, interest piqued.

A terminus appeared. Soku stepped out of the
av’tun
,
dressed in her finest wrap, the coral silk embroidered with the crest of the
Doan Tribe along the hem in gold and studded with chips of opal and amethyst
and red
jadine
.
The audience chamber was simple and elegant, with creamy marble walls and a
rich blue floor with swirling, abstract cream designs, covered with a fine rug
that held two thrones of pillows. The High Queen awaited her, standing before
one of the piles of sumptuous cushions.

Soku spread her arms wide and bowed very low, a bow
of profound respect, almost to the point of genuflection. The High Queen and
the
Av’rujo
were viewed as demi-goddesses; and here, alone with Audola, the High Queen’s
presence commanded complete respect. Even Tokia would have been cowed.

“Rise, Daughter,” the voice of the High Queen said,
also awesome in its quiet power.

Soku straightened, though she kept her head lowered.

“Sit,” her matriarch invited, gesturing to the place
prepared for her. The Lesser Queen bowed her thanks, settled onto the plump,
firm cushions across from her monarch. Servants scurried out to place low
tables of fine golden
malogan
and
ele’bon
before the two Queens and lay out refreshments
on platters of delicate porcelain. Honeyed
gulu
fruit juice was ceremoniously poured into small, handle-less cups.

“Peace and light, “ Audola intoned, holding the
ritual cup in both hands.

“Peace and light,” Soku replied, imitating her
superior. They drank as one, set the cups aside. “How fare you and yours?” Soku
began, because of her lesser rank.

Audola reclined into the pillows at her back,
looking relaxed and yet still in composed, alert correctness, her body betraying
nothing.

“I and mine fare well, Daughter. How fare you and
yours?” By Audola’s hand Soku glimpsed her note.

“I and mine fare well, Mother Queen,” she answered.

“You have said that your heart is without peace,”
Audola remarked, delicately picking up the folded
papi’ras
.
She used Soku’s words.

“Yes
Av’One,” Soku replied, looking down at her hands. “It is.”

“Of what do you wish to speak, Daughter?”

Soku felt her mouth go dry. She had rehearsed her
opening line all
afterzen
, and now it seemed all wrong,
clumsy and ignorant in the face of such sophistication.

She poured herself a small sip of juice, knowing
that her actions were transparent to the High Queen. But she needed to gather
her thoughts.

“Mother Queen, I have come to speak to you on behalf
of some of my Lesser Sisters and myself.” She drew forth the proposal and
carefully laid it before her on the table. “The cross-Territory Trade has long
been held by the Greater Queens,” she said by way of opening. “Some of my
Lesser Sisters and I feel that it is time for this to change,
Av’
One.
We feel that we should be allowed to form an inter-Realm coalition that enables
us to export directly to any lon within the Realm, without the use of any
intermediary from the Cente
r’lons
. We formally
petition the authorization to reserve this right and to establish Trade ports
through which any in our coalition may export goods and services.” She
ceremoniously inclined her head and presented the petition.

The High Queen took the scroll of
papi’ras
.
Soku held still, her eyes locked on the table surface as though mesmerized by
its gleam, as the other read through the proposal.

“This is a - most interesting proposition,” the High
Queen said finally, putting the scroll down and turning eyes that seemed to be
black, liquid fire back to the Border
’lon
Queen. “There
is more here than meets the eye.”

Soku let out a breath she had not been aware of
holding.

“Yes,” she answered.

“Tell me more of what is not written here,
Daughter,” Audola said, clearly showing interest.

“Av’O
ne, I have come
to make you aware of certain matters that have been brought to my attention,”
she said, unsure how to approach this somewhat delicate topic.

“We may be informal here, Soku. You may be as candid
as you wish.”

Soku knew that the High Queen was trying to put her
at ease and that made it a little better. Still, though, she hesitated.

“
Av’O
ne, I am not
quite certain how to broach this tactfully...”

“Soku,” Audola sat forward, speaking in a low, calm
voice, “here and now we are Sisters. You may say your piece without fear.”

“Av’One, I am here to talk of Tokia,” Soku plunged.
The words came out in a controlled rush. “I have met with her and gleaned as
much of her plans as I could without arousing suspicion. Many of my Sister
Queens have also met with her and we have collaborated to compare thoughts. I
came to inform you of our findings.”

Audola sat back, her face grave at Soku’s words.
“Speak on, Sister.”

“We believe that Tokia plans to undercut your power,
Av’
One.
She means to use the rumors of
Turo’dan
to unite
the smaller Tribes of the Weste and the Este and the Norae behind her spear.
Then she plans to directly challenge the Heir, who will by then be High Queen,
to gain influence, perhaps even usurp the Throne.” And she repeated, to the
best of her ability, the exchange between the Ottanu Queen and herself and
reports from other Queens who had been
approached.

“And Tokia plans to start with the smallest Tribes
and the least of the Lesser Queens,” Audola said, finally.

Soku nodded. “It is my belief that she plans to play
on the weakness of their positions,
Av’
One. Many of the
Lesser Queens feel their voices should have more weight. They believe
themselves to be the first line of
Ava’Lona’s
defense
against the Hordes of the
Lora’Lons
. Tokia
has been convincing them that they should stand above the Greater Queens now,
using this as her argument. She plays upon their pride and skill in Trade. And
they believe her. Even though she is in disgrace, still there are those who
will support her. She believes that she offers them bait they cannot resist:
power. More power than they will ever have under the present system. If they
all united into one large Tribe, they’ll believe that they will have the power
to challenge the High Throne - they may even think that they can challenge the
Av’rujo
.”

Audola did not immediately comment, but took a bite
of guava cheese and a sip of juice. She set her cup down with measured intent.

“You are a Border Weste Queen also,” she said
slowly, her eyes hard as old bone. “Do you feel this way?”

“No, Av’One. I am loyal to you.” Soku did her best
to sound sincere. She bowed her head. “I am only a minor Queen, of a very small
Tribe. I and mine do not wish to be caught in the intrigues of the more
powerful, nor do any of the other Queens in my
position. But we are given no choice - for after
Ava’Lona
,
my first duty is to my
lon
and my Tribe.
For their preservation, and the preservation of
Ava’Lona
do I come forward now. We cannot afford even the notion of civil war at a time
such as this.”

“And you are so sure of Tokia’s intentions?”

Soku went tense with trepidation - she had not
expected the High Queen to question her conclusions. Perhaps the High Queen did
not see the situation as cause for concern? Or perhaps she had some other plans
already impending to stop Tokia? Or perhaps Audola just did not like the fact
that the loyalty of one Queen had been called into question by another, or the
fact that it implied that her position as High Queen was not as secure as she might
like?

The question could mean anything, and nothing in the
High Queen’s demeanor hinted as to what. Soku took a sip of her juice, set the
cup down, deciding to make her approach more cautious.

“Mother Queen, I can only report what I have seen
and heard and concluded,” she said in a soft, carefully neutral voice. “These
are my personal observations of the situation, and on advice from my Voice, I
have brought this information to your attention. I can make no incontestable
claims of any of these things, but I am as reasonably sure of my observations
as I can possibly be without using more direct methods.”

“And you felt it necessary to request this very
clandestine and private
lorn
to tell me of
these observations.” Audola raised an eyebrow, making it a question to be
answered.

“I felt it necessary to make you aware of things
that I observe and suspect might endanger our domain, however unfounded,
Av’One. This is my first duty as it is the first duty of all Queens.”

The High Queen studied her appraisingly.

“You speak
as one walking a fine line, Soku,” she observed.

A sigh escaped the Doan Queen. “I
do
walk a
fine line, Av’One. Tokia is a very real threat, not just to you, but to me and
others like me. In her rush for power she will either absorb or annihilate
Tribes smaller or weaker than hers. She can make living on the Border a
death-trap, because life out on the Border can be very difficult. Sometimes one
must rely heavily on one’s neighbors for continued existence, especially
through lean times and times of drought or pestilence or plague. Earning the
enmity of those neighbors is to consign one’s Tribe to a slow and painful
demise. And if Tokia succeeds in uniting the smaller Tribes, I and mine don’t
stand a chance. Any who oppose her will be eradicated.” Soku stopped before she
began repeating herself. She had used most of her arguments, and the High Queen
still did not seem convinced.

“Then why did you not choose to join her?” the High
Queen asked mildly, her head tilted quizzically.

“I am loyal to the High Crown,” she said calmly,
though her hands gripped the lap table so hard that veins stood forth. “To
oppose the High Queen is unthinkable... it is an affront to the Goddesses and
the Supreme One. It would shame my ancestors as they sit at
Shalgo’s
right hand and turn the heart of the Doan to dust that sees nothing but
darkness. I would sacrifice my Tribe and my Family and all of their
lons
in the preservation of the Realm and its rightful ruler.”

Their eyes locked and it seemed to Soku that the
High Queen weighed her very soul. Then finally she sighed and sat back. “I
believe you and your loyalty.” She seemed to drop all formality. “The situation
is as grave as you assessed,” she said, the tiniest bit of fatigue showing.
“The information you bring is invaluable to us, and I thank you Sister. Now
that we have some idea of Tokia’s aims we can set about stopping her.” Audola
looked at her expectantly. Soku felt her heart lift.

“And that is the real reason behind my proposed
plan,
Av’
One.
It will be a safe-haven for those who would rather not be coerced into Tokia’s
cause, but have not the will or skill to stand against her. And it would
undercut her claims to power, by giving the Lesser Queens more power and
control over their Trade. They would flock to our cause, even if Tokia managed
to convince them of their supposed inferiority. And I believe we can accomplish
two other goals at once. At this time I believe that the voices of the Border
Queens
are
rather important, if we are to cut the numbers of our enemies
from the
Lora’Lons
down with as little
Ava’Lona
blood lost
as possible. The Border Queens know their territories - this could work to our
advantage.” Soku drew a breath. “I propose that we do the same thing Tokia is
trying to do: unify the Border Queens, in the form of an advisory war council
to the High Queen. Let all the Queens, Lesser
and Greater, become the
Warru
Firsts of
their territories, and the Heir, then High Queen, be
Warru
Supreme. We can pull Tokia’s structure from under her, and repair the impending
rift between all of the Queens. I suggest that
we begin somewhat covertly, so that Tokia will not have time to prepare a
counter campaign.”