The Age of Light (The Ava'Lonan Herstories Book 1) (5 page)

The High Queen dropped her arms and let the chatter
continue for several heart beats, then clapped her hands sharply. Silence
descended at once. Three fast heart beats later, barely the proper
sils
interval, seven Queens of various rank and political disposition were on their
feet with arms spread. The High Queen gazed at them with eyes of glass, almost
as if she did not see them. Her curt nod came unexpectedly and the Queen of
highest rank standing was caught off guard. She quickly spoke her piece.

“Mother Queen, we implore you, do not do this thing.
We can extend searches to cover the entire Realm, including
lons
not our own. The cause of this tragedy can be found. If we can find the source
we can avert this disaster.” This was a Greater Queen of a Middle
Yakan’tsu
of the Este.

The six Voices of the High Queen stood to give
rebuttal. They were identically dressed in
de’siki
of deepest blue with gold trimming.

“Tarien sul Mukanzi, finding the cause will not save
the
Av’rujo
- she has given of her life energy past the point of repair. A new
Av’rujo
would be forced to arise regardless,” First Voice Luyon said in his clear tenor
voice. He gazed steadily at the Queen of the Mukanzi Tribe. “As for extending
searches - we have been searching for hundreds of cycles, Tarien sul Mukanzi.
We are searching even now. There is little to no chance we will find the source
of the
Zehj’Ba
in time. There’s no guarantee that the source is even within the boundaries of
the
Av’ru
.”

The rebuked Queen sank to her low Throne without
reply. The next Queen, one from a Middle Weste
Yakan’tsu
,
second in rank and on her feet, made her argument.

“
Av’One
, postpone
your ascension. Give the Heir time to adjust to rule and the People time to
adjust to her. Ten cycles is just too short a time.”

The Third Voice, Sinyi, stepped forward and
addressed her as the voice of the High Queen.

“The
Av’ru
weakens as we
speak, now at an exponential rate. It may not even last the allotted ten
cycles. Would you have the Mother Queen wait until the last possible moment and
then pour all of her life’s light into the
Av’ru
to stave off the attack that is sure to come? Just for your benefit and
convenience?
Ava’Lona
is not centered around us,
around wumans, Fanlai sul Xuli. The
Av’ru
protects all
the
Av’
Touched
creatures, all beings of Higher Thought. Would you have the High Queen endanger
them just for your sake? Or is it that you love her daughter, who has been
raised since birth to rule, less than you love her?”

Fanlai sat down, as did two others, without
speaking, their eyes averted. The next in rank, Ikoyu sul Enmu, of a different
Middle Este
Yakan’tsu
, squared her shoulders and
spoke.

“Mother Queen, if this is indeed
Turo’dan
,
and the end of
Ava’dan
is inevitable, we need a
strong, experienced High Queen to lead us into the upcoming battle. Let us
request from those self-same
Av’
Touched beings
aid in overcoming the Hordes of
Lora’Lona
. With
your wisdom combined with their help we have a chance of being victorious.”

Nods and murmurs of agreement followed her words.
The second Voice, Jarisa, answered.

“Without the Mother Queen, the
Av’ru
has less than a full ten cycles of life.
Ava’Lona
will have less than a full ten cycles of the Seasons to muster her forces, and
without the aid of half of our
Av’T
ouched allies,
for most have been approached and some are as yet undecided.

“If, however, the Mother Queen ascends, the
Av’ru
will last for perhaps seventy-five to one hundred more cycles. In one hundred
cycles the Heir can gain much of the experience she now lacks. In that time the
land can muster all its forces and prepare for siege, frontal assault and
lor’rita
assault. All defenseless denizens can be gathered into protected places without
panic or haste, and all resources can be turned to surviving the possible
upcoming war. In that time we can persuade all the
Av’
Touched
ones to come to our aid.” She paused, then added, “We may even find a way to
save the Mother Queen Audola and the
Av’ru and Ava’Lona
in
that time.”

Ikoyu sat as if her knees had been cut out from
under her. Another also sat, leaving one Queen, Tokia sul Ottanu, near the back
standing. She was of the Dyo
Yakan’tsu
.

“Mother Queen, let there be regency. The Heir is too
young and inexperienced to rule effectively in such troubling times.” There was
silence after her appeal. No one wanted to agree with any further arguments.

The sixth and youngest Voice, Ashmisa, had the
Laine’s
full attention when she stepped forward to rebut. She herself was little older
than the Heir. She looked at a point above all their heads and let her eyes
become unfocused, spoke as if she recited lessons.

“Anzolu sul Ava’Lon was sixteen cycles of the
Seasons when she assumed the High Throne to become the Second High Queen.
Maritya sul Ava’Lon was twenty cycles of the Seasons when she became High Queen
and led the People of
Ava’Lona
against
the
lor’ugawu
swarms. Patriya sul Ava’Lon was forced to assume the golden Throne at nineteen
cycles when the first
Av’ru
collapsed and
the Hordes from the
Dark’lons Lora’Lona
killed her mother in the Hundred Cycle war. Silini sul Ava’Lon was the youngest
High Queen in herstory, at fourteen cycles of the Seasons when the
Av’rujo
was attacked and killed over four hundred and thirty-five cycles ago. She
relied upon her Voices but quickly learned the ways of rule and ruled wisely
and fairly, earning the name Silini dul Ag’ano, Daughter of the Goddess of
Wisdom.” Ashmisa blinked, focused on Tokia. “There is no precedent to warrant
regency. The Heir is soon to be twenty-one cycles of the Seasons. With the love
and support of the People she will lead
Ava’Lona
to
victory.”

Tokia dropped her arms but did not sit. “Mother
Queen,” she said, her voice smooth and courteous, demur and yet somehow
disrespectful, “would
Av’
One tell us,
where is the Heir? Why is she not here to stand before her People?”

A silence followed that stretched out, slowly
swelling like a thunderhead, oppressive in its meaningful weight. Eyes locked
on the High Queen, whose face showed no emotion except a slight narrowing of
the eyes. None dared speak. Tokia had done the unthinkable - she had challenged
the High Queen in her own
Laine
. That the
Heir was absent and that absence was unexplained was, by convention, politely
overlooked and unmentioned. True, she owed it to her subjects to be present,
but if she was not, it was assumed that there was sufficient and valid reason.
The political and formal training of the Heir was long and complex - it
involved the learning and practice of many extremely difficult and intricate
High Order Rites, many delicate Holy Rites, and endless purifications. Some
took many turns to complete. Though her schedule should have been cleared for
this occasion, it was possible that there had been a complication that demanded
her immediate attention. This was not uncommon and was totally acceptable, so
none questioned her absence.

Tokia, by her question and its phrasing, implied that
the absence of the Heir had some other, less acceptable reason, perhaps due to
some irresposibility on the Heir’s part and ignorance on the High Queen’s part.
It implied that the High Queen did not know the whereabouts or activities of
the Heir and that perhaps Tokia did; it implied that all had been given insult
by the absence of the Heir.

Tokia risked everything in this course of action,
for if the Heir was indeed involved in some Holy Rite, then Tokia was disgraced
for the rest of her life, and so was her immediate Heir. She and hers would be
Outcast for nearly two generations, living in darkness and turned from the eyes
of the Goddesses and the light of
Av.
Her entire
Tribe, with all its Families, even down to the merchants and common folk, would
be Outcast, unable to legally Trade, stripped of Trading rights, Concessions
right, and privileges. They would be constrained to fend solely for themselves,
which, in a society built upon Trade, was a terrible thing. Only the High Queen
would be able to Trade or render aid to the Tribe Ottanu if she was so
inclined.

But on the other side of the palm, Tokia had issued
a challenge that had to be answered, and the answer would dictate whether the
Ottanu Queen had ruined herself and all that was hers. Logic, however, dictated
that since she did risk all, she knew something that had the High Queen at a
disadvantage and that she would not come to ruin. For the High Queen could not
imply Ritious devotions if such were not explicitly the case. If she did, then
she
would fall from grace in the eyes of the Goddesses and the Supreme One. She or
the Heir would have to give a plausible reason for the Heir’s absence or lose
face. Tokia would gain considerable standing, in short term suffering only
ignominy for debasing the sanctity of the
Bolorn
,
but in the long run possibly gaining more standing than any Queen of her Tribe
had ever attained. For if neither the High Queen nor the Heir could produce
sufficient reason, then all in attendance could claim to have suffered slight and
the High Family would owe reparations to all.

All waited in breathless silence to see how the High
Queen would respond to the challenge.

After a significant pause that spoke of her outrage,
the High Queen spread her arms low, out to either side, her palms down. Her two
Throne guards came forward. Each placed a hand beneath hers, guided her back
three paces to the Throne. As she sat a deep, solemn bull-hide
tuku
drum beat a short, rolling tattoo of disassociation. Her back was stiff and
straight, and she picked up her scepter and held it perfectly perpendicular to
the ground. She became as a statue carved of ebony.

Personal affront. The High Queen had acknowledged
the challenge as a slight to the honor of the Head Family of the Tribe of
Ava’Lon.
Not
Ritious sacrilege.

There was a flurry of uneasy movement, then
stillness as a twisting, sick green wave of reproof washed over all. It was the
Av’rujo
,
expressing her offense at the reprehensibility of issuing challenge at this
sacrosanct meeting and letting all know that each shared, in some way, in this
ignominy. In particular it repudiated Tokia, and commanded her to be seated and
speak no more. It broke like a soundless sea over her.

Tokia’s body obeyed the voice. She sat, her tongue
frozen, her plans, whatever they were, seemingly shattered. But she did not
seem perturbed by the intervention of the Av’rujo. She simply straightened her
back and hid any anger she might have felt behind a mask of indifference.

The first Voice Luyon stepped forward, the other Voices
resuming their seats, their eyes also fixed above the heads of the assemblage,
also a gesture of withdrawal of the High Queen. Only Luyon spoke now, his tone
devoid of all expression as if he spoke to an audience of stone.

“Silence and contemplation have been ordained for
the remainder of this turn and the next, until the time of the
Salaka
.
Will any other bring argument to bear?” he continued. His eyes, too, were fixed
above their heads.

None moved nor spoke. By saying argument he showed
the High Queen’s displeasure and indicated that any further objection would be
viewed as another direct challenge to the word of the High Queen. None wanted
that displeasure to turn to wrath.

After the proper
sils
Luyon stepped forward to address the assemblage formally.

“This
Bolorn’toyo
is at
an end. The High Queen has spoken.”

All bowed their heads. The High Queen would not
speak again. Tokia had truly brought disgrace upon herself. That disgrace
extended to them all.

Luyon spread his arms and struck his staff of office
upon the floor four times. The solemn
tuku
drum answered
him. “The High Queen has spoken. In one cycle’s time will all return to witness
the coronation of the Heir as
Av’Daun
, the High
Heir. In ten cycles’ time will all return to this
Laine
to witness the ascension of the High Queen to the Throne of the
Av’rujo
and the Heir’s assumption of the High Throne as High Queen.” He waited three
heart beats, then struck his staff four times more, was
tuku
-answered.