The Jewel of Kamara (The Delthenon Chronicles) (15 page)

“Stop
running sweetheart. I am at the lake.”

Tempani
looked around her. There was no water in sight.

“It’s
not here,” she cried and continued running. Still there was no lake, and she
was starting to panic. She didn’t want the woman to leave.

“I
can see you. You are almost here, sweetheart. Look harder.”

She
tried, but still she couldn’t see the lake. She wondered how she was supposed
to look harder for something that wasn’t there.

As
if reading her mind the soft voice spoke again. “Visualize the lake in your
mind. You will find me then.”

Tempani
closed her eyes and visualized the lake she knew best. Suddenly she found
herself back on Amarill standing before her favorite lake. A warm hand touched
her shoulder, forcing her to look up.

“Mama?
Is that really you?” Tempani wept and threw her arms around the waist of the
woman in the flowing white gown. A garland of white roses held her long black
hair in place. “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”

“Whatever
are you talking about?”

“I’m
sorry. It’s my fault you’re dead.”

Hamalia’s
body stiffened, and her voice cracked as she spoke. “Never think that, your
hear me? I chose my death. No one chose it for me.” She cradled her daughter
until her sobs subsided. “They thought it best that I come to you,” Hamalia
whispered in her daughter’s ear.

“Who’s
they mama?”

“Sit
dear, and I will explain.” Tempani obeyed and grasped Hamalia’s hand as she too
sat. “You’ve been hard to reach. Why don’t you dream anymore?”

Tempani
blinked away her tears. “The nightmares,” she whispered. “I saw that day over
and over. I was scared to sleep so papa took me to a healer, and he gave me
herbs to take.” She shook her head. “I forgot to take it tonight.” Her
conversation with Nic had rattled her.

“I
have been trying for so long to see you.” She shook her head sadly. “They grew
impatient and sent me to hurry things along, but I couldn’t reach you.”

“Who
is impatient?”

Hamalia
cupped Tempani’s cheek in her hand. “You have a destiny.”

Confused,
Tempani shook her head.

“I
can’t tell you what it is. You must come to the understanding on your own so
you can choose the path for yourself.”

“What
do I need to understand?”

“The
Goddess is growing anxious. You must find your destiny and choose your path.
When you do, find the black and white woman and learn to use your magic
properly before it’s too late.”

“But
I have nothing beyond my healing powers, and I’m not even allowed to use them.”

Hamalia
smiled proudly. “You have great power. The black and white woman will guide
you. She will give you the answers you seek.”

“I
don’t seek any answers.”

“You
will. You will have many questions once your identity is known.”

“I
don’t understand.”

“I
can say no more. I have passed on what I was meant to and that is enough. The
rest you must discover for yourself.” Hamalia rose and began to walk away.

“Mama,
don’t leave me!” She cried and ran after her.

“I
will see you again. I am not lost to you forever.”

“Mama,
no!” Tempani was still running after her.

“Forgive
me, Goddess, but I must tell her one last thing.” She waited for Tempani to
catch up. “My dear girl, you must stop running.”

“I
have,” she said, trying to catch her breath.

“No,
you misunderstand. You must stop running from life. From love. You have closed
your heart. You are holding yourself back from true happiness.”

“But
I’m scared.”

“I
know. But don’t let that hold you back. You have allowed it to stop your
dreams. Don’t let it take anything else from you.” She reached down and hugged
her daughter. “I must go. The Goddess is calling me. I love you.”

“Mama,
don’t leave! Don’t leave me!” She cried, but Hamalia had disappeared.

Tempani
woke to find her face buried in
Tilaw’s
fur. She
brought a hand up to her face and felt her wet cheeks. It had been so long
since she’d dreamt. It had all seemed so real. Her mother’s voice and smell.
All of it. But what of Hamalia’s message? Could it be that she had to choose
the path that led to Nic. He had said himself he had wanted her to be his
queen. Perhaps then she would be able to change things so she could use her
magic. By opening her heart, could she be going down the path to her destiny?

Maybe
Nic did deserve a second chance. She had seen the good side to him. Had found
herself falling for him but then the riot had broken out and people had gotten
hurt. All because of her.

But
weren’t there riots before she’d even arrived in Fenella? They had been going
on for years. Maybe her father’s information was wrong, and it hadn’t been
about her. And she had been pushing away a man who made her happy because
sometimes she didn’t like the things he said or his actions. Was Nic right?
Were her expectations of people unreasonable?

Is
it too late,
Tilaw
?
She thought as she hugged him. His only
response was to lick her face.

—

They
were seated at tables draped in white linen and covered with exquisite dishes.
Wine and brandy circulated the room, and glasses were raised in celebration,
for a few days earlier Xanthir had announced his betrothal to Lady
Famette
of
Jinop
.

The
happy couple was discussing their wedding plans with Tempani, who had only just
been introduced to
Famette
.

“A
messenger is carrying word of our news to
Jinop
. I
expect mother will arrive here shortly to begin preparations,”
Famette
said excitedly.

Their
courtship had been short. The young couple got swept up with the impending
threat of war and decided to wed before Xanthir rode off into the sunset to
fight for their freedom. A very romantic tale indeed. Well it would have been,
had the peace talks with
Galiena
not begun that
afternoon.

“It
will be a short engagement,”
Famette
said. “The duke
thinks that’s best, in case the peace talks fall through.”

“Is
that a possibility?” Tempani asked Xanthir.

“I
doubt it, but it’s best to be cautious.”

“And
if we are forced to fight it will give you extra strength and courage to know
that you have a beautiful wife to return home to,” said Madoc as he tried to
hide a grin.

Xanthir
patted
Famette’s
hand affectionately, her cheeks now
as red as her hair, and all doubts Tempani had in her head about the pair
floated away.

“I
have come to offer my congratulations,” Nic said as he took the seat beside his
cousin. “I would have come sooner, but mother had me chained to her table
asking how her wild nephew found a bride before myself? I must ask you
Famette
, how did you tame my cousin’s wandering eye?”

“By
stealing my heart before I had any inkling as to what was happening,” Xanthir
laughed.

“Once
you find the one, you hold on for dear life,” said
Famette
.

“True,”
Nic muttered under his breath. “Are you enjoying yourself, Lady Tempani?”

“Indeed
I am. And yourself?”

“Very
much so. I was fortunate enough to be the prime witness in a conversation
between your father and Lord Darby. The poor man has had far too much to drink
and is ranting and raving more so than he usually does. Your father can’t help
himself and refuses to cease provoking him. It is rather entertaining.”

“Well
this I have to see.” Xanthir rose, taking
Famette’s
hand in his, and strode gleefully over to a red-faced Darby, Madoc in toe.

Tempani
and Nic sat silently at their empty table, each avoiding making eye contact
with the other. She felt the tension building up, felt the heat her body
conjured whenever he was near. The dream of her mother was at the forefront of
her mind. Hamalia was right. It was time to stop running scared.

She
cleared her throat. “Would you care to dance?” She held out her hand.

“So
you can have me think I’m in with a chance once more? No, I can take no more
disappointment on that front.” He shook his head and got to his feet. “Enjoy
your evening.”

She
grabbed his hand, forcing him to turn towards her. “I am sorry. For
everything.” She took a deep breath. “I do expect more from you than anyone
else. But I do it only because I know you can be more.”

“And
if I disappoint you again, what happens? My heart can only take so much.”

She
got to her feet and placed her hand against his cheek. “And I can’t ignore mine
any longer.” Her heart raced with nerves. “Will you accept my hand in an
official courtship?”

“I
thought the man was supposed to ask the lady,” he teased, his warm eyes
sparkling.

“If
you would prefer, I can race you for the honor.”

“And
prolong holding you in my arms?” He asked, shaking his head, and leading her by
the hand to dance.

He
held her gently as they danced in circles, and she appreciated the warmth and
comfort his embrace offered. Their eyes locked, but the intensity in his scared
her. She lowered her gaze and turned her head to the side.

Her
flustered state caused her knees to slightly buckle. His hold on her
strengthened as he gripped her waist and escorted her to the empty terrace.

“Look
at me,” he said hoarsely.

She
obeyed and forced herself to glance into his eyes once more. His gaze sent a
shiver through her body as she realized she was looking into the eyes of a man
who loved her. He cupped his large hand under her chin and covered her lips
with his. His kiss was hesitant, unsure, as though he expected her to pull
away. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her lips firmly against
his. He relaxed under her arms, and she knew he now believed her.

She
gasped for air when he finally pulled away, and she nestled her head against
his chest.

“Can
I call on you tomorrow?” He asked hopefully as he held her close in his arms.

She
felt his heart beating quickly in his chest. “I would be offended if you
didn’t,” she whispered.

~5~

Tempani
had decided to take their relationship slowly. If she hadn’t made that clear to
Nic from the beginning, she had no doubt he would be pushing ahead with wedding
preparations.

She
did not feel as though she was ready to make such a lasting commitment for she
knew that once she did it would mean she’d given herself completely to Nic and Kamara,
and she wasn’t prepared to lose her identity yet.

The
nobles of the kingdom had not taken the news of their courtship well. At court
events, the only people who would talk to her were her friends. Heads would
roll the other way when she walked past, and conversations turned to whispers.

The
riots had stopped. She could only guess that word of the baker’s death at the
hands of Lord Ricton had spread, and they feared another reprise.

Yet
she still felt the eyes of the commoners on her whenever she was in the city.
Their stares followed her every movement. 

She
wanted to believe Nic when he said it would all change one day, but she wasn’t
holding her breath. They would always be against the odds and would have to
fight to prove their relationship to everyone.

—

Tempani
nestled against Nic as they sat under the trees at her manor. He linked his
fingers through hers and brought them to his lips.

“Time
alone with you is a rarity,” he complained.

She
sighed and rested her head against his chest, loving the feel of his heart
racing against her cheek. “Speaking of, where is our chaperone? It is quite
improper for you to be touching me like this.”

He
laughed and kissed the top of her head. “Another silly custom I will abolish
when I am king.”

“Do
you give any serious thought to what you will do when that day comes?”

“All
the time,” he said. “I want to make changes, but it’s going to be hard. The
people of this kingdom are very set in their ways.”

“You
will make them see it your way.”

He
gave a sad laugh. “I’m glad you believe so. The nobles are hard to persuade.”

“And
the commoners?”

He
shrugged. “They don’t need to be persuaded. I need the nobles backing to pass
any new laws. The commoners have no say.”

“And
that’s why you’re fighting them as well as my people. Aren’t you tired of the
fighting?”

“Father
said the commoners get noisy every few years, and then it dies down. The riots
have already stopped.”

“If
you’re not careful, they’ll revolt.”

“Against
my father’s rule or against us?”

“I
don’t know.” She looked up at him. “If us being together is going to cause
further problems for this kingdom, then perhaps we need to think about that.”

He
sat up and held her out at arm’s length. “I’m not letting anyone dissuade me
from being with you. I will not be selfish as a king, but I will be as a man.
I’m not giving you up.”

She
rested her forehead against his. “I hope you know what you’re getting into.”

“When
we’re married and produce an heir, it will all be fine. I believe it.”

Her
heart stopped at the mention of marriage and babies. She wanted to scream out
that she wasn’t ready.

“We
should start thinking about our future. Once we make it official, mother will
want you to move into the palace right away so we can begin preparations.”

She
covered his lips with hers in a desperate attempt to stop him talking. She knew
it wasn’t fair on him to distract him with her kisses, but she’d already run
out of topics of conversation that would distract him. This was her last
option. And it worked. He lifted his hands to her face and held it in place
against his as his tongue parted her lips. She wrapped her arms around his
waist and clung to him as he lowered her back down to the ground. She slipped
her hands under his shirt, running one across his stomach. She loved the feel
of his sigh against her lips.

They
jumped when
Tilaw
barked and streaked across the
garden to them.

Nic
let out a strangled laugh, his blue eyes bright. He ran a hand through his hair
as he stood. “I can’t decide whether I want to strangle your dog or thank him.”

“Thank
him?”

“If
he hadn’t come along, I don’t think I would have been able to stop.”

“Is
that such a bad thing?”

He
smiled and pressed his lips against hers once more. “Once we’re married, no.”

“Well,
no doubt Rando will race out here at any moment to put a stop to this. Shall we
head inside and save him the effort?”

Later
that evening she was seated beside Chae at the palace, trying not to pull at
the high neck of her dress. It was too constricting, making it difficult to
swallow her food comfortably. She cursed Nic for suggesting she wear more
conservative gowns. She had to take care to ensure her long sleeves didn’t land
in her soup with each spoonful she took.

She
knew people were watching her tonight. She felt their eyes on her, burning her
skin with their disapproval. She prayed to the Goddess Allarah that she kept
her composure.

“Relax,”
Chae whispered to her. “You look as though you’re marching to your death.”

She
forced a weak smile on her face. “I can’t help it. They’re all waiting for me
to do something foolish. I know it.”

“Not
everyone,” he said and nodded towards Nic, who was beaming at her from his
place at the High Table.

“He
doesn’t seem to understand the pressure we’re facing,” she whispered. “He
thinks it will all blow over once people get used to the idea of us together.”

“Maybe
it will.”

Tempani
looked at her brother, the disbelief clear in her eyes. “You’re as naïve as him.”
And as if on cue Lady
Miriah
walked by on the arm of
Lord
Kiro
and sneered at the girl before turning to
her husband and whispering in his ear.

“See,”
she said to him. “It’s pointless. No matter what I do or wear it’s not going to
change their opinions. They won’t even touch the banister on the staircase
after I do. I saw one lady demand it be wiped down before she descended.”

“Once
you are married they’ll have no choice but to accept you.”

“I
fear we’ll be defending our relationship for the rest of our lives. I can’t
help but wonder if it’s worth it.”

Chae
gripped her hand. “If you’re having any doubts, you must talk to Nic. The heir
to the throne doesn’t court someone unless he intends to marry.”

She
felt her insides recoil once more at the thought of marriage. She wasn’t ready
for that. For the politics of marrying the heir. She wasn’t sure if she was in
love with him yet. How could she commit to be his wife if she wasn’t sure how
she felt? She had never been in love before. She had no idea what it felt like.
What if the feelings she had for him now disappeared? She didn’t know him well
enough as an adult to say her feelings would stay strong. And it drove her
crazy that he was so sure of himself. That he could tell her he loved her
without a second thought. She wished she could say it in return, but the words
got lost on her lips every time.

“May
I have this dance?” Nic asked as he approached their table.

She
accepted his hand and ignored the sneers of others on the floor as he spun her
around. Instead she focused on his eyes as they bore into hers. The intensity
of his gaze and the feel of his hands on her made her heart skip a beat, and
she hoped that meant love.

—

“There
have been reports of more deaths, your Majesty,” Darby said as the Parliament
meeting convened.

Due
to the nature of the reports, Lord Ricton was present as was the Chief Healer.
Darby had called an emergency meeting upon receiving correspondence from a
friend of his who worked on the
Neare
estate in the
far west.

“What
was it this time?” Aubrey asked.

“A
clan of ogres. They have taken up residence in the cliffs, just down from
Neare
,” Darby explained. “The people are begging for
protection.”

Lord
Ricton coughed and lifted his head. “May I, your Majesty?” When Wimarc nodded
the man continued. “Our protective charm is stretched thin as it is. If I
extend it to the outer reaching estates, we will leave the city vulnerable.”

“Three
people were killed,” Darby said. “One, a child.”

“And
what is three compared to countless others if the city is penetrated?” Lord
Ricton fixed his cold stare on Darby. “A handful of commoners is nothing in the
grand scheme of things.”

“Perhaps
we need to find someone more powerful than you, Lord Ricton, who won’t shy away
from the task,” Darby growled.

“Darby.”
Otto’s voice was calm yet it carried the slightest hint of warning that only
his old friend could detect. Once he knew Darby would not push it further, Otto
cleared his throat. “Were they clean kills? Did any of them stand a chance?”

“I
have gone over the reports thoroughly, and these people could have survived had
a healer with enough training been in the vicinity,” the Chief Healer
responded.

“Or
if we allowed our commoners to defend themselves with magic,” Nic said.

“Absolutely
not,” said Wimarc.

“They
deserve a chance. We can’t leave them defenseless. I believe that we need to
allow our commoners more liberties. Why shouldn’t they learn to use the gifts
they’ve been blessed with?”

Wimarc
watched his son and shook his head in dismay. He had allowed Tempani’s views to
encroach on his. First, he had demanded a trial for those rioters and now this.
Soon he’ll start talking of peace with the Kalaowins.

“And
then watch as they turn those ‘gifts” on the very people who provide for them?”
Lord Ricton scoffed. “Using magic is a privilege that very few of us have
earned. We must control that. We wouldn’t want people getting hurt in their
quest for power, would we?” His eyes met Darby’s again.

Otto
used all the self-restraint he had to not leap over the table and cut Lord
Ricton down.

—

The
room was stifling hot. Tempani rolled up the sleeves of her wintergreen dress
while she bustled around the kitchen boiling water and gathering cloths. She
heard the faint sound of Colbert’s voice in the next room, talking to the elderly
man’s wife and adult son. It had been her idea to come. To try and help Colbert
in any way she could.

She
jumped at the sound of the sick man’s dry cough. This man was on the brink of
death, and despite all of Colbert’s best efforts, he didn’t hold out much hope
for him. His illness was too far-gone to cure, and it was just a matter of
making him comfortable and waiting for him to take his last breath.

Tempani
crept into the man’s room and stood over his bed. The stench made her ill to
her stomach. Colbert rushed past and added another log to the burning hearth.
The extreme heat was affecting Tempani’s head, and she found herself swaying
slightly as her eyes drooped. Colbert grabbed her waist and sat her on the
chair beside the bed, handing her a cool cloth to dab on her flushed face.

“You
don’t have to be here,” Colbert reminded her again.

“I
need to be here,” she murmured.

It
was true. Ever since the dream of Hamalia, she felt a need to do something. To
put her gifts to use. Even if she couldn’t use them to their fullest extent.

When
she steadied and her head cleared, she rose and began to soak the clean cloths
in the hot water before placing them around the man’s body. She took her last
one and stroked it across his sweat-covered face. She pushed his damp hair off
his forehead and watched his chest rise and drop roughly with each breath he
took.

The
sound of his wife weeping in the corner made her heart break. Tempani listened
to her quiet, rambling prayers.

“
Tritus
, God of the Afterlife. Hear my words. Take my
husband from this land. I give you his hand and send him with my love. No more
pain. His time is now.”

“Ma,
take a seat,” the son said. “Colbert let him pass. Please let him pass. We
can’t watch anymore. His pain kills my ma!”

“Keep
him warm,” Colbert whispered to her when she stared at him with fear in her
eyes.

She
nodded her head and soaked her cloth again to dab his face. Her heart leapt
when his clammy and calloused hand grabbed her wrist and held on tightly, his
fingers digging into her skin.

“Send
me to the afterlife,” he croaked through his cracked lips. “Take my hands.”

She
stepped away from his grip and stared at him, scared and unsure of what he was
saying.

“It
is you,” he muttered. “You have come to save us all. You have the Power. Take
my hands.”

Tempani
glanced at Colbert, fear swimming in her wide brown eyes.