The Pinnacle Of Empire (Book 6) (40 page)

Saxthor saw his son’s frantic waving and a huge smile bloomed on his face. He rode through the undulating well-wishers to the boy. The emperor lifted his son in his arms, kissed his prince, and the two waved to the adoring mob surrounding them.

* * *

“Well, that outrageous racket could only mean the emperor has returned,” Helgamyr said. “I suppose we should put in an appearance to show support. Tottiana will never cease to admonish us if we don’t. Come along Engwan, we must greet your father.”

“I’m not going,” Engwan said.

“Engwan, like it or not, you are crown prince. For the sake of public appearances, you must show support for your father on his return. There are more important things than your personal wishes.”

Engwan frowned but stood his ground. Exasperated, Helgamyr went and took his hand and the two went to find Tottiana so they could all appear on the balcony overlooking the courtyard. They finally found the empress as she searched for little Augusteros.

“Where is he?” Tottiana asked.

“Where is who?,” Helgamyr asked as she approached.

“Mother, I can’t find Augusteros, he’s not with his attendant in his room.”

“Majesty, Prince Augusteros is with his father in the courtyard,” A servant said.

Tottiana and Helgamyr looked at each other, then turned and rushed for the balcony behind the throne room. Having handed Augusteros to his attendant, Saxthor was just dismounting. Tottiana waved to Saxthor. Seeing her, he rushed through the palace to join them on the balcony. As a group, they waved at the cheering sea of flapping arms and hats. Augusteros was again on his father’s shoulder. At the end of the line, Helgamyr held Engwan’s hand. She glanced down to see the prince staring, not at the crowd, but up at Augusteros and Saxthor.

“Your father will acknowledge you in a moment,” the dowager said.

As though he’d heard, Saxthor put Augusteros down and, smiling, came to Engwan. The crown prince stepped back. It troubled even the dowager. Saxthor’s face flinched for an instant, then he reached forward and lifted Engwan up on his shoulder. Again smiling, the emperor faced the crowd, waving his free hand, but Engwan neither smiled nor waved. Little Augusteros clung to his father’s trouser leg.

When the family did turn and go inside again, Engwan said nothing to his father, but took off towards his own suite in the children’s tower. For the first time, Helgamyr began to feel guilty that she’d encouraged such animosity between father and son. She looked at Saxthor, Tottiana, and little giggling Augusteros walking arm in arm toward the family’s private quarters. She winced with the sudden memory of her late husband, her former happiness, and the bitterness she had fostered since.

*

Saxthor, Tottiana and Augusteros continued on to the family gathering room where emperor and empress embraced.

“Where did Helgamyr and Engwan go?” Saxthor asked.

“You know Mother, she’s not going to stay around you long,” Tottiana said.

They looked down at Augusteros who ran up to his father with the toy sword Uncle Bodrin had sent him. Augusteros was slashing the air with it. “I’ll go with you and help beat those bad men next time, Daddy.”

Saxthor laughed, adoring his little soldier’s bravery. “I feel so much better knowing you’re beside me, son.”

Augusteros looked up beaming adoration at his father.

* * *

When Helgamyr arrived back at her suite, she was glum. Endaquac was quick to pick up on her mood.

“How was the reception? We could hear the cheering from here,” the maid said.

Helgamyr didn’t respond, being still in her thoughts. She was looking at the regal picture of her late husband watching her from over the fireplace. The dowager took off her crown and handed it backward to Endaquac, still staring at the picture. The maid took the crown and earrings.

“We were happy like that once,” Helgamyr mumbled. “It seems so long ago now.” She turned. “Where does the time go?”

“I’ll get you some tea,” Endaquac said. She secured the jewels in their lavish case and rang for tea.

Helgamyr suddenly perked up. “That man isn’t quite so bad. After all, he does love my daughter. And he certainly does love his children. I should never have passed my hatred and resentment onto little Engwan.”

“No, Majesty, but I’m sure all will be well now with the family.” Endaquac spotted the crown prince standing, staring from behind the drapery from the next room. Discovered, the boy ambled into the room.

“Why, don’t you take your new toy to show Saxthor,” Engwan suggested.

“Engwan, I didn’t realize you were here. Yes, let’s take Mot to see the emperor.”

Endaquac saw the prince wince when Helgamyr said
emperor
. That boy is more bitter than Helgamyr, she thought. Helgamyr doesn’t even notice it.

“Mot, Mot, where are you?”

Without a word or sound, the little creature appeared from the secret room where the dowager had experimented with witchcraft. His fingers were tinged with powders. He’d been into the ingredients there. Endaquac wiped them with a damp cloth. All the while, that same eerie smile remained frozen on his face.

“Come along, Mot, you too, Engwan. We’ll go see the happy couple,” Helgamyr said.

“You go along,” Engwan said. “I’ve seen enough of them today.”

“Oh, you’re being so grumpy today, Engwan. You really must learn to learn to like your father. Come along, Mot, you should be presented to Saxthor.”

Endaquac stood with Engwan watching Helgamyr, beaming her childlike enthusiasm as she started out the door with Mot. The grinning little syclebot looked back at the maid and nodded. It chilled her. She shook it off and returned to freshening the dowager’s regalia.

* * *

Belnik and Tittletot were rushing through the palace toward the family’s private quarters.

“How could you let him arrive without our being there to greet him?” Belnik asked.

Tittletot was breathing hard, his body rocking like a duck trying to keep up with Belnik. “Well you’re the one who insisted he wasn’t due back until tomorrow,” Tittletot said. “You’re the one who said we must go to the countryside for this irresistible food Saxthor can’t live without. Of course, I took your word for that being as you have that belly from endless pastry sampling.”

“I’m going to have to knock you in the head with a brick. You know perfectly well I only eat the most modest of portions when selecting delicacies for the family’s table.”

“Yeah, well maybe it’s all the leftovers you gobble up that make you swell up like a toad,” Tittletot said.

“A toad! Now I’m a bloated toad?”

“Yes, one with long legs, I might add.”

Belnik looked back at the grinning, if huffing and puffing tittletot. “Just you wait, you little imp.”

Tittletot stopped abruptly.

Belnik stopped too. “What’s the matter with you?”             

Tittletot turned left and right. “Something evil is in the palace. It’s been here, but cloaked.”

“Where?”

“It’s moving toward the family quarters.”

Belnik dropped the box of delectable treats. “Well, come on, don’t just stand there.” Belnik took off again, racing down the hall. He looked back. Tittletot was scurrying as fast as his short legs would carry him, but he was still falling.

* * *

When Helgamyr arrived, one of the guards knocked on the door of the family gathering room. She could hear the adult laughter and Augusteros’ giggling before the door even opened. “Well, open the door.”

“Enter,” Saxthor said.

The guard opened the elaborately carved door.

“Mother,” Tottiana said. “Please join us.” Helgamyr noted her visible shock and delight at seeing her come to Saxthor’s sanctuary.

“Thank you, my dear,” the dowager said. She hesitated, having never set foot in the room except on the rare occasions when she castigated Saxthor. Then she stepped into the room, her little toy trailing behind her. “I hope you will forgive my intruding on your reunion, but I wanted to show Saxthor my new toy.”

“Do come in, Mother,” Tottiana said.

Helgamyr hesitated but then entered. She cast her first ever smile at Saxthor, felt her face flush, and looked back at Mot, who was still grinning, but the grin was somehow not quite right.

“Saxthor, this is Mot, my little baby. I hope you two will become friends like you have in your tittletot.”

Saxthor smiled at the dowager. It warmed her and she again blushed. She reached back with her hand and pushed Mot forward just as she noted the sound of footsteps scurrying down the hall.

“So this is your baby,” Saxthor said. Then he looked toward the door too. Both heard the frantic sound of running and heavy breathing.

Mot’s sudden jerking caught Helgamyr by surprise. She looked down at her toy, which was morphing into something more horrible than she’d ever seen. The creature was turning purple mottled with green, its face stretched like that of a wolf, claws thrust out, and fangs extended, dripping with green venom. She screamed and jumped away from the monster as it lunged forward.

A guard’s bladed spear slashed at the creature, but when it cut away a limb, the pruned plant-animal took no notice.

Saxthor reached to push Augusteros behind him as the fiend leaped towards them. The boy jumped into his father’s arms as a flame-red bolt shot out at Saxthor. It struck Augusteros, who clutched his father, groaned, and went limp.

Belnik and Tittletot rounded the doorframe. Belnik gasped. Tittletot rushed in, glowing a bright blue. He shot a blue beam at the syclebot, who then exploded in a shower of organic fragments.

Helgamyr stumbled back, collapsed, her heart pounding. She looked at Saxthor whose face was excruciating. She’d never seen pain like that. Then she saw little Augusteros dangling from his father’s arms. Saxthor clutched his son to him, the tears flowing like she’d never seen. The emperor sank to his knees, his gasping pain made her shutter. From across the room she felt it, pain she’d never felt herself as severely.

Tottiana grabbed Saxthor and Augusteros, enveloping them in her arms. Saxthor was frozen. Tottiana felt her son for signs of life, but he was gone. She slumped too, bent over beside her husband, who could only rock back and forth, clutching the son he couldn’t let go of.

Helgamyr choked, her throat seized up, nausea followed the pain. Her life force drained. For a moment she wished she was dead. Then she noted Belnik and Tittletot, hesitant but stepping forward toward the stricken couple. They too crumpled down beside the distraught parents. It was Belnik who first put his hands on the little boy. Saxthor pulled away and glared at his devoted friend. Then he wept openly and rocked forward again refusing to let go of his beloved Augusteros.

“No, no, no,” he cried. “No, no, no!”

Belnik sat back wiping tears on his elegant robe. Tittletot scrunched up in a ball and rolled against Saxthor. Grief’s electric tension permeated the room, no one moved but the rocking father, gripping his dead little boy.

In time, it was Tottiana who convinced Saxthor to release Augusteros. Saxthor looked up at his wife. They looked into each other’s eyes. The pain she saw overwhelmed Helgamyr. Engulfed by grief, she fell forward, screaming. She gasped for breath as her body convulsed.

After an eternity of pain and choking, a lady, one of the ladies of the court, reached down and, with an arm under her shoulder, lifted her up. Someone else on the other side took her other arm and they led her from the room and down the hall to her suite. The full force of her hatred played out before her eyes. That man had never mistreated her, but now she was the cause of all their unbearable pain. It was more than she could endure. She wanted to die. In her bed, someone gave her a draft of something and the world spun. She sank into blackness where she stayed for some time.

* * *

Memlatec arrived at Ossenkosk soon after Augusteros’ death. The citizens of Engwaniria draped the whole capital in black. Merchants were just beginning to reopen their shops, but the city was like a graveside assembly. The clacking of his horse’s hooves on the cobblestones seemed amplified, fracturing the silence of the city in shock. At the palace, Tottiana met the wizard first.

“Tottiana, how are you, my dear?” the wizard asked. He took her hand in his and patted it.

“Memlatec, we’re so relieved to have you back with us,” the empress said. “I’m okay; it’s Saxthor I’m worried about. You know he lost his whole family in his youth. Engwan will have nothing to do with him, and he feels like he failed the boy. It wasn’t his fault. Mother turned the boy against his father at a time when Saxthor was swamped with obligations stabilizing the empire. Little Saxthor adored his father. He was Saxthor’s heart.”

Tottiana’s voice started to break up. She crushed a lace handkerchief, hesitated, then looking away, dabbing her eyes.

“There, there, my dear, he’s strong, he’ll recover,” Memlatec said. He felt his throat tighten. “Let’s go see him.”

The two went to Saxthor’s chamber, where he sat staring at state correspondents. The blank look in his eyes worried the wizard. Memlatec took a deep breath and approached the emperor. Tottiana gave him a quick twitching smile and withdrew, closing the door behind her.