After the Ball
NOCTURNE
T he aides, military officers, and servants who attended Zachary saw a capable and calm king, but Estora, who knew him more intimately, saw the strain fraying at the edges of his demeanor and apprehended what it took for him to retain that facade in the aftermath of an attack by an evil wraith on the castle.
And most of all, in the not knowing of what had become of his love.
The Weapons had rushed them to the armory, a lower section of the castle with extremely thick walls, narrow corridors, and no windows.
Her children had also been brought down.
Their nurses comforted and sang to them in a chamber full of spears, swords, arrows, and other weaponry stockpiled against future war.
The intrusion by the wraith had been shocking and frightful in its suddenness.
She recalled the dreadful fear and panic that fell over the ballroom when the window shattered.
She hadn’t seen much because the Weapons had grabbed her immediately, but she’d heard the screams. She still heard them in her mind. She closed her eyes and shivered.
“You must not take cold, my lady,” said Jaid, her maid. She placed her own shawl over Estora’s shoulders.
“Won’t you be chilled?”
“No, my lady. I have a healthy amount of meat on my bones, but you do not.”
Despite the insinuation that she was too skinny and frail, Estora smiled at her, grateful for the shawl, for she was dressed in only her evening finery. She’d not needed anything else to keep her warm during the rigors of the dance.
Both the captain of the guard and the captain of the doors attended Zachary. She saw how he clenched his hands at his sides, the tautness of his jaw, the corded muscles of his neck.
“—hunting the wraith through the city. Somehow it slipped away from castle grounds.”
Anger rolled off Zachary. His chest fell with the release of a deep breath. When he spoke, his voice was quiet but tense.
“See that it does not escape the city.”
“Yes, sire. All guards are on alert throughout the city.”
Zachary turned to the captain of the doors, a dismissal to the captain of the guard who bowed unnoticed and left.
“We are working on a list of the deceased,” the captain of the doors said. “Many castle guards, some of the guests, servants.”
“Messengers?” Zachary asked tersely.
“Messengers, sire?”
“One of my Green Riders was in attendance.”
“I have not heard, sire. The scene in the ballroom...” The captain paused and swallowed. “We are still working our way through. It is not...easy.”
“I see,” Zachary replied in a softer tone.
“We have learned nothing more about the great flash some witnessed, but it was seen just before the wraith vanished. Witnesses said the creature seemed to be fighting and stabbing the air, and then the flash.”
“Continue with questioning the witnesses and taking account of the dead. There will be several families in mourning tonight.”
One of the children began to cry. Estora turned and found it was Esmere. The nurse gently rocked her in her arms, but Esmere’s cry turned into a wail. To Estora’s astonishment, Zachary swept past her to where the nurses sat.
“Here, let me,” he said.
He took the bundle that was his daughter into his arms and murmured unintelligibly to her. He carried her about and even gave her a wadded handkerchief dipped in wine to suck on. Lulled by his voice, Esmere quieted and fell asleep in his arms.
“You’ve a way with babies,” Estora told him. “I have a feeling she’ll have her papa wrapped around her little finger.”
He smiled, though it was fleeting, and she could see both the worry and sadness in his eyes. “If only I could keep her safe forever.”
Estora was not sure he meant Esmere.
Then he said, “Comforting her comforts me.”
This she understood.
Fastion ushered Captain Connly and Lieutenant Brennyn in. Still cradling Esmere in his arms, Zachary said, “Any sign of our Rider?”
“Not yet, Your Majesty,” Connly replied. “All of us are searching. Her horse is frantic.”
Estora took that to mean that Karigan’s horse sensed she was in trouble. She knew enough about Green Riders to understand they’d strong bonds with their horses. Zachary frowned.
Estora turned her attention to Lieutenant Brennyn as Connly reported to Zachary.
The lieutenant’s face was wan beneath her burn scars and she trembled.
She was doing a fair job of concealing it, but her eyes.
..Her eyes were those of someone haunted by her worst nightmare.
Such a contrast to the confident and capable Rider Estora knew her to be.
Estora approached and lightly touched her sleeve. She started.
“I apologize, Lieutenant,” Estora said quietly. “I did not mean to startle you.”
The lieutenant opened her mouth to speak. Closed it, then bowed.
“Are you quite all right?” Estora asked.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” she replied too quickly.
Estora knew the history, of course, of how the lieutenant had defeated the wraith, Mirdhwell, three years ago using her ability with fire.
She’d almost lost her life in the resulting conflagration.
Rider barracks had burned down and another Rider had perished in the blaze.
What it took for Mara Brennyn to face that wraith, and then to heal from her painful injuries, Estora couldn’t fathom.
“Lieutenant,” she said, “might you sit with me for a few minutes.”
“My lady, I cannot. I’ve—”
“I insist. Jaid will make us some of my favorite tea.”
“I—” The lieutenant glanced at her captain.
“I am borrowing the lieutenant for a while,” Estora told him.
Connly nodded. “As you wish, my lady.”
“But Karigan—” the lieutenant began.
“Everyone’s looking,” Connly said. “We can spare you for a little while. Besides, this is your queen requesting you to sit with her.”
Estora sat the lieutenant down in a quiet corner of the armory and directed Jaid to fetch the tea. “Two pots,” she said. “I think we could all use a cup.”
As Jaid departed, Estora sat beside the lieutenant. “I imagine tonight’s intrusion has brought back bad memories for you.”
“Ever since...Ever since the fire at barracks, I have nightmares sometimes. Usually I am busy enough that the memories don’t bother me a whole lot. But I never expected this, another wraith.” She closed her eyes and trembled hard. Estora took her hand and listened.
· · ·
Some time later, three of the Eletians were brought to the armory, led by Telagioth. Estora left Lieutenant Brennyn in Jaid’s care and rose to see what they had to say.
“We witnessed the wraith’s entrance,” Telagioth said. “Byrnin retrieved our bows and arrows, but alas they were no match against the creature, nor were all our moonstones combined, for it has reforged a foul weapon that has made it very powerful. Powerful enough, it was said of old, to slay gods.”
“How is such a thing even possible?” Estora asked.
Telagioth settled his cerulean eyes on her and she felt drawn into ancient days and the turmoil and conflict of those long ago Ages he had known.
“The sword was originally forged during the making of Mornhavon’s Black Star, and some of that element was melded into the blade.
Very powerful and dark magic that furthered the ruination of Argenthyne and almost caused the defeat of the Alliance during the Long War.
It will take extraordinary intervention to defeat the wraith. ”
“That sword should have been destroyed,” said Les Tallman, who had been listening in on the conversation.
“Verily. It was broken and hidden by your people. The wraith in its barrow was chained and warded. Mortals forget, however, that nothing is permanent. Wards falter in time and chains rust away.”
“Why was the sword not totally destroyed?” Les Tallman asked.
“It may be that it was not possible.”
Esmere started to fuss, but this time Zachary could not quiet her.
“May I?” Lhean asked, and he stretched out his arms. The Weapons on guard tensed.
Zachary hesitated and gave Estora a questioning look. There was much talk about whether or not to trust the Eletians, but intuition told her that her daughter was more than safe with Eletians. She nodded and Zachary passed Esmere to Lhean.
Unabashed joy sparked in Lhean’s face, and the third Eletian, Idris, leaned in to get a closer look at the baby, her eyes bright and expression as joyous as Lhean’s. Lhean began to sing softly to Esmere in his own tongue. It was a sweet melody like drifting among the clouds.
“So young and new to the world,” Telagioth said with a smile. “Infants are a rarity among Eletians and each is cherished.”
Esmere settled in Lhean’s arms and she gazed up at him with inquisitive eyes.
Zachary, in a more serious counterpoint, asked, “Did you see what happened to Rider—your Dama?”
Estora could tell his patience was wearing thin. His agitation was probably what had stirred Esmere.
“She vanished,” Telagioth said, looking troubled.
“As in her ability?” Zachary asked quietly.
“No, Firebrand. This was the involvement of a greater presence that required her to serve.”
“What does that mean?” Les Tallman demanded.
Estora wondered, too, but saw understanding in Zachary’s eyes.
“It is not to be discussed,” he said.
Les Tallman opened his mouth as if to question him, but a curt shake of Zachary’s head forestalled him. This was not the time to press him, Estora thought, but later, when all calmed down, she would ask him.
“Was she all right before—before she vanished?”
“It is not known,” Telagioth replied. “We could not see her properly. We believe she fought the wraith, but a great disruption occurred and she is gone from all reckoning.”