Chapter 8
I stared at her dumbfounded. When I finally found my voice I shook my head, “There’s no way. Valora died.”
“In child birth. Very painful way to go, by the way. I wouldn’t suggest it.”
“How are you here if you died then?”
“That is one of the secrets my family kept out of the memory stones. Before I tell you how I am still here there are a few things I need to tell you that I feel are overdue to be recorded on the stones. The first thing you should know is the Sorensen name was the actual name of the ruling family. As we never went by our surnames it was never recorded anywhere, so it was safe to use after I left the castle. Second, the Sorensen Family were Kier Tan. My mother was a lower noble from a Kier San clan so she took my father’s name. My daughter should have had Le` Than’s surname, but that arrogant, thick-skulled, pig-headed, sorry. That man wouldn’t listen to me when I tried to explain to him why I signed the treaty. He cannot be trusted. He get’s an idea in his head as to what is right and nothing can change his mind.”
“Ok, I get it. Don’t trust him. I wasn’t planning on it too much anyway. What is to say that I can trust you though? You have lied to me for most of my life. I’ll grant you, it was with the best of intentions. So far he has yet to lie to me that I know of. If you were me who would you trust right now?”
“Yari…”
“No Grandma, of Valora, or whoever you are. Who would you trust?”
“I would trust myself. I would trust my gut instinct to tell me which path I should walk. That is what I would do and what I have done. Be pissed off. The Gods know I would be. Just don’t judge me too harshly for the decisions I have made.”
We sat in silence for a while. I noticed that Sasha was nowhere to be seen. I finally looked at this woman that I had thought was my grandma. For the first time in my life I finally saw the age in her eyes. She had the same haunted look that Le` Than had. The look that said, ‘I have seen too many years and too many people die to get too attached to anyone.’ She sat in her chair with the seemingly natural posture that the very rich possess. I sighed and she looked up.
“What happened to my grandma?”
“Her heart gave out on her and she didn’t want to live bad enough to survive it. Just after your mother died she went to the cliff where they found her husband’s car. Your grandmother had a rare gift. She was what is known as a Reader. She was able to read the emotions of an area and build a picture in her mind to see what happened. She watched the moment your mother died and it was too much for her to take. You were in the car when she died. I chose to give your grandmother a private funeral and take her place because you would have been sent to the care of the government orphanage otherwise. I couldn’t let that happen. That is why I did what I did.”
“I’m going to need some time to process this.”
“I know. Come talk to me when you are ready.”
I stood up and went upstairs to my room. Sasha was sitting on my bed. She looked at me then led me to the bed. We sat down and she pulled my head into her lap. I didn’t even realize I had started crying until she handed my a handkerchief. I cried out all of my stress and frustration with Sasha running her fingers through my hair.
I finally stopped and sat up. I looked at her, “Thanks.”
She smiled, “Not a problem. That’s part of my job.”
I got ready for bed and was asleep before my head hit the pillow.
I woke up the next day feeling like I had been drug behind a train. I got up and showered. Sasha had my cloths laid out on the bed. I smiled when I saw that it was my Colors complete with my Seal.
I looked at Sasha, “A bit of a bold statement isn’t it?”
She grinned, “I think that today needs a bold statement.”
I smiled, “You are good at this. I’m not sure if I want to let you go to the Academy.”
Her jaw dropped and I could see that she was gearing up to protest so I held up a finger, “I was joking. I need you to go to the Academy along with ever girl that works under you that wants to go. I have something special in mind for you all.”
She closed her mouth and cocked her head to the side, “What are you scheming up now?”
I smiled again and started getting dressed while I explained. “You are going to direct my information network. I am sure that Le` Than has his network that he would let me use, but I want my own source of information. I am not about to send anybody off to get information that can’t defend themselves by Kier standards.”
“So why pick me as your Spy Master?”
“For one you are good at it. You enjoy knowing everything that is going on. The other reason you summed it up best when you were first assigned to me. You said something to the effect of everything that is said or done is known throughout the castle before the end of the day. Well, your new ‘castle’ is the Empire. Find a way for me to hear and see what is going on.”
Sasha grinned, “I would be happy to do that for you.”
“Good. I am going to sit down with you and Skyler so that we can work out all the details, but I would like attendants and guard both working on this.”
I finished getting dressed and went downstairs to eat. Grandma, or do I need to start thinking of her as Valora? Valora wasn’t in the kitchen, but a plate of food was sitting in front of where I usually sit. I ate while Sasha got ready then we both left to pick Skyler up to go to school.
The day went much like it did yesterday. Far too many people spent far too much time staring at us. The good part was none of teachers threatened me with detention. After school I sent the guard into the other room while Sasha, Skyler, and I sat at the table working out how we were going to set up our network. I told Skyler that Sasha was going to be the one in charge of it, but some of his guards were also going to be involved. He was ok with sending some of the guard back to the Academy for specialization training and thought it was a very good idea for all of the attendants to be warrior trained. I felt Valora watching us so I got up and walked over to her.
She gave me a hesitant smile, “You have a good bunch of kids there. They seem to know what they are doing.”
I smiled, “Yes they do. Look, I understand why you lied to me. I even understand why you don’t want me to trust Le` Than. I won’t say that I forgive you for it. In order for me to forgive you, you have to regret your actions. For that to happen you have to regret your decision to not send me to an orphanage. I know that you will never regret that so all I am going to say is this. Thank you for raising me and please give Le` Than another chance. He is half the warrior he was when he left and I think his decision with you is a major part of that. That being said, would you like to join us? We can use someone with a bit more experience.”
I could see the relief flood through her eyes. She smiled, “I would be happy to though I can’t see that I would have too much to add. The three of you have just about covered everything.”
We walked back to the table. Sasha and Skyler both looked up. I grinned, “I would like to introduce you both to Lady Valora Sorensen, exiled Queen of the Kingdom of Solstice. Lady Sorensen, I would like to introduce you to Sk` Yler De` Cain, Captain of my Guard and Sasha Na` Sean, Head Attendant and Spymaster.”
Sasha just smiled so I guessed that she had overheard the conversation last night, but Skyler’s jaw dropped. He looked from me to Valora and back. Finally he asked, “Your grandma is Queen Valora?”
I nodded, “Technically though there are a few greats preceding the word ‘grandma.’”
“That’s… Wow. I don’t even know what to say about that.”
“Then say, ‘hi grandma’ like you always do keep your trap shut about who she is. Sasha I don’t believe I need to tell you to keep this to yourself?”
Sasha shook her head, “There is no need. I already guessed that it would be better to keep quiet.”
“Good. Skyler?”
“Hi grandma. How’s it going?”
Valora smiled, “I’m fine. How are you?”
“Well, a bit off center, but other then that I’m good.”
“That’s good. May I join you at the table?”
Skyler got up and pulled out a chair for her. She sat down and we went back to discussing how to set up and run our network. Sasha and the guard took over the kitchen while we planned and refined the system we were going to use. We finally worked out that we would send one guard and one attendant to work together That way if one was compromised the other could let us know. That pair would report to a regional pair. The regional pair would oversee thirteen pairs. The regional pairs would report to district pairs who would report to Sasha and Skyler. Each level up would include a summery of the reports of those under them along with the original reports.
It was pretty late by the time we finished so Skyler and the rest of the guard just stayed in the living room. I went to bed that night felling like I had accomplished something. I woke up early the next morning feeling restless. I headed down to the basement to work on my forms and found Skyler was already there.
We went through our forms in silence. When we finished Skyler looked at me, “Yari, we still need to have that conversation. I don’t see a better time then now.”
I sighed, “I know. It’s just that I have been avoiding this conversation.”
“Why?”
“Because I am afraid of how it will end. How is this conversation going to end Skyler?”
He answered my question by kissing me. I was too shocked to respond. I half expected it, but still there was that other half that said he really did want to leave it at just friends, which would have been ok, not great, but ok, then he kissed me and, why the hell is he pulling away? Oh.
Skyler started to turn away as he said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t…”
I cut him off by throwing my arms around him and returning his kiss with interest.
I leaned back and he looked down at me, “Are you sure you want to? You know I…”
“Skyler.”
“What?”
“Quit talking and kiss me would you?”
He smiled, “As you say, my Lady.”
I rolled my eyes and pulled him into another kiss. This time we were interrupted by Sasha telling us to quit trying to swallow each other and it was time to get ready for school.
Skyler and I said in unison, “Yes mother.”
We grinned at each other and Sasha rolled her eyes, “I swear, you two. Skyler, I took the liberty of getting clean clothes for you. Now please let go of my charge so that she can wash the sweat off of her body and get ready to impress people.”
He girded, “What if I…”
A shoe hit him in the head, cutting him off. I looked toward the door to see Valora holding the other shoe ready to throw.
With a straight face she said, “Unless you have a desire to taste this shoe as I shove it down your throat I suggest you refrain from finishing that statement and go get changed. Yari, it would be best if you would quit grinning like a drunken fool and get you butt upstairs.”
Skyler and I looked at each other and grinned again and said in unison, “Yes Grandma.”
I ran upstairs and got in the shower. I hadn’t realized how late it was until I got back into my room and started getting dressed. I think Sasha did it on purpose, but my dress perfectly complimented the clothes she had brought for Skyler. We were just barely on time for class.
The rest of the week was mostly a blur for me. I woke up early to spend time with Skyler. It wasn’t all just kissing. We did some training also. School got a bit easier as people started staring less. After school We would spend a little time hanging out with my friends then go back to Grandma Valora’s house. The guys wound up just staying there through the night.
As soon as school got out for the weekend we drove back out to the cavern. We parked at the entrance then glided down the ravine to the edge of a small town of craftsmen that was set up outside of the cavern. We watched for a while as rubble was hauled out of the cavern and dumped into a large vat to be churned into brick mud. The bricks were fired and then used to build a more permanent settlement then the tents that most seemed to still be using.
I was met by my Treasurer and the guard that had been left in charge while I was gone. Several heads of craftsman guilds were also making their way toward me. Several guard dropped their invisibility ant took up their position around me.
The Treasurer smiled, “Lady Yarianna, it is good to see you. We do have much to discuss.”
I looked at the others that had also gathered around, “Do you also have much to discuss?” They nodded. “Then find me a place to hold court. Spread the word that I will be opening Court to the public as soon as official business is concluded.”
The Treasurer smiled, “We already have a place for you inside. It was the first place we finished. It should be big enough to accommodate your needs.”
“Good. Lead the way.”
We followed the Treasurer inside the cavern and into the city. I noticed that my original cave had been left alone and that there were guards lined up to keep people out of it. The first thing I noticed after we left the initial cavern was the light. It was as bright inside the cavern as it was outside.
I must have had a look of surprise on my face because the head of the blacksmith’s guild smiled, “Glad to see that you like it. We found some of the large disks on the floor and a few still attached to the roof that gave us the idea. It takes the natural light that comes in through cracks in the roof and reflects it around to light up the entire place.”
All I manage to say was, “Very nice.” It must have been enough because the blacksmith smiled bigger.
The main walkway had been cleared to what was obviously the main government building. I could see people working in the buildings lining the street. As we made our way through the city the people would stop long enough to salute me them got back to work.
We got into the Government Building and the led me through a set of double doors to a large courtroom. We made our way to the end of the room where I would sit. I had them show me how good the acoustics in the room were. I was able to hear a whisper from anywhere in the room.
I walked up to my chair and looked around. I looked at the heads of the guilds, “We need a large table up here to discuss the important issues that can be worked out as a group.”
I sent one of my messengers to get a table brought and motioned toward some chairs, “You all may as well have a seat and you can come talk to me one on one according to however you worked out your rank system. I do ask that the Treasurer speak with me first. Anything that can be brought up in a group setting please save it for when the table arrives.”
One by one they gave me their reports on what had happened through out the week. They let me know what supplies we were already running low on as well as progress on restoring the city. The treasurer said that they had began to melt down the silver bars into spend able currency and with what they had right now the city could buy what it needed with out having to rely on Le` Than’s money. The numbers were too close to risk something going wrong so I told him to continue to use Le` Than’s money, but only as a last resort.
After their reports I opened the court up to the public to voice any complaints. I told the heads of the guilds to take a seat along one side of the table so that the public could line up in front of the appropriate guild. Most of the problems were able to be solved by sending the person to the right guild head. Those that couldn’t I listened to and told them that I would review the facts and to check back after an hour had passed.
By lunchtime I had seen everybody that was in the courtroom so I closed court for the day. I told the heads of the guilds that we would meet after lunch to finish discussing everything else. After a quick lunch we met back in the court room around the table. I told them of my plan to set up an information network and explained the basic setup, leaving out who would be in charge. When they asked I told them that I already had someone and for security reasons I was going to keep it to myself.
After that we discussed what was going on around the city. They told me of some of the things they had found in the buildings. In addition to the cache of silver and the large metal disks they found a stockpile of weapons and armor that dated back to the founding of the empire.
They had also converted one of the recently rebuilt buildings into a school for the children in my messenger service as well as what ever children came with the next wave of Kier that would be coming to the city. After the meeting I took a tour of the city and stopped off at the training grounds. By the end of the day I was ready for bed. I spent the rest of the weekend helping out where I could with clearing away rubble from unsalvageable buildings and repairing the ones we could.
I went back to school at the start of the next week and things finally started settling down into routine. During the week I was at school and the weekends and breaks I would go to my city to see the progress. It was getting toward the end of the school year and my city was running smoothly. The only people living outside of the main cavern were those that actually wanted to live out there. Another three thousand people arrived which made the work go a lot faster. My seventeenth birthday was celebrated by the entire city.
I was sitting in class looking forward to the weekend when one of my messengers rushed into the classroom. My guard stiffened as the teacher started telling her to leave.
She caught her breath and said, “Lady Yarianna, we have a problem at home. We need you there now.”
I nodded and gathered up my books. The teacher looked at me, “Sit back down Miss Sorensen. Nobody said you could leave.”
I looked over my shoulder at him, “Stop me.”
The teacher noticed the way my guard seemed to suddenly take a very intent interest in him so he backed down, “Fine, but you will have detention for this.”
I walked out the door and heard Mary Ann say, “Wait up.”
I looked over my shoulder to see her hurrying after me. She caught up and said, “I’m going with you.”
“I wish you wouldn’t.”
“Too bad.”
“I don’t have time to argue with you.”
“Good, that means you don’t have the time to tell me no.”
I looked at her then sent Skyler the thought, “We have trouble. Meet me at the car. We are headed to the city.”
Skyler acknowledged and I felt him leave his class. I silently asked the messenger what was going on. She explained how four humans had shown up earlier in the morning and had been watching the city. They left and some of the guard followed them back to a larger army. They overheard how the army was planning on driving us out of the city. I asked her what insignia they were wearing and she said it was imperial. She went on to explain the smaller group came back and demanded entrance into the city in the name of the Emperor. The guard stopped them and said they would have to wait until I got there.
I swore and hurried faster to my car. Skyler was already there so we all piled in. I filled him in on what was going on while we sped to my city. I told him that Mary Ann insisted on following and that I didn’t have the time to get rid of her.
The Empire’s army was camped within firing range of my city by the time I got there. The guard had a small group of five Imperial Soldiers waiting just outside of the main entrance to the caverns. I walked up and the Guard bowed to me. The Lieutenant, judging by the rank he was wearing turned and looked at me, “Are you the one in charge of this rabble?”
“If by ‘this rabble’ you mean my Guard then yes.”
He sneered, “I should have known a woman was in charge. This will be easier then I thought.”
I felt my guard stiffen, ready to dissect the man. I sent them a calming thought and looked at the Lieutenant, “I hope, for your sake, there is a very good reason you just insulted me in front of my Guard.”
“You are going to tell this rabble to turn over their weapons and surrender themselves to the justice of the Empire. You and everybody here are to be charged with treason and plotting against the Empire.”
“Plotting against the Empire? On what grounds?”
“On whatever grounds I decide. We received reliable reports that there is an underground city here that is being used as a base of operations for a rebellion as well as possessing a cache of Imperial silver.”
“In other words you heard there was silver in the area and you decided that you would mosey on over and claim it for yourself. It was just an inconvenience that there were people living here so you trumped up some charges.”
He continued as if I hadn’t spoken, “Furthermore you and everybody here are to be charged with harboring Kier, a charge punishable by death.”
I looked at him, “Aren’t they supposed to be extinct?”
He turned red and sneered again, “I take it that means you are going to resist? Do you not see the army camped on your doorstep?”
“Oh, I see it. It just doesn’t concern me overly much. See, this is a peaceful settlement and you are no longer welcome here.”
“Peaceful? I’ll show you peaceful.”
He jerked his arm up faster then I could react. I heard the twang of a small crossbow just as Ra` Tain shoved me to the ground. Blades rang out and my guard surrounded the five.
Ra` Tain smiled as his eyes glazed over in death, “My Lady.”
I felt his blood run over his shoulder and drip onto me. I gently rolled him onto his side and knelt next to him, “Ra` Tain.”
I touched his cheek and heard the Lieutenant say, “Now unless you all want to share his fate, turn yourselves in.”
I stood up and slowly turned toward him. I watched his smug look of triumph turn to fear as my eyes shifted to slits. I punched my fingers through the front of his throat and grabbed his spine. I jerked my hand up and ripped his head off. I looked at the Private standing to his right and handed the head to him.
I narrowed my eyes and said, “Take this to your commanding officer and inform him that this man has just declared war. Tell him that the Kier Sona are very much alive and very tired of hiding in the dark letting you pretend like we don’t exist and that if his army is still on my doorstep tomorrow morning they will all share that man’s fate.”
I turned around and picked up Ra` Tain’s body. I looked at Skyler, “Sk` Yler.”
He looked at me, “My Lady?”
“Assign a company to make sure these gentlemen get to where they need to go. Also ensure that they are aware that I am one misplaced hair away from being pissed off beyond reason.”
He saw the look in my eyes and took a step back before he bowed and said, “As you say. I will see it done.”
I carried Ra` Tain’s body inside the cavern. The heads of the guilds met me and formed an Honor Guard behind me as I carried Ra` Tain to the square in front of the Court House. Two Earth workers were waiting for me. They saluted and raised a marble slab from the depths of the earth for me to lay Ra` Tain’s body on.
I laid his body on the slab and turned to look at the heads of the guilds, “Put the city on alert. We will send Ra` Tain to the Earth’s final embrace then we prepare for war. If the Emperor want’s this city he will have to bring the full might of his armies against it. He has sought to destroy our people since Le` Than killed his general and I will not have it anymore. They will leave us in peace or by the Gods I will give them a reason to fear us.”
The heads of the guilds bowed and left me. I hadn’t realized Mary Ann was still with me until she spoke, “Yari?”
I looked at her and she took an involuntary step back. She swallowed and said, “I had thought you seemed different. Ever since that week you took off from school you have been changing. Will these people really go to war on the word of a seventeen year old girl?”
“To them I am more then just a seventeen year old girl. To them I am the Heir to the Head of the Clan Chiefs. They will go to war if I ask it of them. This city as well as the rest of my race will go to war on my word. We are a warrior race. We have hid from the world, letting it think we were extinct for too long. My people have been itching for a good fight for centuries and if the Emperor reacts like I think he is going to I am going to give them one.”
