Prologue

Prologue

The Queen sat in her throne carefully reading the document that would turn her proud kingdom into a province of the newly forming empire. I could feel her heart-felt agony as she read the document that she knew would consign her kingdom to the Emperor and would put her name in the history as the monarch that would betray her people.

The Emperor’s General sat in the chair across the table watching her read the document again. “I promise not a word of the contract has changed since the last time you read it two hours ago. Sign it so I can deliver it to the Emperor and get back to my people.”

The Queen looked up from her reading. “I want to be perfectly clear so that you will know exactly what you will be getting when I sign this paper. I may be the monarch, but it is only at the sufferance of the people I rule. There is a very good chance that before the ink dries on this page I will be dead and my head on the way to a pike as a symbol of what will happen to the next monarch who betrays her people. If I am lucky they wont put preservation spells on it. If I am very lucky they will let my name be forgotten. I think I am entitled to a few extra moments of existence.”

“I have already told you that once you sign you will have the Emperor’s protection. No weapon in the kingdom will be able to touch you. Of course, if you don’t sign I will take you head and put it on the same pike you fear as an example to your people. It really is up to you.”

The queen sat the paper down and reached for her quill. She picked it up and the door to the throne room burst into splinters of wood and metal.

I shuddered at the image of the twelve-foot tall, two-foot thick, six-foot wide door reduced to splinters. The amount of power that would take is beyond my ability to grasp. A single leather-winged man walked into the throne room. Blood was splattered on his face and ran freely from his left shoulder down his bare chest. His bloodstained pants were shredded on the right side and more blood ran down his leg.

As he walked forward he drew twin short scimitars. He twisted them so that they pointed behind him. With a flick of both wrists, dagger length blades slid out of the hilt of both blades and locked into place. As he got closer power visibly radiated around him and death danced in his eyes.

The Emperor’s General stood as the Queen began to sign her name.

“Your Majesty, don’t do this. It is not too late.”

The General smiled and looked at the Queen. “You know the cost of refusal. Decide who you are going to listen to. It does not matter to me. If I die the Emperor will just send another. That contract is bonded to a similar one sitting in front of the Emperor. All it requires is your signature on this one to seal the contract. Choose now.”

The Queen looked at the winged man. “I am truly sorry Le` Than. This is for the best.” The Queen finished her signature and the document flashed with power.

The General rolled the document up and walked by the winged man. “You lose Le` Than. Your Queen has betrayed your people.”

The General laughed and started walking toward the doorway.

“She is no longer my Queen, General Khoman. My people are no longer bound to hers.” Le` Than moved faster than the General could react. His blades were in his sheathes before the General’s head stopped rolling.

Le` Than walked up the Queen. “Return it or I will take it back.”

“Please Le` Than, listen to the reason. I am begging you.”

“You could have called on our people in stead of betraying them. Return it. This is your last chance.”

“Please listen.”

“No, Valora. You had your chance. You betrayed us to them. I will not have my people bound to you any longer.”

Le` Than placed a claw on the front of the Queen’s dress and slowly sliced down. He slipped his finger inside of the dress and lifted a black pendant out and over her head.

She sank to her knees in front of him and whispered, “Please…” Le` Than turned away from her and left the room. The Queen sat on her knees with tears rolling down her cheeks. “Le` Than I didn’t have a choice,” she whispered as her hands settled on her stomach. “He was going to kill our child. I had to protect our child Le` Than. Please forgive me.”

The Queen sat on the floor for a while. She wasn’t sure how long it was, but she looked up when the court wizard walked into the throne room.

“Why are you still here your Majesty? You know they are going to kill you if they find you.”

“Does it matter any more?”

Her vision went white and it took a few moments for her to realize the wizard had slapped her.

“What…”

“Do I think I am doing? I getting you off your rear and out of here before you get yourself killed. I can stage your death to satisfy the mob, but you cant be here or it wont work.” The Queen stood up and wiped her eyes. She was almost at the doorway when she stopped.

“My memory stones…”

“I will get them to you. There is a bag and a dress in the next room. Change and go. Now.”

The queen changed into a plain dress, grabbed the bag, and was on the road when the mob was going into the castle. One of them stopped and walked up to her.

“Miss? It isn’t safe here anymore. You need to leave.”

The Queen looked up with tears still threatening to fall.

“Oh sir, it’s awful. The Queen, she’s dead. Killed with that general right there in the throne room.”

“It’s ok miss. You get out of here now. Ok?”

“Ok. Thank you, sir.”

The Queen walked the rest of that day and well into the night before she finally stopped and looked in the bag. She found another dress, a large bag of gold, silver, and copper pieces, and another smaller bag. She opened the smaller bag and found her crown, seal, and scepter. She took a few pieces of silver out and put the rest back in the bag.

She placed her hand over her stomach and said quietly, “We’re going to be ok now. I promise.”