The Knights of Erador (The Echoes Saga: Book 7), page 25
Within its high walls, spires and towers of both human and elven design gave Velia an elegant look that no other city in the realm could boast.
Inara adjusted her position on Athis’s back as they flew over the bulk of the city. Centred almost exactly at Velia’s heart was Valatos, a city in itself. With walls of dark brick, Valatos stood out against Velia’s white landscape - a metaphor Inara decided not to dwell upon…
You are still not convinced there is a conspiracy against the king? Athis asked.
Inara shifted her gaze from the domed building in the centre of Valatos to her companion’s horned head. There is an undeniable connection between the mages and this rebellion - the mage you killed at Grey Stone is proof of that. But I fear Vighon is being sweeping in his accusation. His paranoia has only increased since Alijah returned…
Athis didn’t reply right away, instead waiting until he banked along the shoreline and turned back around to face Vighon and his massive entourage of soldiers. Are you really thinking about that? he questioned. Or are you thinking about what your brother told you?
Now it was Inara’s turn to hold back for a moment. Of course she was thinking about Alijah’s revelation. Though the Dragorn couldn’t say she was excited by the prospect of embracing her human side again, she was certainly intrigued by it.
You already know my thoughts on the matter, she pointed out.
That I do… Athis responded cryptically.
Seeking to change the topic, Inara looked down at Velia. Those streets are too crowded for the both of us. Take me down and I will accompany Vighon on foot.
Without a word, the red dragon altered his flight path and began his descent towards Velia’s main gates. Before Athis could touch down, Malliath graced the earth for a handful of seconds before taking off again, leaving Alijah in his stead. Inara was happy to join her brother on the ground, the novelty of his presence having yet to wear off. Vighon and his parade were almost upon them in the west, while an amassing group of Velians gathered to welcome the king at the gates.
“Am I sensing some tension between you two?” Alijah enquired, his blue eyes darting from Athis to Inara. “I hope it’s nothing I’ve said.”
The Dragorn watched her companion climb higher into the sky, his path taking him away from Malliath. “You’re awfully perceptive for one who hasn’t been around a lot of dragons.”
“True enough. But Malliath has met more dragons than we have humans. I see with his eyes now,” he grinned.
That worried and impressed Inara all at once. “Well, there’s no tension,” she lied. “I’ve just been thinking about what you said - in Lirian.”
“I see,” Alijah said knowingly. “As you embrace your human side, so too will Athis embrace his animal side: something he will have neglected since bonding with you. Trust me; he would come to enjoy it.”
Inara waited for Athis to speak into her mind but the dragon remained silent. There was no time for her to say anything before Vighon and his soldiers were upon them. The king was wearing his crown now, a circlet of gold and silver with stylised flames forged into some of the points. Every time Inara saw him wear it, she couldn’t help but think back to their earlier years, when they had been young and in love. She could never have imagined that that scruffy young man would become the king of the entire country.
“Fetch them horses,” the king commanded to no one in particular.
Inara held up her hands. “I’m fine with walking… Your Grace.” The Dragorn added, apologising with her eyes for her familiarity with Vighon around others.
“You cross the world on dragon back,” Vighon argued. “I will not have you walk into Velia beside me.”
There was no time to insist before a horse was brought to her, handed over by its rider. Tentatively, the Dragorn assessed the saddle and stirrups, as well as taking in the whole horse - a rather large animal up close.
“Inara?” Vighon looked at her questioningly.
The Dragorn used what grace she possessed and mounted the horse, hoping that her muscle memory would do most of the work for her. “It’s been nearly thirty years since I rode a horse,” she remarked to the king.
Alijah, whose pointed ears missed nothing, laughed to himself. “Where was that excuse thirty years ago?”
Inara offered his quip a smile that suggested he would pay for the remark at a later time. That’s if she didn’t fall off the horse and break her neck first…
“Sir Roddik will accompany you,” Vighon reassured, giving the knight an instructive nod.
“I’ll manage,” Inara promised, gesturing for Sir Roddik to leave her be.
She came to regret that at least twice before they reached the main gates. It was there that they were met by several companies of Velian soldiers, all of whom created a path through the growing throng of on-lookers. Waiting ominously in the road was the Archon - the seven mages who governed Valatos. Either side, protecting the mages, were the renowned Keepers, armed with their wands and swords.
As one, adding to their strangeness, the Archon bowed to the king. There was something about their all-encompassing masks that put Inara on edge and she especially disliked seeing her own face in their reflection.
“It is an honour to receive you, your Grace,” one of the master’s greeted politely enough.
“It is an honour to visit this great city!” Vighon declared to an eager crowd.
It pleased Inara to see the people welcome Vighon with genuine praise. She hoped this would help to soothe the king’s worries regarding the state of the realm. It certainly helped her.
The master waited for the cheers to die down and came up beside the king. “Lord Carrington is preparing a welcome, your Grace - in the palace.”
Inara watched Vighon closely now. It would be an insult to the people to refuse an invitation from their lord, but the Dragorn knew well that the king wished only to enter Valatos.
“Very good,” Vighon said reluctantly. “You received my ambassadors?”
“Yes, your Grace,” the same master replied with a curt bow of the head.
“Excellent. Have them meet me in the palace immediately.” Before Vighon was able to spur his horse, the master side-stepped in his way.
“Your Grace, the ambassadors left Valatos two days ago. I have it on good authority that they left Velia that same day.”
“They left?” Vighon echoed, his disbelief evident in his tone.
“They talked of returning to the capital, your Grace.”
The king turned to his left and looked from Inara to Alijah, though neither could offer a comment in such company. Inara wanted to tell him that it was completely reasonable that her parents had left the city. It was likely, in her eyes, that they had found nothing to report and that the mages were still urging for independence. She suspected Alijah thought the opposite…
With no other choice, the king and his entourage followed behind the Archon and their Keepers. The Velians continued to greet them warmly, with a few even attempting to kiss Inara’s boot as she rode by. The Dragorn wasn’t ignorant to the people’s view of her and was often asked by those she met to cradle their babies and offer a blessing. Taking it all in her stride was the only thing Inara could do, though her brother’s presence did make her self-conscious of the situation.
You are the only Dragorn in Illian, Athis reminded her, his voice most welcome again. You are a symbol of hope to them; something you should be proud of.
Inara held on to that. They were representing an order that had stood guard over Illian for thousands of years and that meant something; even if Alijah had chosen not to be a part of it…
In the palace courtyard, Lord Carrington’s servants gave the impression that they were anything but ready to receive the king. “They must have known we were coming,” Inara remarked to her brother.
“I think Lord Carrington expected us to visit Valatos,” Alijah reasoned. “Now why would he expect that?” he asked sarcastically.
Inara glanced at the king and made sure he couldn’t hear them. “We should not fuel suspicion,” she warned. “Lord Carrington hasn’t done anything illegal - everything we know is just a rumour.”
Alijah paused before dismounting. “You’re too smart to believe that. This is Lord Carrington’s city; if there’s a rebellion stirring here he’ll know about it. Since he hasn’t come to the king with such information, we have to assume he’s complicit.”
Inara couldn’t oppose her brother’s assessment. Growing up, Alijah had always been a poet with words, his arguments succinct and logical. That didn’t mean she had to like it.
Lord Carrington stepped away from his family, who had lined up from his wife to his fourth child, and greeted the king with a broad smile and a low bow - or at least as low as his round frame would permit. He was not as Inara recalled him from years earlier. Back then, the lord of Velia had carried a vibrant aura about him, promising a great leader for the people of Alborn. Now, he had a greedy look in his eye that Inara couldn’t ignore.
Do not allow Alijah’s perspective to affect your own, Athis advised, wise as ever. Lord Carrington has always been ambitious - that much we saw when the king was choosing the lords of his land. We decided that ambitiousness would be good for the people; that he would always seek to better their lives. There is no reason to suspect he has changed…
You’re absolutely right, Inara agreed, chastising herself for judging the lord so quickly and with no real evidence. What would I do without you?
Athis’s usual witty reply to such a question was notably absent and Inara sensed the dragon was genuinely pondering upon it. The Dragorn would have told him to stop dwelling on the matter as they would never be separated, but Lord Carrington approached, robbing her of the opportunity.
“An honour to have the Guardian of the Realm in my home,” he announced.
Inara was all too happy to hand the reins of the horse back to Sir Roddick and greet the lord instead. “The honour is mine, Lord Carrington. It has been too long since last I visited your fine city.”
The lord smiled and his eyes shifted uncomfortably to the right, where Alijah was standing confidently as ever. “This is my brother, Alijah Galfrey. He is…” Inara struggled to find the right explanation as to his being there - Lord Carrington knew nothing of Erador.
“Complicated,” Alijah finished, bowing to the lord. “I’m with him,” he added, pointing to the sky where Malliath was seen briefly soaring from one side of the city to the other.
Lord Carrington’s eyes went wide with surprise. “You’re…”
“Here to help,” Alijah said quickly. “Perhaps we should accompany the king?” he queried, gesturing to Vighon, who was swiftly entering the palace.
“Of course,” Lord Carrington agreed, bowing to Alijah.
Inara raised a questioning eyebrow at Alijah, silently asking him why the lord would bow to him. Alijah shrugged and waited for the lord of Velia to follow behind the king.
Only then did he lean in to his sister and playfully whisper, “Maybe he can just sense that I’m more deserving of respect than you.”
Had they not been in the sight of so many, Inara would have thumped her brother on the arm.
Inside the palace, all formality came to an end. There were no more pleasantries to be had, the king waved away any offer of food or drink, and Velia’s royal hall was emptied on Vighon’s orders. He strode ahead of the party and assumed the throne that would regularly be used by Lord Carrington. Such a thing was the king’s right, but the manner in which he took his seat was more aggressive than usual.
He is frustrated and angry, Athis observed through his companion’s eyes. You should stand beside him. Your presence is a balm.
Inara left Alijah to stand to the side and joined the king on the podium. Vighon barely noticed her approach, his attention fixed on the Archon and Lord Carrington who, besides Sir Ruban and General Garrett, were the only ones the king had permitted to remain.
“This is where you hold court, Lord Carrington?” Vighon enquired innocently enough.
“It is, your Grace.”
“Then this is a hall of truth,” the king continued, “a place where justice reigns over all.” Inara could hear it now, the hostility hiding in his tone. “I have recently delivered justice to The Ice Vales. Perhaps word has already reached you of Lord Thedomir’s rebellion?”
Lord Carrington licked his lips nervously. “Indeed, your Grace, such treasonous news has reached my city. It is unthinkable that—”
“Thedomir is dead,” Vighon stated bluntly, cutting the lord off. “He wanted to break the realm into pieces… and now he is dead. As are the governors of The Ice Vales.” The king let his words hang in the air. “Do you know what happened next, Lord Carrington?”
“No, your Grace.”
“His son, Thaddeus, took up arms against me. He even tried to kill the Guardian of the Realm. He’s dead as well.”
Lord Carrington could be seen to take a hard swallow. “A treasonous line, your Grace.”
Without even an attempt at subtlety, Vighon’s gaze shifted to the Archon. “They rebelled at the bidding of another, one powerful enough to terrify the Longshadows.”
One of the masters clasped his hands behind his back. “Has this other individual been identified, your Grace?”
“No,” Vighon said. “And we don’t know it’s an individual,” he added, forcing Inara to conceal her wince. “What we do know is that Thedomir was in league with a mage.”
“His court mage?” the same master posed.
“If only it had been.” The king shuffled in his seat, never one to find a throne comfortable. “The mage died fighting Athis the ironheart. So you see; we have come to this fine city to ensure that any thoughts of separatism are contained to those who now lie in the ground. A schism would lead to civil war. Illian can’t afford another war, not now.”
Lord Carrington cleared his throat. “I can assure you, your Grace, there is nothing to be concerned with in Velia. We are, as always, loyal to the crown.”
“That’s not what we’re hearing,” General Garrett asserted.
Lord Carrington turned on the general with an attitude he would never dare unleash upon the king. “Spying is an unseemly business, General Garrett. Those in the trade are liars by nature and therefore are not be trusted.” He looked back at the king with a softer expression and tone. “There is no treason here, your Grace. Velia has thrived under your kingship.”
Vighon waved the discussion away, obviously exasperated. “Let’s not bandy words; I have travelled too far and shed too much blood.”
Inara cleared her throat beside him, hoping that the king would hear the caution therein and calm down. He didn’t.
“We all know that Valatos seeks independence from the kingdom. I can only hope, Archon, that you heard my ambassadors loud and clear: there will be no such thing. I have come to Velia to lead an investigation myself. If I find that you or any of your fellow mages have incited this rebellion, Valatos will be dismantled brick by brick and those strange masks of yours will be burnt.” Vighon turned on the lord. “If it also comes to light that you have aided them in this endeavour, you will meet the King’s Justice and join Thedomir and his ilk. And—”
Inara stepped forward before any farther threats could be issued. “As the king said; we have travelled far and our journey has not been without its perils. Perhaps we should reconvene over a meal, where cooler heads might prevail?”
“Of course,” Lord Carrington agreed. “I already have rooms prepared for you all. A feast is being cooked as we speak!”
Vighon leaned forward on his knees, steeping his face in shadow. He offered no words but merely nodded his permission. The lord of Velia bowed and turned around to leave, along with the seven masters of the Archon.
“Wait,” the king commanded. “Lord Carrington, have rooms made up for the Archon. They are not to return to Valatos unaccompanied - a prudent necessity where the investigation is concerned.”
Lord Carrington looked hesitantly from the king to the Archon and back. “As you will, your Grace.”
One of the masters remained very still, failing to trail the lord of Velia. “We will not be kept from our home, your Grace.”
“Your defiance does you no favours,” Alijah spoke up, garnering everyone’s attention. “This is an order from your king. Will you obey?”
The master tilted his head, distorting Alijah’s reflection in his mask. “We will obey,” he said simply. With that, the entire Archon bowed their heads and followed Lord Carrington from the royal hall.
Vighon looked to Garrett and Ruban. “Leave us,” he ordered.
The two soldiers almost looked to argue that command but ultimately bowed their heads and walked away, soon followed by Alijah. Inara had a sinking feeling in her stomach.
“I would have you stay,” the king called out, halting Alijah in his tracks.
“I think not,” the half-elf replied casually, his tone reminding them that he was a king himself and, therefore, not to be commanded. Inara didn’t miss the way he looked from her to the king either.
The Dragorn waited until the tall doors were sealed behind her brother. “I thought we came here so that words might have their day. Your choice of words, however, will lead to nothing but violence and—”
“Don’t do that again,” Vighon interrupted, his tone flat and serious.
Inara was stunned. “What?”
“Don’t undermine me!” he snapped, rising from the throne.
Inara scowled. “I didn’t realise your ego was so fragile, your Grace.”
“They’re subjects,” Vighon reminded her. “And dangerous ones at that. Carrington commands loyalty from thousands of soldiers and the Archon wield enough magic to challenge even you.”
“I only act to keep civility - a much-needed environment where peace is concerned. You want peace, but you court civil war with your actions here. We should not bully the Archon to—”
“I’m preventing war, Inara, not starting it! If I have to be the bully to do that then I will! This is why we need kings,” he continued. “There has to be an authority that all obey. Without my word, the realm would fracture and civil war would become a way of life.”
