Chapter 28

The princess Jaide watched the meeting in silence. So much had happened.

She had watched her father transform from the pathetic lump of a man in his cell, back into the vestige of royal authority he had once been. It was alarming; she had seen it happen more and more, the extremities growing further apart. Her brother shared his concerns with her as well. He had seen the same thing, and it had been going on in the time before her return as well. He would diminish into some weakened form for a time, then when the need arose, he would return strong and whole. At his best, he was every bit the legend he had been in his youth; but he was not often at his best during these times. As she watched him talking, she wondered how long it would be until he sank into weakness again. It was not healthy.

Then there was Anna. Her friend and lover. Of late, Jaide found herself wishing she was back in the forest with the dark-haired stranger, reliving those first few days. They had been alone then, and happy. Since their return to the palace, Anna had somehow grown closer, and more distant. Their horseback trip into the foothills had hinted at a return to those first few days, but the hint had not been complete. And then those last two days: frightening. Anna had undergone her own transformation, into something truly terrifying. It was as though she had hidden some part of herself from the beginning, and then revealed herself; the new image was one of power, unstoppable and inescapable. Whatever fear she had been feeling before was gone completely, and only a cold, mechanical efficiency remained. There was a new gleam in her eye that did not go out. Jaide did not even want to think about that nightmare trip down the mountain...

There had not been many survivors from the Cloud City. Those who lived were kept under watch, those who did not were forgotten for the moment. Throngs had poured into the streets of Iordantan to see the wreck of the Cloud City thrown down into their midst, unbelieving. The people took heart in the return of their lord; the slave girls almost wept at the return of their savior-commander. But the manner of their return had another effect, separate from mere relief or gladness. Anna, already mysterious, had given them the makings of a new living myth. She swept along like a ghost, drawing masses of fanatical followers in her wake; Jaide could see how dangerous she could easily become. Already, there seemed to be no limit to her power.

Crowded around were what had been a resistance movement, farmers and slave girls and a few soldiers. There were so few! Were they all that survived the earlier attack? The Hai Menadin corporal Daran was there also; he gave his account of the attack, told of the bloody end. To this, Anna had listened quietly. She was plainly furious. Jaide could see the effect her anger had on the slave girls; they melted into her, their own cares gone away knowing their leader was with them once more. They were a state of near-bliss as they listened to Anna speak, an almost religious ecstasy. The faces of the farmers and soldiers were little different. It was clear, in any event, that Anna controlled the coming events, not the lord Iosoan or anyone else.

"Alright," Anna said, once she had heard the full account. "Here's how we'll go in. All of you with a spear, come with me in the first group. All the archers with Jaide in the second. Archers stay well behind us and watch for another ambush - we want to avoid having you stuck at close-range. Our target is the dungeons. We should be able to set up a good defense on the West side while we send a party in. Any questions? Okay, let's move."

Jaide pulled her lover aside once the mass of people began to break up. "I want to go with you," she said.

"I know, but I need you back there," said Anna. She reached for the princess, pulled her close, kissed her full on the mouth. "You're the captain of my archers, remember sweetie? I need you there, okay?"

"Okay," breathed Jaide. That kiss had sent new life coursing through her veins, and she stood numbly on the spot as Anna went to make some other arrangement. All at once, her doubts vanished. Of course she would lead the archers, why had she thought of anything else?

And it was time. Anna called them forward, and they went. There was no room to doubt who commanded the forest people. The mass of soldiers and farmers fell into step behind her as she passed the gate and entered inside the wall. Daran, who they had followed only a short time before, was among them. So, too, was the lord Iosoan; though he seemed once more to exude power, he paled in comparison to Anna, so he followed her as well. To hear that a great lord would so willing bow to the command of another would seem strange indeed; but to see it, to be there as it happened, gave the air a slight ring of un-reality. Strange, yes, but Jaide could see there was no other way for it to happen. Anna had become an event, a great tide, a pivot in history about which all mortals could gather.

The first group moved away up the road. They did not hurry, but marched forward with calm purpose. Then, the princess called her archers after her as she passed through the gate as well. Sira was with them; she walked close beside Jaide, silent. The young girl had been on the edge of breaking down when she had spoken of the earlier attack on the palace. All of the surviving slave girls were shocked and shaken - there were so few left! - but Sira had been the worst, gathering blame onto her own shoulders. They had all been calmed and comforted when Anna had returned, and indeed her presence was enough to have that effect, even without words. But Anna had taken the young Sira aside, and spoken with her alone. What was said, the princess did not know. Sira had returned to the group not only comforted, but uplifted, her face shining with an almost holy light. Jaide was shaken more by this than by anything else; she did not like the way her lover was being turned into some kind of deity.

Jaide knew that Anna was human. Of all the people that followed her, she alone had seen the dark-haired beauty in pleasure and pain, in bliss and agony, in tears and in laughter. She had seen the best and worst. She had been the one to find her, to wake her from a sleep of death. She had been the one to draw the venom from her legs after the snakes had set upon her.

'Goddammit, she's mine!' Jaide wanted to scream.

But it was not just the devoted followers she worried about. She worried about Anna as well. She had seen her lover do so much, become so strong. But when would the line at last be crossed? When would the dark-haired alien have gone too far? Anna, ahead through the trees, was making herself the bait. That was why she wanted the archers to stay well back, able to begin shooting once the Hai Krun ambush had sprung. Jaide watched the trees to either side with doubled intensity, meaning to spot the trap before it could close. How many times could Anna hear in the peoples' voices and see in their faces that they thought she was immortal before she began to believe it as well? Did she not already believe it? Was that why she walked so boldly forward when she knew there were armed men waiting to kill her?

Once again, Anna proved herself, and the princess found her worries groundless. The party of soldiers and farmers ahead had suddenly stopped, at a word from their dark-haired commander. They spun about on the road, reversing their steps at a run.

"There!" Anna cried out, pointed. "And there!"

Jaide looked, and saw. There was an ambush waiting, as they had thought. The enemy were well hidden, on either side of the road, ready to attack. But the Hai Krun soldiers were not stupid; they could see the corps of archers farther back on the road. They had let the first group go by untouched, meaning to attack the mass of young girls first, while the men were too far away to offer any help. Anna had gone by their hiding place, and Jaide had almost come upon it. She had almost walked into the trap herself.

But somehow Anna had seen them. She had walked past them without pausing or turning her head, but she had seen them and knew their plan. Then at the last moment, she wheeled her forces about and charged. The enemy was caught off-guard, between the two groups. They broke cover and ran, and fell dead as arrows streaked into their positions.

Anna was on them, her blade gleaming silver, stained already with red. Those who escaped her fell to the spears and knives that followed her. Jaide directed her archers as well, calling out the positions of the enemy.

"There," called the princess. "Over there. And there." Arrows seemed to follow her words, and the ambush was cut to shreds.

It was calming to watch a battle in such a way. The enemy had been spoiled, and posed no danger to either group. They ran this way and that; the trappers were trapped, and they were killed one by one, methodically. After the last attack, the eyes of the slave-archers gleamed with the kind of lust that came from revenge. But revenge was not complete: there was one man yet whose death would pay for all. Somewhere ahead was Barrad, the pirate captain. Also there was the lord Darrak, who held the other man's leash.

Then the battle was over. It was almost an anti-climax, after everything that had happened before.

"Everyone okay?" said Anna. There was a streak of red down her right side, but it was not her own blood. She appeared unconcerned.

"Yeah," came a mutual answer.

"Did you know that was going to happen?" asked Jaide.

"Of course," said Anna. "They were bound to try something like that again."

"But, I mean, you saw where they were hiding."

"They don't hide themselves as well as they think."

"I couldn't see them at all." There was a murmur of agreement; no one else had seen them either.

"It wasn't what I could see," said Anna with a smile. "They were breathing so loudly, they might as well have stood up."

Though she shrugged it off, Jaide could almost hear the words that would pass from mouth to ear once it was all over. 'She can hear everything! No one can trap her!' She caught herself then: in her own thoughts, she had used the word 'when' - not if, but when it was over. Though her mind was filled with worries, she too had absolute confidence in the one she followed. Was it really so dangerous? What was the real harm in holding Anna as an idol when she gave every sign she could actually live up to all the stories?

"Okay, let's keep going," said Anna. "Together this time." She looked into Jaide's eyes as she spoke.

"You don't want us to stay back this time?"

"No reason to anymore."

There was an echo in the darkness. Iordan Lei slammed his fist into the wall of his cell; it was the eleventh time. He followed the same pattern over and over: sorrow, anger, despair, emptiness, rage. Duain had come in the night, and taken the palace as they all slept. How had he escaped his cell? The prince turned it over and over in his mind, but the end was always the same: he had failed. It was the ultimate defeat, and the cycle continued. Mikka was gone! Did her body still lie on the floor outside his chamber? Did her blood still stain the wall? The future did not exist; there was only the darkness of the dungeon.

He gave another howl, and his fist impacted on bare wood. Again! Again! Again! He felt the bones in his hand break.

"My lord?" It was Kudo Milan, the captain who had been by his side through so much.

"Milan," said the prince. "What are we going to do?"

"There's nothing we can do, my lord. Let me look at your hand."

Iordan held out his damaged hand as the captain wrapped it tightly in a strip of cloth. He collapsed back against the wall and closed his eyes. Mia had come down earlier. Somehow she had sneaked past the guards, intent on rescuing her captured prince. She had been caught and taken away. Somewhere above ground, in the hands of the enemy. He did not hold much hope that she was still alive.

He almost wished the end upon himself. Some end, any end. He knew it would not be good when it happened, but as he sat in the gloom of his own dungeons, the delay felt infinitely worse.

"Milan, you're not married, are you?"

"No, my lord."

"Do you have any family around?"

"My mom's still alive. She lives away South of Jion. My dad died two years ago."

"Your mom doing okay?"

Milan sighed. "Not really."

"Sorry to hear that."

"My lord... why do you ask?"

A beat.

"I've just been wondering," said Iordan after a moment, "why I never asked you before."

Before either man could speak again, there came a sound from the stairwell. There was a voice: "Let's just see who's down here..." It was casual, lighthearted, and feminine. All eyes in that lowest dungeon level turned toward the stairs. The Hai Krun guards rushed over, and they died in a cold flash of silver. A pair of feet hit the floor, a pair of brown eyes caught the dim torchlight. And there was a cheer that rang up and down the length of the cavernous space.

Anna had come, and the princess behind here. And others as well.

"You're an angel!" shouted Iordan, leaping to his feet. The pain in his hand was forgotten as he clutched the heavy bars. "This is the second time you've come out of nowhere to save me."

"Well, you know," said Anna. She grinned. "Girl can't just sit by and all..."

There was a rush of motion as girls raced with keys down the length of the cells. Iordan stepped out of his confinement, pulled the princess into an embrace as she came forward.

"Glad to see you, sis," he said.

"You too, big brother. Can't you go a week without getting in some kind of trouble?"

"Hey, I think it's been longer than a week!"

"Barely."

Then Anna was standing in front of him. She looked him up and down with an appraising eye, said, "You look terrible." And she was off, giving instructions and answering the praises of the men. The prince laughed at how she had replayed their first meeting on the battlefield outside Jion. But there was something different about her, there in the darkness. Something sinister...

Iordan turned to his sister again. "This is all we have left," he said. "The rest of the men were killed last night."

"I know," said Jaide. "The same thing happened earlier when the girls tried to take back the palace."

"They did what?!?"

The princess nodded. Iordan knew her meaning. Even the addition to the resistance of the royal army would not be enough. They were still outnumbered by the invading force that occupied the palace. He glanced at Anna; she did not look worried. That comforted him. A little.

"How many of the farmers stayed to fight?" he said.

"Some. But not many." A beat. Then, "Dad's back."

"What happened?"

"They had him locked in the Cloud City."

"You got him out? But how? How did you get back so fast?"

Jaide shook her head. "I'll tell you later."

"How is he?"

"Fine. For now. It's hard to tell."

"Okay," Iordan said, hugging her once more. "We'll watch him close, okay?"

The princess nodded.

Then Anna was back, telling them all to move. The mass of soldiers followed her to the stairs, and the noble-born siblings as well. Up they climbed. But they did not go straight to the top. Anna stopped for a moment at each level, peering at the prisoners, their punishments not interrupted by the invasion. There was no longer any guards watching them, but so far none had found any means of escape from their cells. She looked at them thoughtfully, then moved to continue the climb.

Iordan wondered what she was doing, but his questions were answered as they reached the second level. She stared thoughtfully at the men behind the bars for a longer time than she had done on the other levels, then spoke to them.

"All of you!" she said. "Follow me and I'll give you freedom!"

There was a great stirring among the prisoners at her words.

"What are you doing?" Iordan demanded, grabbing her arm.

"We need more men," she shrugged.

"These men are criminals!"

Anna slipped easily from his grip, turned to face him. "There's another criminal sitting on your father's throne as we speak. What have they done worse than him?"

"I... They..."

"The laws they've broken - your laws - they won't matter if we can't take your palace back." She raised her eyebrow, waiting for a response, almost a challenge. "If you can give me a good reason not to let them help us, then I'll leave them in their cages."

"Go ahead," said the prince. He could see the uselessness of trying to argue. He knew he would lose in the end, and she would have her way regardless.

"Oh, don't worry about them," she said, patting his arm reassuringly. "They're mine. I'll make sure they're good."

And the freed prisoners were indeed hers, as she had said. Iordan could see it at once, even before the slave girls had finished opening the cells. They were dirty men, weary and worn. Pale and haggard from their lives underground. They were mostly thieves, weasels of men cast into the dungeons for crimes of cowardice and cunning. They were shrewd, but not brave. But they were loyal to Anna; it was obvious on their faces. Iordan realized then what she had been searching for in the other levels. She had been recruiting. He was amazed how easily she could pull complete strangers into her orbit.

Anna repeated her actions on the first level, this time with no objections. And finally, they emerged. Iordan followed Anna into the sunlight, blinking. With the addition of the prisoners and the royal soldiers, the resistance numbered close to three thousand. That was still less than the number of invaders, but how much less?

"Father," said the prince, seeing the great lord.

"Seems both of us got caught with our backs turned," said Iosoan.

"And both rescued by the same person," said Jaide, stepping alongside the pair.

"Alright, okay," said Iordan. He looked toward the palace. "So what's the plan?"

Things had been silent for a while. The sounds of fighting had been close several times during the morning, but for hours there had been nothing.

Bela Dain sat inside the wagon, still handcuffed. Her wrists ached, her arms were numb from the upright position they were forced into. She stared unseeing, through bleary eyes at the inside of the wagon that had been her prison. But at least she was alone. No one had come to the wagon since the lord Krun left that morning. It had been several days since her last rape - she could not count how many. But there was still a soreness between her legs, which she tried to ignore.

Where was Illian? For the thousandth time, the question sprang into her mind. He was a slave. She told herself again and again, that he was a slave to the enemy, that he was a conquered man. But a small part of her still clung to him, and she could not bring herself to fully believe it. Surely at any moment he would appear at the door to rescue her. He would throw off the chains that bound her and carry her away to safety. But it did not happen. Hour after hour passed, and he did not come.