But she can't be! She and her mother died years ago, before King Vlaric ordered all Benutian first-born slayed. I was there when the mother and child got into the boat. Shipwrecked and drowned, so everyone said. Not so much as a shred of clothing salvaged, save the mother's ring...
Here, at least Ubu could relax and enjoy relative peace from the general bustle of Tyq, the Eldonian capital. He didn't have to push and shove through crowds, and blessedly didn't have to accompany Chenek to the Royal Palace. With the exception of Princess Evore of Nemir, Ubu, like Chenek, hated the other governors with a heated passion. His master, a pleasant and able man, only served as figurehead while the others – Banes of Chalou and Sadius of Koror – had bestowed upon them untold powers, often used to oppress and dehumanize. Chenek did not have such privileges; he was to confine his peoples within the borders, oversee their work and report of any "funny business", that is any signs of rebellion, any dissent in the ranks. All King Vlaric wanted from Benut was its vast resources, its minerals and gems, highly productive fields and orchards, fine fabrics and metalwork. It was take but no give, usurp without proper compensation.
Perhaps all could change once Ubu handed that note to Moopie, Princess Evore's official aide. Moopie, a half-fairy – she had the wings but no other special powers, only a keenly discerning mind and an abundance of compassion – was well aware of the prophecy and, along with Evore, hoped for the day that child might have survived Vlaric's evil purge. Ubu hoped that much, too. He had seen and experienced enough to believe anything that would wrest power from a long line of cruel rulers descended from a trio of outsiders.
As he waited, Ubu allowed himself a momentary pleasure, taking in the sheer beauty of this structure. The building itself, the tallest in the city of Tyq – even taller than the Royal Palace, the Hall of Justice, or the Bank of Eldonia – could be seen for miles from most points of the city. An astounding thirty-three stories high, the building's exterior had been, in the past, hailed as a remarkable architectural and engineering achievement. Almost reminiscent of Art Deco (Danielle, upon seeing Starfield House the first time, commented it looked much like the Chrysler Building), the exterior was composed of soft purple brick and lavenderstone, the latter imported from the Nemirian quarries. Lavenderstone was prized for its durability and aesthetic qualities, and was Nemir's only export to Eldonia's other regions. Of course, unbeknownst to everyone except Nemirians and Benutians, lavenderstone had magical qualities. It could be used as a divination tool; it had the power to change shades, and such changes foretold of impending disaster. Well, the Eldonian aristocracy dismissed such tales as sheer nonsense, but those peoples who for so long suffered under the yoke of Eldonian oppression took those color changes to heart. In fact, today as Ubu entered the building, he noticed the imposing lavenderstone figures which graced each side of the heavy dragonwood door began to deepen from the usual soft pastel to a brilliant, almost angry, shade of violet. When lavenderstone darkened like that, it was interpreted that something profound was afoot, changes that could upset the very balance of power.
The grand hall was a treat for the eyes and followed the same color scheme. The marble floor's alternating patterns of deep purple and lavender reflected the soft pink walls paneled in rich dragonwood. Such wood was prized for its beautiful grain and deep bronze color. Humongous, heavily and ornately framed mirrors, placed at even intervals around the room, caught reflections of everything, and purveyed the illusion of a much larger room.
Ubu sat in a plush violet velvet chair, studying his own reflection in the mirror facing him. There, from the highly polished glass, he could see a middle-aged man who looked far younger than his years despite the daily wear and tear of official life. Ubu was an impressive man to behold, totally unlike the man he served, Governor Chenek. Whereas Chenek was tall and spare, Ubu was far taller and robust. An astounding six-foot-six with an athlete's build, Ubu towered over nearly all his fellow Benutians. His tanned face, great grey eyes, reddish hair and thick sideburns lent an air of awe-inspiring authority, a man born to lead. At least that was what Danielle commented when she and Ubu conversed on the train. She said he looked almost like Sam Houston, whoever that was, very vigorous and more suited to life in the wilds rather than cooped up in the governor's palace.
Perhaps she was right. Ubu, before he trained as a government aide, had aspired to be naturalist, studying the flora and fauna of his beloved Benut. Alas, such was not meant to be. The official Eldonian education system saw to that, sorting young people into suitable roles useful to the Crown.
"And their still sorting us," Ubu muttered to himself. "Always weeding out the 'undesirables'..."
His reverie was disturbed by the approach of a comely lady.
This was Allane, Starfield House's chief concierge, and a native Nemirian. It was her job to see to the guests' every need from procuring theater tickets to boarding dragons and unicorns. She hated the fact that the building, lovely as it was, had to be situated so far from Tyq's major and more fashionable thoroughfares. Oh well, perhaps it was planned that way since most citizens would be put off by dragons hovering overhead at all hours of the day.
She extended her well-manicured hand to Ubu, saying in her tinkling soprano, "Ah, Mr. Ubu, so good to see you again. I understand you are here to see Moopie. She is staying in the Amethyst Suite and will see you now."
Ubu rose to his full height, totally dwarfing the diminutive Allane. He smiled then asked, "Has Princess Evore arrived? Governor Chenek wanted Her Highness to see this note as well."
Allane shook her pretty blonde locks and blinked her very blue eyes. "Oh, Evore doesn't arrive until much later. She sent Moopie ahead. Something about 'casing the place', whatever that meant." She laughed, adding, "I think she meant whether Vlaric was in a good mood for once. She really can't stand him, you know."
Ubu joined in the humor, replying, "Doesn't anyone?"
++++++
After a swift trip in one of Starfield House's many efficient, glassed-in elevators from wherein one can see the elegant main floor and atrium, Ubu stepped out onto a long corridor. This was panelled in marble and dragonwood, the same mirrors placed at regular intervals. Massive plant stands graced the hall tables, upon each attractive arrangements of fragrant fairy roses especially imported from Nemir. Their delicate yet showy white blooms emitted a fragrance one does not forget. Not quite like roses we know, but an aroma that intoxicates and relaxes at the same time. The only illumination came from torchieres powered by Benutian ichorshale, the same source used to power everything from lamps to the rail system throughout Eldonia.
He walked up to the door and gently knocked. From within the suite he could hear conversation. Moopie's voice Ubu recognized, but whose voices belonged to the other two?
The door opened. A handsome young man, obviously a fledgling wizard, greeted Ubu jovially.
"Mr. Ubu! How delightful! Miss Moopie is expecting you."
"Thank you, Mr.–"
"Jarvis, sir. Jarvis Wolf. I'm accompanying Moopie to the Landing Day festivities, and we're still awaiting Evore's arrival."
Ubu nodded, looking about the room in awe. In all his years in service to Chenek, and that included numerous trips to Starfield House, this place never ceased to amazed Ubu with its sheer beauty and elegance. A welcoming atmosphere despite the ornate opulence, so unlike the cold, sterile environment of Vlaric's Royal Palace. The suite, well appointed with its lavender and pink decor, was quite impressive. Great picture windows wrapped about the entire room, giving the occupants a spectacular view of all of Tyq.
"I heard voices, Jarvis," Ubu said tentatively. "I recognized Moopie, but who are the others...?"
Jarvis, taking Ubu's hat and cane, replied, "Oh, two others have agreed to join us, Mr. Ubu. You know, there's been talk of the One coming to free us from Vlaric's rule–"
"Which is why," said Ubu somewhat impatiently, patting the note within his pocket, "I am here on Governor Chenek's behalf." Then, in a hushed whisper, "A new arrival today, off the coast of Brightbridge. Chenek told me of what Khalina and Sivin suspect, and I am convinced she is the One."
++++++
"But does Governor Chenek have proof? If this woman is indeed the One, we must–"
"But, Moopie, I saw it with my own eyes. Khalina showed us the doll, a doll made by Aunya's hand. I remember Aunya sewing the doll's dress whilst carrying...It is still in very good condition despite the nearly three decades since. I tell you, this Danielle is the One! Governor Chenek is sure of it."
Moopie, her fairy body clothed in verdant ferns and brightly hued blossoms, her iridescent wings folded neatly across her back, read Chenek's note again. Part of her wanted to believe salvation came in the form of a mysterious young woman. Another, more rational, part wanted to dismiss all as just another rumor, something to get people's hopes up only to have them dashed to pieces.
The circle of Nemirians sat and listened to Ubu as he relayed Chenek's message. So, there was no doubt that the woman who washed upon the Benutian shore was, in reality, the One, the descendent of Amarah.
"But how?," asked Jarvis. "I thought all Benutian first-borns were slaughtered during that awful purge as ordered by the King."
"There was no way any mother could smuggle her child out of Benut without detection," said Reba, the other Nemirian in the circle. Reba Decker was a recent arrival – nearly twenty years since she crash-landed in the dense Nemirian forest in a disabled single-engine plane. She was a mere child at the time, just passed her fifth birthday, a victim of an elaborate kidnapping plot back in her native Savannah. Tragically, the criminals, after procuring the $250,000 ransom, escaped in a plane bound for South America. They never intended to return Reba to her parents. Along the way, something went wrong in the engine, and the kidnappers bailed out, leaving Reba to fend for herself. When the plane crashed, Reba was rescued by Moopie herself, brought to Princess Evore who adopted the child as her own. For a five-year old, a child who still had yet to separate fantasy from fact, Reba instantly forgot about her family and former life in Georgia. In time, with careful training, Reba grew to become a Nemirian ambassador, an able diplomat whose ability to defuse temperamental situations with well-chosen words and a dash of humor.
The third person, yet to say anything, just sat and listened, his lambent green eyes in sharp contrast to his cafe au lait complexion and wiry dark hair. He was rather old, nearly eighty summers, and carried an air of mystery. No one knew exactly from where this man came, or how he stumbled upon Eldonia's shores. All he could tell people was that he was once a decorated flying ace in His Majesty's army. No, not King Vlaric, but King George V. That man, who merely went by Wallace, listened carefully as Ubu and Moopie argued that the new arrival had to be Amarah's descendent, the One who would eventually smash Vlaric's tyrannical rule, bringing to an end centuries of oppression.
This man, this Wallace, finally taking advantage in a lull in the conversation, said, "If I am correct, your Koror region really should not exist. That region was, before the arrival of those men nearly five hundred years ago, a mere spot on the map. No real power there, not really worth its own salt. Koror's real power comes from the Chalou region, seat of Vlaric's might. Now, if Benut is, in fact, the true claimant of this land, then it is only natural a Benutian ousts Vlaric and his ilk. But how to accomplish such a feat? Vlaric's army has the ability to wipe out half your population in the blink of the eye."
He turned to Ubu, adding, "This Danielle person, what do you know of her? Where does she come from? What are her abilities? Does she even know the truth of her heritage? The great responsibility about to be thrust upon her?"
Ubu was at a loss for words. Wallace asked some very valid questions. No one knew of Danielle or her circumstances. Right now, in Tyq's elegant plaza, Danielle was dancing for pocket change. Surely dancing does not make a conqueror, but wasn't Amarah a dancer? What else is there about Danielle?
"Wallace, Moopie, Reba," said Ubu at last, "I believe you should meet the young lady and ask her yourselves." Looking at his watch, then watching the ominous black winged creature swooping past the window, he added, "Ah, I see Evore has at last arrived. I say we depart for the Plaza. Perhaps, if we are fortunate, Danielle will provide us with many answers."
Moopie, shook her platinum blonde head, saying, "Oh, Ubu, if only it were that easy. Wallace did not tell you everything; in fact, there is more you and Chenek need to know. Something about this pact between Koror and Chalou...There are rumors of an 'ultimate weapon' that could wipe out – as Wallace puts it – all we know in the blink of an eye. We must get to her, to Danielle, before all is lost."
[TO BE CONTINUED...Go to Chapter 6]
Copyright©2006 by P.R. Parker. All rights reserved.