“A valid question,” responded Zalaharic. “Prince Midge, would a fairy think that King Arik would value the life of a unicorn any less than a human?”
“I would not think so,” frowned Prince Midge. “The Bringer is known to be thoughtful of all his subjects, but Wylan and Sheri were no ordinary humans. They were Knights of Alcea and close friends of the king. Such people are guaranteed to get the attention of King Arik, no matter what race they are.”
“Well,” interjected Prince Oscar, “that sheds light on one of today’s mysteries then. Those unicorns must need healing rather badly. Twerp was trying his best to see that they got the help that they needed.”
“I concur,” replied Zalaharic, “and that means that the unicorns are very close to death. They need help as quickly as we can get it to them.”
“I agree,” nodded Prince Oscar. “I have already sent a fairy to summon Podil. She is the closest mage.”
“The closest,” retorted Zalaharic, “but not the quickest. Unless my calculations are off, a unicorn from Tagaret can reach Caldar before Podil can. She is farther south, requiring the fairy to fly much longer before she even starts her journey to come back north.”
Prince Oscar frowned and pulled out his notes. He made some quick calculations and nodded vigorously. “You can beat her by two to three hours, but aren’t you needed here?”
“I am needed where the situation is most grim,” answered Zalaharic. “I would not care for my absence to be noticed unless it is necessary.”
Prince Oscar nodded as the elf turned and walked away.
“I hope he is not needed here while he is in Sordoa,” frowned Prince Oscar. “He is the most talented healer in all of Alcea.”
“Jenneva says that he might be the greatest healer of all time,” countered Prince Midge. “Shall I send a fairy to Zara and summon the Knights of Alcea?”
“Please do. The sooner they get here, the better I will feel.”
* * * *
Alex, Tedi and Natia stepped through the Door to the Royal Palace in Tagaret. Jenneva stood waiting for them. As Alex and Jenneva embraced, Tedi and Natia continued onward to their quarters.
“I am glad that you have come,” Jenneva said softly. “Arik is not handling the deaths well.”
“Tanya will handle the king,” replied Alex.
“No.” Jenneva shook her head. “She cannot. I cannot. Prince Oscar and Lord Clava cannot.”
Alex frowned deeply. “And you think I can?”
“I know that you can,” Jenneva answered as she took Alex’s hand and led him away from the Door. “You have a way with illogical kings.”
Alex snorted and shook his head. “My manners with kings has never been appreciated before. What makes you think he will listen to me?”
“Your manners may not have been appreciated, but you always got your point across, and the kings always ended up seeing things your way. You have a manner of analyzing a problem and presenting only one solution, the appropriate solution. Besides, Arik still thinks of you as his mentor. He will listen to you.”
Alex sighed and nodded. “I will try, but there are no guarantees. We have returned from Zara to shed the enemy’s blood, not to be the king’s caretaker. He has two mothers for that.”
Jenneva smiled and squeezed Alex’s hand. “I imagine that he will need them when you are through with him.”
Jenneva led Alex to the king’s study, but the guards refused to knock on the king’s door.
“He was very adamant,” stated one of the Red Swords. “He wants no visitors. None.”
“Just knock on the door,” growled Alex. “I do not have time to play games.”
The guards refused to budge. Alex shook his head and sighed. He reached out and took Jenneva’s hand, guiding her away from the door. After he had taken a dozen steps, he let go of her hand and stealthily reached into a pouch at his waist and extracted three Lanoirian stars. He spun around and threw the three stars at the king’s door, one after the other. The guards’ jaws dropped, and they immediately pulled their swords and stepped in front of the door, blocking the entrance with their bodies. Alex slowly walked towards them, and the Red Swords prepared to kill a legend or die in the process. One of the guards shouted for reinforcements, and distant footsteps echoed off the walls.
“I will see the king,” Alex declared, keeping his empty hands away from his body. “If you would prefer to kill me, do so and get it over with.”
The king’s door suddenly opened and Queen Tanya stared out of the room. Her eyes took in the stars imbedded in the door and Alex approaching the drawn swords. The sound of running guards grew louder by the second.
“Sheath your swords,” commanded the queen. “My parents will be admitted.”
“But the king…”
“Do it!” snapped Tanya. “I am the queen, and I will be obeyed.”
The Red Swords hesitated only a moment before sheathing their swords and retreating to the sides of the door. The queen stepped aside as Alex entered the study, retrieving his stars as he passed by. Jenneva followed him, and the queen closed the door.
“You were recalled to shed the enemy’s blood,” Queen Tanya quipped, “not the Red Swords.”
“Where is Arik?” Alex asked brusquely.
The queen’s eyebrows rose at her father’s tone, but she pointed to the couch that delineated the sitting area of the King’s Study. Alex strode across the room and around the couch. The king was stretched out on the couch, and while his eyes were open, he did not acknowledge the Knight of Alcea. Alex reached down and swept the king’s legs off the couch, forcing the king to sit up and acknowledge him. Tanya gasped, and the king’s face filled with anger. He opened his mouth to berate Alex, but the Knight of Alcea did not give him a chance to speak.
“I know that I could die for manhandling you,” scowled Alex, “so spare me the lecture. I do not plan to live long anyway.”
The anger drained out of Arik’s face and confusion took its place.
“We are in the midst of a war, Arik,” Alex continued. “We do not have time for you to wallow in self-pity. Do you think you are the only person who loved Wylan and Sheri? Do you think that the rest of us do not carry a heavy heart over their loss?”
“It is not the same,” protested the king. “They died for me.”
“Nonsense,” Alex retorted loudly. “They died trying to protect Alcea, just like thousands more will die in the next few weeks. Some of them you may have never met, but others will have been near and dear to your heart. Those are the fortunes of war. Learn to live with it.”
“I can’t,” the king replied haltingly. “I sent them down there to die.”
Alex’s voice softened. “You sent soldiers on a mission, Arik, just as I have done for my entire life. Look around this room. We have not chosen the lives we lead. We have all consigned people to death through our orders, but we have also saved many people as well. I have probably lost more friends than you will ever have. None of those deaths were easy to take, but their lives were not wasted. They were soldiers, and they fought for something that they believed in, something that they valued more than life itself. Honor their courage and service by doing what you can to achieve the goals they sought, not by trying to measure the worth of the missions they died on. Wylan and Sheri were exceptional people. That is what made them Knights of Alcea, but they were not immortal.”
“Like we are,” scowled the king.
“We are not immortal, my friend,” Alex replied in a voice almost as soft as a whisper. “While the Mage has endowed us with a longer lifespan than most, we can die just as easily as Wylan and Sheri. In fact, the odds of our deaths are increased without a lucid king to lead us. Wylan and Sheri deserve our grief, but not right now. Right now they deserve to see the Federation destroyed, and we can do that, but you must lead us properly if we are to succeed. Be all that you can be, Arik. Be a king that will keep Alcea safe for future generations. That is what the Knights of Alcea are willing to trade their lives for. We die not for you, but for the future of Alcea.”