“You are making tremendous progress, Highness. One would think that you were born to this.” Kurume nodded approvingly.
Jelena laughed in turn. “Hardly!” she exclaimed. “I was born into servitude in my uncle’s house. I never would have been allowed near weapons of any kind had it not been for my cousin insisting I receive at least a rudimentary education. I learned the basics from him.”
“You possess a natural ability, then. Frankly, I’m not surprised, considering your bloodline.”
“Yes, well… natural ability aside, will I be ready to ride to war at my father’s side?” Jelena caught Mai scrutinizing her from the corner of her eye. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but couldn’t quite work up the nerve.
“I would wish for more time, but there’s nothing like the forge of battle to temper a young warrior. You’ll be ready.” Kurume picked up Jelena’s sword and held it out to her, hilt first. “I think you’ve had enough practice for today, Highness. We will resume tomorrow, same time.”
“Until tomorrow, Master Kurume,” Jelena replied, taking her sword and carefully sheathing it.
Kurume bowed, then turned and headed for the gate that led out of the king’s private sparring yard. “You coming, Son?” he called out over his shoulder, never breaking stride.
“I’ll be along shortly, Father. I want a word with Princess Jelena,” Mai replied. “That is, if it’s convenient, Princess.”
“Of course, Mai. What is it you wish to speak to me about?” Jelena started walking toward the gate, helmet tucked beneath her arm. Mai fell in beside her. She kept her eyes focused straight ahead, afraid to look directly into Mai’s face, afraid of seeing what she suspected might be there.
Please, Mai! Don’t say it! Don’t change things between us!
“I have a confession to make, Princess,” Mai began. He hesitated, then stopped in his tracks, head lowered. Jelena had no choice but to stop walking as well. She waited for him to continue, dreading his next words.
“I…I have tried to control my feelings. Tried and failed!” Now that he had committed himself, words tumbled from Mai’s lips like a river in flood. “It’s been nearly a year since your husband died. I’ve waited, as was decent, because you’ve been in mourning, but now… now I feel like time is wasting! Alasiri will be at war soon, and if I wait much longer, it may be too late!”
“Oh, Mai,” Jelena breathed.
Mai stood at about the same height as Ashinji, but where Ashinji had been fair, Mai was dark. His raven warrior’s queue fell to his waist and his eyes, the color of aged wood, blazed with emotion.
“I love you, Jelena,” he whispered.
Jelena squeezed her eyes shut to close out the sight of Mai’s vulnerability. The ground beneath her did a slow roll, and she abruptly found herself clinging to his arm.
“Oh, Mai,” she repeated in dismay as she pushed herself away from him. “I…I don’t know what to say!”
“You don’t have to say anything yet, just listen…Your husband was a good man. Many in the army admired Ashinji Sakehera, and not just those who served under him. I would never seek to take his place in your heart.” He paused, then continued, “I’m common-born. You are a princess. It seems like an insurmountable obstacle, but it can be overcome, if only you can return my feelings, Jelena.”
He stepped forward and swept her hand up in his. “Jelena, I promise that I’ll love and cherish you as you deserve, and I’ll love your daughter as if she were my own.”
Jelena trembled. The strength of Mai’s passion engulfed her- almost too much to bear, and yet…
Ashi is gone. I’ll never see him again in this life; why hold on to a ghost? Mai is honest, kind, and nice to look at…and he loves me. Perhaps, in time, I’ll come to love him, but if I don’t…can I accept anything less than what I had with Ashi?
A sudden rush of anger from some deep, hidden place within her soul surged forth, taking her by surprise.
Damn you, Ashi! Why did you leave me like this? Why didn’t you fight harder! Hatora and I need you!
“Jelena, are you all right?”
Jelena shook herself and nodded sharply. “Yes, yes, Mai. I’m all right. This is just a lot to take in. I mean, I suspected that you might…have feelings for me, but to hear you say it out loud…well, I need time to think.”
Mai raised her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. “I’ll give you time,” he said, “but remember…none of us has as much time as we think we do.” He released her hand and the two of them exited the yard. Jelena turned left toward the section of the castle where her apartments lay. Mai turned in the opposite direction.
“Mai, wait!” Jelena called out. He stopped and turned to face her, the hope on his face heartrending. “I promise I’ll think about what you said, and I’ll try not to keep you waiting too long. You deserve a quick answer.”
Mai’s eyes swiveled downward then back up to her face. “Thank you, Princess,” he replied, then bowed and walked away.
Jelena stood watching his retreating figure, and tried hard not to cry.
“Lady Odata, has there been any more news from the south concerning the plague?” the king asked. Everyone seated at the large, rectangular table looked at the Lady of Tono.
“Sporadic reports, yes,” Odata began. “It seems the disease went dormant over the winter, but with the coming of the spring rains, it has resurfaced. Most alarmingly, all of the new cases are occurring in okui.”
Jelena’s status entitled her to sit in on council meetings, though she had no right to speak without permission. Once she had shown an interest in matters of state, Keizo had encouraged her to do so, and for the last few weeks, she had never missed a session. She always tried to remain as unobtrusive as possible, dressing plainly and positioning her chair behind and to the left of her father’s. After the first couple of times she attended, the council members appeared to forget about her presence altogether.
The king and his advisors knew they had little time left. The rains had stopped and the ground grew dryer by the day. The Soldaran forces were on the move. The elven army had to be ready to meet them.
Life in Sendai went on as usual, but an undercurrent of nervous trepidation flowed through the air like smoke-no panic yet, just a heightened sense of unease. It showed in the faces of the people as they went about their business and made their preparations for the gathering storm. Sendai had never in its long history suffered a siege, but the city had been built with numerous defenses, and according to a committee of experts put together by the king, it could withstand a prolonged blockade-six months, maybe seven-provided all storehouses were full.
The elves’ biggest fear now, besides invasion, was the plague.
Keizo turned to his brother, who sat to his immediate right. “What do you propose we do?” he asked.
“I’ve decided to go down to Tono myself to personally investigate,” Prince Raidan announced. “Secondhand reports are no substitute for firsthand observation.”
“Do you think that’s wise?” Keizo asked. “We don’t know how the disease is spread, nor why it can now affect okui. What if you fall ill? I need you too much, Brother.”
Jelena sipped at a goblet of wine, watching with keen interest the dynamic between her father and uncle. She understood exactly why Raidan wanted to go to Tono himself. Her uncle firmly believed in the ability of science to solve all mysteries and problems, and as a scientist, he would want to apply what he referred to as the scientific method to the problem of the plague.
Keizo, by contrast, held a traditionalist’s view. He preferred to rely on Talent and its application through the use of magic.