“Yes, your Highness, thanks to this beast. I found her wandering around the streets. I thought she might be able to help us in cleaning up.”
“An excellent idea,” Rosha said. Then, at someone’s cry, he turned to see Syth mod Syth-el’s eyes fluttering open.
Syth tried to move his head, found he couldn’t, and lay back. He peered curiously up into Rosha’s face.
“Did we win?”
“We won,” Rosha replied, his voice at once sad and proud. “But it cost us.”
He looked around and saw that the crowd continued to grow as people from the city shoved their way inside the stable. He raised his hands to get their attention and addressed them alclass="underline"
“King Pahd is dead. He died honorably, defending his fortress and his family. The intruder who bewitched his family is gone for good. These golden-mailed warriors are merely guests in our city who will soon be returning to their own land.
“Ngandib is once again a free city of the Mari confederacy and will remain so. Your contributions to her defense will long be remembered. Let it be proclaimed through all the streets that the battle is over.
Tonight there is a true cause for celebration.”
Dorlyth beamed with pride. Less than two years before, his son couldn’t say a single sentence without stumbling over his own tongue. Now he made speeches in the palace!
Rosha raised his gaze to the entrance to the palace. He nodded. “Perhaps we should get on with the business…”
But the murmurs of approval from the crowd were turning to cheers. Then someone raised a shout:
“Rosha for citylord of Ngandib!”
“Rosha for king,” another voice cried. “Hail King Rosha, who drove out the evil wizard!” More voices picked it up, giving Rosha no time to correct the idea. Then it was a clamor from all.
By night, it was official. The new king stood with his queen at a palace window, watching the celebrating crowds below. It was then a messenger bird arrived from Lamath.
“What does it say?” Bronwynn asked as Rosha stood frowning over the note.. .
“It’s from Erri,” he told her. “He wants us to be king and queen of Lamath. He says it was his idea and that it has finally been voted on. Oh, he also congratulates us on the victory.”
Bronwynn nodded. “We’ll have to accept. It was always Pelmen’s dream to unite the One Land again.
But with three capitals, where will we live?”
“Dragonsgate,” Rosha told her. “We won’t have to reside there all the time, but it’s the logical center of the lands. That’s why the dragon chose it.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Crowns
Spring had come by the time the crowning of the new king and queen of the One Land could be arranged. But the months before had been busy ones.
The wreckage of the brief war had to be repaired, wounded required healing, and the tugoliths had to be returned to Dolna. Above all, a search for the bodies of Pelmen and Serphimera had to be undertaken.
They were never discovered. The searchers found that the
top of the mountain had been blown off, and the bodies must have been blown to bits or buried under the wreckage. But the remains of Flayh had been tossed to the bottom of the mountain, entangled with the bodies of an immense pack of midnight black dogs. They left it where they’d found it.
Pahd’s body was accorded full honors. Along with two empty coffins for Pelmen and Serphimera, his casket was dropped from the top of the Rock of Tombs. Pahd slept at .last where he could never be disturbed.
It was left to Kherda to plan the coronation, and the Prime Minister gloried in the task. He was disappointed when Bronwynn vetoed his elaborate plans for a great scaffolding and platform, telling him that the ledge of the dragon’s cave was the right place. Hope revived briefly when he visited the place and discovered its condition and the nauseating odor. But Bronwynn was adamant.
“It can be cleaned,” she told him. “See to it.”
Hordes of workmen were organized and induced to work at immense task. Kherda watched from a safe distance. He soon discovered that, even allowing for some theft by the workers, the jewels mixed among the muck would pay for the labor many times over. And he consoled himself with thoughts of the grand palace he would design for the royal couple.
Even that plan collapsed when the great throne room inside the cave was discovered. In the end, Kherda had to content himself with the building of an impressive stairway up to the cave.
But at last the day arrived.
The parades began, streaming into the Central Gate from each of the three mouths, with musicians from each of the three lands struggling to outdo one another.
Lord Joss led the Golden Throng from Chaomonous. Kherda watched as the general climbed the stairway to the entrance. His face registered only a slight shock as the remaining odor struck his nose, but he took his place stoically.
Dorlyth, mounted on a strangely agitated Minaliss and accompanied by Ferlyth and Bainer, led the Mari lords. Syth was recovering, but still not strong enough for the journey. And Mar-Yilot, slowly learning to cope with her loss of power, elected to remain with him. Even Janos put in an appearance. Maris and Chaons regarded each other cautiously, but both were glad hostilities were ended. New markets and trade were in all minds, now that the old merchant monopolies had collapsed.
The arrival of the Lamathians caused barely a ripple of excitement. The ubiquitous pale blue robes were a common sight now. But when the tugoliths advanced into the pass, Chaon and Mari alike took notice.
These were the newest wonders of the world. The huge beasts wore enormous smiles; with Thuganlitha gone, there was much less quarreling.
Last of all, Rosha, Bronwynn, and Erri entered the pass at the same moment, each through a separate mouth. They rode to the center of Dragonsgate, where they dismounted and embraced. Then Erri led the two young sovereigns up the stairway. Loud fanfares greeted their ascent.
“What is that? Erri muttered as he turned to smile and wave at the wildly cheering throng.
“That is dragon,” Bronwynn said cheerfully. “Just a ghost of what it smelled like when I was here before.
Kherda promises it will all be gone after the final washing.”
There were solemn vows to be made and oaths to be sworn. Then Erri took up one of the two identical crowns and raised it above his head. Bronwynn knelt.
“I wonder what they think we’re saying down there?” Rosha muttered.
Bronwynn chuckled. “The wisest words ever uttered, probably.”
“Very well then, let’s say them. Remember the Power. All wisdom proceeds from that.” Erri smiled and placed the crown on her head.
Bronwynn got to her feet and waved, while the assembled nations cheered loudly. Then Erri picked up the other crown and turned to Rosha. “Do you still feel pain from the memories of the dread?” he asked.
“Some,” Rosha murmured as he knelt.
Erri nodded and pressed the crown down on Rosha’s thick curls. “That may be good. Some dread may be desirable in a leader. A long memory certainly must be.”
Rosha stood to receive the adulation of the crowd. As he gazed down at the sea of faces, he murmured,
“Now can we go?”
“Not without saying good-bye,” an unexpected voice said from behind them.
The three figures high above the crowd turned their backs on the throng in such precise unison that everyone assumed it had been planned. Suddenly they disappeared into the cave. A moment later, Erri emerged to step quickly down the stairs to the Prime Minister. “Kherda, what’s next on the program?”
Kherda was flabbergasted. “Why, the recessional, of course—”
“Not yet. Do something else.”
“But—what?”