Ahasferus, has three granddaughters. All are sixteen. One marries the Twilight Lord today. Two days ago another became your cousin Palben’s second wife. And shortly Vaclar will wed the third girl. You need to be kin to the Twilight Lord, for he is a powerful being who will shortly rule this entire world. If you are his kinsman, he is unlikely to harm you and your family.”
“What do you mean the Twilight Lord will rule this entire world?” Cadarn demanded to know.
“The darkness is coming, and it will overtake Hetar and Terah,” Lara said.
“Why can’t you stop it?” Cadarn wanted to know. “You have stopped it before.”
“Ahh,” Lara replied softly, “so you admit to knowing and believing in my accomplishments, great-grandson. I thought magic did not exist.”
He ignored her taunts. “I thought you were all-powerful, Great-grandmother,” he said. “Have you lost your magic then?”
“My magic can only exist in the light, Cadarn. For almost a century and a half I have kept the darkness at bay. But everything has its season. Even the darkness. The Twilight Lord was born of two powerful magic beings. Kol, the last Twilight Lord, was his father. Mine was, most reluctantly, the womb from which he sprang. I was born for the express purpose of causing chaos in the Dark Lands, Cadarn. Twilight Lords can only produce a single son, though they are known to have many daughters. Once Kol had impregnated me I split the infant in my womb in two so that I birthed twins instead of a single son. Then I returned to my own life, leaving Kol with two sons and much difficulty.” Lara thought it better not to go into explicit detail with Cadarn. “The Dark Lands spent many years in anarchy and lawlessness until the twins came to manhood, and Kolgrim triumphed over his brother, Kolbein.”
“And this Twilight Lord is more powerful than you? Than the Shadow Princes?” Cadarn asked her.
“It is not that he is more powerful, Cadarn. He has yet to even realize his full powers, but he is strong. The dissolution in Hetar, and now Terah, has played into his hands. I cannot save a world that does not believe it needs to be saved. And so the darkness will overtake you. To help you before I leave Hetar, I have united these three branches of my family. It may protect you until the light can come again,” Lara told him. “Now do you understand why Vaclar must wed Yamka Ahasferus?”
Cadarn nodded slowly. “Aye, I understand,” he said, “although I am not certain I completely believe your tale.”
“Whether you believe me or not isn’t important, Cadarn, just as long as you unite your family with that of Kolgrim and his bride,” Lara replied. “Your son’s children will be blood kin to the children Kolgrim sires on Nyura. This will keep Terah safer than if you were not related. You may even keep your position as Dominus.”
Lara sighed. The sound was part sadness, part exasperation. “The darkness has tried for centuries to conquer this world,” she said. “Until now it was not possible. Do you remember the story of Usi the Sorcerer?”
Cadarn nodded slowly. “A child’s tale,” he scoffed.
“All tales have an element of truth in them. Some more than others,” Lara told him. “Usi was real. Before the heroine Geltruda defeated him, Usi impregnated two of his concubines. One he sent to his brother in the Dark Lands. It is from the son of Usi born of Jorunn that Kolgrim descends. The maiden he marries this day descends from the female line of Usi, born to Ulla. She possesses certain powers that Kolgrim needs to complete his conquest of this world. Only by joining your blood with Kolgrim’s blood can you save Terah, but you will answer to an evil master in return.”
Cadarn Hauk was pale as the impact of her words bored into him. “And you say you will leave us at this terrible time, Great-grandmother,” he said low. “Why now when we will need you so desperately?
“I have no choice,” Lara told him, realizing as she spoke that what she was saying was the absolute truth, and understanding for the very first time what Kaliq had been attempting to tell her all along. “The magic that has existed in this world is powerful, but our magic is pure and golden. We can fight the darkness just so far, but when it reaches a point where it can overwhelm us, we must retreat or die. And the death of good, or light, but strengthens the darkness and its evil. Your world invited the darkness into its midst. We tried to warn you, but you would not listen, even going so far as to deny our existence or that of our magic.”
The Domina Paulina began to weep. Turning a tearstained face to Lara, she held out her hands. “Help us, faerie woman!” she pleaded.
Lara shook her head. “Uniting the three major rulers of this world by blood is the only help I can offer you now. You must help yourselves if you wish to destroy the darkness. Now we must go. The day will have begun in Hetar.” She looked to Kaliq.
“Palben’s palace, my lord?”
He nodded. “Clasp hands with us,” Kaliq said to Cadarn and Paulina. “Do not be afraid. When the day is done we will return you safely home.” The sure and commanding tone of his voice calmed the Dominus’s fears. But it was Kaliq’s warm smile at the Domina that eased hers. Certain they were all now linked together, Kaliq transported them to the Hetarian Palace of Palben in The City.
They reappeared in the Lord High Ruler’s private dining salon, where he and his two wives, Laureen and Divsha, were now breaking their fast. Divsha shrieked as four magnificently garbed people appeared before the High Board. She reached out to cling to Palben, who shook her off irritably.
“Good morning, Great-grandmother, my lord Kaliq,” the Lord High Ruler said. As annoying as these sudden appearances of theirs were becoming, he was getting used to them, he realized. They seemed almost natural.
“Good morning, my lord,” Lara greeted him. “I have brought your cousin Cadarn Hauk, Dominus of Terah and his wife, the Lady Paulina, to meet you. They will attend the wedding today of my son and Nyura Ahasferus. And afterward they will conclude the negotiations for the marriage of their heir, Prince Vaclar to Yamka Ahasferus.”
Palben’s first wife, Lady Laureen, immediately arose, coming down form the High Board to greet their visitors. She curtsied to them all, and after briefly greeting Lara and Prince Kaliq said, “Welcome to Hetar, kinsfolk! We are most pleased to receive you. I even believe there is a small resemblance between Dominus Cadarn and my husband. Lady Paulina, what a beautiful gown. The color is both pleasing and flattering.”
“Yamka is to marry a prince who will one day be Dominus?” Divsha said petulantly. “That isn’t fair! Nyura weds a ruler. Yamka weds a ruler-in-waiting, and I am just a second wife?” She stamped her foot angrily. “But I am the most beautiful of us.” Divsha burst into fulsome tears.
Palben’s lips narrowed in irritation as his second wife had her small tantrum. He made no attempt to placate her. While he enjoyed their bed sport his only rationale in marrying her had been to unite himself with the Twilight Lord, for he had taken Lara’s warning to heart. To his mind Divsha was nothing more than his personal Pleasure Woman, although he suspected she would cost him a great deal more.
Looking at him, Lara was reminded of her late son-in-law Jonah. His grandson not only resembled him, with his severe demeanor and cold eyes, he obviously had his icy nature, as well. Briefly she felt sorry for Divsha. Then she turned to Lady Laureen. “We shall need a comfortable chamber to refresh ourselves before the wedding,” she said.
“Of course, Great-grandmother,” Palben’s first wife said. “I will take you myself, and be assured that we will provide you transport to Grugyn Ahasferus’s home, though it be just across the park.” She led them to a bright sunny chamber, and instructed two servants to see to their comfort. “I must go and change for the wedding. I shall also have to soothe and cajole Divsha, for she shall surely now refuse to come.”
“Perhaps,” Lara said, “it would be better if she didn’t.”
“Nay,” Lady Laureen replied. “It would reflect badly upon my husband if his brand-new second wife was not at this important wedding. It is my duty to see that Divsha behaves herself. I saw how you looked at Palben, Great- grandmother. You know who he resembles, both in features and in spirit. He won’t placate Divsha, but he will expect her obedience for that is a wife’s duty. And if she does not give it, he will beat her. It would not do to have her make an appearance with that fair skin of hers marked and bruised.”
Lara nodded. “What a pity Hetar’s women lost the rights that they once found,” she said. “You would have been a leader if that movement still existed.”
“Did you ever know a Pleasure Woman named Gillian, Great-grandmother?” Lady Laureen asked Lara.
“I did,” Lara responded. “She was a great lady, head of the Guild of Pleasure Women for many years. Why do you ask?”
“I am her descendant,” Lady Laureen said. “I never knew her, of course, but she was always spoken of with
