The Shadow Queen

of Zagiri could be found. Lara was beginning to become frantic in her worry. Finally she knew she had no choice.

“Prince Kaliq, heed my plea. Cease all else and come to me!” she called aloud.

He appeared immediately in a swirl of his snow-white robes. “What is it, Lara, my love?” he asked her.

“Zagiri is missing! She said she was going to visit her grandmother, but she never did, Kaliq. No one has seen her in over a week,” Lara cried.

“Have you asked your twins what they know?” he inquired.

“They know nothing! They thought she was at Persis’s house,” Lara said.

The Shadow Prince turned to look at Taj and Marzina. “The Dominus knows nothing,” he told Lara. “But your princess daughter does, don’t you, Marzina?”

“I promised not to tell,” Marzina said softly.

“But you will tell us now because you understand how serious this situation may be, don’t you, Marzina?” Kaliq said quietly.

Marzina nodded slowly, and then she spoke. “A few weeks ago Zagiri awakened to find a miniature of the Lord High Ruler of Hetar on her pillow.”

Lara drew a sharp breath.

“She showed it to me. She thought him handsome. I thought him old,” Marzina said. “Zagiri didn’t know how the miniature had gotten on her pillow, but she didn’t want anyone else to know of it. She was a little angry because you would not let her marry this man so she could become the ruler of Hetar’s wife.” Marzina did not tell her mother that Zagiri had boasted that as First Lady of Hetar she would rank above her mother, who was merely the widow of a Dominus. “She seemed intrigued and fascinated by the face in the miniature. She said it was a strong face, the face of a real ruler. If she had not been normal otherwise I would have thought her bewitched.”

“She was,” Kaliq informed the girl.

“How could she be?” Marzina asked, surprised.

“The spell was on both the portrait and Zagiri,” Kaliq explained. “When she looked upon Jonah of Hetar’s face she became ensorcelled. She was meant to desire him so greatly that she would find a way to go to him.”

“No!” Lara cried out.

Kaliq sighed reluctantly. “The Lady Vilia has died,” he told Lara. “Word came several days ago from the Shadow Princes on the High Council. It was not unexpected.”

“He has taken my daughter!” Lara cried out. “But how? How did he manage to steal Zagiri away?” She turned to her twins. “Tell me exactly the last time you saw your sister. What time was it?”

“It was early evening,” Marzina said. “We had finished our meal. Taj and I decided to play a game of Herder. Zagiri said she was going to bed. That was the last we saw of her. She had earlier told us she would walk to Grandmother Persis’s house so when she did not appear for the first meal of the day we thought she had already gone.”

“And so she had,” Kaliq said humorously.

“This is not amusing, my lord,” Lara cried. “How has Hetar managed to gain possession of my daughter? How?”

“I would think it was obvious, my love,” he answered her. “They have somehow managed to use magic, but from where they obtained this magic I do not know. But I will, I assure you. You must accept, however, that the Lord High Ruler has probably already taken your daughter for his bride. Vilia’s mourning period would be but a week or so, Lara. The question is, if Zagiri is content to remain with the Lord High Ruler, do you want to bring her back to Terah?”

“You say she has been bewitched,” Lara said slowly. “Then none of it is of her own free will. I will not have her enslaved in Hetar as I was once enslaved!” She was struggling to hold back her tears. Her daughter! Magnus’s daughter! Their beautiful golden girl! Jonah of Hetar would not have her! No! No! No!

Kaliq could see the anger, the fear, the despair as it lit her face. “Lara,” he said gently. “They have taken Zagiri to Hetar by means of magic, it is true. And the portrait of Jonah was enchanted to enchant her. But once she saw him then the magic would be gone. She would regain her free will. If she wants this man then you have no cause to bring her back. She is seventeen, my love. Do you really think a nice Terahn lad will do for Zagiri now? What could such a young man offer a girl who is in love with a powerful man? And who surely by now has been given pleasures beyond her wildest dreams by that man. You know better.”

“Jonah has done this to gain Terah’s allegiance,” Lara replied.

“You are undoubtedly right,” Kaliq agreed.

“Why does he need us?” Lara wondered. “What threatens him that he would go to such lengths to steal a Terahn princess? Why does he need Zagiri?”

“I do not know, but I think we had best find out,” Kaliq told her. “Let me visit our council members, and see what I can learn.” And before she might answer Kaliq was gone, disappearing into the shadows of the chamber. He reappeared in the apartment of the two Shadow Princes currently on the Hetarian High Council. “Lothair, Eskil, good evening to you both.”

“Kaliq! What brings you to Hetar?” Lothair arose to greet his old friend. “You have just caught us. We are shortly to go out.”

“There is magic in Hetar that there should not be,” Kaliq said. “Over a week ago Princess Zagiri of Terah was stolen away. The culprit is, I am certain, the Lord High Ruler himself. He had sought her hand, but been refused not once, but twice. Only magic could have taken this girl from Terah, and as we know, the Hetarians don’t have enough magic of their own to have done this. What have you heard, my brothers?”

“Lara must be furious and devastated by turns,” Lothair said. “She will not be pleased by what I am about to tell you. Listen, Kaliq. Do you hear the music in the streets? Hetar celebrates this night the marriage of the Lord High Ruler. The bride’s identity has not been revealed, however. Eskil and I had intended to later join the wedding party as we were invited. Come with us.”

Kaliq nodded. “I will, but I will remain invisible to all but you and the bride. That way I can bring Lara my own eye-witness account.”

“Then let us be gone,” Lothair said and the three Shadow Princes stepped into the shadows of the chamber to emerge in the midst of the wedding feast.

Seeing them a majordomo hurried to lead the two princes to their table. The hall was lit by the light of a thousand beeswax candles and tapers. The air was heavy with the scent of rose and lily. There were flowers everywhere. There was a High Board, and below it a dozen trestles were set. All the tables were covered in a fine white linen edged in golden lace. Gold candelabra decorated with flowering vines were set at intervals along the tables. The guests ate upon silver plates with silver cutlery. They drank from silver goblets. Liveried servants stood behind each guest. Kaliq, invisible except to his brothers, sat on the very end of a bench. Eskil had spread his robes over it so no one else would attempt to sit there. Light music was being played by musicians in a gallery above the hall where the feast was being held.

There was a flourish of trumpets, and the doors of the hall opened to reveal the Lord High Ruler of Hetar. He was garbed in a black and gold robe, its wide sleeves and hem furred in golden fox fur. Upon his dark head he wore a thin circlet of gold studded with small gemstones. He led by the hand a beautiful young woman in a gold and white silk brocade gown with flowing sleeves, and a low square neckline that revealed her pretty round breasts. Her long flowing hair looked as if it were of spun gold. Upon the third finger of her left hand all could see a heavy red- gold marriage ring.

A gasp arose from those assembled, for they had only been told they were invited to a great feast to celebrate a most special occasion. There had been rumors that Jonah would be quickly taking a new wife so some had thought it would be a bethrothal feast, and they wondered who the woman would be. Others thought perhaps that Jonah was giving a final feast to commemorate the life of the Lady Vilia. Her family had been quite certain of it. Now that they saw the young woman the Lord High Ruler led in so proudly they knew that they were wrong. And the marriage ring on her finger hinted at something else entirely, especially with Lady Farah following the couple and looking most smug.

They mounted the dais, and stood at their places at the High Board. The room grew silent with anticipation. It was at that moment Prince Kaliq chose to walk quietly from the bench where he had been seated and into the line of vision of Zagiri. Her green eyes widened slightly but she quickly realized that no one else could see the prince,