The Shadow Queen

Twilight Lord’s son then I am his heir,” he said softly. “And when my father learns you have lied to me, old man, it is you who will be punished. Perhaps he will even let me do the deed. It will be a slow and painful death I can assure you, and I will enjoy every minute of the process.”

The Darkling laughed. “What a lad he is!” she crowed. “Our father would be proud of him.” Ciarda moved next to Kolbein and he stared boldly at her full breasts. “There are ways of prolonging agony that I can teach you, little brother,” she purred at him. “Alfrigg is old, and you wouldn’t want him to die quickly and cheat yourself of your fun.” She laughed again. “But you would do better to keep him alive for he has served our sire for eons, and is most useful.” She whirled about again to face the chancellor. “Tell him the rest of it, my lord.”

“What rest of it?” Kolbein wanted to know.

“You have begun the tale, lady,” Alfrigg said quietly. “You tell him.”

“You are a twin!” Ciarda said. “You have a brother.”

“He must be killed,” Kolbein declared without sentiment or hesitation.

“Yes, darling lad, he must be. But not yet,” Ciarda replied. “Not at least until we have met him. That would not be polite at all, little brother.”

“Where is he?” Kolbein demanded to know.

Now Alfrigg spoke up. “We will go tomorrow,” he said.

“My magic could take us now,” the Darkling replied.

“Tomorrow,” the chancellor repeated in a firm voice.

“Oh very well,” Ciarda acquiesced prettily. Reaching out, she took Kolbein’s hand in hers. “Shall we get to know one another better, little brother?” she asked him.

“Aye!” he said. “Come!” And he led her from the hall.

“We have been responsible for raising Lord Kol’s son,” Thorolf finally spoke in a hushed tone. “We shall be in great favor when Kolbein becomes the Twilight Lord!” Then he raised his head up and howled. The cry was taken up by all in the hall.

“You might have at least seen he had better table manners,” Alfrigg grumbled when the sound had finally ceased. “His father would not be pleased at all.”

“You say would?” Thorolf said slyly.

“Would! Will!” Alfrigg snapped. “What difference does it make to you?”

“Would is the past, will the present, my lord Chancellor,” Thorolf replied.

“Very well, Lord Wolfyn. His father will not at all be pleased. Does that satisfy you?” The chancellor was very angry. He had planned an orderly transfer of power, and now thanks to the Darkling all had become chaos.

Lara watched it all. She heard Alfrigg’s thoughts, and briefly felt sorry for him. But he was right about Ciarda. She had brought discord into what should have been an easy process. Prince Kaliq, hear my call. Come to me from out yon wall.

A golden light appeared in the center of the blank stone wall of the chamber. It quickly revealed a tunnel and Kaliq hurried through it into Lara’s little privy chamber. It closed behind him. “What is it, my love? What has happened?”

Lara quickly explained what she had just heard and witnessed in the oblong bowl.

“We must go to Arild’s hall,” Kaliq said. “There is no help for it. We cannot be certain that Alfrigg will be allowed to live long enough to tell Kolgrim the truth.”

“I cannot,” Lara said. “I cannot face those two nightmares. I am brave, but this I cannot do. You ask too much of me, Kaliq.”

“There is no other choice,” he responded.

“Why can you not go alone, my lord? I bore them, for that was a part of my destiny, you said. You put me in Kol’s hands. Allowed him to steal my memories and impregnate me. Now you will have me decide their fate? I bore them. Was that not enough? Nay! It is not fair! I cannot!” Tears filled her emerald eyes.

“Kolgrim and Kolbein are a part of your destiny, Lara. And you are a part of theirs,” Kaliq told her. “This task is a part of what you must do.” He put an arm about her. “I will be by your side. If your strength falters I will give you mine.”

She stood silent for several long moments before she said, “Very well. Let us go and attempt to put an end to this disaster.” Andraste, to me! Lara called to her sword, and the scabbard and sword were suddenly upon her back. “I am ready,” she told the Shadow Prince. She felt his kiss atop her head, and then he enfolded them both in his long white silk cloak. The cloak smelled of sandalwood, and Lara breathed deeply of it, taking in his essence, calming her nerves. When Kaliq flung back the fabric they stood in a stone hall.

With a roar Arild leaped from his High Board towering above the strangers. “Why do you invade my hall uninvited, Shadow Prince?” His hand was on his sword.

Lara stepped from the protection of Kaliq’s cape. With a slow, deliberate motion, she drew Andraste from the scabbard, and planted it before her. The sword hummed softly, menacingly. “I am Lara, Domina of Terah, Arild, kin to Skrymir, Lord of the Forest Giants, kin to my friend, Og. I come to you in peace, but if you do not remove your hand from the hilt of your weapon I will remove your hand.” She looked up at him boldly. “Where is your fosterling? I have business with him.”

Kaliq stood silent, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he watched Lara take charge of the situation. He was pleased to see her years in Terah as a wife and a mother had done nothing to take away her ability to command a difficult situation.

“What business have you with Kolgrim?” the giant demanded. “He was given to us by the Twilight Lord’s chancellor as a little one.” He took his hand from his sword.

“Hear me well, Arild. Kol is where he will never again do anyone harm. His chancellor, Lord Alfrigg, has kept his kingdom together since the day Kol was incarcerated for his crimes. He did this so Kol’s sons would have time to grow and to mature. That time now grows short, and one of Kol’s daughters, the Darkling Ciarda, seeks to steal the Dark Lands from her half brothers after she has set them against one another so that only one will triumph.”

“How can you know this, Domina of Terah?” Arild asked.

“Indeed, lady, how do you know?” Kolgrim stepped from the dais, and came to stand before Lara. “It is the first time I have ever seen anyone of my proportions,” he noted. Then he took her hand and kissed it, his black eyes meeting her green ones.

“It does not matter how I know these things,” Lara began, but he cut her off.

“You are my mother, aren’t you? I certainly did not gain my golden hair from my father. I have a brother? Which of us was born first?” Kolgrim asked, coming directly to the point.

“You have a twin brother,” Lara said. She had grown very pale at the sight of the boy. “The serving women helping as you were birthed were so surprised to see a second son born they put you both in your cradle without marking which of you came first. As you were identical at birth they could not tell us which of you was the elder.”

“Why did you desert us then?” Kolgrim asked her bluntly.

“Your father stole me from my husband and children to force his seed upon me,” Lara said simply. He did not need to know all of it. “After you were born, as soon as I was able, I fled back to my own family. I am of the light, Kolgrim. You belong to the dark. You belong to your sire.”

“Yet now you have come to help me, haven’t you?”

Lara sighed. “Nay, I have come to keep the light shining over our worlds. Your half sister and your twin brother are ready to murder you. Even now they are coming with your father’s chancellor, Lord Alfrigg. Which of you is meant to rule here in the Dark Lands I do not know. Fate decided that long ago. It is not up to Ciarda to manipulate the situation. She does it for her own advantage not yours. Do not trust her.”

“Listen to her, my son,” Broska cried. “The wisdom of the faerie woman is legend. If she stands behind you you will rule the Dark Lands!”

“Are you she who fostered Kolgrim?” Lara asked.

Broska hurried down from the High Board and knelt before Lara. “I am she, Domina. It was an honor. He is a good lad. Mannerly and well spoken. He excelled at his lessons. I hope he pleases you.”

Kolgrim looked amused by this declaration of devotion spoken by his foster mother. Broska was like an amiable milk cow. Biddable and loyal.

“You remind me of your father,” Lara said softly. “He could hide his evil behind his charm, too, as you now do.