cannot permit that to happen. Hetar’s forces are split right now, and those who survived its misadventure in the Coastal Kingdom will have to fight their way across the Midlands in order to reach The City. The Wolfyn are fierce adversaries. You will lose more men before they get here, and those fighting men remaining in the Quarter and the Garden District are old and no longer the soldiers they once were. With the Wolfyn guarding The City’s gates from without, how will those who return be able to even get into The City?”
“Then how can you possibly help?” Vilia wanted to know. This was terrible. She and Jonah had to find a way to escape The City as soon as possible or they would die. Dying was not a part of their plans.
“Convince Gaius Prospero for his own sake, for the sake of the thousands in The City, to ally with Terah. My magic can bring enough soldiers into The City to help with its defense. And then our other legions can join with the Hetarian troops making their way back from the coast. With the aid of the Shadow Princes we can quickly place our combined armies both before and behind the Wolfyn, catching them in a pincer movement that will allow us to destroy them.”
“You would save Gaius Prospero’s little empire then,” Vilia said. “’Tis most generous considering his treatment of you, Domina.”
“Everything comes with a price, Lady Vilia,” Lara replied. “And even an emperor must pay. You will be aided in your attempt to convince Gaius Prospero to ally with Terah. The young empress, Shifra, will agree with you and you know that the emperor can deny her naught. Between you he can be convinced. But you must work quickly.”
“What is the price he will pay?” Vilia wanted to know.
“You have never forgiven him for not crowning you empress, have you?” Lara said. “And you mean to have your revenge on him by taking his throne from him.”
Vilia gasped, but then she realized that she shouldn’t be surprised. The faerie woman was all-powerful. Her hard heart hardened more. “Aye,” she answered. “To both of your questions, Domina, for to lie to you would be useless, wouldn’t it?”
Lara smiled. “It would,” she agreed. “Now trust me that you will have your revenge, Vilia of the House of Ahasferus. But before you can, we need to defeat the Twilight Lord.”
“Surely Kol has more allies than just the Wolfyn,” Vilia said.
“Aye, he does, but one group of his allies have already left him and will not partake in this war or help him ever again. And between us, Hetar and Terah will destroy the Wolfyn. His remaining forces will then refuse to leave the Dark Lands for Kol’s heirs-the twin sons I gave him-must be protected so that one of them can one day take his father’s place as Twilight Lord. But unless we can destroy the Wolfyn, Kol will prevail over Hetar, and the plans that you and Lord Jonah have made will come to nothing,” Lara murmured softly. “I understand your desire for power, Vilia. It is good to be a queen, an empress, or a Domina.” She smiled knowingly at her companion.
Vilia shivered. Lara frightened her, for she seemed to see right into one’s very heart. Still, Vilia believed that the faerie woman was to be trusted if only because her own interests were threatened. “You still have not told me how Gaius Prospero will be punished,” she said softly. “I need to know.”
Lara smiled a small smile. “His heart will be broken, as for the first time in his life, he is truly in love,” she said. “Now ask no more of me, Vilia. But make certain when that event occurs that your husband is prepared and his own allies are in place.”
Vilia wanted to know more of just how Gaius Prospero’s punishment would be accomplished but instead she said, “I expect your husband has sent you to treat with me on this mission. However, I wish I might look into his eyes to see if it is truth you bring me. You are faerie and I cannot be certain of you although my instincts tell me to trust you. But he is a mortal like me, and I have always been good at reading another’s thoughts and heart. Especially those of men.”
“Magnus thought you might want to meet him again,” Lara said.
Then the handsome Dominus of Terah stepped forth from the dark corner where he had been listening to the two women in their discourse. He bowed to Vilia, kissing her hand and then drawing her to him. “My heart is true, Lady Vilia. What Lara has told you are not just her words, but
Vilia felt her legs go weak as she gazed into Magnus Hauk’s beautiful turquoise eyes. Never had she seen eyes like that. The color was so clear, and as she looked at him she saw the incredible strength and nobility of the man before her. Had not his grip upon her hand been so firm she might have collapsed at his feet, Vilia thought. She managed to nod to him, then said in an almost trembling voice, “I must speak with my husband first. I agree with what the Domina has said, but Jonah is a proud man, and should I act without his approval he would not be happy.”
“I understand,” Magnus Hauk said. “You are quite obviously a good wife to Lord Jonah, but then so were you a good wife to Gaius Prospero. That he deceived you so and then cast you off tells me that he was not worthy of you, Lady Vilia. Time, however, is most precious to us, so I would beg you to go quickly to him.” He kissed her hand again, and then certain she could now remain upright on her own he released her.
“Let me transport you,” Lara said and without waiting for an answer she waved her hand over Vilia, who then disappeared.
“What do you think?” the Dominus asked his wife.
“I believe we have instilled in her just the right amount of fear and awe,” Lara said with a little grin. “She is truly a most intelligent woman. And easy to read. It is Jonah with whom we must be concerned. He is ambitious beyond all and an extremely wily man. He cannot be trusted. To have seduced Vilia under Gaius Prospero’s nose was very daring. And to not get caught in all the years he was taking pleasures with her was more than good luck. It was cleverness. His daring intrigues her.” Lara chuckled.
“Will he be emperor of Hetar?” Magnus Hauk asked his wife.
“I do not know if Hetar will want another emperor after the debacle of Gaius Prospero’s reign,” Lara answered him. “Jonah is master of the Merchants’ Guild, as well as the emperor’s right hand. He fills both positions well, but it will not be enough for him once Gaius Prospero is finished. Still, he is cautious and will not make any move until he is certain of his own success. I do not believe he has enough support right now to make his grab for complete power. He has his mother in a high place-the Mistress of the Pleasure Guilds wields a great influence. And perhaps some of the magnates are looking to Jonah since Aubin Prospero has refused to pursue his father’s throne and the empress has not borne a child. But I believe that the powers that be will be wary about choosing just one man to lead them again, at least for a while. But ’tis only my opinion. As my faerie blood grows stronger, my mortal advantages seem to fade a bit.”
“What did you mean when you told Vilia that Gaius Prospero would die of a broken heart?” Magnus Hauk asked his wife.
“The young empress is but an illusion created by the Shadow Princes,” Lara explained. “She does not really exist. And when this war is settled, hopefully for the good, they will retrieve her. Since Shifra is the first thing Gaius Prospero has really ever loved, her loss will send him into a fatal decline. ’Tis better that way for no one will have to shed his blood or cause civil war. Hetar will be free to rebuild itself.”
A light knock sounded upon the chamber door, which opened to reveal Lady Gillian. “Could I have some refreshments sent to you?” Looking about, she asked, “Where is Lady Vilia?”
“I sent her home to speak with her husband,” Lara answered. “And yes, some refreshments would be lovely. Thank you.”
“Do you think she will help us?” Lady Gillian wanted to know.
“I believe she will, because it is in her own best interests to do so. I have told her and I will tell you that when this is over, before Gaius Prospero can claim victory in his name, he will die. When that happens Hetar will be faced with a power vacuum. A very few will want another supreme head of the government. Others will want to return to the old ways but the women must not allow it. The High Council must be enlarged-at least half of its members should be women. You will face resistance over this but you must prevail, Lady Gillian. Only if women can be a part of the government can reason prevail. Women are not invisible nor are we mindless. We did not cause this disaster, but we must be a part of the solution,” Lara told her.
Lady Gillian nodded. “I agree, but many women who now support us are apt to fall away once peace comes. They will be too busy trying to help their families survive.”
“I know,” Lara responded, “but you must convince them that only if they will take their share of the
