Lief wasn’t used to being bullied. He was always the bully. But now, Elmer, a high priest of The Temple, held the power. Lief couldn’t fight his way out of this.
The fisherman was reluctant to say, “Yes.”
“Say it,” Elmer pushed.
“The king is dead.”
For the first time in what felt like ages, Anna Lott sat in the Ikarus gardens with her looking glass and watched a chandelier of stars twinkling in the blue-black sunset.
The day after the king had disappeared, the clouds vanished and the sun began to shine upon the land once again. The evening of the council meeting when Rayne was sentenced to high seclusion was the last time anyone had seen him.
Anna had come to the gardens every day, hoping to hear the ringing of the Ikarus bells that Indrid had ordered his men to set at each gate of the kingdom, knowing that it was urgent news about Rayne’s whereabouts. Everyone was instructed to ring them if they had any information.
For twenty days she’d been waiting for a bell to toll. But she held onto a painful suspicion. When an astronomical amount of gold had been promised by Alexandal as compensation for whoever found the king, Anna grew curious about the lord that was supposed to look after her. It seemed impractical to those who were paying attention. Montague had told her that the amount was more than the combined gold in all three kingdoms. It appeared the reward was never expected to be paid. Did someone know something about Rayne’s whereabouts? she wondered. The search for the last living Volpi lacked heart. Most parties had only been doing it for the reward, and some hoped the ‘cursed boy’ would be dead if they did find him.
Just as she started packing her bags before meeting her relatives for supper, it finally happened. The southern bell rang.
Leaving her tripod behind, Anna ran three blocks to the crowded courtyard where she saw Indrid standing on the castle balcony next to Lord Alexandal and a few members of the council.
She couldn’t help it, but Anna feared the worst. Indrid would have told her before an announcement if Rayne had been found, she thought. She’d checked all of her and Rayne’s favorite places where they would spend time together. He wasn’t in the fields of their favorite farm or at any of the turrets on the castle wall. She’d even waited for him at The Ponds for hours, hoping he would show up—but he never did.
Indrid wore the bad news on his face.
Alexandal began, “Today is a bitter sweet day. As we welcome an old friend back in our sky to shine the light on land that had been deprived of our sun’s glorious rays, we come to realize a horrible truth. After three tiresome weeks, the search campaign for our would-be future king, Rayne Volpi, has ended in failure. My wife’s son is gone, and the Volpi name and bloodline is gone with him,” Alexandal said, absent of emotion. He didn’t even look at the crowd.
Twenty days, she said to herself, correcting him. And it was disturbing to hear Alexandal, her foster father, say ‘my wife’s son’, completely ignoring his own relationship to Rayne.
Indrid found her in the crowd. Anna knew that he saw the heartbreak and anger in her expression.
“If the boy ventured south beyond the ruins of Illyrium then it is safe to assume that he is dead. Our enemy has claimed that territory.” Alexandal said then paused.
The idea caused a disturbing silence. People stood in shock. Life in company with a Volpi was like a blanket for the people’s faith, providing a comfort incomparable to all. It was as if a piece of God was walking among them on Naan, watching over them and protecting them. Everyone alive today had enjoyed that divine security since the day they were born. They knew nothing else until now. If Rayne was truly gone, Anna thought, then for the first time in history, civilization will live in a world without the blood of their creator.
The Steward continued, “Although it may be hard to hear, if Rayne is gone, the Volpi bloodline is now extinct. Only time will tell. But the crown now hangs on an empty throne. I have served this kingdom for all of my life. And in Rayne Volpi’s absence, I, Alexandal Duncan, claim right to the throne and dub the house of ‘Duncan’ the leader of Men.”
Elmer Mongs clapped high above his head. Other members of the council mirrored his applause.
In the crowd, Anna saw both stunned faces and wicked smirks. Everyone looked around to see others’ reactions. It was obvious that the kingdom’s opinion about Rayne was divided. Those who deeply worshipped the Volpi bloodline fell to their knees, crying. They had been filling the temple since the king’s disappearance, praying to Gabriel to protect Rayne and bring him back safely, despite his physical differences.
Then, hiding within the crowd, Montague caught Anna’s eye. He blended in with his droopy robe, watching Alexandal speak. The despondent look on his face made Anna feel even more upset.
“By rule of the council I accept the responsibility to protect and defend the throne from foreign and domestic enemies. So help me Gabriel. I will lead Ikarus into the future as your new king!” announced Alexandal.
Next to Anna, an old woman sobbed like she was a child who’d lost her parents. She held on to her necklace tight, trembling in disbelief, and blathered over and over again, “Our lord’s blood is gone. Gabriel has forsaken us. Our lord’s blood is gone. Gabriel has forsaken us…”
Anna held back her tears and seized the woman by her shoulders. “No! God did not abandon us! Rayne is not dead.”
But Anna’s words were less than encouraging. She wasn’t
