decisions would be the right ones, regardless of his doubt. No, the thing that upset Aurelia most about Harruq’s role as steward was the sheer loneliness it brought about in her.
“Mommy, look!” Aubrienna called, pulling her from her thoughts. She sat on the edge of a fountain in one of the castle’s many gardens. Aubrienna and Gregory played on the far side. They’d been chasing each other with wooden weapons, Gregory wielding a sword, Aubby a wand, but the toys now lay in the grass. It seemed a new game had piqued their interests.
“Careful of thorns,” Aurelia told them, seeing they had begun picking flowers. Aubrienna was the one taking charge of things, as she often did. Aurelia watched as her daughter began putting the small daisies into Gregory’s hair, the little girl frowning every time they didn’t stick. Gregory mostly let her, trusting her implicitly. The sight put a smile on Aurelia’s face, and she wished Harruq could watch as Gregory finally grabbed a tulip and yanked it free so he could place it atop of Aubrienna’s head. Both giggled as it fell off, landing on the stone walkway.
“I’ll get it!” Aubrienna said, reaching down and then handing it to Gregory.
“Thanks,” Gregory said, beginning his second attempt to place the flower in her hair. “Now you stay still. Stay!”
Aurelia leaned her chin on her palm. Her husband’s long hours left her alone, for being at Harruq’s side when he made his judgments risked undermining his authority. It wasn’t as if the people of Mordeina mistrusted her, she knew that. If anything, she was beloved, more so than the actual queen. Current fashions in the city had already begun to mimic the dresses she wore, becoming more elven in style. Harruq’s popularity hadn’t waned either, but things had already grown uneasy. He needed to convince everyone from lords to beggars that he was competent enough to rule as steward. Too many knew of Susan’s involvement already. If the general populace realized how much of a puppet ruler Harruq actually was, it’d render everything they’d done pointless. His public dealings with the people were therefore of the utmost importance.
So she stayed with her daughter, letting Aubrienna’s light and happiness brighten her own dull existence in the city of humans as they passed the hours together until her husband fled the throne for their embrace.
“That’s enough,” Aurelia said, glancing up to see over a dozen flowers now uprooted and laying about. They both looked her way, frowns on their faces, and she realized how harshly she’d reprimanded them. She let out a sigh, berating herself for taking out her frustrations on the children. It simply wasn’t fair. Aubby missed her father just as much as she did.
“We were…we were just playing with the flowers,” Aubrienna said, as if explaining it would clear everything up.
Aurelia stood and wandered their way, smiling to show she wasn’t upset.
“It is all right,” she said. “But I don’t want you playing with the flowers anymore. The gardeners work very hard to make them grow so beautiful.”
Aubrienna looked around, as if unsure if she were in trouble or not. Gregory had no such need.
“I’m sorry,” he said, eyes to the ground. Whether necessary or not, he’d decided apologizing was a good way to head off a paddling. The castle servants were hesitant to lay a hand on the little kingling, but Aurelia had no such reservations. In her mind, the last thing Mordan needed was a brat for an heir, not that there was any real danger of that. Gregory was such a sweet child. It was Aubby who was the real troublemaker. Aurelia blamed Harruq for that, naturally.
“It’s all right,” she said, kneeling down before them so she might look them in the eye. “How about we go get something to eat, hrm? I bet Merelda has something nice brewing in the kitchen just for you two.”
The promise of sweets sparked their eyes alight, and Aurelia grinned. Perhaps a sweetcake might help her own mood.
She offered them her hands, then froze. It was as if she had suddenly gone blind, but not in her eyes. The sense of magic within her, the connection with the weave of her goddess that granted her power, vanished. Replacing it was a pulsing emptiness coupled with a vague feeling of unease. Without thinking she grabbed the arms of both children and yanked them to the ground while ducking her own head.
Two darts plinked into the stone beyond her, careened wildly before landing in the grass. Aurelia’s eyes widened as she stared at their sharpened points, the tips dripping with some sort of cloudy liquid.
“Stay down,” Aurelia whispered, fear and fury overwhelming her initial surprise.
There were two entrances to the garden, one on the east wall, one to the south. Aurelia had the children ducking behind a white marble ledge, its top decorated with dozens of potted flowers. They were on the far side, nearly equidistant from either entrance. She flexed her fingers, thinking to summon a portal to escape, but the magic didn’t come to her. It was as if she were underwater trying to gasp for breath.
Gregory began to cry, and Aubby’s face was scrunching up and turning red, frightened tears about to release from her as well. Aurelia lunged for the first thing she could use as a weapon: Gregory’s wooden sword. In her hands it was more of a dagger, but the wood was solid, and she peered over the ledge to scan for their would-be assassins. There were three of them, one at each door plus a third rushing through the garden, two glinting daggers in hand. All three were dressed in the strangest garb, their clothes a mixture of reds and grays. Their faces were covered with a dark gray cloth, revealing only their eyes and hair.
The one at the door to her right caught her looking and flung another dart. Aurelia ducked, her heart pounding as panic threatened to overwhelm her-not for herself, but for Gregory and Aubrienna. If only she had her magic. She had her training with Harruq from their sparring years ago, instilling moderate ability to defend herself with her staff. But against skilled assassins, wielding only a child’s toy, what chance did she have?
Preparing herself for the end, she swept her eyes over the two children, and as she did she caught sight of a strange spherical object not far away from her, lying in the grass. Its surface was made of obsidian, and it was heavily cracked. From those cracks pulsed a rainbow of colors, almost like a heartbeat. Without thinking, without daring to fear for her safety, she lunged out into the open for it. The nearest assassin was almost upon her, and in response to her unexpected motion the man twisted, kicked off the ledge she’d hidden behind, and continued after her. Aurelia spun in air, lashing out with the wooden sword. It clipped the man’s thrust, shoving it harmlessly aside.
When she landed she grabbed the sphere, surprised to discover how light it was. With all her strength she hurled it toward the nearest doorway, then rolled. Daggers thudded into the grass. Coming out of her roll, she let out a gasp. With the object’s removal she felt her magic returning into her like floodwaters rushing through a broken dam. Feeling more alert, more whole, she bared her teeth and stretched out her hands toward the leaping assassin. Lightning shot from her fingers, crackling with energy. The hit halted him in midair, spinning his upper body backward. When he landed she struck him again, the electricity arcing about his body.
“Close your eyes!” Aurelia screamed at the children. Gregory would see nothing, what with his fists pressed against his face, but Aubrienna had been watching even as she cried. Praying her daughter would listen, Aurelia stood, summoning an invisible energy shield to block any more darts the assassins might throw. But the two men at the doors apparently had new tricks in mind.
A ball of fire burned through the air, aimed straight for Aurelia’s chest. It struck her shield and detonated, swirling outward in a thin line, consuming the nearby plants and blackening the vases. Aurelia managed to duck beneath the flames just in time, only to see the other assassin outstretch his hand. Twin glowing orbs arced out, veering over her cover and slamming through her shield with ease. She let out a cry as they struck her chest. The pain was intense, and she fell back to the ground. Writhing, she bit her tongue in an attempt to focus. The two orbs had caused no physical damage. They were just trying to keep her down long enough to finish her.
The bite to her tongue didn’t work, but hearing the two children crying did. The fools wanted a sorcerer’s duel? Then so be it. She’d faced an enraged Tessanna, stood toe-to-toe against the prophet. These assassins? They had picked the wrong target.
Shoving herself to her feet, she raised her hands and summoned the most powerful protection spells she knew. Fire and ice crashed against her shields, burning more plants and spreading frost along the ground, but nothing could penetrate. Aurelia’s fingers danced, and she allowed herself a smile.
“You want fire?” she asked. “Then have it.”
A great stream burst from her gathered palms, belching out as if from the belly of a dragon. It filled the doorway, easily overwhelming the man’s attempt at a magical shield. When it subsided, his body was but blackened ash. Turning to the other, she saw him fleeing.
“Not so fast,” she said through clenched teeth, summoning a swirling blue portal. Its location wasn’t far. Stepping through, she reemerged at the end of the hallway the final assassin had attempted to flee down. He
