Avandor's Gift

“Where is Garima now?” I asked the grimy-faced soldier standing in front of me.

“We don’t know Your Majesty. We followed her as far as the east wall and then she just seemed to disappear.” He said with his eyes downcast.

“Disappeared, hmm, isn’t that just inconvenient.” I said as I pulled the corners of my mouth down with my fingers. “You are dismissed.” I said shooing him away. He bowed once and left.

We were sitting in the room called Avandor’s gates. I thought about what it meant to my predecessor. The last time I had been here, I had killed Margaret and forced Noräin to plunge a knife in my stomach. That was the first time I told her that I loved her. How long ago that seemed.

“I can now see why he would have a room like this, the incompetence of these men is reprehensible,” I muttered.

“I hope you refer not to me Your Majesty.” said Tarrus who had appeared beside me seemingly out of nowhere.

“I am already without proper bearings in this new life and you at the moment are the only stable things around me. I am not yet sure that is good or otherwise, but time will reveal all.” I said. “I assume that you are here to speak about your theory.”

“No, quite another matter actually. Garima, what is your plan for her?”

“Capture her, kill her if necessary.”

“No, you are going to marry her.”

“I am sorry; I am going to do what now?”

“Your country needs this alliance. It is time that you stop thinking of yourself and what you want. You need to put Gé Addar first. That is what it means to be king.”

“Except that I am not king, my brother is. When he returns what will he think about me marrying a princess, an ugly one, which he will be forced to take as his wife.”

“You should learn to look deeper for beauty Gareth. Besides, Evander isn’t coming back.” He said bluntly.

“What do you mean that he isn’t coming back?” I said sitting upright.

“It is no coincidence that you were brought back. You are here to take his place.”

“And if I don’t want it?”

“You want it. You have killed innocents to be here. It was all you dreamed of for a long time.”

“I am not the same person I was then. My goals have changed.” I said turning away. “Besides, how do you know what Evander is up to?”

“You told me when you mentioned Sulna.”

“I don’t understand.” I conceded.

“You have been hearing voices and seeing strange things recently haven’t you?”

“Yes.” He nodded while wearing an all-knowing expression.

“What was the last thing that you saw?”

“Trees. Lots of trees, but they aren’t like the ones here. They seemed to glow and point to something.” I said as I recalled the last dream I had about two nights ago.

“You and Evander have become connected somehow. You see what he does and hear what he says and that is how I know that your brother isn’t coming back. He is in Agden and if he accomplishes what I think he set out to do he will never return to Gé Addar.”

“Why do you think that he will fail?”

“It is not a matter of failure or success, then again, maybe it is. If he succeeds he will become Grey Mage of the changelings once more, this time permanently. If he fails he dies. Either way he may never return. This kingdom, whether you want it or not Gareth, is yours.”

I was about to respond but another vision came in front of me. I felt a sudden explosion of pain that jolted me right off the chair. My skin felt like it was on fire.

“Gareth, Gareth, what is it?” I heard Tarrus but sounded like he was an eternity away.

“It’s Evander, something is wrong.” I said through closed teeth. The invisible flames seared my skin. He touched me but the fire only got worse.

“Gareth,” he called but I couldn’t answer as the fire burned from within. Nothing else seemed to matter. The room disappeared and all I saw was light. Bright, blinding light.