Note: This is a gay themed fantasy novel about kings and magic, love and war. Although I will often allude to sexual encounters, there are no scenes of sexual acts for this is, by and large, a love story. This author claims exclusive copyright to the characters, settings, and plot.
Dark Wishes
M.C. Gordon
Part Two: Karandal
Chapter Sixteen
A spring thaw settled across the land the next day, the courtyard and paddocks turned to mud. The greater and lesser lords of Endril assembled in the great council hall and muttered about the weather. Some wished winter to continue until they had tended to the problem knocking at Endril's eastern door. Others were grateful, hoping that winter would truly end so fields could be plowed and the lambing tended to.
They grew silent when Trelaine entered the room with Karandal at his side. None knew what Trelaine had done but all knew what had passed in this same room the day before. They had seen Trelain in battle and knew well what this Qell Lord could do; but none could have imagined what Trelaine had done to those who had slaughtered Glencoe Village. And all feared the wrath of Miralen.
King Llewelyn held up his hand for silence and said, "Glencoe is no more. His gracious Majesty and my friend, King Trelaine of Elanen, meted out just punishment against those guilty of the crime. For the innocent he has begged mercy and aid, which I have granted. Today we will try once more to center our attention on the question of the eastern border."
Maps were studied again; plans memorized. When Llewelyn was once again assured that his men understood the strategy, he dismissed them to see to their men and provisions.
"How fare you now?" he asked of Trelaine for the King had bid those two to remain for a time. He sensed that Trelaine had been despondent in the early morning hours when he appeared like an apparition and related the fate of the mountain tribesmen.
"I am well enough to do what is required of me," Trelaine replied before he turned and walked away. Crossing the room, he leaned one arm against the stone wall and gazed out a window.
Llewelyn turned to Karandal, one eyebrow raised in question.
"He will do what must be done," Karandal answered softly.
"That I do not doubt," Llewelyn said. "I know he will do all in his power to aid in the problem besetting us on the east. That was not my question. How is he? I know what he did regards Glencoe Village troubles him. I am more concerned with the heart of my friend than the warrior he sometimes becomes."
"Would I could say," Karandal replied, concern for Trelaine written across his face. "I think he fears himself just now. It is my earnest desire that this problem with the nomads be resolved by your wishes, Majesty, by peaceful settlement if possible. I fear what harm might come to him if he has to slay again. His heart is gentle and he is greatly troubled by what his anger caused him to do."
Llewelyn released a deep breath. "Then he truly is not Miralen?" he queried.
"I do not believe so. He is still deeply troubled by what was done by his own hand. He gave me control over his wishes," Karandal admitted.
"Then you must earnestly control those wishes, young duke, if you wish to save his soul."
"I will try with all my might," Karandal responded. "As his soul belongs to me, so does mine to him."
Llewelyn studied Karandal and pondered before he spoke again. "Some hand of fate intervened when he begged me for your life. I did not know why; now I do. Bide with me until this trouble ends and I will release you to him. Enworthy will remain your charge, with your mother as Regent, until your sister marries and her heir is old enough to assume control. But you may be in Elanen with Trelaine."
Chapter Seventeen
Everything was going according to Llewelyn's plan. The men from Elanen arrived and Trelaine had his infantry and heavy horse battalions positioned for effectiveness. Kerdin's engineers had removed the wooden planking from the bridges to inhibit the enemy from crossing into Endril. Montar's light horse was scattered through the forest edge, ready to repel any who might try to ford the river.
Dawn approached and the men made their peace with each other and their creator. Llewelyn had emissaries ready to cross the river and discuss a peaceful settlement. Trelaine was with him when a messenger burst into their presence.
The man was completely distraught as he flung himself at Llewelyn's feet. "Majesties," he exclaimed. "M'Lord Karandal has been taken!"
"Is he alive, man?" Llewelyn asked.
"I believe so, but those around him are dead. I was too far removed to be of aid."
Llewelyn quickly sent for Toban, the captain of his guard. "Send men quickly to cross upriver and bring me news of Karandal" he commanded. And then he looked to Trelaine.
The High King stood before him barely breathing, his teeth tightly clenched as were his hands, until his knuckles were white. The silver of his eyes was ringed with red.
"Trelaine," Llewelyn said, "do not do that which grips your heart now. Remember that you gave Karandal power over your wishes. He would not countenance what I see in your eyes. Let me make the decisions now."
Trelaine seemed not to hear. He threw his head back and let forth a sound that no man or woman had ever heard. It echoed across the kingdom of Endril and peasants in the field stopped and grasped their talismans in fear. Warriors on both sides of the river covered their ears to stop the dreadful sound.
"I will not lose another whom I love!" echoed across the land.
Across the river, bound and gagged, Karandal heard the terrible cry of his lover. In the depths of his heart and with all his mind he thought, "No, Trelaine! I will not let you have this wish."
Two of his captors stopped and looked around.
"What was 'at?" one asked.
"Dunno," said the other, "but I din' like the sound o' it."
"Soun'ed like it's behin' us."
"Nah, from 'cross t' river t'was."
The two men looked around cautiously, not sure from whence had come the frightening sound of anger and pain.
"Soun'ed like a voice from hell. Wish t'others hadn't gone on ahead o' us."
"Curs they was, leavin' us behin' to haul along t' prisoner."
"T' prisoner!" exclaimed the other. He removed the filthy piece of rag from Karandal's mouth and asked, "W'at 'e know 'bout this?"
"You heard the voice of High King Trelaine of Elanen," he said. "He is a Qell Lord, back from the dead." He knew he told a partial truth but he had only one thought in his mind. Trelaine must not use his magic to slay. He knew his best chance of saving Trelaine lay in the possibility of his own escape.
"Back? All three?" one captor asked in a whispered voice.
"Yes. But this time they are all manifest in one body, King Trelaine, my lover."
The two drew away from Karandal in fear. Neither wished to be around when the wrath of a Qell struck. They clasped the talismans they wore around their necks and spoke together for several moments. One finally approached him cautiously. " 'Ere now, M'Lord, we was just doin' what we was tol'. If we sets 'e free could 'e tell the King we did? Me an' Dees doesn't want to spen' the res' o' forever bein' burnt alive over and over."
Karandal gave the impression of considering their offer. These men were weak and superstitious. Having set the fear in their minds that he had hoped for he replied, "I will speak with him. He might consider forgiving you for what you have done. And perhaps he will spare your lives if you tell what you know of the plans against King Llewelyn."
Set free, Karandal was running toward the river when Lord Montar's light cavalry found him. Montar dismounted and gave Karandal his horse saying, "Go, and quickly! None knows how long our King can hold the Qell Lord from seeking revenge!"
Karandal mounted and spurred the horse into action. The bay stallion was strong and swift, and Karandal silently blessed Montar. Low hanging branches whipped at his face as he drove the horse faster. He could hear Montar's men behind him, falling ever further behind in his mad dash to reach Trelaine. The stallion nearly floundered at the river, but found his footing and the strong muscles of his legs carried them across.
When Karandal reached the encampment his only thought or need was to find Trelaine. He dismounted before the horse could stop and ran toward Llewelyn's banner. What he saw struck fear into his heart. The glow he had seen that day in the council hall again surrounded his love and was fierce in its intensity. The man who was his gentle lover emanated revenge so strongly that the entire camp was alive with hatred. Not knowing what would happen, Karandal strode toward the being made of magic and the white fire that surrounded him.
"Trelaine," he said. "All is well, my love. I am returned to you safely and with no harm done to myself."
Within the circle of fire that was his lover, Karandal put his arms around Trelaine and sought the lips that he knew and loved. Slowly, painfully, Trelaine felt the touch of Karandal's body against his own.
"Are you truly safely back?" he asked.
"I am, my love," was the reply. "I am unharmed. I beg of you, nay, I demand of you to let go your anger. I deny you your wish for revenge."
The red of Trelaine's eyes glowed deep and he drew back from Karandal, rebellion blazing. He started at Karandal and shouted, "They threatened you!
I will have what I will have!"
The men near them cringed at the sound of his voice, the intensity of his anger. Karandal stood firmly in place and said quietly, "No. Not this time.
You gave me the right to deny you, and I do. Indeed, I learned the number of the enemy and their deployment against us. What was done, is done, and given us knowledge."
Trelaine slowly let his anger go, shaking as he realized that he would have called down a rain of total destruction on innocents in his zeal to have his lover safely returned. He drew Karandal to himself and held him in a tight embrace. As his anger ebbed the men began to lower their swords and the great war-horses stopped trampling the ground. Calm and reason settled once more across the encampment.
King Llewelyn was in his tent with his lords planning their next move when there was a commotion in the camp. The men drew their swords and formed a protective circle around the Kings. All save Trelaine who had grown so strong in power and strength that his sword was unnecessary.
One of the guards entered the tent and said, "Majesties, there are two men here carrying a white flag. They say they have a message for you from their leader."
Llewelyn and his men left the tent. Two thin and scruffy looking men bowed before Lleweln. "Sire," one of them said, "we come wi' a offer to parley."
"I know you," Karandal said as he stepped forward. "Your Highness, these are Dess and Rethel, the two men who set me free."
The air was suddenly split by lightning as Trelaine looked on the men who had held his lover captive. Karandal turned to look at Trelaine as a strong wind began to blow through the encampment. Going to his lover Karandal said, "No. I forbid you to harm these men. They set me free. You owe them my life."
A slight nod of Trelaine's head let Karandal know that he understood and would take no immediate action.
But his eyes were glowing red again and tendrils of white fire flicked from his body.
Llewelyn called attention to himself. "What is your message?" he asked.
"Well, We tol' t' warlord that yer man there said the Qell was alive ag'in. He thought we lied 'cause we let yer man go. But we tol' 'im that yer man said t' awful noise we heard was the Qell. So he sent us to see if it were true. An' if it were, could he meet wi' you, is w'at he said."
"And do you believe it true that King Trelaine is Qell?"
"Oh, yessir, that we do, now we seen 'im."
"And will your master come to me and speak of peace and aid for your starving people?"
"He be a willful man, Sire, but not stupid. If 'e has a Qell wi' 'e he'll be right glad for peace."
"Will he believe you when you tell him that you have seen the Qell?"
Suddenly the sky across the river was filled with a wind of fire. Tendrils of flame flicked toward the ground and the trees began to burn. The wind grew in intensity and everything across the river was engulfed in a holocaust of intense, burning heat. Just as quickly, the fire was gone and the trees untouched.
"He will now," said Trelaine.
Chapter Eighteen
The parley with Galvak, warlord of the nomads, went reasonably well. Galvak was a rough man with scars covering his face and body from his fights for supremacy among the nomadic chieftains. He came to the meeting with a haughty attitude, believing that he could win any war against the king of Endril. That is, until he saw Trelaine.
Being the king of a different kingdom and only lending his support to Llewelyn, Trelaine stood to one side during the negotiations. But, little by little, he was learning to control the powerful magic and terrible wrath that were still part of his inheritance. And so, he worked a little of his magic.
He allowed himself to feel a controlled anger at one who had endangered not only his love, but also had thought to cause pain and suffering to the gentle people of Endril. And he allowed himself to begin to glow with the white fire that he had discovered of late. He stood within that fire with his arms crossed and his legs planted firmly apart on the ground. His magic began to spread to the soldiers' horses, causing them to roll their eyes and try to pull away from their handlers. Even the dogs that ran through the encampment began to snarl and nip at one another.
And still the magic spread. Swords rattled in their scabbards. Knives that men held tucked into their belts began to move. The wind blew hard and then stopped, only to blow again.
The men who stood by Llewelyn had been forewarned that Trelaine would exert what influence he could without causing danger to any; and still they trembled at the magic wrought by the Qell Lord.
" `E's really Qell," Galvak whispered in awe.
"He is," was Llewelyn's reply. "And by his graciousness he lends me his support and protects this land. It would be ill chosen of you to attempt to wage war against us."
"My people are hungry," Galvak replied.
"And we are willing to give them food and warm clothing. The land across the river will recover quickly, for it is good land and can become rich with harvest. I have farmers and shepherds who are willing to teach your people to sow, reap, and herd."
"We be warriors!" Galvak shouted. "We bain't weaklings to sleep wi' sheep!"
The ground began to tremble and Llewelyn cast a glance at Karandal who touched his hand to Trelaine's shoulder.
"My people who farm and herd are not weaklings," Llewelyn replied quietly. "They live in the knowledge that they, their children, and their children's children, will have long and peaceful lives. I offer you a just peace and the hope for a friendship between ourselves and our people."
"And if I say no?"
"Then, Lord Galvan," Llewelyn replied, elevating the brigand to a title unknown among the nomads, "I shall loose the Qell Lord upon you." His smile was gentle but his eyes were like steel, cold and unyielding.
Galvan glanced toward Trelaine and saw tendrils of white fire begin to leap from his body and travel along the ground like walking lightning. The silver eyes were rimmed with red. And Galvan felt a chill creep through himself like nothing he had ever known before.
"I gets to keep an army?" he asked.
"If you use it wisely and well, yes."
"And `e won't turn that creature on us?"
"The king of Elanen is not a creature. He is a man. Do not call down insult on him in my presence, Lord Galvan, for he is my dearest friend. King Trelaine will do naught to harm you or any of your people so long as a treaty lasts between us. And it is well known that the last time the Qell Lords lived, they ruled for five hundred years. He will only help your people, as he will mine, when you and I are both gone to the worms and maggots."
Galvan begged leave of Llewelyn to go and consider the offer of peace. As he rode away, he glanced backward and saw the awesomeness that was Trelaine, standing within the circle of white flames.
"Do you think he will agree to peace?" Karandal asked.
"He will," Llewelyn replied. "He fears your lover far too much to deny a treaty between us."
Llewelyn placed his hand on Karandal's shoulder and said, "Bide with me a little longer, my friend. When I am assured that all is well, I will release you. Until then, go back to Enworthy and prepare your lady mother to become Regent in your stead."
Karandal bowed low before his king and kissed the right hand, which bore the seal of office. Tears began to form in his eyes as he realized that he was very near to the time when he could be with Trelaine for the rest of his life. He had no knowledge of what that life might bring, but he knew that he loved Trelaine more than life itself.
To be continued.
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