Part 19 (1/2)
”I've come to stop it,” I tell her with complete confidence.
Olivia smiles and I see a look of approval enter her eyes. ”Then I whole heartedly support your efforts. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know.”
”If you could lend me your support when I make my demand to Lorcan,” I tell her, ”I would appreciate it.”
”You have my full sponsors.h.i.+p,” Olivia says, her eyes leaving my face to look at the cage Kyna is imprisoned in. ”The sooner we get her out of that thing the better.”
”Agreed,” I say.
Suddenly, the music being played comes to an abrupt halt, and the people in the room stop dancing. Complete silence reigns as I turn back around to see what those around me are staring at on the other end of the room.
I see Lorcan Halloran standing in front of an enormous black obsidian throne chair. He's wearing a dark grey wool suit with the lower half of the sleeves and pants made of black leather. The jacket collar is double layered with the same black leather as a separate, underlying collar.
”Greetings,” Lorcan says as his eyes narrow on me. His face is a lesson in complete control.
With this one word uttered by their emperor, the people of Stratus act as though it were a command for them to gather against the sides of each wall. Their parting clears an un.o.bstructed path between my small group and Lorcan.
”I must say,” Lorcan continues, ”I don't remember extending an invitation to our little soiree to such....esteemed guests, two empresses and an overlord no less. How generous of you all to grace us with your presence and come to personally wish Kyna and I well in our upcoming nuptials. Don't you think it was thoughtful of them, my dear?”
Lorcan looks up at Kyna in her gilded cage with a c.o.c.ky smirk. If Kyna's voice were audible, I'm sure we would have all heard some choice words from the princess in answer to her brother's question.
I begin to make my way down the room towards Lorcan, which immediately draws his attention back to me. Malcolm and Brutus walk slightly behind and on either side of me. Olivia trails behind us, giving me the lead in our little processional.
I don't say anything as I walk towards Lorcan, and my continued silence has the desired effect. The closer I get the less sure of himself he looks. If I had respected his rule as Emperor of Stratus, the code of conduct all rulers abide by would have dictated that I speak to him by now. However, my continued silence shows to those present that I do not respect his status or his rule. In some circ.u.mstances, it could ignite a war, but in this instance, I'm only looking for a battle.
Once I stand in front of him, I stare Lorcan in the eyes until he backs down and glances away. His action tells me exactly what I need to know. Deep down inside his shallow exterior is a coward of the worst sort. It's a trait I plan to exploit to the fullest.
”It's been a long time since I saw you last, Lorcan,” I finally say. ”I had a hard time believing you actually intended to marry your own sister. So I came to verify your ridiculous intentions for myself.”
”Our union will yield a pure-blooded Halloran to carry on the family line,” Lorcan says, sounding self-righteous about such a fact. ”Perhaps we'll start a new trend among the royal families. They should be more careful in protecting their own bloodlines in such a way. It might prevent people of,” Lorcan looks me up and down scathingly, ”lesser ancestries from polluting the strength of future leaders.”
”And what does your sister think about such an arrangement?” I ask, hearing Kyna rattle the bars of her cage letting me and everyone in the room know exactly what she thinks about her brother's malevolent plans for her future. ”Well, I guess that answers my question.”
”Kyna simply doesn't see the brilliance in my plan yet,” Lorcan answers. ”But after our wedding night, I'm sure she won't have any complaints.”
Some of the people in attendance snicker at Lorcan's crude comment, making me wish I could turn on them and slap some reason into them. I don't understand why they desire to see Kyna suffer at the hands of her brother.
”When I was a child,” I say, slowly tugging at the tips of the glove on my right hand with my left one. ”Empress Catherine made sure I understood the laws within each cloud city. There is one here in Stratus, even though it is a bit on the archaic side, that I remember quite distinctly. It's a little something called 'wager of battle'.”
I completely pull off my glove and throw it down in front of Lorcan's booted feet.
The look on Lorcan's face tells me he has no idea what the significance of the glove at his feet holds.
”I'm afraid I'm not very familiar with that law,” Lorcan admits, looking up from the glove back into my eyes.
”The law states that anyone can challenge a peer of equal rank to a duel to settle a dispute,” I say.
”I wasn't aware Stratus had a dispute with Cirrus,” Lorcan says snidely.
”I have a dispute with you,” I tell him, not trying to hide the disgust I feel for him from my voice. ”I accuse you of forcing your sister into an unholy matrimony that most people with any self-respect,” I say looking at some of the party's attendees, ”would speak up against. But since the people of Stratus seem to be willing to overlook your transgression against Kyna, I feel it's my duty to speak on her behalf and act as her champion.”
”I don't believe Kyna asked you for such a thing,” Lorcan says, fully understanding what it is I'm asking for now.
I look up at Kyna in her gilded cage to make sure she's looking down at me.
”Princess Kyna Halloran,” I call up to her, ”do you agree to have me act as your champion in this matter?”
Kyna looks hesitant and worried by my request. It's obvious she doesn't understand why I would want to wager her freedom on an act of physical combat against her brother. To ease her worry, I wink at her. I see her shoulders sag a bit letting me know that some of her worry has been put aside for the moment. Slowly, she begins to nod her head in acquiescence to my request.
I look back at Lorcan.
”Since the princess accepts me as her champion, you need to pick between one of two options, Lorcan. Either you can pick up the glove I've lain at your feet and accept my challenge to resolve this issue by combat, or you can graciously accept defeat and allow me to take Kyna away from this place. The choice is yours. Personally, I hope you pick the glove up. I haven't had a good fight in a while.”
Lorcan's face turns blood red. I can't determine if it's from embarra.s.sment or anger. Though, it might simply be a result of both emotions playing across his face.
Lorcan slowly crouches to the floor and gingerly picks up my glove.
”I accept your challenge, Empress Anna,” he says, rising back to his full height.
”Since I'm the one who gave the challenge,” I say, ”you are allowed to choose which weapons we use.”
”Swords,” Lorcan says without hesitation.
It was what we expected. Abaddon would think his weapon gave him an advantage over me.
”Swords it is then,” I say. ”And as the impartial referee in our duel, I suggest we use Empress Olivia since she is the only other person of our rank in attendance.”
”Whatever,” Lorcan says indifferently. ”Will this be a fight to the death?”
I hear a combined gasp issue from the crowd around us at such a suggestion.
”If you wish,” I tell him, ”though, if you find that you would rather live than die, you can use the code word from the old days to declare you have been vanquished by your opponent and still keep your head.”
”And what word would that be?” Lorcan asks c.o.c.kily, like he has no doubt he will win the fight and have no need of its use.
”Craven,” I tell him. ”If Empress Olivia hears either of us say it, she will call an end to the fight.”
”And when shall we have this fight?” He asks.
”I see no reason to delay,” I tell him. ”How about now?”
”As you wish,” Lorcan says, a touch of madness in his voice as he stares down at me.
I sense Malcolm phase away from my side, but he returns less than five seconds later with my sword in hand.
I turn towards Malcolm and take my sword from him. Malcolm pulls me up against him and kisses me for all of Stratus to see. I hear some gasps of surprise but could care less what these people think of me. I have absolutely no respect for any of them. They were willing to allow Lorcan to enter into an incestuous union with his sister. If they think I'm morally corrupt because Malcolm is simply my lover in their eyes, so be it.