A Rule of Queens

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

Darius slashed and slashed, the click-clack of his wooden sword piercing the air as he blocked blows alternately from Raj and Desmond, each attacking him from both sides. They were driving him back, and he was working up a sweat as he sparred with them, doing his best to fend off one blow after the next. The sun was setting after a long day of labor, and as they had nearly every day during this last moon cycle, Desmond, Raj and Darius sparred, letting out all their aggression for the Empire, all their frustration with their taskmasters, on swordplay.

On the sidelines, Dray sat there, watching every slash, snarling at Darius’ attackers every time they landed a blow. Clearly he wanted to pounce, but Darius had finally taught him to sit there and watch patiently. Yet his snarling filled the air, and Darius did not know when he would finally snap and defy his command. He was so loyal to Darius, as Darius was to he, that there was no controlling him.

Over the last moon cycle, Darius and Raj and Desmond had become close friends, the two older boys determined to make Darius a better fighter. It was working. Darius felt his arms and shoulders grow tired, but not as tired as they had been in days before; and while in the past days too many of their blows slipped past, today he managed to block their blows as they attacked relentlessly.

Back and forth they went, Darius blocking side to side, spinning around after blocking one high blow and even venturing to fight back, slashing. He felt himself getting stronger, quicker, more confident. He knew that as their friendship deepened, so had his skills in combat.

Darius was concentrating, finding a weak point in Raj’s strike, about to land his first blow—when suddenly, a girl’s voice cut through the air.

“Darius!”

Darius, distracted, turned at the sound, and as he did, he lowered his guard and received a mighty blow on the ribcage.

He cried out and scowled at Raj.

“Unfair!” he said.

“You let down your guard,” Raj said.

“I was distracted.”

“In battle,” Desmond said, “your enemy hopes for distractions.”

Darius turned, annoyed, and was surprised to see who had been summoning him. To his shock, there was Loti, fast approaching, looking distraught. He was even more surprised to see her eyes were red from crying.

Darius was baffled; he hadn’t seen her for the entire moon cycle, and he was certain she never wanted to see him again. He didn’t understand why she had sought him out now, or why she was so distraught.

“I must speak with you,” she said.

She was so upset her voice broke, and he could see the agony across her face, deepening the mystery.

Darius turned slowly and looked at Raj and blank.

They nodded back, understanding.

“Another day,” Raj said.

They turned and walked off, and Darius and Loti were left standing alone in the clearing, facing each other.

Darius walked toward her, and she surprised him by running into his arms, embracing him, and hugging him tight. She cried over his shoulder as she did. He didn’t know what to make of it; the ways of women were endlessly mysterious to him.

“I’m so sorry,” Loti said, crying, over his shoulder. “So sorry. I am such a fool. I don’t know why I was so mean to you. You saved my life. I never thanked you for it.”

Darius hugged her back, holding her tight. It felt so good to have her in his arms, and he felt redeemed to hear this, after all they had gone through. All the suffering and anguish and disappointment and confusion he had felt over the last moon cycle began to melt away. She really did love him after all. As much as he loved her.

“Why didn’t you—” he began.

But she cut him off, leaning back and raising a finger.

“Later,” she said. “For now, I have urgent business.”

She cried again, and he looked into her face, wondering, then reached out and held her chin.

“Tell me,” he said. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

She paused for a long time, looking down, then finally she looked up and met his eyes.

“I killed one of them today,” she said, her voice deadly serious.

Darius saw the seriousness in her eyes and knew this was no joke. His stomach dropped, realizing.

She nodded back, confirming it.

“They tried to harm my brother,” she explained. “I couldn’t stand by. Not anymore. Not today.”

She broke into tears.

“Now the Empire will come for me,” she said. “For all of us.”

Now Darius understood why she had sought him out; he pulled her to him, and she held him and cried over his shoulder as he held her tight. He felt sympathy for her, as well as compassion—and most of all, a newfound sense of respect. He admired her actions.

He pulled her back and looked at her meaningfully.

“What you have done,” he said, “was an act of honor. Of courage. An act that even men were afraid to do. You should not feel shame—you should feel pride. You saved your brother’s life. You saved all of our lives. We might all die. But now, thanks to you, we will all die with vengeance, with honor in our lives.”

She looked at him, and she wiped away her tears and he could see he had comforted her; yet her face flashed with concern.

“I don’t know why I came to you first,” she said. “I guess I thought…that you would understand. You among all of them.”

He clasped her hands.

“I do understand,” he said. “More than I could say.”

“I must tell them now,” she said. “I must tell all the elders.”

Darius took her hand in his and looked at her meaningfully.

“I vow by the sun and the stars, by the moon and the earth below it. No harm shall befall you while I live.”

She looked into his eyes, and he could feel her love for him, a love spanning centuries. She embraced him, leaning in close and whispered into his ear, the very words he had been longing to hear:

“I love you.”