Chapter 111
The sun jumped up from the horizon. The King of Patire strolled down to Chambert’s gate. The Patirean soldiers watched their new king disappeared through the gates, then reappear at the top of a sand coloured tower. Beside him was a red-skinned man;
‘He is younger than in my dream,’ said Leon.
‘And taller,’ said Theodore.
‘The smile is the same.’
‘And the eyes.’
The soldiers of Patire recognized the man and the dream on the wall and were filled with pride when Pierre hugged King Rederico of Patire.
‘Rederico?’ asked Pierre.
‘Funny thing, that F,’ said Rederico. ‘Someday I’ll tell you the story.’
Neville met them at the tower and shook Rederico’s hand.
‘I need advice,’ said Rederico of Patire. ‘I wasn’t born to be king and I know our purpose is to reunify Franária, so Patire shouldn’t really have a crown. Pierre, I’d like to abdicate in your name.’
Rederico was going to say more, but Pierre interrupted:
‘No.’
Neville turned to him.
‘You are our best, maybe only, option.’ He said to Pierre.
‘No,’ said Pierre.
‘Either way,’ said Rederico, ‘I don’t think I should give away the crown now. I think my people needs a moment of stability and I’m afraid they may be proud of me. Don’t ask me how that happened.’
‘I don’t have to,’ said Neville.
It was much later when Rederico understood that it had been a compliment. At the moment, he continued:
‘I’d like to bring Patire to Chambert, even if only to scare Henrique, but I’d like to give these soldiers some time to remember that I’m no real king.’
‘Make na oath to Pierre in front of everyone,’ said Neville.
‘No,’ said Pierre. ‘I’m not a king.’
‘If you saw the way Patirean soldiers look at me,’ said Rederico, ‘you would know that they would never allow me to bow to a mere king. They won’t take anything less than a Frontier Mystery.’
‘I’m neither knig nor mystery,’ Pierre raised his hand to his shirt pocket and took from it a red plaque the size of his hand. It captured the sun, shaping light into flame.
‘That...’
‘Is a cale,’ said Pierre. He gave it to Rederico.
It wasn’t cold. The scale had the texture of tree bark, but it was unbreakable and very light.
‘Rederico, for what you’ve done today, and Neville, for what you’ve been doing all this time, I accept the role you give me at this moment. But keep in mind that my real mission is Chelag’Ren.’
Rederico returned the scale to Pierre and, that evening, Patire, Chambert and also Baynard witnessed King Rederico of Patire kneel before Pierre of Chambert.
In Baynard’s royal tent, Henrique held the tarpaulin open and, together with Maëlle, saw Rederico kneel. Then Chambert swallowed the army of Patire.
‘You asked me what to do,’ said Maëlle. ‘There is your answer.’
Last night, Henrique had dreamed with orchids.
‘Maëlle, why didn’t you kill me?’
He let the tarpaulin down, and went back inside the tent.
‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘I think I didn’t feel I had the right, after everything I said to my son and husband. Part of me didn’t, and still doesn’t, believe that killing a friend is a solution.’
A friend? Henrique tried to see himself through her eyes. What he was now, what he had been. He remembered the feeling of power and pride watching soldiers kneeling at his feet; The illusion of safety and, yes, even happiness in those times before Olivier lost his wife, before the captain lost his legs. Henrique had been boastful, proud, a fool.
A friend.
‘Send a messenger to Chambert,’ said Henrique. ‘Tell them I’d like to abdicate.’
‘I’ll go there myself,’ said Maëlle. For she had seen her son beside the Frontierman.