“I am Ova, sister of Rom II, of the Kingdom of Rom,” the woman with the strawberry-red hair, brown eyes, and freckles said with a slight bow. She seemed friendly and happy, yet her hand remained on her sword.
“Welcome, Rom Princess,” said Allor. He got up from his chair and walked down the three steps to her. He smiled at her. “I’ve long believed that an alliance between us is mutually beneficial.”
“Then we have grounds for agreement. I have been sent to invite you to a summit with my brother at the border between our two lands so that our alliance can be formally agreed.”
“And what do you expect to get from our alliance?” asked Allor.
“Rom II seeks to retain his kingdom and not be deposed by you or incur your wrath as was done to Pyramos.”
Allor looked at her with a slight smile.
“I like you. You are honest and speak straight.”
“And more loyal than a dog,” she added.
Allor laughed at her remark. He reached forward and put his hand out for her to take. She reached forward and put her hand in his. He turned her around.
“Lets get something to eat. Your ride was a long one,” he said as they walked toward the banquet room.
The next day they rode to the border. They were accompanied by a contingent of soldiers and priests, along with Canto and Pens.
Rom II had red hair similar to his sister’s. He was a large, round man with a red beard who wore simple clothing without the more elaborate accents of power. He smiled the moment they entered his tent.
“Welcome, brothers and sisters,” he said with a chuckle and swept his arm towards the large table filled with food.
Allor felt comfortable with Rom. Over the next few hours he was able to begin a friendship with a man he truly liked. He even liked Rom’s advisors, especially the woman known as Hul. She was smarter than most men Allor had ever met. She reminded him of MinKey, they both having the probing mind that was fast to understand and quick to use new information.
“And for the ten percent of our annual harvests and tax receipts, we will not have our borders breached by the armies of Allor,” she said during the negotiation.
“Ten percent is not much for what you are asking,” countered Canto. She looked at Allor, who gave her the emotionless look he used when he wanted her to continue but didn’t want to betray his message to her.
“It is ten percent of the wealth created by nearly six million people. That is significant. You could not bring it all into one room. If you brought just the metals it would fill a room. Rom is known for our metals. Remember, other swords break against a Rom sword.”
“Your craftsmanship is well known. It would be very beneficial to the army of Allor to be fitted with swords from the great forgers of Rom,” replied Canto.
“For a modest price we can offer our new alliance partner a thousand swords immediately,” said Hul.
“My dear Hul,” said Ova, who was sitting beside Allor. She brushed her red hair from her face and turned and looked at Allor. She spoke as she looked at him.
“If we are going to give Allor ten percent of what we produce, then we should use the thousand swords as a means of payment for this. Would this be acceptable to you, my dear?” she asked, looking at Allor.
“Definitely,” said Canto immediately. Rom laughed.
“I must warn you,” he said with a smile, “Ova has been on your side for many revs now. Since the first time she saw you.”
Ova didn’t blush, she wasn’t that type. Allor was learning that she was a woman that spoke her mind, didn’t suffer fools, and went about things directly at all times. What Ova lacked in subtlety she made up for in determination.
“I don’t remember meeting you,” Allor said.
“You didn’t,” she replied. “I came across the border in disguise to see the young healer everyone talked about. Did you know that almost half of the people you healed in Koban that day were people from Rom?”
“No, I didn’t know. But it wouldn’t have made any difference to me,” Allor said.
“She came back that day telling me about the man she intended to marry,” said Rom. “And she has set about clearing the path for it. Make no mistake, my sister is the more ambitious of us.”
Ova leaned over and spoke softly into Koven’s ear.
“And I intend to start making our babies as soon as you will let me,” she whispered.
“It would be the most peaceful means of ensuring that you can concentrate on bringing Ceros and Niddler lands under your quick control,” said Ova.
“We will bring them under quick control, regardless of a marriage,” said Pens, lifting his chin arrogantly.
“We want to help you,” replied Hul. “You will bring them the mercy of a Rom sword.”
Ova took her sword from the sheath hung on the chair she was seated in. She put the blade on the table with a loud, proud thud.
“Again, my sister might be trying too hard,” said Rom with a smile.
“I think we both benefit from sisters that are strong,” said Allor.
“Indeed we do,” said Rom with a laugh. He raised his cup of wine. “To sisters,” he said.
“To sisters,” everyone at the table toasted.
“There is only last thing to settle,” said Allor in a strong voice. He turned to Ova. “Do you agree to marry me and become my Queen?”
“Of course,” she said, and leaned over and kissed him. It was not a polite kiss, and it was long. It was so long that Rom was laughing by the time it ended.
The next morning they left to return to the capital. Ova came out of Allor’s tent in the morning humming a childhood tune.
It wasn’t far from the midway point of their journey back when the attack began. It started with a flurry or arrows that took down the soldiers riding at the front. They fell from their horses into the soft earth of the well-used road.
“For Ceros,” they heard a voice yell.
Allor quickly leapt from his horse to Ova’s, knocking her off it. They landed on the ground with him on top of her.
“Be still and be safe,” he said to her. She watched the arrows deflect from his back and felt the strange tingling when she touched him.
Canto and Pens were attacked by archers in the trees lining the road. Pens responded with his sword and defiance.
“Come down and face me, you cowards,” he said as a volley of arrows broke and deflected as they hit his PPS shield. A moment later he was cloaked.
They heard a horn blow. And with it came dozens of men with swords.
“Hold my hand,” said Allor to Ova. “You will be invisible as long as you stay in touch with me.”
“Yes, my love,” said Ova as she grabbed his hand like a baby grabs its mother’s finger. They stood up.
“Where did they go?” yelled one of the archers in the tree.
“It is his sorcery. Keep shooting where they were, then sweep left and right of it,” came a shouted reply.
“We need to go,” said Allor as one of the arrow hit his PPS shield and the outline of it was revealed.
“There they are,” yelled a voice, and a moment later dozens of arrow began to hit the PPS shield.
“Remain calm and remain alive,” Allor said to Ova, who responded by squeezing his hand harder.
“I won’t let you go, ever,” she responded.
The arrows stopped and the swords came as men ran towards them and began striking the shield with their swords. Many of the swords broke when they struck the impenetrable barrier.
“When can we attack?” asked Ova, her sword in her free hand.
“We can’t,” said Allor as he pulled her forward and over towards the edge of the road.
“Death to Ceros,” they heard Pens yell as his sword cut off the head of one of the attackers.
“Stay shielded,” Allor yelled to him.
“No, my Lord. I must finish these Ceros scum to honor the memory of Mother Tal,” Pens yelled in reply.
“Death to Ceros,” they heard Canto yell as she too began to take heads from the attackers.
Allor and Ova moved to the side of the road. The swords swung hard but found nothing and struck the ground. Allor took Ova off the road and deep into the trees. He gave her the cloaking medallion.
“Go over there,” he said to her, pointing at some big bushes filling the void between two trees. “You will not be seen but you can be hurt, so stay in the bushes until I call for you.”
“Will you be at risk, my love?” she asked him.
“No,” he replied.
Ova took the medallion and ran towards the trees. Without it, Allor became visible, and many voices shouted when they saw him. Arrows began to strike his PPS shield as he walked back to the road. When he jumped the drainage ditch back onto the road, he could hear the sound of Canto’s voice.
“Set your shield to low. Draw them in and I will deal with them,” she said.
“No. Keep your shield on,” Allor said.
“Sorry, Brother,” she said.
As one of the men ran towards Allor with his sword held high, his head fell from his shoulders like it was never attached to it. The man’s body fell at the feet of Allor. For an instant the outline of Canto’s sword became visible before disappearing again.
“Turn on your shield,” Allor said again.
“This is for my mother,” said Canto as she ran her sword through another attacker.
“This is for our village,” she said as she killed her next.
“I am here to help you escape from this,” Allor said desperately. “Let them come to me while you get away.”
“This is for the man I loved,” said Canto as the next man fell to the ground.
Pens climbed a tree to get to one of the archers. The yelling of the attackers covered the sound of the branches cracking under his weight. He was less than two maatars from the lead archer.
The arrow from the archer found Canto’s back between her shoulder blades. It went completely through her. The tip came out the front of her body. She fell to the ground. Allor could not see his dying sister lying less than five maatars from his feet as another man broke his sword over the protective shield.
Pens could see the blood on the arrow and congratulated the archer before he cut his throat and pushed his body from the tree.
As Pens climbed down from the tree, he saw the first burst from an energy weapon. It came from across the road back in the trees. It struck the man with the sword trying to pierce Allor’s shield. Then another weapon fired from a different place on the other side of the road.
“They have brought their devils with them,” yelled a voice.
Less than a tox later, the remaining attackers were running away. The site of the attack was littered with bodies of the fallen. It took Allor too long to find Canto. The fast-acting poison on the arrows had proven stronger than the Lord God Allor.