Ascension (Unbound Prophecy Book 1) Read online

  Daneele stopped, taking her by the arm and turning her toward him, “What you don’t understand and never seem to want to hear, Violissa, is that there are certain protocols we all must follow. When will you realize this? The treaty clearly states that we do not cross each other’s territorial lines until the marriage is sanctified. The law was created to protect us from Sinow if the union didn’t go as planned. Clearly, he is already powerful enough to pass through the boundary, and he hasn’t even ascended.” He paused, giving her one of his scolding looks before continuing. “We are bound to the laws, Violissa. If the king had found you on his land, he would’ve had to declare war upon violation of the treaty. Although prior to today, this was never a possibility since they’ve never been able to get through the boundary without our help. You and Sinow have now proven that problem no longer exists. This is not some kind of game, Violissa; the people are counting on you. We’re counting on you. It’s time to step up and fulfill the role you were destined to have.”

  She wanted to argue that Sinow would be on their soil for her ascension and that didn’t seem to be invoking a war, but she knew he would reason that it was a mutual decision on both sides, so it didn’t count. She sighed. “Are you done with the lecture Daneele?”

  He threw his hands in the air. “Curse the Fates for making you so stubborn. Yes, I suppose I am. Now, tell me three things, how in the name of the Fates did you bring Sinow here, how did he make it through the border, and does what I interrupted in there mean you’ve come to your senses?”

  She laughed despite herself. “Amazing how quickly you get derailed. I’m really not sure how I brought him here.” She began walking down the long corridor again, linking her hands behind her back as she thought about what she’d done to call him. “I surmised since we were so central to the prophecy that there might be some link between us from the Fates, so I focused my mind and called to him. Oh, Daneele, it was amazing, I went beyond you and the Council, past our people, through the barrier and into the Dark realm. I touched the minds of their people, skimmed past them until I found Sinow. Then I called him. I felt his mind touch mine, so I knew that he felt and heard me. Then I simply led him here and somehow, he was able to follow. That’s it.”

  “That’s it?” Daneele had stopped again and was staring at her. “Do you realize what you’ve done? The power and control you must have had to do such a thing? This is unprecedented.” She watched with amusement as his excitement and astonishment grew.

  “Violissa, it is extremely rare for anyone to use enaigne beyond the Council, very rare. What you’ve done by going beyond our realm is unheard of. The amount of power you must have is far greater than we’ve anticipated. I could say the same for Sinow. There should be no way he could have crossed the boundary. None of us has that kind of power. None, that is but apparently you and Sinow.” He stopped the pacing he’d begun moments earlier. “I don’t think any of us is prepared for what the ascension will bring today. We’ve underestimated the sheer volume of magic you have. The rest of the Council needs to know, so we can prepare.”

  She grabbed his arm as he started to hurry away. “No, they cannot know. You said that yourself. They don’t need to know. I don’t want the treaty violated this close to the ascension. Wait until afterwards and we’ll all discuss it.”

  “Violissa, really, I think it’s safe to say they’ll be aware of it by then. They’ve not been witness to the prince’s presence here and need not know. You’ll simply leave that tasty tidbit for later discovery and just reveal that you were able to contact him. Now, speaking of tasty, tell me why I spied you seconds from falling into the prince’s arms, to put it delicately. Have you changed your mind and given up your hopeless quest to defy the Fates?”

  He had pulled out of her grip and scooped his arm around hers, ushering her down the hall toward the front of the castle. He always had a way of changing the subject in just the right spot, and it always worked.

  She huffed then sighed as she stopped resisting his forward movement and picked up pace alongside him.

  “No, I have not changed my mind and don’t even get me started on that subject. But…he might be growing on me. There’s a bit more to him than I thought there would be, and he certainly is something to look at. And boy can he…” she had to stop herself before she let too much out. She didn’t want Daneele to know about the dreams they’d shared. She knew she was blushing, so she tried not to look at him. “Anyway, so you think it’s safe to mention my new enaigne abilities to the remaining Council?” she asked, quickly switching subjects.

  He gave a loud laugh. “You’ve learned well from me, child.”

  The next few hours were like a blur. The Council met with her once more, and during that meeting they discussed her experience with Sinow. Certain details, of course, were omitted to avoid any consequences. The Council had been floored by her revelation that she’d spoken to Sinow across the realms. They worried, as had Daneele, that the full power she would receive through the ascension had been underestimated. Anwell proposed they add certain measures to the ceremony to protect the people. No one knew what effects the ascension would have on her or the vicinity around her. There was normally a wave of energy as the power joined with the king’s or, as in Violissa’s case, the queen’s inherent powers. The blast was enough to throw anyone standing near the king far from where they were standing. Some records even indicated that the ground had shaken and trees had felled. Since the likes of Violissa’s power had never been seen, they could only assume her ascension would be unlike any before her. They were only guessing, but since the prophecy had also alluded to how great her gifts would be, it stood to reason they should be prepared. It was agreed upon that the viewing area would be moved back and a magical barrier placed before the people to ensure no accidental casualties.

  With the meeting adjourned, Cyric ran through the ceremony with her one last time. All was prepared, and she was alerted the crowds had assembled. People had come from across the realm to witness the event, some traveling days to be there. Daneele and Cyric had left to meet Sinow and his chosen Council. She took one last look at her reflection in a window after everyone had left, took a deep breath, gathering her strength. The tingling through her limbs had escalated as Sinow had said it would. She could barely keep her hands from jerking uncontrollably. The whirring in her head was deafening, and the only sounds she could distinctly make out at this point were voices close to her. All other sounds were drowned out. It was all enough to make her vomit but since she had been too out of sorts to eat today, there was nothing in her to bring up.

  Good thing, too. It’d be a shame to ruin such a pretty dress, she thought. She lifted her head and closed her eyes. Sinow had arrived. Although he was well enough away from where she was in the castle, she still sensed his presence. It was eerie, the connection they seemed to have to one another.

  “Best to get on with it,” she muttered. “Wouldn’t do to be late and have the whole damned thing take place whilst here by myself!”

  With that, Violissa shifted outside to embrace her destiny.

  Sixteen

  When Sinow arrived at the realm border with Keary, Daneele and Cyric were waiting for them. Aside from this morning’s incident, no Darkbearer had passed over the border since it had been raised. It took the magic of both Dark and Light to allow someone to cross either way. He still wasn’t sure how he’d been able to enter when Vi had called him. Sinow placed his hand up to the magical barrier as Daneele did the same. They both uttered the spell of Disruptance and the barrier quivered, then disappeared. They’d only opened a gateway large enough for them to cross; it would have taken the magic of both Councils with Vi and himself to remove the entire border or at least that’s what was theorized.

  They all nodded to each other, then the two Lightbearers shifted, and Sinow and Keary picked up the trail and shifted to follow. They came to a broad meadow or what he assumed must have been
a meadow for now it was filled with a mass of Cirillians. He’d never seen so many people gathered in one place. They were spread throughout the field, laughing and dancing. There was fiddle music playing near him. He looked to his right and saw a staging area which must have been set up for the ascension. Two men were standing on it, playing fiddles. It was quite a distinction from the somber, private ceremony that would take place for his ascension later that evening. He had heard that music was a passion for the Cirillians but had never given it much thought. They were said to have been gifted by the Fates with voices that could entrance you. From the sounds coming off the crowd, he could tell that it was no lie. The voices were melodious, beautiful. His people were not given such a gift, which was a blessing, he supposed. It didn’t quite figure to have his people singing, for one their voices were horrible and two, the content of their songs would probably be enough to depress even the happiest of Cirillians. Silently, he wondered if Violissa would sing today.

  His father had once told him that her voice was considered a sacred treasure of her people. It was rumored that not only was it beautiful enough to lure a Darkbearer to the Light, but there was power in her voice. He’d said she could weave spells with just the tone and notes of her songs. As his father had never heard her sing nor had any Darkbearer, Sinow found it all hard to believe. He secretly hoped he’d be witness to it today to prove him wrong.

  As he stepped out of the tree line behind Daneele, the music suddenly stopped and a hush fell across the crowd. Even the breeze on the air seemed to come to a halt. He was glad he’d kept the hood of his cloak up to hide his grin. It was wonderful, the effect he had on people, no matter which realm. They took one look at him and fled. They didn’t even have to see him to have the instinct to flee. His very aura spoke of power, Dark power that was to be greatly feared for good reason.

  “Out of respect for Violissa, please refrain from dropping your hood. I’m not sure the reaction our people would have but based on this, I’d imagine it’s a safe bet there might be panic,” Daneele said to them as they walked.

  He brought them near to the front in a small area well removed from the crowd yet close to the ceremonial area. They’d purposely kept people from positioning themselves anywhere around the space, he assumed as a courtesy to him as well as to her people. The Fates knew he did not want to be fraternizing with her people. Being in this proximity was discomfort enough.

  The music started up again and the sound of excited chattering began to drone on. “So, the incessant happiness must be an inbred thing,” he joked to Keary. “I thought it was just the immortals.”

  Cyric glared at him and wittingly replied, “The inbreeding managed to stay on Dark soil. It never made it past the border.”

  “That’s witty, Cyric. I didn’t know you had it in you. I figured they had some reason for keeping you around all this time.” Keary said. The barbs would have continued, but Sinow noticed the crowd quieting and the music coming to a halt.

  “It’s time,” Daneele stated flatly. He motioned to two men who had come up to Sinow’s right. “Watch them, signal if anything suspicious occurs.”

  “Like they would deter us,” Sinow replied out of irritation that anyone would have bothered to put guards on him.

  “It’s not for you, Prince Sinow, it’s for the people. Violissa may trust you, the Fates only know the reason, the people, however, do not. Enjoy the show and remember none of this goes beyond our border.” With that, he and Cyric shifted. Sinow growled at the two guards, causing them to take several steps back.

  He felt oddly uncomfortable surrounded by so many Cirillians. They seemed to have forgotten his presence, however, and were focused on the back of the field. He noticed now that the field was divided by a wide path that led to the ceremonial area. The music began again in a slow, quiet melody as if to alert them that something of import was about to happen.

  Violissa, he said in enaigne to Keary, she’s coming down with the Council. Even though he couldn’t see her yet, he could feel her presence.

  He was right; eventually he spied the white robes of her Council moving up the path. They formed two rows, the more tenured in the first. He made out Daneele in the last row, Cyric was in the first. It was hard to see how the rest were positioned as their hoods were pulled too far over their face to make them out. Walking behind the final row of Council was one lone figure in a white robe layered with what appeared to be embroidered flowers. A tiny bit of green light shone from within the hood. Violissa. His heart raced uncontrollably, and the pressure in his chest grew. Not quite the reaction he needed when he had so much going on in his body with his own ascension so close.

  The crowd moved to its knees; Sinow and Keary remained standing. He nodded in respect as they approached, and he felt her eyes on him for just a moment. He thought he sensed her reaching her mind to him, but it was just a quick touch. He figured she either changed her mind or perhaps it had been an uncontrollable reaction. Her body was being racked with spasms and bursts of pain by now. He had left the last part out of their conversation, no need to worry her any more than she already had been. She was strong, so no one would notice, but he knew she was having a very hard time about now. His father had told him it had taken all his energy to get through the ceremony; he could barely concentrate as all he’d wanted to do was scream while ripping the skin from his bones to stop the tingling and spasms. The only blessing was that the climax was approaching for her and would be over in a matter of minutes.

  The group ascended the platform, all but two stood to the left in a group. Those two figures, one of which was Violissa, stayed in the center. Kinnel pulled down his hood to reveal himself. So, he would be the giver of rites, Sinow thought. The sun above neared its highest point, reflecting light off the white of their robes. Her ascension would come at the sun’s peak on the day of her creation as his would be at the crest of the north moon on the same day. Light powers given from light, Dark from the night.

  There was complete silence around him as Kinnel began to speak. “Violissa, Princess of Cirillia, leader of the Lightbearers, chosen one of the Fates, you’ve come before your people to accept the crown and the powers of your birthright.”

  “I have,” her voice answered musically.

  “Kneel, please.”

  She knelt before him and bowed her head. Kinnel walked to his right where Daneele had moved and was now holding a long silver box that appeared to be engraved with flowers.

  “The scroll of prophecy,” Keary said to him, “no one’s ever seen it but the Keeper. It’s said to have been written in starlight by the Fates.”

  Daneele spoke a spell in an ancient tongue of which Sinow was not familiar. The box cracked open. The wind seemed to stir around him as if even it were waiting and watching. Kinnel lifted a thin scroll from the box, and the crowd gasped in awe. He unrolled it and turned back to Violissa.

  “And as the sun peaks

  On the one thousandth

  Day of her birth

  So, the girl shall become woman.

  A Queen will rise where before none stood.

  A force made stronger by ascension

  Then any had or will ever be.

  A Queen to rule the Light

  And unite those long as enemy.

  With her a new era shall rise,

  A union between Light and Dark

  Land and man

  That shall with it return

  The true balance of the world

  And free the burdens

  Of souls lost beyond.

  A Queen of purity

  Of innocence,

  Of strength and beauty

  And her name shall be Violissa.”

  As he ended, there was a rumble in the sky above them. Sinow looked up, clouds had begun moving in. He was trying to wrap his head around the words, he’d heard when Kinnel continued.

>   “Do you accept the prophecy and swear an oath to lead your people as it has decreed?”

  “I do.”

  “Do you swear to place your people and your lands foremost above all else?”

  “I do.”

  “Do you vow to rule with discretion, with honesty, with kindness, and to protect your subjects with your life?”

  “I do.”

  He looked up at the sky. “It is time, rise.”

  As she rose, he led her to stand before the Council. To them, he said, “Brothers, we were charged by the last reigning king to protect the prophecy and realm. That time has come to an end. Will you return the role of rule and all powers ordained to you for that rule without hesitation?”

  “We will,” the voices stated resoundingly.

  “Do you swear loyalty and obedience to Violissa and the throne? Swear to follow her with unquestioning faith, offering her guidance and support through her reign?”

  “We will. We release the powers given to us to our Queen.” The sky rumbled again. Sinow noticed the clouds had completely submersed the sun. A wisp of light followed from the hands of each Council and collected above their heads, forming a large pool of light then finally wafting to the clouds above. Those wisps were the powers of the last king who had given them up and transferred what he could to the Council. They were relinquishing their given connection to the throne and sending it back to be passed on to Violissa.

  Kinnel turned to Violissa. “Violissa.” He held out his hand and, as she took it, walked her to the center of the platform. He bowed to her and walked back to stand with the other Council. She was left alone.