Mars Underneath The Sceptre of Eternity

The Gift

The Bell rang thrice which meant the King had summoned an emergency meeting in the throne room. A messenger asked everyone to appear in the throne room. The Eagle Guard appeared along with Princess Deodara and the half-burnt body of Abjurenos. As the chief of the Eagle Guard, it was Amerik's duty to supervise the prisoners. Amerik looked at the music hall; palace guards had finally put down the fire with many barrels of water. When, he received the message of the emergency meeting; he found himself in the midst of a half burned messy corridor full of water and blood. Abjurenos's body was lying in the pool of water and blood was dripping from his wound.

Women guards of the palace put Deodara in iron chain; she was trying to set herself free; cursing everyone serving Ergonn as their ruler and shouting hysterically. She was crying for her missing son, and the dead husband.

"I know, the alien has killed Deoes as he had killed Synus; Red Earth will not forgive him; he cannot rule over the planet. Fire of Mount Oganaka will engulf him and his alien commander." She was cursing endlessly.

Four women guards were struggling hard to move her from Abjurenos's half burnt body. She wept badly before the corpse. Amerik asked palace guards to bring out the sword from Abjurenos's chest and cover the corpse with a cloth. Amerik looked at the dead man carefully; he had a strong physique and well groomed personality; he still dressed like an Eagle Guard. He was a loyalist; he considered Synus as the true king like his other colleagues. Amerik wondered about other Eagle Guards; 'Where are they?' He thought. His main concern was Chief Belicoseon; the former chief of the Eagle Guard; Amerik had heard that the man was not only a good fighter but also a hot headed one. If the former Eagle Guards survived, Terra Aquillaan would face a bloody civil war in the near future; but Amerik hoped that before any more political turmoil he would be able to meet his friends and relatives.

Deodara's sobbing distracted him; the former princess was no longer crying or cursing loudly. He looked at her face; her eyes were tearful; nose and chins were red; bright red hairs were uncombed and tangled. She was not looking like a princess, but like a 'damsel in distress' in a simple floor length pink gown. Her dress had no embroidery or lace; it was a simple coarse fabric used by plebeian women in the kingdom. Amerik knew; Deodara had refused all hospitality offered by King Ergonn.

"Let's go to the throne room." Amerik ordered and checked Abjurenos's body; he nodded and asked his men to follow. Women guards forced Deodara to walk and to follow Amerik.

When Amerik and the palace guards finally entered the throne room; he found that all warlords and officers had already taken their seats in the court. King Ergonn was sitting on his ancestral throne and the gigantic Eagle was looking at him as it was waiting for justice. The Grand Seer and two High Seers were standing just beside the King; Warlord H'orden and some other warlords were sitting in the second tier of the dais.

Amerik entered and bowed to the King thrice and five times to the Grand Seer; he declared "I have imprisoned princess Deodara."

Deodara was forced to bend her head to Ergonn; but she struggled to keep it straight; "I'll not bow to an alien."

"Enough," the Grand Seer roared; "Woman, you have tried to kill our great King Ergonn and made a well-planned conspiracy with former Eagle Guard Abjurenos. Do you accept this allegation?"

"No, I did not make any conspiracy against a Karzond King; I just wanted to kill an alien intruder to reclaim my son's right." Deodara spat on the floor.

"How dare you are to spit before the Grand Seer and the King?" H'orden roared; "You tried to kill my daughter Oeilna."

"That whore tried to save Ergonn."