Kingdoms - Book 6 - The Frencolian Chronicles (complete)

Chapter Five

 Maia tried to rouse herself. A desperate cry formed in her throat but would not surface from her dry mouth and lips.

The young princess tried to pull herself out of the darkness of drug-induced slumber, but her struggles were in vain.

Soft cloth bonds tied around the princess' wrists would not yield against her weak efforts to repel them. She was hot, thirsty and sick; a vile taste sat at the back of her tongue; strange feelings surged like waves over her and a prickly sensation ran through her body making her feel hot, much too hot.

Hearing her heartbeat pounding in her head, Maia tried to wake from the horrific dream. The acidic odor of a stranger's perspiration was overcome by a sweet sickly smell that would not go away; she was breathing her own exhaled air but her head felt too heavy to lift out of the fabric that surrounded her face.

Remembrance of the journey was never clear to Maia. She could recall the carriage ride later, clearer than the journey on horseback.

At a special rendezvous point on the smoother roads of Danzerg, Maia, still heavily drugged, was placed in a carriage.

While only half awake, she drank thirstily of some liquid offered her and promptly vomited, expelling the contents of her stomach across the carriage and down on the floor. The woman traveling with her gave her small sips after that, speaking encouragements in a language Maia could not comprehend, nor did she want to.

Sleep. The princess just wanted to be left alone to sleep, but there was no rest.

A messenger had been sent ahead to the Chezkovian capital, Jydanski, and Brian, Elliad's chief bodyguard and counselor, brought the good news to him...

"Czar Kievik, we have news! The Princess, Jobyna, has been captured for you. It was over a week ago, and she is, in fact, being brought here. She'll arrive in two days. I don't know the details; who abducted her or how, but the messenger did say that she was taken from Frencberg, the capital city of Frencolia."

Elliad was elated. The loose ends were being tied. He looked forward to seeing this 'special treasure' again. He had nicknamed her 'Sparrow' because Jobyna had been so sickly and thin when he first met her. A doctor from Jydanski had been paid handsomely to restore her to good health —Doctor Sleven— who had changed her from a 'sparrow' into a 'swan'.

Elliad regretted his past neglect of Jobyna —his missing treasure had become more valuable, more desirable, by the absence. He had grown tired of Czarina Terese whose idle chatter and illogical conversation contrasted sharply to his memories of the submissive, quiet, sensitive Jobyna, who had declared that she did not hate him after all.

Czarina Terese was fast becoming another loose end but Elliad knew he could take care of her when the time came.

Elliad enjoyed the autocratic power he had in Chezkovia, even more than the great treasures he stole from Frencolia; more than the wealth and splendor within his newly captured Czardom. As Czar, he was worshipped; his every whim obeyed without question. Those closest to him who had helped him in becoming czar, welcomed and revered him with unfailing loyalty and affection. With their advice, he grew his hair and beard the same length as the Czar's, curling and blackening it to match, it had been streaked here and there with silver.

A little taller than Czar Kievik, Elliad had a slighter build so wore extra clothing and larger shoulder-pads to make the difference undetected.

Due to unrest created by Chezkovians defecting to Proburg in support of the czar's son, Czarevitch Kenrik, Elliad made several public appearances and was acclaimed and cheered. A decree stating his son Kenrik had committed treason against the crown was to be issued and the czarevitch would be banned from entering Chezkovia.