For Lord and Land

For Lord and Land
By: Delilah deSora
Chapter 2

**

. . . my strength . . .

**

Dante stood silently behind his brother, resisting the urge to fidget or peer around at the numerous knickknacks that Lord Errol had gathered during his career. He was thankful for the last two years that had seen him on guard duty in the Emperor’s palace where guards were to be nothing more than functional ornaments unless they were called upon to protect the palace. That experience had taught him ways of keeping still without missing anything that was going on.

It was equally hard, however, not to be distracted by the lord himself as he and Cian chatted amicably. The Ardae, Dante had discovered, came in three color types. All were came with brown eyes, though occasionally a green could be found, and all were of tall height with a stocky quality to their muscles and shapes. The only true variety they sported was a variation in the shade of red their hair contained. They ranged from a brownish red to a sandy golden to a blood red to the most rare of the bunch, a true red. Lord Errol was of the sandy haired variety and true to the coloring usually granted those with this hair type his skin had tanned in a golden shade.

Brown eyes were becoming increasingly more serious as the words passing between the lord and Cian wound down from personal matters and anecdotes to the matter at hand but Dante could still make out the ever present mischievousness that the knight was know for lurking just beyond the seriousness.

Those brown eyes were turned towards him and he found himself beckoned forward. Stepping up alongside his older brother he executed the short bow required of him. Errol studied his silently fofew few moments before blinking rapidly and smiling.

“You’ve just finished your guard duty have you not?” He asked.

Dante nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“It was at the palace, under Marshak?”

Again Dante nodded to the words though he knew Lord Errol didn’t really need any confirmation. According to his brother Cian, Errol had been accepted to the knighthood shortly after he had been scouted by the University who had snatched him up after they had discovered that Errol remembered everything he was exposed to, be it written word, spoken word, image, or sound. A rare talent that the University scholars had recognized and hoped to use in the political artce tce they had taught him the trade of ambassador.

It was during his first year at the University that he had meet up with men in training for the knighthood. After speaking at length with them Errol had chosen to take the test to see if he could be accepted into the knighthood himself, despite the University’s protests. He’d passed and the next night he had left the lavish comfort offered by the life of a scholar for the hard life of a knight.

“I am aware that this is rather sudden, Dante. We usually like to give a knight some time to himself between assignments, Aidan knows you’ve earned it, but I’m afraid a matter has come up that requires special attention. Lord Dorjan is of the opinion that you two would be best for it and that it would be a perfect final task for you. And,” he paused smiling, “I think you won’t mind the sudden move so much.”

Dante blinked in surprise, unsure of what to say. He had not expected to be given his final task for complete knighthood until at least spring had come about and he had actually been looking forward to some time for himself. But he could hardly refuse, could he?

“As you wish, my lord.” He said, trying to keep the doubt from his voice.

“Wonderful!” Errol’s smile widened and he dug through a drawer for a moment until he found he was looking for. He produced three rolls of parchment and a carefully folded map. These he handed to Cian.

“This is a request from the Emperor himself. He wishes an audience with a particular man that, rather unfortunately, we have not been able to find. Are the two of you familiar with the Llyr family?”

Dante glanced over at his brother before nodding.

Errol folded his hands on his desk, leaning forward slightly. “The man is of that family.”

“The Llyr family is scattered everywhere, do we know where to look?” Cian asked.

The sandy haired man sighed and shifted slightly. “I’ve given you a list of every Llyr we’ve been able to find and where we found them so you needn’t bother with them. There are, however, quite a few branches of the family that we have not been able to find but we do know are located solely in Aquilae, which is where you two come in. Being from there and resembling your people as you two do with all that black hair and those blue eyes, we feel that the Llyrs and local inhabitants might be more . . . helpful to you than they have been to us.”

Dante nodded at the logic in the lord’s statement. Ardae had annexed his homeland over a thousand years ago but it still remained much as it had before. The Aquilae coloring and culture still prevailed and the people there still tending to think of themselves as a wholly separate race from their northern neighbors. It was erenerences such as this that kept the two lands separate, and kept the whispers that Aquilae people should take their land back.

“How will we know this man when we find him?” He asked.

Errol ran a hand through his hair, in almost a nervous gesture. “This Llyr has a peculiar . . . talent.”

Cian raised an eyebrow. “Talent?”

“Yes. He is as comfortable in water as he is on land.”

Dante frowned, wondering at the vagueness of the words. “I . . . do not understand my lord.”

Errol stood, straightening his uniform. “Neither exactly do we. I am afraid it is the best I can do.”

“We shall find him.” Cian said, bowing slightly.

“I certainly hope so. The Emperor requires his presence soon so I would have you both make haste. I also ask you not to bring attention to yourselves or this quest. The Emperor doesn’t want any more attention paid to Llyr family and Aidan knows that they don’t need the backlash that the knowledge that one of their members has strange powers would cause.”

Again Cian bowed. “No one shall hear of this from us.”

Errol nodded. “Good. You are authorized to leave at once.”

Knowing a dismissal when they heard one both Kaemons turned on their heals and left, leaving the knight sitting thoughtfully behind his desk.

**

A soft knock on the door dragged the Emperor away from his personal misery.

“What is it?” He demanded, drawing his legs up underneath him.

“It is I, master. May I come in?”

“Yes, come in!”

Kaze slipped in through the door, closing it firmly behind him and latching it closed. It took him a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dark room. Candles were scattered about painting the Emperor’s chamber in reds and yellows that only served to heighten the awareness of the intense heat from the fire. Unable to resist the urge he pulled off his jacket, laying it across the chair on his way to the bed.

The Emperor greeted him with open arms, pulling him into a tight embrace. He brushed the brilliant red hair back from the overheated face to stare into feverish green eyes. Tears marred the perfect cheeks and he gently wiped them away. Ardel captured his hands, pushing them harder against his skin as he practically cooed at the stolen coolness.

“Did you find him?” The red haired man demanded.

Kaze sighed and shook his head. “I’m afraid not, master. Dorjan and his men were too fast for me.”

Sadness welled up in the Emperor’s eyes. “He is dead then?”

“Yes. That demon would never have allowed the poor boy to live.”

A shriek was torn from the pale throat and Kaze hastily released the suddenly fierce man. A pillow was torn from the bed and flung across the room, flaring to life in flames before it struck the wall in a shower of spark. He huddled against the wall, allowing the Emperor to vent his anger. After a few minutes the thin man fell to his knees, shivering violently.

Hesitantly he moved from the bed to kneel next to him, wrapping his arms about the form. “I am sorry,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the soft locks of hair, “I am so sorry.”

Ardel sobbed. “Why? Why do they keep me like this? I am the emperor! How dare Dorjan do this to me!”

“Do not fear, master. One day you’ll be free of him.”

“What . . . what if they find him?” Ardel whispered. “What if Dorjan finds the Leviathan?”

Kaze urged the man to his feet and back to the bed. “I will protect fromfrom him.” He promised. “Have I not done so for you before?”

Ardel nodded. “Yes. Thank you. You’re the only one I can trust, Kaze.”

The silver haired man smiled. “Everything I do, I do for your best interest, master.”

“Do you love me?” The Emperor asked, pulling his personal guard down on top of him.

Kaze smirked and captured his master’s lips with his own. “Of course.”

“And you won’t let them use the Leviathan to keep me prisoner here?”

“Never. No matter what evil magic he has the Leviathan is still mortal and I’ve dealt with one already. Let them bring as many Leviathans as they can find! I won’t let them keep you sealed up behind locked doors.”

Ardel wrapped his hands around Kaze’s neck, smiling sleepily. “Then I have nothing to fear.”

Lips touched the Emperor’s hot flesh, making him arch and moan. “No, master,” Kaze whispered, “nothing at all.”