The royal spymaster arrived at the new queen’s court before her coronation. The king’s death had only just been announced, and a period of mourning leading up to the funeral was in effect. The spymaster bowed to the queen, calling her princess, before reading out a scroll he had received from his agents in the North. The queen’s younger brother, Prince Alek, had been seen in the Lux Republic, cavorting with heretics and hatching plots with the kingdom’s sworn enemies. The enemies did not think much of the traitorous prince, but were willing to use him against the kingdom since news of the queen’s magic, and the support of a legendary elf, had spread to all corners of the known world. The spymaster concluded his report with a short but startling admission. All of his agents in the Singing Horde had been discovered and killed, their heads punted over fort walls, splattering the soldiers on morning duty in blood and gore.
The queen thanked the spymaster and assembled her council. She had invited the two representatives of the foreign species, Kelser representing humans, and myself representing elves, to help decide what she should do about the other two nations on this side of the mountains. The Izlandi Kingdom was currently at peace with its neighbors, but light skirmishes, raids, and even political intrigue around border towns and cities, was quite common. Now that the queen had access to magic, some of her ministers wanted her to launch a new war, to conquer the known world and bring it under the banner of the Izlandi Kingdom. It would be the perfect way to solidify her own control and prestige, especially in the eyes of the battle hardened rulers of frontier towns and cities, who tended to side with whichever side would bring them the most benefits or project the most power in their region.
“I will not be participating in any further battles,” I said, speaking out of turn, which got me a few looks from the ministers, although nobody said anything on account of the magic I had shown and my closeness to the queen. Kol, for her part, was decked out in nice clothes and sitting on the throne in a regal position. The expression on her face was very different from what she had shown on our journey, but I suppose the gravity of her position was finally starting to settle into her mind. “And I am afraid, I cannot support your kingdom, either.”
“What do you mean, venerable elf?” asked Derek, the chief minister.
Usually, this would be where I’d tell them to just call me by my first name, but there was something about this atmosphere of pomp and ceremony that told me it would be useful to command some respect and awe, at least in front of these curmudgeonly minister. “I mean I have fulfilled my obligation of escorting Kol back to her people. I have also explored your capital, and parts of your kingdom, and learned all that I had been meaning to learn, barring a few questions that I have about your religion.”
“About our religion?” repeated an old minister, “you wish to learn about the Heavenly Eye?”
I nodded, slowly. “I have asked all sections of your society. Commoners, merchants, villagers, tradesmen, even people favored here in the royal court and some ministers as well, although they may recall me by different names and faces. So far, what I have learned about the so-called Heavenly Eye is quite strange. Tell me, do you worship him in your temples?”
“Yes, we do,” said Derek.
“And in those temples, are all demons equal?” I asked.
“Yes, of course. The Heavenly Eye does not see differences between us lowly demons,” said Derek.
“And you offer sacrifices to the Heavenly Eye regularly?” I asked.
“At least once a month. And sometimes on sacred nights,” he said.
“And these sacred nights correspond to when the heavenly avatar is at its most powerful, correct?” I asked.
“Yes, it is when the red star is at its brightest that the Heavenly Eye’s blessings are the strongest,” he said.
I frowned. I snuck a glance at Kol, but she was expressionless. I looked at Kelser, he looked a little confused, but not by their answers, he was confused by my questions.
“These blessings,” I said, slowly, “what are they?”
“Oh, they are very important! The Heavenly Eye blesses our crops with rain and good harvest. He blesses our women with fertility, our men with strength and vigor, and our children with good health. He blesses our soldiers against our enemies, and gives our priests the power to heal those who cannot be healed with medicine or time.”
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“And you are a priest of the Heavenly Eye, Derek, is that correct?” I asked.
The demon dabbed his forehead with a cloth handkerchief. “Yes, I am, venerable elf. Only on the side, of course. My first duty is here, to the king—I mean, princess—I mean, queen and her court.”
“Could you show me your blessing, Derek?” I asked.
“My blessing?” he said. “There is nothing to show, venerable elf. Unless you are asking me to bless you?”
“Sure,” I said, “let’s go with that.”
“Alright, if I have her majesty’s permission,” he said.
“You have it,” said Kol.
“Thank you, your majesty,” he said. The short, middle-aged chief minister walked over to me with a smile. He started waving his hands around in short motions, muttering something under his breath. Then, he took a short breath, bowed his head, and blew air towards my feet. “There you are, venerable elf. You have been blessed by the Heavenly Eye! May he watch over you and bless you with his wisdom and strength.”
“No, Derek,” I said, putting a hand on the sweaty middle-aged demon’s shoulder, “you need to bless me properly.”
“I don’t think I understand,” he said. “You have been blessed, venerable elf, I—”
“The blessing you gave the king. The secret blessing that you and the other chief ministers, who always happen to be priest of the Heavenly Eye, always give to the rulers of this kingdom. I would like that blessing, please,” I said.
The chief minister’s eyes widened. “I uh, my apologies, venerable elf, but only her majesty is entitled to—”
“You have my permission, chief minister Derek,” said Kol.
Derek faced the queen with closed eyes and a smile. “No, but, the other priests would not approve—”
“I will handle the other priests for you,” said Kol, “if you do your job well, I will make sure to raise the contribution to your temples from the crown treasury.” The queen leaned forward and spoke quietly. “If you do your job well, that is.”
Derek’s eyes slowly widened. The corners of his mouth slowly turned upward. “Ah, I see, that is quite generous of you, your majesty. Very well, I must follow your orders, of course, yes indeed. Yes, venerable elf, please follow me, this ceremony must be kept secret.”
“The ministers can leave,” said Kol.
“Kelser,” I said.
Kelser nodded and left with the ministers. I exchanged a glance and a nod with him before he closed the door.
“May we begin?” I asked.
“Yes, venerable elf,” said Derek with a smile. “Come here, please.” He tapped a small chair on the side of the hall. It was a special seat for the older ministers. It was generally discourteous to sit in front of the monarch, but the elderly were allowed this special privilege if they needed it.
I walked over to the chair and sat in it. Derek smiled once more, exchanging a glance and a nod with Kol. He walked behind me, trailing his hand over my arm and onto my shoulder, making me shudder, quietly. His hands traced the outline of my lower jaw, creeping up my ears, and crawling over my hair to reach the top of my skull. I took a deep breath.
With both hands on my head, Derek also took a deep breath. “Venerable elf, do you want me to explain some more of the Heavenly Eye’s great virtues and attributes? Or perhaps you would like me to share some history?”
“Please do,” I said.
He began: “The Heavenly Eye was the first god. Older than all demonkind, older than the world, older than all of existence, than time and the heavens themselves. Before there was anything, dear believer, there was the Heavenly Eye.
“But the Heavenly Eye, in his bountiful wisdom and mercy, wanted to create. To bring forth something. And yet, the Heavenly Eye knew what would happen if it did so. He knew there would be those that would come from outside this reality, seeking to pollute it, to pervert it to their own desires.
“And so he created a guardian, knowing that this guardian would also inevitably betray him. Ah, the difficulties of power. I am sure venerable elf can understand. The Heavenly Eye created the being that the heretics in the north now call the Beast of the Valley, to guard against outsiders, and yet the beast betrayed the Heavenly Eye’s trust and decided to become an object of worship instead.
“And an outsider did come! This outsider is the one the savages to the east call the God of Music. A false god from another existence. Oh, those poor, ignorant savages. I pity their stupidity. Perhaps one day they will be brought back into the fold, under the watchful gaze of the Heavenly Eye. Do you not agree, venerable elf?” Derek concluded his speech by leaning over my shoulder, bringing his face close to mine, and smiling wide. His smile froze.
I was raising both of my eyebrows at him. I chortled. “The only thing worse than your storytelling was your pathetic attempt at mind control.”