Chapter 36

Book 1 part 2

This year, the summer in Kagolania was extremely hot and stormy.

Kalena waited for Jun for a long time. They had to train together, but something stopped him. She was glad that she could have a long break and think about irrelevant things.

Galaspiael needed three years to implement the project of granaries with stock. The first was already built and filled, and the next ones, in further parts of the country, were just being built.

The royal academy also began to function, but Kalena was not much interested in what was happening in king's school. She only knew that the first students were accepted and began their learning.

Also, the king regulated taxes and tightened the law on the possession of slaves. People knew that in a few years he would ban slavery completely. Opinions were divided, some Okiani hated this idea, others talked about the increasing number of liberated slaves. Galaspiael still pursued his goal relentlessly.

Using the suggestion of his wife, he tried to get closer to Kalena, but it quickly became clear that before trying to get the favor of the girl he should first deal with the demons tormenting him. And every month there seemed to be more and more of them.

The crown changed him a lot. He devoted less and less time to the things he once enjoyed. He continued to work on new inventions, made plans that he quickly implemented, but his actions lacked passion. He did it because he had to. Because if he stopped, people would say he is sick or too weak to continue being king.

Despite that, their friendship became even more intense, and Kalena always supported him whenever he needed it. And, when he had to issue death sentences that could not be avoided in any way. In addition to Okiani Nawarin, there were two more such cases.

Zarkin returned after almost a year and hardly anyone could recognize him. During the journey, he grew up and changed, both inside and out. Information meticulously collected and sent by him, as well as other members of the guard, which Galaspiael passed on, contributed to strengthening the alliance with Sekania.

After the return, Zarkin began studying poisons and made the queen's court fall in love with himself. He tried very hard to prove that he had forgotten about his former beloved. Kalena didn't like it, but she knew there was nothing she could do about it. Sometimes, when they were alone, she joked saying that there was not a single woman left in the palace who had no romance with Zarkin. Finally Nailan, who had caught his attention earlier, managed to keep his attention for longer.

Someone came and covered the sun for a moment. Kalena opened one eye, thinking it was the captain and she would have to start training soon.

"I thought you fell asleep," it was Galaspiael. He leaned over and helped her up. "Jun won't come, you can go home."

"Did something happen? He always takes the schedule very seriously."

"It's partly my fault. I will accompany you. I need to borrow a sketchbook with large pages. I know you had one, and it would be very useful to me now."

"What are you planning to do?"

"Nothing important. I need some practice on my architecture skills."

Kalena smiled and shook her head.

"You recently talked about a new trade agreement with Velikania..."

"I know," he groaned, "but I need a break. By doing two things at the same time, I'm more focused.

It would be hard without the secret passage leading to her house. Much less privacy, much more likely for someone to discover the secret experiments they both conducted. Dynamite remained the greatest secret that few people still knew. Even Zarkin did not guess what was hidden in the heart of this seemingly peaceful place.

Whenever Galaspiael came, she made tea. This time, however, he asked her to sit down next to him. He tapped his sketchbook and gathered himself to say something.

"Recently, a letter from the Sekania came," he said, staring the walls and avoiding the girl's eyes.

"What was this letter?"

"I am afraid to admit it to myself," he whispered, "but we probably won't avoid war. I didn't tell you about the negotiations, because I didn't want to worry you, but now I think you should know. You are the first person in the country to find out about this, so please be discreet."

Kalena stared at him for a moment, standing motionless, not able to say a word. She felt no fear, perhaps because she did not yet know the concept of war well. She read about it, in Yagn-Sho, and knew it was bad, but nothing more. She had the impression that the threat was strangely remote, so her mind still did not take everything seriously. But Galaspiael was worried. She couldn't ignore that.

"We'll make it," she said and smiled comfortingly. "I will practice and go with you."

"What? No, you won't go anywhere. You stay here."

In a surprise, she almost jumped in her chair.

"Why?!"

"Stay here. I will take dynamite, it will be necessary to train people on how to use it. You can find someone to help me and produce as much as possible for me. I will provide you with all materials as soon as possible."

"Why wouldn't you let me go?! Who will go?!"

"War is not a place for you!" Galaspiael said sternly.

"Because I'm a woman? I can fight better than most men! I will dress up so that nobody will recognize me. I swore to protect you, and now I am to stay?!"

"Yes! You swore, so you are to stay now. You don't understand how difficult it would be for me on the battlefield if I had to fight and worry about you at the same time?"

"I can take care of myself. I'm much better than any soldier!" Kalena snorted loudly. "You worry about me, but since I am in your guard I was training with Jun every day. And you have not had a sword in your hand for several months! You don't exercise anymore. Order to organize a duel. I will beat Jun, you, and any man!"

"Stronger than you have already fought in a war and died. Don't you understand why I'm telling you to stay? You are not just an ordinary woman, you are Scribe! You'll be needed here. Come on!" He hugged her as when she was a student. "Madegald does not have a large army. United, we have a good chance of winning."

"But you said that you are frightened by the vision of war."

"Even the smallest conflict is a test for the ruler," he answered calmly. "Please, don't bring me worries I have yet to tell Lin, and it will be hard. Kalena, are you crying?" Galaspiael looked at her concerned.

"I'm not crying," she said calmly and sniffed."Do you know when it will start?"

"I'll find out soon enough. I don't think we have too much time. A month, maybe two? Three if the ancestors would be kind. We must be ready when the King of Sekania calls for reinforcements."

*

After all, Galaspiael regretted that he said it the way he did, but he knew if Kalena found out by herself, it would not affect her well, and then he would not be able to stop her from joining the army.

Although Lin-Si was already aware of the situation, Madegald was far away and their mountains separated them from Sekania. It was easy for her to forget that something was happening.

He decided to wait a moment and not tell her everything at once, which he regretted during dinner. When they both finished, someone entered the chamber and bowed low.

"A message has come to Her Highness, Queen Lin-Si," the man announced, holding out both hands in which he held the letter.

"From home? Did something happened to Jin?"

"No, my lady. The message is from Sekania."

Lin-Si looked at the decorated tube in surprise and slowly opened it. She took out the letter and focused for a moment on the evenly written text. She raised her head, staring at something in front of her.

"What's happening?" Galaspiael was concerned about her reaction. He looked hatefully at the innocent messenger, who took a few steps back, feeling the king's gaze.

"It's from Anilana," she replied, "I'm surprised. She never liked me, though I never knew why. When she became a queen, she did not speak to me once. I heard her husband forbade her to do so."

"What does she wants now?"

"She asks if we have started preparations for the war." Lin-Si looked at Galaspiael. "What war? Why don't I know anything about this?"

Galaspiael stifled a curse that hit his lips.

"I wanted to tell you about it right now," he lied, "Madegald refused to step down and broke the Sekanian border once again. I think that soon the Sekanians will ask us to fulfill the contract."

"Will you go?" She asked and pursed her lips tightly. "Do you have to go there? Can't you just send some people?"

"They'll think I'm sending them to death and that's why I'm not going. If I stay, they get the impression that I'm scared and avoid fighting. And then I will lose my honor and chance of an alliance with anyone. Sekania will consider me a traitor, Madegald, and Velikania a coward!" He paused when Lin-Si unexpectedly stood up and grabbed the decorated plate. At the last moment he managed to dodge when she threw it.

"I hate you!" She screamed, "How dare you leave me and run away! You think that if once or twice I have replaced you, I can handle the kingdom all alone?"

"Calm down, I won't leave you with anything!" He tried to defend himself against the orange flying towards him, but this time she hit. "Stop it right now, it's not funny!"

"I don't care about all the honor talk, you have to stay here! The country needs you alive, not dead with honor." Lin-Si wanted to approach him, but she almost fell in high boots and a long dress. "I need you! You may not even leave your studio, but stay here! Don't go to any war."

"Lin, please..."

"I knew it would be like this! You will leave the whole country on my head and run away. I knew it was better not to trust you, better to treat you like air…"

"You're exaggerating. I don't have control over conflicts or war customs. And I'm not going there to make you angry, it's completely ridiculous! Stop acting like a little girl, you know how it annoys me!"

The queen paled with rage.

"How dare you speak to me like that! If you go to Sekania, I'll run away and you'll never see me again!"

Galaspiael took a deep breath and walked over to her, with some caution, but fortunately she didn't throw anything at him.

"Do you think it's my fault? You should know best that sometimes we can't decide for ourselves. I'd rather never leave Kagolania. I want to spend my life the way I chose, but apparently, it can't be done. You have to accept it."

"Have you ever fought in a war?!"

"I didn't, but the Madegaldian emperor either. Please, don't act like you already know I won't come back, Lin!"

She silently left the room. It was a very short but tiring conversation and Galaspiael knew it would stay like that now. He became a messenger of bad news.

The Kagolanian tradition was that the ruler fought side by side with his subjects unless he was old and could not cope on the battlefield. Galaspiael knew this and thought his wife should understand it too. He was sure that Kalena would cry and persuade him to stay, while id turned to be the opposite - Kalena wanted to go with him.

His mind and soul protested at the mere thought of it, but deep down Galaspiael was grateful for the tremendous loyalty she had shown.

*

For the first time in two months, Kalena had a guest.

Mizar came to Yagn-Sho for a while and devoted one day to visit her. She was surprised seeing him because they never had close relations, and after leaving the quarters he did not write to her once, but she was happy to see him.

The boy has changed over the years. He grew taller and became more subdued in his behavior. He came to hide in Yagn-Sho some books, which he obtained during the journey.

"It's nothing special," he said as Kalena watched his prey. "I found the one on the sidewalk in a Madegaldian city."

"Have you been to Madegald?"

"A few months ago. It had to fall out.��

"I like it. I've noticed Madegaldian people like fairy tales very much. It reminds me of the one where I studied calligraphy."

"I will give it to the library, as an exercise material for students. I would prefer to find something that would have a practical application and not be dusted on the shelf. I remember you rewriting the herb lexicon that you later gave to Zarkin. Does he use it?"

"Sometimes he still looks there, but now it's not enough for him. He could write his own, only about mixtures and their use." Kalena said looking at the next books. "These look new, did you buy them?"

"I stole them from one Righteous guy. He didn't even notice that they were gone. For some time, I had the opportunity to be near their quarters. They were very appalled when news of the royal academy reached them. They hate His Majesty because of it."

"I am surprised by the system in the Academy. I thought the students would spend the whole day there as we did. And they return home after a few hours! At this rate, it will take them several years to master anything."

Mizar smiled.

"His Majesty's way of teaching was modeled on the Righteous Conspiracy program, not on Yagn-Sho. But it is good. The Royal Academy will never threaten the Association. After graduation, people will still be joining us if they want something more. We'll have to try harder."

"What do you mean?"

"I think if students would already know how to read and write, we could allow them to continue their education by going straight to more advanced arts. I would like to find a student and move back to Yagn-Sho, and you?"

"I don't know," she replied with a shrug. "I haven't met anyone suitable yet. I don't want to force someone, just to go back to school. Besides, I have a lot of work in the palace lately. I help Galaspiael in his work, and he is inventing something new every day, it is impossible to keep up with him. I don't plan to come back yet."

Mizar did not want to stay too long at Kalena's, mainly because of Zarkin. Admittedly, they had ceased to be open-hearted, but their relations remained cold. In their case, time did not heal the wounds, and if they stayed together a little longer, the old conflict could flare up again. Kalena knew that there was no point in interfering with it.