Chapter 32

She managed to find her way the library. She peeked out of the doorway to the library and saw several guards at the north study's door. 'How do I get in there?' she thought. Then she saw the guards leap into action as some rebels had come to challenge them. She seized the opportunity and snuck along the wall to the study's door. She could hear Amri barking orders inside the room and foot steps coming to the door. She retreated behind the door as it opened to avoid being noticed. She held the door open in front of her as she heard the clanging of swords. The body of a rebel fell to the floor near her causing her to let go of the door. As the door swung away from her she stood facing Alcazar, his blade still red with the rebel's blood. He raised his sword to slay her before he noticed her looks. The face of Bayla stared back at him through her and he brought his sword down slowly. "My Queen?" His face fell expressionless as he slumped forward falling dead before her. She looked up and saw Tokint looking down at his kill.

"I never did trust that one," he said wiping his blade. He panned the hall for more soldiers; there was none. Toame came up behind him with relief pasted across his face at the sight of Lily.

"I am so glad to see you both alive!" she exclaimed.

"As are we," added Toame while looking at his father. "Let's deal with the woman and be done with this bloody war once and for all."

"Agreed," Tokint and Lily responded simultaneously. They entered the room to find Amri surrounded by several guards. They fought fiercely with them while Amri tried to escape. Lily stopped her with her magic by not allowing doors to open. She had hoped she would have been able to just kill her with the magic, but she had been taught by the old elf that she could only use her magic for self defense and not for spite. She was going to have to face this woman the old fashioned way.

Amri had tried to escape through the main door only to find it immovable like the rest. She spun around to face her accusers as the last of her guards fell before her.

Tokint began, "We have come to remove you from service to the realm. The proper heir has been found and as Elfin Law states, she is to assume rule."

"You are commanded to stand down from this assault. Your soldiers will be shown mercy should you bid them surrender immediately," added Toame.

Amri's color drained at the sight of the murdered Bayla. "Who is this girl that I should obey your request?" seethed Amri. Her hatred was apparent in her voice though it was mixed with fear.

"I am Lily of the Rose Bed; daughter of Queen Bayla of the Valley; heir to the throne of this forest. You stand here in defiance of elfin law. I bid you step down or face the consequences of your rebellion."

"Step down?" she seethed. "I have no desire to step down. This is my home now, you have no place here. You cannot take this realm from me. I will not allow it! Your mother stole my future when she married your father, so I stole it back by taking hers! She deserved to die as do all the elves. They are a horrid race." She looked behind Lily and gave a hand signal to her cohort as an evil smiled graced her face.

Lily turned in time to see Amidal take Toame from behind and hold her blade to his throat. "What are you doing?" Lily screamed. "He is not your enemy! He is your flesh and blood!" She tried to use magic against her attack but fear had seized her blocking the magic's power. Toame tried to fight her off but she proved to be stronger than he had ever imagined.

Tokint dared not challenge her for fear of his son's life. "Amidal! Have you gone mad?" he shouted. "Your loyalty is with us and with the one true queen."

"Nay, dear brother, I am not mad. I do what I must to preserve the truth of the rose. I have pledged my loyalty to the false queen of this forest. My life is bound by that pledge." She pulled the blade closer to Toame's neck so that it scratched across the silver chain of Bayla's rose.

He remembered the dream in which Bayla had given him the trinket and reached for the pendant. Amidal whispered something in his ear virtually inaudible to everyone else in the room. Toame glanced at Lily with his hand on his pendant. She reached for hers as well. She closed her eyes and whispered, "Fahl lan ti yon." The pendant burned in her hand becoming part of her. She felt a surge of power run through her veins. She looked over at Toame who had suffered the same fate it seemed.

"Kill him!" demanded Amri. It is your oath you must keep! It is your pledge to me!!"

"So it is." Amidal face went expressionless as she ran her blade across his throat and threw his body to the ground. Tokint cried out and fell upon his son weeping. Lily gasped grabbing her chest as the stab of shock and grief seized her. Amri stood grinning at the sight and shot Lily a victorious stare.

"You see young Bayla, you cannot win against me. I have taken your future as your mother had taken mine." Amri puffed.

Amidal walked over to Amri and knelt before her. She wiped the blood from her blade and said, "I had pledged my allegiance to you, the false queen of this forest and you have asked not only for the blood of your father but also the blood your son before your enemies for their allegiance to them. His death is proof of my compliance. My pledge has been fulfilled. I am free of my bond to you."

"Your oath may be fulfilled, but your life will not be spared," Amri slithered behind her evil grin.

"It is in arrogance that you make such a claim." She arose before her and stated coldly, "The true queen of this forest stands before you now. I have sworn an oath to uphold elfin law by defending her crown." She ran her blade through the middle of Amri, running it upward into her chest as she pulled Amri close to her and whispered in her ear, "Your death seals that oath." She removed her blade and let Amri's body slump to the floor. Again she cleaned her blade and turned to face Lily. She knelt before her queen and said, "My blade; my life; all that I am; I give to you, Lily of the Rose Bed; Queen of the forest. May I find forgiveness in your heart for what I have done."

Lily took the blade from Amidal and said, "I will consider forgiveness and accept your pledge once the prophecy you spoke of is fulfilled to its completion." She walked to the body of her husband with the blade in her hand; her eyes heavy with sorrow. He had only been her husband a few weeks and yet she could finally understand the depths of her father's grief over the loss of his wife. She touched Tokint's shoulder who allowed her to kneel close to Toame. He held onto to his son's hand in disbelief and horror of his death. Lily rolled Toame over onto his back exposing his raw throat. She placed the blade upon his gaping neck and repeated the words "Fahl lan ti yon." The blade melted before their eyes, creating a single silver chain bearing a pendant of a lily surrounded by the petals of a rose around Toame's neck where once had been a wound. Tokint couldn't believe his eyes as he watched the wound seal beneath the melting blade.

He opened his eyes and looked around the room until he found the body of Amri. "How did you know?" he asked his bride. "How did you know she would kill me? Why did she kill me?"

"It was the prophecy of the rose. Amidal recognized it in the necklace you wore. It was the only way she could keep the law and still defeat Amri. I am sorry I could not have told you. I fear I may not have been able to agree to Amidal's proposal if you had been told. I know how you mistrusted her." She arose to face Amidal face to face, "I accept your pledge, Lady Amidal. Forgiveness is not necessary for no wrong has been done."

He rubbed his neck remembering the feeling of the blade and shot Amidal a stern glance. "Don't do that again."

"Ne'er my king, I would offer my own head first." She smiled at him and knelt to embrace her brother who was still a little confused but satisfied the battle had been won.