A Cat's Choice

Talsia couldn't believe that she was on her way to the temple of Felina to watch Imperial Prince Rolan get engaged to some random girl. What in the world was the Emperor thinking to let the priesthood do that to him? Even worse, she didn't want to be in the carriage right now with her parents and sister going to see this farce. She had better things to do with her time, like study for her exams that were coming up. She would not get past first rank journeyman mage by spending hours at dumb events like this. But she lost her argument with her parents and Saran because the Emperor mentioned her by name on the invitation.

"Cheer up," said Nadia as she looked back at her foster sister. "Saran said that there would be others from outside of the Empire there. You might meet someone you like there." Her sister wriggled on the seat from excitement. Even though she it wasn’t time for her presentation to Society, she was being allowed to attend the ceremony because it was going to be a historical event.

She tried to smile at her sister, but it came out resembling a frown. “I'm not trying to meet anyone yet. Our presentation isn’t for another year, remember?”

Lady Yarza patted her arm in a distinct motherly fashion. "Empress Yandi said that several countries sent some young people of rank to attend. This will give you a chance to meet others of your age group."

"Besides, you've been studying those dusty books for too long," said Lord Yarza, entering the conversation for the first time. He'd been silent since they left the townhouse, instead using the ride to study some papers he brought with him. "Saran said that you were ahead in your studies already."

Of course, the Daci ambassador ratted her out. He was very proud of her status as a mage and wanted to make sure that everyone knew it. He hoped she would go back to Dacia after marriage and finish her studies there. Her type of mage, while a little more common in Dacia, was still something that the kingdom could use. Artisan mages were still rare.

Too bad that Talsia wanted to stay in the Southern Empire and start a Mage House. She had the personal wealth and connections to do it. From her cautious conversations with some other Mage Houses, she would get support from them to start an Artisan House. That would attract other Artisan mages to the Imperial City and add to the ranks of the Mages. There were rumors that the Council of Mages were quietly buying up land outside of the Imperial capital to start a Mage Quarter.

Based on those rumors, she asked her father's man of business to buy parcels of the useless marsh land outside of the city as well. She had enough money to do so from the sales of the power stones she had been putting out since she was little. She knew once the Imperial Council approved the Mage Quarter’s construction, the price of that land would skyrocket.

"Papa, you know I only have one more year to concentrate on my studies before I’m presented," Talsia protested. "I'll be lucky to get any studying done during our debutante season."

"I still don't know why you persist in trying to reach Master status in the next two years. You'll have plenty of time to study once the initial Season is over." Lady Yarza sighed softly. "Your grandfather agreed that if you didn't like the season that you could pull back after you are engaged."

There lie the problem. Talsia wasn't ready to get married. She knew she had to marry because of her bloodline, but she wanted to live a little first. At least she was being allowed to choose her own husband. She would make sure that she married someone who supported her ambitions. Preferably another mage who would understand her.

Actually, it didn't have to a mage, but someone who would understand her. That wouldn't get in her way at all. And would be acceptable to her parents and grandfather. As a Daci royal, even one not in the line of succession, couldn’t marry just anyone. The prospective groom had to pass her grandfather’s standards.

"Talsia, just talk to the other guests." Nadia knew of her ambitions and plans. "You might meet a young man who thinks like you do."

She hoped so. That would be perfect if she met someone from outside of the Empire. They wouldn't know the traditions that she grew up under. That might just work after all. Maybe then her grandfather would let her live her own life. Her marriage would solve the problem of what to do with her.

A few minutes the carriage rocked to a stop in front of the Temple. Talsia quickly dismissed the spell on the carriage that was keeping the family and the driver cool. They descended out of the carriage and Talsia went to the front of it to remind the driver that she was setting the cooling spell again and that it would stop working after thirty minutes. The driver nodded at her and thanked her for her kindness. She kept telling the servants not to thank her. She didn’t do spells like that out of sheer kindness. Little things like cooling spells to keep them cool made them happier, and they were more likely not to betray her. Happy servants didn’t sell your secrets to the highest bidder or desert you.

The family entered the Temple where a novice quickly met them and took them to the main sanctuary where the ceremony was taking place. Talsia noted with a snort that there was a spell circulating cool air through the Temple. From her previous visits to the Temple with her magic tutor Trevor, she knew the spell was not a normal one for them. It took a lot of power to run that spell through a building the size of the Temple. The priests were definitely trying to impress the Emperor.

She wondered cynically if her father was going to receive a demand of a power stone as tithe after this. The priests always tried to get Lord Yarza to donate her power stones for tribute. It was as if the High Priest couldn’t conceive of the fact that the Daci would not give them power sources. While Felina was one of the Gods that the Daci worshipped, He wasn’t the only one. And her grandfather wouldn’t hear of her giving a temple in the Empire a precious resource. Any tithing that might happen would go back to a Temple within Daci.

“Lord and Lady Yarza, your seats are this way. You’ll be sitting next to the party from Cardonia.” The novice pointed to a section of seats that was near the center front of the area where the congregation normally sat. The normal wooden pews had been removed and replaced with ornate chairs. And the chairs weren’t all the same. The closer to the front the chairs were, the grander they became with the ones in the front row nearly being mini thrones. It was apparent that was where the Imperial Family would be sitting.

“It will upset a few of the families attending we’re that close to the Emperor,” whispered Nandi into Talsia’s ear. “The harpies will sharpen their claws at Mother after this.”

Talsia was not worried about that prospect at all. Her mother’s sharp wit and caustic remarks would take down those harpies easily. Although the Yarza house was one of the Lower One Hundred, they commanded a lot of respect and social clout within the Imperial Court. Even families among the Upper One Hundred watched their steps around them. It also didn’t hurt that Lady Yarza and the Empress were childhood friends, both having gone to the same school together.

Their mother turned around and gave them a stern look before a quick smile replaced it. She had heard Nandi’s whisper. But then nearly anyone within five feet probably heard the whisper. Nandi’s idea of a whisper was nearly conversational tone to anyone else. Talsia tried to suppress her answering grin, but failed miserably.

Her family made their way up to the second row where there were two men, one older and one younger, and a young woman sat. The two men had dressed in black and silver, the colors of the Cardonia throne. The younger woman wore a red dress made of gauzy fabrics that marked her instantly as coming from one of the desert countries. Both men stood as the family approached.

The oldest man smiled warmly at them. “Greetings, I’m Lord Gardan, ambassador from Cardonia.” He turned slightly to the other two in his group. “With me are Lord Darran and Lady Lessa.” Both Darran and Lessa gave quiet greetings.

Lord Yarza gave the Cardonia ambassador a slight bow, which was all he could do in the area by the chairs. “Greetings. I’m Lord Carsin Yarza and this is my wife, Lady Sussa Yarza. The two behind me are my daughters Nandia and Princess Talsia Dacian.”

Talsia could see the slight surprise on the faces of Darran and Lessa before they hid it behind smooth masks of friendliness. Apparently Gardan hadn’t fully briefed them on who they might meet that day. She gave Darran an in-depth look. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties and was handsome in a rugged way. He had the swarthy skin color of those who lived their lives out in the desert. However, he wasn’t as dark as the average Southerner.

Lessa however was beautiful. She had long ebony hair, her skin was a shade lighter than her companions, and she had the most startling green eyes. They looked like someone had melted emeralds and poured them into her eyes. There had to be someone from the North in her family tree. Most of the desert dwellers had dark eyes.

Within moments, Talsia sat next to Lessa with Nandi on her other side. The rest of the group sat together and were discussing politics. Which bored Talsia at the best of times if the politics weren’t concerning the Mage Court. She didn’t mind since she wanted to find out more about Lessa and why she was at the Temple.

“How do you like the Imperial City so far?” asked Nandi, leaning slightly towards Lessa so that both girls could hear her.

The Cardonian lady waved her hand fan idly as she thought about her answer. “I have seen little of the city. We arrived yesterday.”

“Was your journey here smooth?” Talsia was sure that they had to take the trip across the Empire overland. The Southern Empire did not let anyone Portal in from outside of the border. All Portal traffic had to end outside of the borders. From the border towns, there were Portals to different parts of the Empire, but most civilians could not use them. The Imperial government kept strict tabs on all permanent Portals.

Many of the wealthier members of the Upper and Lower One Hundred Houses had mages that could create temporary portals. But again they only allowed by the Empire to create Portals that could only allow five people max across at a time. This was to keep anyone from moving an army across Imperial land using the Gate system.

The Daci had negotiated with the Empire to have a small permanent Portal located directly in the Embassy. This didn’t happen until Talsia was born. In fact, it was part of the price the Empire had paid for Talsia’s birth father running off with the heir to the Daci throne.

“Yes, it was. We had time to see a few of the major sites in the Empire as we crossed it,” said Lessa. “We traversed several Portals until we reached the Tannahay river. Then we sailed the river until we reached the Imperial City.”

The Tannahay was one of the largest rivers in the Empire. It literally flowed East to West through the center of the Empire. The waterway was used to ferry goods and people from one side of the Southern Empire to the other. It was also a major trade route, and the Empire collected taxes from merchants that used it as a gateway to other countries. Imperial City was the midway point and a major river port. There were canals that connected the Tannahay to the Panther river which led south and let out into the Southern Sea.

“I hope you aren’t too tired from your journey,” said Talsia cheerfully. “I can imagine that there is going to be a great deal of fuss over your visit.”

“Gods, I hope not. I’m here to keep my brother company while he spends the next year or two studying at the University.” Lessa looked around and then lowered her voice. “I suspect my uncle wants me to find a husband here in your Imperial Court.” She sounded a little bitter.

Wow, there is someone else who isn’t happy with being married off. Talsia studied the young woman for a moment. Lessa appeared to be around the same age as herself. Maybe they might be friends.

“I understand. We’re having our coming out Season this year. We’re in the same boat,” said Talsia, making a quick decision. “If you’re interested in attending events with us while you’re here, you’re welcome.” She looked over at her sister, hoping that she hadn’t overstepped. Nandi nodded after Lessa turned to look at her.

“Are you sure?” Lessa sounded as if she didn’t dare to believe the overture.

“Yes! You’ll have a blast with us. We’ll have fun!” Nandi’s enthusiasm was contagious. Lady Yarza turned to look at them and gave her daughters a nod, letting them know she heard and approved of their plans to include Lessa.

It wasn’t often that Talsia made snap decisions about people, but something told her that Lessa would be a good friend to the both of them. Also, it didn’t hurt that she was with the Cardonian party. Ties between countries often came down to having friends being in the right places.

And she didn’t want Lessa to be in the Imperial City without friends. Talsia didn’t know what she would do if her sister wasn’t around to keep her company. She would probably be very lonely. Talisa didn’t many friends since didn’t attend a traditional school where she would have met friends in her social class. Her mage powers were too erratic as a young girl, so she had a mage gifted tutor. Nandi, in the meantime, attended a school in the city and had friends. But she and Talsia were best friends.

“Once you’re settled in, you’ve got to come visit us.”

Nandi and Talsia told Lessa about the plans for their Season, including the ball being thrown by the Daci. Within thirty minutes, the three girls were fast friends. They learned Cardonia wasn’t as formal because most of their people lived in nomadic clans and that there was only one permanent city in Cardonia where the royal family sat. Lessa was the niece of the current King. She didn’t go into much detail about it, and both Nandi and Talsia could sense there was something painful in her past.

After nearly an hour, the dull roar in the Sanctuary caused by the occupants of the nearly full room fell silent. Talsia looked towards the entrance and saw that people were quickly getting rushing to their seats. Then the Imperial family entered. All the immediate family was there except for Rolan. The prince must be with the priests.

The rush of pity that she felt for the missing prince surprised Talsia. After she disliked him in the extreme after he snubbed her a couple of years ago. But no one deserved to be sold off to the highest bidder for marriage. Supposedly, it would be the God Felina that choose the next wife of Rolan, but every person there knew that right would be given to whoever gave the High Priest Sartain the most money in “tithes.” But most important, she felt bad for the poor girl. Because it was almost certain that the bride would be from among the merchant class, she would catch a lot of grief from the nobles.

Supposedly, two of the wealthiest merchants in the city had donated a lot of wealth to the Temple. One of them was a High Merchant Prince and the other a High Merchant Princess. Both had eligible daughters that they wanted to see married to the Prince and heirs that they wanted to place among the Lower One Hundred.

The merchant clan that her father and brothers belonged to did not even try to submit a candidate. According to her aunt, Lady Dahlia, who still kept in contact with the clan, was that they had a link to the Daci throne via Talsia. Why would they spend gold on a chance to have another link?

Dahlia had also sarcastically commented that they didn’t want to upset Talsia, who had the Manchasi handle the sale and distribution of her power stones. After all, the commission they got from selling them was too lucrative to lose over a long shot of getting a princess and a possible Lower One Hundred ranking.

I have to remember to ask Dahlia to check to see if they still exclude my father from selling my stones. Talsia loathed her blood father and oldest brother. Both had been vocal early in her life of trying to convince the legal Courts to strip away her Daci title. Because her brothers had renounced ties with the Daci court. Her father hadn’t done it with her because the Daci ambassador had taken away from him after her birth. By the time he thought to petition the Courts to strip her of her Daci ties, she was with the Yarzas and her grandfather had gotten involved.

The rest of the Manchasi clan sided with her against her father. They were already furious with him on how he kept her mother from Healers during the pregnancy and still believed that would have lived with proper care. The clan would have taken her in, except that the Daci king claimed her first.

Talsia shook her head and pulled her attention back to the Imperial Family, led by the Emperor and Empress, who were heading to the seats directly in front of them. She blinked in surprise as the Emperor caught her eye and gave her a roguish wink. The princess smiled back at him. She continued to watch the rest of the family. The two older princes and their wives were also present.

Within a moment, the noise in the room was right back up to its dull roar. She thought everyone was talking nervously, hoping that they would get some crumbs of notice from the Imperial family. Personally, she wanted this ceremony to be over so she could go home and have dinner. Lady Yarza had extended an invitation for the Cardonian party to come for a small dinner the following evening. So Talsia and Nandi would get the chance to spend some more time with Lessa. Just from the short time they had been talking, she knew Lessa would soon be one of her good friends.

A bell started ringing deep within the temple. A hush fell over the room as it continued to ring for a couple of minutes. As the last sounds of the bell faded, the bronze doors to the Sanctuary opened and red-robed priests started filing in, two by two, slowly walking down the aisle and chanting a hymn. Try as she might, Talsia couldn’t understand any words from the chant. But she could feel the power in it, the words stirring a deep undercurrent in the room. Were they channeling mage power with the spell? Or was it something else? She was normally Blind to the currents of power.

As the priests filed in chanting in what must be the Gods’ Tounge, Talsia could feel something choking the air. She looked around and saw that no one else in the room seemed to sense it. Then she looked over at the Emperor, who seemed to shift slightly as well, as if he was trying to hide his discomfort. Whatever was happening, only she and the Emperor could sense it.

Then Rolan entered and the room currents ratcheted up another notch. It was almost to where Talsia felt them smothering her. The prince seemed highly discomforted as well, if his slightly jerky movements were any sign. The highly confident soldier seemed to be absent and in its place was a man who wished he was anywhere but where he was presently located.

Behind him was the High Priest in full regalia, with two novices carrying the train of his robes. The rich robes and tabard marked him as the highest ranking priest. The sheer amount of priestly jewelry he was wearing had to be breaking his neck. Although he was heavy enough that some chains looked to be disappearing under the rolls of his neck. A sneer covered his face, as if all the nobles and dignitaries in the Sanctuary were beneath him. He probably felt that way. Her father often said that High Priest Sartain was an arrogant ass who thought that he was better than the Emperor himself.

Behind the High priest were four more priests and then a gaggle of novices, each carrying different holy items. All of them had solemn faces. As the priests reached the front where a pulpit stood on a raised dais, they split into two groups, one to each side of the pulpit. Rolan went to stand to the right side of the pulpit and the High Priest went behind it. The remaining priests climbed the stairs and arranged themselves behind the High Priest and the novices scurried over to the side of the room.

All of the priests continued to chant but started raising their voices until they were nearly at a shout and then the High Priest gave a sharp command in the Gods’ Tounge and they went silent. The power in the room went up to an almost unbearable peak. And there it hung, waiting for a signal to crest or used in some manner.

“Welcome all. Blessed be in the Name of Felina, God of the Empire, Ruler of the God Plains,” thundered Sartain in a deep, sonorous voice. His words echoed throughout all the Sanctuary.

I wonder what spell he’s using to perform that nifty trick, wondered Talsia as she resisted the urge to rub her ears. Her mother would have slain her on the spot for showing such weakness. But others around the room rubbed at their ringing ears. Turn down the volume, priest. Making us all deaf won’t make the crowd like you.

He delivered his next words at a much lower volume. “Thank you for all for attending this special ceremony.” Then he started droning on about how great the God Felina was and his role within the Southern Empire, all the while seeming to be oblivious to the power the filled the room. He went on and on until the crowd started getting restless.

“Today we are here for Felina to pick the bride of Imperial Prince Rolan Darthalon. It is tradition that every two hundred years, a bride is chosen from among the people of the Southern Empire for the prince. This is so that the pride of the Empire remains connected to the people.” Sartain gave a theoretical pause at that moment. Three young women at the front of the audience off to the left side of the Imperial family looked excited. Talsia figured that those must be the young women whose families had given the highest bribes. She wondered how much gold they had added to his private coffers.

“I was given the bride’s name after…..” A loud boom and a flash of light interrupted the High Priest. It was like a bolt of lightning had landed in the middle of the Sanctuary. It rendered everyone in the room blind and deaf for a moment. Screaming started a moment after it happened. Then a loud chuckle filled the room.

As Talsia’s watering eyes cleared, she saw that there was an enormous cat sitting on top of the pulpit. It was black as a moonless sky and the size of a mastiff. But it’s most distinctive feature and what told her startled mind what she was looking at were the eyes at looked like liquid starlight. If you looked at them closely, it would appear that you could see the cosmos in their depths. There was a Great Cat sitting in front of the High Priest.

I am called Haltha. The God Felina has chosen Princess Talsia Dacian to be the bride of Rolan Darthalon and to be my Bond Mate.

The room erupted into pure chaos as Haltha looked directly at Talsia and gave her a huge wink.