ALL NOVEL Chapter 55 – Floor 6: Part 8
Chapter 55 – Floor 6: Part 8
“You want to come with me as well?” Mathew said incredulously.
‘What about this floor made people desperate to leave?’ Mathew thought to himself. First Amberlith and now Rehn.
The former he could understand her desire to join him in the Tower. She was stuck as an apprentice to Bargoth in a nation like Talrandian that, despite its advances through magic, was rather stuck in its ways regarding Nobility and the role of women.
Even as Bargoth’s prided Apprentice, Amberlith had revealed to him that she would not make Magus for years, unlike some of the other male apprentices. It was frustrating to the intelligent and ambitious young woman.
But Rehn was a Princess. Would she want to abandon her nation to travel through the Tower of Avarice and risk her life? If Mathew was forced to marry someone like the Talrandian Prince, he could imagine making that choice easily, but he was from another world.
“That is my requirement.” Rehn said, her words slow and awkward.
“What about Ama and the peace accord?” Mathew asked, and the Princess shook her head.
“The peace will be enforced as soon as the oath to the gods is sworn at the altar. Beyond stating that Ama will adhere to the will of the gods, bound by my marriage to a Talrandian, nothing will be required of me after.” Rehn explained.
“So you can leave as soon as the marriage is officiated? That seems like a rather large loophole.” Mathew stated with a fair amount of skepticism.
The Talrandians had sought the intervention of the goddess of Serene Reconciliation to broker peace between the two continents. Presumably, because they feared the strange power of the Amadans after several skirmishes.
From the stories Bargoth had told him, Amadan Psions countered Talrandian magic quite effectively due to their ability to read minds and disrupt thoughts.
Mathew understood that the marriage was interlinked to an oath of peace between them, but it seemed rather dubious that a goddess would allow the critical piece of the agreement to flee after the ceremony.
“The gods demand peace and my compliance to their will, not for me to be a dutiful wife. My alternative was to marry and then immediately kill my husband. The peace will last, although I will become a criminal. This seems a better alternative as long as my freedom from marital bondage is assured.” Rehn expressed.
The more the princess spoke, the easier it became for Mathew to understand her words. Whether it was her growing comfort in verbalizing her statements or Mathew’s ear becoming accustomed to the strange Amadan accent, he didn’t know.
Mathew thought over her demands for a moment before nodding.
“The most important thing to me is that the marriage proceeds. My stated objective is to ‘Travel to Center Island, the only landmass on the Azure Sea and ensure the marriage succeeds.’ I’m not sure what the goddess of Serene Reconciliation’s definition of ‘succeeds’ is, but you can come with me once I receive confirmation that I have accomplished my objective, as long as you swear to cooperate.” Mathew promised.
“How will I know when you have accomplished your goal?” Rehn asked, wary of trickery.
“My silver wristband is connected to the Tower of Avarice…the place where we serve the gods.” Mathew explained, holding up his wrist. The silver bangle caught the light.
“When the marriage is considered a ‘success,’ it will vibrate, and words will appear to confirm that I may leave. Don’t worry, I promise that if there is a way for you to come with me, I will take you. But I can’t guarantee it. I don’t have control over the Tower.” Mathew warned.
Rehn studied him for a moment, silently cursing the fact that she couldn’t read his facial expression or tone to spot any duplicity. Mathew seemed sincere, but she had no way to confirm it. If only she could read his mind!
“Then you will swear on the gods that you will do your utmost to bring me. A binding oath on the goddess of Serene Reconciliation.” Rehn stated, her head held proudly at her demand.
Mathew let out a sigh, not looking forward to the feeling of the binding oath, but it seemed the quickest and easiest way of accomplishing his goal. He agreed.
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Mathew stayed at the Amadan Embassy for the next several days while they prepared for the marriage ceremony. It was only proper as he had spent months with the Talrandians, learning their customs and getting to know their Prince.
Compared to them, the Amadans were a more straightforward people. They valued quiet and calm, likely a side effect of their Psion abilities. Mathew was an oddity amongst them; he had learned that no one in their company could read his mind, and Rehn spent hours attempting to counteract whatever protection he had.
In return for participating in her ‘experiments,’ she gave him complete access to their building, books and works of literature and even answered whatever questions he had about her abilities.
All Amadan could read minds and project their own thoughts to others. But the truly powerful amongst them could do so much more. Rehn, for example, could also ‘Scry’ far away objects or people. It would grant her an image of them, and she could roughly determine their location.
She could also move objects, pulling them toward her or pushing them away. But it was the stories of her tutors that terrified Mathew.
The ability to create portals to anywhere on the planet to instantly travel there, to imprison someone in Psychic chains so strong that even the strongest creatures could not move an inch.
Rehn had even heard rumours that there were those amongst her people who could divine the future, although she had never experienced such a thing for herself.
It was fascinating, and Mathew imagined that if Rehn entered the Tower of Avarice and had access to Aether, her powers would only grow stronger. He was curious about if she would be offered a chance to enter or granted a Discipline.
Only time could tell.
There were roughly three hundred Amadans on the island, equal in numbers to the Talrandians. Mathew didn’t have time to meet them all, nor did many of them wish to meet or speak with him, but he did become more familiar with those staying here.
The two people he had met when he had first arrived were the leaders of the Amadans. The woman had been the governor of the Island, while the man had been the organizer of the expedition across the Azure Sea.
After the first day, he rarely saw anyone but Rehn, even when he was wandering the Embassy. He suspected they were avoiding him, unnerved by his ability to block their abilities.
Aside from the large building, the Amadans had buildings throughout their half of the island, many of them temporary constructions to house the wedding delegation. More people were staying on the ship. The Amadan magic had enlarged the interior and made it as comfortable as the Embassy.
Finally, after three days of waiting, the wedding ceremony was ready to take place.
To symbolize the coming together of the two continents, it would take place at the exact geographical center of the island, where a large pavilion had been erected.
Typically, Mathew would be conducting the ceremony as the representative of the gods, but he immediately rejected that task. Instead, a priest from both the Talrandians and the Amadans would split the duty, with Mathew watching and ready to step in to prevent anything from interfering.
Waking up early that morning, Mathew donned the ceremonial robes of a Champion for what hopefully would be the last time. Grumbling as he pulled at the stiff collar and billowing sleeves, he waited in the white-roofed pavilion with the servants until noon, when both delegations would arrive.
The ceremony itself would be simple. It would start with a meal, a symbolic ‘breaking of bread’ with the enemy, where there would be readings and entertainment before the couple would stand before the altar and speak their vows. Mathew thought it was similar to an Earth wedding, only in reverse, with the ceremony taking place after the reception.
With that, the peace accord would be fulfilled, and Mathew could leave, along with Amberlith and Rehn, if they were able to.
The beating of drums began, sounding in the distance. It was a signal that the procession from the Talrandians would be leaving their Embassy and beginning the short march to the Pavillion.
Standing upright and giving his hated outfit a few more minor adjustments, Mathew went outside to meet them.