The Dark Remains - Mark Anthony [226]
Melia touched Falken’s arm. “He let the beast take him, Falken. You know it’s true. He could not bear to live without his beloved.”
The bard laid his hand over hers. “It fell to Melia and me to raise Anilena as best we could. It was not the first time, over the centuries, we had seen a child of the line of Malachor to adulthood, but never had we raised one from such a tender age, and so Anilena was special to us.
“Of course, we did have help. Gevriel Warden dwelled with us, along with his two sons. Gevriel was of the family of wardens who had served the kings of Malachor, for the line endured after the kingdom fell. Always there was at least one warden to keep watch over the current heir. At the time when Anilena was a child, we were all living in southern Calavan, in a small manor near the banks of the River Goldwine.”
“It was so beautiful there,” Melia said quietly. “I shall never forget the light on the river at sunset.”
Grace forced herself to breathe. “Did she … did Anilena know who she was?”
“Not at first, dear,” Melia said. “We wanted her to grow up as any child might. She did know her parents had died, and she thought of us as her aunt and uncle. Then, on her eighteenth birthday, we gave her the necklace you wear now, and we told her the truth. At first she was angry, but in a short time she was able to accept the burden that had been placed upon her.” Melia reached out and touched Grace’s hand. “Ever were the women of your line strong, dear.”
Grace had to resist the urge to pull back.
“And don’t forget willful,” Falken added. “Not a month after we told her of her heritage, Anilena ran off and married Raiff, the elder of Gevriel Warden’s two sons. In truth, I’m surprised it took that long before the two lines were united. Regardless, Anilena loved him, and it seemed she was determined to produce an heir as soon as possible. In case something dire happened.”
“And it did,” Durge said in a grim voice.
Now it was Falken who seemed to lose his tongue.
“Black knights,” Melia said. “It was four years later. Anilena and Raiff were so happy together, and happy with their daughter Ralena—with you, Grace. Then one day, Falken and I took a short journey to Gendarra, to pay a visit to our old friend Tome, who was there at the time. We took you with us, for Tome had never seen you, and Raiff and Anilena had promised him they would let you visit him. You were just three winters old. To be certain we were safe, Anilena and Raiff sent Merric Warden with us—he was Gevriel’s other son, and Raiff’s young brother.”
“As it turned out,” Falken said, “we weren’t the ones who needed protection. After visiting Tome, we returned to the manor and found it burned. There were few left alive, but we discovered Gevriel in the wreckage, although he was gravely wounded. He told us what had happened, how a band of knights in black armor had ridden up to the manor on black horses. Without even stopping to speak, the knights had attacked and set the manor afire. They slew Raiff while he tried to protect Anilena. She took up his sword, but they …”
Falken squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again. “They murdered Anilena where she stood. Then, without another word, the knights turned and rode away as quickly as they had come. Gevriel told us these things, then he died as well in Merric’s arms.”
Grace listened to these words in horror. In the space of a few minutes Falken and Melia had given her the parents she had never known, then as quickly had taken them away again.
“Who?” she finally managed to say. “Who were they? The black knights who killed my parents?”
“I’m afraid we were never sure,” Melia said.
Falken gazed at her, eyes fierce. “I am. It was the Pale King who sent them. Only Fellring ever had the power to harm Berash, and only one of Ulther’s heirs could wield the sword were it ever reforged. He wanted to make certain that never happened. And we know now he was stirring again at the time, preparing to break the Rune Gate as he nearly did last Midwinter.”
Melia looked