me for saying it, he could kill you, my queen!” There was worry in his voice as he said this. The possibilities rushed through his head. If the queen is killed all these years of work will be lost.
The queen laughed. “My dear Senashow, it pleases me that you worry about my well being, even if only for your own safety. It also worries me that you would entertain this mindless mysticism, as you like to call it.” Her voice was becoming cruel and soft, and he listened with rapt attention. “If we capture a boy that fits the description, the rebels will come to save him. In their haste, they will be sloppy and will make mistakes of which we will take advantage . They will be crushed and in little time we will rid the land of this prophecy and the resistance.”
The queen continued with a smile crossing her face. “When the boy is brought before me, I will sway his thinking and convince him to join us! I do not believe that there is a chosen one, but the people believe that there is, or can be lead to believe as much. We can persuade the boy to believe in our way and then we will have an icon of our own to hold aloft that will silence all our adversaries, for if you remember, the prophecy does not say whose side he will join. It just says that he will cleanse the land. If the resistance is crushed, the land will be cleansed, and we will be in power forever and finally have our revenge.”
He flinched inside as her voice took on an accusatory tone. “Furthermore, I do not believe in prophecies as you well know; there is no chosen boy, so it will be a human boy in front of me. Do you think that a human could overpower me?” The statement dared him to question her.
He resisted and said, “You are wise, oh great queen; we will set a trap and either way, the fools will spring it. Their own beliefs will bring them down.” There was true joy in the Senashow’s voice now.
Malice flickered in her eyes. “And apparently your beliefs too.”
He stammered, “My queen… I… I was merely saying . . .”
“No matter. You were covering all of the possibilities, no matter how unlikely, and I do not fault you for this. Indeed, it is your greatest strength,” she said conversationally.
Relief crept into him. “Thank you, my most kind queen.”
“Now, we must develop a plan,” said the queen in a brusque manner. “We need to make sure that we find someone who matches the description exactly. If we are off in the slightest all will be lost.”
Deep inside the Senashow’s mind a small voice said, And if the prophecy is true we will still be safe.
The queen continued. “You will send out men to the country that the boy is said to come from. They will search every boy that is of the proper age and look for the mark on him. Then they will bring him back to me.”
“And if he should resist, your highness?”
“Then they will kill him; he may only be of use if he complies.”
“It will be done,” said the Senashow, bowing his head.
They exchanged a few more words before the queen dismissed him. As he was leaving the room, the queen addressed him saying, “One more thing.”
He paused in the doorway and turned his head back to the queen, who was still wearing a calm look on her face.
“Yes, my queen?”
“On your way out, send servants to come and clean this rug.”
“It will be my pleasure,” he answered. Another slight smile began to creep onto his face as he said, “And the dog that caused the stain?”
The queen replied in a calm and emotionless voice, “He fears that I will take retribution out on his brother, who works in the stables, as I’m sure you are aware.”
“Yes,” replied the Senashow brightly.
“Make sure those fears come to pass.”
“Your will shall be done, your Highness,” he said as he turned and closed the door behind him.
Chapter One
A New Dawn Rising
“Love and empathy are a matter of perspective and time. As time passes and perspectives change, we grow together like the tree and the vine, our destinies and lives intertwining in such a way that, if separated from each other, both will certainly perish.”