Jean Lorrah - Empress Unborn

“Until your child is born,” Master Clement agreed, “you should be sheltered here, protected by lands we hold on all sides.”

Julia wondered if Aradia could Read that Master Clement did not verbalize all his concerns. She had a lesson scheduled with him, so after Aradia had left the rapport to set their retainers to work preparing to leave Castle Blackwolf, she asked, “Do you fear an attack, Master?”

“An attack? Child, what would give you that idea?”

“Our situation might give anybody that idea,” she replied. “Since the Aventine Empire fell, we have more land than has ever been under one government before. But we have lost key members of our Alliance. Torio and Melissa are gone, and now Father and Wulfston. Lilith meant to leave her lands in the care of Zanos and Astra while she came to aid Aradia in her confinement. Her lands are bordered by enemies. If Zanos and Astra are not back by then, will she dare leave her lands with only her son to care for them? Ivorn’s not much older than I am.”

She clearly felt the old man’s surprise as he told her, “Julia, these are not problems for one so young.”

“But they are my problems,” she insisted. “Master Clement, the word will spread beyond our borders that Father and Wulfston are gone. Our best Reader, and one our strongest Lords Adept-and if the news of Aradia’s pregnancy spreads as well, they’ll know she can’t function at full strength. Don’t you think some of our neighbors might take this as the best time to attack?”

There was a pause. Then, “Yes, Julia, I do. However, they will mistake our vulnerability.”

“What?”

“Where do you think they will attack, child?”

“Along the northern borders-especially here, along Wulfston’s northern coast, and Lilith’s borders to the north and east.”

“Why do you think the attacks will come there?”

“Along those borders are lands which have refused our offers of peaceful trade agreements,” she replied. “With Wulfston gone, they’ll try for a foothold here. Lilith is a strong Adept, and her son is growing in power-they may attack now, knowing that once Ivorn comes into his full powers, they will face a much stronger adversary.”

“Yes, you are quite right. Now, Julia… if you wanted to attack our Savage Empire, knowing what you know, would you choose the same plan of attack?”

The way the question was worded, the answer was probably no. But then he would ask-

“Think of your father, when Aradia first gave him the city of Zendi,” Master Clement prompted.

Suddenly Julia knew. “Wulfston’s lands and Lilith’s, and Father and Aradia’s lands-their people will defend them to the death! They’ve known tyrants like Drakonius-and it’s worth fighting to remain part of the Savage Empire. We’re most vulnerable in the old Aventine Empire, where most people had a pretty good life under the Emperor’s rule. In only four years they haven’t had time to develop any loyalty-and lots of them see us as worse than the Emperor because we caused the earthquake in Tiberium.”

“Child, you are too wise for your years,” said Master-Clement. “Lenardo and Aradia are teaching you well. If Portia had treated the Readers she ruled as the members of our Alliance treat their people, they would not have turned against her. But we are wise if we can learn from the mistakes of others, and not make them all ourselves.

“Now,” he continued, “enough of government; Aradia and your father will teach you that. Show me what you have been practicing of Reading.”

Julia had been practicing her fine discernment, and earned praise from Master Clement when she showed him how she could Read something like the tumor in a boy’s knee down to the level of individual cells.

“Not Torio, not even your father, could Read so well at your age. Now show me distance.”

Julia enjoyed these lessons, for her horizons were constantly expanding. Reading was a joy-had been ever since Lenardo had first touched her mind and taken her out of her life as a misfit among the guttersnipes of Zendi. Once she understood the necessity for etiquette and protocol in someone who would rule her own lands one day, she had carefully developed her habits and her language until her teachers could find no fault.

She loved to learn-it was the one quarrel she had with her friend Galerio, for he found the fascinating knowledge she longed to share with him quite boring.

She demonstrated for Master Clement how far she could Read, and with what accuracy, then showed him her new skill at Reading other Readers without being detected. She Read Panatus, now helping the healer with one of many sessions to straighten the bones of a child who had suffered rickets before Lord Wulfston came to rule the land.

” Julia, that is not a skill for a Reader in training!” Master Clement chided. “Until you pass your exams to become a Magister Reader, you should not even try it.”

“Why not? I can do it-I learned it by Reading with Father when he does it.”

“Because, child, it takes a certain wisdom to use one’s skills properly. I understand how difficult it is for you to see that some kinds of wisdom come only with age.”

“Or experience,” she protested. “Father says I’ve seen a great deal for someone my age.”

“And I agree. However, you are also at the time of life when your body is changing-you are becoming a woman, Julia. Until you have become accustomed to the changes, they will affect your feelings, your judgment. Your body will affect your mind.”

“Then teach me to leave my body!” she asked eagerly. “I’m ready-you’ve tested all my skills. Let me take the next step.”

“If it were only your Reading skills,” he told her, “I would agree that you are ready. But moving beyond your body must wait until you have passed completely through puberty. So practice your other skills, Julia, and learn other things. Let Aradia teach you more languages. Study music-”

“I have no talent for music,” Julia protested. “When I tried to play the lute, it sounded like a sick cow.”

“Then by all means practice upon the lute! I shall set Master Juna to teaching you as soon as you return.”

If there was anything Julia hated, it was being made to do something she was not good at, and never would be. Her only hope was that Master Clement might forget this part of their conversation, so she did not argue-that would certainly set the notion firmly in his mind.

Her ploy, however, did not work. Hardly were she and Aradia back in Zendi when Master Juna was there with her lute and a schedule of lessons. And when she protested to both Aradia and Master Clement, she got the same answer from both: “Learn to play well enough to accompany singing, and it will suffice. It is good discipline for everybody to learn to do some things he has no great talent for.”

Aradia was glad to be back in Zendi, although her anxiety over Lenardo’s safety grew as the weeks passed with no word from him. If he and Wulfston were detained in Africa, surely there were ways to send messages! Traders came from the Nubian lands. Was neither man free to write or send a letter?

The expected attack came upon Wulfston’s northern border. Lilith and Ivorn rode to join Wulfston’s army. Readers and minor Adepts flocked to their aid, and the attacking force was repelled as easily as swatting a fly.

Aradia was pleased that the attack was so easily routed, but frustrated to be left in Zendi, far out of the action.

It was Julia who pointed out, “If you were not pregnant, you would still not have gone so far for a battle that was over before you could’ve arrived.”

Aradia had to smile. She had long ago accepted Lenardo’s adopted daughter-but now she was learning to love her. The girl had been a bundle of mischief before Master Clement took over her training, but she was growing up into a fine young woman.