Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 11

She opened one chest and dumped the jewels from the chest into the one she had carried with her during her journey. Nova looked at them, "For the two of you. What I stole or killed for while I was gone. As well as what big and ugly kept in his chest. For your 5 years in hell."

Patron Silvertree shook his head, "You do not have to do this."

Nova nodded, "Yes I do. I cannot look at that stuff. It was collected because it would have seemed odd not to collect it. I was working as a thief assassin and to not take what was there would have sent too many alarms. I spent what I needed to maintain my cover but the rest was coming back to the family. I knew you got imprisoned from Janella.

I told myself and Jan whatever I picked up along the way would go to you 2. The vaults are another matter. I tried to explain that to Aunt Orea when she wanted to know how much was in the vault and what her share might be. I told her it would not work that way. Most would not end up in the bank. She got it when I showed her 6 vaults; not all 22. Not counting the Relic vault."

He nodded, "What will you do with it?"

Nova smiled, "Leave it in the vaults until a need arises. Some will go to the family, some will go to the families of those out there. Depends on what we find out from the bank records; if they remain."

Nearon looked at Nova as he grabbed her arm, "This about the second wife thing?"

Nova shook her head, "No. Ask Janella. She will tell you this was decided by me 5 years ago; when I heard the 2 of you getting imprisoned. All that told me was that I would never have a normal relationship. On the upside I did apply a talent that fixed my fertility, I am expecting again.

Monnius. He and Brena showed me how to love. I would say again but that would imply I had before. I also fixed hers. Also, a couple of the blade wielders' wives."

Nearon looked at Nova, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Nova smiled, "It is not like you have been eager to talk with me. I cannot fix those born that way or from age; damage only. What I did to make your father feel better I applied it to myself. They will be the last Monnius will have with me.

Yes, he was the father of the first set of twins so I did not have to be raped, the original plan of the Gods apparently. I foiled the third rape attempt at the army; the first would have been the King. I have no memory of the experience with Monnius before I went into the Army.

After I left I got raped multiple times, part of my training to le them think they were in control, before I killed them. With Moonius I went into a repetitive loop of reliving my birth. Before you ask what brought this about. He came to me.

He asked if I could ever love him, while I was in the control room. That was when I went and got Brena. I realized I did not know what it was to be made love to, fucked sure. I asked them to show me.

I told him I could never marry him because of the council. Brena is expecting 3. She might be able to have 1 more pregnancy before age catches her. I now know what it means to be made love to. I am fine Nearon. I did not seek him out.

He sought me out. If I could fix you and your wife, I would have come to you the next morning to do it. I told your wife about this days ago. I am surprised she did not tell you. Unless you asked her not to talk about me. Then it would make sense. I am going to go and eat."

Nova used a scroll and sent the chest into the ether.

Nova handed the small chest to the Patron, "'Jasor Silvertree' will recall it. Name of my eldest son raised by Brena."

She walked out leaving the Patron talking with his son. Nova knew Nearon had told Senna not to talk about Nova. Senna told Nova as much when she mentioned the chest to her. Nova went into the dining area and ate with Janella and Brocken.

Nova heard mentally from Brocken, "I heard what was going on with Nearon from his wife."

Nova thought back, "Nothing is going on. The way he wanted it and the way he is getting it."

Nova heard him audibly sigh. Nova finished and left. Nova went out and shut down two of the displays after seeing they were at a stop. She checked for any people below and it was clear. She packed them away.

She thought, "Any restrictions? We have a couple with three wives and a few with two."

She heard back from the Lady of Dreams, "Wives, husbands, and your Patron are fine."

She went and found the Blade wielders, "I just confirmed, wives and husbands are fine for going down. I am taking my Patron, everyone else should be kept on this floor. I know the Gods will be making some changes to the Keep."

She stopped long enough to look in on her 2 children. The first time she had really seen them since they were born. She did not hate them and yet she felt detached from them in too many ways. She turned and went to the control room without saying anything. Brena noticed Novella looking at them and worried about her, "Shut down displays."

She looked over the ground. Someone teleported down. She looked closely at the high definition and sighed.

She teleported down behind him, "You cannot be here."

Nearon turned quickly.

He looked at Nova, "Why do you care?"

Nova glared at Nearon, "I do care. You are family. I doubt I can heal the damage done by the divine. The question is why do you not care. You have a wife who loves you and you obviously love her very much. Destroying your sight from having your eyes burned from your skull is not what she signed up for. At least not unless you have a damned good reason."

He turned from her, "Go."

Nova commanded him, "Tell me what your fucking problem is."

He turned to Nova, "Did you just try to command me?"

Nova nodded, "Yes, Do I need to do it again?"

He looked at Nova, "Stay the fuck out of my head."

Nova looked at him, "Or what?"

He went to cast. Nova commanded him, "Forget all your spells."

He looked frustrated. "What did you do?"

Nova looked at him, "Saved your life. Say your spell landed and killed me. You would be trapped in here until you die as would everyone else; at least until you figured out tunneling might work but that does not work well in this rock; especially with no spells. Then there is the whole 'let the King have the Elven Kingdom and fuck over the whole family thing.'"

Nova commanded him again, "Tell me what the fucking problem is."

He looked at Nova, "I loved you! You left me! Made me think you were dead! You never told me you were a champion! Then wanted back in my life, turned my wife against me, and now my father!"

Nova nodded, "Much better. I love nobody. I don't know how to do it, care for family, sure. I said I was shown how to make love not that I loved him. I was raised not to love, even my own children who I just looked in on and felt completely detached from them.

Can you imagine that feeling? Our people as a whole? Yes...I care for them, but not individuals. Not to put one above another. I came close once and he disappointed me by not respecting my wishes. If he had he might still be alive.

Instead, he did not give me the 6 months I asked for and he died on the field when another Lieutenant failed him. He forced me out of the Army sooner than I wanted. He felt it was his job to protect me. I did not appreciate having my trust violated and it cost him his life.

A simple fact, I was made to be a weapon. I left everyone and made everyone but Brena, Roanu, Janella, and Brocken think I was dead. Those who were in on the overthrowing of this King from the beginning.

The Patron was left out since before I was born. He had to have deniability. You shut me down from getting back into your life and I accepted that. The issue between you and your wife is your issue as is the one with the Patron.

I told your wife you never had to tell me what your problem was. Then you pull this shit and force me to find out. If you are not open and honest with her then that is your problem to deal with. I have no clue as to how I turned the Patron against you.

I am trying to figure out when I could have let you know I was still alive. Were you questioned about me being alive? I would assume that is the case. Questioned about me being a champion? If you had known, would you have given it up? Tell me I am wrong?

I know your father was severely tortured. I fixed what I could on him. They did not seem that fixed on you from what I have seen. Little if any physical damage. Being a Blade Singer you could prove you still had Slade Singer capabilities.

Likely you told them who my bard trainer was, her husband who lived here but was dead while her psion husband was traveling in the south because of all the restrictions. All three infertile. This my dualist trainer who died before I was an adult.

You spent most of your adult life working as a bodyguard to your father or guarding the exterior of the home. In short, you were way down on the list of those who might know, but being a guard you might have overheard something.

They figured your father as the Patron had to know, but even then they had no proof I was one from anyone as he was kept in the dark from the beginning. My mother was dead and we officially have no 'master draconic enchanter.' We do but the patron does not know that fact either.

I learned of the denials in open court. The fact there was no hard evidence to support that claim. It did not stop them from stealing from the house. They likely then wanted to look for others. But so many houses had a champion, it could come from anywhere. My actions left him paranoid.

Where was he going to get attacked from? I found a fractured communication crystal in the room, likely from the King to the Baron. It was not broken before, remember my memory. I checked it and it was not damaged until after the base started moving.

The room was locked down with the Protean within it at that time. He was probably on alert for another champion to run the gauntlet and obtain the swords. He could teleport out and spot another champion. I did not become a champion until after I delivered my children. To keep me hidden longer but also to give them another option to choose another if I died in the Army."

Nova walked past him. He grabbed her from behind in a chokehold. She teleported them up into the keep. She flipped him over her and across the floor. She manacled his hands together. She picked him up and dropped him in the master bedroom. She went and found his wife Senna and waved her to follow.

Nova pointed at him, "Your problem. I am sealing you two in here until this thing is over with. I stripped all of his spells from memory before he disintegrated me down below."

She looked shocked, "What was he doing down below? Why did he attack you?"

Nova looked at her, "Good questions. I commanded him 3 times the first time he resisted. The second was taking his spells from memory, and the third was to tell me what his fucking problem was. He claimed to have loved me, felt betrayed because I let him believe I was dead, I did not tell him I was a champion, and then turned you and the Patron against him.

I do not know how I turned the Patron against him. As for you, I figured because I asked you about the second wife thing. You confirmed it was him with the issue. He is your husband, support him. If he wants nothing to do with me that is his choice and you should work to respect it.

I told him I did not love anyone. The elven people as a whole I care about, but not individuals. I was shown what it was like to be made love to, not that I loved them. Same thing I asked Nearon to do when he shut me down. Strip him down and fuck his brains out because he acts as he lost his mind already."

She sighed. Nova stepped out, "Seal bedroom."

Nova walked down to the dining area, "If you are going down go to the portal room. Else up to the next floor. She went out and checked the courtyard. She came back in, "Seal courtyard doors."

Nova went up and saw her Patron, "You coming?"

He looked at her, "I told Nearon to go."

Nova shook her head, "No, I selected my guest for this, he would have his eyes burned out! We need to talk." He came over and followed her down. "Seal the upper floor."

Nova looked at him, "What did I do to turn you against him? I found him hiding in the trees on the surface. He was working to get his eyes burned out as he was not invited by ME! He was not invited by the Gods. You were."

He sighed, "He would see it that way. I told him to tell you how he felt."

Nova nodded, "He did the third time I commanded him, the second was to forget all of his spells when he went to attack me. The first was him resisting my command to tell him what was going on with him. I locked him and his wife in the master bedroom."

He groaned, "What happened after that?"

Nova looked at him, "You mean telling him I loved nobody. That Monnius and Brena showed me how to make love but I was never taught or allowed to love, EVER! Then he tried a stranglehold.

I tossed him after I got him up here and manacled his hands together. I told his wife to strip him down and fuck his brains out. He has already lost his fucking mind. Were you tortured? Was he?"

He nodded, "Both for the first week and they finally realized we knew nothing. Their torturer was a sadistic fuck. Spent most of his time on me. He answered a lot of questions after the first few hours but everything he told them confirmed what I said in open court."

Nova nodded, "Dead fuck now; I took his head off when I freed all of the prisoners. In the War Room dungeon."

He looked at Nova, "Does he know?"

Nova shook her head as she started walking, "Not unless the others told him. I killed him during the prison break."

Nova thought, "Take it back to the height of the mountains. I want distance for sound."

He called to Nova, "You should tell him."

Nova shook her head, "No. Right now I am not talking to him and I doubt it would do any good. We have a sword ceremony to conduct."

He groaned and followed her over and into the portal room.

Silver Ring looked at her, "Why are you securing all the people up here?"

Nova thought, "Trika, have all the horses go to the stables."

Nova heard, "Already here."

Nova looked over, "The Gods have told me of 2 modifications that they are doing to this Keep. I do not know what kind of visual effect that is going to have. I am putting as much insulation from those areas and those staying up here as I can. Remember those who try to watch the ceremony and are not invited have their eyes burned out.

Not to mention hearing the area will be silenced at the shield. The keep should help to insulate them from that and I added more distance. The Gods did not ask for these precautions but that does not mean it is not a good idea."

Nova took the portal down. "Guests will be on the shore behind a significant other or in my case, my Patron will be standing across from me. Any that are in the water Guests stand opposite them on the shore. Once this starts you will find you cannot move. That is what normally occurs."

Nova went around and set everyone in position based on the ritual description from the journal. Nova was finally comfortable with everyone's position. Nova knelt, "Ready?"

Nova got, "Ready!" in unisons from the crowd.

Nova thought "Varus'Nor left-hand Moon fire off"

Nova took the sword in both hands ran it against her knee.

Nova stabbed the bottom. "In the name of Corellon Larethian and Sehanine Moon Bow, we ask you to aid us in reclaiming our lost heritage. Prepare us for the upcoming conflict by activating, claiming, and cleansing any evil influences from these blades."

Nova thought, "Moon Fire on."

The outlines formed and filled in. No sheaths for this. Nova watched the last part of the second crescent filling in on Silversong, New Moon, and Dusk Moon. Nova had put Moon Blade, New Moon, and herself straight across from each other. The blades lit up and what has not occurred since the purification ritual the water exploded into the air. He stood between the blade in front of Nova and faced her.

He looked at Nova, "It is your role to execute the King in our name for his crimes against the elven people. You know this Champion. The others need to understand no matter their hatred, the task falls to you. To all of you. I have added a rune to each blade. This one will be a part of the blade even when recovered from being damaged.

The champion said every blade wielder should be free of mind control. I agree. I was also impressed when she shielded the future King's mind from probing repeatedly. I am adding that to the mind control for the wielder, at their discretion, can cut off metal probing, Psionic or magical. This is an ability you would have to act upon to drop.

There are those, like the champion, who would allow it if asked to do things with psionic students. As a form of checks and balances, I am, through the absorption of so many relics, adding another Moon Blade to the Field. The champion will find it sheathed and ready with the house symbol already on it."

Nova thought, "Moon Eye."

He looked at Nova, "Yes champion, Moon Eye and you know who will get the blade. You will train him and ensure he has heirs for the future. His line will always have a Psion taking up the blade. This shows my support for our psionic population which numbers less than 500 now.

The persecution by the King killed 3,500 of them. Of those, only 27 committed any act that was truly an offense. They did it as an act of resistance but they targeted innocents. That was where they crossed the line. As such I want the new King."

As he generated a new crown and placed it on Goldeagle's head. "To create a force in your Diplomatic Service for Psions. They would also help to guard their own population from corruption. The new blade wielder would be your commander in this service."

Nova thought, "Tell me you are making it so we can display this to the masses."

Nova heard back, "Yes, it will be available for that purpose. I anticipated that request. A new red crystal on the console."

He continued, "I am also stripping temporarily any spellcasting ability, psionic, arcane, and divine from any who worship us. If they think they are protecting the crown when in fact they are not. They will know I have removed him from power. This will last for three days of reflection into what this King will confess of his crimes. This starts now."

He paused, "As to the blades, for those who already have this symbol I added another based upon your current planned ability. That means most of you, including you...my champion must select something new to add. To my people, I offer this piece of advice. Work to live in-service to one another and not in greed or seeking power. As I have said before. What goes up, must come down."

They were nearly crushed by the water coming back down. She thought, "Varus'Nor set vorpal."

Varus'Nor responded, "I cannot add it because of the chance to fumble the weapon."

Nova thought, "Add the ability I have not to fumble the blade to the sword."

Nova heard him chuckle, "It is called Divine Grace and is set, Wise Nova. You are making me a most formidable blade."

Nova heard in her head from the Lady of Dreams, "Excellent choice; we had not anticipated but welcome that choice. That makes vorpal an option for another wielder potentially."

Nova looked around at the group. She picked up the blade by the sheath. She looked at Brena and she did not know she had a crown on her head.

Nova smiled, "Your Majesty, you should check your own head."

She put her hand onto the crown in shock.

Nova looked at the King, "Your Majesty, we have much to do if I am still leading this, or did you wish to take over now?"