Sara Douglass – The Axis Trilogy 2 – Enchanter

Again a cheer went up. The treaty Axis had signed with Ysgryff and Greville was common knowledge about Carlon now, and the people were already aware that the arrival of the Icarii and, one day, the Avar, posed little threat to them.

“Those of you with titles and hereditary lands will keep both rank and lands, although,” Axis’ face assumed a sad expression, “with the war that has enveloped Tencendor over the past months, and with those lost fighting the Skraelings to the north, land and tides have fallen vacant. My friends, over the past two years there have been many among you whose help has been invaluable. Without it I would not be standing here now and Tencendor would still belong to the realms of myth, not reality. My people, I want to create five first families, families whose members have, so much more than any others, helped myself and my cause.”

He stared down into the first row of seats. “Belial,” he said softly, “you are first among the five. Step here to me.”

Belial stepped onto the dais, fell to one knee and offered Axis both his hands.

“Belial.” Axis’ voice rang clear and strong. “I owe my We to you many times over. I grant to you and to your bloodline henceforth the tide, rank and privileges of Prince of the West. I cede to you the overlordship of Carlon, and of all lands that stretch from the River Nordra to the Andeis Sea and from the River Azle to the Sea of Tyrre. From these lands you may enjoy a tithe of all the rights, customs and duties. I also grant to you to own freehold the castle of Kastaleon and Bedwyr Fort, although,” he smiled and his voice lightened a little, “I do expect you to repair Bedwyr Fort to its former glory.”

Belial’s face paled with shock. With this tide and with the rights to tithe all customs and duties that were collected in the western lands, Axis had just made Belial, and any future children he might have with Cazna, very rich and powerful indeed.

“Belial, will you accept these lands, casdes, tides and honours and swear me homage and fealty as StarMan?”

“I accept with honour, StarMan,” the tide came easily to him, “and I do so swear homage and fealty to you.”

“Then, Prince Belial, stand and greet the people of Tencendor.”

Belial stood, and Axis raised their conjoined hands above their heads. The crowd roared, loving it. Belial was almost as popular as Axis was himself. Jorge, Earl of Avonsdale, and Baron Fulke of Romsdale, the two noblemen whose lands, with those of Roland, Duke of Aldeni, would come under their new Prince’s overlordship, shrugged dieir shoulders.

This new system was no different to that they had lived under with the royal house of Achar. One overlord was substituted for another. And Belial promised to be a considerable improvement on Borneheld.

Belial walked back to his seat and Axis turned back to the front row again. “Magariz,” he said softly. “You are second among the five.”

Startled, for he had not expected this, Magariz stepped onto the dais. As Belial, he sank down on one knee before Axis and offered him his hands.

“Magariz. You gave me loyalty and support when to do so risked your death. Magariz, I grant to you and to your bloodline henceforth the title, rank and privileges of Prince of the North. I cede to you the lands of the former province of Ichtar, stretching from the River Azle to the River Andakilsa, and from the Fortress Ranges to the Andeis Sea. All these lands will be yours, save the garrison of Sigholt, which I will retain as my personal residence. Of course, Prince Magariz, most of these lands are currently occupied by the army of Gorgrael. I hope it will add an edge to your commitment to driving Gorgrael from Tencendor knowing that these lands will be yours once freed of Skraelings.”

Magariz already came from one of the ancient noble houses of Achar, but Axis had just made him immeasurably richer and nobler.

“Magariz, will you accept these lands, tides and honours and swear me homage and fealty as StarMan?”

“I accept with honour, StarMan, and I do swear homage and fealty to you.”

As with Belial, so Axis now presented the newly created Prince Magariz to the crowd. The cheering for Magariz was as enthusiastic as it had been for Belial. Magariz’s family was well-known to most of the Acharites.

Axis held his hands out for silence as Magariz stepped down from the dais. “The third family I name is my own, the SunSoar family. FreeFall? Will you step forward to receive my thanks for what the SunSoars have given me?”

FreeFall stepped forward, and the crowd gasped at his beauty and the aura of peace he carried about him. FreeFall held out his hands for Axis to enclose, but he did not kneel.

“FreeFall,” Axis smiled at his cousin. “You gave more than most for my cause. You lost your life to murder, and perhaps in doing so saved mine.

“FreeFall, your House and your people showed compassion to my mother, the Princess Rivkah, when foul treachery among the Seneschal would have seen her dead. Your House took me in and trained me in my heritage and gave me many of the skills needed to reforge Tencendor and that I will need to defeat Gorgrael. With the Treaty of the Ancient Barrows most of your sacred sites have already been restored to you. The Icarii will once again fly freely over the skies of Tencendor. FreeFall SunSoar, when all thought you lost and dead, your father, RavenCrest SunSoar, made me his heir to the Talon Throne. FreeFall, that title is yours by birthright and today I relinquish it back to you.”

FreeFall opened his mouth to object, but Axis pushed on before he had a chance to say anything. “FreeFall, the tide and throne of Talon in the newly fashioned Tencendor will not be what it once was. The Talon will still govern the Icarii people, but not the combined races of Tencendor. And, as Talon, you will still swear homage and fealty to me as StarMan and to my House of the Stars. Will you accept this?”

Axis stared into FreeFall’s beautiful violet eyes. Never before had the House of SunSoar sworn homage and fealty to another; never before had the Talon, or heir to the Talon throne, subordinated himself to another. This was a critical moment for Axis. He had to get the Icarii and the SunSoars to back his vision for the future of Tencendor.

FreeFall dropped to one knee, his wings spread out behind him in the traditional gesture of respect and deference. “As heir to the Talon throne and on behalf of the Icarii people I do so swear homage and fealty to you, Axis SunSoar Star-Man. You have led us back into Tencendor when for so long we thought we would never again see the southern lands. You have restored to us our sacred sites. You have given back our pride. For that we gladly accept your House of the Stars above us. The Talon will accept your overlordship.”

On impulse, FreeFall stood and embraced Axis, and again the crowd cheered.

As FreeFall stepped from the dais Axis indicated that Ho’Demi should join him. Ho’Demi had no hesitation about kneeling before the StarMan.

“Ho’Demi, as with the Icarii people, this is my chance to publicly acknowledge and thank the people of Ravensbund who have so long adhered to the Prophecy and who rode to support me and Tencendor. Ho’Demi, I grant you and your family the rights and privileges of one of the first five families of Tencendor, and the rights and privileges of the extreme north of Tencendor from the River Andakilsa to the Iskruel Ocean. Ah, Ho’Demi, it is only what you had previously and have now lost, but I swear before this assembly that I will fight to clean every last iceberg in the north of what Skraelings cling to them and restore your lands to your people. Will you swear me homage and fealty on behalf of your family and your people, Ho’Demi?”

Ho’Demi’s voice rang out clear and true as he pledged his loyalty and that of his people to the StarMan and to the new nation of Tencendor.

Now Axis held out his hand to Ysgryff and the Baron joined him on the dais. YsgryfF’s pact with the pirates that had sealed Borneheld’s defeat in the Battle of Bedwyr Fort had reached almost legendary status, and none was surprised to see Ysgryff thus honoured.

“Ysgryff,” Axis smiled, taking the man’s hands as he knelt before him. “You have done much for not only myself and Tencendor, but for the Icarii people as well. You saved the day when I battled against Borneheld, and for that alone I would honour you. But your work, and that of your family over the past thousand years, in preserving and protecting the Temple of the Stars on the Island of Mist and Memory places the Icarii forever in your debt. Ysgryff, you have already been well rewarded for your concessions to the Icarii and the Avar, but I now raise your family to the first five, and grant to you the title, privileges and rank of Prince of Nor. YsgryfF, will you accept this honour and grant me homage and fealty?”