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And the Gorim of Ulgo spake, saying, 'Great King of timeless
Cherek, the prophecy will be fulfilled. Not in thy time nor in mine,
however, shall it come to fruition. But the day will come when the
King of the West shall ascend his throne, and the last battle shall be
fought, and the fate of the world shall hinge upon that coming and
that battle. What we have seen here is prelude. In the fullness of time
shall the battle be joined, and we must be content that our part in
this is needful and the world is better for our having done what we
have done.'And turned he unto the Aged One whose eyes were ever
in shadow and spake again, saying, 'And wilt thou abide his
coming?'
And the Aged One answered, saying, 'Yea, I will abide - even if it
be unto the end of days.'
And the Gorim spake, saying, 'UL is with thee, even as Aldur and
Belar. His blessing is upon thee, most Ancient of Men.' And then
rose he and spake in a great voice that all assembled might hear,
saying, 'Here is promised the Princess of Tolnedra to be wife unto
the King of Riva who will be the savior of the world. This is the will
of UL and of Aldur and of Belar and of\ the other Gods also. Let no
man gainsay the voices of the Gods, lest the Gods in their wrath rise
up and destroy him and all his race.'
And Mergon, ambassador of Imperial Tolnedra, was distressed,
and rose he and spake, saying, 'But all the world knows that the Hall
of the Rivan King is empty and desolate. No King sits on the Rivan
Throne. How may a Princess of Imperial Tolnedra be wed unto a
phantom?'
And then spake the woman who was ever at the side of the
Ancient One who counseled Brand, saying. 'From this day forward
upon her sixteenth birthday shall each Princess of Imperial Tolnedra
present herself in the Hall of the Rivan King. In her wedding gown
shall she be clad, and three days shall she abide there against the
coming of the King. And if he come not to claim her, shall she be free
to go wheresoever her father, the Emperor, shall decree, for she shall
not be the favored one.'
And Mergon spake, saying, 'All Tolnedra shall rise against such
an indignity' It may not be.'
And the woman answered, saying, 'In the day that Tolnedra fails
in this shall the West rise up against her, and we will scatter the Sons
of Nedra to the winds and pull down thy cities and lay waste thy
fields and thy villages. And the people of Nedra shall be as the
people of Mara, who are no more. And, like Mara, shall Nedra weep
alone in the wilderness that his people are no more.'
And the Kings of Aloria rose, and Eldrig spake, saying, 'To this,
pledge I Cherek.'And Cho-Ram said,To this, pledge I Algaria.'And
Rhodar said, 'To this, pledge I Drasnia.' And Ormik said, 'To this,
pledge I Sendaria.'And the Gorim spake, saying, 'I also pledge Holy
Ulgo to this. Tell thine Emperor that in the day that he or his line fails
in this, in that day shall Tolnedra surely perish.'
And then spake Podiss, emissary of Nyissa, saying. 'And what of
my Queen, Eternal Salmissra? What voice hath she in thine ordering
of the world?'
Then rose the woman and cast off her cloak. Queenly was her
bearing, and her brow was touched as with frost,'and she raised
up her hands, and behold, the garments of Podiss fell inward
as it were the man within had dissolved as snows before the