Demiourgos by Chris Williams

the Darkwatcher, came to the naarabian because he was moved by the devotion Kwynnith showed and gave him the ability to track and locate his chosen over great distances and through even the mightiest storm." Nina said reverently as she looked down at Rose.
    "Did he find his chosen?" Rose asked, her voice still a whisper.
    Nina shook her head lightly. "The story says that he wanders still, searching for his lost love. I believe he found his chosen and they continued their journey together."
    "I like that ending better." Rose smiled a bit and closed her eyes to rest, not the same trance as usual but the deep cavernous sleep that was usually reserved for humans.
     
    ~~~~
     
    "Mira do you not even care about the fate of this girl? She obviously was harmed during her rest from the amount of blood she coughed up last night. If you say that this girl’s destiny is intertwined with ours she must be of some importance." Merik paced back and forth in their rented room and ran his fingers through his amber hair, fixing his similar-colored gaze on his queen several times as he paced nervously. "I know you remember that part of the prophecy as clearly as I do."
    "The flower of the desert shall bloom from the seeds of an unlikely pair. She will wear a guise as innocent as the dew on a newly sprouted bud and as pure as the first spring rain. A child of the far east shall nourish her and uproot her from her home." Mira looked over at her nervous body guard. "The white queen ware her throne for the traitor in her midst will conspire to throw her to the lizard-king."
    "Yes Merik I know the legend and I know the implications of the last line." Mira said softly as she sat down on the bed and sighed trying to shirk the dark thoughts in her head. "The pieces fit but I am wary of releasing this girl from her bonds, the consequences of our actions could have a ripple effect for generations to come."
    "What about the talk of a second coming of the golden age?" Merik asked hopefully, being relatively unfamiliar with the other predictions from the elf prophet. "Do you know that one?"
    "I do, but I am not permitted to share certain information with those outside of the royal family." Mira looked up at her most trusted lieutenant and caught his eyes. Holding those fiery amber orbs for a moment she looked deeper, searching for something she could not name. There were few alive that she could trust and among those were Merik and her own daughter. The only reason why she had endangered her daughter by allowing her to infiltrate the pasha's home was because she was the only one that could be truly trusted with the mission. "Am I doing the right thing Merik? I just don't know anymore."
    "My queen, I have never failed to carry out your commands, but I am not of a mind to council you nor question your decisions." He said as carefully as possible in his baritone voice.
    "I do not question your loyalty." She stated flatly.
    "That is not the point my queen, if ever you issued an order contrary to our peoples' needs I would have a hard time following it." He said with a growing mischievous smile.
    "Careful, that's borderline treason." She allowed herself a bit of amusement at his tone but doubted not his stern resolve. "I realize that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, we will help the girl if we can."
    "I am glad to hear you say that my liege." Merik sat down in a plush chair by the window and took up his obsidian sword, running a specially-prepared stone across it to keep the edge fresh and sharp. "I think this ‘pleasure slave' as you call her is important."
    "You're not paid to think." She jested at the tall, muscular elf.
     
    ~~~~
     
    A few days had passed since Rose had been attacked by Vishna and since then her wound had healed nicely and her body had recovered from its self-induced trauma. The girls of the harem welcomed her back with open arms and praise and the pasha himself had come to check on her every single day since she had