The Fates’ Dilemma
Finally everyone was squared away and settled. The Emperor was clean, full and enjoying his new clothes. He was even presented with his own head covering. While he understood the function of the cloth before, seeing it in action was something new. The lightweight fabric blocked the sun from beating down on him, and he felt far more comfortable in the heat than he had wearing less clothing.
As promised, Devrim met with the Cheiftain and Timur. The Emperor brought Junayd, Captain Caleb and Lieutenant Mund with him to the Cheifain's tent and Orhan had his son Timur, Metehan and a many of the elders of the Dunesman.
They all reclined comfortably on cushions in a circle with a low portable table placed in the middle. In fact, it was one of the most comfortable meetings Devrim had ever attended. He wondered if they could employ similar methods at the palace.
Telling Devrim the same story as he relayed to Mairwen earlier, Orhan gave those in the tent his predicament. "I must decide how best to honor my vow. Do I support Empress Aurora or Prince Alaron who also seems to have a claim to the throne?"
"You have taken a large risk taking us in if you plan to support my son's coup. While there are not as many of us as you, I do think we could overtake you should you try to turn on us." Devrim looked hard at the Chieftain. He seemed unbothered by what could have been seen as a threat.
"I think you are a man of honor, just like Captain Caleb. That is why we are having this conversation at all. I could have easily killed you a hundred times by now. But I am a man of honor too. If my duty calls me to support Prince Alaron, I will meet you on the field of battle and not before." Something in Orhan's demeanor made Devrim believe him.
"Then I will have to convince you to make the right decision," the grey-eyed man responded with conviction. "How can I help?"
"Tell me your version of events. I need to know what happened from someone who was there."
The Emperor, with the help of Junayd, relayed the events he knew both from his experience and from Hanna. It took a long time because they wanted to be thorough. When they finally finished, both were out of breath.
"So you are sure the Empress is alive? And she is not at the palace? That is good news for your cause. I could not support a dead monarch. However, I would feel better if I had more proof," Orhan mused.
"Aurora is in the land of magic. She should be on her way to see the Fates if she is not there already." Devrim affirmed as he placed his hand on his heart.
"Please give us a moment. This is not a decision we can make lightly." Orhan excused himself from the circle.
The elders and Orhan moved to one side of the tent and conferred quietly. Timur listened with a scowl that drew deep lines on his smooth skin. Devrim waited patiently for them to come to their conclusion. He glanced briefly toward Junayd and Caleb, but both men had unreadable expressions. Only Mund seemed to show his concern.
The men came back and sat on the cushions. Orhan looked grim. "The elders are of the same mind as I am. Without proof that the Empress alive, we cannot support her."
"Even if she lives, we should not support anyone without hearing both sides of the story…." Timur began to argue.
A beautiful girl with bright blue eyes like the sky slipped quietly into the tent. Devrim turned and motioned the girl forward, and she silently sat among the visitors.
Timur was confused that his father had not objected, but continued to make his point. "As I was saying, we should not take either side until we have heard the whole story. If we are to fulfill a vow we never should have made, we should at least do it properly."
"How do you propose to hear the other side?" Junayd wanted to know. "Short of asking Prince Alaron, you have no way to complete such a task."
"Therefore, we should not act at all," Timur nodded firmly.
"Surely there must be another way. Do you have no method to settle such disputes?" the girl asked.
Timur waited for one of the older men to tell the girl to be quiet. When none of them did, he began to wonder who she was. He had only heard about the Emperor entering camp, not about any of the others.
"There is our traditional way, of course, for settling disputes. That is to let the Fates decide. But my father does not promote the old ways…" the young man gave his father a disgusted look.
"I love the old ways, but I also know at some point they were the new ways. We cannot be stuck in them only. Even if we were to take the method you suggest, I cannot support someone who I am not sure is alive."
"But you do not want to support Alaron," the girl asked. Her finger was tapping her chin.
Orhan and the elders nodded. "Based on the information you have provided, we do not think that fighting on his side is the right choice, but it may be our only choice."
The girl whispered in the Emperor's ear and his eyes went wide. The two locked eyes. "Are you sure?" Devrim asked.
When she nodded, the Emperor gave a proposition. "What if there were another who could claim the throne instead of Alaron? Would you support them as they supported the Empress?"
Orhan could see where this was going but before he could answer, his son interrupted. "You have no claim on the the throne, Emperor Devrim!"
"Not me…" Devrim answered with a smile. He motioned to the girl by his side. "If Prince Alaron has a claim to the throne, so does Princess Mairwen."
All eyes shifted to the blue-eyed girl.
"I will represent my mother and lay down my claim on her behalf when she returns. Either way, you have a champion who is alive and well." Mairwen pinched at the pillow below her as she waited for their response.
"That is quite an eloquent solution," Orhan admitted. "And one we would consider."
The other elders also seemed to like this solution. They again spoke quietly.
"Well done," Devrim whispered to his daughter. He patted her hand gently so the she released the pillow and her nervousness.
"I would do anything for mother and the good of the empire. I do not want to fight these men in battle. I am already fond of them." The princess smiled. No one among her party doubted for a moment that she wanted what was best for everyone else.
Their attention was drawn as something disturbed the Dunesman.
"No!" Orhan said sharply. His gold-rimmed eyes were perturbed.
"It is the only way to be sure we have made the right choice," Timur insisted.
After a heated discussion, the Dunesman returned with solemn faces. "We want to support you. Empress Aurora has always been kind to us and we believe Princess Mairwen would be the same. However, my son has invoked a tradition of the old ways that I cannot ignore." Orhan was upset. His son had put him in an awkward position.
"What do you mean?" Devrim's eyes narrowed or the youngest Dunesman.
"We cannot make such a decision without the approval of the Fates," Timur insisted. The Emperor could see the Cheiftain's son was sincere, but it did not frustrate Devrim any less.
"Your father's vision was not enough?" He asked with exasperation.
"The vision only said we should receive visitors not fight in a war." Timur was calm. There was defiance but not malice in him. If he ever wanted to be Chieftain, he wanted to be a wise leader who honored what those long ago had built. If they neglected the traditions now, all would be forgotten.
Devrim could see that Orhan's hands were tied in the matter. The current Chieftain walked a delicate line.
"What is this tradition?" Mairwen asked with outstretched hands. Her understanding nature only made Orhan feel worse.
"You brought this calamity on us, my son. You tell them," Orhan ordered.
Timur placed his fist on his heart respectfully to his father. Then he addressed the guests. "This tradition is called the Fates' Dilemma. When a situation has no solution, we leave it for the Fates to decide. I challenge Princess Mairwen to a Fate's Dilemma by combat. My Chieftain has decided to pledge his allegiance to you. Should I win the challenge, the princess will release us from our vow to fight and declare us independent should she come to power. Should Princess Mairwen win, we will fight with all the valor we have by her side and when I become Chieftain, I will allow a Lord to be appointed to rule over us in the Valiant Empire."
"We would never agree to this!" Junayd objected.
"The princess cannot risk her safety for such a challenge," Caleb and Mund overlapped with concern.
"You want to fight a girl much younger than you to get your so-called freedom? We will refuse!" Devrim said through clenched teeth.
"Then you forfeit," Timur informed him.
Before the men could argue further, Mairwen stood to silence them. "It is my challenge and I have the final say." The girl pulled her lips tight. "Timur, I accept!"