Axis looked fit and relaxed. He wore the golden tunic, the blood-red sun blazing in the centre of his chest, over the red breeches - now cleaned of any trace of blood. A golden sword swung by his side, and his hair and beard had been trimmed and brushed so that they caught the afternoon sun and glinted almost as gold as the material of his tunic.

The murmur of the tens of thousands gathered behind them grew to a swell of sound as Axis and Faraday approached the dais, and Azhure felt tears spring into her eyes. Faraday was so much the Queen that Azhure suddenly felt small and insignificant.

StarDrifter took her hand. "You are SunSoar as much if not more than Rivkah," he said. "You will always find a home and a welcome among us should you need it."

At the edge of the dais Faraday relinquished Axis' arm as he mounted the platform, moving to sit with the Sentinels.

"Why does she not stand with him?" Azhure asked. She moved Caelum closer to her stomach, delaying the moment when Axis would see her pregnancy.

"Borneheld is only a week dead," Ysgryff answered. "His bones are still to be completely picked clean on the refuse heap."

Beside him Azhure shuddered. As Axis had requested, Borneheld's body had been thrown to rot on the refuse heap and, as dusk fell on the day of his death, Gautier had joined him. Gautier had paid dearly and long for the crucifixion of the three Ravensbundmen in Jervois Landing.

"So it is better that Faraday sit apart from him rather than at his side.

Otherwise people might talk," YsgryfF concluded.

Faraday smiled at the Sentinels as she sat down among them. Then her eyes drifted about the front row of chairs. She caught Rivkah's eye and smiled and nodded. She had enjoyed getting to know Rivkah very much. Both, as former Duchesses of Ichtar, had much in common and many memories to share.

Faraday glanced at StarDrifter. Ah, his knowing eyes were enough to make any woman blush. And who was that striking Nors woman sitting by his side? She held a beautiful child, a boy, in her lap, and she smiled and chatted with Baron Ysgryff and StarDrifter. Faraday frowned a little. Was this the courageous Azhure who she had heard some gossip about? None of the gossip had mentioned a son - or how beautiful the woman was. A flash of gold at the corner of her vision caught Faraday's attention and all thoughts of the raven-haired woman faded from her mind.

Axis strode to the front of the dais and the crowd hushed. He bowed in the traditional Icarii greeting, turning to include all present. As he turned to the right he looked down at the row of chairs holding his closest friends and allies and smiled. His eyes caught Azhure's and she held her breath, her hands tightening about Caelum.

Axis straightened and faced the crowd. He slowly lifted a hand, his fingers beckoning.

Azhure gasped, as she heard Rivkah do so some few chairs further down.

Both women recognised the gesture instantly. StarDrifter had used it to Rivkah and Azhure in his efforts to seduce both of them, and Axis had used it to Azhure, both at Beltide in the groves and on the rooftop of Sigholt after he had returned from the UnderWorld.

But now Axis was intent on seducing an entire nation, and from the intakes of breath that Azhure could hear behind her, she guessed he was doing a reasonable job of it.

"My people," he said simply, and his voice carried over the mass of people that stretched almost the entire way around the eastern and southern shores of Grail Lake. Enchantments Axis might have used to make his voice, and perhaps even the sight of him, carry about the crowd, but StarDrifter realised that those were the only enchantments that Axis was using. As with his success in the Icarii Assembly, Axis intended to reforge Tencendor using the sheer force of his personality.

"My people. A thousand years ago a nation died in this land. All suffered because of it - the Acharites, the Avar and the Icarii. One people lost beauty and music from their lives, and they lost the shadowed paths where once they had walked in search of mysteries and love. Two other races lost their homelands and those sites that remain holy to them to this day. My people," and all present understood Axis meant all three races, "let me tell you about the land of Tencendor that was lost to all of us."

Then he began to sing. Azhure remembered how Star-Drifter had sung to the Icarii Assembly in the first week she had arrived to live with the Icarii. Then she had thought his voice wonderful, magical. She had heard Axis sing before, too, but only softly to the accompaniment of his harp about a camp fire at night.

Nothing she had heard before, whether from StarDrifter or from Axis, was quite as remarkable as how and what Axis sang now. Caelum sat still in wonder on her lap, his eyes locked onto his father, his little mouth open in a round "O" of astonishment. The baby inside her, babies, twisted slightly, hearing their father's voice at its full power for the first time, and they reacted strongly to it.

Axis sang of Tencendor, and where he had got the knowledge for it Azhure did not know. He sang of its beauties and of its music. Of the cities that had been lost, and of the woods and parklands that had withered and died over the past thousand years. He sang of the games that had once been held between the three races, and of the sky races that the Icarii had held to amuse the Avar and the Acharites. He sang of the learning and knowledge that Tencendor had fostered, of the schools and academies, of the study of the Stars and of the mysteries as well as of more mundane problems that, once solved, had improved life for all. He sang of the adventures that all had participated in, of the life and the loves, the music and the harmony, the flowers and the leaves.

But then Axis' voice changed slightly. It became sorrowful, and Axis sang of how distrust had destroyed the harmony between the races. He sang of how the Acharites had come to envy the Icarii and fear the Avar. Of how the Icarii had not realised that they sometimes unwittingly assumed an elite role within ancient Tencendor society, and how, knowingly, they sometimes laughed at the Acharites for their inability to fly.

"The Icarii ruled over ancient Tencendor society," Axis said, reverting to his speaking voice that, nonetheless, sounded every bit as beautiful as his singing voice. "And eventually that caused problems. I want to reforge Tencendor, yes, that is true, but I want to create a new Tencendor where the Icarii are but one race among three, where all three will share the wealth and delights of this new land. My people, I am the StarMan and it is my role to lead this new land into the future. I combine blood of the royal houses of both Icarii and Acharite peoples,"

and Axis explained for the benefit of those few who had not yet heard his story how he had been conceived and by whom. "I am both Icarii and human, I combine the compassion of the human with the arts of the Icarii. I am both human and Icarii," he repeated, "and my issue combines both Icarii and human."

Faraday frowned in some puzzlement. Combines? Surely, will combine?

"It will be my House which will lead the new nation. Not the House of SunSoar and not the House of Achar, but ..." he paused, "the House of the Stars."

All - Icarii, Acharite and Ravensbund - stared at him, open-mouthed.

"Friends," Axis continued, "many of you do not know me, but many do.

Many have fought with me, whether in the Axe-Wielders or my new-forged command. Many of you know me. You know what sort of man I am.

"My people," and again he held out his hand in the gesture of seduction, "will you stand with me to forge Tencendor? Will you accept me to lead you back into what was and forward into what will be? Will you ride at my back to defeat the Destroyer? To drive Gorgrael from this land so that we might all create the new land of Tencendor together? Will you stand behind the House of the Stars and behind the StarMan? Will you offer me your loyalty? Your hearts? Your voice?"

For an instant the entire field was silent, then, far back in the crowd, someone screamed, "StarMan!" and in the next heartbeat the entire field had taken up the chant. "StarMan! StarMan! StarMan! StarMan!"

Azhure sat in her chair, breathless with excitement, listening to the sky erupt about her as the crowd chanted to their StarMan. Ogden and Veremund wept with joy and clasped each other's hands. "Brilliant stroke, dear boy," Ogden whispered, emotion almost completely choking his voice. "Brilliant stroke. You show how in your blood you combine the two leading houses of both Acharite and Icarii nations, and, in doing so, create a third House, a new House for the new land of Tencendor. A House that, while combining the blood of the old, promises a new future beyond the hatreds of the past."

Axis stood back and let the acclaim ring through him. His face was grave, but his mind and soul sang with joy. He could feel the tug of the Prophecy here today. He had not entertained a single doubt from the moment he'd stepped onto the dais. He glanced down at Azhure and Caelum again. She looked immensely alluring in that dress, bouncing their son on her lap. How many nights had he lain awake as Faraday slept beside him, thinking of Azhure? Yearning for her?

What he felt for Faraday was so different to his consuming love for Azhure.

For Faraday he felt gratefulness and friendship. Perhaps that could be called love. But it was like a dull child's toy compared to the shining love and devouring need he had for Azhure.

Oh my love, his heart cried, why is it that I cannot marry you? How it is that I will enjoy so very few years with you?

But what years he would have Axis was determined to have to the full. If Faraday had not heard any court gossip about his relationship, then she would leave the shores of Grail Lake today in no( doubt as to the position of this woman in his life.

Axis had opened his mouth on several occasions to broach the subject, but Faraday had always turned to him with such love in her eyes that he had swallowed his words and kissed her instead. Well, he thought, it's too late now to leap down and whisper hurriedly in her ear. She will simply have to accept it, as Azhure has learned to accept it.

Again he glanced at Azhure, and wondered desperately if he would be able to go to her tonight.

The shouting was now dying down and Axis held out his arms. "After a thousand-year hiatus," he said clearly, "and with your assent, I proclaim the reforged land of Tencendor. Tencendor!"

"Tencendor!" the shout came back at him.

Again Axis let them shout for a few moments, then he smiled and held up his hands for silence. "There will be few changes, apart from the new friends you see among you. Almost none of the Acharites will lose lands to the Icarii and Avar, and those who do will receive generous compensation in return for their land. Both the Icarii and the Avar realise that they cannot move back to what they once held and are willing to cede to you most of their old lands."

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?"

YsgryfF grinned. What splendid theatre all this was. "I accept with honour, StarMan, and I do swear homage and fealty to you."

As YsgryfF stepped down, Ogden and Veremund again nodded to themselves. In his creation of the first five families Axis had included Icarii, Ravensbund and Acharite -symbolic of the united force that stood behind Axis and of the newly united nation of Tencendor. Of the Avar there was no mention, but then the Avar had refused to fight for Tencendor.

"But what of the eastern territories?" Veremund whispered to his brother.

"What of the lands to the east of the Nordra? Will Axis govern those personally?" Axis turned back to the crowd.

"There is one more acknowledgment I must make," he said softly, although his voice carried magically to every ear, "and one more grant that I must effect.

It is the eastern lands of Tencendor that will be most affected by the return of the Avar and the Icarii. Guardianship of these lands will be a sensitive issue - although most of the territorial claims of all three races have been settled, no doubt there will be smaller day-to-day issues that will cause disagreement among the three peoples as they learn to live together once more."

Faraday nodded. Sensitive indeed. Faraday looked forward to the day when she could begin to transfer the seedlings from the Enchanted Wood to the eastern lands of Tencendor - already she had some twelve thousand names memorised and friendships cemented. But who would she have to work with?

"A sensitive issue and a sensitive guardianship," Axis repeated, "but the choice of Guardian of the East is easy. I would give it to the one among us who has lived among all three races and understands the problems of all three peoples."

Rivkah? Faraday thought, looking over to Axis' mother.

"Azhure." Axis smiled, and held out his hand.

Azhure blanched and stared at Axis. His smile widened, and his fingers waggled a little impatiently.

The crowd cheered approvingly. Of all stories about Axis' rise to power, of his battles with the Skraelings and with Borneheld, one of the best known and loved stories was of the raven-haired woman who rode at his side, who wielded the magic bow of the Icarii and who commanded the pack of enchanted hounds that ran behind her.

"Azhure?" Faraday whispered to Ogden beside her. "Azhure? Is she not this commander I have heard something of?"

"Ah, indeed," muttered Ogden uncomfortably. "Azhure commands the Acharite archers in Axis' army - and currently holds command of the army while Axis, Belial and Magariz reside in Carlon."

"But control of the East?" Faraday asked. "Surely / would have been better for that? I am the one who has been bonded with the Mother, am I not?"

Ogden's face reddened. "As Axis said, Faraday, Azhure has spent a great deal of time among all three races and she is already an accepted and respected commander within his army. She is a good choice, Faraday."

Faraday sat back in her chair, frowning, as the woman, obviously shocked, handed her baby to StarDrifter and slowly stood up. As she smoothed her dress down Faraday noticed that she was pregnant.

Axis noticed Azhure's pregnancy at the same moment as Faraday, and his eyes flew to Azhure's, stunned. Why? Why hadn't she told him?

Azhure stepped gracefully onto the dais, her eyes locked into Axis', and took his hand.

"Why?" he whispered.

"I did not want to hold you back from what you had to do, Axis. I thought that if you knew I was pregnant again ..." her eyes flickered towards Faraday, "... you would hesitate in doing that which the Prophecy demanded you do."