Chronicles of Logos Quest For the Kingdom Parts IV, V, VI, and VII Revised With Index (Quest For the Kingdom Set) by L. M. Roth Read Free Book Online

care and concern. I do not know about this Dominio
you pray to, but perhaps just knowing someone had compassion eased my pain.”
    He gave a
stiff little bow to Marcus.
    Odelius looked
somewhat abashed as well, as he lowered his head and glanced up at Marcus from
the corner of his eyes. He then shrugged his shoulders and smiled reluctantly
at Marcus; a real smile with none of his usual smirking.
    “May it go
well with you today, sir,” he said in a somewhat unsteady voice. “It truly is pleasant to know that someone sees us as more than just the Emperor’s
servants.”
    Marcus
returned the smile warmly and they proceeded in amiable silence to the
Emperor’s Throne Room.
     
    If he had any
lingering doubt, the expression on the face of the Emperor erased it at once.
Urbanus appeared troubled and the smile he gave his old friend did not quite
reach his eyes. For such a warm and friendly man as he, that fact alone warned
Marcus that this interview would not be easy.
    “Ah, Marcus!”
the Emperor gestured for him to be seated on a stool placed before the throne.
    Marcus obeyed
and waited in trepidation with palms suddenly gone wet with perspiration and a
queer beating of his heart; waiting for he knew not what…
    They spent a
few moments speaking desultorily of trivial things. To Marcus it seemed that
Urbanus wanted to take the sting off of whatever he was about to say. He now
fretted for whatever tidings he was about to receive to be imparted, and threw
his head back with increasing frustration.
    Urbanus
finally noticed his agitation and came to the point.
    “I have had
some news that I find rather disturbing, Marcus,” he began.
    He paused a
moment as though searching for words, while Marcus riveted his gaze on the
Emperor as he hung on his next words.
    “What news,
Your Grace?” he ventured to ask, in an attempt for Urbanus to stop keeping him
in suspense.
    He was not
prepared for what came next.
    Urbanus
plunged in.
    “I have been
hearing tales of you and your Alexandrians, my old friend. Tales I have been
most reluctant to believe, yet they persist. As you know, I have been very
tolerant in permitting your sect to meet openly, although I am not clear as to
what you actually believe. But the news lately has troubled me greatly.”
    Iacomus,
Marcus thought. His daughter was right.
    “What have you
heard, Your Grace? I have been very open in sharing with you the beliefs of the
Alexandrians, how Alexandros came to us to live among us and take the
punishment on our behalf for our treason against Dominio in siding with Leon,
the Lord of the Astra. Dominio desires our love and commitment in service to
Him. What else have you been told?”
    Urbanus looked
him directly in the eye and Marcus felt a small quiver of apprehension.
    “Yes, you have
told me this already, and although I can not quite grasp such a concept myself,
I have allowed you full freedom. But how is that you have never told me of your
allegiance to another kingdom? You pledge your allegiance to a kingdom other
than Valerium? How is that?”
    Marcus
swallowed hard. This was going to be worse than he thought.
    “Our
allegiance is to spreading Dominio’s Kingdom of Heaven on Earth as we share it
with others. It is a set of laws that deal with our hearts, and we submit them
to Him and declare Him the Lord of our lives.”
    Marcus hoped
that would satisfy Urbanus, but the Emperor now looked at him with the
unblinking gaze of someone who is determined to bore a hole in his soul.
    “Yet you
declare allegiance to this “kingdom”? Even a greater allegiance than to the
Empire of Valerium?”
    Marcus’ mouth
went so dry that he found speech difficult. His heart now pounded so loudly
that he was surprised that Urbanus did not hear it and remark on it.
    “Yes, Your
Grace: my allegiance to the Kingdom of Heaven is even greater than my
allegiance to the Valeriun Empire,” he finally managed to speak through lips
that felt like rubber and the sound of his voice