The Severed City

by Christopher Mitchell

  She paused, noticing Shella’s mouth hang open.

  ‘What’s the matter?’

  ‘Princess?’ Shella repeated.

  ‘Yeah,’ Daphne smiled, ‘the Realm of the Holdings officially recognised the throne held by your sister in Akhanawarah City before it was destroyed. You’re royalty, in the eyes of the Holdings Crown at least.’

  ‘You have got to be fucking joking.’

  Daphne’s smile grew broader. She heard a laugh come from Bedig’s bunk.

  ‘But,’ Shella said, ‘the kingdom of Akhanawarah, if it really was one, and not just a symptom of my sister’s megalomania, only lasted a few thirds, and was obliterated from the face of the earth. How could I possibly be royal?’

  ‘I guess the Holdings can’t afford to lose face,’ Daphne said. ‘At least not on the subject of the crown. One of King Guilliam’s first acts was to recognise Obli as a queen and fellow monarch. It would cheapen his own throne if he were to go back on it now.’

  ‘Fuck,’ Shella said, ‘just wait until Sami hears he’s a prince.’

  ‘If I were you,’ Daphne said, ‘I would expect some sort of official welcome when we dock at the city. Flowers, carpets, fancy young men and women of the court, perhaps a musical band of some sort.’

  ‘This gets better and better,’ Bedig said, turning on his mattress. ‘This I have to see.’

  ‘Can princesses have annoying oafs executed?’ Shella asked.

  Bedig scowled.

  ‘I was also told,’ Daphne went on, relaxed and smiling, ‘that apartments have been prepared for you, Sami and Jayki, and another one for Laodoc, close to the new palace.’

  ‘What about me?’ Bedig said.

  ‘I’m afraid you’re not all that important to the king,’ Daphne said. ‘Do you have a plan?’

  ‘Not sure,’ he said. ‘Where will you be going?’

  ‘My original plan was to travel up to the Holdings Realm, beyond the Plateau, and go home, to the Hold Fast estate.’

  ‘And now?’

  ‘The agent told me that my father was journeying south to meet me in Plateau City, possibly with other members of my family, and that he had rented accommodation in the New Town. I’ll go and stay with them. It’s just as well. I don’t think I could face another third of travel, and,’ she patted her waist, ‘I’m not showing yet, so I’ll be able to tell them in my own time, rather than have them gawk at my bump.’

  She looked over at the Brig, lying in his bunk.

  ‘You remember what the captain told Laodoc?’ she said. ‘That no Kellach Brigdomin are allowed in the city after nightfall?’

  ‘Aye,’ he said.

  ‘Do you want to stay with me, at my father’s new place?’

  ‘You’d let me stay with you?’ he said. ‘Thanks, aye, for sure. What would I be doing?’

  Well,’ she said. ‘If anyone asks, you’re my bodyguard.’

  He laughed. ‘I’ve seen you fight, miss,’ he said. ‘I’d hire you as my bodyguard.’

  ‘The last time I was there,’ she said, ‘I was fleeing the church and crown, and every man and woman in the Holdings wanted me dead. I know I’ve been pardoned, and they’ve told me that I’ll be safe, but I don’t know how people will react when they see me. I can handle myself, but I’d still like you by my side.’

  ‘As long as, well, you know,’ he said, ‘your father doesn’t think I’m responsible for adding to your family.’

  Daphne smiled. ‘I’ll be sure to mention it to him.’

  ‘When do you think Killop will get here?’ Bedig asked.

  Daphne sighed. ‘Who knows if Kylon has even found him yet, and passed on my message. He could be thirds.’

  ‘Did you know Killop?’ Shella asked. ‘You never mentioned him.’

  ‘No,’ Bedig replied. ‘I mean I’d heard of him, knew about him and his sister at Marchside, and then, when I linked up with Kylon and Keira, we all thought he was dead. Used to hear his name sung in the rolls of the fallen. It was only when Daphne told me that she’d freed him from prison, that I knew he was still alive.’

  Bedig looked away.

  ‘What Keira has done,’ he said in a whisper, ‘Killop will put right.’

  As Daphne raised an eyebrow, the door opened and Laodoc walked into the cabin, holding a book.

  ‘You’re looking much better, Miss Daphne,’ he said, then noticed the smokestick in her hand. ‘Oh.’

  ‘It’s the last one, old man,’ said Shella. ‘Don’t start.’

  ‘None of my business, of course,’ Laodoc said, sitting by a small table and pouring himself some water.

  ‘What’s the book?’ Daphne asked.

  ‘This?’ he replied, holding up the battered volume. ‘Just a history of the old wars between the Holdings and Rahain.’

  ‘Topical,’ Shella said. ‘Where’d you get it?’

  ‘The captain gave it to me, as a leaving gift,’ he said. ‘We were chatting last night, a most interesting chap. His uncle owns the shipping line we’re travelling with.’

  ‘Are all the boats on the Inner Sea run by the Rahain?’ Shella asked. ‘Every one I’ve seen has been crewed by you lot.’

  ‘I believe so,’ Laodoc said, ‘although I think it just happened that way because the Rahain reached the sea before anyone else. As a people, we’re no more comfortable on water than the Holdings,’ he glanced over at where Bedig lay, ‘or the Kellach.’

  ‘I’m Brig,’ Bedig called up to the old Rahain, ‘not Kell or Lach, thank Pyre.’

  Shella sighed. ‘If only we’d known about the Inner Sea,’ she said. ‘A huge, freshwater body, on the other side of the Forbidden Mountains, it would have solved all of our over-crowding problems in Arakhanah.’

  ‘Unfortunately I fear it would have resulted in the same outcome,’ Laodoc said. ‘The Rahain government treat the entire southern half of the Plateau as their sovereign territory, they would still have seen it as an invasion.’

  Daphne nodded. ‘The Holdings too, as far as the northern half is concerned.’

  ‘Back when the Migration was setting off,’ Shella said, ‘the Holdings ambassadors told us that the Plateau was fully settled, and that there was no room for us. Another fucking lie.’

  ‘Was Rijon one of those that told you this?’ Daphne said.

  Shella nodded.

  ‘Never trust a word that man says.’

  ‘So you say, Daphne,’ Shella said, ‘and I know he betrayed you in Sanang, but… I don’t know, he seemed like a genuine friend to me, he helped me a lot.’

  ‘Only because he wanted the Migration to cause as much disruption to the Rahain as possible,’ Daphne said. ‘Distract them, while the Holdings extricated themselves from the war in Sanang, and built the new capital.’

  ‘It did more than that, miss,’ Laodoc said. ‘The republic’s coffers are empty. An enormous sum was spent on the siege. Far more than on the conquest of Kellach Brigdomin, say, or the tunnel through the Grey Mountains.’

  ‘I’m sure Rijon is delighted with what he achieved,’ Daphne said. She pinched the smokestick at its halfway point, and tucked the unsmoked end into a pocket. She stretched out on the mattress and yawned.

  ‘Going to catch some sleep,’ she said, ‘while the sickness is away.’

  She closed her eyes.

  Daphne awoke with a hand on her shoulder.

  ‘Hi Jayki,’ she said, opening her eyes. The light in the cabin was dim, and the motion of the ship had lessened.

  ‘We’re nearly there, miss.’

  ‘How long was I asleep?’

  ‘Four or five hours maybe?’

  She sat up on the bed, feeling the nausea start to return.

  ‘Hey Jayki,’ she said. ‘You got a match?’

  The sky to the west was a deep red when Daphne emerged from the lower decks, having washed and dressed in her cleanest clothes. She joined the other passengers by the bow, the lights of Plateau City reflecting on the dark water ahead of them.

 
She remembered leaving from the docks there with Lady Douanna, when they had been travelling to Rahain. It had been a town then, but now the new city walls towered over the calm waters of Holder’s Bay.

  The original settlement had been incorporated into the extended city as its Old Town, where the port, the market and the Great Fortress were all located. The stone walls of the Old Town had stood for decades, proud and strong, but were dwarfed by the new walls, which ran alongside the bay for twice the distance of the old defences. The New Town was six times the area of the Old, and above the battlements, Daphne could see the great dome and spire of the palace, and other towers and steeples, along with the tall spindly arms of cranes.

  Daphne greeted her fellow passengers at the handrails, the wind pushing the vessel closer to the city, now only a thousand yards away.

  ‘Most of this is new to me,’ she said. ‘All those walls and towers, none of them were built last time I was here.’

  ‘Where is the port?’ Sami said. ‘All I can see is wall.’

  ‘Do you see the inlet, to the right of the old tower?’ she pointed. ‘A river comes out there, and the docks are built into that side of the town.’

  Sami nodded. ‘Still not finished then?’

  ‘No,’ she said. On the eastern side of the small river, a vast new expansion of the city was being constructed. Huge sections of curtain wall stood isolated, surrounded by tents and cranes, and enmeshed with scaffolding.

  The ship started to lean to the right, aiming for the inlet, which grew larger and wider by the minute. As they turned the corner, around the side of the old tower, they could see the harbour docks ahead of them. A dozen piers extended from the side of the wall, sheltered by a long breakwater. Where each pier met the wall, a large archway led into the city.

  The harbour was busy with Rahain merchant vessels and much smaller local fishing boats berthed along the piers and wharves. As the ship passed the first piers, Jayki’s arm shot out, pointing to a further dockyard ahead.

  ‘Rakanese,’ he said.

  Beyond the last commercial pier, there was another breakwater, and in its shelter lay a dozen new vessels, each in various stages of construction. Some were lifted out of the water, their hulls being worked on, while the majority were floating in the harbour, having their decks outfitted. All over them worked a multitude of figures. Daphne could see several Holdings folk there, but most were of the shorter Rakanese build.

  ‘What are they doing here?’ Shella said.

  ‘Back when I was defecting,’ Laodoc said, ‘the Holdings embassy in Rahain told me that the king was sending aid to your homeland, to alleviate the famine there.’

  ‘Yeah, I remember, you told me.’

  ‘Well, madam,’ he said, ‘perhaps the Holdings requested some of your expertise in shipbuilding in return.’

  Shella frowned.

  The ship reached the last of the commercial piers, which was lying empty of other vessels. Standing on the wooden dockside, a crowd was waiting.

  ‘There’s your welcome reception,’ Daphne said, nodding at Shella. ‘You ready, Prince Sami?’

  Sami grinned, though terror shone from his eyes.

  Daphne looked at the group of passengers. Her heart began to race, as the pier grew closer.

  ‘Laodoc,’ she said, ‘I’m not sure when I’ll be seeing you again. I know the king’s officials will be wanting to speak with you as soon as we arrive. Take care of yourself, and send me a message when you get settled.’

  ‘Miss,’ he bowed, ‘your company has been a pleasure as always.’

  ‘And you three,’ she looked at the Rakanese.

  ‘You’re not getting rid of me that easily,’ Shella said. ‘I’ll track down your father’s apartment, and I’ll find you.’

  Daphne smiled. ‘I hope you do.’

  The ship pulled up alongside the dock, as the last of the sails were lowered. Ropes were cast from the deck, and dock workers secured the boat in position. The captain approached the passengers, beckoned, and they followed him to where a gangway was being prepared.

  ‘I hope you all had a pleasant voyage,’ the Rahain captain said.

  ‘It certainly wasn’t a cheap one,’ Shella said.

  ‘I was sick the whole way,’ Bedig said.

  Laodoc raised an eyebrow. ‘I had a most enjoyable time. It felt like a holiday to me.’

  Daphne looked down at the dockside as they waited to disembark. The wind had died down in the shelter of the harbour, and the air was warm. As the summer evening dimmed, more lamps were being lit throughout the city, sending a golden glow over the old town walls.

  Among the crowd on the dockside Daphne could make out cavalry officers, priests, and many of aristocratic bearing. A handful of royal courtiers from the palace were also waiting, several holding torches in the evening light.

  When the gangplank was made secure, the captain gestured to Daphne, and she walked forward, keeping her back straight and head high.

  ‘You come down after me,’ she said to Shella, ‘but wait for my signal.’

  Shella nodded, and Daphne set her foot on the gangplank.

  Solid ground, solid ground she whispered in her head as she descended. She knew her old mask was back on, radiating confidence and calm, but her heart was pounding. She reached the wooden boards of the pier, and strode towards the royal courtiers.

  ‘Welcome home, Miss Holdfast,’ said one.

  ‘Thank you.’

  Home.

  She turned, keeping all emotion from her face, and waved to Shella to start her descent.

  As the Rakanese came down the gangplank, Daphne turned to face the crowd.

  ‘It’s my honour and privilege,’ she cried, ‘to present her Royal Highness Princess Shellakanawara, of the Realm of Akhanawarah and high mage of the Rakanese nation.’

  There was polite applause as Shella made her way down. The royal courtiers bowed to her, and the entire crowd followed their example.

  Shella glanced over at Daphne, suppressing a smile.

  Someone stepped forward from the crowd. It was another Rakanese.

  ‘Greetings, Princess Shella,’ he said, a scowl showing what he thought of the royal appellation. ‘I am Ambassador Torrijananu, of the Embassy of Arakhanah here in Plateau City.’

  ‘Hi Torri,’ Shella said.

  ‘A carriage awaits us,’ he frowned, ‘once your brother has disembarked.’

  Daphne gestured to Sami.

  ‘I also present to you,’ she said, ‘Prince Samikanawara, of the Realm of Akhanawarah.’

  Sami hobbled down the gangplank, supported by Jayki.

  Daphne stood to the side as the royal courtiers surrounded the Rakanese. She turned to scan the crowd, and her eyes locked with her father’s.

  She froze.

  He nodded at her from the rear of the crowd, and she smiled.

  ‘See you soon Daphne,’ Shella said. ‘We’re off to the embassy.’

  Daphne and Shella embraced.

  ‘Take care of that baby,’ Shella said, and turned to join her brother as they were escorted away by the royal courtiers, the ambassador by their side. Most of the assembled nobles also turned and followed the royal party down the pier towards the city.

  Daphne looked up to Laodoc and nodded.

  She gave no introductions as the old Rahain descended, Bedig a pace behind him.

  Several black-robed church agents stepped forward. When Laodoc reached the bottom, the agents talked to him in low whispers for a few moments, then turned and led him towards the city.

  ‘Daffie?’

  Her father appeared before her, smiling, a tear rolling down his cheek.

  She ran into his arms, and they embraced.

  Daphne laughed.

  ‘I have a carriage,’ he said as they disengaged, ‘to take us to my new apartment.’

  She motioned to Bedig.

  ‘This is a very good friend of mine, and is currently in my employment,’ she said to her father. ‘I was hop
ing he could stay.’

  Her father looked up at Bedig, and frowned.

  ‘He’s a Kellach Brigdomin.’

  ‘That would seem obvious father.’

  ‘By law,’ he said, ‘all Kellach Brigdomin have to be outside the city walls every evening by sunset. There is a great camp set up for them next to the river.’

  ‘Surely we can make an exception?’

  Her father turned his head and nodded to one of the dozen cavalry officers remaining on the pier.

  ‘Captain,’ her father said, ‘may we have permission to allow this Kellach to stay with us in the city?’

  ‘It would be against the rules, my lord.’

  ‘He is a trusted servant of my daughter’s.’

  The captain turned to her.

  ‘If it’s for Miss Daphne,’ he said, ‘then we’ll work something out. So long as he doesn’t leave the Holdfast apartments at night, I will instruct the night-guard not to harass him.’

  ‘Thank you, Captain,’ Daphne said. ‘May I ask, why are your officers still standing on the pier?’

  ‘For you, Miss Holdfast,’ he said. ‘The Household Cavalry have long known of what you did to save the queen that night, and we wanted to do something to show you we hadn’t forgotten.’

  ‘They’re giving us a full escort back to our apartments,’ her father said, beaming.

  ‘Thank you, Captain,’ Daphne said again, blinking.

  The officer nodded. ‘The cavalry always remember their own, miss.’

  Daphne, her father, and Bedig mounted the horse-drawn carriage on the other side of the archway and, flanked by a dozen of the realm’s finest cavalrymen and women, they made their way through the city.

  The streets of the Old Town were narrow and crowded, and busy with life. Noise and light came from shops, taverns and warehouses throughout the harbour district, before giving way to the old council buildings near Holders Square, in the heart of the Old Town. From there their route took them through a huge arched gateway, and into the New Town. On the left, some streets had been completed. The new residential area for the rich was half-finished, and the foundations of the new university were nearing completion. Directly ahead, the palace complex towered over the city. It too was under construction. The remainder of the New Town, a vast area to the right of the road, was an open building site. Streets markers had been laid out, and cranes and scaffolding were everywhere. Around it all, the great outer walls enclosed the New Town in its entirety.