by P D Atkerson
“Of course.” She said, smiling at him as she rose to her feet. “You’re wish is my command, my lord.”
Aledo frowned and nodded. “Good, then I will leave you to… whatever it is you women do.” He said, turning to leave. But just as he reached the edge of the tent, he stopped and turned back towards Orana. “One more thing.”
For a second, Aroron feared he’d been seen. He had no clue what the man would do to him. But Aledo had no interest in the pile of furs and pillows, instead Aledo withdrew his sword and stepped towards Orana.
Lady Orana looked like she wanted to move back from him, maybe even run. But she stood her ground, with her head held high as he stood before her, sword gripped in one hand.
“Here, take my sword.” He said, holding it out to her. “After all, you carry precious cargo now and Demy says the prisoner is dangerous and won’t hesitate to kill a woman.”
Aroron dug his fingers into the ground beneath him. How could that Draven say such a thing about him?
Nodding, Orana took the sword. “I understand, my lord. I will not let any harm come to your child.”
Aledo nodded. “Good. Kill if you must.” He whispered, then he kissed her and left.
Orana just stood there and waited, until she was sure he was gone. "I hate that man!" She spat, turning back to where Aroron lay. “You may come out now. He’s gone.”
“That was too close.” Aroron said, shaking off the furs as he stood up. “I was sure he’d seen me.” He said, then he frowned. “If you hate him so much, why did you marry him?”
She sighed. “If only it was that simple.”
“Why wasn’t it?”
“Aledo helped Munay take over the castle, in exchange for Debel and... me." Orana said, her cheeks turning pink. “I was nothing more than a trophy and a pawn to them both. Even now, after ten years of marriage and three very painful pregnancies! Soon to be four.” She said, her hand on her stomach. “I’m nothing to him.”
“I’m… I’m sorry.” Aroron mumbled. He couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to be forced to marry someone. Luckily, there was no reason for that to ever happen to him. No one cared who he married.
“There is no reason for you to be sorry, dear one.” She whispered, placing her hand on his cheek. “None of this was your doing.”
Aroron looked at her and frowned. “Not to sound rude, but… does he hurt you? Is he the reason for whatever happened to your eye?”
“No.” She said, smiling. “He’s never raised a finger to me, in that respect he is a gentleman. After all, I am his children's mother.”
Aroron tilted his head and frowned. “Then what happened to your eye?”
Orana sighed. “Like you, I’m an Oddity. But like happens to some of us, I was given a physical symbol of that gift.” She said, reaching up to her face.
Slowly she lifted the patch and showed her other eye to Aroron. Unlike her uncovered eye, which was as black as her hair, her other eye was silver and seemed to reflect what she saw, like a mirror. It wasn't just the iris that was silver though, the whole thing was. She grimaced and replaced the patch.
“Don’t think me a coward, Aroron.” She said. “I don’t just wear the patch because I want to hide the fact that I’m an Oddity. I only wear the patch during the day. My eye cannot stand the sunlight.”
Aroron nodded. “I understand, and I’d never think of you as a coward.”
“That is very sweet.”
“If you’re an Oddity, what is your gift?” Aroron asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I’ve been given the gift of a Tempest, what about you?”
“I can see pieces of the future, just like Hunter.” She said, smiling as she sat beside him. “I guess that’s why we’ve always had a connection. Where is he, by the way? I would have thought he would have come with you.”
Ducking his head, Aroron turned away from her and searched for the right words to tell her the truth. “I’m sorry. I thought you knew.” He whispered. “Hunter… he saved my life, by giving his own. I’m so… sorry.”
“What?” Orana seemed barely able to whisper the word. She looked like she wanted to weep, but she quickly pulled herself together and cleared her throat. “Well, then he’s luckier than us.” Orana said, smiling. “He gets to enjoy the afterlife, but we must stay here and try to keep things from falling apart.”
Aroron nodded. “I suppose you’re right.” He said, taking her hand. “But it doesn’t help with the pain of losing him. I know how it feels to lose someone you care about.”
Orana smiled. “There you go, sounding like your father. Wise beyond your years.”
He laughed and shook his head. “I’m not wise.” Aroron whispered. “Can… can I ask you something?”
“Didn't you just?” she asked, her eyes sparkling again. “Go ahead.”
“What were my parents like?” Aroron whispered, glancing towards his aunt. “I don’t even remember what they looked like, though I know I should. I don’t even know what they would think of me.”
“Aroron, what I know without a shadow of a doubt is, your parents would have great pride in the young man you’ve become.” She said. “You’ve been through so much, yet you haven’t let that darken your spirits.”
“Thank you, Orana.” Aroron said. “But… that doesn’t mean I know what I should do next.”
She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “Whatever you need, I will give you.”
Nodding his head, Aroron sighed. “One thing I do know, is we can’t do anything to help Karlay and Debel from in here.” He said. “But other than that, I don’t know what to do. I’m not even sure how I’ll get out of the city.”
“Don’t worry, the Creator will give you wisdom when you need it.” Orana said. “You’ve been here a while, have you not? Is there no way out other than by passing guards?”
That gave Aroron an idea. He stood up and began rubbing his chin. “No, I don’t know of one, but… Lady Gana might be able to help me.”
“Lady Gana? I’ve heard of her.” Orana said, standing as well. “But are you sure you can trust her?”
“Yes, of course!” Aroron said, a little sharper than he meant to. “I’d trust her with my life.
Orana smiled and shook her head. “Oh… I see.”
“See what?”
She laughed. “Never mind. Well, I guess it’s good that you’d trust her with your life, since that’s just what you’ll be doing.”
He nodded. “I’ll leave as soon as it gets dark again.” Aroron said. “Now that people are out searching for me, it won’t be as easy to get out of here as it was to get in.”
“When you leave, be careful.” She said. “I'll do what I can do to help you, but outside this tent, there isn’t much I can do to protect you. You’ll be on your own.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.” Aroron said, flashing a grin.
She grasped his hand and squeezed it. “You’re so much like your father. He loved you, you know that right? You were his and Lacey’s world. They would have done anything to make sure you were safe.”
Would they? He looked towards the sunlight streaming in and sighed. His time to leave seemed to already be drawing near. He had so many more questions to ask his aunt, but he knew better than to attack her with questions.
That would have to wait for another time.
Chapter 32
Love or War?
Climbing up the side of the Palace was much easier than Aroron had expected.
The stone the walls were made of, wasn’t as smooth as he’d thought at first. Anyone who had climbing training, would be able to scale this wall with as much ease as they could walking. There were just enough holes to make it easy.
With one last push to the top, Aroron pulled himself up onto the flat roof of one of the towers and glanced back.
That was a mistake!
His stomach twisted into knots the moment he saw how high up he was. He wasn’t afraid of heights, but still, it wasn’t a very pre
tty sight to see. One wrong move, and there was no chance of surviving.
As queasiness overwhelmed him, Aroron grabbed the roof to steady himself.
He knew he had no choice but to continue, but still he didn’t want to. He just wanted to stand there, gripping the roof and hoping he didn’t die.
No! He wasn’t going to let a little thing like height stop him, not after everything else he’d survived. Aroron took in a deep breath and started upwards again. His boots scraped against the slanted stone, as he began climbing up the side of the tower.
Once he was able to, he climbed over the top of the tower and into the Palace. No wonder Enrick hadn’t found it all that hard to kill the king. When it came to one-man assaults, Shey was not prepared.
Grabbing the edge of the roof, Aroron slid down the side and dropped into one of the Palace’s many open-aired paths. Pulling up his hood, he hurried inside and did his best to figure out where he should start his search for Gana.
But Aroron knew he needed to be careful. If he met anyone other than Gana, it was over for him. He already knew, thanks to Aledo, that they were still searching for him. He might bump into a guard or warrior in any of the corridors.
Still, even though he knew it was dangerous, he also knew he couldn’t leave Shey without seeing Gana one last time, if for no other reason than to say goodbye. Maybe he’d even tell her how he felt, that he...
Aroron’s thoughts were cut short, when he heard someone moving down one of the other corridors, towards him. Glancing around, he jumped to the side and scooted into one of the corners.
Holding his breath, he pressed himself against the wall. He could just barely make out the fleeting sight of a Karlien, or maybe it was a Theron warrior, pass by. He didn’t even so much as glance towards Aroron. Still, it was too close for comfort.
Once he was sure the warrior was gone, and wasn’t going to return, he moved away from the wall and hurried down the corridor, towards a staircase.
Aroron slid his hand along the banister, as he ran up the stairs. Where is everyone? He hadn't expected it to be this easy to find Gana without being seen. He’d expected there to be guards in every hall and at every corner.
If things continued like this, he might be able to speak with her, with no one being any the wiser. At the very least, he could hope.
Turning another corner, realization hit Aroron. He knew where all the guards were. They were all out looking for him! None of them would have expected him to come back here, in fact he still wasn't sure it had been a good idea. He had a nagging feeling something bad was going to happen, like a cold chill creeping up his back.
No, everyone expected him to try and leave the city. It would seem he was too stupid to do what everyone expected him to do! But he knew he couldn’t leave Shey, not without at least saying goodbye to her.
Aroron slowed his pace and checked to make sure his hood covered his face, as he drew nearer to the royal chambers.
He didn’t have to go far, before he saw her.
There she was, wearing a flowing white dress. With her long curly blond hair, she looked like an angel! And to Aroron that was what she was.
Luckily for him, she was alone now. Quickening his pace, he hurried up beside her.
“Gana,” he whispered, grabbing her arm.
He instantly knew it had been a bad idea. She brought her elbow back so hard into his stomach, the air was knocked out of his lungs and he bent over in pain.
“Oh!” she cried, when she saw his face. “Aroron? I’m so sorry, I didn’t know who you were.”
Grimacing, Aroron stood back up. He looked at Lady Gana and forced a smile. “I’m fine my lady. I know you meant me no harm.”
“Of course, I wouldn’t.” She said. “Now, why did you risk your life to come back here? It’s only been a few days, yet I think so much has changed since then.”
“There is so much I want to tell you!” Aroron said, rubbing his hands together. “Yet, where to start?!”
“Well, we only have so much time, so you’d better start.” Gana said, crossing her arms as she waited. “So? What is it?”
Aroron glanced around and stepped closer to Gana. “Lady Gana…” He cleared his throat. He couldn’t tell her. Not yet. “In Karlay, Prince Enrick recently took the throne from his father, but it doesn't belong to him either." He blurted out.
She frowned. "Alright, I'll bite. Then who does it belong to?" Gana asked, tilting her head. “Go on, tell me!”
Aroron's cheeks flushed and he looked towards the ground. He couldn't believe he was about to tell her. But she was the only person he could trust. "Me," he whispered, glancing up at her. Then he stood up tall and cleared his throat. "I'm Aroron Strangeheart, son of King Ozony Strangeheart, rightful heir to the Karlien throne."
Gana turned away and rubbed the back of her neck. For a moment, she was silent. “Wow," she whispered, shaking her head. "Are you sure?”
"Yes.” Aroron said. “I can feel that it's true in my heart, though I still don’t remember it."
"Alright then, do you remember visiting us when you were younger?" Gana asked, crossing her arms as she studied Aroron. "You came to Shey when we were both younger, we met several times back then."
Aroron frowned. "No. I don't remember anything from that time for sure, but Hunter gave me vague feelings of that time, and I believe he was telling the truth about who I truly am. Deep down, I've known it for a long time, I just didn’t want to admit it to myself. But I am sorry I don’t remember you."
Lady Gana seemed to fight back a laugh. "If it makes you feel better, I don't really remember meeting you when we were younger, either." she said, with a wink. "Then again, I think you spent more time with Dre than me."
"Who's Dre?" Aroron asked, frowning. He felt like he should know of who she spoke of, especially if they were that close. He felt like they’d been close, but he couldn’t remember.
"Never mind," Gana said, shrugging. "It was just someone who used to live here. It does not matter now, they long ago left the Palace and shall never return."
Aroron was about to ask her what she meant, but she wasn’t done speaking yet.
"Well, even if you're not Uncle Ozy’s, you sure do look a lot like a Strangeheart," Gana said. "I remember telling the Queen as much, when you first came to the Palace. Do you remember that?"
Aroron nodded. “Yes, I guess I do. I didn’t know he was your uncle.”
“Well, not by blood.” She said, with a laugh. “Was that really all you came here to tell me?”
"No…” he quickly racked his brain for the other reason. “Oh! Yes, I need your help to get out of the city," Aroron said, biting his lip. "I almost made it after I left you in the ball room, but Mormare got there first and then Hunter was killed and..."
Gana held up her hand. "Wait! Who's Hunter?"
“He knew King Ozony somehow. I think he was… father's adviser. A kind of prophet too, I guess.” Aroron shrugged. "I’m not really quite sure.”
Lady Gana fell silent and frowned. “If you really are Ozony’s son, then you have more people inside Shey to fear than just Enrick and his men.” She told him. “There are a lot of people who would rather see you dead, than to take the throne back. Not to mention the Shenockiens under Enrick’s control too.”
“That’s why I’m here, I need your help,” Aroron whispered. “I just don’t know what to do. You’re the only person in the Palace I can trust. In the whole city, in fact.”
She smiled and laughed softly. “Come with me, I think I do know a way out.” Gana said, grabbing Aroron’s hand. Quickly she ran forwards and drug him behind her, as she hurried down hallway after hallway, until Aroron lost count.
A light breeze blew through the courtyard, as they stepped out of the Palace and into the open air. Aroron was sure Gana knew where she was taking him, but he felt uneasy. “Where are we going?” Aroron asked, pulling her back a step.
Lady Gana turned back and smiled at him. “Don’t you trust me? I t
old you I was taking you to a way out.”
“I trust you. Lead on, my lady.”
Still gripping his hand, Gana hurried forwards. Through the garden courtyard, this one Aroron had never seen before. It was lush green, with flowers and bushes all over the place. At the other side of the courtyard, was a swiftly moving stream. It was to the edge of this stream, that Gana led him.
“There,” she said, pointing towards water flowing through the courtyard in front of them. “That’s how you’re going to get out of the city.”
Aroron turned and looked at the stream closer.
The water shimmered, with the moonlight and hundreds of stars glittered off it. At any other time, he would have thought it was beautiful, but right then all he could think about was surviving the night.
Its beauty was lost on him.
“How will this help me?”
"This water flows out of the city and far away from here." Lady Gana said, motioning with her hand. “If you let the water carry you, it will take you to safety.”
"Surely there's something to stop people from leaving that way," Aroron said, running his gaze along the flowing water below them. It seemed way too easy. In the Dark Castle, all the water had to flow through grating, before it could enter or exit the castle.
"That's the thing, King Enrick (as you call him), his men come into the city that way and Telarian hasn't had the chance to fix it yet," Gana whispered, glancing around. "The water will carry you out of the city and through the tree line."
"It can't be that easy..." Aroron stopped speaking and Gana's eyes grew wide.
They'd both heard it at the same time.
The sound of heavy footsteps echoed above them, drawing nearer every second. It was only a matter of minutes before they would find them and Aroron had a feeling he didn't want that to happen.
"Hurry! They will be here soon," Lady Gana said, pushing Aroron towards the water's edge. "You must leave while you still can."
Aroron moved forwards and stood on the very edge of the water. He stared at the flowing water below him, not moving to jump in. Something held him back. The reason he’d truly come back to the Palace.
