"Let him in," Sania demanded. "And bring Bumar here as fast as you can. I need to have a word with him." She grabbed the dagger from Qasem's hand. "Bring the girl as well."
Qasem left the hall. Shortly after, he returned with five more guards, escorting Rona's brawny messenger. Are you a witness or a suspect? Sania glanced at the sealed scroll placed on the small round table at her right, wondering if it was a good idea to hand this man the letter she had written to the King of Bermania...on behalf of King Rasheed of course.
"My Captain says you know the spy we have caught," Sania firmly addressed the Bermanian messenger.
"I never knew she was a spy, Your Majesty. I just met her in my journey to Kahora, and the only thing she said about herself was her name; Viola."
Sania motioned him to come closer. He could have harmed me before if he had wanted to, she reminded herself. "As a Bermanian knight, what can you tell me about this?" She showed him the dagger.
The messenger narrowed his eyes for a moment. "It's Viola's dagger. I saw her striking a snake with it from a distance."
Striking from a distance. The Bermanian's words echoed in her mind. "Can anyone else get a similar dagger?" she asked.
"Why not?" He shrugged. "It's a cheap, plain dagger that has nothing special about its craft, not a single stone decorating its handle for instance. It's true the weapon itself is light, and the blade is extremely sharp, making it a deadly weapon when darted by a trained thrower. But still it can be forged by any blacksmith anywhere in Gorania."
Nervously, she tapped the table with her fingers before she finally made up her mind and snatched the scroll. "You know who you should give this letter to." She lowered her voice, handing him the rolled parchment. "Tell him that Queen Sania has received his message."
Pressing his lips together, the Bermanian knight nodded and took the scroll. Sania dismissed him, part of her scolding her for her last statement. That was unnecessary, Sania. Too reckless. Too childish. That messenger had seen and heard too much, she believed. "See if Bumar has arrived," she ordered Qasem after the Bermanian knight had left. A few moments later, the Captain of the Royal Guard entered with Bumar.
"Your Majesty." The healer grinned when he approached. "How can I serve you?"
Sania put the dagger on the small round table, the steel blade rattling against the wooden surface. The calm man furrowed his brow as he studied the weapon with his eyes.
"Reminds you of anything?" she asked, staring at him.
Bumar gripped the dagger handle with one hand, carefully touching the flat of the blade with the other. "Too much blood and tears," Bumar muttered, his eyes fixed on the weapon.
Sania could not help glancing right and left before she whispered, "So, you say it's the same dagger that struck me...when I was with Masolon." There was nothing to hide from Bumar. He knew the whole story already.
"I say what it reminds me of, but I don't know if it's the same one." Bumar returned the dagger to the table. Obviously, he noticed the frustrated look on her face when their eyes met. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but I'm a healer; not a weapon expert."
"I was the one who was half-awake at that cursed night." Sania gnashed her teeth. "You should remember better than that, Bumar."
"I'm really sorry if I've disappointed you, Your Majesty. But even if it's the same dagger, it doesn't mean it belongs to the same person."
Blast you, Bumar. You are really disappointing. He was the one who would confirm her doubts, yet he made her confusion grew worse. That cursed dagger was still chasing her; she could not simply ignore this possibility.
"Bring in that Viola," she ordered Qasem. Noticing the inquiring look on Bumar's face, she turned to him. "You stay."
The guards pushed the door open, dragging the tied spy. Or assassin, who knows? Sania was quite sure she had never seen that woman before. Yes, Viola was not the girl she had expected. Perchance her slim figure had deceived Qasem and his men, but Sania could tell she was older than she looked like.
With slow steps, Sania approached the tied spy. The thought that Sania might be staring at the one who had almost killed her made her feel furious—and a bit scared, she had to admit. Minutes ago, Sania had been eager to see that intruder, but now her mind was muddled while trying to figure out how she would get what she wanted to know from her. Sania could not just ask Viola, 'You, what were you doing here?' Because Viola would not simply answer, 'Me? Just spying on you by Dehawy's orders.' Viola would never tell the truth, because the truth meant her death.
Unless Sania gave her a motive; a hope of saving her neck.
"Do you know what is the sanction of spying in these lands, foreigner?" Sania curtly asked.
Viola gave her a hollow look.
"Silence will cost you your life," Sania snapped.
"What do you want me to say, then?" Viola grimaced.
A lot, Sania thought to herself. As a start, are you the one who intercepted my escape with Masolon in the Murasen desert? But no, it would not work that way. Not quite the question Sania should ask.
"Why did you try to kill me two years ago?" Sania looked Viola in the eye when she asked. Viola jerked her head backward, her eyebrows raised, as if the question had taken her off guard. A couple of seconds later, a slight smile played at the corners of her mouth. It's her, for real! Sania fidgeted, waiting for any word from that damnable Viola, whose silence and teasing grin were killing her.
"You were never the target, darling." Viola smirked. "Not before. Not today either."
"You despicable creature," Sania muttered, balling her fists. Why did you do that? Why do mean creatures like you exist in the first place? Why? She wanted to slam Viola's head against the stone wall until that crooked smile vanished for good. Sania knew who was the real target two years ago, but what about today? Guessing who was supposed to be stabbed by that dagger was not that difficult, yet Sania still wished she was wrong about it.
"Killing you is a mercy you don't deserve." Sania glared at her. "You'll rot in the dungeons until your bones frail and your skin stinks."
"Not a good idea." Viola gave her a mocking grin. "You need me to save his life."
Sania shook her head in disbelief. Rasheed was good and sound when his horde had left the palace. What was that wench blathering about?
"This gibberish is futile," said Sania. "I thought you were smarter than that."
"When the messenger comes, you will know." Viola's smile got wider. What will I know, you pile of dirt? Sania could not take any more of Viola's riddles.
Suddenly, a soldier flung the door open. "I'm terribly sorry, Your Majesty," he panted. "We need Bumar to ride with us at once to the King's marching horde. His Majesty is so sick that he has fallen off his horse."
"Merciful Lord! What happened to him?" Sania was both scared and astonished. "What have you done to him?" she bellowed at Viola.
"What is done is done." Viola shrugged. "In this critical hour, you should think of what can be done. And I assure you, no one can do your king any good except me."
Sania grabbed her by the collar. "Did you poison him? Where is the antidote?"
"Your dying husband doesn't have much time, Your Majesty," Viola gloated. "If you really want to save his life, you must let me hurry to him. I know how to bring him back from death." She leaned forward, whispering. "Unless you want to keep him dead so that you can return to your sweetheart."
Sania wanted to slap her for that, but she did not. Blast! Do I really want this to happen? In a second, she brushed the thought aside, feeling ashamed it had even crossed her mind.
"How can I trust a scum like you?" She shot Viola a despising look.
"You can't," Viola carelessly replied. "But I might be your only hope. I mean his."
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
EPILOGUE
Map of Gorania
1. BEN
2. RONA
3. THE CARAVAN GUARD
4. MASOLON
5. RONA
/> 6. MASOLON
7. MASOLON
8. MASOLON
9. RONA
10. MASOLON
11. GRAMUS
12. MASOLON
13. RONA
14. MASOLON
15. RONA
16. MASOLON
17. RONA
18. MASOLON
19. RONA
20. GRAMUS
21. MASOLON
22. MASOLON
23. GRAMUS
24. MASOLON
25. RONA
26. GRAMUS
27. MASOLON
28. RONA
29. MASOLON
30. RONA
31. GRAMUS
32. MASOLON
33. GRAMUS
34. RONA
35. MASOLON
36. RONA
37. MASOLON
38. FRANKIL
39. RONA
40. MASOLON
41. FRANKIL
42. RONA
43. MASOLON
44. RONA
Kingdoms and People of Gorania
Bermania
Murase
Rusakia
Byzonta
Skandivia
Mankola
Koya
Acknowledgments
About the Author
THRONE OF RUINS
SANIA
Queen of Rebels Page 35
