A Tainted Claim (Beholden Duet Book 2)

by Zoey Ellis

  He grinned at the slim brown-skinned woman sitting a few seats along from him, embarrassment and pride shone on her face. "I'm sure it won't compare to the kind of meals you have at the palace," she said hastily. "We make the best of what we have here."

  "I'm sure it will be lovely," Ana said warmly.

  When the bowls of stew were passed out along with rolls of fresh, crusty bread, everyone bowed their head while the twinkly-eyed Alpha recited a short prayer of gratitude. Ana peeked at them all while their heads were lowered. She would be surprised if any of them were warriors. Women and young children sat among them, and even the men didn't look like any had been training to fight. Maybe Maddoc hadn’t brought her to his base, after all. Maybe this was a village on the outskirts of the Oakenshire? The accent of the man beside her was familiar to a district she knew, but it wasn’t strong. She had to find an appropriate time to ask questions, but didn’t want to offend them when they were being so hospitable. She shook her head at herself—perhaps it’s not so easy to just become a new Ana after all.

  As she pondered, she spooned the stew into her mouth and was shocked. An intense explosion of flavor, heat, and aroma burst into her mouth and nose at the same time. "This is amazing," she said to the woman. "I’ve never tasted anything like this before. Are you a chef?"

  She beamed. "No, we’re exceptionally lucky to be able to grow such produce to flavor simple vegetables and meats.”

  "No," the Alpha said bluntly. "It is because she is a genius with a stove. I told her she should be a chef."

  “I might have, if I could’ve gotten out from under you for five minutes,” she muttered back.

  Cries of “Oh, Mama!” came from at least three of the children, and Ana had to laugh with the rest of them.

  She had to smile at the way the Alpha looked at his woman, and the way she grinned back at him. They were clearly in love. Her thoughts drifted back to her parents, and her mood descended. Lowering her face, she continued eating, keeping her attention on the food.

  "How do you like the base so far?" the man next to her asked.

  Ana’s head shot up in surprise. So she was at a base. "I’m not sure," she said slowly. “It’s different than what I expected. You all seem so….” She looked again at the people around the campfire, and suddenly began to see some similarities in their faces. "Are you all… family?"

  The man nodded. "Yes, some of us are. All of the campfires are shared with other families."

  Ana frowned. "What do you mean?"

  "This base is organized into… Sort of, campfire circles. Each circle is surrounded by huts. So the families that live near that particular circle will share the campfire, and therefore share meals and the local well and anything that we need to live on."

  "That makes sense," she said slowly. "I just didn't realize families would be here."

  He nodded. "It's the only way we could have ever been together."

  Ana frowned. “What do you mean?”

  Before he could answer, one of the children on the other side of him demanded his attention.

  Ana focused back on the fragrant stew, savoring each mouthful as she watched the families around the campfire. She began a mental guessing game of who was related to who, but soon she was distracted by their general demeanor. Everyone was grinning and smiling, teasing each other, yelling across the campfire and being told not to, chattering about their morning and their plans for the afternoon. They were… happy. And considering where they were, it was strange to her.

  She turned to the young woman on the other side of her. "Do you know where we are?" she asked quietly.

  The woman leaned in, her eyebrows rising. "Yes, the Oakenshire."

  "And you came here… willingly?" she asked tentatively.

  She nodded. "Of course, it wasn't as though we had anywhere else to go."

  Ana frowned. "You couldn't live out in the kingdom? In one of the cities or villages?"

  The woman shook her head, but her attention was drawn away by someone else as well.

  Ana sat in her seat, with an empty bowl, wondering what was happening here. It felt drastically different to what she had read or what she had always heard the court say about Maddoc and his base and his people. These people were not warriors and they obviously weren’t being held captive.

  "You clearly enjoyed your stew, Princess." The young man returned his attention back to her and took her bowl. "Would you like some cake and wine?"

  She nodded and as he poured, she asked, "What's your name?"

  "Joe, Your Majesty."

  "And your family name?"

  The man's gaze remained on her cup, but his hand trembled slightly. "We are nameless here, Your Majesty. We don't have family names."

  "Only according to the kingdom," the large man across the campfire corrected. "We very much have family names here."

  Joe handed Ana her cup of wine and a round, fist-sized sponge cake, looking a little sheepish. "Yes, but I didn't want the princess to feel uncomfortable that we, the nameless, were using family names here."

  The big man nodded. "Are you uncomfortable by that, Princess?"

  At that, the entire campfire quietened. Not everyone turned to look at her, mostly the children did, but they were clearly all waiting for her answer.

  The nameless were commoners who'd been stripped of their family names and all property and land by the crown for some reason. Usually it was because they failed to pay a debt or a failure to keep up with one's farmland or crops, or any number of other discrepancies that would cause a man to lose his livelihood. The nameless weren't quite criminals, since they didn't commit any major crimes, but they were also not seen as part of society. As such, while they weren't scorned the way criminals were, they didn't have the same rights, and were shunned and rejected most of the time.

  Once a man became nameless, he could never regain his name unless it was re-awarded by the crown or a house representative, who had been awarded that power. Ana wasn't sure how frequently that happened, but she did know that once a man became nameless, it was common for his wife and children to seek another landowner who could provide for them. Being nameless as a family was never wise, and even a woman who loved her husband dearly would find it difficult to stay with him once he found himself in that situation, for the sake of the children. The fact these families were still together, united in their status as nameless, was quite extraordinary.

  Ana lifted her shoulders. "I'm new here," she admitted. "I'm not sure exactly how this place works yet. But I am not here to upset the life you have. It makes no difference to me what you call yourselves."

  "The nameless don't have any rights," one the children piped up. She had to be about five. "They’re not ’llowed to have family names and have no value," she recited.

  Her words tugged Ana's heart. She had taken on the burden of being nameless so young. "Maybe not in the kingdom," Ana said to her. "But you can tell me what you call yourselves."

  "Well," Joe said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "Maddoc gave us permission to use our names or to choose new ones. Most of the families here have chosen new names, particularly when they have young children who may one day go into the kingdom, so they don’t give names that have been listed as stripped."

  Ana nodded in understanding. "That makes sense," she said softly. "I have no interest in reporting anyone. I'm sorry if my presence causes you discomfort."

  Everyone around the campfire seem to relax slightly, all except the five-year-old. “We know you’re not mean, Princess,” she said, as if it was the most ridiculous thing. “Doc said you’re nice.”

  “Doc?”

  “Yes,” she nodded solemnly. “He said you could never be mean. He said you’re our—”

  “All right, Trea,” the woman next to her said firmly. “That’s enough. I can see there is cake going to waste, that must mean you’re ill.”

  Trea’s eyes opened so wide, and she stuffed her cake into her mouth without any further hesitation. Ana cou
ldn’t help but laugh.

  “I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” the woman said, turning to her. “Trea is one of our most outspoken, but she is right. We know you wouldn’t report us willingly, but you are bound by duties, just like we are.”

  Ana smiled but before she could say anything the Alpha spoke again. She suspected he was the head of one of the families, possibly this particular camp.

  "Indeed. You could never cause us discomfort by your presence. It's just the type of reaction people give us sometimes… It is hard for many of us not to be sensitive to what people say. And as Alice said, we don’t want to cause conflict with your duties or beliefs."

  Ana glanced at all of them. “I understand. I do have some questions about this place.” The Alpha nodded at her, and gestured for her to speak, but suddenly she was nervous with them all staring at her.

  She sipped her wine, and again was shocked at the fruity delicate flavor. She stared into her cup and then raised her head in astonishment. "What do you do to your food here?"

  The entire camp laughed. "We do eat better here than when we were part of the kingdom," one of the men admitted.

  Ana shook her head, laughing with them.

  The rest of the hour was spent laughing and talking with them, answering questions about the palace and what it was like to be a princess. Trea in particular was fascinated by the knights. Ana, in turn, asked her own questions.

  She discovered that the base was called Moonvale, and each family had arrived at different times, and therefore had varying knowledge of the place. Each family said Maddoc had brought them here when they were struggling in the kingdom, but all of them seemed reluctant to talk about their struggles, particularly in front of the children. They didn’t know how many people were at the base, but guessed that there were more than thirty camps that catered to groups of families; attached to this one there were four.

  Around the base, sections were cordoned off for growing produce, making and producing weapons, training, and schooling areas for the children. A fresh water stream ran through one part, and there was a river about an hour away if they needed it. Moonvale was full of tradesmen, and the twinkly-eyed Alpha, called Conrad, explained that their knowledge of trade was the base’s biggest strength. They had bakers, builders, carpenters, plumbers, farmers, tailors… all the skills needed to build a successful community, and that it was the philosophy to share and trade freely.

  Ana’s mind reeled at all the information. Their answers caused even more questions, but she couldn’t figure out a way to ask them. They were very complimentary of Maddoc, but they had to know all the things he’d done. How could they condone it?

  As discussion moved on to other topics, she examined them again, and they were completely at ease. No worry adorned their faces. But she forced herself to be objective. This may not be representative of the entire base.

  Soon everyone was ready to continue with their afternoon activities, and Ana rose to bid them farewell.

  "I don't mean to be forward, Your Majesty," Joe said, rising with her. "But it would be nice to have you back to visit us. I know you’ll be busy, but you’re welcome for a meal with us anytime, and we’d very much like to see you again." The rest of the families nodded, and little Trea and her brother both yelled in agreement. Ana laughed, grinning at all of them. "Of course, I would love to return."

  As everyone got up, Joe pulled her aside to give her directions back to Maddoc’s pavilion and pressed a flask of wine in her hands. “We are camp sixteen,” he said. “If you ask anyone where we are, you’ll be able to get back ’ere.”

  “Thank you. I’m very grateful for your company today.”

  “You’re the one who is a princess,” Joe remarked. “Trea is bursting to tell everyone when she has her classes in three days. I’m not sure we’ll be able to calm her down.”

  She laughed with him. “Who did she mean when she said Doc?”

  Joe’s smiled widened. “Maddoc.”

  Ana’s mouth dropped open. “She speaks to him? He… speaks to her?”

  Joe nodded, chuckling. “She won’t leave him alone when he visits. She insists she wants to be a highcloak, so she follows him around to ‘protect him.’”

  “A highcloak?”

  “Yes, they are…” Joe thought for a moment. “They are the most visible and recognizable members of Maddoc’s guild. They tend to be the ones in direct conflict in the kingdom. They wear cloaks.”

  Ana shook her head in confusion. “Guild?”

  Joe nodded. “The ones who support Maddoc. There are active members who do things out in the kingdom, then the passive members like us.”

  Help Maddoc? “I’m not sure I—” Suddenly she remembered the wedding. All of Maddoc’s warriors wore black cloaks. She quickly sobered. “You mean the highcloaks are Maddoc’s army. They kill people.”

  Joe’s smile faded and he sighed. “Yes, I suppose you could see it that way, but there is more than one side to a story, Your Majesty.”

  “So I keep being told,” Ana muttered. She shook her head in disbelief. So not only were these people aware of Maddoc’s behavior and attacks on Allandis, they condoned it and were encouraging their children to aspire to it. The heavy disappointment dampened Ana’s mood.

  Joe touched her arm, seeming to sense the change. “Please come back and spend time with us,” he said quietly. “The more you visit, the more you’ll learn.”

  Ana gave him a warm smile and said she would, but she knew she’d already learned all she needed to know about this place.

  After thanking the camp again for their hospitality, Ana strolled through the village, seeing it in a new light. There were plenty of smiles here, relaxed people who had been cast out of Allandis society, or those who chose to leave, conducting their business as part of a community, and she had to appreciate that. The tight tension of hate toward Maddoc that had kept her hard inside, unraveled slowly the more she watched the happiness around her, but a deep sadness for these people replaced it. Maddoc was manipulating them. He was using them to grow his future warriors and murderers out of the sight and reach of Allandis Law. It was despicable. And every time she thought of little wide-eyed Trea, so eager to became a warrior, so eager to kill, she knew it was wrong.

  As the sky grew dusky, a man approached her dressed in layers of clothes similar to Maddoc’s. "Your Majesty," he greeted. "Please follow me to return to your hut."

  Ana frowned. "How did you find me? Did Maddoc send you to get me?"

  He shook his head. "He will be arriving back to base soon, and he would prefer it if you were in his pavilion when he does."

  Ana's eyes widened. "Does he know I'm out here, in the camp?"

  "He knew you would probably explore.”

  “And you were sent to find me?"

  "No, I have been watching all day. But now is the time to return back to the pavilion."

  So Maddoc ordered him to watch her all day. Unbelievable. “How did I not see you?"

  At that, the guard did not respond and Ana pursed her lips in understanding. She hadn't seen him because he hadn’t wanted to be seen. He had most likely been following the moment she left the tent.

  "Please, Your Majesty," he urged. "The skies are darkening rapidly and we need to return. I very much doubt you know the way."

  Ana lifted a hand gesturing for him to lead the way, and she followed him back to Maddoc's pavilion.

  When she was back inside, exhaustion hit her hard. How far had she walked today? The base was bigger than it looked no matter how far she walked. Out of curiosity, she peeked outside the pavilion to see if the huts here were arranged the same way as the family camps. But there weren’t as many structures for her to discern. She exited the pavilion and walked around the whole structure, but the nearest clearing with a campfire was a little way away, with very few people nearby.

  “Good evening, Princess."

  She turned to see a man standing a few feet away in the semidarkness, and she stiffened. He wore a c
loak.

  "Welcome to our guild."

  Ana did not return his smile. "I am not willingly visiting."

  "I'm sure that you will be happy to stay once you give us a chance," the man said.

  Ana peered at him. His voice seemed friendly enough and he wasn’t carrying any weapons. “Is that what you did? Give this place a chance.”

  “Sort of. I haven't been here long," he admitted. "I'm still learning how everything works."

  "You’re part of the guild?" Ana asked tentatively.

  The man nodded.

  "So you are a new… highcloak?”

  The man hesitated, then gestured to the campfire. They began to stroll toward it. “I am new, yes. I’m still in training.”

  “Why did you join?"

  The man shrugged. “I thought it might be a good way to get back at the royals.” A grit entered his tone. "I know the guild works against the royal assembly, I wanted to be part of that."

  A strange unease worked in Ana. This was the first person she’d met, apart from Maddoc, who had real hostility toward the assembly. Although she assumed that was the point of the guild, and the reason why Maddoc created this base, she suddenly realized that she hadn't experienced any hatred or hostility from anyone in the camp, whether it was toward the assembly, her, or each other. Maybe it was just the highcloaks that held the hostility.

  They reached the campfire and settled down on a bench nearby.

  "Why do you want to get back at them?" she asked, unsure if she wanted to hear the answer.

  When the man looked to her, his eyes held a hardness that didn’t reflect the easy-going nature of his tone. "They are evil, greedy tyrants. I know you probably don't see it," he said, shooting her a dark look, "but the rest of us have to suffer because of them. I want to be able to fight back and make an actual difference."

  "But what if someone gets hurt?"

  "I hope they do! They have hurt me and my family; it is only right they get what they are due."

  Ana kept her eyes on the campfire as it flickered, unsure if she wanted to ask how his family was hurt. She wasn’t sure if she was prepared to hear the supposed cruelty of the royal assembly without any evidence that it was true. There was plenty of evidence of Maddoc’s men and what they did; she’d seen the files and studied them. She wasn’t sure it was worth arguing with a man who was intent on harm, especially when she was a princess.