by Lorna George
Naomi said nothing. She was exhausted and furious at being restrained like this. She felt him push at her mind again and fought against the magic. ‘Stop it!’
He motioned into the wood to the waiting soldiers, ignoring her protest. ‘Her camp is over that way. Up the large oak her horse is tethered to. Retrieve her supplies and come back so we can make our way to the others.’
She glared up at him, snarling quietly as she used all of her strength to try and get free. Her breathing became laboured as she fought as hard as she could.
‘You’re tired,’ he said, and the now familiar magic reached back into her. Her vision swam and she knew she was about to lose consciousness as he firmly commanded. ‘Sleep.’
Chapter Seven
The darkness pressed down on her from all sides, pushing her into a huddled position on the cold, dirty floor. She couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe. It was smothering her, choking her. She clenched her fists so tightly that her long, unkempt nails dug into her palms. The pain helped, but not enough. There were screams from the torture chamber above, sounds of agony and pleas for death. Sounds no living person should make. She curled up tighter and began to rock back and forth. It didn’t help. She could not see. She could not breathe. A silent scream tore from her dry and bleeding lips.
‘Hush, hush now. You’re safe here, I promise. Calm down…’
The nightmare melted away and Naomi’s eyes snapped open as she came back to the present. She was heaving even as a beautiful Korenian woman smoothed her hair from her sweaty brow and muttered comfortingly to her. The woman nodded in encouragement as she tried to get her breathing back under control.
‘There, that’s right,’ she soothed gently. ‘You’re alright. Just breathe, that’s it.’
‘Where am I?’ Naomi gasped, the old memory of her imprisonment fresh and painful in the light of day. ‘Who are you?’
The woman smiled, sympathy and understanding in her large brown eyes. ‘My name is Esta, I’m a friend. You’re at our camp and well protected, I swear it. No one will harm you here.’
‘Esta?’ She turned the name over in her memory, but there was nothing. Her body was shaking and she was covered in sweat, her eyes and chest burning painfully. She felt ill.
‘It’s alright. Here, drink this.’ Esta offered her a cup, holding it steady even after Naomi had taken it in her own weak and quaking hands. The water was crisp and cool, going a long way to relieving the pain in her chest and the churning in her gut. She nodded her thanks as she finished and the woman smiled.
She had never seen a woman with such a beautiful face before. She was like a doll, her eyes glowing out from a visage of perfect complexion, thick brows, long lashes and full lips. Her hair was a dark red, shining like mahogany and tied in a simple tail at the base of her neck. Naomi couldn’t help but envy the strong bone structure, and the height that was obvious even from her seated position beside the bed.
‘You’ve had a difficult time,’ the woman smiled sadly. ‘Arun is waiting to speak to you, but he can wait until you’re feeling stronger, I think. Are you hungry?’
‘I haven’t eaten properly for a while.’ Naomi admitted evasively, her voice regaining a little surety. She remembered the King and the harpies and being captured and magically compelled into losing consciousness. This was not the awakening she had expected.
Looking curiously around, she could see she was inside a tent. It was quite a big tent, round in shape with a thick wooden pole in the centre to hold it up. There were large rugs laid almost haphazardly across the floor, in varying colours and patterns, with a few bits and pieces of furniture scattered about. There was an ornate metal bathtub on the far side of where Naomi lay on a soft, big pallet under heavy silk sheets and furs, and a desk and chair covered in papers and a few books.
‘I thought so.’ Lady Esta looked pleased and with a wave of her hand, used magic to summon a tray to the small table beside where she sat. The delicious smell of food and good cha filled her nose. There was fresh bread and thick, herby-smelling broth that made her empty stomach ache. The other woman smiled happily with herself.
‘Do you need help sitting?’
Naomi shook her head and tried to smile back, although it had been so long since she’d been in polite society, and she was sure she had only grimaced. Lady Esta didn’t seem to mind, however, and waited patiently for her to prop herself up in the bed, the pillows supporting her back even as her arms shook at the exertion. When she was ready, Lady Esta took the pot of cha from the tray, placing it on the table with two pretty little glasses, and passed the food over into Naomi’s lap. While the other woman delicately poured the two hot beverages, Naomi wondered if she should be concerned about poison, but quickly dismissed the notion. If this woman had wanted her dead, she wouldn’t have waited for her to wake.
As she ate the food carefully, knowing that after so long living on small rations could make her ill, she turned the events leading up to this over in her mind. King Arun had been hunting her, that much was obvious, and with her current treatment being taken into consideration, it seemed unlikely to be on Cygnus or Adrienne’s orders. Did he know about her part in the awful deception? It seemed the most likely choice, but that didn’t explain why she hadn’t been executed or imprisoned yet. Perhaps he didn’t know exactly what her part had been? If he had discovered the plot against him, it made sense that the harpies of Appleby had been sent out to find him, or even her.
Adrienne could not have war with Koren. Despite the circumstances, Naomi knew herself that such a thing could never be allowed to happen. She had only fought for a year in the Pirate Wars against the Korenians, but she knew with the state of things in Ffion, the malnourished people and sorry excuse for soldiers, there would be nothing left of her country but a wasteland of ash and death.
It made sense that they would try and put an end to the Dragon King’s life before he could report the act of treason against him. But where did she fit into all of this? Perhaps to save themselves, Adrienne and Cygnus had offered her up as a scapegoat? That was likely, but still didn’t account for her gentle treatment and comfortable surroundings. Perhaps it was some sort of trick?
It didn’t take long for her shrunken stomach to become full after so long of eating very little, but Lady Esta looked understanding and took the tray away without comment. Offering her a glass of cha, Naomi accepted it and tried again to smile politely. She would get the hang of it eventually.
‘Thank you,’ she said, breathing in the earthy scent of the drink appreciatively. ‘I feel much better.’
‘I’m glad,’ the other woman’s smile became dazzling, then shy. ‘You look better. When Arun brought you back to camp, we were all terrified for you. I’ve never seen him so afraid.’
Naomi frowned in confusion. ‘Why? What was wrong with him?’
‘Forgive me, but you’re clearly unwell,’ Lady Esta looked embarrassed to say this, ducking her head slightly. Naomi felt a real smile tugging at her mouth at this reaction, completely aware of how she must appear. She took stock of the white cotton sleeping chemise she was now wearing, and supposed Lady Esta had seen the worst of her condition. She was about to address the other woman’s discomfort at the admission, when Lady Esta hesitantly took her hand and looked sorrowfully back at her. ‘He said you tried to take your own life.’
Grimacing at the bemusement this caused her chaotic thoughts, Naomi looked uncomfortably down at the hand that held hers. She had, but it had been the result of a split second of blind panic. She was glad she had been stopped, no matter the circumstances. Ffion needed her alive, and it had been selfish of her not to put the suffering people first.
She shrugged. ‘What difference does that make?’
It was Lady Esta’s turn to look confused, then shocked. Her hand tightened fractionally on Naomi’s for a second, and there was a touch of horror in her expression. Naomi knew suicide was seen by most cultures as an atrocity, but in Tsumetai it was a perfectly honourable
way for a warrior to meet their end when there was no way out. She knew her mixed blood was obvious, but supposed the radically different approaches to the subject somehow negated her own upbringing.
‘Don’t you know?’ Lady Esta whispered. ‘Has no one explained?’
‘Explained what?’ Naomi shook her head. There was a rustle of heavy fabric then, and the entrance to the tent was thrown aside. King Arun walked in quite carelessly, then apparently seeing the serious expressions of the two women, stopped in his tracks, brows furrowing.
‘What’s going on here?’ he asked, looking suspiciously at Naomi. She could only quirk an eyebrow in silent disapproval, the turned her attention back to Lady Esta. The woman wasn’t looking at her any more, but had instead turned those troubled eyes on the King. She did not release Naomi’s hand.
‘She doesn’t know, Arun. She doesn’t know anything.’
The distrust left his face, and his own expression softened slightly. He nodded, his brow furrowing as he responded. ‘I’ll take care of it.’
‘But Arun-!’ Lady Esta’s voice became high and aghast, but she was silenced immediately.
‘Out, Esta!’ he snapped, eyes blazing at the hapless woman.
Giving Naomi’s hand one final squeeze, Esta looked worriedly at her one last time, before releasing her and standing. Without another word, she curtsied respectfully to her King, then left them alone, her long skirts swishing softly as she went. Naomi couldn’t keep the mild disgust at his harshness to the poor woman from her face. She didn’t want to.
‘My teacher used to say that you can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat those they consider beneath them,’ she kept her voice steady and arched a brow. ‘Sire.’
He didn’t appear much more impressed with her than she was with him, but after looking her over, he chose instead to keep his silence. Walking across the tent, he stopped briefly at the large desk, apparently to check something, then over to where she lay. He was a handsome man, there was no denying it, but up close she could see he was short. He was taller than she was, unsurprisingly, but far shorter than the Lady Esta. She had surmised as much when they had lain together, but now seeing him properly and coupled with his compact form she was sure she could take him down if she needed to.
From the long, heavy brocade coat and the close-fitted pants he was wearing, she suspected he couldn’t be carrying a concealed weapon bigger than perhaps a small knife. He looked healthy enough, and she knew he was strong, in body as in magic, but there were tell-tale signs of exhaustion. This man was not well-rested, and that could only work to her advantage. He took up Esta’s seat at her bedside, and finally met her gaze again.
‘I’m glad to see you looking better,’ he said seriously. ‘The sleep obviously did you good.’
‘A natural sleep would have been healthier,’ she quipped. ‘But thank you for your concern. I’ll be on my way, if that’s all?’
The young King seemed to sag in on himself then. He rubbed his hands down his face and looked upwards as though praying for patience. ‘You very well know that isn’t all, and this will go a lot smoother if you would cooperate.’
Naomi knew he was right. She was clearly not a prisoner, so what harm would it do for her to hear him out? Perhaps all he wanted was an explanation, and considering her own abhorrence at her part in the deception, she did owe him that.
‘Very well,’ she agreed, sitting up a little straighter in the bed. ‘How may I be of service to you, King Arun?’
He looked startled by her sudden acceptance, then slightly uncomfortable. Leaning forwards, he laced his fingers together and something like a smile kicked at one corner of his mouth. ‘Just Arun, if you please.’
Naomi said nothing, the informality reminding her far too strongly of things that she had no wish to think about any more than she had to.
‘Forgive me, but I think it’s best to be direct,’ he said. ‘I know you were the substitute used by Princess Adrienne two nights ago. I know it was you in my wedding chamber.’
There was no point in denying it. An apology became lodged in her throat, stopped by the knowledge it was far too late and would sound hollow. She kept it to herself and nodded once. This reaction didn’t seem to please him, and Naomi almost felt the flash of anger her calmness evoked.
‘Are you sorry for your actions?’
She sighed heavily and looked away from the irritation she could see ticking away behind his eyes. ‘That is an incredibly complicated question.’
And it was. On the one hand she knew the virginity deal was important to Korenian culture, and she had essentially helped ruin that for him. On the other hand her freedom was priceless. Truly it wasn’t her problem, but she didn’t want to be any more disrespectful of his customs than she already had been. It was an unfortunate by-product of the situation, but she was sure that whoever he decided to marry after this fiasco wouldn’t be that concerned, not with the added bonus of being rich and powerful to boot. Maybe he would even be lucky enough to find someone that just loved him and didn’t care about any of that.
‘I am sorry for you,’ she admitted. ‘But I cannot regret the choice I made for myself.’
‘Do you even understand the damage your actions have caused?’ he growled, bringing her eyes back to him. She shrugged.
‘Honestly no, I don’t. Virginity isn’t a physical concept, not really, so I fail to see what difference it makes.’
Coming from a culture where so-called “purity” on the marriage bed wasn’t of any great importance, she was having a hard time swallowing any of this. All she could think was that he was lucky he was still alive to try again.
He looked at her in complete horror for a moment, then stood up quickly and began to pace. Naomi watched his erratic movements, wondering if she ought to explain her situation. It was none of his business, but maybe if he understood the choice she had faced, it might calm him somewhat. She quickly dismissed this idea. In truth, she had wronged him. No matter her reasons it would be nothing more than an excuse to him, and she didn’t want his pity or his censure. She would tell the stark truth and spare herself nothing.
‘Your Majesty, I mean this with all due respect, but given all that has happened to you the past few days, do you not think it for the best that you’re aware of the truth now?’
Before she had finished speaking, he snapped back around to face her, shock heavy in his features. She sighed again. ‘I’m sorry if I’m being callous, but you have to understand that whatever my part in this was initially, your marital problems are your own. If you mean to punish me for my actions, then by all means, you may certainly try. If you wish for me to write a statement of what has passed to relieve you of any guilt that may be directed towards yourself, I will do it gladly. Otherwise, I don’t see what further business we have, and my time is incredibly valuable.’
The surprised expression he wore twisted then into abhorrence. ‘That is the most I have heard you speak, and it was by far the worst sentiment you could have expressed. Did it mean nothing to you?’
She almost felt sorry for him.
‘Oh, gods. Do you want me to say that you moved the heavens for me? That I can’t sleep for thinking of you?’ She laughed humourlessly and shook her head. ‘No, Sire, I’m sorry. It meant nothing.’
She had angered him, she knew she had, but she didn’t know what he expected her to say. The truth was kinder in the long run, and she was quickly running out of patience. His actions made no sense. What did he want with her? She watched him stalk back towards her and readied herself to defend if she needed. He stopped, but didn’t sit, and the smile on his face wasn’t a friendly one. Naomi met his gaze without fear.
‘Unfortunately for you, in Koren it means a great deal.’ He snatched her left wrist up, and spreading her fingers, slid something heavy and cold onto her fourth digit. ‘And despite what you may believe, my marital problems now have everything to do with you.’
Staring at the all too familiar ring n
ow on her wedding finger, the yellow diamond glittering almost as accusingly as King Arun’s eyes, she shook her head slowly. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing, couldn’t even begin to process it. He might as well have told her she was the Goddess Ager.
‘No, I don’t think so…’ She tried to take the ring off again, but his hands stopped her.
‘I’m sorry, but it’s true.’ He didn’t let go of her hand. ‘In Koren, our wedding ceremony takes place in the bedchamber. In private.'
'That's your problem.' She dismissed his words easily, trying to tug her hands out of his. 'By my customs, it was just sex and you're married to Adrienne.'
'That marriage was not consummated, as well you know,' he all but glowered at her as he spoke. 'Even with things in Koren so much different than here, that nullifies that problem, at least. As far as I’m concerned, I am married to the woman who shared my bed, and we both know that woman was you.'
‘Well, I’m not staying,’ she said with a shrug. ‘You just have to deal with that, I’m afraid.’
‘They forced you to do it.’ His voice was suddenly gentle as he retook his seat so he was no longer towering over her. ‘Used you as they planned to use me.’
She scowled, annoyed by the implication that such an admission would somehow make everything better. ‘No one forced me to do anything. I had a choice.’
It hadn’t been much of a choice, it was true, but she could have just as easily gone back to the dungeons to await death. He finally released her hand and she tried not to let her relief show.
He crossed his arms and moved back slightly, contempt in his voice. ‘If they don’t give you all the information, can you still claim the choice was yours, I wonder?’
Resisting the urge to immediately rip the ring off, she took a very deep breath and closed her eyes. Finding some semblance of composure, she sighed. ‘Look, I’m not trying to be difficult or insensitive to your predicament, but you have to understand that I did have the information I needed. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I expect the reason Cygnus didn’t mention your marriage ritual is because you were supposed to be dead by now. His harpies attacking you only confirms this. Your personal belief system had no bearing on anything under those circumstances.’
