Lord Sakehera thoughtfully scratched his chin. He closed his hand around the ring and nodded his head as if coming to a decision. “My answer to you is, yes, I have seen this, how you say, this symbol meaning certain person or house, this devicebefore, but I cannot identify it as yet. However, with permission, I will keep ring and study it, make, ur, inquiries.”
Jelena could barely keep herself from leaping up and shouting for joy. “Yes, Lord Sakehera! Please keep it for as long as you need to. I am so very grateful! I…I wish to ask permission to stay here at Kerala, if I may. You see, I have no home back in Amsara, nowhere to go really… that is, until I can locate my father or his kin. I will, of course, work for my keep. I was a kitchen servant before I came here.”
“Youngest Son, did you not tell me she was niece of duke? How can a man allow family to work as servant? This I do not understand.” Lord Sakehera’s grey-green eyes glittered with disapproval. He looked to Magnes as if awaiting an explanation.
“My lord, my father is a good man in many ways, but his attitudes concerning your people so blinded him that he turned his back on his own sister and disowned her because she carried a half-elven child. I think that if my aunt had been pregnant with a human child, he never would have cast her out, and Jelena would have grown up as a full member of the family.” Magnes paused briefly, as if to collect his thoughts. “Your son has been honest with me about how most elves view humans, and it seems both our peoples have enough misunderstandings and hatred to keep us separated for the rest of time.”
“You speak truth, young human,” Lord Sakehera answered slowly. Jelena thought that she detected a new note of respect in the Lord of Kerala’s voice. “Myself, I hold not these views,” he added.
“I came here to protect my cousin and aid her in her search for her elven family,” Magnes continued. “I’ll stand by her as long as she needs me. If she wishes to stay here at Kerala, I won’t try to dissuade her because I think you can help her.”
“Jelena,” Lord Sakehera rose to his feet. Magnes helped Jelena to stand. “One of my official, um, what is word? Ah, messengers, has left service to marry, leaving me with one only person to serve me this way. I give you position. You can ride horse, yes? Good. This way, you stay here, earn keep, search for father. I help also.”
“I don’t know how to thank you, Lord Sakehera,” Jelena answered. “I’m sorry if I sound greedy, but what about my cousin? He needs work as well.”
“Lord Sakehera, I must ask you a very serious question,” Magnes said quietly. Jelena looked sharply at her cousin, alarmed at the gravity in his voice. “I need to know where I stand here.”
Lord Sakehera’s eyes narrowed. “Please, what mean you?” he said.
“I mean no disrespect,” Magnes replied quickly. “You and your people have treated us well, as I’ve said, but…” He paused, as if to choose his next words very carefully. “I know you’ve set guards to keep watch on me, and there are places here in the castle grounds where I’ve been politely, but firmly turned away by other guards. I understand why you feel you must do this, my lord. We all know of the rumors…Our two countries may very well be at war soon. I could be a spy, for all you know, sent here by the empress through my father.”
“You are very…how you say…clever,young Preseren,” Lord Sen replied slowly. He stroked his chin in silence for a few heartbeats.
Jelena held her breath, waiting.
“Yes, it is true, I have you watched,” Lord Sen finally confirmed. “I do this for good reasons…you understand these reasons; you are son of military man. I cannot let you see things or know things that duke can use against me.”
“Am I your hostage, my lord?” Magnes asked.
Gods! Ashinji’s father thinks Magnes is a spy! Jelena thought, horrified. Her heart slammed against her breastbone, and she felt light-headed with sudden fear. What if he orders Magnes imprisoned, or worse?
“Father, I will take responsibility for Magnes,” Ashinji interjected. “I brought him here.”
“I thank you, Ashinji, but I don’t need your protection,” Magnes stated firmly. He looked Lord Sen in the eye, and said, “I give you my word… I am no spy, and I swear by all my gods that I will not betray you, Lord Sakehera. I know you have no reason to trust me, and so…if imprisonment is your real plan for me, then all I ask is that you take my cousin under your protection and help her find her elven kin.”
A tense, heavy silence settled on the room. Jelena fought hard against the cold, sick panic that threatened to overwhelm her. She opened her mouth to plead with Lord Sakehera for Magnes’s life, when, to her surprise, Lady Sakehera spoke.
The Lady of Kerala leaned toward her husband, her voice low and measured. She regarded Magnes coolly all the while, and her words, though incomprehensible, had a curious effect on Jelena. Her fear dissipated, leaving calm in its wake.
Lord Sen listened attentively to his wife, nodding slowly. “My wife says that you speak truth, young Preseren,” he said. “She knows how to…look into hearts of men…to see truth there.” He took a deep breath, as if coming to an important decision.
“Magnes Preseren, you are duke’s son. A man of rank. You shall have position in my guard, if you wish. It will be first time a human works for me. I shall be envy of district!” Lord Sakehera’s smile brimmed with sly good humor. “My son will show you where you live. You can eat meals with rest of staff now. I take very good care of my people. You will see.”
“Thank you, my lord,” Magnes replied, and Jelena heard the relief in her cousin’s voice.
“Jelena, Magnes,” Ashinji said, “I will take you to the barracks now and show you around.” He detached himself from the possessive grasps of his little sisters and transferred them to his mother. Jelena glanced briefly at the Lady. Something about this elegant, handsome woman raised the hairs on the back of her neck. She thought about what Lord Sen had said.
She looks into the hearts of men and sees the truth…and lies as well, no doubt! Jelena could sense the tremendous power hidden behind Lady Sakehera’s serene façade.
Clearly, it would be unwise to make an enemy of the Lady of Kerala.
As Ashinji turned to escort Jelena and Magnes from the room, the door swung open and a man entered. Ashinji halted in his tracks. The newcomer strode across the room and stopped in front of Ashinji, blocking his way. He stood with one hand on his hip and arrogance infusing every line of his sleek, well-toned body. The familial resemblance was unmistakable. However, this man’s beauty was cold like the icicles that formed on tree branches in the dead of winter. His eyes insolently raked Jelena from head to toe and only settled perfunctorily on Magnes before turning back to Ashinji. He spoke a few words, and Ashinji’s lips compressed down to a thin, hard line.
“Jelena, Magnes,” Ashinji said tightly. “May I present Lord Sadaiyo Sakehera, Heir to Kerala and my elder brother.”
Sadaiyo Sakehera’s eyes were grey-green like his father’s but held none of their warmth or good humor. He pinned Jelena with a look both contemptuous and suggestive at the same time. She felt a surge of anger and fear, for it was the very same look she had seen in the eyes of some of the less picky Amsara guardsmen, the ones who would try to lift her skirts, then spit on her and call her a dirty tink when she rebuffed them. She felt the comforting presence of Magnes at her back and instinctively leaned into him.
The tension between Ashinji and his brother was palpable. Ashinji spoke, his voice carefully controlled and polite. Sadaiyo responded with a laugh and pushed past him, glaring venomously at Magnes.
“I apologize for my brother’s rudeness,” Ashinji said quietly. His face had gone very still and pale. “Let us go now.” He turned and stalked toward the door, the set of his shoulders betraying his anger. From behind, Jelena could hear Lord Sakehera’s voice and that of his eldest son’s raised in heated debate.
By the time they had descended back to the ground floor, it seemed that Ashinji’s anger had cooled, but Jelena suspected that
it never truly dissipated, but always remained simmering just below the surface. In one short exchange, Jelena knew she had witnessed a telling glimpse into a relationship fraught with a lifetime’s worth of animosity. She decided, then and there, that Sadaiyo Sakehera was extremely dangerous, and the one person at Kerala she must avoid.
“I take it that your brother doesn’t particularly like humans,” Magnes commented dryly.
Ashinji sighed. “No, he does not. He has made it quite clear that he thinks my father has made a mistake allowing you to stay here. My advice is to stay out of his way, which should not be a problem. He will be totally occupied with preparing for his wedding, which will be taking place very soon—within the next few weeks. In truth, we will all be occupied with it.”
“You don’t sound very happy,” Jelena observed.
Ashinji shrugged. “He is my elder brother, and the Heir. This is a very important event. I will do my filial duty.”
Jelena decided that a change in subject was in order. “Ashinji, I wish to begin my language lessons right away. If I’m to be your father’s messenger, I must learn to speak Siri-dar as quickly as possible.”
“Cousin, I think you need to fully regain your strength, first,” Magnes interjected gently. “Don’t forget, you were just released from your sickbed yesterday. I think Lord Sakehera can get along without you for awhile longer.”
“I must agree with Magnes. You will not be needed to carry messages just yet, but I can begin your lessons now.” Ashinji started pointing to objects as they walked, first calling the thing by its Soldaran name and then following up with the corresponding word in Siri-dar. By the time they reached the barracks, both Magnes and Jelena were sorting out a dozen or so nouns and tripping over the unfamiliar pronunciations. Ashinji patiently corrected their mistakes while trying not to laugh.
The guards’ barracks were located above the stables and consisted of a common room, a dormitory for the men, a smaller room for the female soldiers, and several storerooms. At this hour, most of the inhabitants were at their posts, but as the three of them entered the common room, a lone, dark-haired woman stood up from her seat at the long rectangular table in the center of the room. Jelena felt certain that she had seen the woman before, but she could not remember where. The woman came forward and bowed deferentially to Ashinji. He spoke to her at some length, and as her clever brown eyes darted back and forth between Jelena and Magnes, she nodded in understanding.
“I’ve told Aneko what she needs to know about you, Jelena,” Ashinji explained. “She knows that you are to be my father’s new messenger when you are healed enough to ride. She also knows that you still require a great deal of rest, so she will look after your needs.”
“Jelena, you remember? I care for you by river, me and Kami?” Aneko smiled a little self-consciously, as if embarrassed by her broken Soldaran. She gently took hold of Jelena’s elbow. “Come. I show you room where we sleep.” Aneko led Jelena into a smaller room, just off the common room, that contained three beds, each with a storage chest underneath. Shelves lined the walls above. The bed closest to the open window appeared unclaimed.
“That one must be mine,” Jelena said. She scanned the room then turned back to Aneko. “Surely not all the guards live here. What about the ones with families?”
Aneko’s forehead creased in puzzlement for a moment, then she exclaimed and nodded in understanding. “Families have own house. Not live here. Here is for unmarried people only.”
“You speak Soldaran very well, Aneko,” Jelena commented. “Who taught you?”
“Grandmother,” Aneko replied, and when she did not elaborate, Jelena inquired no further. Instead, she stepped over to the window beside her newly claimed bed. A fine metal mesh, the likes of which she had never seen before, covered the opening. Amazed at the cleverness of the idea, Jelena immediately discerned how the screen allowed air to circulate into the room, yet kept flying insects out. She looked out and scanned the view.
The women’s room faced the rear of the building and looked down on the paddocks behind the stables. A few horses stood drowsing in the warm spring sunshine, tails lazily swishing. The earthy smell of horse dung and hay drifted up to permeate the room.
It’s not so bad. I can get used to the smell. Besides, I won’t be in here that much once I’m better.
She and Aneko returned to the common room. Magnes and Ashinji had seated themselves at the table and were deep in conversation. Jelena went over to join them, slipping in alongside Magnes on the bench opposite Ashinji. Aneko bowed to Ashinji and discreetly exited the room.
“If war comes, I’ll be in a very difficult position if I stay here,” Magnes was saying. Both he and Ashinji looked glum.
“What are you talking about?” Jelena asked. She felt a twinge of alarm as she looked at the two young men, their faces as serious as if they had just heard some particularly bad news.
“The painful truth,” Ashinji answered. “Magnes is the son and Heir of a very important human lord. To stay here in Kerala, in the service of an elven lord, would be seen as treason, I think. And there is the other side of the issue. The son of a powerful human lord is a very valuable hostage. Despite my father’s best intentions, he may have no choice in the end. He will have to confine your cousin to Kerala Castle; at worst, he might be compelled to send Magnes to Sendai as a prisoner.”
“Jelena, I might need to leave Kerala and go back home,” Magnes said quietly.
Jelena leaned her head against Magnes’s shoulder. “I don’t want you to go. I want us to be together like we always have been, but I realize I must put aside my selfishness if staying here will endanger your life. I love you, Magnes, but I still feel a little guilty that you had to give up everything in order to help me escape.”
“Jelena, I’ve told you that that doesn’t matter.”
Jelena shook her head. “But, don’t you see, Magnes? It does matter, very much. This is your life we’re talking about, for the gods’ sake!” She looked at Ashinji, who was pulling at the gold rings set in his earlobe. “Ashinji, how certain are the elves that the Empire is planning on going to war with Alasiri?”
“Our intelligence says that it is all but certain, and planned for next summer, just after the worst of the rainy season.”
“Yes, that’s what I know as well. A little over a year, then.” Magnes drummed his fingers restlessly against the scarred wood of the table.
Jelena laid her hand over his, stilling the nervous motion. “Go home, Cousin. Mend things with your father. Tell him about Livie. If he sees how much you love her, perhaps he’ll give in and allow the two of you to marry. I’ll miss you terribly, but I’ll be all right. If I can’t find my father, or if…well, at least I have a place here. I can make a good life for myself, I think.”
Magnes gathered her up in his arms. “I don’t want to abandon you, Jelena,” he said, voice hoarse with emotion. “I’ve always taken care of you. Who’s going to protect you if I leave?” Jelena could see that Ashinji had gone very still. His expression was unreadable, but he seemed to be trying very hard to hold back from something, as if there were words within him that he wanted very much to say, but could not.
“I can take care of myself, Cousin. You’ve helped me get this far; now I can manage on my own.”
“I can’t deny the logic of your arguments,” Magnes sighed. He looked at Ashinji. “I’ll need some provisions and a horse, if your father can spare one. I have nothing with which to repay him, as you know, but if there ever is a way, I’ll find it.”
“Of course, Magnes. There is no need to speak of repayment. My father is a generous man, and there is no hardship in helping you. We will provide you with all that you need, including an escort to the border.”
“It’s settled, then,” Jelena said.
Two days later, Jelena stood at the main gate of Kerala Castle and watched Magnes ride away. The words he had spoken to her the night before kept repeating themselves over and over in her head.
“Jelena, I’ve seen how Ashinji looks at you. He’s drawn to you, and it only seems like it’s getting stronger. I know you don’t believe any man could love you because of what you are, but that’s simply not true. I think Ashinji might. Don’t let your fears and doubts prevent you from finding happiness.”
Fears and doubts are all I seem to have, Cousin, she thought.
Happiness and the kind of love shared between a man and woman were two things that Jelena had given up on a long time ago. She would count herself lucky if she could somehow manage to find a bit of contentment.
Magnes turned back in the saddle and waved. Jelena raised her hand in response and gave free rein to her tears. From behind, she sensed the presence of another. She turned to see Ashinji standing close by her left shoulder, watching the mounted figures of Magnes and his escort dwindling into the distance. She could feel the heat of his body pushing against her, and the desperate longing to touch him became almost too much to bear.
Could it be true what Magnes said? Could Ashinji really be falling in love with me? How is that possible?
No. Stop fooling yourself. Magnes is wrong. Ashinji is the son of a lord. His parents would never permit him to get involved with someone like me anyway, even if he wanted to, which I’m sure he doesn’t.
“I know you are sad, Jelena. Perhaps, one day, if the One permits it, you will see your cousin again.” Ashinji rested his hand lightly on Jelena’s shoulder, and suddenly, she could take no more.
She sobbed aloud and fled.
Chapter 17
A Glimpse Of The Future
During the week that followed Magnes’s departure, Ashinji tried to ease Jelena’s sorrow and loneliness by spending as much time with her as his other duties allowed.
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