"As am I." King Theol cleared his throat. "I suppose there are other things that we should discuss as well."
"Yes." Amelia strode farther into the dungeon. There were only five cells. Each one half the size of her bedroom on Earth. The small pots of huanna had been placed on shelves outside the cells, and trays of food and waterskins were already present on the large table to the side of the chamber. From the looks of the containers and bags, these were from the Machat. Two of the youngest Machat brought her bags down and set them beneath the table of supplies. Eight others carried down WroOth and Naatos. They put them into individual cells.
Amelia picked up one of the trays of food and water and entered AaQar's cell.
King Theol strode a few feet outside the door, his arms crossed over his blue diamond-patterned robe. "Is there something in particular you're concerned about?"
Amelia set the tray on the low table, then knelt beside AaQar. Taking her knife, she cut through the ropes, then unlocked the chains and removed them. She wouldn't put it past any of the brothers to know how to use the chains for some other purpose that would lead to their escape. "I have many concerns," she said. "I think it's a bad idea for the former Paras to be here, and I strongly recommend that they be removed to one of the southern outposts. Kepsalon agreed and said that if they were in an outpost—"
"I have heard your recommendation, and a decision will soon be reached about their ultimate prison."
"I don't know how long we'll be able to keep them under control. And QueQoa is probably out there somewhere." Amelia unfolded the blanket and covered AaQar.
"QueQoa?" King Theol frowned.
"He's their adopted brother, and he has WroOth's Para band, which means even though the Tue-Rah is no longer working, he can come and go as he pleases. I think he's most likely to appear in the temple because that's where he'll assume they'll be." Amelia stepped back, watching AaQar. His breathing had slowed even further. "AaQar." She pressed her fingers against his neck, searching for his pulse. Then, all at once, he rolled over, grunting weakly.
Stepping back, Amelia frowned. AaQar had worsened. His pulse, though consistent, lacked strength, and he had definitely paled even more. The crisp white sheets, freshly washed and freshly placed, appeared dingy next to him. Additionally concerning was the fact that his cheekbones and collarbones were more sharply prominent as well as what she could see of his breastbone. Leaving the cell, she portioned out additional food for him.
"You do seem exceptionally concerned about their well-being." The frown on King Theol's face intensified.
Amelia glanced at him, uncertain what he meant, her caution increasing. "I am supposed to keep them alive. That is what I'm doing. AaQar is sick. He's the weakest of the three, and when they need to heal, they eat." The question that troubled her though was what did AaQar have to heal from? Was this part of him trying to kill himself or had the huanna created a reaction? "Would you rather I didn't care at all?"
"There are just some who have concerns about your loyalties." King Theol spoke the words slowly, staring down at his hands as if uncomfortable.
"Ah." Amelia set the additional food on the tray, then left and secured the door. "You've been talking to Elder Commander Vorec."
"We can discuss that later," King Theol said.
Amelia breathed out. A numbness was settling over her. "With all respect, Father, please, talk to me now. Vorec and I have had some strenuous disagreements. He has disrespected and attacked me. He hit me twice, and I fought back."
"Yes…" King Theol drew his hand over his mouth. "The elder commander has mentioned what occurred. That there were some misunderstandings."
"Misunderstandings?" Amelia repeated. She opened WroOth's cell and took the tray of food in. "That's putting it mildly."
"Amelia, I know you have been through a great deal. It is not your fault. I have asked that you be treated with courtesy and respect, and I do not doubt your loyalty. But while your concern must be for the Tue-Rah and its restoration, mine and others must be on Libysha. And there are…concerns." King Theol lifted his hands apologetically, then let them fall back to his side as if he were somehow helpless in this.
Amelia smiled wryly. She rolled WroOth onto his back and began removing the ropes. "What all did Vorec say?"
"It isn't only him. The Machat who arrived with the huanna were quite insistent that I understand how hard your task is and how your relationship with these three should be understood. Indeed they had much to say."
"It is complicated. I'll give you that." Amelia snapped the last rope free before starting on the chains. "But I am no less loyal to Libysha than I have ever been."
"And your feelings for these three?"
"They are my enemies." Amelia tried to lift WroOth so that she could reach one of the locks that had shifted. He might be the little brother, but he weighed almost twice as much as AaQar. Straining, she shifted him around and twisted the chains to better access them.
"It's unlikely you would show such compassion to someone you were to kill. You went to the trouble to pack them fresh clothes?" King Theol folded his arms. "This does not sound like something one would do for hated enemies."
Amelia turned to face King Theol and straightened her shoulders. "You don't know me so please don't pretend you do. You were so terrified of me turning into some merciless bloodthirsty monster that you kept me by myself almost always. And now you're saying I'm too compassionate?" She shook her head, gritting her teeth. She brought one of the bags in and set it down before covering WroOth with a blanket. "I will never be good enough for any of you, is that it?"
King Theol winced. "Amelia, I'm only concerned about how this will be perceived."
"No. This is not how others will perceive it. It's how you perceive it." Amelia slammed the cell door shut. "You think that because I'm showing them kindness that means I'm weak. Well I'm not." She rolled up her sleeve only far enough to show her previous scars, the spider bite scars mostly hidden except for a few traces. "I was a vet for years before the Tue-Rah brought me here. Do you see this?" She pointed to the deep bite marks in her forearm just below the spider bite scars. "That was from a dog from a dog fighting ring. His name was Claudius, and do you know what? He bit me. Multiple times! And I still fed him. I watered him. I tended to his wounds. I let him out to play. And he's not the only one." She held up her right arm. "Do you see that? That's from Tamara, a very very angry bull terrier. They had to pry her jaws off me. But I still took care of her. I picked the burrs and thorns out of her paws. I didn't throw her in a cell and forget. Oh, and then there's this." She shoved her leg against the cell bars and bared her calf. Dark punctures marred her skin. "Do you see this? I got that from Titus. Same story, different dog. I never stopped treating any of those animals with respect and dignity. And if I treated animals like that, why would I treat sentient beings worse? Tell me that!" Amelia prepared Naatos's tray, slamming the utensils down. She refused to look at King Theol as she entered the cell.
"I agree…but that does not explain why you broke a chair on Vorec and attacked him."
Amelia kept her face turned away so he would not see her roll her eyes. She dug her fingers into the ropes, cutting and tearing them off as fast as she could. "I shouldn't have beat him as badly as I did, but he grabbed me and struck me. Isn't it wrong that he struck me? That he struck a person without reason in general, let alone a princess? He struck me on separate occasions, and he has treated me with contempt. I lost my temper."
"Your temper has always been a problem," King Theol said.
Amelia stiffened. Losing her temper now would only prove that point. But the subtext of this conversation did not escape her: Vorec was not wrong to strike her. She was an animal too.
"The elder commander states that there may have been some misunderstandings."
"Hmmm…" Amelia bit her tongue. She rattled the chains and then jammed the key into the lock. "Yes, I must have misunderstood what he meant when he hit me in the head and called
me a pinchat."
"Did anyone witness this?" King Theol asked.
"So far as hitting me, Naatos saw some of it, but I doubt you'd trust him. Essentially, it was just the two of us. Except the second time when he came down to try to take my chair," Amelia said. "But you can ask anyone and they will tell you how much he has disrespected me. He tried to form a mob against me in New Istador."
King Theol remained silent. The chains clanked against the floor as she removed them. "Matters are significantly more complicated."
"Apparently," Amelia muttered.
"What of your feelings for Naatos? These three say that you are part of their family."
Amelia laughed, her voice and chest tight. "Well, I shot one of them, fought all of them, and now I'm locking them up in separate cells. I don't think that's how family acts. Of course, I can see why you'd think it might be." She shoved Naatos back on the bench.
Naatos's eyes fluttered open. "Good," he mumbled. "You're still here."
"Be quiet." Amelia pulled the blanket over his face and left the cell. She then grabbed a piece of chalk and scratched out a line around each cell to signify the closest anyone could safely walk along them.
King Theol watched her. "Are you angry with your mother and me? Do you understand why we did what we did?"
"I understand your reasons, and I don't hold it against you." Amelia crossed her arms, the chalk clenched tight in her fist. "But you kept me isolated. You didn't even let me play with the other children except on incredibly rare occasions. You taught me that I was evil and dangerous. I only got to play with the bruins every so often because you thought they were strong enough to handle me. I was alone almost always. When WroOth showed up in that garden, I was so excited to have someone with me that it didn't occur to me that he might be bad! I was so lonely. Always. But I don't hold it against you and the queen. I know you had reasons for what you did. And even though you made mistakes and it certainly didn't look good, I trusted you. So why can't you give me the same grace? I am doing what I believe is best, and I will continue to do so because I have not come this far to give up."
King Theol nodded slowly, his brow creasing with worry lines. "I understand. We will continue this conversation later. I think you should go rest in your room now. The attendants will bring you whatever you need. Including your meals."
Amelia shook her head. So once again she was going to be eating alone in her room? It wasn't even worth the fight. Spending time alone was probably for the best. She passed King Theol briskly and strode back to the staircase. "Third Nalenth, defender of the worlds, and I'm still getting sent to my room," she muttered. As she rounded the corner to the staircase, she heard King Theol begin speaking again.
"It's fortuitous that you're awake," King Theol said. "We need to have words."
Amelia stepped back and peered through the arch. She pressed against the wall, mostly hidden by the thick arched door frame.
Naatos sat up, bleary-eyed. He wiped his hand over his face. "It sounds like you've exchanged at least one set of words already. If you must have more, at least keep it brief."
King Theol approached the cell though he did not cross the white line. "I've asked everyone to leave so that we can have this opportunity to talk. I realize you have a certain reputation to uphold. Here, there is no one to impress."
Naatos smirked. "You think I change based on who is present?"
"It's possible. But more importantly what I must discuss with you deals with someone I hope you care about." King Theol lifted his head. "It's about Inale. My daughter."
"I assumed as much though her name is Amelia now, not Inale."
King Theol sighed. He stared down at his hands as if composing his thoughts. "You must let her go. For her to have any kind of life, you must release her from this marriage. Let her form a new life. Her mere association with you is ruining her."
Naatos laughed. He studied Theol, resting his arms on his thighs. "No. Amelia is mine. I am no more willing to give her up than I am to give up the Tue-Rahs. And while I may not be willing to give up the Tue-Rahs or the conquest of the worlds for her, I will do whatever else it takes to keep her."
"I don't think you realize what danger Amelia is in." King Theol lowered his voice. "The Ayamin are loyal to me and to Libysha, but rumors abound that she is neither Libyshan nor loyal. This is partially because of your relationship to her. They don't believe that she can be your wife, your destroyer, their princess, and the Third Nalenth. And I have my own doubts."
"I find it hard to believe she can be all that as well." Naatos drank from the waterskin. "And they mistake her mercy and kindness for true affection. If only that were so. But it is reassuring that none of you have faith in her."
"So you will release her?"
"Not at all. If she must choose between being my destroyer and my wife, then she will be my wife. And you are absolutely correct. I have seen this sort of thing before. It's only a matter of time before they turn on her like the rabid dogs they are." Naatos rotated the waterskin in his hands. "Unless she does something incredibly foolish beforehand, which I would not put past her. But by that time, we will be free. And know that I will deal harshly with anyone who harms her."
"You'll destroy the city?" King Theol's voice tightened.
"I will leave no stone standing. This palace, glorious as it may seem to you, will be ground to dust."
At least Naatos admitted it. Amelia shook her head. Perhaps that would be enough for King Theol to decide on evacuation.
"Naatos," King Theol said, leaning closer. "Answer me this clearly. Do you love my daughter?"
"Not that it makes a difference, but yes. Very much so."
"Then let her go. We have allies coming from the north and west. Already their messengers have told me that if Amelia remains, they will grant us no aid unless specific steps are taken to deal with her and our current situation. They want her banished, possibly executed. Do you not care how even that suggestion will wound her?"
Naatos laughed. He ran his hands through his hair before he settled back against the wall. "Deeply, I'm sure. One more knife wound to an already wavering soul. I hope that will be the final blow."
King Theol's mouth twisted with disgust. "I love my daughter. I don't want her to be hurt any more than she has been already. I will do everything I can to prevent this and worse, but even I am limited. Does none of this mean anything to you? Do you not care that it would break her heart?"
Naatos's eyes narrowed. "Let it break. Let her heart break a thousand times. If that is what it takes to show her she doesn't belong here, then I will do nothing to stop it. I would gladly destroy every connection she has to this wretched place. She does not belong here anymore than she belongs with you. And if you banish her, she won't blame me. No, she'll hear those words from the lips of a father whose affection and pride she has desired for all the years he was absent. Although from the sounds of it, you've already betrayed her. So you talk to me about protecting her. Protect her from yourself. If you aren't capable of that, then you deserve the monarchy even less than I thought. You may only be holding this power for another, but you do not deserve even that."
A long and awkward silence followed. King Theol stared at Naatos, his posture as rigid as if he stood at attention. "In the end, it has everything to do with you and her connection to you. Do you know what the people call her when they think I can't hear? Do you know the rumors that abound? Essentially she is a prisoner as well."
Naatos smiled. "It does not sound like much has changed."
Amelia drew back. She didn't want to listen anymore. She had had more than enough for one day. Hurrying back up the staircase, she ignored everyone she passed. She remembered the way to her room as if she'd been there only yesterday. Reaching the door, she pressed it open and stepped inside.
It was like stepping back in time. The room was precisely as she had left it, the yellow blanket and pale-yellow sheets rumpled. Dolls, stuffed animals, and ceramic figurines grinned a
t her from shelves. The door to the hand-painted wardrobe was cracked, revealing rows of tiny pastel dresses. She picked up a white rabbit near the door. He must have fallen out of her bag when she was getting ready to leave with WroOth. She stroked its fur. It had been worn bare in a few patches from so many snuggles and long lonely afternoons.
Staring at that little rabbit fractured the last bit of resolve holding her together. Sinking to the floor, Amelia clutched the rabbit to her chest and let the tears stream freely down her cheeks.
13
The Fracture Begins
Naatos stared at King Theol. "It doesn't sound like much has changed."
Pain flashed in King Theol's eyes. "I don't want to hurt her further. Everything I have done has been the best that I could do. And if you do not release her and things do not change, then I will have to take additional steps which will be devastating to her."
"You will have to make a choice. Your nation or the woman you call daughter. Then again, she isn't really your daughter at all. You barely knew her as a child. And you certainly don't know her now. But I do, and she belongs to me. I know it. She knows it. And when I get out of this place, the first thing I will do is carry her off someplace so she and I can settle things as a viskare and viskaro should. Then I will return, and I will wreak vengeance upon this nation the likes of which you cannot even imagine."
"Let's look at this from a different perspective." King Theol threaded his fingers together, his brow furrowing. "You say you are married to my daughter. She says you are married to her. If I give my blessing to your marriage, will you swear to spare Libysha and her allies?"
"Spare Libysha?" Naatos leaned forward. He rested his chin on his fist, smiling. "Are you willing to set aside your principles and convictions to save your nation?"
In the next cell over, WroOth stirred. He groaned as he started to sit up, then let his head fall back to the pillow.
King Theol nodded tensely. "Not all of them, but as a leader, I am charged with the protection of my people. Now obviously the Tue-Rahs must be restored if at all possible. That means that you three can't be killed yet if there is any other way in which this can be resolved. My task as the First Nalenth has been completed. At this point, I must remain aware of my other duties. What will be will be when the final Tue-Rah is restored. So, as despicable as I find you, will you accept my blessing in return for sparing and protecting Libysha?"
Princess Reviled Page 12
