"So, what do I think of Valishna now?" She looked back at the blonde woman, whose eyes were wide, "I think it deserved to burn."
There was a round of applause at this that swept the table, led by Sullivan himself. Matilyn felt her face grow hot from embarrassment. Samuel, on her left, obligingly clapped, observing her with a distasteful grin.
"Tonight we are gathered to honor this woman," Sullivan said, chalice raised, once quiet had descended again. "She once served King William Parnell and the Kingdom of Arinford. She was a dedicated Priest and a celebrated officer among their ranks."
He took a small drink and returned the chalice to the table. He gestured at her, "Look at her now, my guests. If an enemy of our Kingdom could, through such intelligence, such passion, such strength, and such honesty, believe in our cause and join our forces – ask yourselves, how can we lose this war?
"King William Parnell once proclaimed Arinford was chosen by the Gods, chosen to defeat us, to crush us beneath their boots."
Laughter erupted from the halls. Sullivan remained quiet, holding up a hand for silence and looking around once more, "How could he have been more wrong? One of his very own Priests sits among us tonight, having realized the truth of our words and the truth of our vision. An honorable woman who has dedicated eight years of her life to learning how to heal the sick and the injured, eight years to learning how to help people.
"I have much respect for Priests," Sullivan said with a small nod to Matilyn, "and even more to this one who sits besides me."
Lifting the chalice once more, he spoke with a louder volume, "Tonight we honor her, for she has travelled long and fought hard to come out of the dark shadow of Arinford into the light of Lamonte. Tonight we honor our newest ally, our newest priest, our newest commander – tonight, we honor Matilyn Malevus."
TWO
Men's Minds are Wild
PENELOPE BELMONTE GLANCED AT THE CUP IN her hand. Her fingers suddenly relaxed on the handle, and she watched, as if in slow motion, the cup fall to the table. Cold tea spread rapidly and the shards of ceramic from the broken cup scattered.
She let out a low sigh.
"Lady Arris?" Her estate manager, Thomas, came in from the opposing door. He took a look at the mess in front of her and pursed his lips, "Are you alright, dear? You dropped your tea."
"I must have dozed off," Penny said. That wasn't exactly true, though. She'd been sitting there and her mind had suddenly flashed to something different.
She'd dreamt the night before and the details still weighed heavily on her mind. There had been a young man there, nearly the splitting image of his father. Prince William Parnell. She didn't know how old he was in the dream -- he had an ageless, mature look.
His clothing was soaked and splattered with blood. He was screaming at someone, and looked panicked. There was clear fear in his eyes. Despite this, he still looked princely. She supposed it was his bearing.
Then the sky flashed purple and she realized that he was screaming at her. She'd been replaying this in her mind when she'd dropped the cup.
"Don't worry," Thomas said, "I'll get this cleaned up right away. Lady Arris, where are you going?"
Penny climbed to her feet, staring at the mess on the table. Then she forced her eyes away, "I'm going for a walk, Thomas."
"Alone?" he asked.
Penny nodded. "I won't be far," she assured him.
Thomas sighed, "If you must, Lady Arris. But you should remember -- it isn't safe for a lady to be on her own these days."
"I know," Penny said. Then she walked to the door, letting herself out. The weather was nice -- Valishna was a spring state, and the weather never really changed. Sometimes they'd get morning fog, and occasionally rain, but it was never truly cold.
She was grateful for this, as she hadn't wanted to take the time to find a coat.
Briefly, Penny considered going into the city. She shook her head and decided against it. Thomas wasn't wrong; the city was a dangerous place for a woman on her own. The Lamonte soldiers that ruled over Valishna were not known for their gentleness.
Peter Sterling tried to contain them, and keep them from getting to out of line, but he couldn't stop everything.
Instead of heading to the inner part of the city, she turned to walk to the beach.
The beach had a lot of good memories for her -- it was where she and Matilyn had first kissed, there had been dozens of birthday parties or celebrations hosted there, and she'd camped out more than once with Matilyn and Eldrin.
There was only one real bad memory associate with it, and that was of her husband leaving her. Kenneth Arris had grown tired of her depressing beliefs and selfish tirades and he'd thrown her ring into the sea.
That was the last time she'd seen him alive.
Penny walked for a bit, trying not to reminisce too much. It was hard to imagine her life from before. Everything was so different now.
It was the Black King's fault, of course. He'd sent in experienced soldiers to wipe out the population of Valishna. The wealthy were kept alive -- so they could provide taxes to the soldiers.
Penny had never met Richard Sullivan, but she knew if she did, she'd have a hard time not putting a knife in his back.
It wasn't till she was out there for a few hours when someone joined her. She looked over at her brother, Robert. They were separated by only a couple of years, and people had often mistaken them for twins -- they both shared the same pale, freckled skin, and the same red hair.
"Pen," he said.
"What are you doing here, Robert?" Penny asked.
"I was looking for you," he said, not sounding a bit abashed.
"Why?" Penny asked warily.
"Because you shouldn't be out here alone," Robert said.
"How'd you know where I was?" Penny asked.
Robert just looked at her.
"Are you having me followed?" Penny demanded. She paused, "No, that would be father, correct?"
Robert sighed, "We're all worried about you, Pen. You haven't been yourself lately."
"I wonder why," Penny muttered.
Robert sighed. He sat down on the sand and patted the seat next to him. Penny couldn't help but think of how foolish he looked, sitting on the sand in his expensive, custom made suit.
She took a seat next to him anyway. He put his arm around her.
"What are you doing here?" he asked after a moment.
Penny shrugged, "Thinking," she said.
Robert shook his head, "Do you have a death wish?"
Penny rolled her eyes.
"I'm serious," Robert said, "You know what the soldiers are like. It wouldn't be surprising if another woman was killed here in Valishna."
"I know that," Penny said, "Don't you think I know that? I spent a lot of time in the Chapel, Robert. Do you know how many women came in, bruised and bleeding? How many rape cases I saw, or how many beatings?"
Robert nodded, "So you should know better than anyone else that it isn't a good place to be -- by yourself, I mean."
"I just needed a few minutes," Penny said.
"You could have come to me," Robert said.
"Alone," Penny stressed.
Robert shook his head, "You don't have that luxury anymore."
Penny didn't say anything to this. She knew it was true, but she couldn't explain to Robert how difficult she found it, always surrounded by people.
"You're changing," Robert told her, "and it's not a good change, Pen."
"What are you talking about?" Penny asked, "I haven't changed. Not that much."
Robert just looked at her.
"They killed him," Penny said suddenly, "They took off Kenneth's head. Do you really think I'd just be okay? That it wouldn't change me?"
"That's not what I'm talking about -- that's not what your talking about," Robert said. "Kenneth was my best friend, but he's not the problem."
Penny scowled.
"They're gone," he said, "Matilyn and her men, they're gone, Pen. But yo
u're not."
Penny shook her head. The news had come six months ago. The largest division of soldiers in Lamonte had disappeared. They were believed dead. The backup troops, the ones that had been sent to ensure their mission was completed, had found a deserted camp, a lot of bodies, and a ton of supplies.
Matilyn had been the acting commander for the southern offensive fort. If her men were dead, so was she.
"No," Penny whispered, shaking her head.
"Yes," Robert said, "I know it hurts to think about but--"
"I can't," Penny said, "I can't just write her off, Robert. She's alive out there, somewhere."
"Those troops are dead," Robert said, "Matilyn is dead. You're going to have to accept that at some point."
"I won't," Penny said.
"I'm losing you, Pen," Robert said, "I'm watching you slowly, systematically destroy your life, just as you began working to improve it. I can't stand aside and let it continue."
Penny sighed.
"You aren't even healing anymore," Robert said.
"The soldiers don't like it," Penny told him.
"That never stopped you before," he said.
Penny shook her head, "It's different now," she said, "I can't explain it, Robert, but it's different."
Robert sighed. "I know. Look, why don't you come stay with me again?"
Penny was surprised by the offer. She knew her brother must be really worried if he was inviting her to live with him again. She'd stayed at his place after Kenneth had left her, but she always knew her brother would rather she not be there. He liked his privacy.
It was a mark of how worried he must be if he was opening that offer again. Penny smiled, "I'm going to be fine, Robert. Thank you, though."
"Let me walk you back at least," Robert said, "It's getting late."
Penny got to her feet, "Alright," she said, "Take me home, Robert."
Robert nodded, sliding an arm around her. "Promise me you'll stay there," he said.
Penny said nothing.
"I'm going to have to start going through Kenneth's office," Robert told her, "I should have done it months ago."
Penny frowned. Kenneth had plenty of business documents in his office; he'd been posed to take over his father's company, after all, and it wasn't a small business. She had inherited his shares in the company, which she'd promptly put Robert in charge of.
She knew he needed the access, but she hadn't been in Kenneth's office since he'd been beheaded as a traitor. There were things in there that she wasn't meant to see.
Kenneth had been part of a secret resistance whose goal was to take Valishna back from the soldiers. There was plenty of documentation of it -- bribes, payoffs, and other incriminating evidence.
She didn't want Robert finding it.
"I'll go through it first," she told him.
Robert nodded, "If you feel you must," he said, "But Pen, you know something, right?"
"What's that?" Penny asked.
Robert gave her a one-armed squeeze, "You're not alone."
Janice Akins puffed up her cheeks and then let out a slow breath of air directly in front of Sean Sweeton. He made a face at her.
"Sorry," she said, but she didn't mean it. She was bored. They, and four others, had been taken from battle and back to Sullivan's castle.
At first, Janice didn't know why they'd take them there instead of killing them. Only after overhearing a few conversations did she realize why. Matilyn Malevus had become a hero amongst Arinford troops. The people that fought with her -- they were painted with the same brush, so to speak.
She'd told Sean they were famous too. He'd laughed, but it had been an empty laugh, deprived of any real humor.
The capture had been six months back. So far, they'd heard nothing on what would happen to them. Janice had decided they were going to let them spend the rest of their lives in the small, dank cells.
It was better than death, though. She had to give them that.
A light appeared, casting eerie shadows all over the dungeon. Someone was coming down. It was probably the guard that brought food every day. They weren't given much besides bread and water, but Janice had grown to appreciate it.
At first, it had been hard. It felt unfair, and disgusting. She was used to growing up in a home with three hot, square meals a day. Then there had been army rations, which she'd grown used to. She could always hunt if she was still hungry.
Now, though, she had to survive off of stale bread. Sean didn't complain though, so neither did she.
A few minutes later, she realized that it wasn't food time. There were too many guards for that, and they weren't carrying trays. Three of the men were leading prisoners. The other two followed behind.
The two stopped at Janice and Sean's shared cell. "It's packed in here," one said to the other.
"The King wants these two together," the second man said.
"They're in the largest cell," the first one complained. For a moment, he stared at them. Janice met his eyes and said nothing.
"Well, move them then," the second guard said. "Put them in the cell at the end. These three," he pointed out the new prisoners, "they can share this one."
"Whatever you say," the first man said. He let out a grunt and then dug in his pocket for the keys. "Don't try anything," he warned Sean and Janice. "I don't want to have to kill you. Hands in the air."
Janice exchanged a quick look at Sean. This was the most the guards had ever spoken to them. They both raised their hands.
"Good," he said. He and his partner came into the cell, and grabbed them. Janice allowed herself to be steered out of the cell and towards the back. It was even darker back there, but she knew better than to complain.
After putting the newcomers in their old cell, the other three guards joined the two in the back. One of them opened the cell, and then Janice and Sean were shoved unceremoniously inside.
The door was relocked and the soldiers disappeared. One of them said something in a low voice and the others laughed. Janice sighed. She turned to look at Sean, "What do you think of our new home?"
Sean was staring at something, though. Janice followed his gaze. There was a young man staring at them from the far corner of the cell. His hair was long, and he was wearing clothing that needed thrown out.
He started to say something but before he could, he staggered forward a step. Then he fell to his knees and collapsed.
Janice stared at him for a moment before realizing she was looking at the crown prince of Arinford. Prince William Parnell, the fourth.
Will felt a cool hand on his forehead. For a second, he believed it to be his mother. He was home safe, and his mother was tending him.
Then he realized the hand wasn't the same, though still quite tender, and he opened his eyes. Reality sank back in.
He had a fever. He knew that much. He'd gotten sick a month earlier and had never really shaken the illness. It came and went, but today it was bad. He coughed and tried to sit up.
"Careful," the woman touching him said. She brushed some hair back from his face, "You don't want to pass out again. Your head hit the ground pretty hard."
Will felt the back of his head. A goose egg sized lump was forming beneath his fingers. He let out a groan.
The woman and the other person -- a tall, willowy man who looked just as emaciated as the two of them -- exchanged a long look. Then the man fell to his knees, "Prince William. We thought you were dead."
Will licked his lips and cleared his throat. Despite the throbbing in his head, he felt a little better. He hadn't had anyone to talk to since they'd brought him to the cell. He'd been allowed up only once, and that was to play the part of the fool in a mockery dinner Sullivan had hosted for him.
The woman moved back, scrambling to imitate the man's position on the cell floor.
Will waved them both away, "There's no need for that here," he said. He was surprised by the raspiness of his own voice, "Really. Please, who are you?"
"Sean,"
the man said, "Sean Sweeton."
"And I'm Janice," the girl said.
"Arinford?" Will asked. They both nodded. "What are you doing here?"
Sean reached for the amulet hanging around his neck. Will stared at it for a moment. It was pretty enough; a dull, sparkling grey stone, wrapped in some sort of necklace wire.
"We were going after Lamonte forces," Janice supplied, "We got caught along the way. They killed most of our Charge, but we were left alive. We think it's for a publicity stunt that Sullivan's planning on having."
Will frowned. "Why? Who are you?"
"Janice was a captain for the first squadron of Redhorn," Sean said. "I was an Executor to Matilyn Malevus."
"Malevus," Will said, "She was the captain that took back Teirford, correct?"
Sean nodded.
"Where is she?" Will asked.
"We don't know," Janice said, "We left with a small group and got captured along the way. We haven't heard much news since we were brought here."
Will frowned, "I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news," he said, "But around ... gods, I don't even know how long it's been... it's been a while, but I heard the guards talking about the troops near here. They said that a large force of them were killed."
Sean and Janice exchanged a look.
"I thought as much," Sean murmured. "I heard rumors too."
Janice clenched her teeth. Will frowned. There was something going on with the two of them, but he didn't know what. Janice glared down at the necklace Sean was wearing as if it had said or done something.
Will shook his head, "Are either of you manipulators?"
"Yes," Sean said, "I know primarily flesh manipulation, but I'm schooled in the other areas as well. I can do some light fire manipulation. Not here, of course, because the cells are protected somehow..."
"I was a Priest," Janice said.
"Was?" Will repeated.
"I don't have the ability to manipulate anymore," Janice admitted. "It's quite disheartening. It's as if I can't find my peace, or my inner will."
Revolution (Cartharia Book 2) Page 2
