Resting her hand against Kaori’s cheek in an attempt to console her, she gave a halfhearted smile, the motion doing nothing to ease the worry which continued to nag at the back of Kaori’s mind. “It is nothing, darling. Do not fret. We cannot have you looking a fright when you reach the Duke’s home.”
“If it is nothing then why do you not tell me who has called for you?”
Nibbling her lip thoughtfully, Kaori’s mother glanced over her shoulder toward the carriage, hesitant to speak. Her mouth opened as if to respond, quickly closing again without making a noise. She looked torn. Uncertain. Her behavior was enough to stoke Kaori’s already growing concern. Desperate for an answer, she clasped her mother’s hands in her own, squeezing them gently, pleading silently with her to say something.
With a grimace her mother looked away, shaking her head in defeat. “General Deliao has requested an audience with your father and me. As much as we would rather stay here, we are under political and… legal obligations to return home.”
Legal obligations? Hearing the words spoken from her mother’s lips caused Kaori’s blood to run cold in her veins, a slight tremble building throughout her body to think of their implication. Was her family in some kind of trouble? If anyone was to be summoned to Rothdara under orders of law, it should be her. Nothing she did that night on the road could be held against her parents. They weren’t aware anything even transpired between Kaori and the soldiers. It had to be something else. “We only just arrived in Avishul. Surely the General cannot expect you to leave so soon.”
“Behave yourself, Kaori,” her mother cautioned, wrapping her arms around her in one final embrace before stepping toward the door. “I am entrusting you to Sivar while we are away. Please do as he tells you when it comes to the Duke. We cannot have any more mistakes like we did at the ball.”
Kaori followed her mother outside, lost for what to say. Everything was falling apart so quickly. After the night of the attack she’d been convinced that nothing would ever come of the incident as long as she refrained from speaking of it to anyone. The soldiers would never bring the matter forward unless they stood to gain from it. But what could they get out of imprisoning a girl who wasn’t even supposed to be in the eyes of society? Calm yourself. You do not even know if the attack is the reason for their summons…
Keeping her protests in, she watched her father assist his wife into the carriage. Before climbing in after her, he turned to cast a glance over his shoulder toward Kaori, the expression on his face revealing the worry her mother had tried to assure Kaori wasn’t necessary. He was concerned. Whatever the letter from the General had said, it must have been bad. She’d never seen her father look that way before.
Without a word he stepped into the carriage, the sound of the door clicking shut behind him the last thing Kaori registered as the coachman snapped the reins, filling the yard with the clattering of hooves over gravel. Her stomach churned in anticipation. Fear. She was more frightened now than she recalled being at the time of the attack itself. Defending against those soldiers had been easy enough. Facing the consequences could prove more dangerous than she’d considered. Maybe you shouldn’t have fought back; she scolded, knowing it was a foolish thought. Of course she should have fought back. If she’d let those soldiers do as they pleased, it would have caused more damage to her reputation than a bungled waltz. She would have been marked as spoiled goods. Tainted. Impure. A disgrace to the entire Levadis line.
No. She’d done the right thing. Now she just needed to figure out a way to calm the impending storm that might arise because of it. If only she knew the reason for the summons.
“Are you ready to go, Kaori?” Sivar’s voice barely registered in her mind, distracted by the unexpected shift in their plans. So much for a relaxing day…
“I… yes, I suppose. But how are we to get there? We no longer have a carriage.”
Sivar chuckled, motioning casually toward the side of the house. “Uncle Mudel is not without the essentials necessary to get around in this town. He cannot spare a driver, but I can manage well enough to find our way to the Duke’s house.”
Mentally weighted by the thought of what would happen to their parents once they reached Rothdara, Kaori took no joy in the sight of the chaise positioned near the path leading to the stables. The horse was already in place, grazing idly on the overgrown grass. It was a less impressive means of transportation than her parents’ carriage but it was better than walking the distance to the Duke’s residence. Although she dreaded the thought of being in Therek’s company again, her hope was that he might possess answers to the questions floating about in her head. He knew something about the whispers regarding the General’s presence in Rothdara. It was possible he might also have heard rumors which could explain the summons which forced her parents to leave Avishul so suddenly. “We should not keep the others waiting, then,” she replied quietly, breezing past her brother toward the horse. If the Duke was her only source of gathering the information she required, she didn’t want to waste another minute standing around doing nothing when her family might be in danger.
Taking her place inside the chaise she let her eyes drift out over the countryside as Sivar urged the horse into motion, his demeanor more cheerful than she expected after her behavior the night before. She was prepared for him to reprimand her for running off. Instead he said nothing, whistling a merry tune while the horse carried them along down the road.
“You are unusually chipper this morning,” she mused. It was easier to focus on her brother’s strange behavior rather than let her own sour mood become apparent enough to draw Sivar’s attention. He would ask questions, and she had no desire to answer any of them until she had a chance to speak with Therek and verify whether her fears were necessary.
“What is there not to be chipper about?” he grinned. “My sister has been invited on a country ride with the Duke of Avishul – and I have been informed that the Duchess of Endeli will be in attendance as well. I think I may have left an impression on her last evening. She told me that she looks forward to seeing me again.”
She should have known. His mood could only have been sparked by the thought of that woman. “Is that all you can think about?” she asked in disbelief. There were so many other things going on! How could he worry about a girl at a time like this? “Are you not concerned at all about our parents being summoned to Rothdara? They could be in some kind of trouble and all you can think of is some pretty face that is probably only coming along today so she can throw herself at the Duke?”
“Why would they be in trouble? I assume the summons has something to do with the criminal the military was looking for when we departed.”
That was exactly what she was afraid of. Hanging her head, Kaori looked away, unable to stand her brother’s exuberance. He was oblivious to the danger their family was in and she was in no position to tell him otherwise. It was too soon to say anything. There was still a chance that she was overreacting and everything would turn out fine. If she started opening her mouth about the incident she would only create more trouble for herself. “Forget I said anything,” she mumbled.
More than ever she wanted to speak with Therek. There must have been something he wasn’t able to tell her at the ball. Some reason he insisted on her coming to this ridiculous outing. If a warning of caution was all he wanted to give, there was no reason for him to go through the torture of her company another day. The trouble would be finding an opportunity for them to speak. It wouldn’t be so easy to distract an entire group as it had been to slip past Sivar’s notice the night before. People would become suspicious if they made a habit of running off together and that wasn’t something she was willing to risk.
By the time they reached the pathway leading to Therek’s home she thought she would be sick. Her heart beat like a hammer against the inside of her chest, rocking her body with its incessant pounding, her pulse ringing through her head with a painful thud. She couldn’t think about subterfuge wit
h all that noise! It would be so much easier if she could just pull Therek aside and insist he tell her everything he knew. But it wouldn’t be that simple. She just needed to be patient. They had an entire afternoon for her to plan their escape. Eventually an opening would present itself.
The house looked different in the daytime, lacking the number of carriages that had lined the road for the ball. Without the crowd, the size of the building came into perspective, shocking Kaori to realize that this land belonged to a single man. Although the house was more than adequate to entertain a court equal or greater in size to that of the Emperor’s himself, there were no nobles who called this place home other than the Duke. What a lonely existence he must lead; Kaori pondered. All that wealth and power and he had no one to share it with. No one to keep him company. The halls of a place that large must provide little solace at night when all of his false friends make their way to the door.
It was a servant who greeted them at the entrance, leading them into the foyer that had been filled from one wall to another the night before. In the light of day it was open and spacious, the chandeliers darkened, creating an eerie shadow over the painted faces of the portraits on the walls, their eyes seeming to follow Kaori’s every move.
She wished she could possess the same spring to her step as her brother. He was so optimistic about their visit while all she could think about was the sense of foreboding which hung over her since she watched their parents’ carriage pull away that morning. Her morbid thoughts made it difficult to appreciate the structural design of the house as the servant guided them down the wide elaborately decorated hallway. Pushing through a set of gilded doors he motioned them into a lush courtyard, taking his position at the door until they made their way outside. Once they were on the garden path the man disappeared back into the house, leaving Kaori and Sivar alone amidst the foliage.
Despite her morose frame of mind, she couldn’t help the awe she felt toward the landscape which surrounded them. It was perfectly tended, the walkway lined by meticulously trimmed hedges. Splashes of color could be seen from the various miniature gardens evenly spaced in front of the shrubbery, every flower opened wide, revealing their vibrant shades of pinks and reds and purples. It looked like heaven next to the gloomy corridors of the house.
Voices echoed on the faint breeze from somewhere in the gardens. It took only a moment to recognize the soft chime of Pehrona’s gentle tone, her bell-like laughter drawing Sivar forward like a magnet to the sound. So it was true. The Duchess was being entertained there today as well. With her around it would be next to impossible to catch Therek’s attention.
She lagged behind her brother, her desire to be there waning further than before. Her parents were on their way to Rothdara, possibly walking into a disaster that she’d caused, and yet here she was, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her face and the soft, sweet fragrance of the flowers wafting over her nostrils on the summer breeze. It didn’t seem fair. They should have all gone back to Rothdara. At least then she could have defended her actions when the General laid out the accusations for her parents. It was enough to drive her mad to think that they might hear of the incident from some warped point of view designed to make the soldiers into victims.
“Torust!” Sivar announced as they rounded the corner of the walkway, coming into view of a small archery range tucked within the gardens. Kaori’s head lifted, her interest piqued to hear that Liurn was also present for their masquerade. She might have been excited if the circumstances were anything other than they were.
The soft twang of a bowstring caused Kaori to jump, immediately aware of Therek’s muscular form poised a distance away from an archery target positioned along one of the hedge rows. His eyes never strayed from the arrow he fired, watching it cut through the air toward the bullseye, embedding itself with a solid thud at the center of the tiny circle. A flawless shot. One even she couldn’t help but admire. “Well done, Your Grace,” she complimented, catching Therek’s attention at her sudden approach. “I cannot say I have ever seen someone fire with such precision.”
His eyes moved past her, seeming to search the courtyard, the expression on his face stoic. Unchanged by her unusual attempt at civility toward him. Lowering the bow to his side he nodded, saying nothing.
Liurn cleared his throat to break the awkward silence, nodding to Kaori in agreement. “I would venture to say he is the best archer in all of Carpaen next to General Deliao. He has won the Emperor’s tournament for the last… fifteen years, is it?” he glanced over to Therek. At the lack of a response he continued, the smile on his lips faltering. “Perhaps it is sixteen. I am afraid I have lost track.”
“Lady Kaori… I thought your parents were joining us for the ride.”
She looked over to Therek, unsure of how to answer. If she told him the truth he might become overly curious and start asking questions which couldn’t be discussed in their present company. Their predicament required absolute discretion. “Business has detained them. My mother asked that I send you their apologies.”
“Is it possible they may be available to visit this evening?”
“It is not,” she stated calmly. “They left Siundel while Sivar and I prepared to make our way here. I am not sure when they will return.”
Therek’s gaze lowered to the ground. He looked puzzled. Confused by Kaori’s statements. It was obvious he could tell she was hiding something. Concealing a deeper truth within the superficial words she spoke. “That is unfortunate,” he frowned, thoughtfully tapping the tip of his bow with his index finger, contemplative of how to respond. After a moment he lifted his eyes with a definitive nod. “Well, we will have to make do without them, I suppose. For the moment, I promised Lord Tialore that I would show him a few tricks with the bow. I hope the ladies do not mind if we continue the lesson a bit longer?”
“I do not mind at all,” Pehrona replied politely, settling herself on a bench a few feet from the range. The soft apricot shade of her summer dress stood out against the grey and white swirled marble, her daintily gloved hands clasped lightly over her lap. She looked like a doll amongst the flowers and trees. Her posture was impeccable, the lace along her neckline almost blending with her porcelain-like skin. A wide-brimmed hat sat at an angle over her long brown hair, decorated by a ribbon around the base to match the color of her dress.
For a moment Kaori felt a sting of jealousy to see Pehrona. She was so beautiful. So perfect. Everything Kaori wanted to be. Instead, she stood there in her simple garments, unfocused, lacking every social grace required of a lady. Proper behavior wasn’t unknown to her. She simply found herself incapable of thinking before speaking or acting, leaving her outward appearance unrefined and brazen. But there was no sense dwelling on that now. She had other things to worry about than whether she made a good impression on society. “I rather enjoy watching archery,” she forced a smile, edging forward a few paces to stand at Sivar’s side. “On occasion I have been tempted to take up the art myself.”
“Do not be silly, Kaori,” Sivar chuckled nervously. “It really is not a sport for women.”
“Maybe not for the human ladies. I like to think our women are capable of more than the Emperor leads his men to believe.”
Tilting his head to one side, Sivar twisted his face out of view from the other men, a loud whisper sounding loudly in Kaori’s ear. “What are you doing? Mother told you to behave yourself. I don’t think your current conduct is what she had in mind.”
At Kaori’s bold statement Liurn nodded his head, raising his bow to her in approval. “Well said, Milady. I have long felt the same way. Come,” he motioned her forward. “I will let you take the next shot. There is no reason to leave the women out of the fun.”
She tried to hide her relief at Liurn’s willingness to accept her opinion. It worked to her benefit. If she could get close enough to Therek to let him know the direness of her situation he might be able to help think of a way for them to steal a moment alone together. “How gracious
of you, sir,” she cast him the most charming smile she could muster amidst her troubled thoughts. “Are you certain you do not mind?”
“Do not worry yourself on it. We have plenty of sunlight left in the day. There is no rush.”
“I do not think we have enough sunlight for my sister to learn all the basics she would need to know before firing an arrow,” Sivar argued, stepping forward in protest. Liurn held his hand out to him, stopping him from coming any closer. Kaori turned her head toward Sivar, frustrated by his lack of faith. He assumed she knew nothing of how to use a bow. And with good reason. She’d been careful not to come near any of the weapons kept within their home while anyone was there to see her.
“You might be surprised to discover that I know more than you think,” she stated matter-of-factly, boldly accepting Liurn’s bow from his outstretched hand. Carefully she inspected it, testing the tightness of the string, balancing the weight of it in her hand. She didn’t consider herself an expert with the weapon but she certainly was no beginner. On many occasions she’d sat hidden in the trees around their property, watching Sivar and his friends practice on the makeshift target set up on the grounds of their backyard. She knew everything there was to know about the weapon itself. The only thing she lacked was sufficient experience in how to put that knowledge to use.
Liurn chuckled, patting Sivar on the shoulder, sympathetic of his plight. “I understand your reservations, Levadis. Give the girl a chance. Lord Avishul is the best teacher she could have.”
Amused by Kaori’s behavior, Therek followed her with his eyes as she made her way to where he stood, her hand extended, beckoning him to retrieve an arrow for her to use. He did as she asked, setting the shaft in her hand with a respectful nod. Taking her place at the line, she lifted the bow in a confident gesture. She didn’t care what anyone thought of her in that moment. All that mattered was proving herself competent while gaining a brief second with Therek by her side, out of range for anyone else to hear what was said between them. Firmly she gripped the center of the bow, positioning the nock of the arrow against the string with a practiced hand. She could feel Therek watching her, his amusement growing at her obvious knowledge of the weapon.
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Four: In the Beginning Page 9
