“Of course not,” he snapped. Frustrated by her stubbornness, he leaned forward, shifting onto his knees, palms flattened against the leaves, squinting to look deeply into her eyes with barely contained vexation. “I did it in hopes of saving your life by preventing you from returning to Rothdara while the General performs his investigation. He cannot be allowed to learn your identity –”
“He already knows my identity. My being here changes nothing!”
Therek’s already pale complexion instantly became whiter, the lines on his face softening from their hardened glare to contort into a look of apprehension. “He… what?”
The visible unease in his eyes caused Kaori to release what remained of her anger, staring at him nervously. What could possibly make him look at her the way he did? “You are frightening me,” she breathed, unable to tear her eyes from his. “Am I in trouble? Is something going to happen to me?”
“I cannot give assurances on that. How does he know you?”
His inability to calm her quickly rising fear only added to the anxiety she felt. At that moment she didn’t care if he lied to her. All she wanted was to hear him tell her everything was going to be alright. “When we were leaving,” she shook her head to try and clear her thoughts. “He stopped our carriage not far from home. Something about looking for a criminal in the area. I… I assumed he was looking for you.”
“Why would you assume that?”
“Because he showed little interest in detaining me, and you were the only other person who could have been blamed for what happened. I had no way of knowing that you were… you.” She let out a long breath. Oh, how foolish she had been! But she couldn’t have known that her mystery savior was a man of Therek’s rank, although it made perfect sense. The reasons he lacked concern for his own well-being if the General became aware of what transpired. Therek was too powerful. The soldiers wouldn’t dare speak out against him.
Conscious of their surroundings, Therek let his eyes scan the area, listening intently for any sign that the others might be returning. Satisfied that their shouts remained distant he focused his gaze on Kaori once again. “So he knows who you are. This will certainly pose a problem. What did he say?”
Shifting her weight Kaori felt the sting flare up in her ankle, reminding her of the injury she was trying so hard to ignore. It made thinking difficult. The stress of the situation was hard enough without adding another distraction on top of it. “He said something about being unaware that my parents had another child other than Sivar. In truth, he was a perfect gentleman. When my mother told him that I was not of age to be in his presence…”
“Your parents did not have you complete the rites before you came to Avishul?”
“There was no time.”
“I arranged for the invitation to be received by your parents a week before any others were sent.”
“My father spent that time trying to convince my mother to let me come,” she sighed. “The poor woman was in fits when they finally told me about your request for my attendance. In the end, my father had to tell her she no longer had a say in the matter. He was – insistent – that I be at the ball.”
“Yes, that was my hope. I regret that I used such a ploy, but it was necessary if I was going to have you gone from Rothdara before the General arrived. Somehow I expected your parents would see your completion of the ritual and arrive in Siundel to visit your uncle sooner than it seems they did.” The expression on his face twisted in confusion. Cocking his head to one side he stared at Kaori, as if looking at her would provide the answers to the questions so obvious in his eyes. “Do you mean to tell me that you attended the ball – and are here now – without fulfillment of the rites? Why have they not come to chaperone you? If anyone were to find out…”
“They had no choice than to leave me in Sivar’s care. A letter came this morning which summoned them to Rothdara. I tried to convince my mother to linger in Siundel but she argued that they had to leave.”
Thoughtfully, Therek ran his fingers through his hair, the troubled expression on his face deepening. “Summoned, you say?”
“By the General,” Kaori nodded, hearing a slight tremble to the words as she spoke, her earlier fear returning. “That is why I desired to speak with you. Your warning at the ball led me to believe there was more to what you heard about the General’s investigation than what you let on. I am concerned about what the General intends to tell them when they arrive home.”
Muscles tensed, Therek started to stand, seeming to suddenly remember their need for secrecy as he settled himself back down in the leaves. He was worried. Kaori could read it in every line of his elegant features, his brow furrowed with concentration. “We cannot let them get that far,” he stated plainly. Kaori didn’t require further explanation. He spoke exactly what she’d been thinking since the moment she watched her parents leave that morning.
But what could they do? Kaori couldn’t go chasing after them. Her parents wouldn’t listen, no matter how insistent she was that they return. “I cannot prevent them from meeting with the General. Even if I found a way to send word, they would pay little attention to my protests.”
“I agree, which is why I must send a courier to intercept their journey. They cannot be far.”
Her mouth opened to speak, the words never forming on her lips. His eagerness to help was unnerving. He didn’t stand to gain anything… unless there was a price attached to his aid. Some token he required. But what? She had nothing to offer. Unable to hold back the question she drew in a deep breath, anxious, afraid of how he would react. At this point she was simply beyond caring. “Why are you so willing to help me?”
His expression softened, though it retained some of the hardness Kaori had become accustomed to seeing there. As if perpetually displeased. The way he looked now was almost pleasant. Sympathetic. “You must understand that my deeds are not entirely done for your benefit.” He let his voice trail off, listening, assuring himself that they were still alone before continuing. “I have known your parents since I was a child. Long before you or your brother were born. Your father remained a dear friend of mine through a great deal of strife and I view this as an opportunity to repay the kindness he bestowed upon me.”
She couldn’t argue. It was a logical reason, though astonishing that he persevered in his attempts at kindness despite the coldness he received from Kaori since the moment they met. She might have been compelled to apologize for the way she’d treated him but there were more important things to focus on. Her parents were in danger. Kaori just didn’t understand why.
Relaxing her posture she scanned Therek’s face for some sign of what he was thinking. Sadness remained evident, hidden deep in the depths of his eyes. There was something he wasn’t telling her. An explanation for what was happening. He knew more than he wanted to admit. Enough to trouble him even now, after the decision had already been made to call her parents back to Siundel. “What will happen if your courier does not reach them?” she asked suddenly, the question tumbling from her mouth before she had time to consider whether it was in her best interest to ask. Maybe she shouldn’t know. There had to be a reason Therek kept it to himself.
His melancholy gaze told her the truth. The fear he felt was more than he wanted to let on. Whatever the General’s reason was for summoning her parents, it was bad. Disconcerting enough to make a man of Therek’s usual calm appear uneasy. “We do not have much time. The others will find us…”
“Then let them find us!” she said through gritted teeth, grabbing onto Therek’s doublet to pull him back down as he started to rise. His eyes opened wide in disbelief. The movement was too sudden, catching him off his guard as he dropped onto the leaves with an uncharacteristic lack of grace, bracing himself with his palms. Horrified by what she’d done, Kaori retracted her hand. She feared what Therek would do. Such treatment coupled by all of her other mistakes from the past would surely destroy his opinion of her. She could only hope his loyalty to her parents wo
uld be enough to convince him to send the courier despite her follies.
She was miserable. Her parents were in danger and the one man who held the knowledge she required chose to withhold the information. Did he think her a simpleton? Did he doubt her ability to understand what was going on? She may be considered a child by standards of society but she was long past the age of adulthood. His silence did more harm than good.
Therek sat there, kneeling on the ground where he’d fallen, staring down at the leaves scattered around them. There was no sign of anger. Only a deep sense of concern, struggling with his own mind over the situation Kaori had managed to drag him into. It was his own fault. She’d given him a chance to walk away the night of the assault. He made the decision to involve himself again by inviting her to his silly ball. “Alright.” His voice was calm. Quiet. “I am not one to play games, so let me put this in a way that leaves nothing to your imagination. The General intended to arrest you for the crime of assaulting his guards but discovered you to be under the protection of the Vor’shai practices. You are considered a child among our people therefore you cannot be held accountable for your deeds. However – your parents are liable for the actions of their children. If the General cannot arrest you, he will arrest your parents. They will be tried, sentenced, and suffer the punishment in your stead.”
Kaori gasped in disbelief, her hand rising to cover her mouth, terrified by what Therek proposed. They would be arrested? But they hadn’t done anything wrong! “You must be mistaken,” she breathed, desperate to find some flaw in Therek’s statement. “My parents cannot be blamed for my actions. They were not present, nor do they have any knowledge of what occurred.”
“The legal system cares little about knowledge. Justice must be served and your parents will be held accountable.”
“Surely the punishment cannot be as harsh under these circumstances.”
“It will be no different than if you were the one on trial.” The lack of emotion in Therek’s words was disturbing. As if he was somehow detached from the severity. “At best your parents will receive a length of imprisonment. Since you seem to prefer a more straightforward approach, I will not try to conceal the truth. For the crime in question, your parents are more likely to face execution – which makes it that much more important for me to send the courier immediately.”
Execution. She didn’t like the word. Over the years she’d heard her family discuss the names of criminals sentenced to such a punishment. Murderers. Thieves. Her parents were none of those things. They didn’t deserve that kind of treatment. Kaori clung to the hope that their reputation might somehow lessen the cruelty of their sentence. “What will we do when they return to Siundel?” she asked, timid. Her confidence failing. She was afraid. Everything was spinning out of control so quickly and she was powerless to stop it. Her parents’ safety now rested solely on Therek’s shoulders. “Obstructing their meeting with the General will only prolong the inevitable. A search will be conducted to locate their whereabouts. How can we protect them?”
“They must leave Carpaen. As long as they are within the borders of this country, they will never be safe. I can arrange a place for them to stay in Mialan for a time…” She didn’t think it was possible for his somber expression to harden any more than it already was. Still, he managed to accomplish it, the glow of his eyes dimming dramatically in solemn contemplation. “It would be in your best interest to join them. If they disappear, I cannot guarantee the General will not argue his way around the protection of the Vor’shai customs and take you into custody.”
“So we are to run like criminals? Our reputation tarnished… all because I defended myself against those pathetic excuses for soldiers?”
“Welcome to society.”
“Society is a wretched joke.”
“I will not argue the truth in that, however, it changes nothing. I am merely curious as to why the soldiers waited until now to bring the matter to the attention of the General. My fear is that there is something more to this than enforcement of a simple law.”
“You think the soldiers stand to gain something?”
“If you think society is corrupt, Milady, let us hope you never have need to delve into politics. The Emperor’s Court is even more debauched. There could be any number of reasons why this would come forward, none of which are to the benefit of the people or the General’s so-called justice. But now is not the time to dwell on it. Let me help you back to the stables to wait for the others while I excuse myself to prepare the letter for your parents. It must be sent before they get much further.”
Yes. They needed to get back to the others. The longer they stayed hidden behind these shrubs, the further toward Rothdara her parents would get. Inhaling deeply she moved to stand, a sharp burning sensation reminding her suddenly of the injury to her ankle. She didn’t want Therek to know about it. They’d wasted enough time already. If he thought her wounded, it would slow his progress in getting inside to compose a letter for the courier. He was too much of a gentleman. He would insist on staying by her and she couldn’t let him do that. “You go ahead,” she argued, waving him toward the path. “I can find my own way to the stables. It is not that far.”
“It would look suspicious if the others found you without me.”
“How? They have been out looking for me without success. It is perfectly plausible that you never found me as well.”
“I am not leaving you in the middle of the woods.” Taking her hand, Therek started to pull, Kaori’s resistance preventing him from lifting her. He tried again, staring down at her in confusion of her strange behavior. By now, she failed to understand why he didn’t expect it of her. “Come, Milady. You waste precious minutes.”
At her continued struggle Therek reached down to take her by the waist, picking her up easily from the ground as if she weighed no more than a feather, forcing her to stand on her own. A grimace passed over her features to feel her feet planted on the grass, exacerbating the pain she already experienced. It took every ounce of willpower to keep from crying out, her breath coming in short, labored bursts. Releasing his hold Therek started to walk away, his eyes trailing down to the ground, staring at something amidst the soil, his body halted mid-step. Kaori followed his line of sight, cursing silently to discover the stain of blood where her ankle had been.
In a swift motion he was at her side, his watchful, scrutinizing gaze looking her over, searching for a wound that might have left the telltale blood. “You are hurt,” he murmured, leaning forward, his fingers absently reaching for Kaori’s skirt. She slapped his hand away, feigning anger at the boorishness of such a gesture. In truth, she couldn’t bring herself to be mad at him. Her frustration lay solely in having let him become aware of her discomfort.
“What do you think you are doing?” she exhaled, breathless. She had every right to be angry with him. It was uncouth for Therek to think he could look at her legs without acquiring permission. He may be the Duke, but that didn’t give him any liberties with her body.
“I apologize. I should not have been so bold. It is just… you are bleeding. Why did you not tell me you were injured?”
“Because it is nothing.”
“Nothing?” Therek glanced over to the bloodstained leaves, shaking his head in disagreement. “I will not accept that it is nothing. Please. May I take a look?”
She didn’t want to show him. Not because she feared what he would say or do, but because she was afraid to see the extent of the injury herself. It hurt to stand. Since rising to her feet, the pressure around the area had intensified. Pain came in constant waves, nearly causing her to faint from its severity. Under any other circumstances she might have argued further to keep him away. Instead, she slowly backed down, her fingers gathering the folds of fabric into her hands to move the skirt away, only enough to reveal her slippered feet underneath.
Reflexive, she turned her gaze skyward, not wanting to see the wound. As the material lifted she could hear a sharp intake of breath
from Therek, watching through her peripheral vision as he knelt at her feet. “Sweet Sarid,” he whispered, the warmth of his touch distracting Kaori from her attempts to look away, staring down at him, afraid of what he saw.
“What is it?” she questioned, fighting the growing urge to lift her skirts higher to grant a better view. Don’t look. It is best if you don’t look…
In a fluid motion he rose, sweeping Kaori into his arms to remove the pressure of her weight from the ankle. “You need a doctor,” he replied simply. “I will carry you back to the house. A physician can be summoned while I handle our… other business.”
“But what about the others? They are still looking for us.”
“I will send one of the stable hands to find them,” he assured, his long legs carrying them out to the path with incredible speed. Afraid of falling, Kaori clutched at the fabric of his doublet, leaning in close to his chest. She didn’t care if anyone saw them. There were more important things than propriety at that moment. Whatever injury she sustained paled in comparison to the danger her family faced. The sooner Therek reached the house, the sooner his courier could be sent to retrieve her parents and save them from the horrible fate she’d brought upon them.
Kaori stared up at the ceiling, watching the candlelight flicker in a chaotic dance across the surface. It was hypnotic. Relaxing. A distraction from reality. From where she lay, she couldn’t focus on the dull throb which remained in her ankle, cleaned and bandaged under the doctor’s expert hands. A towel on the nightstand next to the bed held the culprit of her injury, a thin, bloodied branch which had embedded itself into her ankle. Although shallow, it was enough to leave an unsightly gash and destroy her stockings; not to mention ruin the rest of her afternoon.
Sivar stayed by her side throughout the suture process, holding her hand to provide support. She found the display humorous. The stitches stung but not nearly to the extent of the initial injury. Men were so quick to assume a woman couldn’t handle the pain of such a simple procedure. Still, it worked to her advantage. Exaggerating the pain granted her an excuse to avoid the questions her brother asked in regards to the incident. Sivar was smart. He would know instantly if she was lying, especially if he expected deception.
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Four: In the Beginning Page 11
