The Broken Kingdom

by Sarah Chapman

  ‘Definitely.’ Riley agreed, still keeping her eyes on the ground.

  Pleased, he continued. ‘I see the Ehlkrid King has treated you poorly. My people shall prepare you, my wife cannot be dressed like a peasant.’

  Riley sighed weakly.

  ‘My pot!’ Andalla called.

  Out of the close crowd of Andallites four walked forward. Between them they held a large golden cauldron. Inside liquid the colour of molten gold roiled and swirled.

  They placed it on the ground in front of him.

  Andalla stuck his hand into the pot. His expression was intent. And then he pulled out his hand. In it he was now holding what looked like a very fluffy dress. He tossed it to one of the Andallites. Then he pulled something else from the pot. It was a golden, jewelled crown.

  Riley was starting to feel faint.

  More things were pulled out of the pot, and then Andalla ordered his people to take it away.

  His attention back on Riley, he said, ‘clothes, befitting my wife! My people will fix you,’ he waved his hand at her, up and down. ‘You may present yourself to me when you are not so ugly.’ Andalla turned then and flew off towards the palace.

  Riley looked around at the Andallites, who were coming closer. As before, she noted they were all men and eerily silent.

  ‘Hello.’ Riley began gamely. ‘My name’s Riley. Do you have names?’

  They didn’t reply. Instead they prodded and poked her and somehow she found herself in a large bathroom. The room was pale and colourless, everything was the colour of clouds. The floors were tiled in tiles the colour of clouds. The walls were also the colour of clouds. The outline of a large, glass paned window was barely visible. Also cloud coloured. Outside the window, it was difficult to distinguish anything. It was all too cloud coloured. The only colour came from the Andallites, with their golden skin and leaf shaped wings. They were completely silent as she looked around. They observed her with unblinking, golden eyes.

  But suddenly, all at once, they started trying to remove her clothes.

  ‘Stop!’ Riley ordered, swatting hands away. ‘I can wash myself!’

  They paused, but said nothing.

  ‘Leave. I can wash and dress myself. Now go.’

  As one, they turned their backs on her. But they did not leave.

  Riley looked around. Was this the best she was going to get?

  Making a sound of annoyance, Riley undressed and hopped into the tub. They left her alone as she bathed, but as she stepped out of the tub and began drying herself on a cloudy towel one of the Andallites turned around. He took a hold of her and started trying to wash her hair, which she had already done.

  ‘Stop that!’ She spun and punched him in the face. Startled, he fell back.

  ‘Can you talk?’ Riley demanded, a towel wrapped tightly around her.

  Another turned around now. ‘Andalla wants you clean.’ he said in a toneless voice.

  ‘I am clean. I just cleaned myself.’

  ‘Andalla wants you to look like a princess.’

  ‘And what does that mean?’

  ‘Dress. Crown. Shoes. Hair. Face. Hands.’

  ‘Excuse me?’

  ‘Fix your hair, polish your nails, paint your face, wear a dress, put on a crown, don some shoes.’

  ‘And all this is necessary?’

  ‘Andalla wants you to look like a princess.’

  Riley paused. Andalla was not going to react any better than the Ehlkrid King to a perceived slight.

  ‘Fine.’ she choked. ‘You can help me do all those… things. But you’re not touching my hair.’

  ‘Andalla wants you to look like a princess.’

  Riley frowned. ’Valkar don’t ‘fix’ their hair.’

  ‘Andalla wants you to look like a princess.’

  Her frown deepened. ‘You can do all the rest.’ and then her voice hardened. ‘But keep your hands off my hair.’

  They were silent. And then, as if they had agreed amongst themselves to her demand, they all advanced on her at once.

  ‘Stop, stop!’ Riley slapped them away again. ‘Calm down!’ she snarled. ‘Or I’ll do it myself!’

  The very idea of that scared them, and when they came at her again they were noticeably less violent.

  Dressed in an ugly dress, hideous, high shoes, a heavy crown and so much make-up she felt like she was wearing a mask, Riley was led down a flight of stairs and into the main hall of the palace. This was not to mention the necklaces and bracelets and rings piled on her. They at least, had some colour. On top of that, a dense cloud of perfume had settled around her, thanks to the Andallites. Riley found it rather overpowering, at best.

  Aside from the crown and jewels, everything she wore was pale and cloud coloured. The dress was big and boofy with lots of layers, lace and puffy sleeves. Her nails had been rather brutally attacked by the Andallites. Trimmed and chopped and painted, Riley was surprised they were still attached to her hands.

  A great table was set up in the hall on a dais. It looked out over more tables. Banners and windows decorated the hall. The tables were covered with silverware and flowers (cloud coloured, of course), and food. The food at least wasn’t cloud coloured, it more or less looked like normal food.

  Andalla was sitting in a high throne in the middle of the high table. Riley was brought on a circuitous route around the other tables so she could be presented to him.

  ‘Hmm…’ Andalla mused as she bowed before him. ‘I don’t remember you being quite so ugly. Even the most beautiful jewels and clothes in all the world cannot improve you.’

  Riley struggled to remain silent.

  ‘And why is your hair all horrible and wild?’ he demanded, sudden anger animating him.

  ‘It is the way valkar wear their hair.’ Riley replied calmly.

  ‘Ah,’ he settled down. A smile spread across his face. ‘And you are a valkar. Perhaps it is not your fault I find you so ugly.’ he began magnanimously, ‘I spend so much time with myself and my people, and I am perfection. Perhaps I expect too much from you.’

  Riley said nothing.

  ‘Come! You may dine with me! Perhaps the food will improve your appearance.’

  The Andallites led her up the dais and to the table. She was placed in a chair next to Andalla.

  Andalla chatted away at her as the Andallites served them. A whirlwind of food that seemed to go for hours was directed at Andalla, and she was expected to eat the scraps from his plate. She found she was not hungry. When she did eat she found the food oddly tasteless and textureless. When it was time to go she was very relieved.

  She was led to a suite of rooms a short walk away from Andalla’s. Andalla bid her goodnight before gliding off to his rooms.

  The room was the same as the rest of the palace. Cloudy.

  At least she was allowed to wash the paint from her face and get out of the ghastly dress and jewels.

  Her clothes had been saved at her insistence; the Andallites had wanted to throw them out. Gratefully, she got back into her normal clothes, which had been thoroughly washed.

  Though the bed was large and soft, she had trouble getting to sleep. At least, she had been too exhausted of late to dream.

  At least there was no night in this place.

  The next day Andalla insisted on spending more time with her than the Ehlkrid King had. He showed her around the garden and the palace. But he soon grew bored with her and commanded his Andallites to finish the tour. He glided off to do who knew what.

  Riley, dressed as terribly as last night, glanced around at the advancing Andallites.

  ‘I wish to talk with you.’ Riley said firmly.

  They gathered closely around her. So close and so eerily similar, Riley found it very uncomfortable. She struggled and pushed them away, forced them to give her some space.

  ‘Please, don’t stand so close.’ she insisted. ‘Do any of you have names?’

  One answered. ‘We are the Andallites.’

  ‘S
o you have no names?’

  ‘We are the Andallites.’

  Riley suppressed a sigh and pressed forward. At least, when Andalla wasn’t around the names didn’t do anything to her. ‘I was told you and the ehlkrid used to be the same. Is this true?’

  There was some nodding.

  ‘Can you tell me what happened?’ she insisted.

  ‘We are what Andalla wishes us to be.’

  Riley tried a different tactic and began, ‘Andalla has told me he will come to my world and kill the ehlkrid. In the process, many of the people of my world will die. Is there any way I can stop that?’

  There was silence among the Andallites.

  Then from the crowd, ‘we must do as Andalla wishes.’

  Like the ehlkrid. Riley thought. ‘And if Andalla were gone, what would you do?’

  They were astonished by the very thought.

  ‘Do you know any way I can kill the Ehlkrid King or Andalla?’ she asked, surprising them even more.

  Silence stretched out, the only sound was of breathing.

  ‘Fine. Do you know any way I can leave?’

  ‘Andalla wants a valkar wife. You are a valkar.’

  ‘Could you help me leave?’

  ‘We must do as Andalla wishes.’

  Riley pushed past them to a low cloudy bench. She looked around, irritated. ‘What’s wrong with this place?’ She asked in frustration.

  ‘Andalla made it.’

  ‘Is this the best he could do? He couldn’t make food with taste?’

  There was a shaking of heads. ‘Andalla is thoughtless.’

  ‘Hm. And how did I get to the bathroom the other day? You moved me.’

  ‘This is how it is supposed to be. His kingdom is of cloud, in myth it changes. He has given us some power to change it.’

  Riley frowned. Little of this information was of interest to her, but collecting information was all she could do at this point. ‘What was that pot?’

  ‘It is Andalla’s pot. One of the human Gods he took the form of had a pot. So he made a pot.’

  ‘What can it do?’

  ‘It makes whatever you wish, if it is in Andalla’s power to make. It is made with his power.’

  Suddenly Riley became thoughtful. ‘Can anyone use it?’

  ‘If he allows it.’

  And then one added, ‘what you imagine in your mind is what it makes. The clearer the image, the better the item.’

  Riley looked quickly into the crowd. That was the first sign of initiative she had seen from these creatures. But she could not tell them apart. She did not know who had spoken. But perhaps who did not matter, only that one had.

  Barely a few days had passed before the Ehlkrid King appeared in the golden skies.

  He swooped down and scooped her up. As helpless as ever, Riley resisted the urge to fight. She didn’t want to end up drowning again.

  He smiled that devious smile at her as he flew towards his own kingdom. The sky changed to blue. To see a colour other than gold was immensely refreshing to Riley. But all too soon it was gone, turning into an ugly red.

  ‘Pleased to see me?’ The King asked. ‘I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist you take your clothes off.’

  ‘As long as there’s something else I can wear, I would be happy too.’ Riley replied. She wore an ugly dress and crown. Her own clothes were in Andalla’s palace somewhere.

  ‘Certainly. I wouldn’t want you to get cold.’

  Riley fell silent. The ocean and cave appeared below.

  ‘But tell me, who would you prefer, myself or Andalla?’

  Riley didn’t respond.

  ‘Well?’ he prodded.

  ‘I can’t decide.’ she responded.

  His laughter rang out over the barren, empty world.

  A few days later, she was back with Andalla.

  Chapter 25

  Every day they waited for Adila to arrive was like torture.

  They called her every day, many times. But the Sunsinger was as slow as ever.

  Vann couldn’t understand everything the gemengs said to each other, but he could tell they were uneasy. At night they huddled close together, taking watches in groups of three or more. During the day they never went anywhere alone, and hurried back to the group as quickly as possible.

  Vann was surprised at the change that came over Karesh after Riley’s kidnapping. Frequently, the gemengs had what looked like discussions about what to do. From their tone, Vann thought they were afraid. He didn’t blame them. They had Adila’s knife, but still the ehlkrid approached, watching from a distance. What would happen if they decided to attack, now that Riley was gone?

  Vann didn’t know what Karesh said to the gemengs, but he spoke calmly and firmly, his stance confident.

  ‘What’s going on?’ Vann asked, the third day after Riley was taken. He spoke in Astarian, and then repeated himself in Plains speech.

  ‘They are not happy,’ Karesh managed to say, switching between Astarian and Plains speech. ‘The Master was defeated… never before… they are not happy. They’re afraid.’

  ‘I’m not happy either.’

  Karesh shook his head and frowned. ‘The Master cannot be defeated. Difficult. It is good though that they still fear the ehlkrid… even if Master has shown… weakness… they want her back to protect them from the ehlkrid.’

  It took a long time for Vann to understand this much, with much back and forth in both languages. He felt like he was missing something, but the effort to communicate was exhausting him.

  ‘You seem to be able to reassure them.’

  Karesh nodded curtly. ‘Master’s way. We prepare for ehlkrid attack. We must stay together, only together can we beat them. I need to keep the tribe together.’

  At this, Vann felt a hint of Karesh’s struggle, which was mostly hidden from him by the language barrier.

  ‘Well,’ he said cautiously, ‘you’re doing a good job so far.’

  ‘They are afraid. If I don’t show fear, if I am confident while they are afraid, they will follow.’ And then a surprised looked dawned on his face. ‘Strange for people to follow me.’

  ‘You make it look easy.’

  Karesh’s wings fluttered. Vann glanced at them, then back at Karesh’s face. He’d developed the habit of keeping an eye on Karesh’s wings when they spoke. Their twitches and movements often revealed Karesh’s feelings even when his face didn’t.

  ‘I am…’ he shook his head. ‘I am not happy either…’

  And Vann wondered if he might have been about to say he was afraid.

  ‘I have to keep them together, for Master.’ Karesh’s big dark eyes moved to Vann’s. ‘You approve of my methods?’

  Frowning slightly, Vann nodded. ‘Yeah. I’ve got no… no complaints about that.’ And he forced a smile, wondering when Adila would arrive.

  Adila arrived a little over a week after Riley’s kidnapping. As soon as he saw her, Vann jumped to his feet.

  The gemengs followed as he approached her.

  ‘What is it?’ she asked. ‘You call me so often.’

  ‘Adila, there needs to be a way to contact you quicker.’ Vann responded. Adila shone like the sun, but his worry dampened and killed any attraction he might have felt.

  Her eyebrows rose. ‘I came very quickly.’

  Vann bit back a sigh. ‘A man flew out of the sky and kidnapped Riley. We don’t know where she is or if she’s alright.’

  Adila fell still. Then, ‘what did he look like?’

  ‘I didn’t get a good look at him.’ Vann turned to Karesh, who came forward.

  ‘Dark and… everything fit together well.’ he said in his way, ‘He was very powerful. The Master fought, but he didn’t even notice.’

  ‘It is the Ehlkrid King.’ Adila closed her eyes for a moment. ‘I will speak to him, but there may not be anything I can do.’

  Vann suddenly became very calm. ‘Do what you can.’ he said in a firm tone. ‘If you need anything from us, let us
know.’

  Adila nodded. ‘I will. And… I’m sorry.’

  Adila entered Andalla’s palace, escorted by his golden servants. The King had directed her here with his usual laugh. He seemed to think the whole thing was one big joke, which to him, it was.

  Andalla sat on a throne behind a richly decorated table. At his side sat a woman.

  Adila stared, suddenly going pale. Dressed in an ugly white dress, jewels and a heavy crown, it took Adila a moment to recognize Riley. The only thing recognizable about her was her hair. Brilliantly black and wild, with hidden life sometimes shining through. But her skin was all wrong, heavily white and dead. To Adila, Riley looked as though she was dying. But why were her lips so red?

  ‘Andalla.’ Adila greeted him. ‘Thank you for allowing me into your Kingdom.’

  Andalla frowned down at her from his throne. ‘What do you want?’ he demanded.

  Adila gestured towards Riley. She was utterly still, but her eyes were intent on Adila. Adila wondered then, seeing life and anger raging in her eyes. Why was it her face looked so very wrong? And then it came to her in a flash and she relaxed. She was wearing makeup! She was not dying, the life and otherness from her valkar blood was just hidden beneath all that paint!

  ‘You have this woman here. I have been asked to return her to her world.’

  ‘She is my wife. She likes it here.’ Andalla said, almost sulkily as he crossed his arms over is chest. ‘Don’t you?’ he turned his head to Riley then.

  Riley glanced at him. ‘Yes. This is a wonderful place. So… so magnificent. I am… very happy here.’

  Andalla smiled and leant back in his chair. ‘See?’

  Now that Andalla’s eyes were off her Riley was mouthing silently at Adila, ‘help me.’

  Adila paused. ‘Yes, I see that. Is there something I can offer you in exchange for her?’

  ‘Why?’ suspicion clouded his eyes. ‘She is happy here, why would you want to take her away?’

  ‘Because she is not worthy of you.’ Adila said sorrowfully. ‘And it pains me to see someone as glorious as you with someone as unworthy as her.’