by M. R. Forbes
Olms looked past Fehri to where she was sitting. His eyes softened, as though he was looking on his own child. "As the Overlord commands, it will be done," he said. He bowed deeper and longer for her than he did for Fehri. "Welcome to Varrow City, my Lady. I'm honored to serve you."
"Thank you, Sergeant," Eryn said, hoping her voice didn't sound as shaky as it felt.
Olms turned back to the gatehouse. "Well, what are you waiting for? Open the gate."
He smiled as the gates moved aside, and Fehri brought them into the city.
It was the same place she had been only a few weeks past, and yet it looked completely different from astride the stallion. She saw the tiredness in the eyes of the commoners who took to the streets, headed from one place to another. She saw the defeat in the merchants who hawked cheap goods or pushed heavy carts in search of a coin or two. She felt the superiority of the nobles. The two they crossed paths with on their way to the palace bowed and curtsied to them as they passed, but otherwise looked down on the rest of the populace, though they weren't riding a horse.
The one thing she noticed in all of the people they rode past was a look of awe, even in those who weren't able to contain the jealousy they were clearly feeling. Not every awestruck eye was wide. More than enough narrowed in anger or frustration. It only made her feel like more of a fraud.
All of this for me? Who am I, really? Talon's Cursed girl. There is nothing that makes me more special than any other Cursed, except who I know.
She knew that wasn't completely true. She was here because she had fought back. She had survived. The soldiers, the juggernauts of Genesia, the Shifters. She had survived.
Even so, she wanted nothing more than to break free of Fehri and Trock, and lead her horse at a gallop to Waverly's. She knew she would find a warm hug from both Urla and Patina waiting there.
The palace gates were already open when they reached them. The guards at either side bowed their heads in respect both to her and to their Captain, and the jailers made their way out into the courtyard to see what their Commander had brought back. Soldiers walked in formation in the distance, and a scattering of administrators and nobles paused from wherever they were going, to give her a look before continuing their business.
Fehri slid off his horse, the reigns taken immediately by a slight boy in black cloth, who bowed his head to the Captain and didn't raise it until Fehri put a hand on his shoulder.
"Kivan, this is the Lady Valerie. She's a very important person, and I want you to look after her. Can you do that?"
The boy looked from Fehri to Eryn and nodded, his face turning red.
"Might I take your horse, Lady Valerie?" he asked. His words came out slow and strained, but he smiled when he was done, pleased that he had gotten them out.
Eryn was happy to dismount, the sidesaddle style more trouble than it was worth. "Of course you may. Kivan, is it?"
"Yes, my Lady." He took the reigns from her, and then moved on to Trock.
"I'll take you into the palace to meet her," Fehri said, coming up next to her, keeping his voice quiet.
Eryn nodded and approached Trock. "Commander, it was a pleasure to meet you, and to ride with you." The journey from Ember had been made easier by the man's love of telling stories, many of which he was initially reluctant to tell out of fear of soiling her young ears. She had pressed him to continue with them, and they had shared plenty of laughter as a result. At the same time, she knew by his eyes that there were more stories there, stories that he wouldn't tell. Fehri had told her that Trock served under Talon many years ago. She could imagine what those stories might contain.
"The pleasure was mine," Trock said, taking her gloved hand and bringing it to his lips. "If you're ever in the mood for some more of my particular brand of entertainment, you know where to find me."
Eryn laughed and put her hand on his cheek for just a moment. Then she turned back to Fehri and held out her arm. "Captain, I'm all yours."
Fehri crooked his arm. She took it exactly the way Trock had taught her. It had been a quick lesson in the etiquette of the wealthy and privileged, but she was a fine actress, and learned and adjusted to the differences of being without difficulty.
"Is there anything important I should know before we get there?" Eryn asked.
"The camp," Fehri whispered in reply.
She couldn't help but see the labor camp set up outside the city walls. People were being held there for petty crimes, or perhaps for no crime at all, waiting to be sent back to the Washfall mines as soon as possible. She had looked past the makeshift fences to where the prisoners gathered together in stained clothes, their faces devoid of hope. She knew then the falseness of their victory at the mines, as temporary as the rebellion's victory in Elling. It had taken all of her will to stay in character, seated and calm.
Especially when she had seen Patmos.
Fehri's mention of it now threatened her composure.
"His orders," Fehri said. "She didn't deny them then because she didn't know the truth. She can't deny them now because it will reveal her true motives."
"That's supposed to make it better? She sent the people we freed to the ore mines. When they escaped, she rounded up more innocents to replace them. And now what? They suffer so that she can protect me?"
"She is on your side. The army is not. Most of it, at least. The rebellion would be short lived."
"She could destroy this entire city if she wished it."
"Do you wish it?"
Eryn sighed. "Of course not."
"I understand your anger. I feel it myself. Changing the way isn't easy, and it is rarely immediate. Amman touches me, so that I may touch others, one at a time if need be. It is the same for you, and for the Overlord. Try to remember that."
She bit her lower lip, holding back any further complaint. Was Talon innocent? Was she? Did it matter how recent the change of heart was, or that it changed in the first place? She had forgiven Talon for his past. Could she do the same for the Overlord? "I'll try."
They entered the palace through a pair large doors that led into a small antechamber. It was a waiting area for the main assembly room, where the Overlord would preside over the affairs of the province, receiving reports from her numerous administrators. At any given time there could be anywhere from two to fifty such nobles waiting for their turn to deliver information, along with various interests from the towns inside of the province looking to make requests of the Overlord and the Empire.
As they entered the antechamber, Eryn could hear the voices from behind the heavy door that separated them from the assembly room. Two men were shouting at each other about troop levels and the recent rise in the number of children being Cursed.
"Name and position. Are you here to report, or request?"
An old woman was sitting behind a desk, a thick ledger lying open in front of her, a quill to her right. The ledger was filled with lines of names, only half of which were crossed off. She picked up the quill, ready to take down their information. She had to be one of the oldest people Eryn had ever seen, with wrinkles covering every bit of exposed skin, a thin patch of white hair on her head, and hands that shook every time she tried to move them.
"Reema, it's me. Captain Fehri."
Reema squinted her eyes, and then smiled. "Ah, Captain. My apologies. I didn't recognize you with a beautiful girl on your arm."
"This is the Lady Valerie. Overlord Prezi should have mentioned her to you?"
Reema pushed herself slowly to a stand, taking hold of a cane that was resting against the desk. She balanced herself on it, taking two more slow steps towards them. Eryn met her halfway.
"A pleasure, my Lady." Reema took her hand and held it with both of hers. They were small and frail. "Caela has been excited for your arrival. I'll let her know you're here." She reached up to Eryn's ear, and when her hand came away, she had a disc in it. Eryn couldn't help but smile at the trick. "There now. She told me, four taps for the Lady. Or was it three?"
"I'll take you around to Caela's private offices. She'll greet you there."
CHAPTER THIRTY
Eryn
She led them into a small, quiet room, around from the assembly hall and towards the center of the palace. It was a dark place, windowless, with only the one door. It was decorated in tapestries and paintings, and ornate candle holders balanced on stacks of books or scattered along the floor. There was a desk buried there somewhere, a soft, well-padded seat behind it. Another similar chair sat in the corner. There was a pile of books next to them, and it was obvious the chairs had been recently cleared in anticipation of her arrival.
"The Overlord will be right in," Reema said, closing the door behind her when she left.
"Who is she?" Eryn asked. The matronly old woman seemed so out of place in the palace.
"The Overlord's sister," Fehri said, removing her pack from his shoulder and placing it on one of the few bare spaces on the floor. "It isn't common knowledge, so don't tell anyone. You know the Overlords don't age like normal people do?"
"Because of the Curse."
Fehri nodded. "I didn't know that before meeting Talon."
"He lets the Overlord keep her sister in the palace?"
"I don't think he knows."
It was incredible to Eryn to hear that an Overlord was doing anything behind his back, even something as small as staying close to family. Reema had to know she was Cursed, then. She'd managed to keep the secret all of these years.
"Do you think we'll have long to-"
Eryn didn't even have time to finish her question. The door swung open, and Overlord Prezi entered.
She wasn't sure what to expect. She had no idea what to say. The woman in front of her was beautiful, resplendent in a dark green dress whose style matched the one Eryn herself was wearing, though her adult figure certainly filled it out better. She was also confident, standing with a posture and set to her face that made Eryn have to catch herself before she curtsied to the woman. They weren't allies. Not officially. Not yet.
The Overlord motioned with her finger, and Fehri bowed to them both and left the room, closing the door behind him. Eryn felt her heart lurch at being left alone with the woman. She was certain the Overlord could overpower her with her magic before she could even react.
I hope Talon was right.
They stood facing one another, leaving the silence hanging thick in the air. Each appraised the other, as though an unspoken challenge had been agreed to.
"Talon didn't tell me what a rare beauty he had discovered," the Overlord said at last. "He spoke very highly of you. He's willing to go to Heden and back to keep you safe."
Eryn allowed herself to take a breath, her tense posture deflating as she did. "And what of you, Caela? What are you willing to do for him? For us?" She didn't use her title or call her 'my Lady'. Just because she was helping them now... her anger over the labor camp smoldered.
"I gave you my cure."
"And I thank you for it, though I might not have needed it if you hadn't helped General Clau catch up to us."
Wilem had told her about his meeting with the Overlord, and about the betrayal that had nearly killed them both.
"Two fugitives working to destroy the Empire? Would you have done any different in my place, if you didn't know any better?"
"Why? Why do you follow him? Why do you listen to him?" She had promised herself she would keep her emotions in control. She had told Fehri she would try. It wasn't good enough. "My mother, my father, my brother. All dead. Elling..."
She expected the Overlord would respond with anger. She was surprised by her calm.
"Order," the Overlord replied. "All societies must have order. Without it, there are too many people vying for control, too many hands reaching for a finite power. Do you know what that leads to? War. Death. Destruction. Famine. At levels that cannot be guessed or controlled, for years and years with no promise of an end. Order is what he offers the people. That is what he offered me, when I learned I was Cursed. Be part of the order, and for every Cursed you kill, for every man and woman you imprison, you will protect the lives of thousands more."
"You believed that?"
"We thought we were doing this for them. He lied to me, and to all of us. He stole our history, our heritage, not to protect them, but to protect himself. We followed blindly, in part because we trusted, and in part because to not trust was to die. A thousand years is more than enough time to turn lies into truth, and truth into lies." She paused, taking a deep breath before speaking again. "Long enough that I would never have believed what Talon had to say, if it had been anyone but Talon. If he hadn't brought the creature." The Overlord stepped closer to Eryn, dipping slightly, so they were at eye level. "I'm sorry about your family, Eryn. I'm sorry for being blind. I cannot undo what I've done, and I don't have the power to turn openly against him. Not yet. I am doing what I can, and that includes hiding you here and preparing you for what is to come."
Eryn stared into her eyes. There was no deceit there, no malevolence. She forced herself to calm. "Thank you. What do you mean, preparing me?"
"Talon believes in the strength of your Curse. He told me of the demons; he called them Shifters. That they wanted you for your power. With my education at the Academy and my experience, I can help you gain mastery over the power, to help you control it and temper it before it destroys you."
"You already gave me your cure. I can't use the magic without accelerating the disease." She put her hand to the sleeve of her glove and pulled it down, showing the Overlord the gray skin.
"May I?" The Overlord asked, positioning her fingers over it.
"You want to touch it?"
"If what Talon says is true, without the cure, this will happen to me as well."
"Only if you've been in contact with ebocite, the black crystal."
"I have," the Overlord said. "Many years ago. I found a shard of it on the beach, near my home in Tilling."
Eryn drew back in surprise. "You're from Elling province?"
"Yes. Tilling is on the shore, where the Baden feeds out into the Great Sea. My parents were wealthy merchants - they built trade ships that sailed all along the coast of the Empire, and to the northern islands. I was brought to the Academy when I was eleven. Young for a Mediator in training."
"I was twelve when I discovered I had the Curse," Eryn said. "You must be stronger than me."
"It is possible, but not definite. Age is only one measurement of power." She motioned at the gray flesh again. "I can judge the strength of your Curse if you let me. May I?"
Eryn nodded, watching as the Overlord ran her fingertip along the rough skin. She lingered there for only a moment, and then raised the same hand to Eryn's cheek.
"This won't hurt at all," the Overlord said, cupping it in her hand and bringing their eyes level. Eryn could feel the Overlord's magic growing, at the same time she examined her eyes. They were beautiful, deep eyes. Comforting eyes. She began to feel hot.
Before she knew what was happening, she felt the tingle between her ears and the flow of her magic rushing up through her. She tried to move, to escape the Overlord and fight against the surge.
There was no time.
The Overlord's eyes widened, and then she was thrown backwards away from Eryn, the force of the magic flinging her across the room like a rag. She crashed through a stack of books and into the wall, letting out only a soft whimper as her body slammed into it and slumped against the ground.
The power subsided at once, vanishing from Eryn so quickly she nearly fell over herself. Her heart was racing, a feeling of panic rushing through her.
Did I just kill the Overlord?
She could feel the hot tears of blood running down her cheeks, a stream so fierce it left a trail down her neck and between her breasts. What had just happened? She hadn't summoned the magic. She didn't want to hurt her.
The door opened.
Fehri stepped in. His eyes went first to the Overlord, motionless against the wall, and then to Eryn, coming towards him, her face and neck red with blood.
"Eryn?"
She stumbled, still feeling weak. Her entire body was pounding, throbbing. He took two quick steps forward and caught her.
"It was an accident," she whispered. The Overlord must have done the same thing to other Cursed. She clearly hadn't felt threatened.
"Tell me what happened," Fehri said. His strong arms kept her on her feet.
"I don't know. I don't know. She was trying to feel my Curse. I told her she could."
Fehri held her in one arm, using the other to grab the door and pull it closed behind him. Then he walked Eryn to the desk and helped her rest against it. He went to the Overlord's side and kneeled down, putting his hand to her neck.
"She's alive," he said. "Her breathing is shallow but steady."
Eryn felt a sense of relief wash over her, along with a chill that left her shaking.
"Wait here. Keep an eye on her. I'm going to get Trock, and have Reema cancel the rest of the assembly for the day. I'll be right back."
Fehri opened the door again, squeezed himself out, and shoved it closed behind him. Eryn could hear his boots against the floor as he hurried off at a fast walk.
She sat on the desk for a few minutes while she waited for the shaking to stop. She kept her eyes on the Overlord the entire time, watching her face and chest for any hint that she had stopped breathing. Once she felt strong enough, she hopped down off the desk and went to kneel at the woman's side.
"I'm sorry," she said, taking the Overlord's hand in hers. Her anger over the mines, the labor camps, everything, was forgotten. The Overlord was the same as she was in many ways, the same as Wilem. Born in Elling province, like her. Taken from her home as a child, raised to be an instrument for the Empire. She did what she knew, and when she had learned different, she had done different.
It is all any of us can ask for, or hope to achieve.
