Traitor to the King

by Clare SM Keating

  “The heart is a curious device of magic… so easily darkened by the sin of pride and greed but purified by love and loyalty. The merriment tonight may be bittersweet, but perhaps that is the nature of life.” The King stated gently as he stepped out into his crowd of watchers and Anouk turned back to her sister. With her dagger dripping blood all over the fresh white robes, Anouk looked as villainous and demonic as any other monster in the stories of Damara’s youth. She could not understand the choice of her sister, the position she’d inherited… or indeed the barbarism of her own culture.

  * * * * *

  The party was in full swing before Damara was recovered from the shock of what she’d seen. Knowing that she could not explain herself Anouk had avoided her sister and instead gone to the temples to meditate for a time. Damara had been left in the care of Talon, Karani, Alard and Ling who were once again busy trying to make themselves look decent with the clothes in the household. It had been a frustrating situation for Talon as he had spent the entire day since returning to the house packing items up, an effortless way to occupy himself from the stress and fear of what could have been going on. He was more aware of where items were though and, as the stone that had come back blue and aqua, the theme of clothing for the night were these colours and Talon found suitable items for everyone.

  Damara did not say anything about what had happened with the demon to him though, no one wanted to say exactly what had happened and thanks to Ling she was able to dress where Talon would not be able to see the bruises from the fight or the scuffs to her wrists and knees. Karani was just as cautious, knowing that Talon would blame her for not dragging Damara straight back to his side, but the party would prove opportunistic for everyone. It would permit Talon to check on Annaballa and see what was needed for the orphanage to prepare to depart as well as to meet other men and women widowed like himself. For Karani it was the chance to find some gentleman and see if she could locate someone suitable for her future endeavours and for Alard and Ling there was a chance to talk to each other and have some fun.

  For Damara though the party would not be the most fantastic event imaginable as although she was looking forward to it, her ears were still ringing with the cruelty of Ijah to Contusa and Anouk’s straightforward method of killing. Damara did not want to be alone at this event, but she knew that it would not be the case as most of the young noble lords would be interested in dancing with her. Indeed, as they walked out to the main market plaza where there was a massive floor of beautiful tiles that had been washed and cleared for dancing, Damara was grabbed eagerly by one young man and pulled into a dance. The dances were typical, swinging motions with couple grasping hands or hip to hold each other close as they twirled in great circles or switched partners in criss-crossing motions. The music was fast and fun with groups suddenly lining up, males opposite females, to steeple their hands together to make an arch and one couple to skip through and then extended it outwards. Each dance was fun and enjoyable, designed to prevent too much unwelcomed contact but there was an intimacy that friends could enjoy.

  For each novel dance Damara found herself being passed onto different partners and the first one of any real significance to go to her was Lord Yeruell, who took her hand for a gentle dance where couples simply stepped forward, held each other and spun in a circle before stepping back into a line, criss-crossing with another couple and meeting their chosen partner again. It was done in a sequence so that really there were four people involved in the dance rather then just two, but it was an easy enough place for conversations to begin. As Damara met him in the middle to put their hands to their hips, skip around each other and then embrace to spin, the gentle face of the lord was lit up in a happy smile as he spoke.

  “I’m surprised to find you more eager to join the dancing then Anouk… did she ever tell you how in our early lessons they’d always partner her with me because I was the only boy she didn’t keep breaking the feet of?” Yeruell chuckled in deep panting breaths as they skipped about each other. He looked like he was truly enjoying himself for once and in his neat blue tunic with his long hair left to bounce about on his soldiers, he looked truly handsome. Damara was probably seeing his good looks for the first time, but with the mention of her sister she recalled what had been said to her by his uncle and was cautious in her words, although the story made her giggle.

  “Yes, father said it’s the reason Dolvian Wanye has a constant brace around his left foot! It doesn’t surprise me… she always used to jump and spin so much no one seemed to quite control it!” Damara chuckled as she looked across to the queue of young men that were drinking a honey-like liquid from a special plant grown in the greenhouses in the city that held an alcoholic quality. The liquid was Shala and very pleasant, it was also safe so that only a whole barrel of the pure liquid could get any being drunk… and it was always served watered down or mixed with milk for the children to have too. Amongst the Shala drinkers was Lord Wanye’s third son by his second wife, Dolvian, a handsome man who was desperate to get involved in the dancing but had no one willing to be trodden on by the special metal and wood boot that held his foot together. The truth of the story was that Dolvian had been involved in a fall playing near the bridges where it was forbidden and young Lutas had been the one to rescue him. Dolvian’s father had then forced him to go to his dancing lessons all the same with his foot in a cast and despite her attempts to be gentle, Anouk had managed to stomp through the cast and crush the bones so badly they’d ended up fusing back together in an awkward way that the brace hid from people. “But I’m glad no one else got a dancing related accident with her.”

  “Well… more then a couple of black eyes from accidental head butting, but all kids suffer from that kind of thing when they play!” Yeruell chuckled as he spun her in their embrace and then let her go. Damara though could swear she still felt his big hands on her hips, supporting her and she was a little concerned by it. She knew he was a good man and a very loving person, he always had been, but she wondered if his uncle’s words had been translated to him yet and when they met in the dance again she questioned him about it. Yeruell tried to keep looking happy although he did seem displeased. “It’s something a lot of the lords have approved of and tried to encourage… but I’m not the only man they’ve been insisting to show interest to you. Lord Lutas, Lord Numart and the young Skabrat son is being encouraged to give you their attention. Not to mention half a tone of second sons, third sons, seventh sons, grandsons of the other lords or their brothers to try and strengthen the power of their lines. Other young ladies in the main households get the same kind of fuss… but with no male at all in the Benaga line… for many families it’s the opportunity to take over a noble household.”

  “By that logic it would mean Anouk is perceived as ill suited for marriage and that I am the only one likely to bear children.” Damara stated pitifully as she was spun in his arms again, feeling his embrace tighten slightly as if he were trying to show a little more interest in her himself. But the mention of Anouk’s name and her situation made Yeruell slip a bit as he pulled away from her again. As they formed back into their lines Damara continued to talk over to him, but he began to look pallid as she asked why no one seemed to want to marry her sister. In the end however, Yeruell pulled out of the dance and grasped her firmly by the wrist, leading her off the main plaza and down a small flight of steps onto the market plaza where a large bonfire was, and food was being cooked over it. He fetched Damara a drink of Shala and she thanked him before waiting for the answer she knew he was reluctant but willing to give her.

  “You probably don’t know anything of what was supposed to have happened to her… but that she was corrupted in a…” When Yeruell tried to explain the situation and instead found himself draining two cups of Shala to cope, Damara was scared. She’d never seen him look as upset and angry before as he growled visibly at the thought of what had happened. Yes, Damara only knew the segments of rumour regarding what had happened but Yeruell w
as in a position to know such things. All the secrets had been told to him of what had happened and with a slow snarl he grasped Damara tightly by the shoulder, bending down to whisper in her ears although the content of his messages made him feel so angry and frustrated. “… a sexual manner… your sister is not ‘whole’ and though it should have been kept a secret the rumours did enough damage. No male, not even someone at a low position in life, would dare touch what a demon has.”

  “But that’s other people… what about you Yeruell? You still love her, don’t you? Would you ignore her because of such a thing? We don’t really know what happened but if this was the case then she was obviously possessed mentally as she was too young at that age to experience such a thing.” Damara whispered, harshly though as she felt his words penetrate her chest and stab her in the heart. Oh, how could she ever treat her sister so cruelly about anything regarding love within their world? Anouk’s mind was probably as smashed as her heart on the subject, no wonder she had accepted the marriage of Jarl to the hybrid! But Damara thought over what she recalled of Yeruell, how she knew he was so very much in love with her sister and should hate this conversation. She watched him gulp down another course of Shala before sneering at the bonfire evilly.

  “My uncle has made it perfectly impossible for such a marriage…” But before he could finish the sentence and explain himself to Damara properly, he turned on his heel and stormed off towards the food to try and get something to eat. He did not turn back around to go back to her and Damara was quite surprised by his lack of interest in her now. She shook her head over the matter and then turned towards the other people hanging around the fire, noticing Droy and Martum chuckling with a few of the others Core members. In seeing them Damara knew exactly what she needed to do and lunged straight over to grasp Martum by the arm and jerk him back towards the dancing plaza.

  Martum was about to give a shriek of surprise as he was suddenly yanked out of the conversation, until he realised it was Damara. His eyes boggled for a second at how pretty she appeared in a soft blue dress with her hair tied up into a bun and covered by a white cloth… he then shook his head at her. Martum was not usually the gentlest person around and generally no one dared to encourage him to dance with them, but for the sake of his relationship with Droy this action was necessary. Damara knew he needed to be seen dancing with a woman and when it was clear in her eyes, he called out over to the others and then rushed back up the plaza with her. He practically tripped over himself going up the stairs, but it only made him and the maiden chuckle as they came up in time for a jovial dance where everyone was permitted to do as they pleased to the music.

  The dance was greatly enjoyable and pleasing as the pair skipped about, kicked around and grabbed each other by the hip to spin like a great windmill blade. The pair of them were laughing and joking about how happy everyone was and how many of the gentlemen were already acting stupid around the women. Damara was amused and practically smacked Martum for cheekily indicating that it might be a night for men and women to get acquainted as he hooked his arms around her middle and swung her up in the air with a squeak. It was all just joking around but thankfully his comments were the kind that marked him as a womaniser and meant he could hide his true nature easily. Damara just laughed with him and she would have spent much of the evening dancing with him and Droy and Karani, if three more dances in she had not been offered the chance to dance with Lord Lutas.

  His expression was gentle, but his eyes pleaded for her affection and indeed her forgiveness as he led her out onto the plaza floor for a more intimate dance. In this dance they needed to hold each other at the shoulders lock eyes and try to match the other’s movements precisely. It was terribly intimate and caused Damara’s whole face to turn pink as she was held gently by the taller elf and swayed with him in slow and deliberate steps. At first, she might have thought he was choosing her for such an intimate past time to make a point of his interest in her future, but she realised it was not the case. In this position no one was focusing on anything but the music and unlikely to try and spy in on their words.

  “Forgive me Damara… it was my fault you went off with a dangerous traitor… for what you have suffered this morning I cannot forgive myself. Please… believe me I did not know, or I would never have agreed to let you go. I had not been keen on the group either; they had not been right since their return from the Hive Demon and I…” Lutas spoke gently, softly with the edge of his voice cracking as if he might cry. It was very curiously seductive, and Damara felt her heart quickening with excitement to garner such a reaction from a grown man of such astounding nobility. As he turned his head to the side, looking as if he might just cry, Damara pulled a hand from his shoulder and tenderly stroked his face.

  It would have been enough to cause a scandal had anyone else been paying attention and Damara quite regretted the action later, but his warm cheek was so tantalising in her hand and she almost pushed forward to kiss him. Maybe it was because she was so happy and excited for everything that had happened, or perhaps it was because she trusted him so much. Every word he spoke she believed to be the essence of truth and he had given her such strength and confidence in her abilities with magic. She ignored the warnings about him from Anouk that bounced in her head and nervously Damara tried to voice her appreciation as she lowered her head to the ground.

  “You are my master at the academy, my friend and the one who believed me. I could never hold a grudge against you and I know you didn’t plan to leave me in such danger.” Damara stated and to the swooning sensation of her body she watched a slick but gentle smile slip onto his face as he breathed a soft sigh of pleasure and delicately took her hand from his face. He encouraged her to hold his shoulders again and with a more seductive stare he led her on into a new dance that Damara could not pull herself away from or even consider that she was being so greatly charmed. The motions were watched from the sidelines and bitterly so as Jarl and his wife stepped up to the plaza with expressions of anxiety. It was Kirlia though who noticed the look on her husband’s face and tentatively she stroked loose locks of Jarl’s jet-black hair back against his pointed ears.

  “You know she can’t love anyone but you Jarl… Lutas is playing with fire as Anouk would never let him marry her sister. She was very kind to us… and I’m sorry I ruined so much of your life.” Kirlia felt truly guilty for everything as she pulled the shawl of silvery blue closer about her shoulders to help keep her warm as she grasped her husband’s arm. She could see that Jarl’s face was forming into an angry snarl and for a moment she was afraid that she might be seeing that aggressive snapping motion of his father when vexed. But Kirlia kissed her husband’s shoulders and it caused him to lift his chest in a heavy wheeze before the sigh made him sag.

  “Please don’t apologise for anything my love… I chose you because I love you. I should be the one apologising for not being more careful, for making you leave the people you care about… for subjecting you to this bias…” Jarl began but to his surprise his wife pressed her fingers delicately to his lips to silence him before lifting her head to pat his cheeks. She understood his upset and she adored him so much that despite her practically consumptive form compared to the other women about her, he had chosen her. Nervously she took his hand and pulled it to her belly, reminding him the reason that they would overcome everything. He smiled at her fondly for the thought but mentally he screamed at himself as Ling’s words repeated around his head. “I love you so much…”

  “I love you too Jarl, which is why I think you should take the next dance with Damara. It’ll give you the chance to talk to her, don’t you think?” She stated with a pleasant smile that made Jarl feel wretchedly guilty before she lent in and kissed his lips, even if it was frowned at by some of the elf patrons passing them to join the dance. Jarl looked to her fearfully again, but she just gave a soft chuckle. “I’ll go sit somewhere and watch, I’m tired but no one could sleep in all this noise.”

  Jarl could not q
uestion his wife’s decision on the matter and as soon as he saw the dancers slow he approached Damara and swiftly removed her from Lutas’ grip. The academy head looked startled to suddenly have his charisma broken swiftly by the approach of the young man and he practically snarled as Damara looked to Jarl and her face changed. Whatever connection Lutas had been trying to forge with the young woman was forgotten as she was gently held in Jarl’s arms and instructed to join him to dance. Damara’s eyes swelled vividly with affection as steadily, Jarl guided her about the plaza and reminded her gently that everything was going to be alright and that she was the greatest friend he could imagine having.

  They began to forget the world and as they were watched by a slightly jealous wife, the pair could hardly even consider who else was scowling in their direction.

  From a platform in the High-Rise sector of the city, where the caves on the highest levels had balconies to peer out over the masses, Anouk had been permitted the use of one for the evening, having rented it as a place for Damara to go after the party if she could not make it back to the house. Up here the head of the Benaga household was able to sit and watch the situation. She had chosen to refrain from the typical merriment of the party and instead settled upon the idea of enjoying some sweet fruit juice and monitor her sister’s position from afar. She could see Damara with Lutas and then with Jarl and bitterly she breathed a sigh of irritation. She settled back into her seat on the massive deck that had connected her rented balcony to a larger one where chairs were set up for people to come to and escape the heady atmosphere of too many people.