Traitor to the King

by Clare SM Keating

  The words hit the Karayan like a gong and he stared at Saravona with such disgust she could hear his stomach knotting. Immediately she pitied him for his lack of political awareness of their world; the Benaga were the most loyal to the king, it was their duty to be at risk. But she could see the fondness the Karayan held for that family and a wish to comfort his upset started to develop within. Steadily she stood up and walked to his side, placing a hand to his shoulder, which he accepted in silence.

  “It’s the way things are with the king and the Benaga. Each one puts their life on the line for him. Damara has never been made to suffer needlessly and in time it will be her son to bear the burden of the Benaga Legacy. Anouk knows this hence Damara has always been guarded so greatly. She has chosen you to protect her sister because you are the greatest of protectors… so do not meddle for their sake… focus on finding the traitor, not saving Anouk.”

  “But who is the traitor? Anouk believes it is Lutas, Droy thinks Leridan, Martum thinks Zehna and I think Yeruell. We cannot all be right as there would be none of this concern now!” The Karayan growled. He was not willing to say Molwesa was on the list of suspects, but he was sure Saravona already guessed. At his words though she shrugged her shoulders and then tenderly grasped his hand, ignoring the scales and the talons as she smiled at him and he sighed in thanks.

  “You could all be right; there are so many ways in thought and action that a being could be titled Traitor. Perhaps you should talk to one in prison.” Saravona smiled warmly and to his surprise the Karayan smiled at her beneath his mask. Perhaps he was judging her too harshly for her duty when she might be a friend. Saravona could see this appreciation and she smiled. “I will return every day until I lead the evacuation. We can talk more if you would like or I can sit quietly reading… it’s curiously refreshing to not be touched. Humbling too… keep safe, my lord.”

  The Karayan stared after her in confusion and surprise as she pulled her robes back on and marched calmly out of the office. In her stride she passed by Damara, who was already busy wobbling the belly scales of the Dreggling Bumble. She greeted the young woman with a soft smile and then remembered to tuck her hair back into her hood as she strolled away. Saravona left in calm but Damara glowered after her and then stomped to the Karayan’s office. She knew what those women did and it angered her to know her friend had been busy with that rather than trying to help her sister and she could have screamed at him!

  The Karayan did not dare to say anything against Damara stepping into his office but he was shocked as she punched him hard in the shoulder. She dared to yell at him for losing focus, whimpering over her sister’s pain and then thumping both hands into his shoulders in rage that no one seemed to care. It was one of those rare opportunities for the young woman to reveal the part of her that had never been able to mature because her sister had swallowed her own tears long ago. Tears streamed down her cheeks again and the Karayan could not comprehend her upset with him, only that she felt everyone was betraying her and it seemed with good reason. He wished he could tell her everything he knew now but it would only work to upset her more and he could tell she was more petrified than angry.

  “It’s alright Little One; I was not being silly I was asking for medical information on the guards. I swear I did not touch Saravona and I won’t do anything that would make you think I’m not helping.” He stated as she slumped against him in fear and he opened his arms up to her. Once more he repeated his intent to help her and without realising it, he urged her into his lap. Damara could not stop herself from sitting within his embrace and clasping at his chest like a frightful child. His great arms coiled around her and tenderly he held her to him and patted her back. “It’s going to be alright… I promise.”

  * * * * *

  “Come on my lords, this is an absolute disgrace! There is no way by the Seven Sacred Peaks of the Giroff that Lord Anouk Benaga would steal a stone or aid in its removal! Clearly something has been overlooked!” Lord Vasagar was not normally one to choose sides but his thoughts in this matter were very serious. With what had been promised to him by the king should the worst happen, he now felt indebted to protect Anouk from such shame. Although usually kept in the loop over these matters, he was at a loss for finding the stone and the only conclusion he could make was corrupt guards.

  “Are you saying those men are liars? Lord Zehna and Lord Skabrat conducted intensive examinations of the truth upon them and they were correct. Maybe Benaga did not take the stone, but they murdered Kirlia as a distraction and this is what worries us!” Chroniison hollered, eager to defend his guardsmen as he threw his wooden ballot in the red chalk circle by the king’s feet. This urged his oldest friend to scowl at the words and then cast his in the blue as each lord was called up randomly to make his vote and a statement.

  In the matter of Kirlia’s killing the results had tipped narrowly against Anouk and it was believed she did commit the murder. The situation had been exasperated when Lord Kelvis had informed them of Jarl confessing to have kissed Damara that night, which the Karayan had grudgingly confirmed. Everyone could see clear motive in Kirlia’s death, but as it had then become a crime committed for family honour, there was only a sentence to be issued for the matter of Kirlia’s unborn. But this Molwesa confirmed was not possible as the maiden had never been carrying and this had caused great frustration to Lord Kelvis. But now the matter was of treachery – was Anouk working to distract and allow a monster to steal the stone?

  It was a tricky question and all twenty-one lords were being very cautious on which circle they added themselves to. Already ten lots had been passed with one from the Council of Elders, Vasagar, Karayan, Yeruell, Floryas, Skabrat and Sheran to the blue for innocence. Although Yeruell, Karayan, Skabrat and Vasagar had been expected by the lords, no one had expected the head of police and the keeper of the stones to have believed in such a thing, but they were aware of the lack of evidence better than anyone else. However, the lots that condemned Anouk contained a vote from Chroniison, Zehna and Molwesa and was assumed to increase with each lord that held a grudge against the woman. For Zehna and Chroniison, the Karayan could understand but for Molwesa he was irritated and appalled. The votes now fell to the less clear-cut members of the council and Gahlvrod was next.

  “Let’s not forget the reckless manner of Anouk since childhood… always acting like a male when she is female. Her powers have always been violent and tinged with the scent of a demon. I doubt there’s any trace of Benaga blood left in that slut’s body… she is female so not capable of taking a stone on her own… but she has a demonic master, we all know the truth of her teenage irresponsibility and it should not be forgotten or ignored.” It was not a good sign and as the menacing figure cast his lot to the red, he was copied by High Priest Alagpo and Lord Wanye, the representative of the people. It was not a healthy margin of innocence and with only a few other members to make their decisions as well as the king himself, should it be needed, it did not feel as if anyone could quite decide on the matter. But as those three passed by the bound figure sitting in silence in a box with her face veiled from the sight of the king, each man spat at her though her guards swore at their disgusting actions.

  “Lord Benaga has never gone against the king in any way before. You all put too much stock into rumour and nothing into truth. A Benaga can never be a traitor, it is in our laws!” The deep booming voice of Lord Numart, head of the Watchers and therefore Zehna’s second, echoed around the hall and it was nodded over by the Council of Elders, which had already voted unanimously that Anouk was innocent. Numart was someone to be listened to; someone who’s great-great-aunt had been the mother of Barbanos and therefore was linked very closely to the Benaga. It was sometimes mused that his family’s stubborn female nature had been transferred into Anouk and Numart had laughed at it in her childhood. But to him there was no traitor slouched within the council building but a poor young teenager who was still weeping over the loss of her grandfather and seeking so
me understanding to his sacrifice. Numart had been the one to carry her to the body when her father had broken down, he had been the one to hold her hand when she had begged him to revive the old soldier… and now he felt just as unable to help her as he had been then. Though his ballot was cast into the blue he knew that the remaining lords had too much faith in the words of Gahlvrod and Alagpo to listen to him over the matter.

  But thankfully his action was copied by Lord Caphoni of the army, who could not conceive that a Benaga could be so dangerous. To him there was only a valiant soldier in a curiously feminine shell being tried here, not a demon! The Karayan felt better for this new lead and for these words, but the remaining were less pious in the matter and simply chose to hedge their bets. Galidorg of the Grain Stores was trying hard to keep on Wanye’s good side for the sake of a bride for his son and saw this as an ample way to ensure their alliance would be upheld in all matters, so he threw to the red. Selvak of the Finances and Litzdag of the Farms were both too scared of Lord Zehna not to believe him and they cast their wood to the red, though they looked pitifully out towards the poor woman. Angemar the River Guardian had looked as if he might have chosen to go for the blue, but Togoll the Royal Secretary barged past him to throw his stone in the red and… as he owed money to Togoll, Angemar copied.

  When it came to Lord Lutas there was one more for Anouk from Lord Kelvis to bring her total to ten, but the other five fell into the against, leading them ahead by one. It was all up to Lutas now, the King’s vote would not be necessary if Lutas went against Anouk as she predicted he might. However, when it came to him there was no speech to give or argument; he merely casually placed his lot into the innocent chalk circle. Still it caused a roar of outrage and yet Anouk’s supporters breathed a sigh of relief until the king himself lifted a red gem from his bowl. It made all eyes bulge and jaws drop as if the world had just collapsed beneath them all.

  “But… but… but my lord!” Yeruell began, only to have a hand raised to him and the king to scowl.

  “My decision is final… the elder council has decided that Benaga is innocent and I must conclude she is also innocent… but on the grounds of demonic possession.” The statement made everyone shudder in disbelief and confusion; the king would never be against a Benaga! The natural order they had all expected to be maintained and protected was lost and together the collection of lords and elders whispered and muttered amongst themselves in confusion. They would have started a new debate and argument had not the king turned to the drooping Yeruell and instructed him to silence them all. At his sudden and rude shout of ‘shut up’ the lords zipped their lips and turned back towards the growling form of the unhappy king. “If the stone is not recovered by the resolution of the first attack during the spores, Lord Anouk Benaga will be executed by my own hand. The lord’s may now each cut a lock of hair from her head as is tradition to those possessed by demons… then Lord Skabrat will shave the remaining and escort the prisoner to an isolated cell. They may receive visitors there but only under watch and no one is to visit without being cleared by Lord Karayan.”

  It was a grim judgement and all who voted in her favour could not conceive of the action as the guards about Anouk removed her veil. She was bruised and swollen, bloodied and hardly recognisable and this new sight turned many stomachs of those that had dared to call her guilty. Her legs were so badly broken from her torture session that she seemed unable to feel them as they were moved about her from kneeling to allow her to sit in a cross-legged contemplation. She made no sound of pain despite how bad it looked and despite the tears of Lord Skabrat who had administered such ruthless punishment. The veil had done its job to prevent judgement out of compassion but there were regrets from Angemar, Litzdig and Selvak who believed themselves now to be murderers of the first female Benaga child… their old friend’s dear daughter.

  When her head was bent and the hair brushed forward to allow the figures to see the scalp, the bronze blades were produced in their sacred sandstone box for each lord to take. But the eyes that focused upon the flaming red hair and had chosen to support her refused to attempt such a thing although Skabrat knew she held no choice in the matter. When the enemies had taken their chunks and Zehna had cut a piece for the king, Skabrat dealt with the rest. Anouk remained motionless though blinking gently in her white robes, robes that had been made from scratch to fit the proportions of a female prisoner. Finally, though her face tilted solemnly towards the king as she stared him in the eye and was permitted to give her final statement, the words rocked the heart of everyone present.

  “I obey only the will of my king and request he present a lock of my hair to my sister Damara in acknowledgement of her new position as the head of the Benaga Household… the next Klangschwert, for she trusts you just as I do.”

  Fourteen: Alternative Answers

  “In my experience, there is a strange kind of assumption as to what demons and their ilk look like or represent themselves as within the world. We believe them easy to spot and hideous no matter what, but within Amber City there are many hybrids with good hearts or cursed beings and cultists that have seen demons and describe them as beautiful. Truly, one cannot tell what a demon is or who is one unless they have a special kind of method to prove it and that simply does not exist.”

  - Anonymous

  Three more days passed on and finally the evacuation notice was posted around the Surface Citadel and the Kingdom Beneath for everyone to read and understand. Straightaway the foreigners living within Kadigak had packed up their things and started the process of moving onto the trade route to the North Kingdom where they would receive sanctuary. It was an annual thing but for some reason there was only regret to be had from it and more so amongst those foreigners within the guard. The upset and stress to the region caused by Anouk’s incarceration had caused many families to consider whether it was safe for them to return when the Benaga Household could not give them assistance.

  Amongst the guard that would be stationed along the trading route to protect the people were Anouk’s own squad. They had completely stepped away from their fellows and shirked their duties in silent protest to the deliberations of the council. Everyone knew that Anouk had been made guilty by the single choice of the king and they could not believe it, nor could they consider remaining in a position where they served such a figure. But with the evacuation procedure on the surface needing these most trusted and faithful soldiers, Lord Vasagar had been called up by Anouk’s second Captain Uljan to talk to his troops and counsel them all in this time of need and fear.

  “Lord Vasagar, as much as I appreciate you coming up to the surface to encourage our efforts, the situation with Lord Benaga is of more importance to us now then service to King Otzell. I know this would condemn us to be banished or to be imprisoned, but we cannot conceive of the possibility that one of the Klangschwert has been so poorly treated.”

  “Yeah… you bastard!”

  Alard’s attempt to keep the conversation civilised was being hampered by Ling’s foul language and aggressive attitude. With their companions Kaloon, Ijah and Contusa dead and now their general in prison, none of the members of the band were particularly enamoured with the Virenheim nobility. They had lost nearly a quarter of their number and though Uljan was a good captain and a decent fighter, he was not as authoritarian as Anouk and could claim no control of Alard, Ling or Laein. The three of them were the most upset over Anouk’s situation because they held life debts to the Benaga and their wishes to replace her in prison were being denied claiming they were not Deep elves.

  “Calm down Ling… Anouk would not approve of you calling Lord Vasagar what he is not. Remember, Vasagar was the captain of this unit before Anouk and she was chosen by him to take it over… we all owe him out support and willingness to listen.” Uljan grimaced gently as he rubbed the top of his head and growled through his deep voice. He was ranked one of the most masculine of all the Deep elves and as a cousin to Tyfuga he had come from a family of top f
ighters and supreme commanders. Uljan held a scar across his cheek from battle and his knuckles were white from crashing into hard scales or teeth when resorting to hand-to-hand combat, he had strength to match his intelligence and a noble air when it was necessary to use it. But like others that had been in Vasagar’s unit and trained beside Anouk, he understood the upset at such a hard loss.

  “Please Narl… I don’t like you guys calling me by my title… my name is Maglin and I accept Ling’s choice to use foul language. The situation is serious, but only if Floryas and the Karayan can’t find the true culprit. I’ve already got my suspicions on the matter, but I’m content to remain as quiet as the Karayan and sit it out. He’s already tried to launch an appeal over the execution sentence, but the king is determined he’ll not show mercy unless the traitor is identified. But that’s why I need your help to keep the peace up here and do your job…” Vasagar grunted as he slapped Uljan gently on the shoulder and then brought his hand back to his long curling cream coloured mane to rub his skull and think. Vasagar had spoken to every one of the lords that had voted for Anouk’s innocence and had even been approached by several that had not and regretted it. Despite the fact everyone had ridiculed Anouk at every occasion possible, they knew her importance and that of the Klangschwert but most of all Chroniison’s plea to keep the squads in order had hurt Vasagar the deepest.

  “So, what’s the plan? How will we be able to figure out who’s carrying a stone and who isn’t?” Sarag questioned as he sat beside Merghar, one of the most aggressive members of the group with his half-human skin lined in tattoos and a knife picking the dirt from his teeth. When Vasagar was encouraged to look towards the blue haired Sarag his eyes locked onto Merghar and he shuddered visibly as he watched the silent creature ponder over the task. Merghar could feel the gaze upon him and gave a soft rolling growl from the pit of his stomach before turning his bored face towards Vasagar and grinning.