by Bridie Blake
He stood up and paced the room. His hands clasped behind his back to stop the trembling. “When I started my page training at the palace, I started to see her again. She was working there, in the kitchens. It was as though the Goddess willed it. But each time I tried to approach her, she ran away. And then I did something that I would live to regret for the rest of my life.”
Tempani bit her lip as she watched the anguish take over his face.
“I wrote to mother and told her the woman was back. They arrived at the palace not too long after and had Uhana arrested. They claimed she had tried to steal me when I was a boy. They wanted her executed.”
“But it wasn’t true!”
“Father is one of the wealthiest nobles. What he wants, he gets,” he said bitterly.
“And that is what I’m trying to change. People should be given a fair trial. No matter what the color of their skin or how much money they have.” She sighed and shook her head. “What happened next?”
“She escaped her cell. I don’t even want to think of what she had to do to bribe the guard on duty.” He shivered. “She broke into my room and told me everything. Her Kamari was excellent. She’d practiced for years so one day she could talk to me. Tell me the truth.”
“So why did she not tell you before?” Tempani asked. “Why did she run away when you tried talking to her?”
“She feared for her life. Father threatened to kill her if she ever spoke the truth.”
“And only when she was facing death did she spill the truth,” Tempani said sadly.
“Her last words to me ring as clear in my mind as they did that day. ‘Be proud of your skin, my boy, and fight the chains that have me. We choose our own death,’” he recited. “She ran to the balcony and threw herself over. She left this life on her terms and unafraid of death.”
Tempani wiped the tears from her face and walked over to where Madoc stood. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him firmly as his body shook with the tears that now fell.
“What happened to Uhana is not your fault.”
“I told them about her,” he choked.
“You were a child. It is not your fault,” she repeated.
Later that night, the two friends sat in her room sharing brandy and stories. They had talked all afternoon about Uhana. About the struggle of Kalaowins, but still he wasn’t sure if he could stand by her side while she followed through with this. Not when it would cost innocent lives.
“Who else knows?” Tempani asked.
“Your father. And Darby. Otto told me that Kalaowins choose their own death. That Uhana was at peace because she had,” he said.
“He’s right.”
“He helped me a lot in those days. When he made me his squire, he insisted that I learn how to speak Kalaowin. In private we’d slip between the two tongues.”
Tempani shook her head, amazed that her father had been so open with Madoc yet so guarded with his children.
“He convinced me to tell my friends.”
“Does the king know?”
He shook his head and took a sip. “But now do you see the position I’m in? I cannot plead ignorance. If we’re caught, it’ll come out that I’m Kalaowin,” he said. “You know that Chae will be dragged into this too, don’t you? And your father. Everyone you’re connected to will be considered a traitor.”
“Except Nic.”
“I don’t know Tempani. He has three close friends and two of those are Kalaowin. As was the woman he wanted for his bride.”
“But the king would never let anything happen to his son.”
“Yes, the king loves him, I won’t deny that. But he loves his title more. Not the kingdom. His title.”
Tempani mulled this over in her mind. It was true. The king definitely didn’t care much for his kingdom. That was evident. Yet he loved the crown that sat on his head and the privileges that were attached to it. Would Nic be the same way? She didn’t think he would but who is to say what power would do to a person.
Madoc frowned at her when she voiced her concern. “You still have no idea how much Nic loves his people do you?” He shook his head in amazement. “Do you know what Nic does with some of the money he receives monthly? He gives it to his manservant, who in turn takes it to the city and buys all the food he can with it and gives it to those who need it most. He’s been doing it for as long as I’ve known him.”
“I had no idea.”
“He told me once that a girl he knew shamed him into doing it. He said he was walking through the city with her one day, and she saw a little boy crying. She asked him what was wrong and he told her he hadn’t eaten for five days. So do you know what she did?”
Tempani’s lip trembled as she fought back tears. “She walked over to her nursemaid and demanded she hand over the money her father had given her for their afternoon visit. She didn’t want treats when there was a boy who had nothing.”
“Yes, and then she gave all she had to the little boy.”
“I can’t believe he remembered that.”
“He always said that was the turning point for him,” he explained. “As a leader and as a man.”
“He was nine!” She cried. “Not even close to being a man.”
Madoc laughed. “You know how he is. Pompous little turd, half the time.”
“I miss him,” she whispered. “So much that it hurts.”
“You can always go back.”
She shook her head. “No, I can’t. I’ve come too far.”
“And what you have to do, you can’t do from his side.”
“Precisely,” she said. “I wish I could but as long as his father is around and he surrounds himself with people like Hallam and Lord Ricton then I have no other choice.”
“I understand.”
“I will not resent you for not standing with me, but I hope you do. For Uhana.”
—
The morning was brisk as Tempani took her place, sword in hand. She found that each morning that went by the men slowly started to drop behind her. Soon it was just her and Rando out front, leading the men in their morning practices.
But today they had an extra body. Madoc walked along the row and stood wordlessly beside her, his sword in hand. She smiled at him, but this break in concentration caused her to fumble and her sword dropped from her hand. It fell down her leg, leaving a gash below her knee.
A loud cackle came from the stables. “It was only a matter of time before this happened,” Bhatia called out. “See, she loses her concentration just because a man stands beside her, and we are to follow her?”
Rando stepped forward, sword raised, but Madoc pulled him back. “She must sort this out on her own or they will never respect her,” he uttered and pointed his head in the direction of the men, who were now staring at Tempani.
“They respect her,” Rando hissed. “She’s the problem.”
“If she lets this girl walk all over her, she will lose respect, like that.” He snapped his fingers. “She needs to stand up for herself.”
Tempani cursed loudly and bent down to pick up her fallen sword. “I am not some silly girl who craves a man’s attention. I chose this over a man,” she said. “And I would make the same decision again if I had to.”
She turned her back on Bhatia and faced her men. “If any of you have any doubts about my capabilities or my desires then you best walk away now, but I warn you, you will regret it. I have accepted my path and that I may die in my quest to give you a better life. I choose freedom and equality over all titles and riches I may have had because I believe that this is where my life lies. Now you can believe in me and follow me where I lead or you can leave. I have made my choice. Now you must make yours.”
She turned on her heel and stalked past the men. Rando caught up to her and grabbed her by the arm, spinning her around in the process.
“They were willing to fight with you,” he said. “Now I believe they will die for you.”
Every last man in the group was
now kneeling before her, hands on their hearts, and hope in their eyes.
She blinked away tears as she walked back towards them.
“You’re not going to cry now are you?” Madoc asked as he rose to his feet. “That’s what a silly girl would do.”
“You are with me?”
“I’m with you,” he whispered. “I know you can do this.”
With Madoc now convinced, Tempani had but one more obstacle to pass. Bhatia. The fiery young woman with the brown hair and scowl etched on her pretty face. After her attempt to embarrass Tempani in the yard, she had all but disappeared, appearing only at meals. And when she did join them, she sat as far as possible from the lady who was meant to be her savior and even further from the men.
Tempani had tried to ask Mother Chennai what had happened to Bhatia to make her so angry, but she explained it was not her story to tell.
“She will tell you in time. For now just give her space.”
But giving space was not something Tempani was comfortable doing. If something was wrong, she had to fix it. She couldn’t just let it go. So she began to watch Bhatia carefully, but she learnt nothing except that Bhatia enjoyed talking to the sick. For hours on end she would sit beside the same woman and tell her tales of female warriors from other kingdoms. Women who were allowed to fight beside the men.
“That’ll be me one day,” Bhatia said to them. “And you can hide behind me.”
“He’ll find me,” the women whispered. “He always finds me.”
“I will take you some place he’ll never find you. I promise,” she muttered and kissed the woman’s sweaty forehead. The bruises on her face were slowly fading and soon no one would be able to tell that her master had beaten her savagely and left her for dead after finding out that she had accepted the proposal of his village’s blacksmith. The blacksmith’s body had been discovered one day’s ride from the village, floating face down in a river.
“Tell me the name of her master,” Tempani demanded as she followed Bhatia out of the infirmary. “I will ensure he is locked up for this.”
“You can’t do anything. A master has the right to do whatever he pleases to those who work for him. You know that,” Bhatia said, fury in her raspy voice.
Tilaw bared his teeth and growled at the girl. Tempani patted his head gently. “Yes, but surely something can be done. I’ll tell my father, and he will make sure he’s arrested.”
“Something can be done, but only when you’ve got a crown on your head.”
“We can succeed without me being crowned,” Tempani said quietly, her heart twisting in a knot as she thought of Nic and Naleeni.
Bhatia shrugged and walked off towards the gate. “I’m going to pick some flowers for Thara.” She turned back to Tempani. “Do you want to help?”
“I really should let someone know where I’m going,” Tempani said slowly.
Bhatia rolled her eyes. “Are you our leader or not?”
Tempani sighed and followed her wordlessly and held the flowers that Bhatia chose in her arms.
“A man hurt you, didn’t he?”
Bhatia glared at her fiercely and clenched her fist. Tempani panicked. She could fight with a weapon but hand to hand? She would be flattened in a heartbeat.
“One day you’re going to have to trust me, Bhatia. I want you to fight by my side, but until you open up to me, I cannot trust that you will do your part.”
“Do you know what I do to make my living?”
“You’re a Lady of the Night,” she said.
“I entertain any man who can afford me, which means I know a lot about noblemen and the way they treat women. Why do you think I am so keen to come with you?”
“Clearly not because you like me.”
Bhatia grimaced. “One man in particular liked my services. He would come to see me every other night, and at first it was thrilling. He’s the noblest man I’ve met, and he paid well. But then he decided he liked to hit me. It made him feel powerful and me defenseless,” she whispered.
“Who is he?”
“He went away and was gone for two seasons, and I thought I was safe. But he’s back and his first night he came to find me. And every night after that. You see this?” She asked and lifted her hair to expose the large circle of burnt flesh on her neck. “He heated his ring on the candle and branded my skin,” she said. “He wants every man who touches me to know that I belonged to him first.”
“Bhatia, I’m sorry.”
“The day I felt your call I packed my bags and went to Zadi. There was no way I was sticking around waiting for you to come back.”
“Why not tell someone?” She asked. “Surely something could be done.”
“I’m a Lady of the Night,” she said with a shrug. “I give my body willingly to men so I deserve what this man did to me.”
“No one deserves this. And I will die before I let him touch you again,” she said. “Do you hear me?”
“I fight my own battles.” Bhatia stuck her chin in the air, her green eyes blazing with determination. But Tempani saw a vulnerability there, and she knew the girl had heard her. “This still doesn’t mean I like you.”
“Of course not,” Tempani said smiling as they returned to the confines of the convent.
She was sitting in her room, pouring over scrolls Mother Chennai had given her when Darby burst through the door, Madoc at his heels. “Have you got rocks in your head?” He asked. “Leaving these walls without a guard?”
Tempani rolled her eyes. “We were picking flowers,” she said. “I was hardly in danger.”
“You don’t go anywhere without protection,” he said. “No exceptions.”
She bristled at his order. She had thought the same thing but hadn’t Bhatia pointed out that she was their leader? Had she not been proving herself these past weeks? “I can look after myself.”
Madoc suppressed a grin and spoke gently to her. “We have no doubt about that. But what if you are caught off guard?”
Tempani shrugged. “I’d manage,” she whispered.
Madoc squeezed her shoulder. “In the future just let one of us know.”
~7~
A ROYAL VISITOR
Nic stared off into the distance, ignoring the musings of the man beside him. The Galen Ambassador really was a bore as he droned on and on about how different the fashions were in Kamara compared to Galiena.
“I mean really, must your women show so much skin. It’s unseemly,” he complained. “Slave girl,” he called and a young girl rushed forward, bowing low as she did. “I need another drink.”
Nic sighed. He wasn’t sure whose company was worse. The droning ambassador or the princess who didn’t speak. Not a word. And as Galen custom dictated she wouldn’t utter a word until she was his wife. And even then it would only be to agree with him. The women of Galiena had less rights than the Kamari women.
Sure she was beautiful, but he knew he couldn’t marry her. Nic’s mind wandered to Tempani once again. His heart ached for her. He had forgiven her for the way she treated him. He just wanted her back at the palace with him where she belonged.
He had gone to Chae and asked him to go fetch her, but Chae wouldn’t budge. He knew his sister wouldn’t come back until she was ready to. And until that time they would have to respect her decision to stay away from court.
Nic wasn’t sure he agreed with that and had almost been tempted to approach Teddy and ask for his help. But their relationship was tense at the moment. He no longer believed that his younger brother had any interest in Tempani, but the damage had been done. And he wasn’t sure it could be repaired.
“Look at that dress,” the ambassador interrupted his thoughts. “No woman would be allowed to wear that in Galiena.”
Nic rolled his eyes and took a large gulp of wine. This was going to be a long night.
Across the room Chae and Dahlia spoke in whispers to one another as they discussed the last letter they received from Madoc, which had arrived moments before the
feast. Its contents were vague, but Madoc was clear in his request for Chae or his father to get to the convent as soon as possible.
“I’m coming with you,” Dahlia whispered.
“No, it could be dangerous. Until we know what’s going on it’s best to be cautious.”
“I won’t be in any danger. You’ll be there to protect me,” she said and rose from her chair. “If we’re to leave at dawn, I must pack.”
—
“She has improved immensely in her time here. I could not have asked for a better student,” Mother Chennai said as she joined Darby in her chapel.
His smile met hers briefly before he frowned and shook his head. “She still has much to learn though.”
“Her magic will take time to grow,” she said. “She is not aware of the power she could inherit.”
Darby sighed. “My orders on that are clear. We fear it will lead to nothing but trouble.”
“He fears it. Not you,” she corrected. “You know it’s our strongest hope of actually succeeding. Perhaps he will too.”
“Do you think I should tell her?”
She shrugged. “It is not my place to say.”
Darby nodded and rose, patting Chennai’s hand as he did. “Once upon a time it was.”
—
The group was running through their morning drills when one of the sisters raced through the gate.
“A man, my lady,” she cried as she ran toward Tempani. “A man has come, and he’s brought a woman. They say they wish to speak with you.”
“Madoc?” She called to her friend.
“I’m on it,” he replied. “Men, fall into position. Do not attack until I give the command.”
“Rando?”
“Yes, my lady.” He scurried forward.
“Let’s see if Darby was right in asking you to guard me.”
He winked at her. “He’s yet to be wrong.”
