Kethril

by Carroll, John H.

  “And if you don’t help me, my father will declare war on you,” the princess threatened.

  “No he won’t.” King Cranwer tapped Anilyia lightly on the nose with Bonkers. “What’s he going to do, send an army over the Caaldith Mountains and through the Willden? I don’t think so. An assassin is much easier.” He scanned the companions. “Your friends have a much better chance of getting you back to Mayncal. Your father won’t have me killed for leaving you in their hands considering they’ve already rescued you.”

  Anilyia continued to glare. No one seemed thrilled with the arrangement other than the king and Emmaoen. King Cranwer waved aside any concerns. “Tathan of the Shadows, please go with the guards. You’ll be given a private cell and treated well enough. I promise you that.”

  Tathan looked at Liselle and nodded. Princess Anilyia threw arms around his neck and kissed him, eliciting gasps from the crowd and a raised eyebrow from the king. When guards grabbed Tathan’s arms, Liselle noticed his sword was gone and wondered where he had put it. When he glanced back over his shoulder at her, she saw the misery in his eyes and felt guilty for telling him to go to jail.

  “Your highness, please go with these women.” King Cranwer pointed at two young women dressed in quality work dresses. Anilyia watched Tathan disappear through the doors. Then the handmaidens took her by the arms and led her away, much the way the guards had done with Tathan.

  “I recommend you three begin your quest as soon as possible, providing you want to get your friend out of jail,” the king suggested. “You will, of course, be given rooms for the night in order to rest. Reasonable supplies will be provided as well as steeds to hasten your journey.”

  “We’ll leave immediately,” Liselle said curtly, fire burning in her eyes yet again. She spun around and moved down the aisle. She didn’t curtsey or say goodbye to the king, which elicited more gasps of shock from the observers.

  Vevin and Sir Danth followed her, also not saying goodbye. Their loyalties were to Liselle, not the king. Emmaoen gave her uncle a quick hug and kiss on the cheek before running after.

  Chapter 12

  Their horses were still in the courtyard. Liselle stomped to her steed, climbed up and took the reins from the groom. Vevin and Sir Danth mounted an instant later, jumping effortlessly onto their saddles with Emmaoen right behind.

  A few minutes later, they were through the castle gates. Liselle was still angry at everything and people were in her way. She didn’t understand why cities had to have so many people and so much noise. Her horse stepped high, moving along at a good clip. The ride was jarring, but in tune with her emotions. Vevin was trying to get her attention, but she ignored him.

  Suddenly he was in front of her, blocking her horse with his. “Dearest, you’re on fire and it’s scaring the people.”

  Liselle glared at him for a moment before looking down and observing that her entire body was on fire. She noticed it didn’t burn the horse or her clothes. The people on the street had scrambled to the sides, leaving a wide path. An elderly woman was struggling to get a small vendor cart out of the way. Vevin had placed his mount in front of Liselle to prevent her from running the woman over.

  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. The anger was overwhelming, ready to consume her. It took a moment for enough of the ire to die down and the fire to leave her body. The emotions weren’t gone though and Liselle desperately wanted to send fire running along the streets.

  Vevin remained in front of her while Emmaoen pulled up on her left and Sir Danth on her right. “Peace, Milady. All will be well,” Sir Danth consoled. “I promise to lay my life on the line to battle this sheep stealing ship that terrorizes peasant villages and, in doing so, secure your cousin’s release.”

  Liselle burst into uncontrolled laughter at the mental image of the knight fighting off an angry ship. Then she began crying. Her moods were washing over her in waves. She didn’t notice that the old woman had made it to a side street even though no one had been brave enough to help her escape.

  “Let’s ride out of the city,” Vevin suggested. “We’ll get away from all these people and find a nice field of flowers for you to sit in. It’s crowded, so we’ll have to take it easy riding down the street.”

  Liselle nodded, not able to speak. Vevin took her reins and led her while Sir Danth rode forward to take point with his sword resting upward next to his thigh. His horse high stepped to draw attention so people could see to move aside. Emmaoen moved behind Liselle to keep from crowding the avenue, giving other traffic room to move around.

  By the time they reached the city wall, the flames had diminished to faint ghosts behind Liselle’s eyes. She continued to feel miserable and the further they got away from Tathan, the more she realized how much she had come to rely on him. He had been there for her when their family died and her world came crashing down. Throughout all of her experiences since then, he was there with an impudent grin and unflagging confidence. She wondered if he had ever gone to jail for anyone else. It just didn’t seem like the sort of thing he would do.

  “Are you better, dearest?” Vevin’s eyes were swirling with concern for her.

  Liselle let her thoughts go and smiled softly at him. “I am better, thank you.”

  “Oh good. I’ve never seen you that mad or scared before.” He leaned over and looked into her eyes. “Most of the flames are gone. There’s only a tiny bit of fire in there.” He jerked his head back. “Oh wait. They’re on fire again. I’m sorry I upset you.”

  Liselle closed them and took another deep breath. She was going to have to stop letting emotions get the better of her. At least it was easier to calm them now. She looked around to see that they were closer to the outskirts of the city. Turning back to Vevin, she asked, “Scared?”

  “Mm-hmm. You were mad, but I can also see that you’re scared for Tathan. I think he got himself into a lot of trouble.”

  She nodded. “I think you’re right. Vevin, I am scared. What if we don’t succeed? I get that he’s a scoundrel, but he’s my cousin and my best friend. I don’t want him to rot in jail or die.”

  “We’ll succeed,” he reassured her with determination. “It does sound like he’s been very bad though.”

  “Yes. I’m ready to know more about that.” She turned in her saddle. “Emmaoen, tell us what you know of my cousin’s misdeeds.”

  The wizardess nodded. “You’ll want to turn right at the next road. It’s a highway that leads south, the direction we want to go. I’ll tell you after we get outside of the city a ways and it’s not so noisy.” Liselle noticed that people were everywhere making a great racket. There were merchant trains, workers, peasants, soldiers and just about every other type of person going in every direction.

  They turned onto the highway, which was wide enough for a number of caravans to travel side by side. Emmaoen explained that it was the main supply road for the kingdom from fertile farmlands to the south. Kethril’s main exports, wool and clothing, came from the south as well.

  A short while later the noise became even louder and the reek of people and animals grew overwhelming. “This is the market,” Emmaoen yelled over the din. Liselle saw covered tents and stalls with vendors shouting for potential customers. The market was on the left, separated from the highway by a low stone wall that didn’t deter people from jumping over, but did provide some separation.

  The market bordered the highway for at least a mile. The sight of so much activity awed Liselle and if it hadn’t been for Vevin still leading her horse, she would have run into numerous people along the way. After passing the market, it took another hour of plodding along to get to the southern outskirts of town where the traffic wasn’t so bad.

  Emmaoen rode up to Liselle’s side again. “Come. We’ll stay at my place for the night.” She gestured to a side street leading to an area of larger houses with trees around. It was evening and a breeze brought the smell of the ocean from the west. “It’s quiet, plus we can get bat
hs, a nice meal and supplies for the road. I’ll get some traveling expenses too so you don’t have to waste any of your money. This is a quest for our kingdom after all.”

  “I want to be done as fast as possible,” Liselle disagreed. “I’m sure your house is nice, but Tathan will be sitting in a cell, waiting for us to return.”

  “The duchess has a sound idea, Milady,” Sir Danth said, turning in his saddle. They had come to a stop at the side of the road near the intersection. “It will take at least one or two weeks to accomplish the task before us. In instances such as this, it is always best to begin well rested and prepared.”

  “I promise we’ll leave first thing in the morning, Liselle,” Emmaoen assured her. I really think you need the rest. I know I do.”

  Liselle looked at Vevin, who nodded. With a sigh, she agreed. “Alright, but we leave first thing in the morning.” Emmaoen didn’t wait for her to change her mind. Taking the lead, she turned down the new road. Sir Danth motioned for Liselle and Vevin to follow. She noticed that the knight always seemed to take the lead or the rear.

  If she was being honest with herself, the events of the day had drained her. Liselle was both hungry and tired. Resting for the night might help with the raging emotions still boiling underneath the surface. It felt as though the slightest thing might cause her to explode into flames again. She did manage to take back the reins from Vevin.

  Low walls lined the wide cobbled lane they traveled. Well-maintained yards had manicured bushes, cut lawns and flowers that waved their leaves at Liselle. She waved back, smiling for the first time that day. Emmaoen glanced at the flowers, then back at Liselle again as though contemplating what the relationship with flowers meant.

  The houses gave way to large manors with personal guards at the gates. Liselle noticed there were no peasants walking along the lane, though a few servants were bustling about on various errands. A small squad of soldiers passed by, saluting the duchess who nodded her head at them. They sized up Sir Danth while passing by. A few even looked back as the companions rode on.

  It took another twenty minutes to reach Emmaoen’s property. The wall around it was eight feet high with iron spikes on top to discourage trespassers. Two guards came out of a small shack built against the wall. Before Emmaoen even turned up the path, they had the large wrought iron gates open. The duchess smiled to them when they saluted her. Beyond the gates was a long, tree-lined pathway leading up to a large manor. Liselle couldn’t see the entire building, but it looked large.

  The evening sun was lowering below fluffy clouds to the west, creating a golden glow over everything. Birds chirped in the foliage and a squirrel scurried across the path to get to a tree on the other side that obviously had better offerings than the one it had come from. The grounds were tranquil and pleasant compared to the bustle of city streets they had come from. It helped Liselle to relax a little more.

  Her jaw dropped when they came to the cobbled courtyard with a grand fountain in the middle. More impressive was the three-floor stone manor that curved seven hundred feet in either direction. Windows lined the building and numerous chimneys rose from the roof. It wasn’t as big as the castle they had just come from, but easily outsized any other building she had seen, including all the inns they had stayed at, even the Lost Road Inn. On the right was a smaller building with large wooden doors that opened outward. A man polished an elegant white carriage with gold filigree just outside. Another carriage appeared to be inside of the building.

  “Your horse, Milady?” A groom held out a hand for the reins. While Liselle was busy gawking, they had ridden up to the short steps leading to the door. The others had already dismounted and Vevin was there to help her off. Liselle blushed, turned over the reins and accepted Vevin’s hand. They followed Emmaoen up the steps and inside the main doors that two doormen held open.

  The interior of the manor was even more extravagant, with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling high above and marble columns lining a carpeted walkway. Detailed tapestries drew eyes to the scenes woven into them. The carpet was blue with gold patterns woven in. It led to a grand staircase with alabaster railings that curved upward in both directions to the second and then third floors.

  “Welcome home, Duchess.” A tall, thin man in immaculate leggings and tunic greeted them. The bald spot on the top of his head was visible as he bowed with one leg back for balance. The rest of his hair was white with age. Every movement he made was precise and graceful.

  “Thank you, Navesh,” Emmaoen said. “My friends will take the rooms near mine. There will be four of us for dinner although the knight will not eat. Inform the cook that it is because of a curse and no disrespect is intended.” Navesh gave a nod to each point as he followed Emmaoen to the grand staircase and up the steps. “The horses my friends ride belong to the regiment of General Bormann and are to be returned along with the tack and saddles. Have new horses drawn from my stables in the morning. We’ll be leaving by sunrise. Have two packhorses included with a week’s worth of supplies. I’ll need my advisor to bring me any papers to sign and finances for a journey. There will be more, but that’s a good start.”

  “Yes, Duchess. Everything will be taken care of.” Navesh stepped to the side and bowed again as they continued up the stairs to the third floor.

  Liselle looked back to see Navesh snapping his fingers and servants come running from every direction. At the top of the stairs, two well-dressed ladies-in-waiting curtseyed as Emmaoen walked past. She nodded at them and they followed, lifting their skirts in order to keep up. Tapestries, carpeting and small statues decorated the hall. Unlike Rojuun houses, it was tasteful.

  Then Liselle saw the vases with cut flowers arranged in bouquets. They sat on waist high pedestals to either side of the hallway. She couldn’t stop the scream of terror that ripped from her throat. She dashed to the ones on the right, helplessly touching the pretty, but lifeless petals. There was a variety of flowers in different colors. Small white baby’s breath was mixed in, also murdered with a knife. She wept in despair.

  Liselle hadn’t noticed everyone else jump in shock at her scream. Sir Danth’s sword was in his hands as he looked for the danger. The two ladies-in-waiting ducked with arms over their heads and Emmaoen looked around. In an instant, guards came running from both directions with weapons drawn. Vevin realized what Liselle was upset about and held her. She buried her face into his shoulder and broke down in grief.

  The guards looked at Sir Danth first and aimed their weapons at him. “Put your weapon away!” the senior of the guards yelled. Sir Danth could have killed them, but they were not the enemy.

  “What’s wrong?” Emmaoen asked. “I see no danger.”

  Liselle lifted her head from Vevin’s chest. “You murdered them!” she accused in a ragged voice while pointing at the slain blossoms. “You call me friend, but you butcher flowers and present them as prizes to be shown in a tasteless display of contempt.”

  The duchess stared at Liselle in complete shock. She looked at the flowers, back at Liselle, back at the flowers, back at Liselle and then she grabbed the vase. Taking it to the nearest guard, she thrust it at him. “Take this to . . .” she stopped, not knowing what to do with it. The guard sheathed his sword and took the vase. Turning back to Liselle, Emmaoen asked, “What is the proper way to . . . hold a funeral?” Snapping her fingers at the ladies-in-waiting, she pointed at the other vase. One of them grabbed it and stared, wondering what to do.

  “Take them to a clear spot outside that won’t get trampled. I’ll care for them there,” Liselle answered coldly.

  Emmaoen jerked back as though slapped in the face. She turned to the soldier who held the vase. “Captain, Take these flowers to the northwestern corner of the wall. There’s a barren spot there. Gather up your men and have them get any other flowers. Bring those there as well.” She turned the way they had come and saw Navesh rushing up. “Navesh! Let it be known that it is forbidden to cut or murder flowers in any way from this point on.
Anyone found doing so will be removed from service. Is that clear?”

  “I . . . yes, Duchess.” He bowed.

  Everyone stood there, staring at the duchess and Liselle in astonishment. “What are you waiting for?!” Emmaoen yelled. “Move!” The guards and servants scurried. Then she turned to Liselle once more. “I am so sorry, Liselle. I was ignorant in the ways of flowers. Please forgive me.”

  Liselle thought about it for a moment. She nodded before resting her head against Vevin’s shoulder again.

  “Shall we take care of the flowers now, or do you want to wait?” the duchess asked.

  “I want to take care of them now,” Liselle said. Emmaoen nodded and led them back the way they came. Servants and guards were dashing about to collect all the flowers as the party walked down the stairs.

  They turned right at the bottom of the stairs and went down the main hallway of the west wing. More servants rushed by. The sheer number of people in the house surprised Liselle and she wondered who lived there besides Emmaoen.

  A guard who had been escorting them held open a door. Outside was a large patio with a number of tables and seats scattered around. Small statuettes on pedestals, a couple of birdbaths and a smaller version of the fountain in front decorated the area. Flowers were around it, but they hadn’t been murdered like the others.

  When they reached the wall, Liselle saw that a good-sized section of the grounds was unplanted. The earth was moist from recent rains, but nothing grew. In that area, guards and servants had been placing vases of flowers. Liselle counted thirty-three vases and tears flowed down her cheeks again. Emmaoen stopped and hung her head. “I’m so sorry, Liselle.”

  Liselle nodded and removed Vevin’s arm from her waist. Gesturing for them to wait, she walked forward to the barren patch. She began taking flowers out of the vases and spreading them around the patch. She didn’t go too close to the western wall so as not to cut them off from evening light. Six more bouquets were brought during the time and she added those flowers to the ground as well. Servants took away the vases as she emptied them.