“Well, that was not quite what I meant – Ah, Thade. She is awake.” Feolan’s hand moved away, followed by the sound of his footsteps across the floor, growing fainter.
She could hear them speaking in hushed tones, the exact words inaudible. If only it didn’t hurt so much to move! She wanted to sit up and assure them she would be just fine. After all, she was alive. That meant she would still be able to help them find a way to defeat Damir.
“We should be prepared, then.” Thade’s voice sounded hard. Angry. “Kael is foolish enough to look for her, and this will no doubt be the first place he comes.”
“Sir, you cannot seriously be thinking of fighting him. We cannot take risks like that,” Feolan argued. “If he insists on combat, then I will see to his terms, but you are not to draw your weapon.”
“Feolan, no,” Maeri pleaded. They were all away from her now. Caught up in their own personal emotions over the situation. Leyna hated the thought of the burden she’d become on her friends. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.
But Thade was right. If Kael desired revenge, his first thought would be to come for her. And his jealousy would point him directly to Thade. Unless he sought to strike at them in some other way. Kael had the means of wounding them in ways beyond the physical – and she didn’t doubt his ability to carry through.
Grimacing from the pain, Leyna tried to prop herself up on the cushions, her strained groans catching the attention of her friends still arguing on the other side of the room. “Thade,” she winced. “If he comes here, he will try to kill you.”
Thade moved swiftly over to her side, leaving Feolan staring after him in protest. “Am I the reason he did this to you? I must know.”
Leyna laughed miserably. To think on his accusations seemed ridiculous. She didn’t know how to put them into words. “I doubt he knows why he did it. His reasons were convoluted and inane. He has somehow convinced himself that I am having your child.”
“Leyna, are you pregnant?” Maeri asked innocently, moving back over to stand beside the arm of the settee.
Thade and Leyna both glanced over to Maeri in confusion. “Of course not, Maeri,” she breathed irritably. “The man has lost his mind. You and I both know what is required to lead to that condition, and I certainly have not been doing that with the Consul.” She thought over her words uncomfortably, realizing the awkwardness of her statement, her cheeks flushing with warmth.
“My child?” Thade whispered in disbelief. “Are you telling me Kael did this to you because of some asinine idea his unstable mind fabricated?”
“It is even worse,” Leyna sighed. “I had to tell him about the request for an annulment. He now believes I am trying to leave him so that I can be with you – and that we were off for the last month seeking a place for me to hide away once my supposed pregnancy becomes too noticeable.”
“I have never seen anyone fall this far before. This insanity. There is no basis for the claims he makes.”
“He is likely threatened by you, sir,” Feolan shrugged, his eyes moving cautiously over to the door. “You are far more pleasant company for his own wife-to-be than he is. In a perfectly innocent way, of course, but he knows nothing of your long standing friendship. You have everything he desires to achieve in life. Wealth, status – he is blindly convinced you will take away the only thing he cares about.”
“If he cared about her, he would not have done this,” Thade scowled. “Better men than him have been imprisoned for less. This is unacceptable.”
Leyna shook her head. The events of Thade’s confrontation with Kael were coming back with more clarity, a shiver coursing through her spine at the memory. She could see the blank look in Kael’s eyes as he stood over his sword, hearing Thade call out a name as he reached Leyna’s side. A name Kael likely knew but to that point had not expected Thade to speak. No longer did an attack on Thade’s home seem imminent. The revelation of her true name would bring a new wave of danger much larger than anything Kael was capable of on his own.
“He knows who I am.” Nothing else felt necessary to say.
Realization dawned on Thade’s face after a moment of silence, revealing his guilt and frustration at his mistake. He cursed under his breath, averting his eyes from Leyna. “I said your name. How could I have been so foolish?”
“You used her name in Kael’s presence?” Feolan blinked in disbelief. “Did he say anything in response? Surely he must have been confused –”
“He has heard the name before. Damir and Kyros are aware of it, and have likely shared the information with Kael,” Leyna cut in, not wanting to see Thade beat himself up over an honest mistake. She couldn’t blame him for losing his head. “Kyros has indicated his familiarity with my identity, but suggested me to be oblivious to it. Unaware of my own past. I was so young back then. It would make sense for Kyros and Damir to believe me to have been taken as a slave when I left Mialan and forgotten myself.”
She knew Feolan and Maeri would be confused by her statement, but she couldn’t focus on them right now. There were things she was curious about. Things Thade had spoken of to Kael which had yet to be explained to her in any detail. She wanted to know about his claims regarding her annulment, while at the same time she had no desire to discuss it in the presence of Maeri and Feolan. If she was going to receive bad news, she wanted as few witnesses as possible. “Thade,” she whispered quietly, the sound of his name immediately drawing Thade’s attention back to her. “I would like to speak with you in private – if that is not inappropriate of me to request.”
“It is not inappropriate at all,” he replied calmly, glancing up to Feolan with a stern gaze. “If you and Lady Diah would step out for a few moments. It is a pleasant evening outside. Perhaps you could enjoy a bit of a walk.”
“Sir, I don’t think –” Feolan started, his protest cut short by Thade’s interjection.
“That is an order, Feolan,” Thade’s voice was commanding, reminding Leyna of the days she served under him in the war. Feolan knew better than to argue with a direct order.
“We will be in the study, then,” Feolan stated, casting a final look of concern at the two of them. Begrudgingly he put his arm around Maeri, pressing her in the direction of the hallway, his gaze lingering over his shoulder at Thade as he disappeared down the hall.
Thade’s eyes remained on the shadows in the hall, waiting for the sound of the study door closing before letting his gaze slowly move back to where Leyna remained lying on the cushions in front of him. “I apologize. Giving orders is not something I enjoy doing, but at times I have little choice. Feolan dislikes leaving me unattended.”
“I cannot blame him,” Leyna smiled. Letting her muscles relax into the softness of the settee, her pain eased with the release of the strain she’d been exerting. “Under any other circumstances, I wouldn’t have minded their company, but the matter I wish to ask you on is a bit personal and I am not ready to discuss it amongst everyone quite yet.”
“I suspect I already know what you refer to, though given that I have been wrong in the past, I will let you ask rather than assume,” he nodded.
Leyna felt her mouth twitch in a half-smile, her nerves starting to get the better of her at the thought of asking the question weighing on her mind. The possibility of being free of her engagement was almost too good to be true. She feared hearing him confirm it to be nothing more than a clever trick used to get under Kael’s skin. “Is it true?” she asked hesitantly, unsure of how else to begin. “Am I released from my bond with Kael?”
Thade gave a knowing nod, unsurprised. “It is in fact true. My only regret is that I was unable to reveal the news to you in a more pleasant fashion.”
“But when?” Leyna breathed, unable to hide her relief. “How did you hear? I thought you were still awaiting word on the priests’ decision when we departed from Mialan.”
“I must admit, I was surprised by the swift response as well. There is a confession I must make to you, however.” Thade
’s eyes settled on Leyna, watching her closely to see her reaction. “The request was never sent to the Tanispan priests. I directed the courier to deliver the letter to the hands of Her Majesty personally. In my mind, I believed our chances of success were greater under her deliberations than those of anyone else. Not to mention, she would be more open to hearing my arguments in your defense than the priests. Knowing I would be in Mialan, she had her decision sent to me there. I received it in the morning when I awoke after the party. I thought to give you the news as a homecoming gift when we arrived to Siscal. I now know I should have told you sooner…”
“No,” she interrupted, struggling to lift her hand to silence him. “What matters is that it is done. I couldn’t care less about how I learned of it or when, as long as I know. I was afraid you were only saying it to anger Kael.”
“In a way, I was.” Thade frowned. “All I could think about was how to hurt him the most for what he did to you. I did not think you were awake to hear what I was saying and I knew the news would hit him hard. In truth, when I think over my actions last night, I do not believe I was thinking at all.” He was staring at Leyna, gazing at her with concern. His motions were graceful, confident, moving around the arm of the settee to situate himself lightly next to her on the cushions.
The familiar guilt came over her that she couldn’t escape whenever he looked at her that way. “I am so sorry,” she whispered. “You are too good to me. Anyone else would have given up on me years ago for all the trouble I have caused.”
Gently, he brushed his thumb over the skin of her forehead. The cut there seemed to catch his attention, distracting him momentarily, his voice distant. “I cannot imagine what you must be going through right now. You handle everything with such poise and strength that I have never witnessed before. If you need to talk about anything, or to let out your frustrations, please do not feel you must put on a façade in front of me. I worry that you bottle it all up simply to give the illusion that you do not need anyone to help you.”
Leyna smiled up at him warmly. “There was a time when I admit I did so, but that is no longer the case. This is not the time for me to do everything on my own. You need my help just as much as I need yours. I will have time to wallow in self-pity over my personal mistakes after the threat of war has subsided.”
Nodding his head, Thade moved from the settee, grabbing a blanket from the back of the chair across the room to cover her. “Try to get some sleep, then,” he replied, his voice solemn and quiet. “We will have much to discuss when you are rested. There were some interesting developments while we were away, and I believe there will be plenty of work needed to be done in a very short amount of time if we are going to have any hope at beating our enemy.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
The courtyard of Queen Nesperiti’s palace brought back painful memories as Leyna allowed Thade to assist her down the path, winding through the lush grounds toward the entrance. He had fashioned a crutch to help her gain some mobility while her leg healed. She was unaccustomed to the device, finding it difficult to manage at times. Even broken, her own leg was far easier to utilize than a padded stick could ever be. But she was not allowed to put weight on the injury for at least a few more weeks.
It was embarrassing, entering into the palace in her condition, the looks of distaste she received from the other courtiers. An injury to the extent of hers was unusual for a woman of court. Her gait was awkward and slow, being careful not to accidentally set the base of her crutch on the hem of her gown, afraid of tripping and sending herself and Thade both tumbling to the ground. What a spectacle that would be!
They were to meet with the Carpaen ambassadors with word on Tanispa’s request for an alliance. Queen Nesperiti had granted her favor in the matter, left with little option for decline given the assistance Tanispa had offered during Siscal’s most recent war against Namorea.
As a show of courtesy, Nesperiti had granted them use of her palace to conduct their business with Carpaen due to Leyna’s inability to travel through the desert. Long distances would be too difficult until the bone was healed, and their time was limited. It was impossible to know when Damir and Oksuva would begin their march on the Vor’shai. More than two weeks had already passed since Leyna and Thade returned from Mialan and still there was no word from Zander. Leyna couldn’t help but fear the worst.
Throughout the years she had lived in Carpaen, Leyna had never seen the royal family. Occasionally they would pass through the city of Eykanua to visit the academy, but her duties always prevented her from laying eyes on them. She couldn’t deny her curiosity, but there would be no sating that today. Their meeting would be with Emperor Radnor’s ambassador to Siscal. Leyna could only hope that the Emperor would be sympathetic to their plight and have sent good news.
“I am not certain I am ready for this,” Leyna whispered, leaning heavily on her crutch, Thade’s hand gently resting on her shoulder in case she stumbled. “My appearance is far from appropriate to be doing any kind of business. Especially to the degree of importance as ours.”
“The Carpaen ambassador is a good man. He will think nothing of your injury. My only concern is whether or not you are in any pain. Are you comfortable?” Thade asked.
His question made her laugh. Comfortable? Her lungs were restricted by a damnable corset cinched tightly around her midsection, the flowing cornflower blue skirts of her gown constantly in the way of her crutch with every step, muscles tensed, agitating the fractured bone in her leg. “I’m not certain that is the word I would use to describe my current state, but if it eases your mind, then consider it to be so.”
Thade stared at her, a grimace crossing his elegant features. “When we reach our destination, I will request a chair for you. There is no need for you to stand throughout the meeting.”
“Do not worry about me, Thade,” she smiled. It was sweet of him to show the concern he did, but she felt it was misplaced. As if he somehow blamed himself for the injury and sought exoneration in tending to her every whim. “We should not keep them waiting,” Leyna motioned Thade forward down the hall. “They are expecting us.”
Nodding his head Thade resumed his slow pace at Leyna’s side. She was grateful for his knowledge of the palace layout. Without him, she would be lost. The halls were more intricate than any other she’d seen, branching off at strange angles to create corridors leading deeper into the center of the building. Nesperiti’s court was one of the largest, second only to that of Emperor Radnor in Carpaen. The human nations enjoyed extravagance. Large numbers of people around them at any given time, adding to the appearance of importance.
Upon reaching the door of the meeting room, Thade allowed himself to step away from Leyna, opening the door for her to enter. He barely let her take more than two steps inside before he was beside her again, guiding her forward to the center of the room. A large table was situated there, the high-glossed finish of the surface reflecting the dancing lights from candles on the chandelier overhead.
Two men were seated at the table. At Thade and Leyna’s entrance, the men rose to their feet, stepping around their chairs to bow in cordial greeting. “Consul Imri, I presume?” one of the men stated, lifting his head to give a dashing smile.
Leyna drew in a sharp breath at the sight of him, overcome with a strange happiness to see his face. It had been years since she’d seen it last, though she remembered every detail, hindered only by a slight grey to his sun-bleached hair and several added lines around his eyes and mouth. The complexion of his face retained the deep tan that she recalled from her youth. An effect caused by the amount of time he spent in the hot desert sun.
Their eyes met, recognition quickly forming over the man’s expression. “My heavens, Leyna? Is that you?”
“Blaise,” she said, excited to see him. Though their last meeting had been far from enjoyable, time changed a great deal between the two of them. Twenty years had come to pass since that day at the Academy when Blaise fought to prevent her
from leaving Carpaen. Now there was no fear of him. Only a deep nostalgia at seeing the familiar face of an old friend. “I had no idea you had any interest in politics. Are you no longer teaching at the Academy?”
Seeing her struggle forward with her steps, Blaise intercepted her, arms wrapping around her in a warm embrace. “My time there is scarce, these days. My recent promotion to the position of Emperor Radnor’s Steward has come as a welcome relief to these old bones of mine. I’m not as young as I used to be. The long days teaching are a bit much anymore. You, however – I didn’t think it possible, but you are even more beautiful now than the day you left Eykanua. Time has treated you better than it has me, that’s for sure,” he chuckled. Pulling away he held Leyna’s arms lightly, looking her over appraisingly, forehead creased with sympathy. “Alas, you seem to be injured. Still playing rough, are you?”
“As rough as they will let me, these days.”
“That’s my girl,” he grinned, patting her arm approvingly. “Ah, but where are my manners? Have you met Henri?” Blaise gestured toward the other man still standing near the table, his face contorted in confusion, similar to the expression now evident on Thade’s as he made his way to Leyna’s side. The man shared the same bronze complexion as Blaise, though significantly less lined with aged. The light brown waves of curly hair sat over his shoulders, brushed neatly, resting on the high collar of his rich blue doublet. “Henri is Emperor Radnor’s ambassador here in Siscal.”
Moving forward Henri bowed to Leyna, taking her hand gently in his to kiss the back of it. “A pleasure, Miss –?”
“Evantine,” Thade cut in. His voice drew the attention of both men, as if suddenly reminding them of his presence. “Lady… Evantine. She is a respected member of Queen Nesperiti’s court.”
“A Siscalian Courtier? For some reason I was under the impression you would be in Queen Vorsila’s court by now. The Tanispan Prince indicated that to be the case, anyway.” Blaise raised his brow inquisitively in Leyna’s direction. “You must be good friends with the Tanispans, at least, if they are allowing you to accompany their Consul on business. Do, please, have a seat. There is no need for rigid formalities. We are among friends, here.”
The Myatheira Chronicles: The Vor'shai: From the Ashes (Volume 1) Page 73
