Birthright: The Crystal Throne - Book 1

by Kim Fedyk

  “Besides,” Absalom continued as though Rogan hadn’t spoken, “I gave her some sentimental nonsense about how we are here to protect her and how you use your magic to defend those in the castle. I’m pretty sure she bought it.”

  Rogan still looked sceptical.

  “Don’t worry,” Absalom said, “I am not going to leave something this important up to chance. If it is clear that she is being swayed against us, or that I will not be able to make her trust me completely, I will not hesitate to have you enchant her.”

  “Alright,” said Rogan. He turned to leave.

  “And Rogan,” Absalom called after him, forcing him to turn back around. “Do something about those two in my harem; their amount of free-will is troubling.”

  “Just the two of them?”

  Absalom thought for a moment, “Good point. Recombine all of them. If some are starting to disenchant, others might be as well. Besides, I am getting bored with them; some new combinations would be nice. You haven’t made me a red-head in a while.”

  Rogan smiled with a cold glint in his eye. “I will see what I can do.”

  * * *

  Just as Absalom had said, Arleth came to a series of three doors. Following, his directions she opened the door in the middle and made her way down the hall it opened into. She was thinking about the memory spell and about Absalom’s sorcerer. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t notice that the door didn’t shut behind her. It was stopped by a foot, inserted just as the door was closing. As Arleth walked obliviously down the hall, the owner of the foot crept his way through the door and closing it silently behind him, melted into the shadows.

  Absalom had been right, the spell was completely painless. She had felt nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, if he hadn’t told her that there was magic being used on her, she would not have even known. She was glad that Absalom had been honest with her though, explaining the magic to her and reassuring her that everything would be fine. Absalom really was a great man. She didn’t know anything about kings, but she didn’t think that many of them would have taken the time that he had to make her feel comfortable.

  Then why hadn’t she told him about the women in the courtyard? She had already confessed that she had been there and it wouldn’t have been hard for her to have seen them in the search for her bracelet. Absalom would have been able to answer her questions about Rogan. Arleth didn’t know why she hadn’t asked. Although she trusted Absalom and because of him, his sorcerer, something had held her back from confiding in him. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. It was possible that since she hadn’t had anyone to call a friend, except for maybe Chuck since Flora had died seven years ago, maybe she couldn’t trust anymore. That fateful day had certainly taken away her childhood innocence and made her more wary and suspicious, but for some reason she didn’t think that explained her reluctance.

  The sound of footsteps behind her interrupted her thoughts. She turned around to see who was behind her, expecting to see another servant or perhaps a messenger or soldier; the footsteps had been too light to belong to a greken. But when she turned around, there was no one there, just an empty hall.

  That was weird she thought. She must have imagined it. She turned back around and started walking down the hall again. She had gone a few steps when she heard the footsteps again, this time they sounded closer. Arleth spun around immediately and this time, she saw a dark form melt into the shadows to her right.

  There was definitely someone there, and whoever it was, was clearly following her and didn’t want her to see them. Maybe it was the assassin that had chased her on Tocarra! Or one of his accomplices. Absalom said that he would protect her, but she couldn’t go back to him now; the assailant was blocking that path. Her only hope was to out run whoever it was. She needed to reach a communal area like the kitchen or dining hall before the shadowy figure caught up to her. Arleth felt a surge of terror and started running down the hall.

  She had gone no more than a couple of steps when a firm hand covered her mouth and another grabbed her waist and pulled her into the shadows at the side of the hall. She felt some fumbling around behind her and momentarily the hand that had clasped around her waist was removed. Arleth, already struggling against her attacker, took the opportunity to give them a strong elbow to the stomach. A male voice gave a grunt of pain, and then the hand grabbed her around the waist again, this time tighter. She fought in vain as she was pulled into a dark room off of the hall. Her captor kicked the door shut behind them and just like that, she was engulfed in total darkness, the prisoner of a man she felt pretty sure didn’t have good intentions.

  Chapter 14

  Arleth tried to scream, but all that came out was a faint muffled noise; the man’s hand was clasped too tightly around her mouth. But that didn’t stop her from struggling. She twisted and squirmed in his grasp, trying to get free. The man was too strong though; she was struggling with all her force, but his grip never loosened on her. Beginning to get frantic, Arleth started thrusting elbows behind her into what she presumed was the man’s stomach. She didn’t know if it was hurting him, but she had to do something. She couldn’t just let herself be submissively captured. The man’s grip still didn’t loosen and so she took her right foot and kicked backwards at him with all her might. The man cried out in pain and staggered backwards a bit.

  “Wait! Arleth, stop. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  Hardly listening to what he was saying, she kicked him again. This time, the blow hit him in the knee and he collapsed onto the ground. But his grip never loosened on her mouth and waist and so he brought her down with him. With a grunt, Arleth landed on the man’s lap as he crashed into the ground. Winded, Arleth stopped struggling for a few seconds. The man took the opportunity to speak again.

  “Arleth, wait!”

  Her raised elbow paused in mid-air; how did he know her name?

  Encouraged by her response, he spoke again, “Arleth, I am not going to hurt you, I am a friend.”

  “mmh dh mnn knmh mh mnhm?” Arleth asked, her voice completely muffled by the man’s hand. She had stopped struggling, but her elbow remained in mid-air ready to strike.

  “I am going to remove my hand from your mouth ok? But you have to promise me you won’t scream. Can you promise me?”

  “mm hmm,” Arleth nodded.

  “Ok,” said the man. He slowly removed his hand from her mouth, ready to put it back if she started to scream. His other arm remained around her waist.

  Arleth didn’t scream though, instead she repeated her question, “How do you know my name?”

  “I saw you a long time ago. You wouldn’t remember me.”

  He removed his grip from her waist and Arleth climbed off of his lap and sat down facing him. She didn’t understand what he was saying, but she didn’t think he was a threat to her.

  “You know my sister Arleth. Or I guess I should say knew her, I suppose she must be dead now or this situation would never have happened.”

  “Your sister? I really don’t think I do..”

  “Neve.”

  “Neve was your sister?” Arleth said incredulously. “But how come you never came to visit her, how come she never mentioned you? How come you are here on Oherra and she was on Tocarra?"

  “Things were quite,” he fished around for the right word, “complicated here. I was not sure she was even alive, and I can imagine that she wouldn’t have known if I was alive either. I am sorry, I can’t explain more, it is not my place to do so. I can see how this would make me seem dishonest to you. I can assure you I am telling the truth ... but I suppose that won’t be enough for you.” He hesitated, thinking, “I know, ask me any questions you like about Neve, and I will answer them for you.”

  “Alright,” Arleth said. “What was Neve’s favourite colour?”

  “Blue,” the man answered immediately.

  “Yes, that is correct, just like her eyes.”

  “No,” the man corrected, “Her eyes were gre
en. A pale green with flecks of gold.”

  “Did Neve like singing?”

  “Yes, she did. She was older than me by five years and one night I remember when I was a child, there was a terrible storm and I was afraid. She held me and sang to me for hours until I fell asleep. She had the most beautiful singing voice...” His voice broke off. He was trying to hold back tears.

  Arleth for her part could feel the tears begin in the corner of her eyes. “I miss her so much,” Arleth cried.

  "So she is dead then,” said the man sadly.

  Arleth burst into tears, “I believe you,” she sobbed at the man. “I loved Neve so much.” The man reached for her blindly in the dark and, finding her shoulders, pulled her to him. He held her against his chest for a couple of minutes, until Arleth had stopped crying and he had regained his composure.

  “Can you please tell me how my sister died,” the man asked quietly.

  Arleth nodded and told him what had happened that day seven years ago. “Thank you,” the man said in a choked voice when she had finished. “I never knew what had happened to her; it helps to at least get some kind of closure.” They sat in silence for a few moments and then abruptly the man said, “I’m sorry Arleth, I have been selfish. I don’t have much time and there are some very important things that I need to tell you. I shouldn’t have been wasting it asking you about my sister.”

  “What do you have to tell me?” Arleth asked, intrigued.

  “Absalom is not who you think he is. He is not the rightful ruler of Oherra. He is a very bad man, his sorcerer, Rogan, is even worse.”

  “But,” Arleth started in protest.

  “Please let me finish,” the man cut her off. “I don’t expect you to believe me just yet, but please let me say what I have to say.” Arleth stayed silent, and the man continued, “You have probably noticed that there is a war going on. This war has lasted just over a decade, and for all that time neither side has managed to defeat the other. It is a struggle for the claim to the throne of Oherra. The rightful heir; Aedan Amara leads the struggle against Absalom. For the last three years I have been here in Iridian Castle spying on Absalom and reporting back to Aedan.”

  Arleth wasn’t sure what to believe, “Are you a member of the Black Thorn?”

  “The what?”

  “The Black Thorn, the assassin group that has been attacking Absalom and who chased me in Tocarra?”

  The man sighed, “I don’t know what lies Absalom has told you but there is no such thing as the Black Thorn and no assassin group. I don’t know who chased you on Tocarra, but I can assure you it wasn’t a member of an assassin group. Listen,” the man said growing anxious, “I have stayed here too long as it is, it is not safe for either one of us.” Arleth heard a shuffling and a small ball of light appeared in the air between them. The man was holding it up, and fumbling in his pockets for something. In the dim light Arleth could just make out his face: pale, freckled skin, red hair, green eyes and a short, scruffy beard. Well, Arleth thought, at least she knew he was definitely telling the truth about being Neve’s brother. He was perfectly the male version of her.

  “Here,” the man said holding out a small blue object in the palm of his hand. “I don’t expect you to believe me right away,” he repeated, “The position of the King of Oherra has a legacy of greatness and unfortunately for me right now, that legacy has been misplaced onto a very evil man. But you are a clever girl, you must have noticed some of the strange things that happen in this castle. Have you wondered yet why none of the servants smile, talk, or even know their own names? Why there are no towns in the valley? No communities, no animals, no people? Please take this,” he said, extending his hand towards Arleth. “It is a concealing spell. It won’t make you invisible, you will still have to hide, but it will ensure that no one can sense your presence using magic. Don’t worry, I use them all the time, it is how I sneak around the castle undetected.” With that he, grabbed another one from his pocket, showed it to her to prove that he was taking the same pill he had offered to her and popped it in his mouth. Hesitantly, Arleth picked up the pill from his hand and examined it. It was a small cylindrical tablet. There was absolutely nothing remarkable about it. She shrugged her shoulders, there was no harm in keeping it; she didn’t have to actually take it.

  “Take this too,” the spy said handing her a small key. “There is a tower right next to the main hall. If you go up the stairs in the main hall and across the corridor, you will see the entrance to the tower. If you go down the stairs there to the very bottom you will find yourself in the dungeons. Close to the entrance there will be a huge black door. It will have strange green markings on it and a red hand. This key will open the door. Inside, you will find the answers to your questions.”

  Arleth took the key from the man and loosened the belt from her dress. She shoved both the pill and the key behind the belt, against the fabric of her dress, and pulled the belt tight, hiding both from sight.

  “Please be careful Arleth, it is not safe for you here. I wish I could take you with me, but that would put you in even more danger. I fear you will not see me alive again. Goodbye Arleth, it was nice to meet you.” With that, he extinguished the light, turned and exited the room, leaving Arleth alone in the darkness.

  Arleth didn’t know what to do, she was shaken and confused. She didn’t know what to think, who to believe, so she just stayed where she was, sitting in the dark room, contemplating her options. On the one hand, the man was definitely Neve’s brother. He looked too much like her and knew too much about her, to have been making that up. He had been clearly upset when he learned that she had died and how she had been killed. Arleth couldn’t imagine that anyone who loved Neve as much as she did, Neve’s own brother, could have wicked intentions. But she also couldn’t believe that Absalom was evil - he seemed too genuine, too sincere. He had shown her nothing but kindness since she had come to Oherra, in fact, he had gone out of his way to make her feel comfortable.

  But then again, what the spy had said about strange things going on in the castle was true. Arleth had wondered why the servants never talked and she had thought it was strange that the girl who had given her the tour said she didn’t know her own name. But Absalom had explained this to her; the servants were just private, they didn’t want to open up to her just yet because she was a newcomer. That had made sense to Arleth at the time, but now she wasn’t so sure. Was there something else going on?

  And the girl in the courtyard; her injury had been horrendous. Both her and the second woman had been terrified at the mention of Rogan’s name. Upon hearing that Rogan was the king’s sorcerer and in his presence, she had dismissed the incident – the girls must be prisoners or something and Rogan was in charge of them. But if she took what the spy said as the truth, that Rogan and Absalom were not the kind, moral people she thought they were, then the whole event made a lot more sense. Remembering the innocent faces on the two girls and the way the cat trusted the blonde one, it made much more sense if Rogan and Absalom were the malevolent ones. But, she didn’t know who those girls really were, she reminded herself and she didn’t want to judge something so important just based on appearances. Also, if the spy had been telling the truth about them, then he was also telling the truth about there being no assassin group, nothing called the Black Thorn. And that confused Arleth even more. If there were no assassins after the king, than whom had that scar-faced man been and why had he been chasing her? And stranger still, if there were no assassins, why had Absalom made up that lie and taken her to Oherra with him?

  Arleth sighed, she had gone over everything that she knew, and it had gotten her nowhere. She was still just as confused as when she had started. There was also something gnawing at her, something that didn’t quite make sense with what the spy had told her. It had to do with Absalom not being the rightful king of Oherra. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she knew there was something, some fact she had learned that didn’t make sense if he wasn’
t the real king. Whatever it was though, stayed infuriatingly just out of her grasp.

  Well, Arleth thought, I am not going to get the answers I need sitting here. She put her right hand down on her belt, feeling the key and the blue pill beneath. I guess I have no other choice she thought. It also didn’t hurt that she was insanely curious about what was behind the door, especially since it was in one of the towers that was off-bounds. She wouldn’t be rash though, for once in her life she would not run on her emotion. She would remain calm, and if she still had the same frame of mind tomorrow morning as she did now, she would check out what was in the dungeons first thing after breakfast. With her mind made up, she fumbled around in the dark for the door knob and pushed the door gently open. She poked her head out and looked down the hall in both directions. Not seeing anyone, she exited the room, closed the door behind her and made her way down the hall. She would go back to the tunnel she was supposed to have been in this whole time, and clean it in blissful boredom until it was time for dinner.

  Chapter 15

  It was late at night and Selene was exhausted, she had spent all day (and the two before it) perfecting the Alondrane. But as tired as she was, she couldn’t sleep. She was sitting outside her and Aedan’s tent with her back against the cold stone of the cave wall. Except for a couple of soldiers on guard a fair distance away from her, everyone else was asleep. She held the Alondrane in her hand, studying it, checking once again if there was anything wrong with it. She had made them before, but none quite like this one and certainly not one for such an important purpose. Her life had always been in danger by using them, that was just the nature of how an Alondrane worked, but this time she was also endangering Aedan. If it didn’t work properly, he would die. It was that simple, if she had miscalculated, Absalom would capture Aedan and he would die a slow and tortured death. That was why she was awake now, checking and re-checking her Alondrane. Running all sorts of magical tests on it to make sure they all responded properly. So far they all had. She just had one more left to try.