by Kim Fedyk
While Aedan had been reminiscing about his childhood, the gates to the castle had been opened. He was now being forcibly led through into the inner yard – the space between the castle proper and the battlements. Yet another defensive measure Aedan wished his ancestors had not been scrupulous enough to create.
In peaceful times, this inner yard had served as a market-place. On Sundays, the townspeople living in the surrounding valley would all bring their goods and set up stalls. Each market was a bustling, joyous occasion and lasted from dawn to late into the night. When the sun went down, the vendors would pack up their stalls, torches would be lit, the court musicians would start to play and the whole town would sing and dance the night away. Aedan and Val had loved these nights. As young children it was the only time they were allowed to stay up late, and many of Aedan’s fondest childhood memories were of these nights.
All of that had changed when Absalom came. Now there were no more marketplaces, no more dancing or singing, no more joyous occasions – no more townspeople. Aedan looked around sadly. Where there once was grass and flowers, there was now scorched earth. The carefree townspeople had been replaced with miserable, mal-nourished soldiers huddled around campfires. They looked up as Aedan was led by; they all knew he was the enemy leader. It didn’t matter that, thanks to Rogan’s enchantments, they didn’t remember he was really the rightful heir to the throne; they were surprised that their enemy’s leader had been captured and they watched open-mouthed as he was led by.
With a breaking heart, Aedan looked back at these wretched men. He never ceased to be disgusted by the level of decay that his father’s society had undergone at the hands of Absalom. It was hard to believe, even having witnessed it, that one man could have destroyed so much so fast. Even if Aedan was able to rescue Arleth and win the seat of Oherra back from Absalom, he would still face a steep uphill battle to rebuild everything that Absalom had destroyed. A tear of frustration formed at the corner of his eye and he wiped it quickly away with his free hand.
His movement was instantly mistaken for some kind of escape attempt. The Greken who had been dragging him along by the arm, abruptly let go and pushed Aedan to the ground. He emitted a loud hissing noise and thrust the blade of his axe towards Aedan’s face. The other seven Grekens hissed angrily in response and also thrust their axes at him. Aedan froze in place where he had been pushed to the ground. He was afraid to move with the blades of eight axes, wielded by eight very angry Grekens, just inches from his head.
His situation had suddenly become quite precarious. Aedan’s whole plan rested on the fact that the Grekens would bring him in one piece to Absalom. If they killed him now, he would never be able to save Arleth. He knew that Absalom would want him captured alive and had been sure that Rogan’s enchantments would not provide the Grekens with enough free-will to kill him. He had been one hundred percent certain last night, sitting beside Selene and Val from the safety of his stronghold. But now, surrounded by a ring of angry Grekens who looked like they would like nothing better than to chop him into little pieces, he wasn’t so sure. They had been specifically created to protect Absalom, and although Aedan didn’t intend to attack Absalom now, the Grekens wouldn’t know that. Aedan was their main enemy after all, and now that they were nearing the castle, would their drive to protect Absalom prove to be stronger than their commands not to kill Aedan. He didn’t know the answer and this terrified him - would this careless dismissal of the Grekens cost him his life, Arleth’s life and his country? Why had he wiped the tear from his face? He should have known what would happen – these creatures were ruthless killers.
“Stand down!” A man’s voice commanded angrily.
Instantly the Grekens lowered their weapons and turned to face the man who had issued the order.
“Bring him here.” The Greken who had been dragging him before, grabbed on to his arm again and pulled him forwards, through the castle doors into the main entrance hall. The Grekens in-front of him moved off to the sides giving the commanding man a clear view of the captive. It was too dark for Aedan to see who was in front of him, but he didn’t need to wait for his eyes to adjust, he knew the sound of that voice as well as he knew his own.
“Aedan Amara,” said Absalom mockingly, “How nice of you to drop by.”
* * *
“Aedan Amara?” breathed Arleth. So Neve’s brother had been telling the truth! Absalom was not the rightful heir to the throne – this man was. She looked at him closely, appraising him. Physically, he was a young man, probably only about 10 years older than her, but he had the hardened expression of someone much older. He was dressed in simple, mud-covered clothes and surrounded by menacing captors, but somehow he still managed to look confident and proud. His very presence made Arleth know with certainty that this man was a born ruler.
Aedan suddenly looked up in her direction and Arleth quickly ducked down to hide behind the railing. She crouched motionless for a couple of seconds not wanting to risk being seen. She counted to 10 slowly in her head and then cautiously raised her head a fraction above the railing, just far enough that she could see over. No one seemed to be looking up in her direction. Still, she didn’t want to be caught and so she didn’t go back to standing, but instead rested on her knees. This way her eyes were just barely above the level of the railing and she could easily duck down if someone looked up again.
Arleth was on the second floor landing overlooking the main entrance hall. After her horrible feeling of dread the night before, Arleth had woken up determined to find what was behind the door with the green markings and the red hand. And so after a hurried breakfast, she had taken the concealing spell pill and snuck off to follow the directions Neve’s brother had given her. She had just reached the second floor landing when she heard a commotion and had looked down. That was how she had seen Aedan Amara brought in by the Grekens and the initial exchange between him and Absalom. They were saying something further right now.
“So,” said Absalom, “I knew you would come here and try to pull off a valiant escape attempt. But I never thought it would be so easy to thwart you. All those years in the mountains are making you soft in the head I suppose.”
Aedan smiled at him, a thin, humourless smile. “Oh but Absalom you misunderstand me. I came only to see you. You are such a wonderful host after all.”
Absalom laughed dryly and motioned with a flick of his hand. Instantly a Greken raised the tentacles on his back and whipped Aedan across his face with them. Arleth let out a small gasp and covered her mouth with her hand to avoid making a noise. Aedan, although there was a red cut across his cheek, hardly seemed to notice, indeed he didn’t even flinch.
They continued talking but Arleth didn’t follow what they were saying – something about an Alondrane and so her mind drifted back to what Neve’s brother had said.
If Aedan was indeed the rightful heir of Oherra, than that meant that Neve’s brother was likely right about everything else - and he had said that Absalom was evil. She was smart enough to realize that in a war, each side always classified the other side as evil, Ms Witrany had explained it in one of her classes on the history of the Great War. As a result, Arleth was not instantly inclined to take Neve’s brother’s opinion that Absalom was evil. But if he wasn’t an Amara, why would he be king if not through devious means. Also, listening to the way he was acting with Aedan, his whole demeanour had indeed seemed to change. Since she had first met Absalom outside Bella’s manor on Tocarra, he had acted noble and gracious. Arleth had assumed that was his normal disposition, but now listening to him interact with Aedan, this new personality seemed more natural. It was as if he had been putting on a show the whole time and now when he thought there was no one around he was acting his true self.
Also, Neve’s brother had said that there was nothing called the Black Thorn. She was inclined to believe that he had been telling the truth about this as well. But then, if there was no Black Thorn who was it that had been chasing her and why had Absalom
brought her with him to Oherra? And why, if he was truly evil and clearly at least not the rightful heir, had he been so nice to her? She still didn’t begin to understand the answers to these questions and this troubled her. More troubling, was that Neve’s brother had said she was in danger and the goose bumps forming on her arms told her she believed him. She needed to find out what was behind that door. Neve’s brother had seemed to think what she found there would at least answer some of her questions. She would go there first and then decide what to do next later.
She looked back down at the scene below her. Absalom was starting to strip Aedan of his clothes. Arleth closed her eyes and quickly turned her head, embarrassed. She wasn’t sure how far Absalom would strip him but she didn’t want to be there to find out. She crouched back down and crawled her way down the hall to the tower entrance at the far end. She rushed down the stairs leading to the dungeon, intent on finding her answers.
* * *
“Now, now,” said Absalom. “I know that bitch Selene wouldn’t let her precious Aedan go into Iridian castle unprotected now would she? She would have crafted a special amulet just for you, something to keep you ever so safe.”
Aedan’s face distorted in anger, he hated Absalom and he would not allow him to talk about Selene that way. He lunged forward, but the Greken held him firm.
Absalom laughed, “So I see that I was right,” he said mistaking, Aedan’s anger for an admission of guilt. “So what would she make for you? I’m willing to bet she made an Alondrane. She wouldn’t want you to be all alone, she would insist on helping you. How sickening, but quite useful for me isn’t it? Now she would want it hidden somewhere on you, under your clothes....”
Absalom started ripping off Aedan’s clothes. It was at this point that Arleth had started crawling down the hall, and before she had even reached the tower, Absalom had already stripped Aedan naked. He ran his hands along Aedan’s body, searching for a hidden Alondrane. He started at his head and worked his way down.
Aedan started laughing. “Absalom you are enjoying this aren’t you? This must just make your day, no I suppose it would make your whole month. I guess all those rumours were true?” Aedan was trying to anger him so he wouldn’t keep searching. If he found the Alondrane both him and Selene would be as good as dead.
Absalom grit his teeth together and slapped Aedan across the face with the back of his hand.
“Your pathetic tactics are not going to work. Do you really think I am that stupid?”
“I know you are that stupid.”
Absalom reached under Aedan’s armpit and smiled, “Well I’m smart enough to find the Alondrane am I not?” He grabbed it and held it up to the light. It was small, circular and skin coloured. Against the skin, it would be invisible to the eye, only by touch could Absalom have found it. He looked into Aedan’s eyes and with a swift motion threw it on the ground shattering it. For extra effect he dug his heel into the pieces, grinding them into the floor.
Aedan wasn’t bothered by this; Selene had been smart enough to make a decoy. The real Alondrane was still hidden on Aedan’s body. But he certainly didn’t want Absalom to know that and so he acted as though there had only been the one. His mouth opened in shock and he stared down at the pieces in fake horror and sadness.
“Oh Aedan come now, you don’t have to act so surprised. I know that was a decoy. You wouldn’t have come here with no other discernable plan and had only one Alondrane on you.”
Absalom shook his head side to side and smiled maliciously. He continued searching Aedan’s body for the real Alondrane. After a few seconds of searching, his hand stopped behind Aedan’s right knee.
Aedan’s whole body involuntarily flinched. He had found it! Just like he had with the decoy, Absalom held the Alondrane up to Aedan’s face, thoroughly enjoying the pain and misery he saw there.
“Well now, it seems you are not nearly as clever as you think you are Amara. Any last words to your precious Selene? Any touching, heartfelt remarks? No?”
And without even pausing for a second to give Aedan time to say anything he smashed the Alondrane on the ground. This time, as Aedan looked down at the broken pieces, he didn’t have to fake his horror and sadness, they were quite real.
“Take him to the dungeons,” Absalom ordered one of his Grekens. And then looking at Aedan, “I will keep you alive just long enough so you can see Arleth give in to my desires. That way you can die knowing that you failed utterly and completely. Knowing that you will NEVER get Oherra back.”
Aedan had one last second to stare heartbroken at the Alondrane pieces on the ground before he was knocked unconscious by a swift blow to the back of his head and roughly dragged down to his dungeon cell.
Chapter 17
Rogan roared in frustration and violently shook the servant girl by the shoulders. Just like him and Absalom had decided last night, Rogan had set off first thing in the morning to go and get Arleth and take her back with him to his chambers so he could enchant her. That had been his plan anyways. Things hadn’t turned out so neatly.
First, just after an early breakfast, Rogan had sensed Aedan just on the outskirts of the valley. He had set up sensory spells all around the edge of the mountains; it was his first line of defence for knowing whenever anyone unexpected was nearing the castle. Of course, using a concealing spell would make the user invisible to his enchantments, but they were still useful in some circumstances. Such as now, when Aedan had no need to use a concealing spell and so Rogan had advance notice of his approach. He had rushed up the stairs to Absalom’s bed chambers and knocked violently on the closed door. Within a few minutes Absalom had appeared and Rogan had hurriedly told him of Aedan’s approach. Absalom had gotten out his binoculars, looked through one of the windows in his bedroom and upon confirming it was indeed Aedan, rushed out of his room closely followed by Rogan. Absalom had given orders to eight of his Grekens to meet Aedan and escort him to the castle unharmed. He then rushed off to prepare for Aedan’s arrival, giving Rogan a number of tasks to see to as well.
Absalom wanted Aedan to know instantly that his spy was dead and so Rogan had gone down to the dungeon and retrieved Tobin’s head that was still lying in a pool of blood, now dried, on the floor. He had cast a few threads of magic to ensure that Tobin’s face retained all the horror and pain of his death and then he had gone to the front gates of the castle and violently nailed the head to it.
Rogan had then spent the better part of an hour ensuring that all of his enchantments around the castle were in proper working order. He had also set up a few surprises that Aedan would be sure to encounter unknowingly. His personal favourite was a Ranin Bud, a devious piece of magic that Rogan had just finished creating and was especially proud of. He had placed it invisible, in the dungeon cell set to go off when Aedan was thrown in. It would attach itself without a trace to Aedan and would stay there unnoticed until it was time for it to detach and grow to maturity. Rogan would never admit it to Absalom, but he almost hoped that Aedan would escape so that his Ranin Bud would not just be a precaution – he wanted to see it in action and witness its delicious destructive power.
It was after these tasks that Rogan was finally able to turn his attention to Arleth. He hadn’t thought the delay would have had any impact at all. The servants followed a strict schedule and they had just started breakfast by the time Rogan entered the dining hall. But much to his anger he had found Arleth already gone. No one knew where she had gone; but Rogan had a pretty good idea. The only reason she would have skipped breakfast, or at least rushed it so much was if she wanted to investigate what was behind the door that was unlocked by the key Tobin had given her.
It didn’t matter too much to Rogan if she found out the truth about his experimental chambers. He was going to enchant her anyways so regardless of her prior feelings she would have none after and would do as they ordered. However, it was true that Arleth’s special talent, why they needed her worked so much better by free will, Rogan had to admit tha
t Absalom was right in that. So the less she knew, the less she questioned, the more free will Rogan could leave with her after enchanting her. But once she entered his experimental chamber, the likelihood that she could have any free will left to her at all was very slim. Rogan had to find her fast, or their job would become a lot harder.
Rogan’s thoughts were interrupted by the realization that he was holding something heavy in his hands. He looked down at the limp form of the servant girl he was still shaking by the shoulders. While he had been thinking he had been rocking her so violently that he had broken her neck and she now lay lifeless. Rogan’s hands on her shoulders were the only thing keeping her upright – it was this unexpected weight that had knocked Rogan out of his reverie.
He pushed the girl disgustedly to the ground so she fell in a tangled heap, her head sticking awkwardly out to the side.
“Clean up this mess,” he barked at the servants sitting nearby eating their breakfast. He turned decisively on his heel and with a flap of his robe; he stormed out of the dining hall.
* * *
Arleth, her heart-racing, stared at the door in front of her. It was exactly what Neve’s brother had described; black painted wood, strange dark green markings and a huge red hand that covered the better part of the door. Part of the hand had been painted on top of the markings, but whether this had been on purpose or as an afterthought it was impossible to tell.
Arleth loosened her belt slightly and reached behind it into the folds of her dress to where she had hidden the key. She pulled it out and slid it into the lock. The moment the key touched the inside of the lock, there was a loud hiss. Arleth jumped back in shock and quickly looked around her – had someone followed her here? But as she turned from side to side, she could see no one there with her. Confused, Arleth stepped closer to the door and put her ear right up against it. Was someone on the other side? A creature, perhaps a Greken, put in place to guard the room from intruders? She stayed listening at the door for a dozen heartbeats, but she heard nothing, no shuffling, footsteps or breathing other than her own. She relaxed a bit, there didn’t seem to be anyone or anything on the other side of the door. Besides, she reasoned, she was pretty sure that Neve’s brother wouldn’t have forgotten to mention something as important as the fact that the room he had given her the key for was guarded by a violent, hissing creature. She thought momentarily of the possibility that Neve’s brother wanted to cause her harm. But she dismissed that idea almost the instant she thought of it; if he had wanted to hurt her, he had certainly had the chance.
