“Ick!” Isalla gasped out, blanching. “I mean, I knew you were probably her daughter, but going that far…”
“Believe me, you don’t want to know some of the things that I do,” Kanae interrupted, her amusement growing a little more. If Isalla was discomfited by just the mention of that possibility, she probably would die of mortification if she knew the rest.
“Be that as it may, I don’t think that’s all you were going to say. Otherwise, this conversation would have taken place long ago,” Rose said, watching Kanae closely as she held Isalla’s hand. “It makes little sense to me that the daughter of a powerful demon queen would be out here, of all places.”
“You’re right. You’re exactly right, Rose,” Kanae agreed, her impulse to smile fading as she did so, and after a moment of hesitation she pulled her feet up into her chair and sighed before continuing. “My relationship with my mother was difficult. I grew rebellious, and while I’m certain that she loved me, I don’t think she knew how to deal with a teenage daughter. So instead, when she decided to calm me down and teach me discipline, she sent me to the Spire of Confession.”
The other two gasped, though Rose didn’t seem quite as surprised as Isalla, instead looking more confused as her brow furrowed, and Kanae smiled mirthlessly at her. “I knew what happened there, Rose, unlike you. I thought I would get through it just fine, but I wasn’t prepared the way I thought I was, and when she wants to be, my mother can be ruthless. Consider how much you changed in a few months, Rose… and now consider that she left me there for two decades. I was pampered, given excellent schooling and everything else, but I never saw the outdoors for all that time. I didn’t change as much as other people would have, in part because my mother didn’t want to have me changed too much. She just… didn’t want a rebellious daughter who didn’t listen. And she got exactly what she wanted, for the most part. I became an obedient, perfect daughter for quite some time… though that seemed to frustrate her even more than my previous rebellion.”
“Oh. Oh dear,” Rose murmured, paling slightly. “I… didn’t consider that she might do that. She was so incredibly nice to me that… well, I don’t know what to say.”
Isalla was just looking at Kanae in horror, and Kanae smiled a little more as she shook her head. She weighed her words for a few moments, trying to decide how to say what she needed to tell them.
“I don’t blame you. Neither did she, and she didn’t seem to know what to do, either. So we had an unsteady peace between us for a few decades that stretched into centuries, but she never seemed to know what to do about me. Until the War of Decimation began. It was bad enough that even my mother was forced to commit some soldiers, and I responded with excitement, finally relieved to have something I could do to show my skill, how much I’d grown,” Kanae said, smiling thinly as she saw their looks of horror grow. “I saw her hesitate, though I didn’t understand it at the time. Then she let me go. She knew how bad it was going to be, I think. The war… if nothing else could break some of my then-absolute faith in her, that could and did. I saw so many people killed, so much destruction wreaked, that I just… lost faith in her. At last was the siege of Rosken, and I barely survived it. Most of those I knew didn’t, so I just… faked my death. I pretended that I had perished and got the aid of a transmuter to change my body. I chose to move on, because I knew that if she found me, she’d bring me back. She’d make me into the pretty, beautiful tool she wanted me to be. And I… I couldn’t stand for that anymore.”
“Heavens… if you’re that afraid of her, then why did you help me? Why did you stay in Estalia at all?” Isalla asked, looking horrified as she fidgeted.
“I’m not afraid of her. I’m afraid of what would be done to me. I helped because you deserved it. To not help you would have been…” Kanae paused, then sighed. “Cowardice, I suppose. I wasn’t going to value preserving the minimal life I’ve had over the happiness and freedom of someone else.”
“I… appreciate that, Kanae,” Rose said, her voice soft. She was looking at Kanae closely, and she spoke again. “That doesn’t answer Isalla’s question about why you’re here, though. If you fear what she’d do to you so much, why would you stay so close?”
“Because I can’t help myself,” Kanae said softly, looking down at her legs, and feeling her tail flicking nervously. “I tried to stay away. I was drawn back, almost as if by a lodestone. This is as far away as I’ve been able to stay comfortably, though… well, I suspect I could go further, but no matter what I do, some of my… conditioning from the spire still is there. I love my mother. I just hate what she does to me.”
“I’m… I’m sorry. I wish I could help, Kanae. I really wish I could,” Isalla said, looking down guiltily. “I didn’t realize that you were in that sort of situation.”
“How could you?” Kanae asked, shrugging. “I hid it as best I could. I’ve lived my life here in a way that I was sure wouldn’t draw my mother’s attention, and which was as comfortable as I could manage. In the end… it is what it is. Since she knew I was alive, that means it’s only a matter of time until she comes after me. It could be tomorrow, it could be a decade from now. I have no way of knowing for certain. The only thing I know is that if I don’t leave soon, I’m going to have her show up, and from there… I don’t know what will happen.”
Rose considered Kanae for a long moment, her lips pursed. Isalla’s mouth opened and shut, obviously uncertain of what to say at this point. Kanae wasn’t surprised, considering what she’d said.
“What would you have us do?” Rose finally asked, tilting her head curiously. “I have to assume you told us all of this for a reason.”
“Ah, but that is where you’re wrong, Rose. I don’t care what you do, now that you know,” Kanae said, smiling in amusement at last, letting her feet slip down to the floor again. “I didn’t tell you anything for a particular reason. What happened is in the past. No… I promised to tell Isalla the truth. You learned the truth because she trusts you, no more and no less.”
“Well… thank you, Kanae,” Isalla said, looking up at her, still seeming distraught. “I didn’t know, and I… well, I’m sorry I got you into all this.”
“Don’t be, Isalla. You’re not at fault for any of this, except maybe for inciting the hornet’s nest of some conspiracy that tried to kill you. Mere chance sent you in my direction, and I chose to save you,” Kanae replied, shaking her head as she stood. “Regardless, the two of you have a decision to make on your future. I need to go into town to take care of a few things, like collecting some of my funds from the trade house. That should give you some privacy to discuss things, which I think is necessary.”
“That… will be appreciated. We have a good deal to consider, after what you’ve told us. I certainly do,” Rose said, then smiled unhappily as she admitted, “What you’ve said does carry a little more weight about what happened to me, though. I’m going to have to think on it for a while.”
“I… I don’t want to force you out of the house, Kanae. It isn’t just because of us that you’re going into town, is it?” Isalla asked, looking rather anxious.
“No, no… I need to go into town, Isalla. If nothing else, I need to break to people that I’m going to be leaving permanently soon,” Kanae assured her, stepping over to get her sword. Keeping moving helped her focus, rather than breaking down. “It’s going to be a bit hard on them, but I’ve tried to spread some training through the townsfolk over the years, just in case.”
Isalla’s tension seemed to ease a little, and she nodded after a moment, smiling hesitantly. “Alright, then. I’m just… I worry, alright? I’ll see you when you get back.”
“Of course,” Kanae said, smiling gently at Isalla, though it hurt a little. Then she headed for the door. She thought the angels needed some time to themselves.
“Ah, there she goes… leaving the angels in her house alone? Isn’t that a surprise?” Estalia murmured, but her lips slowly curved into a smile. “Well, she is my daughter, ev
en if she has a different approach than I do.”
“Your Majesty?” Veldoran asked, tilting his head curiously.
They could see the home Kitania had been staying in, but despite herself, Estalia found herself amused as she watched the strange figure of her daughter walking down the path toward town. Kitania wasn’t armed the way she’d always been before vanishing, her appearance was markedly different, and she even walked different, but Estalia would have known there was something familiar about her even with the changes. Estalia also liked what Kitania had made of her life in hiding, as the house was both interesting and practical.
“Oh, just that I’d wondered if she’d grown selfish and decided to abduct the two for herself. It appears that she wasn’t doing that, though I could be wrong. If I’m wrong, she’s likely trying to ease them around to adoring her. Probably not, though,” Estalia said, waving a hand dismissively as she watched her daughter. “Still, she doesn’t look like much, does she?”
“I’m not sure that I’d say that, Your Majesty,” Gregory said. The current head of her guards, he was a burly demon with a spiked tail, and Estalia could just see his purple eyes watching her daughter warily. “She doesn’t possess your beauty, but she moves like a warrior, and from the way she wears the sword, I’d not take her lightly. You’ve also said she’s a mage, which means that physical appearances may be misleading.”
“True, true… I didn’t mean to belittle her. I simply meant that she’s managed to blend in well. She’s hidden her true beauty, wields a weapon that was always her second or third choice, and likely hasn’t truly practiced her magic in ages. It’s a shame, really,” Estalia said, sighing as her daughter slowly vanished from sight. “I so mishandled her when she was young. I should’ve known that my mother’s approach wouldn’t work.”
“As you say, Your Majesty,” Veldoran said doubtfully. Then he asked, “What now, though?”
“What now? Now I go have a chat with Rose and her lovely friend before I decide what to do. You’re not to start a conflict with Kitania when she returns, but if she starts it, feel free to do what you feel is necessary,” Estalia replied. Pausing, she tilted her head for a moment before adding, feeling a bit amused, “Oh, and don’t feel the need to hold back against her under those circumstances. I’ll be honestly startled if you manage to kill her.”
Estalia saw the doubtful look on Captain Gregory’s face, but she ignored it, simply smiling as she started down toward the house. She doubted that Kitania would start a fight, but if she did, he’d learn why Estalia had said that.
“I didn’t know Kanae had been through anything like that,” Isalla said, feeling terrible about her decisions. As much as she had wanted to rescue Rose, she hadn’t meant to put Kanae into a situation where she might return to what sounded like little more than slavery.
“As she said, how could you?” Rose asked, shrugging helplessly. “I didn’t, either. She’s the one who chose to help you, Isalla, not you. I wish that she was easier for me to understand, though. Every time we’ve spoken, it feels like my attempts have come across wrong. I don’t want to upset her, and yet I keep doing so.”
“I’m sorry, Rose,” Isalla said, feeling even guiltier as she shifted in her chair. “I didn’t mean to make light of your situation, either. I… well, I thought I was rescuing you from a fate worse than death. Instead, you seem like you were happy there.”
“I was, but I’m also happy here, with you,” Rose replied, reaching out to squeeze Isalla’s leg reassuringly. “I told you that Queen Estalia promised to find you, even if you’d been killed, didn’t I? As for my happiness… I do wonder what would have happened if I’d reached the palace. Kanae’s description of what happened to her was a bit chilling, though it’s possible that such only occurred because she was Her Majesty’s daughter. I’ve seen enough parents that can’t relate to their children that it seems likely to me.”
“True enough. I had enough problems with my parents that—” Isalla began, only to be interrupted by an insistent knock at the door. She looked over and blinked, frowning. “I wonder who that is? It can’t be Kanae… she barely left.”
“How about you check the door?” Rose suggested. “I’ll go to the bedroom.”
“Alright,” Isalla agreed, standing up and waiting for Rose to reach the bedroom before starting toward the front door. She supposed that someone might have seen Kanae working out that morning, but how they’d have missed her going into town was another question. Just to be safe she made certain her sword was at her side as she reached the door. Reaching for the latch, she started to speak. “Yes? Kanae is in town, so you’re going to have to wait if you’re looking for—”
The door opened and the words froze in Isalla’s throat, her mind staggering to a stop as she saw the woman on the other side. The descriptions of Queen Estalia she’d received before left no doubt in her mind as to who it was, though she did differ slightly from the tales. Instead of wearing a flowing gown, the demon queen wore blue and silver full plate with softly glowing blue sigils etched into it, shaped to accentuate her figure without sacrificing much protection. The queen was smiling gently at Isalla, and the sight completely turned Isalla’s mind to mush.
“Kanae? So that’s what my lovely Kitania has been calling herself, is it?” Estalia asked, smiling even more. “Ah, but you must be Isalla. Are you going to invite me in? I’d dearly love to speak with you and Rose.”
“Oh, um, of course,” Isalla said in a daze, and she quickly took a step back to let the stunning woman into the house.
Chapter 45
It didn’t surprise Kanae that her visit to town was chaotic. She’d have been more surprised if the townsfolk had taken her sudden return well, and when Kanae had told Rekkal that she was leaving, that’s when things had fallen apart. Even if he had a large portion of her investment on hand, Kanae knew that the second he got word to everyone else in town, she was going to be all but under siege. Unfortunately, she quickly realized that she’d underestimated the reaction her departure induced.
Manog was the first to arrive, but only the first. Before the shopkeep had been able to get out more than a dozen words, Cyr had arrived, the pink-haired lamia tearfully asking where she was supposed to get her scale oils if Kanae left. Then Enkax, Qirress, and the petite demoness’s squirming son had arrived.
Those had only been the start, and one by one, Kanae had managed to either calm down the people who came to her or send them on their way. She wasn’t going to change her mind, though she did feel somewhat bad about some of the panic her departure was causing.
Eventually she managed to chivy off all but Manog, and Kanae looked at him, then sighed and said, “Why don’t we go to your shop? I need to pick up some supplies anyway.”
“Very well,” Manog said unhappily, turning to lead the way back to his shop. Only once they were inside did he speak again, his dismay somewhat uncharacteristic. “May I at least ask why you’re leaving, Kanae? You’re lovely, and everyone in town adores you. I know that at least half the young men and women have spoken of trying to court you over the years. Even setting aside your medical expertise, you’ve been a fixture here for longer than I’ve lived here.”
Kanae didn’t say anything for a long moment, simply perusing the shelves and considering what she’d need for the road. Not much, to be perfectly honest. Some additional crossbow bolts, more food, and a new cloak would suffice. Finally, she asked, “Manog, how many people specifically inquired after Isalla or a woman by Isalla’s description while I was gone?”
“About three that I can think of? There might have been more that didn’t talk to me,” Manog said, frowning. “I know word spread not to talk about her or you to outsiders that we didn’t personally know, but that doesn’t mean that everyone told me when someone asked about one of you.”
“That’s what I thought. Assassins came for her, Manog. People who wanted her dead, and I defended her. That means they’re after me as well at this point,” Kanae expl
ained patiently, glancing over at the bone demon. “If it were only that, I wouldn’t be too concerned. I live outside of town, and I can handle myself for the most part. No, my concern is that I’ve been living a reclusive, quiet life for a reason. Once upon a time, I was in the army, and after the War of Decimation, I chose to go into hiding. I didn’t want to get involved in it anymore. Still, others aren’t willing to let me go, so the attention is more than I can risk. Worse, I don’t want to bring that attention down on the town, Manog.”
The bone demon paused, tilting his head slightly. Then he spoke softly. “That explains a few things. Your mannerisms, and how you tended to avoid groups of soldiers over the years. If that’s the case, I suppose… did you know that there were soldiers from the capital on the road this morning?”
“There were what?” Kanae demanded, spinning to face him as the blood drained from her face. She hesitated only a moment at the startled look on Manog’s face, then came to a decision. She didn’t have anything in hand, so she all but ran for the door.
“Kanae!” Manog exclaimed just as she was out the door, but he was too late, as she jogged for the gate leaving town, ignoring the startled looks she got as she moved.
“How in all the fires of the magma sea did they come here so fast?” Kanae muttered under her breath, fear surging still higher. “I checked her for tracking spells, so that can’t be it. Could they have figured out that Isalla was here?”
She quickly left the town, and once she was on clear ground Kanae broke into a run. A tiny part of her wanted to believe that it was just a coincidence, that it wasn’t actually someone after her or any of her guests, but Kanae couldn’t bring herself to believe that. Her instincts were screaming that something had gone terribly wrong. That feeling was born out as she turned the last corner leading back to her house and she came to a halt, swearing under her breath.
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