by Amanda Fleet
Lord Eredan dipped his head, unsmiling. “As you wish. What says the Council? Is this woman deemed to be Aeron?”
There was a muted chorus of “aye” with Faran’s voice ringing loud and clear.
“Those who do not believe this woman to be Aeron, say ‘aye’.”
A couple of people said “aye” and Lord Eredan moved back to the centre of the room, his lip curling as he eyeballed me. “The Council accepts that this is Aeron.” Another man stood. “Lord Balwen?”
Lord Balwen was late middle-aged, his dark hair greying at the temples. He might have had sharp cheekbones once, but age had softened them. Deep lines ran from the edge of a bulbous nose, down, to guard a thin-lipped mouth.
“Lord Eredan,” he said. “Council members. We have to discuss why Aeron has returned. She was banished for all eternity and yet here she is, less than two years later.”
Lord Eredan smiled coldly. “I thank Lord Balwen for bringing us to the main part of the business. Aeron, please tell the Council what happened immediately before you returned to The Realm. You remain under oath.”
Several Council members straightened in their seats. Faran tensed.
I gathered my thoughts. “Lord Eredan. Council members. I was brought to what I now know is the portal, by Aegyir—”
“If you claim no knowledge of The Realm before now, how did you know it was Aegyir?” asked a man with a thin face and long nose, two rows behind Faran.
“I’d been left various objects in my house, including a book that described him—”
“Who left the objects? What was left?”
“I don’t know who left them. I never saw them. I was left a book, three daggers, a bag of soil, a sword, a vessel and this bracelet.” I held my wrist up.
A low hum buzzed through the room. I ploughed on. “The book also described how to kill Aegyir. Sort of.”
“So there must have been two more Guardians who disobeyed Lord Eredan and joined you Outside. Who?” asked Lord Balwen.
I shuffled my feet. “No one. The book didn’t say that three were needed. Just what to do with the daggers and sword and pot. I assumed the soil was from The Realm.”
“We’re moving away from the heart of the matter,” interrupted Lord Eredan. “Why were you at the portal with Aegyir?”
I breathed steadily, trying to calm my nerves. “I intended to kill him. He wanted me to invite him into The Realm.”
Another ripple of gasps and muttering from Council. Faran’s jaw bulged, and he cast his gaze to the floor.
“And did you invite him in?” said Lord Eredan in a light tone that didn’t fool me.
“No. I did not.”
Lord Eredan tapped his fingers against his thigh. “I don’t imagine Aegyir accepted this. Describe what happened.”
My gaze drifted over all the hostile faces and I marshalled my words. “We fought. There was another man there. He held me down and Aegyir cut my finger off. He threatened to cut my hand off.” I held up my hand to display the stump of my finger. Faran grimaced. “I managed to get free, stabbed Aegyir and cut off his head.”
Before I could say more, the thin-faced man snorted. “You? You did that? Tell me, how tall was Aegyir?”
I hesitated.
“Taller than you? Shorter than you?” he prompted.
“Taller. Perhaps as tall as Orian?”
Lord Eredan scanned the room and picked out Lord Sondan who’d spoken earlier. “Lord Sondan. Come and stand next to Aeron.”
Lord Sondan made his way down the tiers until he was standing next to me, his rich brown leather clothes almost glowing in the watery sunlight filtering in from above. I caught a scent of cedarwood from him as he squared his shoulders.
“And his build?” asked Lord Eredan.
“Um. Smaller than Lord Sondan,” I said. “Cadaverous, in fact.”
“And you got all three daggers in and cut off his head?” Lord Balwen’s lip curled and several around him laughed unpleasantly.
“I didn’t say it was easy!”
Faran laughed loudly, then caught himself, bringing his fist up to cover his mouth.
Lord Eredan’s face darkened. “Have you any proof that this happened?”
“You sent someone to check the area when I first arrived. Didn’t they see anything?”
“No. Nothing.”
I frowned. “Nothing? There should have been police, and the man who held me down…”
“There was nothing.”
“Perhaps Aeron could describe what happened when she decapitated Aegyir,” said Lord Sondan, making his way back to his seat.
“I didn’t see much. The other man hurled me against the rock face almost as soon as I cut Aegyir’s head off. Aegyir turned into a column of black smoke.”
Meaningful glances pin-balled around the room.
Lord Sondan pinched his nose. “A column? That sounds as if he wasn’t captured in the vessel, but could have been dispersed. What had you done with the soil?”
“Scattered it on the ground, around the large rock near the portal.”
“It doesn’t sound as if he was standing on it when you decapitated him.” Lord Sondan took his place again, but remained standing. “If he was, he’d have formed a ball of smoke. Not that it matters if there was only you there. A single Guardian can’t contain the smoke. Even if she is high ranking.” He sat, throwing a contemptuous look in my direction.
I looked at Faran. His posture had tightened, but he wasn’t looking at me. He’d locked wide eyes with his father.
“Which leaves us with a problem,” said Lord Balwen. “Aegyir is therefore at large Outside, and he may or may not have been invited in by Aeron. Perhaps we should do what we should have done the first time around and have her hanged.”
“Correction, Lord Balwen,” said Faran, standing smoothly. “There’s no evidence of further treason. Since her original sentence was commuted to banishment, she cannot now be hanged for her original crime. It would be difficult to disprove her claim that in fact it was Aegyir who brought her to The Realm, and she can’t be hanged without proof of further treason. According to law.”
Lord Balwen glowered. “I thank the Elected Successor for his correction.” He looked anything but thankful.
Lord Eredan faced his son. Neither of them looked as if they’d give an inch. Lord Eredan lifted his chin. “I banished her for eternity. Why shouldn’t I cast her out again?”
“I don’t think that I’d be able to sleep easily at night if you did, Lord Father. Aeron returns, seeks forgiveness and re-admittance after denying Aegyir, and is rejected. She’s shown no favour by The Realm and is banished again to live and die multiple more lives. How long would she hold out against torture by Aegyir before she succumbed and invited him in? She was badly beaten and lost part of her hand today, yet denied Aegyir. Without loyalty for The Realm, what would stop her from acceding to Aegyir’s demand?”
This tack hit a nerve. Lord Eredan’s gaze zeroed in on me, making my heart stumble.
“Lord Father, would it not be better to re-admit Aeron? At least then she would be here and we would be able to monitor her,” continued Faran.
I wasn’t sure I wanted to be monitored, but many of the Council nodded enthusiastically at the suggestion. And I certainly wasn’t sure I wanted to stay here. I had a life at home. Wrecked, admittedly, but still… My adopted father – Paul – would wonder where I was, as would my friends. I hadn’t even made it to the refreshments after Finn’s funeral.
“Indeed,” said Lord Sondan. “It would be better to keep her where we can see her, rather than cast her out and run the risk of a second betrayal. She had greed for power as her reason to betray The Realm last time. Let’s not give her any other reasons to be a traitor.”
Faran wasn’t done. “Lord Father, to trap Aegyir, we need the top three Guardians to deal with him. And they will all need to be in The Realm. If Aeron is alive, she needs to be here.”
“Unless she’s hanged. In which ca
se, Lord Sondan would take her role,” said Lord Eredan.
“She cannot be hanged without proof of further treason,” said Faran, his tone brooking no discussion.
“And I doubt it will be long before she betrays us again. Mathas? Your advice?” Lord Eredan turned towards an older man who sat at the back of the Council. I wondered why he wasn’t Lord Mathas.
He didn’t look like the rest of the Council members. His brown hair was a riot of tight curls and he had distinct dimples in his cheeks. Like all the Council members, he wore a leather jacket, though his was a pale grey.
“First Lord. Council. I can assure you that this is Aeron. My advice is to re-admit her. If you banish her again, she will be tortured most grievously. I wonder how many of the Council members would resist Aegyir’s demands if they lost their fingers, then their hands? If their faces were cut to ribbons. If they were blinded. This is Aeron’s fate if you banish her, and though she tries to be loyal and tries to withstand the torture, she succumbs eventually.”
Nausea brought bile to the back of my throat. Faran’s colour had drained away and his breathing fragmented. Lord Eredan swallowed. Even he didn’t wish that on me, apparently.
“Thank you, Mathas. Does the Council require more evidence, or are they prepared to vote?”
A general muttering in favour of voting bubbled up. I glanced around at the bent heads as the Council members conferred. Did I want to stay? Had Mathas seen my future if I was banished again? I’d rather go home, but not if I’d end up tortured. Faran blinked slowly at me as if trying to reassure me. It didn’t work.
Lord Eredan stood at the centre. “Those in favour of continued banishment?”
Several voices clearly called “aye” and I scanned the faces, trying to fix their images in my head. Lord Balwen was certainly one of them, as was the woman behind Faran.
“Those in favour of re-admittance?” said Lord Eredan, his voice flat.
A louder chorus of “aye” followed.
“Carried.” Lord Eredan turned to me. “Before you’re allowed to stay, you will swear an oath of allegiance to The Realm. Since my son, despite my great exhortations to renounce his marriage to you has never done so, you and he are still bound. Is there anyone Outside that would complicate this arrangement? Are you married to anyone Outside?”
I shook my head, trying not to think of Finn.
“Good. You’ll be allowed to return to The Realm once you’ve sworn an oath of allegiance. If there’s even the smallest indication that you’re not fully committed to The Realm and to your responsibilities within it, you’ll be tried and hanged. Am I clear?”
I nodded.
“Am I clear?” he repeated, his voice rising. I finally remembered the bit about needing to show respect and contrition.
“Yes, Lord Eredan.”
His lips pinched together. “Prepare the oath. Also, call the Senior Librarian. I want to know what threat Aegyir is. Aeron, stay. The Senior Librarian will want to know what happened.”
The noise levels in the hall increased sharply. No one left the room, but a few people moved to talk to other Council members. Faran remained in his seat, watching me, until Lord Sondan went to speak to him. Whatever Lord Sondan said to him, Faran hadn’t wanted to hear it. He scowled at Lord Sondan and shook his head. Lord Sondan cast a glance in my direction, then returned to his seat.
I stayed where I was, wondering what was coming next. I didn’t have long to wait. A middle-aged woman arrived, dressed in a long woollen skirt with a woollen jacket buttoned over the top. A leather fastener held her auburn hair in a pleat at the back of her head and her outfit was a deep shade of green. Unlike the Council members, she stood about five feet six and wore neat shoes, rather than sturdy boots. No daggers hung from her belt. She was sworn in and turned to Lord Eredan, expectantly.
“Kristen, the Council needs you to advise them on what status Aegyir will have.”
“Aegyir? Lord Eredan, he’s trapped Outside.” Her eyes darted to me and she did a double-take. “Lady Aeron!”
Lord Eredan’s lip curled. “Quite. Aeron, perhaps you could describe to the Senior Librarian exactly what happened before you entered The Realm?”
I did my best to explain what I’d done and what I’d seen before I was thrown through the portal. Kristen questioned me closely, pulling out a small notebook from her pocket and jotting things down as I spoke. Once I’d finished, she snapped the book shut and tucked it back in her pocket.
“First Lord. Council members,” she said. “I need to check the archives and some reference books, but from what Lady Aeron describes, I think that Aegyir has been dispersed.”
“Quite,” said Lord Eredan again. “How long will it take Aegyir to reform?”
“I’d need to check the references, but I’d hazard a guess at several months of Outside time before he would become a wraith and able to take a life-force.”
“Check the references and report back to the Council tomorrow morning. If you discover that he’ll be a threat sooner than this, let me know immediately.”
She nodded and scurried away.
“Council will reconvene in five minutes,” said Lord Eredan.
People got up to stretch their legs and move around and the noise levels climbed. Numerous Council members glared at me, and the back of my neck prickled.
Faran came across to me. “Welcome back to The Realm.”
‘Welcome’ wasn’t the word I’d use.
4
“What was all that about the top three Guardians?” I asked. The hubbub in the hall flowed around us as if we were in a protective bubble.
“To contain Aegyir will need the three most powerful Guardians. If you’re alive, you’re one of them. Which means you need to be in The Realm, however much you betrayed it.”
“I don’t think I am one of the most powerful Guardians,” I said, my brow crinkling.
Faran’s eyes swept me from top to toe, his lips pressed together. He said nothing, but the curve of his lip and rise of his brows told me he didn’t like what he saw.
“How long will it take to prepare the oath?” I asked.
“A few minutes.”
“Okay, and what happens when I take the oath?”
“Lord Father will give you the oath on a piece of paper. You read it out, loudly enough for everyone to hear and then you sign the paper, at which point your oath is binding. It’s a short and simple ceremony.”
The blood drained from my face. “Faran, Outside writing is different from Realm writing. I can read the writing here, but it’s slow and difficult. Will you help me? Please?”
He rested his hand over mine, his fingers exploring the stump. “Of course. I’d hardly argue for you to be re-admitted and then let you stumble over the easy bit.”
He went to speak to his father, returning a few minutes later brandishing a rolled piece of paper at me. “I have the oath here. Father was perplexed as to why a Guardian of The Realm was unable to read properly but was happy enough for you to have the oath to study before swearing it.”
He laid the paper on the wooden bar in front of me and unrolled it. It was far longer than I’d anticipated. Faran patiently talked me through it. At the top was a lot of legalese about who the First Lord of The Realm was and who’d prepared the oath and the legality of it all and so on. I wouldn’t have to read any of that out, thankfully. At the bottom was clearly a space for me to write my name and I could recognise Aeron well enough from the number of times I’d seen it in the books. Below that were spaces for two more signatures – Faran and his father would sign as witnesses. Faran walked me through the middle section – the part I’d be expected to read out before signing – and I locked the words in my head, glad that it was short.
A serious issue nagged at me. “Faran?”
“Yes?”
“I’m about to swear that I’m Aeron. Except, I don’t know if I am. All of my life I’ve been Reagan Bennett.”
“You have Aeron’s spirit. The
body housing it might have changed, but the spirit is what makes a person, not the body. Are you any less of a person having lost your finger? Would you be a different person if you lost a leg? The body is just a body. The spirit is the person. You have Aeron’s spirit, so you are her.”
I opened my mouth to argue that this was a piece of nonsense, but a bell rang and Faran looked up. “It’s time.”
With a brief squeeze of my hand, he was gone, taking up his seat opposite. Lord Eredan stood nearby, talking to a couple of the Council members. He turned and glared. As the Council members took their seats, I realised that more than just the Council were here to see me swear the oath. It was soon standing room only in the hall.
Panicked butterflies tried to beat their way out of my chest. As the numbers in the hall grew, so did the size of the flapping beasts inside me until it felt as if huge winged dragons were trying to escape.
“Aeron. Are you prepared?” asked Lord Eredan.
There was no time to decide. “Yes, Lord Eredan.”
Faran flashed me a reassuring smile, his back to the throngs filling the hall. Orian appeared to the side of the Council benches. His gaze settled on his brother and his jaw bunched. No love lost there. His attention switched to me and he smiled, his eyes mischievous. I looked away.
Half a dozen or more of the Council members didn’t bother to hide their contempt; the others were expressionless. My palms made wet handprints on the wooden beam in front of me.
Lord Eredan stood and addressed the hall. “Today, this woman arrived in The Realm claiming to be Aeron, seeking forgiveness and re-admittance.”
I dropped my gaze. Hadn’t I actually been hurled head-first at a rock and ended up in the cells?
“The Council was called to decide her fate,” continued Lord Eredan. “We voted to accept that this is indeed Aeron, returned.”