“I’m sure the king will grant you the official title when he has time.” I didn’t bother to tell him that could be a long time with the war on the horizon. I wasn’t sure if the impending news had reached his ears yet.
Once he’d left, I fell forward onto the bed. I couldn’t help but feel eager. I was going home. As soon as Valron’s death ceremony was over, I would take my leave.
With the whole household bundled up in furs and wool, we made our way to the river that ran along the edge of Cansbroke.
Lanbert led the way, holding onto the little box that held my deceased husband’s ashes. I walked beside Maybel. A light dusting of snow blanketed the frozen ground. I stumbled along, trying not to roll my ankle on the clumps of frozen ground. Each time we breathed, puffs of steam appeared.
When we reached the river, we lined up along the edge of the bank to say our goodbyes. A few of the staff members had kind words to say.
Maybel’s voice shook and tears streamed down her face as she said her goodbyes to Valron.
When it was my turn, I sucked in a deep breath and raised my chin. “Duke Valron Michester of Cansbroke was a good man… a good husband. He treated me well, even though we’d never met before our wedding day. I will always be thankful for that. I grew to love you Valron, in my own way. Goodbye, husband. May Celestia take care of you.” My voice wavered on the last word, and I bowed my head. It wasn’t enough. My words weren’t enough. But I couldn’t think of anything else to say.
Lanbert opened the box.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” I asked him.
“I’ve already said my goodbyes.” He bent down and slowly dumped the ashes into the icy river. They floated on the surface to be carried off to the Vitreus Sea. How I missed the sea!
With nothing left to say or do, we ambled our way back to the palace.
I decided I would ask our driver, Herik, if he’d take me back to Aquila within a few rises of the sun. I didn’t want to wait until the weather warmed. I was restless in Cansbroke, and there was no reason for me to tarry there now that Valron was gone.
I told Lanbert this at dinner. He seemed oddly annoyed by the notion.
“I just don’t want you or Herik to fall ill as my brother did.” He glared at his food.
“That is a different case. We’ll be taking the carriage. Everything will be fine.”
“Unless something goes wrong.”
I crossed my arms and glowered. “You have no say over what I do.”
His little eyes grew wide enough to make me think they might pop out of his head. I thought he’d continue to argue, but he surrendered. He put his elbow on the table and put his chin in his hands and mumbled, “Fine. If that’s your wish.”
I couldn’t keep the smile from my lips. It seemed he wasn’t used to dealing with strong women. “Thank you.” I went back to eating the slab of meat on my plate.
We ate in awkward silence until he piped up again with a new suggestion. “Will you wait several sunrises so I can escort you to Aquila? I can see King Zaeden then. I do still need to be made duke.”
It took everything I had to keep from rolling my eyes. “Yes. Sure. Why not? What’s a little extra time?”
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
I’d had enough of his company, so I excused myself and retired to my bedchamber. I was beginning to understand why Valron didn’t like his brother. He was awkward and something about him felt insincere. I’d be happy to leave him behind.
Chapter 15
I assumed my mother was in agreement of my intention to return to Aquila being that she hadn’t replied to my letter.
I hummed happily to myself as I packed the rest of my things to prepare for my journey home. Perhaps matters would be better upon my return. Perhaps Thaimis had come to his senses and we could put all of this behind us and figure out what to do about King Zaeden.
“Madam Chelela?”
I yelped, surprised to find Lanbert standing in my doorway watching me.
“I knocked, but you didn’t answer.”
“Sorry, I guess I was lost in thought.” I finished placing one of my gowns into the wooden box at my feet. “How can I—” I closed my mouth, noticing Lanbert’s rigid stance and the way his eyebrows were drawn down. His dirty clothes were torn in places—so unlike him. He was always well groomed. “What’s wrong?”
He rubbed his hands over his face and squeezed his eyes shut. “It’s one of the horses… it got its leg stuck in the wire fence. I need your help.”
I gasped. “Oh no! What about Herik? Surely he’d be of better use with this than I. The horses are used to him.”
“I gave him the night off and told him to get rest before our travels tomorrow. I’d hate to wake him. Besides, animals like women. You’re more soothing. I just need someone to keep him down while I free his leg. Please, Madam! We’re wasting time!”
“Alright, alright.” I put my hands up. “I’m coming.” I’d always had a soft spot for animals.
His shoulders slumped with relief as I threw my fur cloak on.
I followed Lanbert down the dark, hallway covered with purple carpet. He lit a torch when we got to the door, and then he led the way out to the field.
“Where is he?” I looked around. I didn’t see a horse.
“Right here, my lady,” another man with a thick accent answered. I barely saw him in the shadows cast by the trees.
I had a moment of confusion before a sack was thrown over my head, and I was being hauled away by two pairs of arms.
“Wait! What’s going on? Where are you taking me?” I yelled at them, kicking my legs out at my unseen targets, which only succeeded in making me fall. They dragged me across the hard frozen ground.
Neither of them answered my questions.
“Ow! Let me at least walk!” My breath was beginning to make my face hot and damp inside the sack.
They hoisted me up so that I could walk—a small victory. I thought about calling on my power, but without being able to see, it would’ve been difficult to hit my target. I didn’t want to reveal my special talent to them blindly. If only I could get this damn sack off my head! I twisted against my captors to no avail. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I’d been so stupid to trust Lanbert!
Sharp pain blossomed on my side when I was thrown into something that felt wooden. It took a moment to get the air back into my lungs.
“You’ll never get away with this!” I shrieked.
The sack was whipped off my face, and I stared into a pair of cold, beady eyes. “Yes, we will.” Lanbert said with a smug look. I wanted to rip that smugness right off his face with my bare hands—a face which was red from the exertion of dragging me to the cart I now found myself in.
“My mother, she’ll come looking for me.”
“Your mother still thinks my brother’s alive and will believe you’re being well taken care of.”
“But my letter…” The words turned to ash on my tongue as he held up my letter with a smile and tore it to shreds.
“She’ll never know, and neither will King Zaeden. I was paid a pretty price for you. Valron did leave all of his possessions to me.” He poked me hard in the chest..
I spat on his face.
He wiped my saliva away with the back of his wrist and stepped back. “Alright, Havish. Take her away.”
The sack was thrown back over my head and I felt the cart move as we rolled away. I heard the clip-clop of horse’s hooves, and I let out a scream that could’ve shattered glass.
The right time would come. I would see myself out of this unfortunate situation. I wondered who Lanbert had sold me to. I didn’t get a good look at the man who’d helped him, but he had some sort of accent I’d never heard before.
My bones rattled as the cart bumped and rocked. It was the most uncomfortable way I’d ever travelled. They could have at least used a carriage with seats! Who hauled a person away by cart? Demented sons of whores, that’s who!
&
nbsp; The air grew thicker, and I felt the wind bite my face through the material of the sack. I heard the crashing of waves and realized we were by the sea.
We came to a lurching halt, and then there was a loud bang before someone threw me over their shoulder and carried me off of the cart.
Footsteps echoed on wood. The man who carried me stank of body odour and alcohol. I was placed somewhere dark and damp, and someone tied ropes around my wrists and ankles. I hated being blind.
As footsteps began to fade I cried, “Wait!”
The footsteps ceased.
“Please, will you just take this sack off my head? I promise I won’t do anything.”
The sack came off. I stared into the face of a man with skin the colour of cedar. His dark irises contrasted with the whites of his eyes. His expression was hard as he crouched down before me. He looked at me with apathy. I was nothing to him.
The floor swayed beneath me, and I reckoned we must be on a ship.
“Where are we going?” I asked the man who was obviously not from Sarantoa.
“T’ Gwon.” He answered with no emotion.
I was so dumbfounded, I couldn’t think of an answer. Sarantoans were selling our people to Gwon? How could this be? And how long had this been going on for? This was bad… very bad. A few of Aquila’s nobles did take slaves, yes, but they were usually vagrants who would have died of starvation if left to their own devices. I couldn’t fathom the fact that our own people were selling us to these foreigners.
I gaped after the man as he disappeared up a set of stairs.
I sat there and thought long and hard about where I’d gone wrong. I should’ve listened to Valron when he tried to warn me not to send for his brother. I never could’ve guessed the sibling of someone so kind could be so cruel… so self-serving. I wondered how much coin he’d received for me.
I thought about Thaimis—about how if he would’ve asked me not to get married, I would’ve never agreed to my mother’s arrangement for me. I almost laughed out loud. The very place he’d once protected me from, was the one he’d now condemned me to.
Oh Thaimis, if you only knew where I was headed now. Perhaps he and Percifal should have let me go with them. I’d be more prepared for what I was about to face now.
I heard a moan from somewhere behind me. I twisted my neck around to try to see who was there.
“Where am I?” a feminine voice groaned out. From the sound of it, she’d just woken up.
“On a ship, destined for Gwon apparently,” I said darkly.
“Mmmmrrrrr.” She made a pained sound.
“I know how you feel. How did you get here?” I asked, scooching myself around so I could see her.
Her hair was a mass of matted black curls. She wore rags and her skin was streaked with dirt. She was a bit younger than I… maybe halfway to her second decade.
“I—I was sold by my parents. Foreign men came and took me away.”
“Oh, that’s awful. My dead husband’s brother sold me. He thought I was his to sell.” I rolled my eyes.
“Pardon me, but it seems you were. I mean!” she caught herself. “I don’t mean to be rude. I only mean you’re here now, aren’t you?”
I snorted. “Yes, I suppose you’re right. Do you know why these men bought you… what’s your name?”
“Granit. I was purchased to be a sex slave. I tried to run away, but someone caught me and knocked me out and now, here I am.”
I raised my brows. Oh really. “A sex slave, you say. That’s insane. They can’t force us to…” I decided not to finish that sentence as crude images flooded my mind.
Shit.
I had to find a way out of this… fast. Like, before we arrived in Gwon.
We had the whole sea around us. I could use the waters to sink our boat!
No, that wouldn’t work because, while I could breathe underwater, Granit couldn’t. I didn’t know if I could save her from drowning. Perhaps that would be better than being someone’s sex slave.
“Say, Granit. What do you think about dying right here on this ship instead?”
Her face contorted with panic, and she began to cry.
I sighed. “That’s what I thought. Okay, never mind. I’ll figure something else out. Please don’t cry.”
She sniffled. “I’m so scared. I’ve never even… done it before, you know?”
“You’ll be alright.” I didn’t really believe my own words, but I didn’t want to upset her even further.
“Will it hurt?” She looked at me like a scared little rabbit.
“Probably a bit at first, but it’ll be okay. You’ll just have to pretend that whoever you’re with is someone you like.”
Her lower lip stuck out a little, but she didn’t say anything else.
The sound of someone thumping down the stairs had us both looking up. It was the gruff, foreign man who’d taken the sack off my head. He carried two pieces of fish with him.
“Eat.” He placed the fish in our hands.
I glanced up at him. “Could you untie our feet? What if we need to use the chamber pot?”
He stared at me blankly, so I pointed at my feet as best I could and made a peeing sound with my mouth.
He scrunched up his face and bent down and untied my feet.
I grinned.
“Pot’s over t’er. Water’s in da barrel.” He pointed.
“Thank you,” I said as he went to untie Granit’s feet.
He just grunted his reply and left us again.
He knew enough of our language to be able to communicate at least.
After I’d finished the fish that was too salty, I found the barrel of water. With no cup to use we were forced to use our hands to drink the water.
I helped Granit get up and drink once I was finished.
Sleep soon claimed me. I’d been taken at night and hadn’t slept on the way to the ship. I had no idea how long it’d been.
It was a restless sleep. The only cushioning we had was a bit of straw on the floor. I was used to sleeping in luxury. This was unbelievable.
After how many sunrises, I didn’t know, we reached the shores of Gwon.
By that time, I felt disgustingly grimy. My unkempt hair held bits of straw. I imagined it now looked something like a birds nest.
The men aboard the ship had left us alone, except to feed us our daily meals. I’d heard their footsteps and laughter from time to time. I silently hated all of them.
Four of the men came down to fetch us. They placed ropes around our necks so one could lead us while one followed behind each of us. Just to make sure we didn’t try to escape. As if we had anywhere to go now that we were on this goddess forsaken island.
I squinted as the sunlight I almost forgot existed nearly blinded me. The harbour was crowded with the lovely aroma of stinking men and rotten fish. I tried to hold my breath while we were ushered away.
I peered over my shoulder. Granit looked about as sick as I felt. A jerk on the rope caused me to stumble forward and almost choke. “Hey!” I scowled at the man holding onto the rope.
“You no slow down. Keep up.” He grunted, butchering my native language.
I looked at the landscape before me. The sands were gold and the hills were barren. The air wasn’t as thick and damp as it was in Aquila, but it was still fairly chilly. No snow touched the ground as it did in most of Sarantoa during the winter. What a strange and ugly place, I thought. The trees reached high into the sky, but their leaves only grew at the top. Strange indeed.
We walked until my feet hurt. I heard Granit whimper a couple of times and voiced my own complaints. I was told to shut up each time. It seemed they knew that word well.
When I was almost ready to tell them they’d have to carry or kill me if they wanted me to keep going, we reached a city filled with odd-shaped, colourful buildings and crowds of people wearing garb just as colourful… even more so, in fact. I watched as children dressed in robes of orange, yellow and brown darted in and around adul
t’s legs. They laughed and hollered, chasing each other down the narrow alleyways behind the buildings.
The adults paid them no heed. They wore loose clothing with strange, intricate patterns dyed onto the material. Most of the women wore their hair in plenty of tiny braids or pulled back away from their faces. Some covered their hair with scarfs. The men were mostly bald or wore their hair in a strange fashion tied high on their heads.
Everyone had skin shades darker than my own. I must stand out like a tree in a lake.
We wove in between the maze of buildings that made up the heart of the city until we reached an azure building with round corners. We were shoved through the small door. What I saw inside, was not what I’d expected.
The walls and floor were a dark shade of grey. Women of every shape and size sat on soft pink cushions or lounged on sofas of the same colour. Multi-coloured rugs were scattered around the large circular room, and there were no windows. There was a large pit with rocks around the edges at the center of the room, which held a crackling fire inside. What a strange hearth. Small, domed glass torches lined the walls, lighting the room with their glow.
A muscular man with no hair, and about my own height, approached us with a giant grin. I narrowed my eyes at him. He had warm bronze skin and dark brown eyes. He looked too friendly. I didn’t trust him.
“Ah, Jehvad,” the man holding my rope said, and then they spoke, in a language I didn’t understand, before the bald man handed out small pouches to the men who’d led us to the azure house.
They exchanged more words before Granit and I were untied and given over to the bald man. The men who’d brought us left, and the bald man turned to face me. I brought up my hand to slap him.
He caught my wrist and cracked a smile, showing off his big, ivory teeth. “Hello, Chel. I am Jehvad… your new owner.” He spoke with an accent, but his use of my language was flawless.
“I disagree,” I seethed.
“It is true. I paid a lot of gold for you and your friend here.”
“She’s not my friend.” I saw the hurt on Granit’s face, but it was the truth. I barely knew the girl.
The Elemental Diaries - Complete Series Page 34