Todd walked over with a full glass of wine in his hand. ‘For you, my lady,’ he said, offering it to Daniel’s mother.
‘Thank you,’ she smiled. ‘Daniel was just about to go and ask his betrothed to dance.’
‘Oh, she’s here, is she?’ he said, glancing around.
Daniel muttered a curse and stepped away from the wall. He circled the dance floor in the middle of the hall, squeezing past groups of young officers and their families until he reached Gaimer.
‘Danny,’ his classmate nodded. ‘Nice to see you. What do you think of this place, amazing, eh?’
‘Yeah. Listen, I actually came over to speak to Miss Clarine.’
Gaimer frowned. ‘Eh? My scrawny little cousin?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Why?’
‘Because we’ve been engaged for nearly eight years, that’s why.’
His friend’s mouth fell open. ‘What? She’s the betrothed you’ve been going on about? The one we were making rude jokes about just a few days ago? She’s my cousin; my fourteen-year-old cousin?’
‘Look, I didn’t know she was only fourteen; I only found that out today. I’ve seen her three times in my entire life, I had no idea.’
Gaimer gave him a look of disgust. ‘Right. Fine. Go on, then.’
Daniel closed his eyes for a second, the embarrassment excruciating. He walked past a glaring Gaimer and approached the girl.
‘Hello,’ he said. ‘I’m Daniel Aurelian.’
‘She knows who you are, young man,’ said her father, who was lurking behind her.
Daniel tried to smile.
‘Well?’ said her father. ‘Was there something you wanted to say?’
‘I was hoping,’ he said, ‘that she would… I mean, that you would like to dance?’
The girl blushed again.
Her father nodded. ‘You took your time in coming over,’ he said. ‘Another ten minutes and I would have taken the girl home. However, late is better than never, so yes, she will dance with you.’
Daniel held out his hand and Clarine took it, and, while the eyes of her extended family turned towards them, they walked out into the centre of the dance floor. She turned to face him as they stopped, and he placed his left hand lightly on her waist, and took her other hand as they began to glide across the floor.
‘I’m sorry that was so embarrassing,’ he said.
She opened her mouth to respond, but he was out of practice and trod on her foot as they turned. She closed her mouth again, fighting back tears.
‘Damn it, sorry,’ he muttered.
She took a breath. ‘Why did you wait so long before asking me to dance?’
‘To be honest,’ he said, ‘I only found out how young you were this afternoon. I thought you were about eighteen, not fourteen, and, well, it came as a bit of a shock.’
‘You don’t think I’m pretty?’
‘No, yes, what? I don’t know, this is all weird to me. I guess I didn’t think I’d be dancing with a child.’
She ripped her hand from his grasp and slapped him across the face, then turned and ran back to her family. Daniel stood frozen in the middle of the dance floor, his cheek stinging as the other dancers glanced at him. He could hear laughter coming from some of his academy classmates, and, not for the first time that day, wished the earth would swallow him up. He turned to face the entrance doors, and walked from the hall with as much dignity as he could muster.
He got as far as the long outside terrace that ran down one flank of the palace and sat on a bench under the branches of an orange tree. Blossom was littering the ground by his feet and he put his head in his hands. The sky was a dark and brooding purple and the street lights in the town below looked welcoming. Maybe he should run down there and catch a boat; flee his humiliation. But where could he go? The City was surrounded on three sides by water, and the fourth was besieged night and day by the greenhides. There was another landmass opposite Ooste, past the Clashing Seas, where the City had once built colonies, but the greenhides had destroyed all of that long before.
The City was a prison. It was large and comfortable, but it was a prison nevertheless, where every inhabitant was serving a life sentence. No wonder some folk despaired, or turned to opium.
‘Boy,’ said a voice.
‘Go away.’
The voice chuckled and Daniel glanced over. He leapt to his feet, and bowed his head.
‘Lord Chamberlain, my apologies.’
‘Tish tosh, boy, relax,’ said the old man; ‘I’m not going to bite your head off. I had just come out to assist with the search.’
‘What? Are people looking for me?’
‘Indeed they are. Your mother looked positively alarmed by your sudden disappearance. She rushed out to look for you, but unfortunately, she went the wrong way.’
Daniel said nothing. The Chamberlains were his family’s rivals, enemies even, and the animosity stretched back into the remote past. His mother would be furious to discover that the old man had found him first. He needed to make an excuse and leave.
‘Sit,’ the old man said. ‘I think it’s time we had a little chat, young Aurelian.’
Daniel did as he was told. Lord Chamberlain was one of the most powerful men in the City, a mortal who had the ear of the God-Queen. His family had served Prince Michael for over a millennium, and now they served Queen Amalia. He sat down next to Daniel on the bench, both hands resting on his walking stick.
‘You’re the last of them, aren’t you?’
‘Sorry, sir?’
‘The last Aurelian. If you pass without issue, your line will end, and the Aurelians shall fade into history, where some say they belong.’ He paused to glance at Daniel, a smile on the edge of his lips. ‘But you are different from many of the other Aurelians I’ve known. I get the sense that, perhaps, you’d rather not be the sole heir to such a legacy, that the weight of expectation upon your young shoulders sits heavily with you. So much pressure, on one so young. Tsk. A pity.’
Daniel thought of a dozen responses, but kept his mouth shut. Maybe his mother would come along, or his father, and rescue him from the words of the old man.
‘I watched you as a boy,’ the lord continued, ‘but now you are a man, or so that ribbon on your sleeve would tell me.’ He scratched the ground with his stick. ‘Make no mistake, I will destroy you, Aurelian. Your family has all but withered up like a dead flower, and my dying dream is to see your extinction before I breathe my last. To know that the line of the accursed Aurelians had been extinguished? Why, then I would die a happy man.’ He stood. ‘Your family’s foolish dream of regaining the throne of Tara is over, boy. With you as their sole hope, the Aurelians are doomed. And, you know, when I look into your mother’s eyes, I think that deep down she realises it too.’
He strode off through the orange grove, the walking stick swinging over the gravel.
Daniel closed his eyes. The old man was right. He wasn’t fit to be the heir to the Aurelians, but what else could he do? He had sworn an oath to serve Tara, and in the morning he would be expected to take command of a company of Roser militia. The lower orders would see through him in a second, and his famous name would only compound the humiliation.
He got to his feet, and began to walk home.
Chapter 5
Adjutant of the Circuit
The Circuit, Medio, The City – 5th Mikalis 3419
Compared to the six other palaces of the City, that of Redmarket in the Circuit was the least pleasing to look at. Damaged at the end of the Civil War in 3096, the palace had never been thoroughly renovated, and much of it had fallen into disrepair. Aila occupied a suite of rooms that had once belonged to one of her cousins, Yearna, the youngest child of Princess Yendra, who had ruled the Circuit for nine hundred years, until her execution for the killing of Prince Michael.
Following two centuries of house arrest in Pella for her role in the Civil War, Aila had been assigned to Redmarket Palace. She had wept upon her return
to the place, her memories haunted by the events that had ended the disastrous internal conflict that had destroyed so many lives. Four God-Children, fifteen demigods and over a hundred thousand mortals had perished in the fighting. Aila’s own father, and six of her siblings had been among the casualties, and though it may have occurred over three hundred years previously, to a demigod like her it felt like yesterday.
There had still been old traces of bloodstains visible on the worn, stone floor of Lady Yearna’s quarters when Aila had first moved in. For a few decades she had left them there, unwilling to give up the reminder of the pointless sacrifices they had made, but eventually she had ordered her servants in to remodel the dilapidated apartment, to make it look more like her comfortable rooms in Pella. Thick, woollen hangings covered the damp patches on the walls, and she had laid warm rugs and carpets over the new floorboards. The light from her lamps was dimmed and diffused through thin sheets of brightly-coloured fabrics, and she had filled the rooms with her favourite style of comfortable couches and chairs, along with the biggest bed that would fit.
She swung open the doors to her wide balcony to let in the morning light, and to let out the stale odour of the opium she had been smoking over the previous couple of days since she had returned from the meeting with her informer. She had been weak, and instead of just having a small puff or two before bed, she had worked her way through over half of the lump she had purloined from Olvin over the course of thirty-six hours, losing an entire day in the process.
Governor Ikara would not be happy.
She turned to Martha, the head of her small band of mortal servants. ‘I need you to air the place, please. It reeks.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
Aila frowned. ‘Did I say or do anything that I need to apologise for?’
The servant hesitated.
‘I’ll take that as a yes. Go on.’
‘Yesterday, before lunchtime, ma’am, you were rude to one of the governor’s officials, who had arrived at your quarters to see why you hadn’t turned up for work.’
Aila shrugged. ‘Anything else?’
The servant frowned.
‘That’s not a face that fills me with confidence, Martha.’
‘I’d rather not say, ma’am.’
Aila rested her hands on the balcony railings and glanced out over the vast, grey expanse of the Circuit. ‘You know me, Martha. Have I ever punished a servant for telling me unpleasant truths?’
‘No, ma’am.’
‘Let’s hear it, then.’
‘Well, ma’am, it’s just that you’re not the most pleasant person to be around whenever you indulge in too much opium and brandy. It was the first time a few of the younger servants had seen you like that and, to be honest, I think some of them were a little shocked and upset.’
Aila sighed.
‘Sorry, ma’am.’
‘It’s not your fault. Dip into my savings and make sure they all get a little extra for their troubles by way of an apology; and if any want to leave my service I’ll write them a decent reference. I’m sorry, Martha, my mood swings seem to worsen with every passing century. I have a lot of anger inside me, and occasionally it bubbles up to the surface.’
‘I’ve already spoken to them, and told them that you’re the best mistress a servant could hope for in the City. If anything, you’re too generous, ma’am, and I worry that you’ll be taken advantage of.’
‘One last question.’
‘Yes, ma’am?’
‘Did I say anything… compromising?’
‘No, ma’am.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘I stayed with you the entire time, ma’am, to watch out for that very possibility, but you didn’t mention anything that would endanger any of your… friends.’
‘Thank Malik for that. Damn it, I need to be more careful.’
‘Do you have any opium left, ma’am?’
Aila nodded.
‘May I make a suggestion?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Let me know when you plan to have some, and I’ll ensure the younger servants are re-assigned for a while. Tobias and I are well-acquainted with your habits, ma’am; nothing you do has the ability to shock us any more.’
Aila frowned. She could feel the combination of melancholia and her cravings for more opium rise within her, and wanted nothing more than to retreat into her rooms, close the shutters, and sink back into oblivion again. It was all in her head, she knew; her self-healing powers had already expelled the last traces of the narcotic from her system, and repaired the damage it had caused, so her addiction wasn’t physical in any sense. And yet, the cravings persisted.
‘Are you all right, ma’am? I didn’t mean any offence by that last comment.’
‘I know you didn’t. I’m just wondering what the point of it all is.’
The old servant put a hand on her arm. ‘You rescued me from a gang when I was nine years old, ma’am; saved me from a life of degradation and shame, and probably an early death. You’re the only one of your illustrious family to lift a finger to help us mere mortals; and I think that’s the point, ma’am. You give hope to those who haven’t felt any in a long time. There hasn’t been a god or demigod who cared about the lives of the Evaders since the days of Princess Yendra.’
‘You know your not supposed to mention her name in this palace.’
‘Of course, ma’am. Apologies, but you understand what I mean?’
Aila nodded. ‘Yeah, but it feels like I’m fighting the greenhides; no matter how many I kill, there are always more to take their place.’ She exhaled. ‘Alright, enough wallowing. I’d better go to work.’
‘Shall I bring some breakfast up for you, ma’am?
‘No, thanks. I’ll eat with my dear cousin.’
Martha nodded and Aila strode from the balcony. She left her quarters and went downstairs to the governor’s private dining-room. There was a large window in the room that had a sweeping view of the concrete landscape of the Circuit, but the curtains were drawn as she entered.
‘Lady Aila?’ came a voice dripping with sarcasm. ‘Is it really you?’
Aila nodded at her cousin. ‘Reporting for duty, ma’am.’
Well,’ said Lady Ikara, ‘I must say, what a surprise. I thought your opium-induced daze would last at least another few days, yet here you are. Lucky me.’
Aila took a seat at the long table. Aside from her cousin, the only others present were a couple of the governor’s mortal assistants.
‘What exciting jobs do you have for me today?’
‘Well,’ said Ikara, ‘all of yesterday’s work, for a start. Five hundred condemned prisoners have been sitting in our over-crowded cells for nearly a day. They need processed, and shipped off to the Bulwark. No exceptions this time, understand? I’m getting fed up with you making excuses for these mortals, and finding loopholes to prevent them going to the Great Wall. The Blades rely on the prisoners we send them to refill their ranks.’
‘But, Ikara, sentenced to life in the Bulwark for stealing an apple? Especially when “life” probably means a few days. The Blades treat the prisoners we send like fodder.’
‘That’s out of our hands. You know the quota; two thousand Evader criminals every year; like scraping the scum off the top of the Circuit. The summer fighting season has begun, and I’ve already been receiving messages from your brother, Lord Kano. He’s quite insistent that we get those prisoners to him as efficiently as possible. Anyway, that’s your first job today, and remember, they’ve not had any food or water since they were brought to the palace prison.’
‘Why not?’
Ikara frowned at her. ‘Dealing with prisoners is the job of the governor’s adjutant, is it not? Tell me, what is your position here in the Circuit?’
Aila suppressed her anger. Being humiliated by her cousin was part of the role she was playing. If she antagonised the governor, she might lose her job and be forced back into house arrest, which would mean the end of the d
ouble life she was leading.
‘I’m the Adjutant.’
‘That’s right! What a clever girl you are! After that, I need you to go to the racecourse to collect my cut from the gambling syndicates. Take guards, and arrest Joylen while you’re there.’
‘Why?’
‘Just do as you’re told.’
Aila nodded.
‘If there are any protests, speak to the others and calm them down.’
‘What makes you think they’ll listen to me?’
Ikara shrugged. ‘Because they like you.’
‘That’s only because I treat them fairly.’
‘No, they like you because your father was a traitor, and the Evaders remain disloyal at heart. They seem to think that you’re one of them, and that, somehow, you are carrying a flame for their beloved, sadly executed, Princess Yendra.’ She smiled. ‘Imagine that. The fools actually think you’re capable of making a difference to their sad, little lives; when I know how much of a coward you are, and how you’d rather sink into the warm embrace of opium than face up to the mess your life has become.’
‘You finished?’
‘Not quite. Presumably you haven’t heard, but there was some trouble a couple of nights ago.’
‘Yeah?’
‘Paid assassins murdered Olvin and three of his lieutenants.’
‘How despicable.’
Ikara narrowed her eyes. ‘As you are no doubt aware, Olvin had been paying me a considerable sum to ensure he was immune from such risks. His murder makes me look bad, as if I can’t protect my own. Already I’ve had grumblings from the other bosses, demanding to know what I intend to do about it.’
‘What are you going to do?’
Ikara shrugged. ‘Sounds like it falls under the role of adjutant, wouldn’t you say?’
‘Fine. What do you want me to do about it?’
‘Catch those responsible and string them up by the Grand Iceward Canal. Be brutal; send a message that won’t be misunderstood. Of course, if your investigations hit a dead end, then I still want to see bodies. Half a dozen should suffice; I don’t care where you get them from.’
The Mortal Blade: An Epic Fantasy Adventure (The Magelands Eternal Siege Book 1) Page 7