Herald of Shalia 4

by Tamryn Tamer

  Frost didn’t like the idea of Brynn staying and started to wonder what she was thinking. They already had plenty of hostages so adding one did nothing.

  “I would rather not leave you here,” Frost said sternly.

  “And I’d rather not go with you,” Elias said arrogantly. “But that’s the nature of compromise.”

  “I believe it’s a fair agreement,” Herald Law said, smirking at Brynn. “Of course, we’ll ensure that Princess Brynn Hilde is treated like the royalty she is.”

  “Of course,” Brynn said. “Please husband. I’m sure everything will be absolutely fine. Oh, and my handmaidens should stay as well.”

  “Fine,” Frost said. “I suppose we’re all in agreement then. Unless there are any objections.”

  “None,” Herald Law said, smiling victoriously while staring at Brynn.

  “None,” Elias nodded.

  “So,” Fiora grumbled. “To be clear, we’re killing my suitor. What’s in this for me?”

  “Fiora,” her mother shook her head. “Herald Law would be capable of finding you a very desirable suitor. Do not worry about losing King Asmund.”

  “Fine,” Fiora said, rolling her eyes as she got up to leave the table. “Then I suppose we’re done here.”

  “Good,” Frost said. “I’m going to head to the dungeon to ensure that everything is on the level.”

  “Princess,” Herald Law grinned. “Now that the official meeting is over, would you care to join me for brunch? A dungeon is no place for my songbird.”

  “I would be delighted,” Brynn said, turning to Frost. “You don’t mind, do you?”

  “I don’t mind at all,” Frost answered as he got up and walked toward the door. “Do you want Ena, Fayeth, and Renna to wait for you or head back to the room?”

  “They’re handmaidens,” Brynn answered. “They can wait.”

  “I’ll be sure to tell them you said that,” Frost smirked. “See you later.”

  CHAPTER 16

  The Blackwater prison was located just south of the keep so the guards for both the keep and the prison could be centralized. It also made questioning criminals, mock trials, and executions convenient for the governor of the city.

  It wasn’t surprising to see that the number of guards surrounding the large three-story building had increased since he last saw it. The area’s defenses were being supplemented with royal guards.

  “Princess Fiora,” a guard saluted before signaling another one inside the stone wall to open the gate. He quickly glanced at Frost before returning his attention to Fiora. “Would you like us to accompany you?”

  “It’s fine,” Fiora answered. “I don’t have a tail, fangs, or pointed ears so he’s not a danger to me.”

  “Very well princess,” the guard said while signaling others to keep an eye on them anyway.

  Frost followed Fiora through the cold stone halls of the prison while scanning the thick steel doors to determine how strong they were. A vast majority were normal steel that no ordinary person would be capable of breaking out of but none of them would hold skilled mages.

  Before long they passed more durable doors and even enchanted ones, clearly made for higher level prisoners or prisoners skilled in magic.

  “This way,” Fiora said, leading them down a stairwell toward an iron door with two guards standing in front of it. “Stand aside.”

  “Yes, your highness,” the men said while moving out of her way. One of them banged on the door several times before opening a slat at the top.

  “Get away from the door if you know what’s good for you,” the guard yelled through the slat before shutting it. “And you better not make any trouble, or else.”

  “Or else what?” Frost asked, staring the man down as he cracked his knuckles with his thumb. “Have you been hurting them?”

  “We don’t answer to you,” the guard sneered as they opened the door.

  “Leave it open,” Fiora said as they stepped inside of a massive stone room that looked more like a storage room than a prison cell. “Here we are.”

  “Herald Frost!” several of the demihuman courtesans rushed toward him but froze when they realized that Fiora was beside him.

  “Are you here for all of us?” one of the demihumans asked nervously.

  “Or just Madam Gardenia?” another added.

  Half the women were barely dressed, clearly ripped from their homes or from the brothel without warning. Several of them nervously rubbed their bruised arms and necks while a few sought to cover their faces so he couldn’t see the damage.

  A large quantity of blankets and pillows were scattered throughout the room acting as makeshift beds. A small table stood near the doorway with a pile of stale bread stacked up and a crate of fruit was sitting right next to it. Water was stored in a much larger barrel beside the table.

  “Herald Frost,” Madam Gardenia approached him while glaring at Fiora. “I assume you’re here to check on us.”

  “That’s right,” Frost said, staring at the fox-eared madam. She was wearing a long red camisole style nightgown, suggesting they were taken either immediately in the morning or the middle of the night. Her large red tails hung lower than usual and lacked their normal energy. It was obvious that the scarlet haired Kina was attempting to hide a limp. “Show me your leg.”

  “Herald Frost,” Madam Gardenia shook her head. “I assure you that it’s nothing. I’ve experienced worse offenses at the hands of drunken patrons.”

  “Tell me which patrons and they’ll lose their hands,” Frost said. “Show me.”

  “Fine,” Madam Gardenia lifted the long skirt of her gown, revealing several welts, clearly delivered by a club of some kind. She let the skirt drop back down. “There’s nothing that…”

  “You know there are going to be consequences for this, right?” Frost said to Fiora before arriving in front of Madam Gardenia. “If you think for a second…”

  “My people had nothing to do with any of this,” Fiora said calmly. “I made sure of it. Neither did my mother, although some of her guards might have been complicit. They’re not as loyal to her as they are to Magnus.”

  “Herald Frost,” Madam Gardenia sighed as he lifted her skirt and pressed his hand against the welts, channeling mental energy as he accessed his internal grimoire of divine magic. His knowledge of anatomy gave him an understanding of what was injured and he allowed the magic to flow from his hands, healing any fractures and repairing the damaged muscles. Recovery magic was particularly taxing but extremely effective at healing most wounds. “Thank you. Did the rest of my girls make it out safely?”

  “They’re in my village,” Frost answered while gesturing at a bruised courtesan to come over. He activated Breath of the Goddess to minimize the strain as he began healing the woman. A line slowly formed behind her as several injured women waited patiently for him. “Why didn’t you get out with them?”

  “Somebody had to delay them so the others could leave,” Madam Gardenia answered. “Although chasing us around did upset them quite a bit. Fortunately, Baron Slade was rather quick to figure out what was happening and ensured that we were treated rather respectfully once we arrived here, all things considered.”

  “It would have been quicker if he were more accessible,” Fiora grumbled. “The idiot spends too much time with that whore of his.”

  “Whore of his?” Madam Gardenia smiled at Fiora, feigning ignorance of Slade and Hestia’s relationship. “Who might that be?”

  “I’m sure you’re well aware of who I’m talking about,” Fiora said, waving her hand as if to shoo away the conversation. “More importantly. We’re here to make sure you’re being taken care of adequately.”

  “Adequately might be a bit of a stretch,” Madam Gardenia said while gesturing at the line of injured women. “I assume you were simply delayed in sending a physician.”

  “Physician aside,” Fiora said, ignoring the complaint. “Is everything adequate?”

  “We have food, water,
blankets, and plenty of rodents to keep us entertained,” Madam Gardenia answered. “I’m sure there are worse places to be, even within this very building.”

  “Good. Are you satisfied?” Fiora asked, staring at Frost.

  “No,” Frost answered as he finished healing a large welt on a Myrran courtesan’s back. “I’ll be satisfied when I extract a pound of flesh from the people who hurt them.”

  “You’re being as childish as Slade,” Fiora said, sighing as she looked around the room at the women glaring at her. “Killing a royal guard is considered a crime against the king himself. That is why the herald and the grand counselors are granted royal guards instead of ordinary soldiers. The herald is under the king’s protection so if he or his guards are harmed, my father will respond. It would be foolish to seek revenge.”

  “You expect me to just let them get away with this?”

  “Some bruises and breaks,” Fiora scoffed. “Which you’ve already treated. Certainly nothing to die for.”

  “Die?” Frost chuckled. “Have you forgotten? Pretty soon I’ll have Rilia’s army at my disposal.”

  “If you say so,” Fiora said, clearly irritated by the statement. She gestured toward the exit. “I believe we’re done here.”

  “Herald Frost,” Madam Gardenia wrapped her arms around him, her soft crimson tails followed as she leaned in and kissed his cheek. “I trust you’ll resolve this for us.”

  “I will,” Frost sighed while stroking one of her fluffy tails. “But it’s going to take some time. I have to meet with King Asmund and he won’t be in Pluma for a few days yet. After that, I’ll get you out of here.”

  “How long do you think we’ll be here?” a Durra woman asked nervously. Several others mumbled in agreement while staring at him hopefully.

  “I’ll have you out soon,” Frost said confidently.

  “Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Fiora said while gesturing toward the door. “Now, you got what you came for. Now it’s time to have the discussion that I came here for.”

  “It’s okay,” Madam Gardenia said optimistically. “We’ll be fine.”

  “Fiora,” Frost glared at the blonde princess. “If anything happens to them, I’m going to hold you personally responsible.”

  “I barely have control of the city,” Fiora said. “There are five different criminal syndicates that control a massive portion of the trade, one of which is likely operated by your mistress over there. Three are operated by powerful merchant families and one more is operated by a noble family. Then I have the various noble families that have important positions in central institutions that I can’t eliminate without my father’s approval, which he won’t give because they are cousins to families in the capital. Then there’s the matter of the military budget freeze and the back taxes owed to the capital. And finally, seventy-eight different treason investigations that seem to be forever ongoing. The fact this city is functioning is a fucking miracle and these animals should drop to their knees and thank me every day that they aren’t being butchered in the streets. But sure, feel free to hold me accountable for how Herald Law’s private guards treat them. That makes complete sense. Now, are you coming, or not?”

  “You probably should go,” Madam Gardenia grinned impishly at Fiora. “I imagine the princess has important business to discuss. Although I know nothing of criminal syndicates, I do know that the presence of Herald Law would cause them to cease operations. Blackwater has many problems which require immediate solutions and immediate solutions are rarely legal.”

  “Yes,” Fiora said derisively. “Although I want to make it clear that I do not engage with these syndicates.”

  “I would never suggest it,” Madam Gardenia said, bowing politely.

  “I’ll come check on you again,” Frost said, kissing Madam Gardenia as several of the courtesans looked on enviously. “And when we fix this, we’re going to talk about you moving to my territory permanently.”

  “You can talk all you want but there’s more rel in Blackwater than Pluma,” Madam Gardenia said. “And as long as that’s the case, I know where my priorities are. Although I’d be lying if all of your talk about growth potential weren’t enticing.”

  Several of the courtesans giggled childishly at the mention of growth potential, clearly assuming it was a euphemism. He was relieved to see they were in better spirits than when he walked in, but still irritated that he couldn’t do more to get them out.

  He followed Fiora out of the basement cellar. When they reached the first floor, rather than heading for the exit she walked toward a staircase leading to the second floor. They continued walking through halls and reaching new staircases until they ended up at a dead end with a ladder and wooden hatch leading to the roof.

  “You first,” Fiora said. “If I go first, you’ll look up my skirt.”

  “Fair,” Frost nodded, climbing the ladder to the rooftop. The roof was an enormous nearly flat surface with a slight southern slant to ensure that any rain flowed toward the river instead of accumulating on the roof. There were no guards and from his position he could see clearly in all directions.

  “Ahem,” Fiora held out her hand, waiting for Frost to take it. The princess’ large skirt was stuck in the hatch, something she clearly hadn’t thought of. As she struggled to climb higher, the top of her dress pulled down slightly, showcasing more of her chest than she was likely comfortable with. “Ahem!”

  “Alright,” Frost said, grabbing her hand as she held her top up with the other. He lifted her through the door and set her down gently on the roof. Suddenly he found himself a little disappointed that he hadn’t gone second. He could have pushed her through which would have been fun. “Why are we here?”

  “Because it’s private,” Fiora said irritably as she brushed off her skirt. “My keep is filled with royal guards that’ll report me meeting with you to Magnus. If he hears I’m meeting with you, he’ll question me and if he questions me, he’ll insist that I wear that stupid ring of his.”

  “Plenty of guards saw us heading up here,” Frost said.

  “I’m aware,” Fiora answered. “But they were my guards and my guards report to me. One of them attempted to go over my head and Slade cut out his tongue. They don’t do that anymore.”

  “Right,” Frost chuckled. “So, what did you want?”

  “Plainly,” Fiora took a deep breath. “I don’t want you to kill King Asmund.”

  “Is that all?” Frost scoffed.

  “I have some ideas on the family that Herald Law would choose my husband from and I don’t want any of them,” Fiora said, fiddling with her fingers as she spoke. “To be blunt, they disgust me. While they are a highly competent and prestigious family, they behave like animals. Their women are treated as breeding mares and mounted whether they like it or not. The goal of the family is to produce as many sons as possible and in the event they have daughters, they sell them to other families at the age of ten and if I am to believe the rumors, they aren’t sold off as virgins.”

  “You can always refuse to marry them,” Frost suggested.

  “My mother would never allow it,” Fiora scoffed. “I was meant to marry into that disgusting family when I was ten. If not for my sister poisoning me, I would have.”

  “Isabelle poisoned you?” Frost asked.

  “For my own good,” Fiora rolled her eyes as if explaining were a chore. “Small doses of various poisons meant to make me frail, delirious, sometimes violent. Whenever a healer figured out how to treat me, she would come up with a new way to ensure I remained sick. That went on for five years, until the family lost interest due to me turning the ripe old age of fifteen. My mother hasn’t quite forgiven me for that, if you hadn’t noticed.”

  “What family is this exactly and how do you know you’re to marry into it?” Frost asked, trying not to show his disgust over the situation.

  “House Moray. And I know it’s them because they’re the only ones that my mother would have traded my marriage to King
Asmund for,” Fiora answered. “She would have insisted on that family and the herald has the power to make it happen. Because I’m in my twenties I’ll be handed to one of the older men in the family, probably one of them whose wives died in childbirth. Although that doesn’t really narrow it down.”

  “And you’d rather be married to King Asmund,” Frost said pensively. “You know he might be just as bad.”

  “We both know that’s not true,” Fiora said. “Sure, he’s a bit older but from all accounts he keeps himself in good shape and is at least somewhat handsome despite his age, albeit dreary looking based on the reports I’ve received. I’ve seen a few sketches here and there and he’s not horrible. He’s highly competent, a soldier, and honorable. While he has several wives there are no reports of him harming them. Although the one did kill herself.”

  “Not his fault,” Frost said. “So, you actually want to marry Darius?”

  “Given my options, yes,” Fiora said. “I would rather die than be married off to House Moray.”

  “There’s no assurance that Darius wants to marry you,” Frost said. “And if I don’t kill him, the courtesans will be in danger. Not only that, Brynn intends to stay with Herald Law as a hostage.”

  “Oh please,” Fiora sneered. “Herald Law would never harm his precious little songbird. She’s worshipped that man for as long as I can remember. You don’t have any idea how many times I had to hear about how wonderful princess Brynn was. The way he talked about her made me sick. The manipulative little bitch has been working that man for ages and if her family hadn’t been killed off, I’m fairly certain she would have married him. She’s not a little songbird, she’s a venomous little snake.”

  “That’s my wife you’re talking about,” Frost said.

  “From what I’ve heard you’re perfectly fine with snakes,” Fiora said derisively.

  “Should you really be insulting me?” Frost asked. “I was under the impression that you wanted a favor.”

  “I doubt you consider snake-fucker an insult,” Fiora said mockingly.