The Caged Kingdom

by M A Price

  “It’s worth it, but you’ll curse the day you first thought so.” Idyn pulled her into an embrace, a boyish innocent pride plastered to his face. She let him hold her, let her defences fall for a moment.

  It was worth it, but it never stopped hurting.

  Twenty-Two - Jaxon

  Jala had been reluctant to leave the watch just to him but eventually relented.

  “Just be careful Jax, I can’t survive this place without you!” She huffed as she left the dungeon.

  He had already convinced Flern to take the night off, something he beamed at and revealed nobody had ever told him such a thing before.

  The guards upstairs had been replaced by his own men, Tyr leading the duty. He’d expected Xave to resist but Jefferson’s favourite had been mysteriously missing from public affairs the last two moons. A fact Kress had informed him of in the kitchens last night whilst demanding he had an extra helping of pie and telling him about her twelve Citrix pets, each with their individual name and life story. He had made sure he paid her all the attention he could, all too aware that nobody spoke to the poor girl and avoided her at all cost.

  Discounting Jala she was slowly becoming the only friend he had. Things with Samiah had remained frosty since he reprimanded her.

  He had lay in his tiny room last night, completely unable to sleep, wondering if this was a terrible mistake. He had gone to such lengths in the twenty-two years he had been alive to keep himself safe, avoid all suspicion and deny what he was…yet he was about to risk it for a possibly crazy woman in a cage.

  All because she seemed to know things about him; things he wished someone else in Brodanna knew, or just cared about.

  Yet the pain was worsening, and he was certain underneath his burnt flesh, symbols were starting to form. A shadow that hadn’t been there before. He was running out of options and Becca may be the only one available to help him.

  Jala had made sure Becca had water to clean today and even brushed her hair under his command. She sat in the usual corner of her cell, still huddled to the wall. He didn’t blame her, it was about as far away from the waste bucket as she could get and despite it now being regularly changed the continuous use of this cell over the moons had left a smell that no cleaning could remove.

  Still, she looked a little better. The meals he made sure she had since he took over had softened the hardened hollow look to her cheeks. Though she was still dangerously thin, her legs and arms were still covered in thick lines of bruising, but they were healing. Healing as much as they could here without the help of an actual healer; a healer that would never be permitted to see her. He had even snuck down the salve from his chambers and told her to apply it to the Mark on her chest.

  He walked to the bars, taking the thick keys from his belt and unlocked the cage door. Becca didn’t react and waited for him to enter. She wouldn’t be able to hurt him, he was stronger and more powerful, but the entering of her cell still felt like crossing a line. He had to do it, had planned to do it, but the act of something was always so different to the thought of it.

  “I’m not going to bite, you’re feeding me now remember?” He went to her, pulling out the bread he had hidden in his cloak to give to her. She looked pleased as she bit into it ravenously. He was clearly not feeding her enough.

  “It’s getting worse isn’t it?” she asked, looking him up and down. He had seen his own reflection before coming here. Saw the pallid tone of his skin, the dark circles growing wider, and the sweat that never seemed to leave him.

  He sat with her, his back to the open door. He doubted his men would let anyone in. They were about as safe as they could possibly be.

  “Yes. I’ve been finding ways to channel my power, little things that have always worked before, but nothing is making a difference.” The words stung but the relief of saying them to someone, even to a prisoner he was meant to be guarding, felt liberating. She pulled his arm, shocking him slightly and stared at his wrist. Layers of skin had seemed to disappear, a dark cloud where the Mark had once been but luckily it wasn’t entirely visible yet. It would probably still be the last day he could wear the short-sleeved version of his uniform. Such a change in the heat they were experiencing was sure to raise questions; from friend and foe.

  He thought he should ask how she had known, but he wasn’t sure if he was ready for the answer.

  “There is a tonic, I don’t know how much it will help, but it should ease the sickness. Perhaps slow down the rate of return,” her speech was slow and well thought out, as if she was used to trying to think of the best solution to such problems. “I’ll tell you how to make it, you’ll have to follow my instructions entirely though or you’ll mess it up, and it could have the reverse effect. It could still leave you with a sickness if you stop taking it. Addiction is a side effect.”

  He gulped; tonic making was not his forte. “I’ll do my best.”

  “You know my husband could help you? He…” she looked away, as if to stop herself telling him something. “He wouldn’t judge, and he has the resources to keep you safe, to show you what you can be.”

  “I’m not joining the resistance, I’m not part of that and I don’t want that life.”

  “I’m not sure you have a choice Jaxon. This life has chosen you and it’s not going to let you go. You’re part of it until you die, there is no way out.”

  “I do believe she’s entirely correct Captain.”

  The voice sent shivers along his spine. He knew who it belonged to and he knew what It meant.

  Becca moved her head to look at the intruder as Jaxon pulled himself up to face him.

  He hadn’t heard the sound of his approach and how he had bypassed his men was beyond him, but he supposed it wouldn’t matter for long.

  What mattered was Prince Reyn Landress was standing in the doorway and by the look on his smug face, he had heard absolutely everything.

  Twenty-Three - Mara

  Katanya had been quiet today; not even reacting to Mara managing to send her flying into the water. She wanted to believe she had improved so much at using her power that she was entirely deserving of praise, but she sensed that it was in fact Katanya’s mind being far away that had led to the incident.

  “We’ll call it a day,” her teacher sighed lowering her sword. They had moved on from using power to weapons in the later part of the afternoon, Katanya deciding Mara was improving with her power at least but still had a considerable amount to worry about if she couldn’t use it.

  She stomped to the river, throwing her black armour down next to her; the shoulder spikes sticking in the mud. It was so unlike the normal care she took with things. Even the drab black breeches and the pink shirt, dirty from last time she wore it, was out of character. The usual flourish of pristine cosmetics across her face were also absent.

  Mara moved gingerly towards the water line. She removed her boots and rolled up her own breeches sticking her legs into the cool water. Mainly she wanted a distraction to think for a few moments, she wanted to say something but wasn’t sure what or how it would be received.

  They had been getting closer these last moons. Katanya’s defences weakening further. She’d even come to eat with her and Idyn by her own choice a few times when not on duty or invited them to the pavilion with her and Ivloch. She had mentioned after training that she had left a house in the Spykelands, and talked with such love about Ballaca’s moody temperament. Mara had tried not to point out that the way Katanya felt about Ballaca was fast mirroring how she thought she felt about Katanya

  Something was wrong. She glanced back, taking in her friend, her hair had been released from its thick plait as usual, but she stared at the ground with an unusually sad look on her face, as if unable to maintain the usual mask of coolness.

  “You can tell me to go away if you want or storm off, but I know you’re not yourself, and I’m here to talk, if you need it.”

  Katanya’s head flew up, a snarl was almost on her lips as she glowered in Mara's
direction. She also, Mara reflected, looked as if she was thinking, debating whether to actually open the gates she always kept so firmly closed and double locked. She took it as a dangerous, but good sign.

  “I won’t breathe a word of it afterwards. I’ll turn around in a minute and if you don’t want to say anything then we can just forget I ever said this, alright? But Katanya, I care about you, I know you’re here to train me because Ivloch asked. I know you don’t want to make friends for reasons I’m not going to pretend to understand, but I like you. I haven’t had a chance to have many friends and I might not ever get that chance again, the way things are going, so I’d like to be there for the ones I’ve got whilst I can.”

  Mara was impressed with her own speech and entirely flabbergasted with her nerve. Katanya looked similarly startled. Maybe her fiery company was rubbing off on her more than she thought. She kept her word, turning back to face the river, but a slight smile curled at the side of her mouth.

  Of all the fears to conquer.

  Silence continued to persevere from behind her, but Mara splashed in the water, letting the cold soak into her core. The adrenaline rush had made her even warmer than she’d been after the training.

  “It’s three years since he died today. I left here because I couldn’t handle not saving Becca…” Mara stopped what she was doing and moved towards her friend, Katanya’s voice sounded smaller than she’d ever heard it. “Becca made Ivloch vow not to save her, not to risk everything. It’s killing him to think of what’s happening to her there. It’s killing me too and I feel guilty for leaving.”

  Mara thought she could see tears in her eyes. The pride she felt at her speech fled her; Katanya did need a friend. She didn’t know what the right words would be or if they existed but more than anything she probably just needed to talk. To vent all the things she had kept locked away inside her heart and promised never to reveal again.

  “Has there been news about Becca?”

  “No, but I had a dream, all I could see was her in a cell screaming.” Katanya groaned. “Even Camrin stayed. He has the empathy of a dagger, but he stayed and helped in the ways that he could.”

  “You haven’t let anyone down Katanya, your reaction was understandable. You love her. It’s natural to want to save the people you love.”

  “It’s not something I’m particularly good at.”

  Tears began to slide down her high cheekbones. She looked annoyed at them, as if such a thing didn’t happen to Katanya Leshi. Mara supposed it hadn’t in a while; if you didn’t let yourself feel anything then there was little to cry for.

  “How did he die Katanya?”

  “He joined the Guild whilst I was in The Facility. I was a mess when I got back, and he was the only one that would train with me constantly. I just wanted to feel strong again, like I was in control. It happened pretty fast, Becca joked it was fate leaving me a present for when I got out. He…he wasn’t a User, but he didn’t care.

  “Back then only some of us were put into The Facilities…the ones they caught without a number or troublemakers, but the order went out that all registered Users were to be sent there. That we were criminals and to be hunted; nobody knew why or what they wanted us for. Only the Guild knew what was coming. The only ones who truly still believed The Unforgiven would return. I suppose the Black Lands too, but we don’t know for sure. You can imagine I took it pretty badly. The Guild started trying to rescue some of the prisoner transports, save them, tell them to flee.

  “We had saved one from Wylow half a Moon Turn before but I got injured. Too cocky for my own good as usual. My power was gone, I hadn’t slept…it was a stab wound. It was pretty bad.”

  She paused to gulp, her face getting wetter as she told the story. Mara stayed perfectly still and did her best to listen, amazed this moment was happening. “They got me back to camp, found me a healer, I was going to be alright, but I was on bed rest for a while. That’s when Marius and Cam came back from their mission. They were rounding up some Users in the Spykelands, including some children and Kyllian’s sister.

  “I told you how I have a house in The Spykelands?” Mara nodded.

  “It was his family’s house, we stayed there for a while after our blessing and I loved them. His sister Debora, she could barely Use but the power was there, and to Kara, I loved her. Ivloch formed a plan. I couldn’t go. I was still too bruised, too injured to move, let alone fight, although you know, I tried to say otherwise.”

  She took a breath and Mara could tell where the story was going; wanted to hear the end more than anything but felt almost as if it was a violation to do so.

  “They didn’t know they’d sent an entire squadron of King’s Men and some of the already trained Users on their side. Some of them had been taken by The Unforgiven, some just joined up.

  “They were annihilated. Kyllian was killed by a User, one who chose to support them. He was trying to save his sister. She died too. All the prisoners, dead. They butchered them to send the survivors of The Guild a message. Fifty soldiers went to The Spykelands that day; only Ivloch, Marius, and Camrin returned.”

  Mara took in a breath.

  A massacre; that’s how Kyllian had died.

  “Xave was there, you know? Ivloch told me about you and him. I’m sorry if I wasn’t meant to know. He did it, Camrin told me. He’s never been taken over by one of them, all because he’s useful on his own.”

  “I’m sorry Katanya. For Kyllian and Xave. I had no idea what he was.” She had loved a monster. One who had taken Katanya's husband from her.

  “I know. I know that. I don’t blame you for him. We’ve all made some pretty terrible mistakes in our time, me more than most. It’s how we come back from them that matters.”

  “Are you going to stay?” Mara asked the question before she could stop herself. The last of her nerve retreating.

  Katanya wiped her face on the sleeve of her shirt. She seemed lighter, just from talking, as if the sadness had needed to escape. They had solved nothing. Kyllian was still dead, Becca was still gone, but perhaps she had needed to find her home again.

  The world was never quite as dark if you didn’t have to face it alone.

  “You need me to train you…and I think I need to be with some of the people I care about for a while.” She pulled herself to her feet. “Tell anyone I said that and I’ll cut your hair off while you’re sleeping, Idyn be damned.” Mara promised she wouldn’t and meant it.

  “Oh and Mara, thank you. You’re not terrible, I hope you know that.”

  She’d take it. She also thought, just maybe, even if it was only a little bit, that she might well be one of those people Katanya Leshi needed to be near.

  Twenty-Four - Jaxon

  He had walked the line with danger all his life; but he had never truly expected to trip over it.

  Reyn Landress just stood staring at him, the intensity of his dark features making Jaxon want to lean against something. To go out fighting.

  He had power but he had never been trained to use it in combat and doubted he could. His sword was strapped to his side and he certainly knew how to use it, but he had seen Reyn fight, both in battle and whilst training, Jaxon knew he would not win against him. The Prince had a raw talent with a blade that few were ever lucky enough to possess. The Prince’s sword waited across his back. A poignant reminder of what could happen next sticking out above brown riding leathers.

  He supposed he could at least try, perhaps give Reyn a scar to remember him by. He was good enough for that -

  “I had my suspicions, but I certainly didn’t expect this,” Reyn drawled walking further into the room. He kept his distance from the cage but made his presence known. Jaxon chanced a look towards Becca. She didn’t look anywhere near as scared as he felt, her expression blank with a hint of mirth.

  He supposed to her nothing had changed. Her future was the walls of this cell, he was just a surprise that could have aided her cause. If he died, the Mark would be sent to someone
else in Brodanna. Someone her husband could find. Someone who would work with him and not hide away for their entire life.

  “I knew you had a secret. Your distaste for what’s happening in these walls was obvious. There was fear there too; but it was your Second who really made me believe.” Samiah. Reyn had been so close to Samiah recently; and Jaxon so far away. What had she said to him? Anything, he imagined, for the chance to climb that ladder.

  “I studied as much about Users as is permitted in this palace, for as long as I could, from the moment I could read. They fascinated me. Your friend’s concern for your symptoms. Your secrets. They all seemed to point in that direction...

  “The nutrient bars I gave you. They were originally made for Users you’re aware? We give them to the ones who are with us or the ones The Unforgiven have claimed. They replenish their power. Make them stronger.”

  “You gave them to Samiah to make her feel better.”

  Jaxon was all too aware it was the most ridiculous thing that had ever come out of his mouth. It would be one of the last things he said before he died; and he would be remembered as an idiot.

  “No. That’s what I told Samiah. What I wanted you to believe.” Jaxon moved his eyes round for an escape. It was futile. There were no windows. A singular guarded exit. He wouldn’t make it out of the Dungeon, let alone the palace. “I expected you to be a User, convinced beyond all doubt. I even thought you might have a connection with Lady Youchnore here.” He indicated Becca, who stayed s in her dirt. “I didn’t expect to catch a Guardian.”

  He was going to die without seeing his mother or sister again. He’d die having wasted so much time with Samiah. He’d be buried having been a coward, hiding from the Mark, his power, and any difference he could have made. Worse still, the blow would come from a man he despised and all he really wanted was for him to get it over with.