Minndi shut her eyes slowly and held them closed for a minute before looking at Jaklyn carefully. When she opened them, they were full of an angry fire.
In that split second, Jaklyn saw a foreign scene. Angry noises emitted from fast moving metal beasts down a street an ugly shade of grey. On either side stood buildings, reaching higher into the sky than Jaklyn could imagine, shining in the sun with transparent panels running their length. Lights flashed, and people in clothing Jaklyn didn't recognize hurried to their destinations...
Jaklyn saw Tyiku once more. "That is information that only the one sitting on the crown is to know," Minndi declared.
"Who was the third body?" Alikos asked.
"I don't know," Minndi replied. Jaklyn sensed how much this bothered her.
"So, now the people against your reign are forming a rebellion to take you down for sure?" Jaklyn clarified out loud the thoughts reverberating in Minndi's head.
"Exactly. So you need to make sure you lie low during the fight."
"When are we fighting this battle?" Jaklyn asked, trying to make her own thoughts focus.
"You're not. You are staying out of the way. We can't risk anything happening to you."
"No one would pick me to go after. I'd just be another speck in the field. Besides, why is my life so important?"
The prophecy, Minndi thought. "Just obey me, Jaklyn Klain."
She was almost shaking with indignation. "You, the empress, are going onto the battlefield, but I'm not allowed to, and you won't tell me why?"
"It's not negotiable, Jaklyn."
"I'm sorry, Your Highness." She forced herself to stop talking.
"You'd do well to remember that and to stop asking questions," the empress warned. "In the meantime, you will stay safe. Understand?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
Minndi smirked. "Very well. You will stay at the Phoenix estate during the fight. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Alikos, make sure she doesn't leave,” Minndi ordered.
"Of course." He nodded his head in a way that irritated Jak. That she needed to be under constant surveillance seemed to be the only point he and Minndi could agree on.
"I didn't want to send all of this in a letter because I didn't want someone else to find it accidentally."
"Right."
"Stay at the estate. Don't interfere in the battle. I'll send patrols to check on you."
"You've said that."
"I'm just reiterating it. Alikos, you will not be fighting in this battle."
"I assumed as much." It's more important to watch Jaklyn, he thought entirely too loudly.
Because I will clearly run back home the first chance I get. Jaklyn rolled her eyes. Neither the empress nor her guardian gave any indication they saw her.
Someone knocked on the door into the room.
"Come on in, Ezra," the empress bid her.
"Your Majesty," the ancient woman bowed. Minndi cringed but said nothing. "Is this the girl you spoke of?" Ezra asked the redhead. Minndi nodded.
"You spoke of me?"
"Sort of. Ezra read some things in my mind."
Jaklyn cringed. Ezra knew she had mind powers, which meant Minndi probably knew, too, even if Jak had been doing her best to avoid telling her directly.
Everyone was staring at her. "She was the mage who read minds at Cadmus's trial, right?"
Minndi nodded. "Yes. She's extremely powerful. She's not a danger, though. She's served the crown since before my parents' reign.
Jaklyn smiled. "I'm not worried," she said, even as she pressed her magic as far down as she could, just in case.
I thought she said that she had changed everyone in court when she took over. Jaklyn was noticing that Minndi could not be trusted to tell the total truth.
"When should we expect the battle?" Minndi asked Ezra.
"The start of the battle approaches in a week's time. The war continues for an unforeseeable period," she said simply.
Minndi nodded.
Jaklyn didn't dare using her magic to figure out whether the woman was lying. Besides, she reasoned, why would an old friend of Minndi's parents lie about something like that?
She knew that she was only accepting this superficially. Family ties meant nothing if her father’s example taught her anything. She forced herself to believe Ezra was trustworthy for the time being; she wasn't likely to change Minndi's mind on this matter even if she tried.
"So soon?"
"It seems they are impatient to start a change," Ezra said offhand.
The empress scowled. "I haven't done an injustice to anyone since taking the throne."
"From your perspective you haven't."
"From yours?"
"I believe it is my duty to remain impartial."
"I order you to tell me your perspective."
"Everyone has a different opinion of what an injustice is, and some people will carry the blame they cast onto your parents until the end of your rule.”
"That's not fair."
"The populace is stupid, Your Highness."
"I will not speak poorly of my subjects, only tell of my disappointment in their approach to my title. Bringing us back to the future. One week?"
Ezra sighed. "Yes."
Minndi turned her attention to Jaklyn and Alikos. "Do not leave your residence until the week is out without my consent."
"Yes, Minndi." Alikos bowed. Jaklyn fought to keep her mouth from dropping.
"I will send a messenger when I believe it is time to allow you to leave. Understood, Jaklyn?"
She hesitated. "Yes, Minndi." She could tell Minndi had noticed, but the empress disregarded it.
"Guards will follow you on your way back. Travel safely. Good bye until I have more news to tell you."
"Good bye," the two chorused with a curtsey and bow. They backed out the doorway. Alikos led the way out of the palace, Jaklyn stomping after him.
The guards followed far enough behind them that they knew they wouldn't be able to hear any of their conversation.
"So, how do you feel about house arrest?"
Jaklyn shot him a warning look but responded lightly. "I suppose she has her reasons. I find it ridiculous, though."
"A little ridiculous?"
"Do you think it's justified?"
"I guess so. She's thought it through, I'm sure,” Alikos said without conviction.
"What does she expect me to do? Go scream, 'The empress wants me to stay alive the most!' at the top of my lungs? No one would believe me." Jaklyn sighed.
"Lyn..."
"What?!"
"Sorry. Did you expect something more than this from the empress?"
"Not really, but I was hoping she'd just tell me what's going on for once."
He was quiet and biting his lip. "I bet that's frustrating."
"I'll get over it."
"Will you?"
"I will." She chided herself for being irritable, and then reminded herself that she did, in fact, know what was going on. She wished she could trust Alikos enough to tell him her secret; even her magic told her he was sincere, but she didn't know if he'd keep the secret from the empress even if Ezra had. A charm to prevent her from reading anything would make her more of a prop for the crown than she already was.
She sensed Alikos's worry for her all the way back to his house. For once, she wasn't sure how unfounded that worry actually was.
Chapter 8
Shouts came from outside. People were yelling things like "For the crown!" and "For freedom!" Agonized screaming scorched the ears of even Alikos and Jaklyn, safe in the refuge of the Phoenix estate.
A rapping on the door made them both look up from their meal. "You—hide." Alikos mouthed to Jaklyn. She followed his instructions only because it was treason not to.
From inside the closet she could hear the front door open and low voices of several men. The door shut. Footsteps grew and faded. Several minutes passed before Alikos called to her to
come out.
She searched out the newcomers. Even in their professional manner, she could detect the underlying emotions behind their assignment.
The leader of the duo was older. A few grey streaks stole the brown color from his hair. Alikos introduced him as Arro, an old friend of Minndi's parents, and Jaklyn recognized him as the guard from Minndi’s memory. A quick glance into his mind told her he thought the entire ordeal was stupid; the respect he had afforded to the senior Mairunas did not extend to their daughter, but a promise to her mother would prevent him from straying away from his duty to the crown. He could be trusted, even if he didn't think there was anything special about Jaklyn or any reason to focus protection on her.
The second newcomer was still in training. Eryx, she gathered, was his name. He wasn't all that intelligent, but he idolized Arro. He also bought into the family tradition element of working for the crown; he wouldn't do anything his family disapproved of. She discovered that meant he would stick to the crown regardless of who wore it. That would do for now.
They could be trusted. She curtseyed to both. The younger guard smiled to her, but the older one merely nodded before returning to duty.
Alikos noticed. It bothered him, but he said nothing.
The new guards didn't seem to want to be bothered. Jaklyn left the room so that she didn't have to put up with Arro's thoughts. They would have been hurtful she hadn't already hardened herself to such thought processes by the noblemen that stopped by Alikos's house from time to time.
She sat at the table and stared ahead of her, focusing on her breathing in a meditation, desperate for anything to help her get calmed down. She heard footsteps on the edge of her consciousness and lost focus.
It only took a glance into the person's mind to figure out who it was, but she could have guessed without even that aid.
"Yes, Alikos?"
She didn't bother to open her eyes or even move to speak or see his expression. It took him several long moments before he responded.
"I thought you might like some company."
"Mmm..." she mumbled, sinking deeper into meditation. He was messing up her plans to block out the thoughts.
"Oh," he whispered, understanding. She heard him get up and walk over to the counter.
Please don’t tell me he's going to try to make me eat.
She heard the knife slice through a vegetable, followed by the sound of his footsteps as he navigated the kitchen.
She heard another set of footsteps and, with a final sigh, gave into consciousness.
With a rub of her eyes, she appraised the soldier in the doorway and tried to give some semblance of a smile. "How is it going, Arro?"
He responded offhandedly. "The battle is getting closer to the house, but neither side is bothering the residences. We should be safe if we don't get in the way."
"Thank you." She tried to respond sweetly, but his expression didn't show any emotion. He repeated the same information to Alikos before disappearing back into the other room.
The shouts from outside grew louder. Once again, Jaklyn tried to drown out the noise. This time, she failed, and instead ended up staring into space or watching Alikos blend the ingredients for whatever he was making tonight. As she watched, she mulled over possible excuses for not eating.
"Do you want dinner?" he asked when he finished cooking.
"No thank you. I'm not hungry."
He shrugged and sat to eat. "Let me know if you want something later."
Jaklyn peeked into his mind.
Alikos is worried? That can't be a good sign...
Despite the concern of her guardian, it seemed the other guards were right about their positions being unnecessary. The night passed in relative quiet. Once every couple of hours one would come to let those in the kitchen know that nothing was going on, but they eventually slept in shifts.
It elated Jaklyn when Alikos finally suggested they go to bed as well.
She found that it didn't actually help her calm down. Instead of the silent solitude of the unlit room offering her a sanctuary, it provided a breeding ground for thoughts of all the horrible scenarios that could happen. She turned back and forth on the now almost familiar bed in her attempts to fall into sleep.
When she wanted to scream, she stuck the pillow in her mouth, barely feeling guilty that she was treating such expensive material so poorly. She needed to make noise. She didn't think the pillow let anyone hear her when her fear escaped her throat. No one came running in, at least.
She was afraid to be alone, and somewhere in her mind, she knew it was ridiculous. Nevertheless, her feet hit the floor, and she felt herself following an impulse to head down the hallway.
She paused at the door, trying to get a grip on exactly what she was doing. She couldn't make herself see any amount of sense in it even while the action was moments away. She inhaled and opened the entrance into the room.
"Alikos," she whispered into the dark, "I'm scared."
She heard footsteps from within and the sound of a candle being lit. A slight orange glow illuminated the face of her guard. "Me too."
She bit her lip and nodded. This isn't his responsibility, she told herself, his job is to protect you, not coddle you. She felt foolish, and her silence made the atmosphere awkward. As usual.
"Come in. We can talk about it, if you'd like to." Of course he won’t send me away. What did I expect?
Unsure of how to proceed otherwise, she followed his suggestions. "Are our reasons all that different?" she mused.
"That depends. What are you scared of?"
"Several things, I suppose." She knew he'd want her to expand on that, so she continued, "I'm scared of the war, of the battles not ending well. I'm scared that I'll disappoint people when I turn out not to be as important as Minndi's making me out to be, or of making a choice that she disagrees with. Those kinds of things. And I'm terrified that I'll have to go home after the war." I don't want to face my father, she added to herself.
He nodded. "We can't stop the battles from going badly. It sucks, doesn't it? It bothers a lot of the new guards, but you eventually learn to do your part, whatever that may be. That's what they say, anyway, but I haven't accepted it yet." With a shrug and a softened tone, he added, "For you, that part is merely self-preservation. You know that, right?"
"Yeah, yeah. I know. How could I not, with an assigned guard and constant surveillance?" Jaklyn grumbled. "Plus, neither you nor Minndi want to tell me why, even though you both know and it's such a simple explanation."
"I know it's aggravating, and I'd tell you if I could, but..."
"I know. It's treason." She made an indistinct grumbling noise, combing her fingers through her hair. She walked around in a circle for a minute before sitting on his bed. When she continued talking, she was shaking, but whether from fear or frustration, she didn't know. "Alikos. I have a confession. But... please. Don't be mad at me, alright?"
He sat next to her, and something about the tension made her feel free to lean against him. He put his arm around her, and she regretted her action almost immediately. "I won't be," he said.
"I know that I'm the Object of a seemingly important prophecy."
Alikos froze. "Did Minndi tell you, then?"
Jaklyn shook her head. "No, of course not. There's another part to my confession." She inhaled and exhaled. "I'm a, um, mage. I guess."
He removed his hold on her and stood quickly. "You're a mage?"
"I suppose so. I never thought of myself as one, but now that I've progressed to easily reading minds..."
"You what?"
"I can read people's minds."
"And you've been keeping it a secret this entire time. Wow."
"Yeah, I guess I have been. But," she clarified, "when we first met, it wasn't that big of a deal. I used to be able to tell if someone was lying, or whether someone’s intentions were good. Then, at the ball, I heard everyone's thoughts like whispers and saw Roan thinking about the knife in his pocket."
<
br /> "So that's why you got to him in time to stop the attack."
"It is. It's also why I visited that man in the slums awhile back."
"You went to a slums magician when you could've had access to a palace magician?"
"Going to the palace magician would have meant telling Minndi that I'm a mage. If she knew that, if she knew that I could simply peek into her head at any point, do you think she would have left her mind unguarded? Do you think I'd have the slightest clue what is really going on if she knew about it?"
"Good point. Are you asking, then, for me not to tell the empress?"
She winced. Of course he was still a soldier. "I'd prefer you not to, but I don't want to put your position into danger."
He nodded. "I won't, then. I... She won't like it if she finds out I knew about it, but you're right. You have a right to know what's going on. Plus, she's been hiding something from both of us, and probably everyone else. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious about it," he hinted.
"I don't know what it is, Alikos. I think it has something to do with the place her parents hid her at. When we were talking about it, I saw a glimpse of the place. It was nothing like Tyiku, or Sralossa, or Izabeth... Nowhere I've heard of, anyway. The buildings were tall, and there were metal structures that moved and made noise..."
"Strange." He shook his head.
"I don't know what it all means, though. If I'm the Object of an important prophecy—and I doubt I am, it's got to all be some sort of mistake—and Minndi spent eight years in a land that, as far as we know, doesn't exist anywhere, and my mind magic is progressing now, of all times... I think that means something big is coming. And I don't know that I believe I'm supposed to, or even want to, be a part of it. I'm afraid of that, too."
"You're afraid of the prophecy?"
"Of course. Wouldn't you be?"
"I would. I think you should try not to worry about it. At all. Just do what you would usually do. If it pleases people, it does, and if it doesn't... well, I don't think most of them will try to kill you. You'll always get radicals, but that's why you've got me, right? If you turn out not to be the Object everything will be fine. If you turn out to be the Object, you'll still fulfill it while doing your normal things."
The Traitor of Tyiku Page 7