Starfall (The Fables of Chaos Book 1)

by Jackson Simiana

“Unfortunately, not. Our cooler, drier climate is not as lush and vibrant as Camridia’s. So, it is always a gift to visit your wonderful kingdom, away from all the sand!”

  The diplomat sounded genuinely pleasant, Katryna noticed. That was a relief. Katryna greeted them with a smile and slight bow. The diplomats bowed back silently.

  “I have never had the opportunity to go to Ember, but I’ve long been told stories of the beauty of your kingdom,” Katryna said.

  “We would be delighted to receive you one day.”

  “I plan on heading south with my aunt in the near future, in fact.”

  The one thing Katryna had never been comfortable with whenever she was speaking to an Emberian were their masks. All citizens of Ember were required by traditional law to wear an ornate, decorative mask at all times when in public.

  It made it difficult to converse with them, as Katryna would not be able to read their faces. Katryna respected their customary law, but was thankful to not have such rules regarding dress in her land.

  The Emberian to her left was taller, with a bright yellow, sun-shaped mask, decorated with onyx strips of metal and red gemstones. The other had a grey mask the colour of storm clouds, with angular edges and white lines.

  Neither of their faces were visible at all, besides the deep cavities where Katryna could somewhat make out their eyes.

  Katryna addressed the diplomat in the bright mask who she had already spoken with- she knew that in Emberian culture, the brighter the mask, the higher social standing that individual had.

  “My lords, I am Princess Katryna Bower, first-born daughter of King Giliam. It is a pleasure to meet you.” She spoke gently but directly.

  “My Princess, I am pleased to meet you.” His accent was thick, and his voice slightly muffled from the mask; Katryna had to listen closely to make out some of the words. “I am Ambassador J’rillo N’va. I represent the Royal Court of Queen Virala Ex’rama in Aurora. My queen extends her warmest regards to your family, and her deepest sympathies for the death of your mother. My lady was very fond of Queen Mira and was utterly devastated to hear of her passing.”

  If she was so devastated, then why did she not attend herself? Katryna wondered. “My family is very grateful for your condolences.”

  J’rillo N’va introduced his associate with an open-handed gesture. “This is my colleague, Ambassador Siah R’no, another representative of Aurora.”

  “A pleasure,” Katryna said. Siah R’no bowed again, his straight black hair hanging out from behind the cloudy-grey mask down past his shoulders.

  “How can we be of service, my lady?” J’rillo N’va asked politely. “I am guessing you did not come here to exchange pleasantries on Camridia’s extensive fauna!” J’rillo N’va chuckled to himself.

  Katryna felt obliged to smile back. It was hard for her to judge whether the man seemed pompous or was just overly proper; his accent made it difficult to tell. But there was a tone in his voice which made her question his true feelings towards her the more she spoke.

  Perhaps she was being too hasty in her judgements. They’ve been forced to remain in Castle Bower for the investigation for many more weeks than they originally had planned for. Who wouldn’t be upset by that?

  Katryna stood tall, shoulders back, and crossed her hands behind her back like she was taught as a young girl. She wanted to make her presence known and come across stronger than she was feeling.

  Deep down, she hated addressing strangers. What do they think of me? What if I offend them? Katryna shook the thoughts aside, focusing on the issue. No, I need to figure out what is going on. These men could be responsible for the poisonings of my parents. Be strong, Kat.

  Katryna inhaled a deep, strong breath, her chest expanded and released the air. It filled her with confidence and eased her heartrate.

  “Please, have a seat, my lords,” Katryna said firmly, gesturing over to the stone slabs sitting on the grass in the overlook.

  The two diplomats sat beside one another, and Katryna sat on an adjacent stone seat. She kept her legs together and placed her hands elegantly in her lap.

  “I’m afraid that I am here regarding some rather dire matters,” Katryna stated.

  “Oh?” J’rillo N’va responded in a surprised tone. “Well, Ember is a good friend to Camridia. We will help in any way we can.”

  “The High Sword, Ser Arthus Medonia, questioned you both several weeks ago regarding your meeting with the king and queen, and the dinner you shared with them? Is that correct?”

  “This is indeed true. I am at a loss as to why we have been asked to remain in Castle Bower all these weeks later.”

  “I apologise for any inconvenience that may have caused,” Katryna said.

  “Worry not, my lady. We have made the most of our…extended stay here in Ravenrock.”

  “Enjoying your wines and gardens has been a delight,” Siah R’no added.

  “That is good to hear,” Katryna said. “So, what details did the Ser Arthus share with you?”

  J’rillo N’va rubbed his chin beneath his mask, deep in thought. “He was scarce on the specifics of his inquiries, I fear. Asked about our intentions in Camridia, our interaction with the king and queen, what we ate at our private supper, I think.”

  “We believe the queen was assassinated, and someone attempted to kill the king as well,” Katryna said, a little too bluntly.

  Both diplomats audibly gasped and looked at each other. Their elaborate masks hid their true expressions.

  “By the Blue Flame, how can this be?”

  “My father is on his deathbed as we speak, suffering with very similar symptoms as my mother right before she died. By the Creator’s grace, he still fights on.”

  “Surely this cannot be true, my lady.” J’rillo N’va appeared to be somewhat distressed, based on his hand gestures.

  “I am at a loss,” Siah R’no added.

  “Castle Bower is impregnable,” said J’rillo N’va, “and your king was loved by all-”

  “Please, my lord. Enough of the sweet talk. This is not the time for flattery. My father is dying, my family is in danger, and I need answers. While I appreciate your formalities and attempts at compliments, this is neither the time nor the place. I am here for answers,” Katryna said.

  J’rillo N’va and Siah R’no leant back from the princess, seemingly shocked by her outburst.

  J’rillo N’va snickered behind his mask. “You Camridians have always confused me.”

  “And why is that?” Katryna huffed.

  “Nothing to hide your true intentions behind,” J’rillo gestured towards his mask, before tilting his head, “yet you still attempt to deceive.”

  “There is no deception to be had, my lords,” Katryna said. “I am simply trying to figure out what is going on in my castle.”

  “Your castle?”

  Katryna was beginning to feel frustrated. “The night you arrived in Ravenrock, you met with the king and queen for a private supper?”

  “Correct me if I’m wrong, but Prince Rowan is the next in line, am I right?” J’rillo N’va stated.

  “I do believe so,” Siah R’no replied.

  Katryna ignored their remarks. “What did you eat and drink on the night you dined with the king and queen?”

  “Are you accusing us of some plot to assassinate the Camridian monarchs?”

  “Just answer the question, my lords.”

  The two Emberians paused and looked at each other. Katryna could only guess what expressions were hidden behind their decorative masks.

  How was she to deal with these two men when she could not even see their basic reactions?

  Katryna repeated the question. “You dined with my mother and father on the night you arrived in the city. Do you recall?”

  “I most certainly do recall, it was a fine meal, fit for a cleric of the Blue Flame,” J’rillo N’va said.

  Siah R’no added, “We had freshly-slaughtered lamb, juicy and hot and covered in some str
ongly-flavoured gravy. There was also a selection of vegetables, fruits, bread, if I remember correctly.” His tone sounded slightly hostile.

  “The potatoes and beans were exquisite,” J’rillo N’va said.

  Katryna nodded. “And the drink?”

  “A tangy red wine from the Midlands. An old bottle from Castle Bower’s wine cellar, picked by the king himself.”

  “And the king and queen shared the same food and drink?”

  “I believe so, my lady.”

  If the meal or the wine was poisoned, the ambassadors and food tasters would have suffered as mother did. Nonetheless, we must check every avenue.

  “Now, if you don’t mind, my lady, we have a fine breakfast waiting for us in our quarters,” J’rillo N’va said. The two diplomats immediately stood up and brushed off their robes.

  “What was your purpose in visiting Ravenrock?” Katryna asked, ignoring their attempt to end the discussion.

  J’rillo N’va cleared his throat before speaking. “Queen Virala sent Siah R’no and I as representatives-”

  “Not the watered-down version,” Katryna interrupted. “I want specifics, my lord. Why did you meet with the king and queen?”

  “We are not at liberty to discuss such private matters with you, my lady,” said Siah R’no.

  The rare instances that that man speaks, and he offers nothing constructive.

  “Forgive me, princess, but what authority does a woman have to ask such questions of two royal ambassadors? Our affairs are confidential, as I’m sure you can understand,” J’rillo N’va jeered.

  “My lords,” Katryna began, taking in another deep breath to cool her temper. The Emberians were frustrating but head-butting with them would solve nothing.

  She thought carefully about her response, considering what Aunt Rashel had told her during their breakfast, picking through her collection of knowledge and experience from growing up.

  Think outside of the circle you have drawn around yourself.

  Katryna cleared her throat. “While you are standing on Camridian soil, you adhere to Camridian customs and laws. Unlike the kingdom of Ember, Camridia is one which values men and races of all kinds, including women.”

  It was only half-true. Women rarely had the same privileges as men in Camridia when it came to ruling. There had never been a Camridian queen before either. But Katryna figured that if she spoke confidently enough that she may be able to convince the Emberians.

  “As I have already mentioned, the king is dying, and the queen has been murdered. These are uncertain times, but Camridian law dictates that if the crownbearer is incapable of ruling, either from sickness, injury, or old age, that the crownbearer’s responsibilities fall into the hands of their oldest child, to act as regent.”

  J’rillo N’va and Siah R’no looked to each other once again through their masks. Katryna’s boldness was not expected.

  “I am Katryna Bower, oldest living child of King Giliam Bower. In his stead, I am the representative crownbearer. Not my brother, me. While you stand in my city, under my rule, you will answer my questions and do as I command, is that understood?”

  Both diplomats nodded silently; the message had clearly been received.

  “Good,” Katryna said with a smirk. She took a deep breath before continuing. “What was Queen Virala’s reason for sending you to Ravenrock?”

  “Queen Virala had several important affairs regarding our two kingdoms that she needed to discuss with King Giliam and Queen Mira,” J’rillo N’va replied, a little more nervously than before. “Matters such as establishing further trade routes for gold and minerals, sharing strategies together to overcome pestilence which has ravaged our farmlands the past several years, and…” J’rillo N’va paused.

  “And?” Katryna said.

  “And… discussions of joining the royal families of Camridia and Ember through marriage, to strengthen our ongoing alliance.”

  “Marriage?”

  “Yes, my lady. Queen Virala’s son, Prince Tesh, twenty years of age. A strapping young man. A very talented archer and avid historian. A prince blessed by the Blue Flame himself!”

  “And who was this prince supposed to marry, exactly?”

  “King Giliam offered you as the bride, my lady.”

  Katryna shook her head. “No, that must be a mistake, my father would never-”

  “It is true, my lady,” J’rillo N’va said. “Our main purpose here in Camridia was to establish a betrothal. The king was adamant that upon your return to the capital, he would offer your hand to the Prince of Ember to combine our Houses, being that you are his only daughter.”

  Katryna could not believe it. She stood there, mouth agape, unable to find the words to respond with.

  Siah R’no stepped in. “Your mother was not so fond of this deal. She claimed that you were a ‘bad seed’, I believe were her words, not fit for a royal wedding. She did not want any tarnish on such an affair.”

  That sounds like mother. Could this really be true? Would father give me away like that? Like an animal?

  Katryna was in disbelief. Her father would not offer her as a bride without first discussing it with her… would he? She tried her best to keep a straight face. She did not want to let the ambassadors see any more weakness from her, despite the dagger to the heart she felt.

  “You were to be wed to Prince Tesh,” J’rillo N’va repeated. The words replayed in Katryna’s head over and over again.

  Chapter 18 - The Duel

  Wesley Seynard took a final sip of his sweet, red wine and, with a shaky hand, gave it back to the knight who had been fighting in the arena before he had stumbled in to interrupt it.

  He kept his eyes locked on Prince Petir as he made his way over to the arena from the spectator’s stands. His servants crowded around him like flies to a corpse as he strode over, fastening pieces of his suit of armour to his body.

  The crowd was manic at the coming duel. Such fights between members of two royal families never happened. It was very exciting for them, but not so exciting for their families who watched nervously.

  Wesley belched as he placed his helmet on, the ground swaying with each step he took. Knights began filling the ground level of the tourney grounds to observe the duel.

  Petir laughed before he jumped the fence into the arena. “So, you accepted my proposal from last night!” Another servant handed him his sword. “Are you sure you want to do this? You don’t want to lose a duel during your Uniting Tourney, in front of your wife and family, do you?”

  Petir’s tone resonated with smugness. It only served to make Wesley more infuriated.

  They were about ten paces away from each other. Wesley held on to the fence behind him for balance as Petir put his steel helmet on.

  Then they started circling the field, eyes locked on each other in a battle of wills.

  “You son of a whore,” Wesley slurred.

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “You’ve taken everything I love from me!” Wesley barked, feeling sweat and tears drip down his face beneath his helmet. He could feel his long hair sticking to the back of his neck.

  Petir could only just hear what Wesley was saying over the roar of the crowd. They paced closer to each other.

  “I don’t know what you are on about, boy.”

  No one else could hear his taunts, only Wesley.

  “I’m gonna kick your arse so hard, they’re gonna hear your whimpering all the way back in Dawnhill,” Wesley hissed, before raising his sword and swinging it high into the air towards his opponent.

  Petir blocked it swiftly, jumping underneath the strike and causing Wesley to lose balance and stumble.

  Petir chuckled. “You are clearly in no state to fight, boy. Let’s call it there, shall we?”

  “That’s not up to you.”

  The two clashed, their swords ringing. A spark zipped out from the clashing of the steel.

  Wesley struck high again, but seemingly without effort, Petir blocked th
e sword mid-air and pushed Wesley back with his free hand. The crowd, including both their families, watched on in suspense.

  Petir fought back, unleashing a barrage of strikes which Wesley struggled to fend off, slowly edging Wesley back towards the wooden fence that marked the outer perimeter of the fighting arena.

  Wesley’s reflexes were failing to keep up as he attempted to parry and dodge, lest he damage his sword. His muscles seemed to lag a half second behind what his mind wanted them to do.

  But he maintained his composure. Somehow.

  Wesley felt rage simmering beneath his skin. It was fuelling him. He swung his longsword in a wide arc, smashing into Petir’s sword and rattling both from their grasps.

  Suddenly disarmed, Petir tackled Wesley, launching him off his feet. The two men flew backwards into the wooden fence, crashing straight through it. The crowd thundered as the arena fence split apart in a burst of wooden splinters.

  With Petir still on top of him, Wesley panicked and took an opportunity, bashing the side of Petir’s steel helmet with his gauntleted fist.

  It worked; Petir was thrown off. Wesley was able to get to his feet, puffing.

  “You took her from me!” Wesley growled.

  “What are you talking about?” Petir gasped, catching his breath, and lifting his helmet slightly to wipe some dripping blood from his mouth.

  The crowd continued their cheering and clapping at the thrilling spectacle.

  Wesley took one of the broken pieces of wood from the dust, wielding it like a baton. He charged Petir, smacking the jagged wooden piece into his armour multiple times, unsuccessfully.

  Petir attempted to push the drunken prince off him, wincing each time the wood struck him. It couldn’t break through his armour, but each hit still hurt.

  Petir got his hand on the other end of the wood piece during one of the clumsy swings, ripping it from Wesley’s hand and tossing it aside.

  “You fight with no honour. What is your problem?” Petir rumbled.

  Wesley clenched his jaw, holding back a scream. “Jodie,” he muttered through his helmet’s visor. “You… you took her from me. She… she…”

  Petir lowered his guard, his eyes went wide before he began to cackle uncontrollably. It only served to make Wesley angrier.