Starfall (The Fables of Chaos Book 1)

by Jackson Simiana

  “I always wanted to be a knight, actually.”

  Hila snickered. “A knight? Can farm boys even be knights?”

  Tomas shrugged, and laughed with her. “If not, then I’ll be the first.”

  “I’d put my money on that, Ser Tomas.”

  Tomas continued chuckling with the beautiful barmaid amongst the juniper trees as they fantasised their alternate lives.

  “So how did you end up serving as a soldier?”

  “Recruiters were conscripting peasants across the kingdom. Rilan and I joined up without telling our families. Left home that very day and were sent to Barrowtown.”

  Hila studied the frown on Tomas’s face. “Did you not get your wish, then? You got to leave your hometown.”

  Tomas rubbed the back of his neck. The images of the battle flashed through his mind. He felt his stomach twisting and his heart pumping, just like on that day. He could smell the sweat and the mud, taste the blood.

  Then, the nightmare of what he had done to that one Imperial soldier seemed to manifest in the snow before him.

  The scared man, clawing at his spilled innards with blood-slicked hands to try and push them back into his open abdomen.

  The horror in his voice as he cried out in fear, and the paralysis Tomas had experienced.

  It was so real, as if it were happening all over again.

  “Childhood wishes aren’t always what we hope for,” Tomas muttered solemnly.

  The two locked eyes with each other, then fell silent for a moment. They looked back into the darkening sky towards the glittering red star.

  “And if you were to believe in superstition? What then would you think the bleeding star is?” Tomas asked, trying to change the topic.

  Hila considered Tomas’s question silently, but before she could answer, their conversation was interrupted. Tomas heard a voice come from the tavern door behind.

  “Tomas, it’s time to go now. Captain’s orders.” He turned to see Rilan standing with Landry at the back steps to the garden.

  Tomas felt a wave of disappointment. He would have stayed with Hila all night if he could, just talking to her. He studied her curls, her curious eyes, her freckled face, trying to memorise it all.

  “Well, for what it’s worth, it was lovely speaking with you, Tomas from Brittlepeak,” Hila said.

  “And you as well, Hila from Winterglade.”

  “Any chance you will be coming back through town?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Hila nodded. It was probably just as a rare an occurrence for her to connect with someone who seemed to respect her and wanted to listen to her as it was for Tomas. The two knew in that moment that their conversation had been genuine and special.

  “If you’re ever in town, come find me. I’ll be here.”

  Hila leant in and kissed Tomas on the cheek. He felt his face get hot and his lungs tighten.

  “Thanks for the lovely conversation, Ser Tomas of Brittlepeak,” she joked, before gently punching him in the shoulder.

  Tomas smiled, looking down at his feet before taking in the barmaid’s overwhelming presence one last time. “It was my pleasure, Hila of Winterglade.”

  “And thanks for sticking up for me earlier on.”

  Hila tightened her the straps of her apron before squeezing between Rilan and Landry who stood like sentries in the doorway. As she stepped back into the tavern, Hila turned back to Tomas one last time.

  “I hope you find what you are looking for, Tomas.”

  Tomas waved to her as she went back indoors. He took one last glimpse of the starry night sky and the streaking red star above. He felt as if the sky were almost mocking him- such a wide-open vastness, full of endless possibilities, almost teasing him.

  Why couldn’t his life be like the sky?

  Even with his newfound freedom, freedom from Brittlepeak, freedom from his father, freedom to discover more of the world around him and explore who he wanted to be, Tomas had never felt so stuck.

  Chapter 20 - Hunter’s Bane

  Katryna Bower stormed into the royal physician’s private quarters, slamming the thick oak door shut behind her. The room smelt stale. Closing the door so suddenly made some of the pieces of parchment and paper on Jerrem Denar’s ornate desk go flying and a candle blow out.

  The royal physician, Jerrem Denar, was hunched at an alchemist bench, an empty potion bottle in one hand and a cluster of herbs in the other.

  With him were Katryna’s brothers, Rowan and Finnigan.

  Katryna slammed her fist against the solid table, causing Jerrem Denar to jump and glass vials to jingle. Rowan barely batted an eye, while Finn looked at his sister with concern.

  “Did you know?” Katryna boomed. She stared straight at Rowan; her trembling finger pointed right at his face.

  Jerrem Denar raised his hands, attempting to calm the princess. “My lady, is everything al-”

  “Did you know about the prince from Ember?” Katryna did not blink, her eyes remaining locked on Rowan’s.

  Finn and the royal physician turned and looked at Rowan, waiting for his reply. Jerrem Denar lowered himself into his old chair.

  “Kat, what’s going on?” Finn asked.

  Strands of hair stuck to the sweat dripping from her face. “Father was making plans to marry me off to Prince Tesh from Ember, upon my return to Camridia.”

  Finn gulped. “What? That can’t be. Father would never do such a thing without-“

  “It’s true,” Katryna spat. “That was the purpose of the diplomats visiting Ravenrock, wasn’t it, Rowan? To offer the terms for a betrothal?”

  Rowan nodded, unblinking. “It’s true.”

  Finn spun around to his brother, mouth agape. “Rowan?”

  Katryna felt a surge of deep, insidious anger raging like an inferno inside. Rowan had always hated Katryna for her role in Willem’s death, treated her as if she were a leech to their House. Like a foul, uncleanable stain.

  Katryna only managed to speak one word as she held back tears. “Why?”

  Rowan stood tall and confidently. “I will be king one day, and I want my alliances to be strong. Ember is a valuable asset and our closest neighbour, one which I intend to keep close to the crown.”

  “Why me?”

  Rowan huffed, crossing his arms. “Word reached me some time ago that during the Riddles’ royal visit from Lyrmark to Ember, Prince Tesh had become somewhat infatuated with Princess Awara Riddle. Reports stated that they had been seen holding hands and caressing one-another while walking the beaches of Aurora.

  “I could not risk the only royal child of Ember being wasted by marrying a Riddle! Could you imagine! Our closest bordering neighbour, marrying one of those scheming rats? So, I made a pre-emptive move.”

  Katryna shook her head and repeated her question. “Why me?”

  Rowan shrugged. “I figured we may as well put you to some good use. You are a Bower. You have Bower blood in your veins. That name means something, and I intend for it to remain that way when I become king. So rather than have you wasting away in Redwatch, I convinced father to consider sending word to you to come home and marry Prince Tesh upon your return. This, of course, was before he and mother were poisoned. As if fate will your homecoming, one way or another.”

  Jerrem Denar slowly forced himself up from his groaning chair, stepping in. “I think what the prince is trying to say is that he wanted to maintain peace and prosperity between Camridia and Ember. Matrimony is an old and successful way of strengthening bonds between families.”

  “Do not lecture me on how the men of this kingdom use women as their political pawns,” Katryna spat. “And here I’ve been, believing that father was unlike all the rest while he bargained with me like a commodity.”

  Rowan smirked. “All men are the same. We do what needs to be done, just as the women should, without second guessing ourselves, without question. You have that responsibility running through your very blood.”

  Katryna struck Ro
wan with an open palm. The slap echoed around the stone room, exacerbated by the ensuing silence.

  “My lady! You cannot do such things!” Jerrem Denar said.

  “Don’t you ever use me like that again, do you hear me?” Katryna demanded, as a red handprint appeared on Rowan’s cheek.

  Rowan wiped his mouth with his hand before uppercutting Katryna straight in the jaw. The sudden impact threw her backwards into the door, her brown hair flying over her face. She felt warm blood flow from her torn gums.

  Finn pushed his brother away from Katryna, shouting at him to stop. Katryna’s head began to spin, and everything sounded muffled for a few moments, like she was underwater.

  Rowan began to shout at Katryna as Finn held him back. “If you ever do something so stupid to me again, I will have that pretty little head of yours removed from your shoulders and hung up over Castle Bower, do I make myself clear?! I will be king soon, and you have no right to strike me!”

  Katryna did not utter a single word. She stormed out from the room, holding her aching face. The pain was immense.

  Finn promptly followed Katryna out of the royal physician’s quarters. “Kat, wait. Are you alright?”

  “Our brother is reckless and dangerous. Worse still, he is a fool.” Katryna said, walking fiercely through the castle’s hallways with her brother by her side. She needed to get as far away from his as she could.

  “Kat, you really should not have hit him.”

  Katryna stopped and stared into her brother’s eyes. “I will not stand by and let him get away with such selfish and hurtful things, Finn! I tried playing nice, I tried making amends. I tried to establish a common cause for us to work towards, and he repays me with…with…”

  “Politics, Kat. It’s just politics.” Finn looked so innocent as he spoke.

  Katryna realised that her brother was still so young, so naïve to the harsh reality of the world he was growing into. All he wanted was for everything to be alright.

  “I am not for sale, Finn. I am not some prize sow. I am a human being. I am not up for bartering.”

  Finn nodded, smiling proudly at his sister’s strength. “You still should not have hit him, though.”

  Katryna pulled her hair out of her face, wiping another spot of blood from her mouth. “Rowan forgets that while father is still breathing, I am queen regent of Camridia.”

  “You what?” Finn said. “But you are…”

  “A woman?” Katryna interjected. “Do you not remember your studies of Camridian law, Finn? The responsibility of regent falls to the oldest child of the crownbearer until their death, not the oldest son. It only came to me just today.”

  Finn considered what Katryna said, appearing gobsmacked and confused. “So why not tell Rowan that? Why let him continue thinking he is in charge?”

  “Because I wanted to see how he acts when he thinks he is in control, with no consequences to be had. And now I know. I know I cannot trust him. It seems I am learning more and more about who our brother is.”

  Finn stopped Katryna in the middle of the well-lit hallway where they stood alone. Her statement was sounding accusatory.

  “What are you saying, Kat?”

  Katryna took a deep breath in but didn’t hesitate to spill her thoughts to her younger brother. “I think Rowan poisoned mother and father.”

  Finn snorted in disbelief. “No, there’s no way.”

  “Think about it for a moment.” Katryna was careful to lay down her thoughts, and keep her voice hushed so that no one in the castle heard what she said. “Who stands to gain the most from the death of mother and father?”

  Finn rubbed the back of his head nervously. “Rowan does. He would become king.”

  “Who had access to mother and father?” Katryna asked.

  “Anybody within the bailey walls these past few weeks could have had access to them, Kat. We employ hundreds of servants, handmaidens, cooks, butlers, stable boys.”

  “Right, but Rowan has no restrictions when it comes to accessing mother and father. He could have planned for them to be poisoned quite easily and paid someone off to do it.”

  Finn did not look all that convinced. His eyes pointed down to his shoes as he considered the new information.

  Katryna continued. “Then I learn from the Emberian diplomats that Rowan convinced father to marry me to Prince Tesh, as a means of fostering stronger relations between our kingdoms. It seems to me like he is trying to plan one step ahead, for when he becomes king. And need I remind you where Rowan was while father lay on his deathbed? Out hunting!”

  Finn looked away, as if realising something. Katryna caught him doing it and stared straight at him.

  “What? What is it?”

  Finn bit his lip and fidgeted. “I did as you asked. I questioned Jerrem Denar about the poison used on mother and father, just before.”

  “And?”

  Finn looked away again. “After some prodding, he told me that he thinks he might know what poison it was. But… he appeared nervous, like he was worried about something. He was shaky, lowered his voice, and perspiring. Well, more than usual. And then Rowan stepped in, right before you arrived at his quarters. Jerrem Denar became silent as a grave from then on. I don’t think he wanted Rowan hearing what he had to say.”

  That is strange.

  “If Rowan is responsible for this, we need to act quickly, before he strikes again. I fear he may come after me next, now,” Katryna said.

  “Kat, think about this,” Finn said quietly. “What you are suggesting is potentially treasonous.”

  The word leapt out at Katryna, realising her brother was right. If Rowan caught on to her, there was no telling what the prince would do to silence her.

  “Damn. You’re right, Finn. We need to go about this differently.” She considered for a moment.

  “Rowan is potentially going to be king very soon. Rowan is no monster, but he can be a dangerous man when he is threatened.”

  Katryna listened to her brother’s insight. She was putting herself at risk by confronting and provoking Rowan the way she had.

  “I don’t know if Rowan did what you fear he did,” Finn said. “But if it is true, we need more solid evidence. We cannot make such drastic claims against the first-in-line without proof.”

  Katryna nodded, holding out a hand and firmly grasping her brother’s shoulder. “I have a job for you.”

  ※

  Katryna found Trish putting fresh linens on her bed back in Katryna’s quarters. She looked as stunning as ever, wearing another one of her crimson gowns that she so loved.

  Katryna bolted the door shut behind her, wiping away her drying tears and trying her best to hide her bruised jaw.

  “Are you alright, m’lady?” Trish asked. She turned and saw the swelling on Katryna’s face instantly. “Oh, my goodness, what happened?”

  Trish rushed over and sat Katryna down in a cushioned armchair, before grabbing a cloth and soaking it in some cool, clean water. She handed the dripping cloth to Katryna, who dabbed it on her jawline.

  “How many times do I need to say it, Trish? Don’t call me ‘m’lady’,” Katryna said.

  Trish ignored the comment. “What happened to you?”

  “Inquiries happened.”

  “I wasn’t aware that inquiries involved being beaten up?”

  Katryna winced at the pain as the cold cloth rested on her face. “My inquiries do.”

  Katryna sat forward, resting her elbows on her knees, and trying to relax. She exhaled sharply, trying to relieve herself of the tension brewing inside.

  “I fear I made the wrong decision by returning home,” Katryna admitted.

  “Nonsense. We had to come, to see your father. For your brothers, your aunt.”

  Katryna shook her head. “He’s nothing but a liar. All my life he has only ever used me! It’s all falling apart around me.”

  Trish soaked the cloth and rung it out, applying it to Katryna’s blue and red jaw. She knelt beside Katryna
as she vented her frustration, patting her forearm.

  “I don’t know who these people are anymore.”

  “A long time away from them will do that, Kat.”

  Katryna looked into her handmaiden’s comforting green eyes, coloured like fields of grass. But her attention was instantly averted to the ugly scar down her face, long since healed.

  It brought back vicious memories.

  Katryna rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes, feeling her anger bubbling like a hot soup. She decided to let it out and tell Trish everything.

  “Rowan befouled my father’s decision-making, convinced him that I should wed Prince Tesh Ex’rama from Ember to build a new alliance! My father wanted me shipped away as a bargaining chip! To use me like I’m property,” Katryna shouted. “Who does he think I am?! Some cheap handmaiden, or some brothel whore!”

  Trish suddenly stopped and her lip began trembling. Tears began to well in her eyes. She shook her head from side to side, clearly distraught by what Katryna had said.

  “Is that how you think of me too, is it then? Like some cheap brothel whore?”

  “No, Trish-”

  Trish erupted. “You know, your father isn’t the man you think he is. Your father took me away from my father when I was a little girl! Not once did he ever protect me from your mother! I lost everything! My home, my friends! After everything I’ve done for you, not once have you ever considered how that hurt me!

  “And here you are, complaining and carrying on like a spoilt child, because your father wanted you married to a prince? A rich, powerful man, to take care of you? Are you kidding me, Kat? Being born a Bower has blinded you from the truth of the privileges you have been handed.”

  “That’s not the point.”

  “No, the point is you think you are better than me, just because you were born into the right family.” Trish was taking it very personally.

  Katryna shook her head. “You know that’s not true.”

  “You said it yourself. ‘Cheap maiden’. ‘Brothel whore’.”

  Trish turned and stumbled away, leaving Katryna all alone in her quarters. “Trish, wait. I’m sorry.”