Only Stones Remain (Ballad of Frindoth Book 4)

by Rob Donovan

  "That's men," Shana said and lay back down. She appeared to be distracted as if she was thinking about something or someone else. "Why did you think he was mad at you?"

  "Because of the questions I have been asked about his behaviour. Fyfe grilled me, the Prince has also been asking, even you. I feared that word might have got back to the King and he would be annoyed by what I had said."

  Shana stopped stroking Tatanya's hair and squeezed her in a tight embrace. She kissed her forehead and Tatanya was surprised to see tears in her eyes. "I don't think we have handled the situation too well do you?" she said softly.

  Tatanya pushed herself away from the maidservant. "I wasn't aware I was a situation that had to be managed."

  "No, that is not what I meant. I meant I am sorry that our questioning has led you to believe the King is mad at you. He really isn't. In fact, I think it would be a great idea for you to have breakfast with him this morning."

  Tatanya's heart somersaulted at the idea. She needed Jacquard's company. He knew all about hearing voices in the dark. Maybe she could talk to him about how she felt. Maybe he would know what the nightmares were about. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

  "Where are you going?" Shana asked also sitting up.

  "To see the King."

  Shana nodded to the window. A quarter of the green moon could be seen in the frame. "I think it is a bit early don't you?"

  Tatanya felt her cheeks grow warm. "But what about my chores? I will need to do them later."

  Shana smiled. "I will speak to Morag. I think she owes you after you handled that whole Hanoi situation and that family."

  Tatanya smiled. It was nice to think that bossy woman owed her.

  ***

  Tatanya was half way through her breakfast when she noticed that King Jacquard had barely started his. He pushed the plate to one side and watched her guzzle down her food with an amused smile. Tatanya frowned, the King did not look much better than when she had first met him sitting in the river. His complexion lacked colour and his beard was patchy. The long thick hair shown in the paintings now looked lank and in need of a wash.

  “You‘re not eating,” she said.

  Jacquard looked down at the bacon, egg and sausages before him and pushed it even further away. “I’m afraid I do not have much of an appetite these days.”

  “Saisko says the first meal of the day is the most important.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yes, it put’s strength in your body.”

  “And what does the second meal of the day do?”

  Tatanya paused chewing her sausage and thought about the question. Finally, she shrugged, “Saisko never said.”

  Jacquard chuckled. “So, what do you think?”

  Tatanya bit the inside of her mouth. It was a habit she was only vaguely aware of doing when she thought hard about something. “I think the second meal of the day is important and so is the third.”

  “So do I. No meal is more important than another.”

  Tatanya pointed her fork at the King’s plate. “In that case you should eat your breakfast.”

  Jacquard held his hands up in mock defeat and then pulled his plate towards him. He stabbed a sausage with his fork and then bit it in half, wriggling his eyebrows as he chewed. Tatanya could not help but giggle.

  However, she noticed that after eating the sausage he did not touch the rest of his food. They talked a little of her home and how Tatanya liked life at the palace, but she could tell his mind was elsewhere. He would ask a question and then stare out the window as he listened to her responses.

  “What is wrong?” she asked when it was clear Jacquard had not heard a word she had just said.

  “Hmmm?”

  “Well I just told you about the purple, fire-breathing newts we have in the garden pond and you were not shocked.”

  The King turned away from the window and offered a weak smile. “I’m sorry. I am distracted.”

  “By what?”

  “My son is hosting a war council this morning, I declared that I would stay away but I am anxious as to how the discussion is going.”

  Tatanya nodded. “Aren’t you the King?”

  “For now.”

  “Then why can’t you demand to be present at the council. Surely you can change your mind.”

  Jacquard wiped a hand over his face and sighed. “I don’t think the warlords trust my mind too much at the moment; especially after I stabbed my wife.”

  Tatanya stood and moved over to the window. Swifttails swooped down from the turrets into the spray from the waterfall. The wind changed and she felt some of the moisture in the air on her cheeks. It was a marvellous view and a peaceful day. You would never have guessed that war was upon them.

  “Have you seen her since?” Tatanya asked. She did not look at the King; she could scarcely believe she had asked the question.

  “Yes, she understands, at least I think she does. I have not seen him, Stasiak, though. I have nothing to say to him. What would I say?”

  Tatanya had no answer for that. She could not imagine being in the King’s position. She understood completely why he had tried to kill the Queen. If anyone was to blame, it was the Queen. It was her advice the King had taken to get rid of the bad man. Shana had told her this line of thinking was ridiculous but she could not shake the thought.

  “It is my fault,” she suddenly blurted out. She wiped the tears that suddenly formed. “If I had not told you the story of the addled woman you would never have stabbed your wife.” Jacquard was on his feet immediately and wrapped his arms around her in an awkward hug. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.”

  The King held her tighter and stroked her hair as she wrapped her arms around his body. “Now listen to me young lady. None of what has happened everything bad which has gone on, none of it is your fault. You must understand that. I can’t explain why I stabbed my wife, I have spent so many years mourning her, so many years trying to come to terms with her death that I think it was fear that I was hallucinating again.

  There is a lot you do not know. Before the Ritual of the Stones, I went through weeks of listening to reports of how vile this boy Stasiak was. I learned how through his cruelty he butchered the people of Frindoth and even my army. To suddenly learn my wife was alive and then to see this heinous monster standing close to her and purporting to be my son made my mind go blank. I thought none of it could be real. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me.”

  Tatanya did not know what to say and so remained silent. She hugged the King even tighter and hoped to convey her emotions that way. She was not sure who was comforting whom. Even though he was fully dressed Tatanya could feel the bones beneath the King’s skin.

  “The man I married would not doubt himself and wallow his day away in his bedchamber.”

  Tatanya squealed and jumped away from the King to see Queen Mirinda standing in the doorway. She was dressed in a simple ermine dress, her shoulders back and chin held high. She was a commanding presence and a far cry from the woman who had entered Lilyon only weeks before. She wore her hair tied up into a bun which showed her slender neck and the remnants of bruising. Tatanya thought she looked beautiful. Her face was passive and therefore it was difficult to read her mood.

  “I must confess I am struggling to find that man inside me,” King Jacquard said in a weary voice.

  Tatanya wanted to kick him to snap him out of his self-pity. The Queen would not endure his behaviour too long. It was hardly an attractive trait, especially when there were so many strong characters about the palace these days.

  However, the Queen surprised her by smiling sympathetically. “Then I will help you find him again.”

  The Queen stepped into the room and took her husband’s hands. Tatanya took another step backwards as the Queen lightly kissed her husband on the lips.

  “You were always strong, you were always my rock,” the King said.

  Tatanya looked out the windo
w again suddenly feeling awkward at witnessing the intimate moment.

  “I hear there is a war council going on,” Queen Mirinda said.

  “I promised I would not go,” the King replied. Again, Tatanya cringed at his weakness.

  “There are other ways to attend without being in the room my dear.”

  King Jacquard gasped and Tatanya turned around, her heart beating at this sudden intrigue. “That would be highly unethical.”

  “It never stopped me,” the Queen said and then laughed at the King’s shocked expression. “Don’t pretend you never knew.”

  “I really didn’t. I always posted Von Coolridge on that door to guard against spies.”

  “Spies?” Mirinda said holding her hand to her chest bone in mock umbrage.

  “I can’t believe you spied,” The King said.

  “I can’t believe you thought I didn’t,” the Queen replied.

  Tatanya looked between the two and almost laughed at their identical expressions of disbelief.

  “No wonder you were always so wise and so quick to give a well-reasoned answer.”

  The Queen laughed. “I fear you now see me as a fraud.”

  “Not a fraud, more conniving maybe.”

  Mirinda kissed Jacquard on the lips again and squeezed his arms. “Then let’s be conniving together now and make sure our son is making the correct decisions.”

  Jacquard turned towards Tatanya. “I can go,” Tatanya said.

  Mirinda reached out to the girl and pulled her and the King towards the door. “Nonsense, if you are half as inquisitive as I have heard, then even if you don’t accompany us, you will find a way to follow us eventually.”

  Tatanya smiled as she was led down the corridor. The Queen was correct, there was no way she would not discover what the King and Queen were talking about. Jacquard looked at her and grinned. She felt like a mischievous child who had been caught but was still being rewarded for her behaviour.

  They did not walk far, Tatanya counted four doors on the left before the Queen ushered them into a room. It was a standard bedroom, a little smaller than the one Jacquard had been staying in. It consisted of a wooden bed with a maroon, velvet quilt and a small table with a mirror on. There was a wardrobe with a double door and a large tapestry of a fire lion hung on the wall. It was the tapestry that the Queen moved towards now.

  “How is Atikass?” Jacquard asked. It was an awkward question and asked reluctantly. Tatanya got the impression the King did not want to jeopardise the jovial mood of only moments before but had asked out of obligation. The Queen stiffened as she reached up to the top of the wardrobe and fumbled along the roof.

  “Later,” she said and then added a muted thank you. The Queen gave a satisfied grunt as her hands clasped on something. She turned to show them a small silver key and then pulled back the tapestry to reveal a door.

  Tatanya couldn’t help herself and whistled. “I thought secret passages only existed in the bard’s tales.”

  “I think you’ll find that there isn’t a castle, palace or fortress built without secret passages these days.”

  Tatanya’s eyes widened. “How many secret passages has this Palace got?”

  The Queen smiled. “More than we will ever tell you about I’m afraid, although if you keep this one secret we may show you another one.”

  Tatanya nodded eagerly to show she could be trusted. The Queen unlocked the door, pushed it open and gestured for them to enter. Tatanya hesitated. The doorway revealed a descending staircase that led into the darkness. Musk air drifted up from the darkness; thoughts of the Pit washed over her and she felt tears come to her eyes. Jacquard must have noticed as she felt his rough and clammy hand clasp hers firmly.

  “Complete silence from here on in,” he said.

  Tatanya nodded. She was grateful that he did not ask her if she wanted to enter the darkness. If he had she might have refused. Instead he demonstrated that he knew she had doubts but had complete faith in her. At least that is how she interpreted his actions.

  She stared at the steps, her vision blurred and the doorway seemed to elongate and shrink. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them Jacquard was watching. He exchanged a worried glance with his wife. “Ready?” he asked.

  “Yes, just…just don’t let go of my hand,” Tatanya said and hated the weakness she displayed.

  Jacquard trod on the first step, pulling her gently behind him. They descended a few steps before they were shrouded in darkness. Queen Mirinda followed closing the door. Tatanya was breathing very quickly and Jacquard squeezed her hand to reassure her.

  Have you come to see me little girl?

  The voice was in her imagination of course, but that did not stop it drifting through her mind. The King waited until her breathing became more regular before tugging her further down the stairs. When they reached the bottom, Jacquard led the way as if he had made the journey many times.

  Tatanya allowed herself to be pulled along concentrating on the King’s hand firmly in hers. They rounded a corner and she stumbled as they descended more steps. She nearly squealed in surprise but managed to clamp a hand over her mouth before making a sound.

  Below, she could see a sliver of light, through the dark.

  “We are almost there,” Jacquard whispered. Tatanya nodded and then felt foolish because neither of them could see her. She was about to acknowledge the King when she heard muffled voices ahead. They slowed and edged closer to the light.

  As they reached the bottom of the steps Tatanya saw there was more than one hole in the wall. The voices grew louder.

  “Sometimes I wonder about you Tulber, I really do. In all your experience when has it ever been sensible to leave the safety of the defending fortress,” Tatanya recognised it as Unger; the fat Warlord of Rora.

  “You have no need to wonder about me dear friend. I have survived many a campaign and I will survive many more!” Tulber replied. Tatanya had only ever seen him argue and when he did his face grew red and he sweated a lot.

  “That did not answer my question. When was it ever a viable scheme for the defenders to leave the safety of its protected walls?”

  Jacquard pulled Tatanya to one of the holes; it was a narrow slit about half a foot above her head. It was set in an alcove in the tunnel. He lifted her up to see as the Queen looked through the other slit.

  The Warlords sat around a long table. From the way most of them slouched they had already been there quite a while. Three canisters of wine sat in the centre of the table; two of them were empty whilst the third was only half full. From his stained lips and discoloured goatee, Tulber had been the main culprit of the empty bottles.

  The Prince sat at the head of the table. He gave the impression of listening intently but Tatanya could tell he was bored. He stared through the Warlords and chewed the inside of his mouth as if his mind was truly elsewhere. He was a handsome man; his blond, short beard complementing his golden locks. Jacquard had once said the Prince had refused to follow the Rivervale custom of growing a beard and had shaved every day. Maybe the strain of ruling had begun to take its toll on the Prince.

  Five chairs around the table were empty and these bore the insignias of the absent Warlords. Tatanya recalled Jacquard telling her about the war council and that no neighbouring region’s Warlord sat next to each other. She felt privileged to witness a meeting of such high importance and wondered if the Warlords knew the reasoning behind the locations in which they sat.

  “Is Lilyon’s wall protected? We saw how easily they were blown apart and that was just the work of the Desolate King. Tri-moons know what Cordane can do and then you have the winged Glooms who can simply attack from the air and this Xandemon who seems the worst of the lot.

  If it was just men we were facing I would never leave Lilyon but it is not and that is why I think we should split our forces and attack them from all angles.”

  Jacquard suddenly lifted Tatanya by her armpits. She felt his fingers tense at
Tulber’s suggestion. She gestured that he put her down. She did not need to see anything. She could hear well enough.

  A new voice spoke, Calloway by the sound of it. “They have a vastly superior army. Splitting the army would be disastrous.”

  “Not if Vashna comes back” Unger said.

  “Do you really think he will?” Tulber sneered. That traitor fled as soon as we did not accept his apology.”

  “And leave his wife behind? You are more naïve than I thought,” Unger said.

  Jacquard moved his head away from the slit in the wall and sighed. Over the years he had obviously grown accustomed to this bickering but Tatanya thought he appeared sad that nothing had changed.

  “Is there any news from the Order?” Grath asked. As usual his voice was quiet but seemed to carry over everyone else’s. Of all the Warlords Tatanya liked him the least. He was silent and looked at her as if he could see inside her mind. The others had all acknowledged her at one time or another, Unger would even jest with her but Grath had never said a word to her.

  “What Order?” Unger said. “The Order only consists of the witch and she deserted us the first chance she got.”

  “She did not desert us,” the Prince said. There was irritation in his voice but he spoke calmly enough. “But no, I have not heard from her.”

  “So we have no Vashna, no Prandor and no members of the Order on our side. We have three regions against us, the Lakisdoreans, the Glooms and a powerful warlock. Remind me again, why are we not surrendering?” Tulber said.

  Tatanya expected the Prince or one of the other Warlords to strongly object to the question but instead there was silence. Her leg brushed against something hard in the darkness and she crouched down to feel what it was. It was a small footstall. She moved alongside the King and stood on it. Jacquard shifted slightly so she could see as well. Come on say something, Tatanya willed the Prince. Now was the time for leadership. He should not let his Warlords think he was afraid.

  The Warlords all looked down at either their drinks or their hands. Even the Prince picked at his nails.

  “Is that what you would have us do Tulber?” the Prince said at last.