Downfall of the Curse

by Deborah Grace White

Rasad chuckled. “As always, Luciana, you are absolutely right.” He inclined his head toward Cody. “We can all be happy that issue is no longer a problem.”

  “It doesn’t sound like it was ever much of a problem for Thorania,” said Cody dryly.

  There was an edge to Rasad’s smile. Lucy thought it almost had a hint of satisfaction. He didn’t respond directly to Cody’s comment, steering the conversation into less personal territory.

  The meal passed quickly. The visitors had learned before now that Rasad wasn’t one to linger over his food. He was the first to rise, inclining his head to his guests before leaving the room.

  “Don’t let me rush you.” As always, his eyes found Lucy. “My steward is waiting for me now, Luciana, but once my business is complete, there is something I would like to show you.”

  “Sounds fascinating,” Cody cut in, before Lucy could answer. “We’d love to have a look.”

  Rasad met the other man’s eyes for a pregnant moment, a faint hint of amusement on his face. But again he gave no direct response, simply bowing himself from the room. Cody frowned after him for several long seconds before turning to Lucy.

  “What was he up to this morning? On your ride?”

  Lucy gave Cody a chastising look, raising her eyebrows toward the servants who were industriously clearing their master’s place. Only once they had all left the room did she reply.

  “More of the same. What did his steward want with you two?”

  “To keep us distracted,” said Cody.

  Matheus grimaced. “Might have been more effective if he’d chosen a more interesting activity. Most boring tour of all time.”

  “I don’t know about that,” said Cody grimly. “I learned a lot. More than he intended me to, I think.”

  “Like the armory?” Lucy prodded curiously.

  Cody shook his head. “No that was intentional, I’m sure. He probably hoped to intimidate us.”

  “Did it work?” Lucy asked, dipping some of the flat bread into a spiced paste. The food was just as unfamiliar as what they’d eaten in Balenol, but she liked Thoranian fare better.

  “Not really.” Cody shot her a quick grin, but his expression instantly became serious. “I’m sure his comment about change coming to Thorania was no accident, either.” He drummed his fingers on the table. “What did he mean by that?”

  Lucy frowned. “It was strange, wasn’t it? But I suppose it’s no surprise that he wants to increase diplomatic relations between the kingdoms. This whole visit was his idea, after all. He convinced King Abner to contact the Kyonan crown and request that someone come here to look into the situation of Kyonan descendants living in Thorania.”

  “What?” Cody asked, startled. “How do you know it was his idea?”

  “He told me,” said Lucy. She frowned at the look on Cody’s face. “What is it?”

  “I don’t like this.” Cody sounded more uneasy than she had ever heard him, and it made Lucy’s own heartbeat pick up. “I didn’t realize he’d orchestrated the whole thing.” His tone turned dark. “Although perhaps I should have guessed it. He seems to pull most of the strings around here.”

  Lucy glanced at the door before replying, making sure it was still closed and they were still alone. “That sounds like Lady Yasmin talking.”

  “When Lady Yasmin talks,” Cody retorted, “I know what she’s trying to say, because she says it straight out.” He frowned at the door. “That’s more than I can say for our host.” He returned his gaze to Lucy. “Don’t be fooled by his smooth words, Lucy. Whatever his reasons for drawing the royals out here, he wasn’t thinking of the good of Kyona.”

  “No,” Lucy agreed slowly. “I suppose he was thinking of Thorania. But—”

  “Do you remember what Lady Yasmin said in your suite?” Cody cut her off. “About how her family is dedicated to Thorania’s interests, but not at the cost of everything else?”

  Lucy nodded slowly.

  “She meant it,” Cody continued. “She told me that her family spoke out about the slaves. They wanted the crown to intervene.”

  Lucy exchanged a glance with Matheus. “Are you sure she wasn’t just telling you what you want to hear, Cody? She knows your history, after all.”

  Cody flicked off her words with an impatient hand. “I know who I can trust, Lucy. And so do you, if you would stop doubting your instincts. Lady Yasmin was only a child at the time, but her father was well known for pushing for Thorania to become involved. His father had been the same. Like many Thoranians, they have Kyonan blood mixed into their ancestry.”

  “Lady Yasmin does?” Lucy asked, surprised.

  Cody nodded. “And Balenan, apparently. I know back home it feels like your family is completely unique. But if your mother was able to overcome the prejudice and see us Kyonans as humans, of course there were other Balenans like her. Your parents are hardly the first Balenan and Kyonan to fall in love with each other.”

  Lucy stared at him in astonishment. “You saw other couples like my parents when you lived in Balenol?”

  Cody shook his head, helping himself to more of the flat bread. “No. But from what Lady Yasmin says, it did happen occasionally. Of course, there was no future in Balenol for such couples, not with the slave trade happening. And they couldn’t cross the sea to Kyona because of the curse. So either they were caught and the Kyonan was executed—like your grandfather tried to execute your father when he found out your mother was in love with him—or they fled to Thorania, and settled here. Lady Yasmin’s mother has one such couple in her ancestry, apparently. That’s part of why her father was always in favor of intervening more on the Kyonans’ behalf.”

  Cody looked up from his food, seeing the surprise on both Lucy’s and Matheus’s faces. He shrugged. “So it’s not like Thorania has ever been unaware of the plight of the slaves. The crown may have chosen isolation, but the issue was the subject of real debate in Thirl for generations.”

  “I’m glad to hear that someone cared,” said Lucy. “But what does this have to do with Rasad?”

  “It was one of the reasons for the tension between their families,” Cody said. “Rasad’s family were always outspoken on the other side. They didn’t want to help the Kyonans, and they didn’t want to help the Balenans. They wanted to stay neutral. And they got their way.”

  “But…” Lucy rubbed her forehead, trying to make sense of it all. “Rasad just said that he doesn’t want to remain neutral. He wants Thorania to change, and get more involved.”

  “He didn’t say what he wants,” Cody corrected grimly. “All we know is he has plans of his own for Thorania’s future. And I doubt they’re plans designed to help anyone outside Thorania. His family’s influence has been built on arguing for the opposite.”

  Lucy remained silent, thinking it over.

  “And don’t forget what Lady Yasmin said about convenient coincidences,” Cody added. “I think we would be smart to be suspicious of every circumstance, until we know for sure what Rasad is planning.”

  Still Lucy didn’t answer. She had also thought often of Lady Yasmin’s words, not least her comment about the military muster coinciding with the royal visit from the North Lands. She had been surprised, and a little discomfited, when they left Thirl to see that there was another military encampment on the northern side of the city. If anything, it was larger than the one she had seen upon their arrival.

  A servant entered and began to clear empty plates, which they all took as a prompt to leave. Lucy had intended to wander toward the impressive training yard Rasad had shown her, to practice her archery. But she was pulled from her abstraction by the realization that Cody was slipping down a corridor in the opposite direction from his room. It was his casual movements that caught her attention—she knew all Cody’s tricks for being inconspicuous.

  “Where are you going, Cody?” she hissed, detaining the older man with a hand on his arm. “What are you up to?”

  “I’m just stretching my legs,” said Cody unconvin
cingly. Seeing her expression, he dropped his voice, his tone becoming more serious. “If Rasad has plans, there must be evidence of them somewhere.”

  “Cody…” Lucy started, anxiety curling in her stomach.

  “I’ll be fine, Lucy,” said the older man impatiently. “I’m just going to have a look around.”

  Lucy opened her mouth to protest, but a passing servant was shooting them a curious look, and she let go of Cody’s arm. He slipped away without another word.

  “He knows what he’s doing, Lucy,” said Matheus reassuringly, his voice low. “He’s good at getting out of trouble.”

  “I’d rather he didn’t get into trouble in the first place,” Lucy muttered. But before she could say anything more, Rasad strode into view.

  “There you are, Luciana, Matheus.” He smiled at them. “Do you have time to see my treasure now?” He glanced around, pressing on before they could respond. “But where is your companion?”

  “Oh, he, uh…” Lucy could have cursed her stumbling tongue. “I think he went for a walk.”

  Rasad waited, but when neither sibling added to the explanation, his smile took on a hint of amusement. “Such a shame. I thought he was eager to join us. Ah well, perhaps another time.”

  “Yes,” Lucy managed. She didn’t dare meet Matheus’s eye, and before she knew it, the two of them were being shepherded by Rasad down a corridor she hadn’t visited before.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  At first Lucy was too distracted by what would happen if Cody was caught snooping to pay attention to her surroundings. But as they went deeper into the building, it gradually dawned on her that Rasad was taking them to his private wing. She wished Cody was there, but it was a great relief to at least have Matheus with her.

  Rasad led them into what was clearly his own suite. The receiving room was large and richly furnished, but not overly luxurious. Lucy looked around surreptitiously, noting the subtle signs of wealth, but also the lack of pretentious display. Rasad led them across the room. At first she thought he intended to take them through a door set at the far end of the space, but he stopped before reaching it.

  “And here,” Rasad said, opening a beautifully carved writing desk placed near the closed door, “is the treasure I wanted to show you.”

  He pulled out a leather journal, and Lucy gave a small start of surprise. For a moment she thought he had been into her own room and found Haydn’s book. But as she drew closer, she realized that the journal, although similar, was not identical.

  “Do you remember, Luciana, that I told you that I have Kyonan blood in my ancestry?”

  She nodded, noting Matheus’s raised eyebrow. She had obviously forgotten to mention that detail to her brother.

  “It’s far enough back that in the normal course of events I probably wouldn’t even know about it. My family hasn’t recorded our lineage as meticulously as noble families tend to do.” He flicked through the journal. “But my Kyonan forebear kept a journal, and it has been preserved in the muniment room here. It was during her time that the Bastion was built, actually.”

  “Her?” Lucy repeated.

  “Yes, my Kyonan ancestor was a woman,” Rasad confirmed. “She escaped slavery in Balenol, and made her way to Thorania. She wasn’t the only one. But she was more successful than many back then at carving out her place in our kingdom. Our family didn’t yet own this land, but they were wealthy, and well respected. In marrying my forefather, she gained not only a comfortable life, but the opportunity to have influence in the future of Thorania. Would you like to take a look?”

  “Of course,” said Lucy mechanically.

  She thought Rasad would hand her the journal, but instead he laid it back on the desk, holding it open and inviting her to approach with a gesture. There was a slight ringing in her ears as she complied. It was too unlikely a coincidence to be true, surely. She leaned over the page, her eyes scanning the short entry quickly.

  It has been three months since the wedding, and everything is all I hoped it would be. After the indignity of the slave barracks, and the hardships of life in the jungle with the rebels, my new home in Thirl feels like luxury. My husband has showered me with gifts, but they are not the true prize. Already we have been to court, and met with the king himself. Perhaps my noble blood has helped to open doors there.

  My husband is as supportive of my desires as I knew he would be. I have no doubt that together we will achieve a great deal. It is only the beginning.

  Already, my time with the rebels feels like a dream. My imprisonment I will never forget, and I would not want to. It is the fuel that will keep me moving forward. But it’s strange to remember when I first escaped, how eager I was to return to Kyona. It was all we thought of or planned for.

  I laugh at that former version of myself. I would not return now even if I could. Kyona will never be my home again. My future is in Thorania.

  Isidore

  Lucy didn’t need the signature at the end to know that her suspicions were correct. She could hardly believe Haydn’s lost love was Rasad’s ancestor. What strange chance had brought her to Haydn’s journal, undiscovered in the rebel base for decades, then here to Rasad’s Bastion, where its counterpart could be found?

  A memory flitted through her mind, something Jocelyn had said about Elddreki, her dragon friend. He had said that chance is just what humans call any purpose they don’t understand. Well, Lucy certainly didn’t understand what purpose was at work here.

  “Amazing, isn’t it?” Rasad asked, running a hand over the page. “To read the thoughts of those long gone.” He looked up into Lucy’s eyes. “So you see, Luciana. There is a long history of Kyonans falling in love with this land, of choosing to call Thorania home.”

  Lucy flushed at the implication, and Matheus cleared his throat uncomfortably. She cast around for something to say, eager to turn the conversation from herself.

  “The entry mentions noble blood,” she said, glancing down at the page again. “I thought you said there was no nobility in your ancestry.”

  “Oh, well.” Rasad gave a small chuckle. “Kyonan nobility. I wasn’t counting that.”

  Lucy and Matheus exchanged a look, but neither commented. “Well, thank you for showing me,” said Lucy after a moment. “It is very interesting, as you said.”

  Gesturing to Matheus with her head, she turned toward the door, but paused as a thought occurred to her.

  “What is it, Luciana?” Rasad prompted, as she hesitated.

  “I was just wondering…you said that when this Isidore married your ancestor, the family didn’t yet own this land. But you also said that the Bastion was built during her life. Were she and her husband the ones who bought the land from Lady Yasmin and Lord Yosef’s family?”

  Rasad raised an eyebrow. “You have a good memory, my dear, and a sharp mind. You are correct.”

  Lucy nodded. “Well, thank you again for showing us the journal,” she said, shepherding Matheus out of the room. To her relief, Rasad showed no sign of joining them, and within minutes the brother and sister were back in their own wing. Lucy ducked into her suite to quickly change out of her gown into training clothes, then the two of them made their way to the training yard.

  “Why did you ask about Lady Yasmin and Lord Yosef’s family?” Matheus asked as soon as they were properly alone. “I thought we didn’t really want him to know we’ve taken an interest in them.”

  “I doubt I told him anything he doesn’t know. I don’t think Rasad misses much,” said Lucy with a frown. “I think he has a pretty good idea of where Cody stands, for example.”

  “What do you mean where Cody stands?” Matheus asked blankly.

  Lucy just rolled her eyes as she selected a bow from the several available for general practice. “Speaking of Cody,” she said. “Where do you think he’s gotten to?”

  “No idea,” said Matheus, squinting at a target set up twenty yards away. “We didn’t find him in Rasad’s private suite, so I guess he’s not sno
oping in there.”

  “Shh,” Lucy hissed, glancing around to make sure no one had overheard the flippant remark.

  Her brother clearly had unshakable faith in their mentor. But she was genuinely afraid that Cody’s determination to find information for Lady Yasmin might lead him to push too hard on the wrong doors. And none of them knew how Rasad would respond.

  As one hour turned into two, with still no sign of Cody, Lucy’s fears grew. The older Kyonan had been trying—with limited success—to stick close to her since their arrival at Rasad’s Bastion. She suspected that he had slipped away to do whatever he was doing because he thought Rasad would be tied up with his steward all afternoon. She had certainly been surprised at how quickly the Thoranian had finished his business. Whatever the reason, it was very unusual for Cody to be absent for so long.

  After three hours, even Matheus started to be anxious.

  They had long since lost interest in archery practice, and had retired to Lucy’s suite. Thinking of the journal Rasad had shown them, Lucy found herself once again digging out Haydn’s records.

  “What’s that?” Matheus asked. “You didn’t swipe Rasad’s journal, did you? You’re even worse than Cody!”

  “Of course not,” said Lucy impatiently. She ran a hand over the cover. “It does look very similar, doesn’t it? I think they were a pair.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Lucy explained how she had come to have the journal, giving a brief summary of what she had so far read in its pages.

  “You really think Rasad’s ancestor is the woman this Haydn wrote about?” Matheus asked, astonishment clear in his voice.

  “I’m sure of it,” said Lucy. “Isidore’s not exactly a common name, is it? And everything he said fits what I already knew perfectly. Did you notice that Rasad was pretty careful about which page of the journal he showed us?”

  “Yes,” said Matheus immediately. “It made me wonder what else was in there.”

  “It made me wonder the same thing,” said Lucy. “And it occurs to me that we might be able to find out more without having to swipe Isidore’s journal.” She flicked the pages of the tome in front of her suggestively.