Pawn of the Crown

by Cheryl Oblon

  There was applause for the performance, and people went on eating. It was less orderly than Lazrel, but I did my best not to judge. Once I’d eaten as much as I could, I drank my water and found it mineral-heavy. I switched to wine and watched people.

  A small group of musicians dressed in the same itchy fabric Anela wore were tucked in the corner. They never stopped playing, going from one song into another.

  Tantil, the prince of Bachal, approached me. “If you’re done eating, would you care to dance?”

  “Don’t your musicians need a break?” I asked.

  He smirked and extended a hand. “They don’t have much occasion to play, so they’d better keep playing. There will be time to rest when the party is over.”

  I took his hand and followed him onto the open area. It was a slower dance, luckily. I felt so many eyes watching me that I wanted to run. Luckily, others joined us in the dancing. Marel danced with Uncle Johey, but she was the shy one. Zoma went from man to man. If they offended or annoyed her, she moved on.

  “You look lovely. Just like I remember,” Tantil said.

  “Thank you. I’m sorry if I’m staring. This is all very new to me,” I replied.

  He stood taller. “It’s not Lazrel. That’s certain.”

  “I’m not trying to criticize. It’s my first time traveling to another country, so I have nothing to compare it with. Reading doesn’t prepare you for the experience. Even hosting your delegation isn’t the same. Now I wish I’d traveled more as a child.” It wasn’t exactly true, but it sounded nice.

  I heard a familiar voice growing louder. “No, thank you,” Marel said.

  “One dance,” a male voice insisted.

  I turned and saw a Bachal man pull Marel’s arm and put a hand on her backside. Marel froze instead of using her fire. Johey tried to get in between them, using diplomacy instead of force. I dipped into the overly eager man’s mind. Bachal weren’t the subtle type.

  Stalking over there, I waved, shoving the man three times my size back and away from Marel.

  “What the devil?” he asked.

  “I’m not a devil, but I and the other Lazrel guests are not here for your amusement or sexual experimentation. No means no. You do not touch any of the Lazrel without permission.”

  “You’re such a princess,” he mocked me.

  Flipping my hand palm up, the first two curled. Simultaneously, the man clutched his throat as he was lifted into the air.

  The music stopped.

  Everyone stopped.

  “I’m not a princess. I am the ruler of the fifth family and Royal Seer to the monarch of the Lazrel Nation. There is no situation in which I will allow any citizen loyal to Lazrel to be harmed or molested in any way.” I lifted him higher for all to see.

  “Lady Kimess,” Nemal said.

  “My powers seem to be in question, Your Highness. I’m afraid a proper display is the only way to convey my seriousness and assure our safety.” I looked to Marel.

  She blasted fire at the feet of her offender.

  The crowd gasped.

  A dragon guard flew in, but Johey used his ice casting powers, and it was frozen solid in moments, crashing to the floor.

  I turned back to the man I had suspended by his neck. “Do you understand? I can kill you, snap your neck right now. It causes me no drain on energy or pain. I could flatten this room with little effort. Unless you want to die, you behave yourself.”

  He nodded frantically.

  “Lady Kimess, he is a cousin,” the king said.

  The princess and queen looked on with admiration. I dipped into the king’s mind, and he was mildly annoyed that a woman was showing up his male warriors. Now I knew another reason why I’d been sent. My queen wanted the Bachal to see how powerful I was and believe we were all so gifted. Everyone’s powers were different, but mine had a certain flare.

  “Of course.” I threw my hands up, and the man fell in a heap to the floor.

  Instead of nasty looks or comments, my return to my seat was met with applause. They were impressed. Marel helped to de-ice the dragon as I sat next to Nemal.

  “That was necessary?” he asked.

  “That made an impression. Women aren’t automatically weak in our country. Our powers are impressive. Just what your mother wanted,” I whispered in his ear.

  “You enjoyed it.” He looked me in the eye.

  I smiled. “He groped Marel, and she froze. I had to set the boundaries quickly. And I won’t let my attendants just depend on men to step in because that’s the custom here. Men don’t fight my battles.”

  He leaned in a fraction of an inch and kissed me softly. In front of people. My insides quaked. We’d never done anything like that in public.

  A few cheers and whistles came from the crowd. I pulled back. Nemal was marking his territory. In a man’s world, that probably meant something. He was a prince, but that little move showed he had some power over me personally. The male ego irked me and confused me, at times.

  “I can strangle you, too,” I said.

  He sat back. “But you won’t. I’m a better choice than any of these men.”

  I agreed, but didn’t let it show.

  The Bachal prince walked up and bowed. “You are a woman not to be underestimated.”

  “Thank you. Hopefully, there will be no more unpleasant incidents now that we’ve made things clear,” I said.

  “Very clear,” the queen said.

  “I’m sorry if it was offensive, but his behavior was completely out of line.” I refused to take any blame.

  “No apologies. Never apologize here. You protected your people. That is all that matter,” she replied.

  Marel walked up and looked a bit green.

  “I’m not feeling well,” she said.

  “I see. Let’s get you back to the rooms.” I stood and led her to the hall.

  “Lady Kimess,” the queen said.

  “I’ll be back. Forgive me, I just need to make sure she’s all right. Probably the very rich sauces didn’t agree with Marel.” I looked at Nemal. “Please find Zoma and send her along.”

  “I don’t like it here,” Marel said softly once we were alone in the hall.

  “Shh. It’ll be okay. Just a lot to adjust to. That man.” I wanted to punish him more, but I’d done enough for the first day.

  “And the food.” She shook her head.

  “Zoma brought some herbs, and we have supplements. Eat a bit to be nice, and if it seems not to agree with you, use the supplements.” I had been worried about poisoning, but food quality and norms differed greatly.

  “Definitely,” Marel said. We walked to the hall and heard a few men chuckling. A soft whimper sounded female, but there was no cry for help.

  I stepped closer, helping Marel, and found three men outside our door with their hands under Anela’s garment.

  “Get away from her. Now,” I said.

  “One for each of us,” said a filthy male.

  “You’re insane,” I said.

  “They don’t know who you are. They’re on the night watch.” Anela tried to get free. “Please, go to your room. I’ll be fine.”

  “Fine?” I mentally shoved the three men back hard.

  “Damn. She’s a witch.” One of them pointed at me.

  “Not a witch. Magic. You touch any of the women coming out of that room, and I’ll kill you. If I find you bothered other women, I’ll hurt you so badly, you’ll wish you were dead. Understand?” I asked.

  “Right. You can’t kill us all,” he said.

  I used my mind and grabbed one by the neck and slammed his head into the stone wall hard. Hard enough to make him lose consciousness.

  “Do you know how hard you have to hit someone in the head to make them unconscious?” I asked. “Pretty hard. But I don’t need a wall. I can scramble your brain from the inside.”

  “Right,” another man said with a twinge of nervousness in
his voice.

  I held up my index finger and wiggled it for effect. He slumped down onto his friend. I’d used that technique on the Queen’s Guards plenty when I’d needed to get around my time as a captive in the castle. I’d been practicing my powers more and more. Luckily, this one had no ill aftereffects.

  Turning to the last man, I saw he had a small dagger in his hand.

  I waved, and he sliced his own thigh. Howling in pain, he tried to drop the dagger, but I held his hand closed. Another slice into his opposite forearm.

  “You should stop cutting yourself,” I said.

  He nicked his own cheek, and blood dripped to the floor. I shoved the dagger lower toward that puffed up codpiece. Smiling, I looked him in the eye.

  “Please, no,” he said.

  “Now, we finally understand each other. I can and will protect myself and my servants, by any means necessary. You hurt her intimately, I’ll make sure you hurt more than she does,” I said.

  “We won’t. Won’t happen, again. I swear,” he said.

  I mentally released him and caught the dagger before it hit the ground. “I like this.”

  “It’s yours,” he said.

  “Thank you. Now, take your friends and go away. Far away,” I said.

  I looked at Anela, and she opened the door.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said.

  “Why are you apologizing?” Marel asked as she sat at the table.

  “Lock the door. I don’t want any more disgusting guests,” I said.

  Anela paused. “I should be outside.”

  “No, you’re not going to be left in the hall again. My orders, you sleep on the sofa. You guard the room from the inside, at all times.” I handed her the dagger. “Lock the door.”

  She locked the door and looked at the dagger.

  “Where would you like me to put this?” she asked.

  It wasn’t encrusted with jewels, but it was solid metal and strong.

  “Keep it. You need something to protect yourself,” I said.

  She shook her head. “They’ll think I stole it.”

  “He gave it to me. If you run into trouble, refer them to me.” I mixed some herbs in wine for Marel. “I don’t think water will be our best drink here. We should stick to wine and tea, so the water must be boiled thoroughly. The water here is so dense with minerals. At least, I hope those are minerals.”

  “Yes, the purifiers don’t work well when they are actually working,” Anela said.

  “Wine,” I said to Marel.

  She sipped the drink. “I drank too much water. Normally, that’s a better choice.”

  “I know. We must relearn some things.” I picked up the dagger and liked the feel. The glint reflected back was from a diamond anniversary band that had belonged to my mother. I had all her jewels now, a great many rings and necklaces. Some from my father. My parents’ marriage was an arranged mess, so those meant less and less. Her personal pieces meant more, and I hadn’t brought them because of it.

  “Did that ring fetch you a decent price?” I asked.

  Anela helped Marel off with her shoes then brought a cold cloth for her head.

  “Yes, my lady. Very much. My mother has a new shawl and some medicine. Plus, a stock of food, but we have it hidden.” She smiled. “Thank you.”

  “Good. That’s a start.” I removed the ring and handed it to her. “In lieu of the dagger, you can buy something fitting for protection and stash away food, money, or get yourself some shoes. Whatever you need.”

  She shook her head. “You’re too kind.”

  “You were nearly raped in the hall looking after our things. Now, you’re nursing my friend. I’m not used to seeing people who help me being treated like this. Living like this. I can adjust to some things here, but not that. Take it,” I said.

  “They’ll think I stole it,” she said.

  “Surely there are people who don’t ask those sorts of questions who’ll pawn it,” I said.

  “There are, but they are far away, and it’s dangerous. If I’m caught with that or I try to sell too much, then it will be noticed.” She backed away from it.

  I could feel the conflict. She wanted it, she needed it, but the danger.

  “Okay, relax. We’ll figure this out.” I put the ring back on my finger. “Help Marel to bed and look after her, please. And you’re sleeping on the sofa. My orders.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I have to get back to the dinner. I can’t be rude. Lock the door behind me,” I said.

  Exiting, I saw the man dragging off his second friend. I could demand money from him, but it was too dangerous. I had to find Prince Johey. He’d be able to mingle and mix easier. He’d be able to sell something or trade for money Anela could use without fear.

  Chapter 10

  We’d managed to get some rest in odd surroundings. Anela had slept on the sofa, as directed. Unfortunately, the next morning, my desire to hide away in the private rooms all day was viewed as antisocial and improper.

  Breakfast was mostly bread based items, so we felt more comfortable eating them. Nemal sat across from me today as the great hall tables were no longer arranged for a display or dance area.

  He kept staring.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Rumor is you had a problem outside your rooms,” he said.

  “No problem. My servant was being manhandled. I had to put a stop to it. She’ll be sleeping on the couch from now on.” I crossed my arms.

  “You can’t change their rules,” he said.

  “I didn’t change rules. I made my expectations clear. Just like at the welcome dinner last night.” I smiled.

  “Don’t push too far too fast, or you’ll be asked to leave,” he said.

  Johey sat next to me. “Her? She’s a show-off, but it’s good.”

  I sat up straighter. “See.”

  “You have another task while you’re here. Don’t overlook that,” Nemal said.

  “I went out last night. It’s an interesting country,” Johey said.

  “I meant her,” Nemal replied.

  “I’m not wandering about alone,” I said.

  “Absolutely not. But you need to be checking for him. He’ll come for you,” Nemal said.

  Prince Johey sighed. “Agreed. You must be careful and let us know if you sense anything.”

  “He’s my father. He can block me if he wants.”

  Johey frowned at me.

  “The reason people fear the fifth family is because our powers are not as cut and dry as others. I wish I could make it clearer. I can sense his presence. There is nothing he can do about that. Reading his mind is harder. He must be weak or off his guard for me to slip into his mind. The more I do it, the easier it’ll get, but if he’s too far away, I can’t do anything. Even sensing his location is limited then.” It was hard to explain my odd powers to people not in the fifth family. The other families’ powers were more like magic. They could cast fire or ice, heal wounds, and cast spells. My powers were rooted in my mind. Our powers couldn’t be bound by a spell. They were almost instinctive and intimate. Mind reading was useful and unsettling, but telepaths respected each other’s mental privacy most of the time.

  “Nothing is foolproof or easy. Do your best. That’s all we can do.” Johey dug into breakfast.

  The prince of Bachal approached. “It’d be my pleasure to take you for a tour around the grounds today, Lady Kimess,” he offered.

  “How nice. I suppose that’s as good a plan as any. Thank you.” I saw the princess heading for Nemal and knew it was a divide-and-conquer setup. There was no point in dodging it.

  We headed outside, and the sun was up, creating a haze in the air. Walking along the inside of the castle walls, I almost felt comfortable. The screech of dragons and the wild look in the eyes of the guards were hard to ignore.

  “Your powers are quite impressive,” he said.

  “Thank you,
but so are yours. Shifters are amazing.”

  He grinned. “A griffin is a great change. A wonderful experience, but I might just trade for yours if I could.”

  The prince was good looking. He’d been more sullen when he was visiting Lazrel.

  “Too bad we don’t get to choose our gifts. But you didn’t seem to love Lazrel when you were with us. You might prefer your world and your gifts,” I said.

  “I do to some extent. My brother is much better at diplomacy and enjoying differences. How is he doing?” Tantil asked.

  “He is doing very well. He’s learning and sharing much with us. An excellent diplomatic foundation.” I slipped into the prince’s mind. Outwardly, he looked calm, but he was a moody jumble inside.

  “I’m glad. I am surprised that he fell for the princess. He didn’t spend much time with her.” Tantil watched me closely.

  “I was surprised, as well. But love can be sudden or gradual. I think it all depends on the people involved.” I stopped walking to admire the drawbridge as we approached it.

  “Like it? Your castle is designed to impress. To make people feel safe and proud. Ours is for defense.” He gazed back at the black castle.

  I studied it and saw the strategy. The tiered walls were perfect for archers, laser shotguns, or whatever weapons they used. The dragons patrolled the air, while men fought on the ground.

  “Very well suited for that goal. Do you have much case to have to defend your castle?” I asked.

  “Less lately. We’ve been patrolling the borders more frequently.” The prince stopped and looked at me.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “You can read my mind?” he asked.

  “If I choose to, yes. I don’t pry.” I should’ve added unless I had to pry…but my gifts were mine, and they knew about them. I’d been invited, so I couldn’t feel any guilt. I pointed to the drawbridge.

  He led the way across the wooden and stone structure. They used less technology than we did, but their power choices seemed different as well. The pollution and lack of plant life would make farming hard.