His smile was wry. “I wish I had the same faith you did.”
“They're not going to keep you and I apart, Byr,” I said. “If you believe in nothing else, believe in that. And who knows, once you are cleared of the charges and set free, you and I can go anywhere. We can build a new life. Maybe we can even settle on Optorio. It doesn't matter to me as long as we're together.”
He gave me a smile, but I could see the hollowness in his eyes. He didn't believe he was going to be cleared of the charges. He didn't believe that we were going to be together. He believed that his fate was already sealed.
I gripped his hand tighter and looked at him earnestly. Leaning forward, I kissed him with all of the love and passion I felt in my body and soul for him. When I finally pulled back, looked him in the eye.
“Never give up hope, Byr,” I said. “We are going to get through this together. We are going to be okay.”
His expression was sad, as if all hope had already been lost for him. “I hope you're right. I'd like nothing more than if you were right.”
“I am right,” I said. “You'll see.”
Chapter Nine
Byr
I wish I'd felt even half as confident that things would turn out right as Hatare did. But even as she'd spoken to me, I could see that she didn't entirely believe what she was saying either. I could see the shadowed, guarded look in her eyes. Yeah, she had hope, but I didn't think she truly believed that once Riley left Unduth, that her father or the Ministry would hold true to their word.
But knowing that she felt about me the way I felt about her lifted my spirits. Even if I was going to my death, I knew that I could at least hold on to that. Riley loved me. And I loved her. We'd somehow found our way through the winding paths of Unduthian society and class-based culture to each other. We'd found love for each other when the world told us that we shouldn't. That we couldn't.
That had to count for something, didn't it?
Well, if nothing else, it eased my heart and my soul. If it wouldn't protect me from what I was sure would be a swift execution once we got back to Unduth.
Riley, with her contingent of guards flanking us, marched us through the halls of the Ministry, with Unduthian soldiers leading the procession. My stomach was in knots that were constricting painfully and my heart thundered in my chest. Hatare gripped my hand and looked up at me with love – clouded by fear – in her eyes. She was as nervous as I was about what was happening.
“We'll be okay,” she said softly to me. “Don't lose hope, Byr. I love you.”
“I love you too,” I whispered back.
It amazed me how easily those words now came to us. Though, it almost felt like we were trying to say it as often as we could in anticipation of never being able to say it to one another again. But then, I was admittedly, in a very fatalistic frame of mind. Not that I could really be blamed. I just didn't have a lot of faith in the idea that a government who would seek to execute me for a crime I didn't commit – a crime they never truly investigated – would be faithful to their word to give me a “fair trial.”
A pair of large doors was opened and we were escorted into the middle of a massive chamber. Made of polished white and black stone, it was as beautiful as it was intimidating. I was standing in the seat of power in Unduth – the Ministry.
The government soldiers took up positions along the walls, leaving us facing the real power in Unduth – the Ministers themselves. They sat behind imposing looking desks on raised platforms. They looked down upon us with hostility and open disdain. I glanced over at Hatare and saw her raise her chin as she stared defiantly at one man in particular – Minister of Defense Borask. The man I knew to be her father. He stared back at her with barely controlled fury. I half-feared that he was jump down from his podium and try to throttle her then and there.
Hatare reached out and took my hand, squeezing it gently as she gave her father a very pointed look. His eye markings glowed brightly and the look in his eyes was unadulterated contempt. Riley, flanked by two of her guards, stepped in front of us, putting the eyes of the Ministers squarely on her. She'd effectively cut off my line of sight to the men seated before us.
I felt somebody standing close behind us and when I glanced over my shoulder, saw Vink standing there. He looked down at me and tipped me a wink.
“Ministers,” she said and inclined her head. “My name is Riley, I am the Queen of Optorio. My husband, King Jendrish, informed you that I would be coming.”
“He informed us,” one of the men said, his voice echoing around the chamber.
“Then you are aware that I am here to ensure that the terms of your agreement are upheld to his satisfaction,” Riley said.
“I don't know that I would call it an agreement,” another voice came and judging by the way Hatare's body tensed, I assumed it was her father. “More like extortion.”
“Need I remind you, good Ministers, that Unduthian soldiers were used to spill blood on Optorion soil? That is a clear – ”
“No, you need not remind us,” Hatare's father cut her off. “And the last thing we need is to be lectured by a – human.”
He spat the word out with nothing short of disrespect and disdain. I saw Riley's back straighten as she stood taller, her demeanor growing decidedly colder.
“Your hostility is not necessary,” Riley said. “It was not we who initiated this affair. Nor was it we who violated terms of an age-old treaty.”
“Let's all calm down,” came another voice that sounded like an older man who was attempting to soothe the rising tensions. “We have no need for hostility. Our friendship with Optorio is long and very appreciated. And we have no desire to see that friendship damaged in any way. We freely admit that we made some – mistakes.”
“Mistakes that would not have been made had it not been for – ”
“Defense Minister Borask, you will be silent. Or you will remove yourself from this chamber,” came the older voice. “As I was saying, we made some regrettable decisions. And for that, we apologize.”
Riley's posture softened – somewhat. “I appreciate your sentiments, Minister,” she said. “And I will be sure to pass them along to my husband.”
“Now, as for what has been agreed to,” the man went on, “please, rest assured that we will abide by it to the letter. The boy will be given a fair trial and a vigorous defense. He will have every opportunity to prove his innocence.”
“That's really generous, since I'm innocent,” I muttered. “But it's a lot harder when you're presumed guilty from the start.”
Hatare gave me a look of concern and a soft smile. Vink nudged me from behind and when I looked back at him, he gave me a disapproving frown and a shake of his head, his message clear – now was not the time for sarcasm. Fine.
“And that is appreciated, Minister,” Riley said. “I will be in regular contact with his counsel to ensure that justice is being served in this case.”
“As you wish, Your Majesty,” he said.
“And as for Hatare,” Riley went on. “I want to ensure that she suffers no – indignities – for her behavior. She is a remarkable young woman and should be valued as such.”
“I appreciate you giving me advice about raising my daughter, Your Majesty,” Borask said, bitterness and sarcasm dripping from his mouth. “And rest assured, I will take it to heart.”
“Minister Borask,” Riley said. “Hatare is an intelligent and independent-minded young woman. Rather than trying to force her to conform to your will and locking her away in what is essentially a prison.”
“I hardly call marrying into one of Unduth's wealthy families a prison, Your Majesty,” he said. “Her every need and desire would be catered to. She would want for nothing.”
“Nothing but freedom and intellectual stimulation,” Riley said. “She is a woman with enormous intellectual gifts. Somebody who could be a tremendous boon to your society if nurtured, rather than snuffed out.”
“Your Majesty, with all due r
espect,” Borask said, his tone icy, “I will raise my daughter as I see fit. Though I appreciate your concern.”
Riley tilted her head. “That being said, you have also made some assurances for her safe return.”
Borask sighed deeply. “Yes, and I will honor my word,” he said. “Hatare will not be sent to the Academy. Nor will she be married against her wishes. We will violate centuries old custom and tradition for my stubborn daughter.”
Riley turned and looked at us, an inscrutable expression on her face. She cast her eyes to Vink and I saw something pass between them – she didn't believe them. She was not satisfied that the terms of the agreement would be upheld. I could see it in her face. Then I felt Vink's hand on my shoulder, his tension coming through his touch.
I cut a quick look over to Hatare – she was so busy staring daggers at her father that she'd missed everything that had just transpired. I nudged her with my elbow and she looked at me. I tried to convey my anxiety with my eyes. Riley and her men were going to take us out of there, take us back to Optorio, and judging by the tension in Vink's body, as well as the fact that his men were slowly and subtly crowding closer to us, they were expecting a fight.
“Ministers,” Riley began, “I came here in good faith and with the best of intentions. However, I am not fully – ”
Her words were cut off as an explosion rocked the building. The stained glass windows set high in the walls exploded inward and smoke came pouring through the openings. There were screams, shouts, and the sound of weapons firing all around us. I felt a hand on my back, pushing me down to the floor. Hatare was right next to me, huddled up next to my body.
Visibility in the chamber was next to nothing, and one of the last things I saw was Riley being surrounded by her guards, pulling her out of the chamber. She'd had her hands out and was calling for Hatare and I. But my limbs felt heavy. Like dead weight. I couldn't stand and I was having trouble even thinking.
I looked down at Hatare and saw that she was shaking her head and blinking her eyes, seeming to be fighting to stay awake. My vision was beginning to blur and I was feeling lightheaded. I suddenly felt hands on me, roughly pulling me to my feet.
The last thing I remember was seeing two men in helmets with protective breathing equipment staring at me.
Then the entire world went black.
Chapter Ten
Hatare
I slowly came to and felt lightheaded. There was also a dull ache in my head and my eyes felt raw. Honestly, I felt like I did after the first time I'd indulged in a little too much wine. I turned my head and saw Byr sitting up on a bed next to where I was laying. He looked at me and I watched as relief flooded his face when I opened my eyes.
He jumped off his bed and sat down on the edge of mine, helping me into a sitting position. I wrapped my arms around him and embraced him tightly. We were alive. I had no idea where we were, but we were alive.
Everything in the Ministry had happened so fast, it had all been so chaotic, that I didn't even have time to process everything that was going on before I'd blacked out.
“Where are we?” I asked, my throat feeling burned and dry.
“Drink something first,” he replied.
Byr took a glass of water off of the table that sat between our two beds and helped me take a drink. The cool water soothed my parched, aching throat. I drained the glass and set it back down on the table, turning my attention back to Byr.
“Where are we?” I repeated.
He shook his head. “I don't know, Hatare,” he replied. “My best guess it that we're in a cell somewhere beneath the Ministry.”
“What happened?” I asked. “I – I remember that something exploded. I remember a lot of smoke and people shooting. And then I remember somebody pushing us face down onto the floor. Next thing I know, I'm waking up here.”
“That's about what I recall,” he said. “I think that maybe the rebels they're having a problem with bombed the Ministry.”
I nodded and suddenly felt profoundly lucky that we'd survived a terrorist attack. But just as the relief entered me, so too did a wave of anxiety.
“Riley,” I said. “What happened to Riley?”
He shook his head again. “I don't know. The last thing I remember is seeing her being hauled away by Vink and her guards. I think they may have gotten her back on the transport and headed back to Optorio.”
“Without us?”
“She was calling to us,” Byr said. “I don't think leaving us was her idea. I have a feeling that Jendrish had ordered Vink to get her out of there if something happened.”
I nodded. I couldn't blame Jendrish for being concerned about his wife's safety and for taking steps to ensure that she returned to him alive. In his place, I probably would have done the same thing. But I looked around the room, at the four bare walls that surrounded us, and felt a wave of despair. If Byr was right, and we were locked in a cell beneath the Ministry, there was no way Riley was going to be able to enforce the agreement she had in place with the Ministers. In the wake of a terrorist attack, all they had to do was claim that we'd been killed and they'd then be free to do with us as they wished.
My despair was slowly giving way to despondency as I realized just how dire our situation was.
The door to our cell whooshed open and a tall, broad-shouldered man with light violet skin and dark hair tinged with silver stepped into the room. He carried an authoritarian air about him. He was imperious. Commanding. Imposing. And I wondered if the Ministers had sent him in here to torture us – just to get their fun started.
“Oh good, you're both awake,” he said.
“Who are you?” Byr asked.
Byr shakily got to his feet and put himself between me and the man, trying to protect me. I could tell though, by the way he was swaying on his feet, that he was weakened – and most definitely in no condition to fight.
“Relax, Byr,” said the man. “I'm not here to hurt you or Hatare.”
“T – then, why are you here?” I asked.
The man put his hand on Byr's shoulder and gave him a fatherly smile as he helped him sit back down beside me. He then moved over to the other bed and sat down on the edge of it, staring straight at us.
“I have to admit, I've been looking forward to meeting the both of you for a little while now,” he said.
I exchanged a look with Byr. What was he talking about? “Did the Ministers – did my father – send you in here to beat us? Torture us?”
The man laughed as if it were the funniest thing he'd ever heard. Eventually, his laughter died down, but he looked at us, a small smile playing upon his lips.
“Hardly,” he said. “I'm not with the Ministry. I'm with the group that just bombed the Ministry, actually.”
“You're with the rebels,” Byr said, anger in his voice.
The man nodded. “My name is Yurat,” he said. “I command this faction of our rebellion, yes.”
“Because of you people, I was almost executed,” Byr seethed.
“That is regrettable and I apologize for that,” the man said and actually sounded sincere. “You were never meant to get caught up in all of this.”
Byr's expression darkened as his anger grew. “My family – ”
“Is safe,” the man said. “When we heard what happened at the factory that day, we staged an assault on the prison and rescued the families that had been taken. Your mother, brother, and sister are all safe and are in a secure location.”
“Where?” Byr asked. “Where are you holding them?”
The man looked down at his hands and then back up at us again. “I can't tell you that just yet, Byr,” he said. “Security risks and all that. But please know that we are taking good care of them. They are safe. Well fed. And they miss you.”
“Take me to them,” Byr demanded. “I want to see them.”
“I'm afraid I can't do that just yet,” the man said. “But in time, I can absolutely take you to them.”
“What do you w
ant with us?” I asked. “If you're truly not with the Ministry, why did you take us out of there?”
The man looked at me with approving eyes. “There's the question I was hoping to hear,” he said. “I heard you were sharp.”
“That's not an answer,” I said.
“Indeed,” he said, his smile growing wider. “The truth of the matter is that we bombed the Ministry specifically to save the two of you.”
“To save us?” Byr asked, disbelief upon his face.
The man nodded. “Yes, to save you,” he said. “You didn't really think the Ministers were going to hold up their end of the bargain, did you? Oh, I think the Optorion Queen believed they would and she did her best on your behalf – ”
“Actually, no,” Byr said. “She didn't believe them. I saw it in her face just before the bomb went off. She had just started moving her men into a position to protect us. I think she was going to tell the Ministers she wasn't satisfied that they were operating in good faith – and was going to take us back to Optorio. But then the bomb went off and – well – we ended up here.”
“Huh,” Yurat said. “Perhaps, I misjudged her. Perhaps, I underestimated her and her ability to suss out the garbage from the truth when dealing with a bunch of vipers like the Ministers.”
“Riley is one of the smartest, most intuitive women I've ever had the privilege of knowing,” I said, feeling the need to defend her. “If she thought they were not going to be true to their word, she was going to pull us out. Not nearly get us killed.”
Yurat gave me a good-natured smile. “I apologize for the theatrics,” he said. “But I assure you that you were never in any danger. The explosions you heard were from the gas bombs we'd planted in the chamber. It was a fast acting sleeping gas. Anybody breathing it for more than a few seconds took a nice, long nap – as you found out. And we used shaped charges to blow the windows in the chamber. Ultimately, it was a lot of flash and dazzle, but you two were perfectly safe the entire time.”
“I don't understand,” I said. “Why go to all that trouble just to get us out of there? Why does what happens to Byr and me matter to your rebellion?”
Rocor (Dragons of Kratak Book 5) Page 89