She shook her head. “Well, I suppose as long as the roads do improve before spring is over, we will still be on time. It isn’t as though we had a hard deadline to meet with Theryn. Aleria isn’t that far away, really. There is a good chance their winter was worse than usual, too. Surely, she’s sensible enough to understand the limitations on travel given the conditions. However, it isn’t all bleak.”
He raised a brow. “Oh?”
Mari shrugged her messenger bag off her shoulder and set it at her feet before bending down to rummage through it. She pulled out a large book and straightened up again. “One small party of travelers did make it here from the north. I ran into them in town near the cathedral, and I was given this.”
Keiran got up and hopped down the three steps to get off the throne dais. “The north road is clear?”
“Such is the rumor. I’ll go and see its condition for myself tomorrow,” she replied, passing the book over to him. “They were given that by a trader who didn’t want to make the passage himself. My encounter with them afterward was merely luck.”
He took the book and flipped it open. Half of the words on the pages were in Old Tordanian, the other writing within Sadori and illegible to him. “I can’t believe this made it here! I put out a request for this a long time back.”
“There’s a note inside with the trader’s name and location. I suspect you will see to it he is paid?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.
He lowered the book and nodded. “Absolutely. I know Thana will be thrilled to have this. She was quite interested in learning more Sadori, and this may be the only book on doing so left in the country. Very trusting of the trader to give it to strangers for delivery, though.”
“It was a church delegation,” she replied. “Not a huge risk on the trader’s part.”
He slowly looked up at her and cocked a brow. “Church delegation? Must be incredibly pressing for them to have made the trip despite the conditions out. Did they choose a new leader?”
“I’m not certain, but to be traveling this time of year, as you said…” she replied.
“They wouldn’t give the reason for their trek, even to my own courier?” Keiran asked.
She shrugged. “That was something they wouldn’t disclose. I suppose they have rules about revealing certain identities while out traveling and in vulnerable situations. It’s your country, you should know the rules of it better than I do.”
He snorted. “Honestly, half of the church’s workings are a complete mystery to me, and I had the benefit of Father Beezle being a close friend all of my life. I imagine a trip down to the cathedral to see what they are up to will be in order.”
Mari screwed up her face and looked up at him. “Be prepared for what you will see down there. It is grim.”
“I can smell the death in the air,” he said, shaking his head.
“Because the entire town square is covered with caskets.” She turned her gaze to the fireplace. “The ground is too wet for them to bury the dead, so they are all being lain in wait before the cathedral. I don’t know if you’ve ever been around something like that on this scale. I know I haven’t.”
“No, I can’t say that I have. I saw a number of dead during the conflict with the Sadoris a while back, but those were casualties of war and expected, unfortunately.” Keiran frowned and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “I do need to go down there, though. I need to get a clearer picture of what we’re up against. Being isolated from it up here in the castle isn’t going to let me know firsthand. Sygian’s reports and those of the others are merely numbers.”
“Just be prepared, as I said. No disrespect meant, Keir, but as royalty, I’d imagine you’ve been at least somewhat insulated,” she said.
“I won’t argue that,” he replied. “It’s all so heartbreaking, though. Things were finally starting to turn around here, and then to be hit with this. My father probably would have taxed them for the amount of snow that fell, however.”
“Your father is gone,” she said quietly, metering her words. “I’ve heard you go back to that often, about how bad things were under his rule. He’s gone, Keiran. This is all yours now. It’s a low starting point, I know, but you need to be concerned with where you want the country to go from here forward, not with where it was dragged to by the previous ruler. It is a factor, but it becomes far too easy to pass blame onto a dead man instead of taking on responsibility for your own actions.”
Keiran’s eyes narrowed, and he turned his gaze down toward her again. She wasn’t wrong, and his shoulders rounded. “The idea that this is all on me is terrifying. I’m not used to it yet. Over a year has passed, and I’m no better for it.”
“It’s the rulers who are completely at ease with ruling that one should truly fear.” Mari offered him a faint smile.
Keiran took a deep breath, needing to change the direction of the conversation. “Mari, how are you feeling?”
She tucked her chin in toward her chest, caught off guard. “Fine, I suppose. Why?”
“I can smell the meadow wort coming from your room on nearly a daily basis,” he said. “I know Garhan has been concerned for a while.”
Mari rolled her eyes and sighed, turning away from him. “Unlike you and Garhan, I’m simply getting old, Keir. The associated aches and pains of doing so, especially given the life I’ve led, are something the two of you cannot possibly relate to.”
He raised his hands slightly. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“No, but the thought of Garhan discussing my condition with you again doesn’t please me in the least. I know he is worried, I know he thinks I shouldn’t smoke, but it is the only thing that gives me any relief.” She looked back over her shoulder at him. “I already promised him I would take it easier after this trip to Aleria. I don’t know what else he wants. Sitting all winter hasn’t made the pain abate. Nothing will. In fact, I dare say the pain has worsened while I’ve been idle. Ever since we left Aleria last year, my condition has deteriorated.”
“Corina can make medicines to help with pain that are far less toxic than meadow wort,” Keiran said. “I know she would be more than happy to show you.”
“It won’t work. You think I turned to meadow wort as my first choice?” Mari spun around toward him again. “Keiran, I had the best royal physicians in Aleria treat me. Over the years, I built up a tolerance to all their assorted offerings. Not to put Tordania down, but they had more resources at hand. There was a time when the safer alternatives worked, but those days are long past. I think those arrows I took during our escape just triggered an ever-worsening condition.”
He dropped his gaze to the floor. It was her decision, ultimately, and she’d never let her misery interfere with her work. “There must be something that can help you.”
“Not everything can be fixed,” she replied, forcing up a smile that wasn’t reflected in her eyes. “You and Garhan will both have to accept that the bodies of those around you will fail over time. I will be on my deathbed at some point, while he still looks like he does today. What will I have to offer him at that point?”
That hit Keiran hard. He’d tried to put off thoughts of what it would be like to have Thana eventually pass as he kept on living. Allowing it to linger in his mind had always brought up a nervous sickness in his core.
“He won’t abandon you over age,” Keiran said.
“So you say, and so you intend to stay by Thana’s side until the bitter end,” she said, feeling her cheeks grow hot. “You don’t know what the future will hold though, and you don’t know what your feelings will be when the time comes, much less those of Garhan. I will, someday, be in too much pain to work or to do anything at all. It is coming, it is inevitable, Keir. If the meadow wort keeps me functional for just a little longer, then I must use it. If it kills me in the long run, then I was simply going to die anyway. There are times when it hurts so much that I think death would honestly be a relief.”
“I’m sorry, Mari,�
� he whispered. He and the courier hadn’t had many private conversations, and the feeling he’d taken it too far sank in.
She looked him up and down before her shoulders rounded, her pride failing her. “He’s mentioned I could become like the two of you. He says it will fix me.”
One of Keiran’s brows rose and he looked at her again. “And have you thought about agreeing?”
Mari shook her head and wrinkled her nose. “Part of it is tempting, but no, I will never do such a thing. I can’t imagine having to do what the two of you must. Besides, if I were to change, who would fulfill Garhan’s needs? We watch you trying to survive on the old blood you are given, and it clearly doesn’t work that well.”
“It doesn’t,” he admitted.
She gave a nod. “Besides, he can’t infect me anyway. It would have to be someone like you. I suppose we all have our individual challenges to live with, don’t we?”
“Aye.”
She sighed and smiled again. “Don’t worry about me. I will charge on as long as I can. I will make this trip to Aleria when the roads clear to meet my obligations. In the meanwhile, we need to get Garhan over his fear of going outside if he is to accompany me as promised. Don’t you think that is just as worrisome?”
Keiran snorted and almost laughed. “It seems such a trivial fear, yet it has him trapped. He didn’t even manage to make it down to the cathedral with you to have your marriage recorded.”
“I was happy enough to take care of it alone, knowing his fear. I’m afraid we have no medicine for it though, do we?” she asked.
“None that I’m aware of.”
“Well, I need to go clean up. I left a trail of mud in my wake.” She offered him one more smile before turning and walking from the room.
* * *
Jerris sat in the guardhouse, going over the payroll sheets for the guards. While it had been his father’s job, the older man had passed it off to his son.
The redhead looked up from the table, seeing Keiran walking in with two bottles in hand. “You brought me breakfast. How thoughtful.”
Keiran sat across from him and passed over one of the ale bottles before opening his own. “We’ve both been busy. I thought a break was in order. I just got the updated casualty count from the valley.”
The guard had gotten the counts from others guards coming and going from the castle over the previous few days. “It’s horrible, I know. This was a bad one.”
“Will the setbacks for this poor country never stop?” Keiran took a sip. “I needed to come out here to get my mind from it. Clear out my thoughts before I dive back into it.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” Jerris said, opening his drink. “I think this winter beat the hell out of everyone and everything.”
“How’s the old man?” Keiran asked.
Jerris set down the bottle. “He seems to be doing better with the weather warming up. I was getting fairly concerned. Those coughing fits he developed were tearing him up. Something like that can kill at his age, you know.”
“Aye.” Keiran stared at the bottle in his hands. “I’ve been worried about it too. He was obviously exhausted by the end of each day.”
“Well, he’s tougher than the rest. It may have taken him a while to show signs of improvement, but he has. I hope that since he is improving, he’ll take back doing the payroll from me. I hate this administrative work with a passion.” Jerris furrowed his brow and looked at his friend. “I got some other news this morning.”
“Oh?”
Jerris huffed and took another long drink, needing it. “Aye. Magretha informed me that she is expecting.”
Keiran’s brows rose and he smirked. “Well, that was inevitable, wasn’t it? How did you react?”
Jerris’ expression went slack and he leveled his gaze across the table at Keiran. “How do you think I reacted?”
“You hit the floor,” Keiran said.
“Correct.” Jerris shook his head, pointing toward a small cut on his brow he’d sustained in the fall. “She’d been acting a little under the weather for a while. I thought it was simply from being stuck here in the castle for the last three months. I suppose it took her some time to figure it out. Point is, we have a child on the way.”
“You’ll do fine. I was able to handle it.” The vampire smiled and shook his head. “I believe this officially means we are adults, Jerris.”
“With all of the responsibilities and headaches thereof,” he added. “She saw Corina about it a few days before. They think the baby will be born after the onset of autumn.”
“So Corina knew about this a few days ago?” Keiran asked.
“Aye.”
“And she kept it from both of us?”
Jerris nodded. “She’s sly, that one. She didn’t even tell my father so that no one would be able to ruin the surprise for me.”
Keiran grinned. It didn’t seem out of line for Corina to have done so. His light-hearted smile slowly faded however, as his mind turned to other matters. “Jerris, remember how I told you I’d felt Baden’s presence around the castle before I ever saw him?”
“Aye.”
“I had that feeling again this morning,” he said before taking another sip.
Jerris groaned. “Do you suppose Athan has him here doing reconnaissance again?”
“No… I don’t know, Jerris, but after we managed to capture Baden the last time he was here, why would Athan let him off of his tether to come here again?” Keiran asked.
The guard had no answer for that. “But is he really here? Are you certain?”
“I have no other explanation for what I felt. Garhan felt it, too. He came and told me so this morning.” Keiran shrugged. “I’d brush it off to the stress we’ve all been under, but my instincts weren’t wrong last time about it and with Garhan picking it up at the same time, it doesn’t bode well.”
“Dealing with either Athan or Baden is the last thing we need right now.” Jerris sighed and picked up his bottle again. “I wish you’d stop causing problems. I can’t very well protect this place from invisible men.”
They both turned toward the door when it was thrown open. Thana stood there, wide-eyed. “Keir!”
He jumped up, knocking his half-empty bottle to the floor where it shattered. “What’s wrong? Where’s Zach?”
She stepped into the room and shook her head. “The baby is fine, Corina has him. I found your surprise after I got out of the bath. Where did you find such a thing?”
Keiran’s lips parted and he switched his gaze from Thana, to Jerris, and back again. He knew he’d hidden the book Mari had given him earlier somewhere Thana never should have found it as he’d wanted to wait until later that night to give it to her. “…you found it?”
“It wasn’t terribly hard, given you left it on the dresser!” she replied, her smile growing.
Now, he was confused. “On the dresser? That’s not where I put it.”
“That’s not funny, Keir! I know it must have been nearly impossible to have such a thing commissioned and made!” She stomped a foot against the floor and shook her head, smile faltering.
“Commissioned what?” he asked, stepping closer to her. “I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Thana’s eyes narrowed and she slowly pulled up the right sleeve of her dress.
Keiran stared down at the gloved hand revealed. He reached down and took a hold of her arm, lifting it up. “What in the world is this?”
Thana’s smile returned and she pulled her arm back, pushing the sleeve up further to reveal the straps holding the prosthetic in place. “And it works!”
Keiran and Jerris both watched in silence as she extended her arm, causing the fingers to open. As she bent her elbow afterward, the hand smoothly closed into a fist.
The two men were dumbstruck. Neither of them had ever witnessed such a functional prosthetic before.
“I already tried it, and I can pick things up with it!” She paused, moving her gaze from he
r hand back up to her husband, seeing his expression. “You act as though you’ve truly never seen this before.”
Keiran gave a shake of his head. “I swear to you, Thana, I had nothing to do with this. If I had known such a thing existed, I would have gotten it for you long ago.”
She slowly turned her eyes back down to her hand, a cold chill running up her spine. The color blanched from her face, and she hastily moved to undo the straps holding her new hand to her arm.
Keiran didn’t have much time to react before she pulled off the artificial hand and pressed it to the middle of his chest. He took it reluctantly, seeing the panic in her eyes. “What?”
She took a step back, shaking her head and working to get her breathing and heart rate slowed. “An overwhelming terror that I wouldn’t be able to take it off, or that it would do something horrible to me…”
He looked down at the prosthetic in his grip, frowning. “I can’t blame you for that.”
Jerris came around the table and stood beside Keiran. “Where did such a thing come from?”
“Your guess is as good as mine if it didn’t come from Keir,” Thana said, shaking her head. “I was so excited for it, too. It actually works, but unless someone can assure me that it’s safe to wear, I won’t touch it. To think how excited I was just moments ago…”
Jerris crossed his arms over his chest. “You don’t suppose it’s from the Sadoris, do you? Could they be trying to make up for what happened to her?”
“I doubt it,” Keiran replied. “They aren’t the type to quietly do something and not take immediate public credit for it. They are all about showmanship. Besides, how would they have gotten it into the castle?”
Thana raised her right wrist between the three of them. “But they do have technology like we’ve never seen before.”
Keiran’s attention landed on the stump of her wrist. “True, but it doesn’t feel right. We do, however, have someone around here with a much better eye for these sorts of things than we have.”
* * *
The King's Knight (Royal Blood Book 5) Page 2