The Hidden Sun (Bariwon Chronicles Book 1)

by J. Lloyd Morgan

  “Yeah, I’ve noticed,” Rayne said. “But enough about them. How are you doing, Sunshine?”

  She smiled again, and Rayne felt a warm tingle throughout his body. “I’m the one who should be asking you,” she said. “It seems Cameron has been running you and Oakleaf ragged.”

  “He has.” Rayne motioned for Sunshine to follow him to a stone bench. After sitting down, he said, “But it’s been worth it, now that you’re here.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “I’ve been hoping to talk to you for some time now.”

  “I know. I’ve wanted to talk to you too.”

  Sunshine’s countenance changed. Her normal cheerful expression was replaced with something that could only be described as seriousness. “Rayne, at one time you said you weren’t sure you wanted to be a guardian, but—”

  “But here I am.”

  Sunshine nodded. “Yes, here you are. When we first met, I felt something for you I hadn’t really felt before. I found myself thinking about you often after you left. Even when the chance came along to become a savant, I still only considered it to be a temporary situation, depending on how well you did in the Mortentaun.”

  She reached out and took Rayne by the hand. “When I thought you’d been killed, I felt as though part of me died as well. I threw myself into my duties here. When we met in the castle, I felt all sorts of different emotions. I was so happy to see that you were alive! I think you were happy to see me as well.”

  Rayne’s heart ached when he thought of what she must have been feeling when she thought he was dead. He squeezed her hand. “I was very happy to see you.”

  “That brings us to now.” Sunshine took a deep breath. “To put it simply—where do we go from here?”

  He paused a moment before responding. “Well… I’m not sure. When my father died, he left me a note asking me to become the guardian he hadn’t been. I loved my father very much and I wanted to make him proud. But as I trained, I started to understand why he was asking what he did. He wanted to serve people and make Bariwon a better place for everyone. Something happened to him—I’m not sure what—and he felt like not only did he not make it a better place, but that he had made things worse.”

  “I can only imagine how hard his death was on you,” Sunshine said, caressing his hand.

  “It was hard. After he died, I had a lot of time to think. A big part of me has a yearning to do something important. It’s hard to describe. I’m sure it was something my father felt as well—a desire to make a difference.”

  “And by becoming a guardian, you hope to be able to make a difference,” Sunshine said.

  “That’s it exactly.”

  Sunshine swallowed hard. “How long do you plan on serving?”

  “I hadn’t really thought about it in those terms. I guess as long as it takes for me to make a difference.”

  Sunshine slowly removed her hand from Rayne’s. “I see.”

  “What’s the matter?” he asked, noting that Sunshine looked disappointed.

  “You know that royal guardians aren’t allowed to, well…”

  “Yes, I know that we’re not allowed to marry. Actually, I just found out a few days ago. Had I known, I—”

  Rayne sat up straight, turned, and faced Sunshine, who appeared as if she was about to cry. “Sunshine, I couldn’t stop thinking about you after we met. Even during training, I was looking forward to seeing you again at the Mortentaun. Meeting you in the castle was one of the happiest moments in my life.”

  He reached out and took her hand again. She seemed hesitant to give it, but acquiesced. “I want very much to court you, but if I’m not allowed to marry, I don’t see how it would be possible.”

  “Well, we’re not allowed to court officially, but there isn’t a law preventing us from being friends. I would be willing to wait for you to retire,” she said, and to Rayne, it sounded like she was trying to be brave. “You would be worth the wait.”

  Rayne had felt a weight pressing down on him, and suddenly it lifted a little. She was willing to wait for him! Was he being selfish? Was it fair for him to ask her to do that? “Are you sure that—”

  “I’m sure,” Sunshine said, sounding completely confident in her response.

  Rayne slid over next to her and slipped his arm around her. She put her head on his shoulder, and they sat there for a while in silence.

  ***

  Bertram wasn’t sure what type of response he’d get when he announced what he and Sunshine had discovered. He thought the reaction would likely be a strong one, with different people shouting all at once. Instead, it was almost eerily quiet in the main hall after he spoke.

  Looking at faces in the crowd, which included the governors of the districts as well as the usual court members, Bertram thought he understood why. Many of those in attendance were offspring of arranged marriages, and several were in arranged marriages themselves. Apparently the realization that they should have been able to choose for themselves came as a shock.

  Abrecan finally broke the silence. “And you are sure about this?”

  Bertram nodded, looking down and not meeting the councilor’s stare. “Yes, I had the other members of the hierarchy verify the validity of the book, and they’ve all signed a proclamation to that fact.”

  “I see,” Abrecan said. “This is quite an interesting find. But I don’t see how it will affect the upcoming Shoginoc. So far, all the people who have declared the intent to participate are already married, so it is a moot point.”

  Priest Sherwyn stood up from the table where he sat by the members of the hierarchy. “I believe that if someone else declares an intent to participate in the Shoginoc who isn’t married, this would apply to them.”

  Abrecan scoffed. “I find that to be highly unlikely. The Shoginoc is in a couple of months. Anyone who was seriously considering participating would have declared by now.”

  Bertram interjected, “Actually, anyone can declare his intent up until the Shoginoc ceremony begins.”

  Right away, Bertram realized he had made a mistake. Abrecan’s expression made it plain that he was not happy with Bertram’s clarification, especially in front of all of the governors. Once again, he felt the all-too-familiar urge to rush back to his room and close the door behind him.

  ***

  “Thank you, Guardian,” Anemone said. “It’s a refreshing change to have someone actually help me carry the supplies to my room.”

  Rayne shrugged. “It’s my pleasure. Are you telling me that the other guardians don’t help you?”

  Anemone chuckled. “More like won’t. That wasn’t always the case. Before Abrecan took over, guardians used to be nice.”

  “Abrecan took over? Don’t you mean King Daimh?”

  She chuckled again. “Oh, yes, Daimh is the king,” she said sarcastically. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell.”

  Rayne stopped and looked at the elderly nursemaid questioningly. “Forgive an old woman, Guardian,” she said. “You are new here, and I shouldn’t bog you down with such unpleasantness.”

  Anemone squinted, took a step closer to Rayne, and stared at him. The invasion of his personal space made him feel uncomfortable, but instead of stepping back, he simply asked, “Is something the matter?”

  “It’s just that for a moment there, you seemed quite familiar to me,” she said. “Have we met before?”

  Rayne considered telling her that his father was a guardian years ago. While he never thought there was a strong resemblance between him and his father, anyone who knew his father well could perhaps perceive the relationship. But Rayne remembered his father had warned him not to tell anyone who he was. The nursemaid was one of the nicest people Rayne had met thus far, and he felt like he could trust her, but he kept his father’s wish.

  “I don’t believe we’ve met, no,” he said.

  Anemone leaned in even closer. “Are you sure? There’s something very familiar about your eyes.”

  Now that was odd. Of all of his features,
his eyes were the least like his father’s. If his blue eyes didn’t come from his father, perhaps they resembled his mother’s. Although his father talked about his mother’s personality and how much he loved her, he never really talked about where she came from or who her parents were. It wasn’t that Rayne hadn’t asked—he had. But his father had always skirted the issue. Rayne realized that since his father had married while he was a royal guardian, perhaps his mother had been a servant here in the castle. If that was the case, it was possible the nursemaid had known her.

  Rayne’s curiosity about his mother fought against his plan to keep his family history a secret. “Perhaps—” he began to say.

  “Yes?”

  Rayne decided against saying anything after all. “Perhaps you saw me at the Mortentaun or when I was at the castle dinners.”

  Anemone looked at him doubtfully. “Perhaps, Guardian.”

  “Rayne,” he said. “Please call me Rayne.”

  CHAPTER 21

  “You requested my presence?” Sunshine asked after she had been ushered into Magistrate Caldre’s room.

  The sharp-nosed man stood and gave her a smile she found disturbing. “Yes, my dear. Please, please, have a seat.”

  He motioned to a padded bench next to a large window that overlooked the town below.

  Sunshine hesitated a moment before she walked over and chose the far edge of the bench. She sat up straight with her hands folded on her lap.

  Caldre sauntered over and sat next to her. He rested one arm on the windowsill and again gave her a smile that made her want to shiver in disgust.

  “So, what can I do for you, Magistrate?” Sunshine asked, using a serious tone.

  “Relax, relax. I know you must be nervous being around such an important person, but there is no reason to be so tense.”

  He put his hand on her shoulder. She fought off the urge to bat it away—instead, she tried to ignore it was there. He massaged her shoulder gently. “See how tight your muscles are? Perhaps you would like a drink to help you relax.”

  “I’m not thirsty.”

  Caldre continued to massage her shoulder. “As you wish. Let me know if you change your mind. I do have some of the finest drinks from around the kingdom.”

  “I’m quite fine, Magistrate,” Sunshine replied.

  “Caldre. Please call me Caldre.”

  Sunshine nodded. “As you wish, Magistrate Caldre. Once again, what may I do for you?”

  “You are direct.” He moved his hand from her shoulder toward her neck. “I admire that. It is a good trait. It means you are confident, and confidence is very attractive. Not that you need confidence to be attractive, of course.”

  Sunshine didn’t flinch. “Thank you, Magistrate. Now, I don’t mean to sound rude, but I have duties awaiting me. So, if you wouldn’t mind telling me why you asked me here…”

  “Actually, your duties are the reason I wanted to talk to you,” he said. “I understand you love to read, and I imagine all your responsibilities as a savant give you precious little free time. I would like to present to you an opportunity that will lessen your duties so that you will have more time to spend as you wish.”

  The hair on the back of Sunshine’s neck stood on end, and not only because Caldre’s hand was nearly touching her there. “What offer?”

  “I am in need of a personal assistant.” He leaned in closer. “Someone who will help me with, well, whatever my needs are.”

  His hand was now on the back of her neck, and Sunshine felt him pulling her to him. “I’ll have that drink now,” she said suddenly.

  Caldre appeared somewhat startled and let her go. He nodded with a leer on his face, then walked over to a cabinet full of bottles of different shapes and colors.

  “What can I get for you, my dear?” he asked, reaching for a couple of silver goblets studded with what looked to be rubies.

  Sunshine stood and moved to the middle of the room. “Water.”

  Caldre froze in place. Still facing the cabinet, he said, “Water? Are you sure? I have much more exotic things.”

  “I’m sure you do, but I prefer something a little less pretentious.”

  Caldre filled one of the goblets from a water pitcher on the table next to the cabinet, then filled the other goblet with a red liquid. He turned around and handed Sunshine her drink.

  She took the goblet, gulped down the water, and handed the empty goblet to the magistrate. “Thank you. I will consider your offer.”

  After curtseying slightly, she departed, leaving Caldre standing in the middle of the room holding both goblets.

  ***

  Bertram looked at Sunshine and sighed in dismay. Glancing down, he noticed that his fingernails had all been chewed down to almost nothing over the last few days. He knew it was a nervous habit, but it offered him some small comfort in a time of great anxiety.

  So far nothing had happened to him as a result of his comment at the most recent court, but Bertram remembered all too well how Abrecan responded when someone disagreed with him—especially in public.

  After all, Abrecan’s wife, Lady Calla, had never been heard of again since being sent to their summer home. Bertram felt Abrecan’s anger would certainly come forward again under the right circumstances, and often the person to carry out the unpleasant mandates was Magistrate Caldre. To that end, Caldre had been rewarded handsomely. Not only had he been made magistrate over the town of Bariwon that surrounded the castle, but he had also been given a luxurious suite. Abrecan seemed to support Caldre in whatever he wanted, so upsetting Caldre was akin to upsetting Abrecan.

  As worried as Bertram had been before, he was even more worried now—and not for his own well-being. “To be honest, Sunshine, I’m not sure what Magistrate Caldre would do if you refused his offer,” he said glumly.

  Sunshine stood at the window of Bertram’s room, the afternoon light shining behind her. “What could he do?” she asked almost defiantly. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”

  “Sadly, I’ve discovered that to Caldre and Abrecan, it isn’t a matter of what is right and what is wrong. It’s more a matter of what’s better for them. If you make things hard on them, they make things worse for you.”

  “Would they banish me from the castle?” Sunshine asked, the resolution in her voice lessening.

  Bertram folded his arms. “Possibly. Or they could find something you care for and take it away from you.”

  Her eyes widened. “They wouldn’t hurt my family or—” she looked as though she caught herself before saying a name “—anyone else. Would they?”

  “I wouldn’t put it beyond them,” Bertram said.

  Sunshine started pacing back and forth in front of the window. “This is so unfair! I don’t know what to do.” She stopped. “Wait. I know something I can’t do. I can’t accept his offer.”

  “I don’t blame you,” Bertram said.

  “I’m sure this will make him angry. What then?”

  Bertram opened his arms wide and motioned to the room around him. “I think you are beginning to understand why I don’t leave my quarters unless absolutely necessary.”

  ***

  Alana walked with Sunshine down the long hallway after they finished their evening meal with the royalty, savants, and several members of the Hierarchy of Magistrates.

  “You seem rather distracted tonight,” Alana said. “Is something the matter?”

  Sunshine gave Alana a forced smile. “I have a lot on my mind, and I would like to talk about it, if you have some time later.”

  “Of course, dear. You know you can talk to me about anything.” Lowering her voice a bit, Alana asked, “Does it have something to do with Magistrate Caldre? I noticed him staring at you in an odd manner during most of the meal.”

  Sunshine looked around and noticed that two of the magistrates were several paces behind her, while a few of the other savants were in front. “I’d rather wait to talk about—”

  She was interrupted when a couple of guardians round
ed the corner, running at full speed, and plowed into her and Alana, knocking them both to the ground. Sunshine looked up to see what had happened, and noticed Guardians Ivor and Cameron standing over them, looking perturbed.

  “Yous needs to watch where yous goin’,” Cameron said to the two ladies.

  Alana tried to get back on her feet, but struggled to do so because her legs were tangled in her long, flowing dress. “Watch where we are going?”

  “That’s right,” Cameron said, either ignoring or missing the inflection in Alana’s voice.

  Sunshine saw a hand extend to her and turned to see Rayne.

  “Please forgive my fellow guardians,” he said. “They seem to have left their manners back in their rooms.”

  With Rayne’s help, Sunshine and Alana got back on their feet. Sunshine smoothed out her savant’s robes, while Alana inspected her own clothing.

  “Thank you,” Alana said. “It’s nice to see that at least one of the royal guardians remembered to bring their manners with him.” Reaching up to her ears, she exclaimed, “Oh! My earrings! They must have fallen off when we were knocked down.”

  The other savants and the magistrates joined them in searching the floor for the missing earrings.

  “They’re gold with sapphire inlaid in the middle. I’d hate to lose them. They were a gift from King Kenrik,” Alana explained.

  “Here’s one,” Rayne announced, holding it up to Alana. Sunshine thought she saw Cameron pick something up off the floor and put it under his tunic as they continued to look, but wasn’t sure enough to accuse him.

  After several more moments, Alana said, “Oh, dear. Those were my favorite pair. I can’t imagine where it might have gone. If any of you find it, please let me know.”

  “We’ll continue to look,” Rayne said.

  Alana glanced around one more time. “All right, thank you.” She smiled at Rayne before turning to Cameron and Ivor. “Next time, Guardians, I will discuss this with Captain Sullivan.”

  “No needs to git hims involved.” Cameron looked nervous. “I was trainings Ivor here, and yous got in my way. Next times, yous just be more careful.”