“What are we going to do now?” she asked. “How are we going to find our way out?”
“I honestly have no idea,” Barclay said grimly, “but chances are, even if we find a way out of here, it will be too late to save Oakleaf or Rayne.”
***
“Is this everyone?” Abrecan asked, looking over the assembly in the main hall from his viewpoint atop the stage. After Governor Nash’s declaration that he would sponsor Rayne in the Shoginoc, Abrecan demanded that royalty, savants, governors, and magistrates reassemble in the main hall to discuss the situation away from the open public.
Standing to the right of Abrecan, Magistrate Caldre squinted before replying, “It appears so.”
“Fine,” Abrecan said. “Now that we are away from the crowd, we shall look into the validity of Governor Nash’s claim.” The councilor turned to the five men dressed in long black robes. “Can Governor Nash prevent the execution of Rayne by sponsoring him? We know from the earlier situation with Governor Dylan that people can’t be executed if they are involved in the Shoginoc. But the difference here is that Rayne’s crime was committed before he was sponsored.”
Magistrate Aldous stood slowly and said, “We will need a moment to discuss this.” He sat down again and opened his copy of the Tome of Laws, as did the rest of the hierarchy.
Magistrate Bertram quickly flipped through his pages, got the other magistrates’ attention, and pointed to a passage. All the magistrates read the passage and then spoke quietly among themselves for a moment before Aldous stood once again.
“The Tome of Laws says, and I quote, ‘A day before the first Shoginoc, Governor Tristan was executed for murdering Lady Persephone. It was discovered later that Governor Raleigh was actually responsible for the death of Lady Persephone, and put the blame on Tristan in an attempt to prevent Governor Tristan from participating in the Shoginoc, therefore giving Raleigh a better chance for his district to be selected. To avoid this type of treachery, anyone participating in the Shoginoc may not be executed and will be allowed to participate. If the accused is proven irrefutably guilty after the Shoginoc, he or she will be stripped of all titles and subjected to the consequences of his or her actions.”
Tapping his foot impatiently, Abrecan said, “And?”
Aldous blinked at the councilor for a moment. “That’s all it says on the subject.”
“Meaning?”
With his finger on the page before him, Aldous read again, “Anyone participating in the Shoginoc may not be executed and will be allowed to participate.” Looking back up, he said, “It says nothing about when the crime was committed, but Rayne is participating in the Shoginoc, so it seems clear to us he cannot be executed.”
“But he was already found guilty! Even if he were to win the Shoginoc, he would be stripped of his title and executed!” Pointing to Governor Nash, Abrecan demanded, “You will explain yourself.”
Nash stood up, stroked his white beard thoughtfully, and then said, “I know Guardian Rayne. I spent many hours training him for the Mortentaun. It’s simply not in his character to commit the crime of which he has been accused.”
Caldre stamped his foot, then stepped in front of Abrecan and all but shouted, “But he himself admits to putting his sword to another guardian’s neck!”
Nash pointed a thick finger at the magistrate. “That would not be a crime if Rayne was protecting the innocent. This, I know, is in Rayne’s character.”
Caldre threw his hands up in the air. “It doesn’t matter! He’s been convicted! Nothing can change that now.”
“Not true,” the governor said. “If the merchant and his daughter are found and they testify otherwise, Rayne must be set free.”
This caused a bit of a stir among the crowd, but Caldre stopped it short by saying, “That won’t happen.”
“How are you so sure?” Nash took a step forward. “I understand that the merchant and his daughter simply disappeared one night. No one seems to know where they went. Well, that’s not true. We actually have someone who believes they know where to find them and is retrieving them right now.”
Caldre folded his arms. “That—that can’t be true. No one saw them leave.”
“Are you so sure, Magistrate?” Nash’s voice grew more confident. “Isn’t it possible someone knows where they are?”
Abrecan grabbed Caldre’s arm and jerked him back a step. “So, Governor,” Abrecan said smoothly, “your reason to sponsor Rayne was simply to delay his execution, correct? It’s good of you be so concerned about someone from your district.”
Nash gave a small chuckle before he responded. “Ah, no. That isn’t the only reason, Councilor. I honestly believe that Rayne would make an excellent king. He’s been taught correctly, and he strives to do what is right—and not just what suits him personally.”
Abrecan didn’t respond at first; he just stared down at Nash for a moment. “It doesn’t really matter. Fine, he can participate in the Shoginoc. If you were actually able to make a good showing, you would have already sponsored someone else. There isn’t a chance he will be selected. All you’ve done here is waste our time. The Shoginoc takes place in one hour from now. I think it is best that we keep Rayne under guard to prevent an attempt at escape. You are all dismissed!”
***
Barclay carefully moved Oakleaf away from the door that continued to shudder with what could only be Ivor trying to break it down from the other side. The imprisoned guardian was shouting for help and yelling obscenities, causing a stir among the other prisoners in the area.
“Father, can he break down that door?” Arlie asked. “He is rather big and strong.”
“I’m not going to give him a chance,” Barclay said.
He felt his way back to the door in the pitch black of the dungeon. He found it, then searched for the small opening at the bottom where food was given to the prisoners. Sitting down with his legs against the door, Barclay lifted the panel. This got Ivor’s attention. Barclay felt the guardian’s arm reach through in an attempt to grab him. But Barclay had anticipated this action and grabbed Ivor by the wrist with both hands. Making sure he had a firm grip, he pushed away from the door quickly with his legs, causing Ivor to lurch forward and smack his head hard against the other side of the door. Barclay felt Ivor’s arm break in the process, and Ivor stopped moving.
Barclay let go of Ivor’s arm, then stood and backed away until he bumped against a door directly across the hall. He slid down and sat, leaning against it.
A light but steady knocking on the access panel of the door he was leaning against caused Barclay to flinch. He started to scoot away but stopped when he heard a voice.
“What did he say?” Arlie asked from the darkness.
“I’m not sure,” Barclay said, edging closer to the door. Finding the access panel, he put his ear against it and listened.
“I can help you,” said the voice.
Turning to Arlie, Barclay said, “He says he can help us, but I’m not sure we can trust anyone down here.”
“But we were put down here, Father. And we are trustworthy. Maybe they were also put down here when they shouldn’t have been,” she pointed out. “And we do need help.”
“That we do,” Barclay admitted. He carefully opened the access panel and asked, “Who are you, and how can you help us?”
“My name is Sherwyn. I am the castle priest.”
Barclay harrumphed. “Excuse me if I don’t quite believe you. Why would the castle priest be in the dungeon?”
“Councilor Abrecan was upset with me for standing up to him in a court where an innocent guardian was convicted of attempted murder,” Sherwyn said.
“Which guardian?” Barclay said.
“Rayne.”
Barclay felt his daughter reach out and touch his arm. “I believe him, Father. Who else down here would know about Rayne?”
“How could you help us?” Barclay asked, still cautious.
“I heard everything that happened out there
. I can help in a couple of ways,” Sherwyn said. “First, in the cell next to me on your right is Nursemaid Anemone. She will be able to attend to the guardian’s wounds.”
“And second?” Barclay asked.
“When I was brought down here, I memorized which passages they took. I can escort you out of the dungeon.”
***
Despite the rain pounding relentlessly against the roof and windows of the main hall, the mood was anything but gloomy. In fact, it almost crackled with electricity while people waited anxiously for the Shoginoc to begin.
Sunshine sat among her fellow savants, wearing a simple white dress cinched about her waist with a blue and gold belt. As many people as could fit lined both sides of the hall, all facing the stage. Sunshine noted that many people were dressed in the traditional gold and blue, while there were pockets of others who wore crimson and silver.
The Hierarchy of Magistrates stood on the stage, waiting for the royalty to arrive. The Shoginoc participants stood in the center of the hall. Governor Eadward was surrounded by large men dressed in guardian uniforms. Three tables held their offering for the Shoginoc, draped with ornately sewn covers.
A smaller group from Regne was next. Their candidate was an older gentleman. What hair remained was still dark, and even from her current position Sunshine noticed his warm eyes. He bore a striking resemblance to Lady Nicole, which was only logical since he was her father. Only one covered table was by the group from Regne.
The last group consisted only of Rayne and Governor Nash. Despite protests from Nash, Rayne was constantly under guard and was not allowed to change from the clothes he had worn for the execution. He looked ragged and tired at first glance, but there was something about the way he stood and moved that displayed calm confidence.
Trumpets blared at the front of the hall, and the large oak doors slowly opened. The royalty entered and pompously moved to their positions on the stage. King Daimh sat proudly with his wife Nicole next to him, who was all smiles and waves. Councilor Abrecan appeared as arrogant as ever, looking down his nose at the people in the crowd. Captain Sullivan stood on one side of the thrones, with Guardian Cameron standing on the other side.
But it was Magistrate Caldre who caught Sunshine’s attention. He wasn’t a member of the royalty, so she wondered why he had followed the others. His eyes darted back and forth, nervously scanning the crowd as he walked to the front of the stage.
Caldre reached the edge and said loudly, “Welcome to a most special event in the kingdom—the Shoginoc!” The audience exploded in applause. Once the noise died down, Caldre continued to peruse the crowd as if he was looking for something in particular.
When it had quieted enough for him to speak again, Caldre announced, “Normally, the castle priest would be the master of ceremonies for the Shoginoc, but due to recent events, Sherwyn has been removed, and we are still awaiting word from the church on his replacement.”
The members of the church who sat across the hall from Sunshine all appeared to be surprised at this announcement and even began to whisper among themselves.
“It has been just over twenty-one years since King Daimh was selected to marry Queen Eliana. Sadly, Queen Eliana died in a tragic accident before she could give birth to the heir of the throne,” Caldre said. “Recent discoveries have shown us that arranged marriages are not what the authors of the Tome of Laws had intended, but that doesn’t impact this Shoginoc.
“Magistrate Aldous has asked Magistrate Bertram to read from the correct version of the Tome of Laws which will explain how we will proceed.”
Bertram looked over the large crowd, gulped, and then looked down quickly to the book in front of him. In a somewhat shaky but loud voice, he read, “If the king or queen does not marry, or if he or she does marry and is unable to produce an heir, a new king or queen will be chosen twenty-one years after the crowning of the king or queen.”
Bertram sat back down quickly, rubbing his brow with the back of his hand.
Caldre stepped back up to the edge of the stage. “Three people have been sponsored for the Shoginoc from their respective districts.” He motioned to the candidates in the hall before him. “They are Governor Eadward from both Erd and Lewyol, Magistrate Nicolas from Regne, and Rayne from Lebu.” Again, the crowd applauded enthusiastically, and each of the candidates bowed in response.
“However, I should make it known that Rayne has been convicted of a crime and was only sponsored by Governor Nash so he could cheat death.”
“Caldre!” Governor Nash barked. “You are out of line!”
The crowd’s reaction was mixed. Some people were shouting at Governor Nash to quiet down, while others were shouting at Caldre. There was quite the din in the large hall.
***
“The castle is so empty and quiet,” Arlie said, following the group down a long hallway. Sherwyn was leading the way, with Anemone and Arlie’s father right behind him, while Arlie took up the rear.
Her father was carrying Oakleaf in his arms—no easy task, seeing how tall the guardian was. Fortunately, all the years of working with wood had made her father a very strong man.
“We are taking the back hallways,” Sherwyn said, moving as quickly as he could for someone of his age. “We’re lucky to have gotten to this point unnoticed—although that probably means everyone is at the Shoginoc.”
A heavy silence fell over the group. If the Shoginoc had started, that meant Rayne’s execution had already taken place. They turned a corner and went up a flight of stairs, and then stopped in front of an unremarkable door. “Wait here,” Anemone said as she moved to the front, opened the door, and looked inside. She had a brief conversation with whoever was in the room, then opened the door the rest of the way. Stepping in, she motioned for them to follow her.
The room contained several beds, and the walls were lined with cabinets of all different sizes and shapes. In the room stood a woman Arlie guessed was in her mid-forties. She was working quickly on setting up one of the beds.
“This is Nursemaid Ophelia,” Anemone said. “She’ll help us.”
Ophelia gave them a quick smile, and then said to Barclay, “Bring him here. Let’s take a look.”
Barclay brought the young guardian over to the bed and laid him down gently. The cloth Barclay had used as a bandage was nearly soaked through with blood.
Anemone and Ophelia examined Oakleaf. Arlie heard them mutter phrases like, “It seems to have missed any vital parts,” “He’s lost a lot of blood,” and “Let’s get his wound cleaned up.”
The two nursemaids continued to work on Oakleaf for the next several minutes. He stirred once when they poured a clear liquid on the wound that looked like water but smelled like something you would find at a pub.
After putting clean bandages on him, Anemone turned to the rest of them. “Thank goodness Ophelia was on duty. She can be trusted and will look after Oakleaf. We believe he will be fine.”
Arlie felt a sense of relief at the news. She had met Oakleaf a couple of times in town, and unlike her feelings toward most guardians, she was impressed with him. In addition, he had just saved her life, so she was truly happy he was going to be all right.
“We must hurry,” Anemone said. “We need to get to the Shoginoc.”
Sherwyn ran his hand over his bald head as he thought. “I don’t see why. In fact, we should get as far away from here as possible.”
“I didn’t tell you!” Anemone said in realization. “I was too concerned about helping Oakleaf. Ophelia tells me that Rayne wasn’t executed after all.”
“What? Really?” Arlie said.
Anemone nodded. “Yes, Governor Nash was able to spare him by entering him in the Shoginoc.”
“That was very clever of him.” Sherwyn smiled. “And you are right—we need to get to the Shoginoc as soon as possible.”
Barclay looked doubtful. “Won’t we be stopped before we can get in?”
“I think I have a way,” Anemone said. She walked o
ver to an armoire, removed four hooded gray cloaks, and then gave one each to Sherwyn, Barclay, and Arlie. Donning one herself, Anemone said, “Just keep your hoods up and your heads down, and people should believe we are all nursemaids.”
***
Sunshine stood and looked over the scene, wondering if it would turn into something ugly. From the corner of her eye, she saw one of the side doors to the hall open. Several figures dressed in hooded cloaks entered and began to make their way through the crowd.
Others began to notice them as they moved to the center of the hall where the candidates stood. It appeared to Sunshine that Caldre hadn’t noticed the newcomers yet, as he was engaged in a heated conversation with Magistrate Aldous.
Caldre turned his back on the hierarchy and moved to the front of the stage. He had begun to motion everyone to quiet down when he looked at the four hooded figures that had now reached the center of the hall. “Guardians!” He pointed. “Stop them!”
“Not until we are heard!” shouted one of the hooded figures, whose voice was familiar to Sunshine. Throwing back his hood, Priest Sherwyn revealed himself. Nursemaid Anemone showed her face next, while the other two remained concealed.
Glancing back at Caldre for his reaction, Sunshine noticed Councilor Abrecan jump to his feet. “What are you doing here, Sherwyn?” Abrecan demanded. “You were put under arrest!”
The crowd quieted and seemed to hold its collective breath for the priest’s response.
Standing tall with his chin up and shoulders squared, Sherwyn declared, “We are here to make sure that the true heir is put on the throne.”
CHAPTER 26
King Daimh watched with disdain. He had wanted his last day as king to be memorable, a day that the kingdom would look back on for years to come. People would say, “I was there the day our own King Daimh generously stepped down and became a councilor.” He had told the minstrels this was to be his crowning achievement—the day he graciously pledged to help the new king in any way he could. He expected them not only to write a song about it, but instructed them to create a play based on today’s events as well.
The Hidden Sun (Bariwon Chronicles Book 1) Page 28