Princess Reviled

by Butler, J. M.

  WroOth had resumed climbing the bars while AaQar continued with his shadow puppets. Naatos appeared to be waiting for her at the cell's door. She avoided looking at him. "All right. Listen up. You three are going to go to sleep eventually. Would you please just get it over with and go to sleep now?"

  AaQar rolled his eyes. He let his hands fall back in his lap. "Really. It's not as if we're children, little sister. We have no desire to sleep. We will not sleep."

  "At least not without being tucked in." WroOth leaped down, sinking into the fall. He stood slowly before he turned to face her. With a crooked smile, he flung the blanket at the bars. "You'll have to come in here sooner or later."

  Amelia strode to the nearest torch and put out the flame. She then extinguished the second and the third. "Sweet dreams, gentlemen." She smothered the fourth and then walked back into the hall. Kepsalon had already left.

  Breathing out a deep sigh, Amelia resumed massaging her elmis. That stupid throbbing itch wouldn't go away. Did Elonumato have a sense of humor or was He just tormenting her? Being attracted to Naatos was not funny, and her own body suggesting it might be pleasant to be with him was even less so. The fact that he was well-built and had attractive features was irrelevant in the fulfillment of her destiny, so why did she have to notice now?

  Her head pounded now too. The ache and frustration only increased when she considered what Vorec would say when he reached the palace. It wouldn't take too much exaggeration to paint her in a bad light, particularly since he was unlikely to reveal what had led up to the confrontation. With a heavy sigh, she leaned forward, trying to stretch out the tension.

  From the dungeon, Naatos, AaQar, and WroOth resumed the chaos. There were no windows down here, and the only light came from the hall where she now sat. Hopefully they would fall asleep soon. She continued stretching, fighting off the urge to sleep herself.

  The minutes inched by until at last an hour passed. Then an hour and a half. At last, the songs and chatter faded. Even WroOth fell silent. Amelia edged forward. It was too dark to see inside the dungeon, but from the sounds of their breathing, they were resting. She picked up the torch from the wall nearest her and entered once more.

  All three appeared to be sleeping. WroOth was sprawled out in the middle of the floor. AaQar had actually moved onto a bench and lay on his back with his hands over his chest. And Naatos was still by the cell door, seated this time. Amelia started for the first unlit torch.

  "The spider pit."

  Amelia turned, startled at Naatos's voice. He watched her, his eyes half closed. "What?" she asked.

  "That's what sealed it. You could never love me after that, could you?"

  Amelia scoffed. "It's not as if that was the only thing."

  "But it was the worst thing I could have done before I realized who you were. I would never have done it if I had known who you were."

  "I think you killing Shon was even worse." Amelia set her jaw.

  "That happened after."

  Amelia switched torches and hooked the lit one into the wall. "It was wrong. But as far as the spiders go, the fact that you would have done that to anyone is horrific to me, Naatos. No one deserves to be eaten alive. Not even you."

  Naatos closed his eyes, a faint laugh escaping his lips. "I should have realized the truth. There were so many signs, all so unrelated at first. I wish I had seen it sooner. So much to see. I gave the crudons your scent to keep you safe from them. So long as you didn't antagonize them, they would leave you alone. How obvious was it? But I was so focused…" He rolled his head from side to side. "Then again that is what I am. That is what I do. My errors are catastrophic. But my victories…they are beyond legendary."

  "Go to sleep," Amelia said, softer this time. She could have left. She should have. But she lingered. There was something in the way he spoke now. No barriers or boundaries existed in what he said. Just raw regret and feeling flowing to her, mingling with her own thoughts. "None of this can be changed." She forced herself to move toward the hall.

  "If the Tue-Rahs and the worlds were not at stake, if you had never met another, would you have loved me?"

  Amelia stopped short. The small voice in her head warned her to go, but she couldn't. Clearing her throat, she tried to speak. "That's not how this works, Naatos. We weren't ever supposed to be together. And if you had known who I would be, what I would be like, you wouldn't have chosen me. Deep down you have to admit that." She pushed her hair back, her heart twinging again. Her elmis ached and itched more than ever now.

  Naatos laughed softly. "If you only knew." He sighed. "No. You are entirely wrong. But what can I say?" He stared down at his hands as if lost in thought. "I can tell you that I was glad we were put together for so many reasons. I can tell you that I did have a concern that my viskaro would be timid. Weak. Oh, I had many fears and thoughts and struggles. Everyone was wrong about you and what you were. I thought they were going to break you. I feared they would. But you…you are neither Neyeb nor Vawtrian. You are not even an Awdawm. It is hard to say what you are exactly. But I would choose you a thousand times over."

  Amelia scowled. "And why would I believe that? Why were you so insistent on having a Neyeb wife if you feared she would be weak and timid? Especially if you thought the Neyeb were that way?"

  "I don't wish to say much more about the nulaaming." Naatos's voice tightened, and he spoke with greater exertion as if he struggled to put this aside. "Let it be enough for me to say that in general the Neyeb were strong in other ways. Do not misunderstand me. There were things that suggested…" Naatos waved his hand as if trying to find the words. "Weakness and timidity are not permanent states. Strength is gained and boldness learned as often as not. But I wanted a Neyeb wife because I wanted to be known fully. Not simply in words and acts but in the fullness of mind as well. It's selfish, I know. Particularly as I look back on it. I am difficult and harsh. Cruelty is easy for me. Yet somehow I still feel. After all this time, after all I have done to stop it, I still feel."

  Amelia rubbed the inside of her arm, resisting the urge to massage her elmis and relieve the discomfort. "I guess it's all the more unfortunate that you locked with me. Even you can't get everything you want." She shrugged slightly. "We'd both change things if we could. You would have been a lot happier with someone else." She drew closer to the cell.

  "And now you're concerned with my happiness." Naatos opened his eyes.

  Amelia started to argue but paused. "It doesn't matter." She knelt beside the cell, putting her hand on his. "We can't change the past. We can't pretend the Tue-Rahs and the conquest of the worlds doesn't exist. But I am your wife, and you are my husband. What has happened…the only way both of us are going to be happy is if you let go of the Tue-Rah and the worlds. And then—"

  Naatos put his finger to her lips. "You don't understand, viskaro. You can't. But that's all right. One day perhaps. I don't hold it against you any more than you being our jailer. Not that you're much good at that. You are far more a caretaker than a warden or executioner."

  Amelia pushed his hand back. "I don't think cruelty is the answer. The world has enough of that."

  "Except when someone wants your chair." Naatos's eyes slid shut again. "That…that made me laugh. Deep inside."

  Amelia ducked her head. "I lost my temper back there. I lost control and fell into the cold. I made things worse. It isn't something to be proud of."

  "Hm…sometimes things have to get worse before you realize the obvious solution is the only solution. I am glad you fight. You cannot tell anyone this, but sometimes I am wrong."

  "I'm shocked." Amelia said the words sarcastically, but she was surprised that he would admit to this. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to accept that you might be regarding the Tue-Rahs?"

  "No. But in other areas, occasionally. Smaller areas. I am glad that you do not fall away from the fight. I like that about you. And the Awdawm deserved it. He should not have treated you that way."

  "Vorec—" Ame
lia started.

  "You are wrong to trust the Libyshans." Naatos exhaled slowly, his head sagging against the bars. "Or perhaps foolish rather than wrong. If it weren't so dangerous, the way you try to make everything better would be sweet. But I'll be here when you realize that. I will always be here for you. And you can pray to Elonumato for mercy on their souls because I promise they'll find no mercy from me."

  Amelia squeezed his hand. "Just go to sleep," she whispered. She rested her head against the bars. It was incredible how much more these three had complicated her life being in a dungeon rather than out terrorizing the nation. But there was a solution to all this somewhere, and she would find it. The anger and sadness had eased away. In its place, she knew she would find a solution. But now her elmis ached all the more.

  10

  An Intervention

  Shon spent most of the morning working on his plan to save Amelia. It was difficult to even consider such a feat when he could barely tie the laces on his boots. Getting his clothing had been hard enough, but he refused to call for help. The former Paras would almost assuredly escape when they were brought here to Telhetum. Most likely sooner rather than later. Shon knew he had to regain his strength and coordination as Naatos certainly wouldn't wait for Shon to get help lacing his boots.

  Despite his determination, his movements were clumsy. Several times he knocked against the chair and the bedside table. As he stumbled, the table clattered over, scattering the healing stones and a mortar filled with sweet dry herbs.

  Matthu poked his head in. "Everything all right in here? You need help?"

  Shon righted the table, almost overturning it the other way. "Everything's fine." He stepped away, his back to the turquoise painted wall panels.

  "You're still pretty pale." Matthu walked in the rest of the way. "How about some breakfast?"

  "No time for that. I need to see Amelia as soon as she arrives. She's supposed to be here today, isn't she?" Shon struggled to gather up the fallen herbs.

  Matthu knelt beside him and helped scoop them up, his movements swift. "Sometime later this morning. She's bringing the Paras. King Theol wants them in the dungeon here."

  "I don't trust that drug. As soon as she gets here, I've got to talk to her." Shon opened the wardrobe. His weapons had been placed there with care, a thick layer of silver fabric placed over them. Shon almost smiled, recognizing his father's handiwork. He always used to do it after a training session when Shon was a boy, emphasizing the importance of caring for one's weapons. But neither Shon nor Matthu had ever followed his example precisely. He removed his belt first and fastened it, pleased to find that his fingers were now remembering what they were supposed to do a little better. He examined his tomarangs one by one before sliding them into his belt.

  "That's not a good idea." Matthu said. You shouldn't see Amelia when she comes back."

  "What are you talking about?" Shon frowned. The tomarang slipped from his hand. It clattered across the floor before settling beside a chair made from woven branches.

  Matthu ran his hand through his hair, making it wilder than before. His mouth twisted up as if something pained him. "Shon…I don't know even how to begin."

  Shon picked up the tomarang and sheathed it. He stretched out his shoulder, and the joint popped. The increased blood flow clarified his thoughts. "Just start at the beginning if you don't know where else."

  A little quip like that should have brought a smile to Matthu's face or caused him to start at the most ludicrously far out point that he could and claim he was just taking Shon's advice. Instead Matthu pulled out a chair from the table. "You should sit."

  "I've spent enough time sitting." Shon stretched out the other shoulder. He picked up his curved bow and began basic drawing routines. His fingers inadvertently brushed against parts of the bowstring, but since it was not his razor bow, it wasn't a problem. The problem was that his grip was not steady enough, nor was his draw. His arm shook horribly as he pulled it back. Fortunately he was good at practicing. "Just tell me whatever it is you need to say."

  "Amelia used one of those orbs, the Salvation of the Third Nalenth, to bring you back. And when she did, she told me that you two can never be together again. She can't bear to lose you once more, and she wants you to live a full and rich life. Without her." Matthu's voice cracked. He dropped his gaze, struggling to form the words. "I'm sorry, Shon. But you can't be with her. It's not possible."

  "That's ridiculous. Amelia would never have said that." Shon clenched the grip on the bow. "She loves me."

  "That's the problem. She loves you too much."

  "So long as we love each other, we can survive anything." Shon drew the bowstring again, and his muscles remembered. The strength was returning. "When you fall in love with someone's soul, you don't abandon that person like filth on the wayside!"

  Matthu hesitated, half lifting his shoulder and shifting his weight. "I don't think she's asking you to abandon her. She's asking you to keep going your way while she goes hers. And normally, I'd be all for love. I like Amelia. She's great. And I think you both are great together, but that doesn't mean it's going to work. And she has a really big problem that's going to keep you both apart. It's called Naatos. And even if he was easy to handle, there's the other two. It's not like they're any better."

  "So you think I should give up on her." Shon snapped the bow down.

  "No. I think you should respect her wishes and recognize that, as tragic as it is, loving someone doesn't mean you have the right to a happy ending with them." Matthu cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Shon. I didn't want to tell you this until you were stronger, but don't do anything stupid, all right? After she kills Naatos—"

  Shon thrust the bow back into the cupboard. "She isn't going to survive. I saw what happens to her if she stays on this path. She's going to die, Matthu. But I can save her."

  "How?" Matthu asked hesitantly.

  "By taking her away from all this. So long as she's with those three, she's in danger. And she has to listen to me."

  Matthu held out his hands, almost pleading. "It isn't going to matter, Shon. She knows she's going to die. She was warned. She accepted it." He choked, and when he spoke again, his voice was hoarser. "A lot of good people have died in all this. And a lot more still to come. But if Amelia doesn't do what she's supposed to, then it's all been for nothing. So you've got to let her go. Not just for her but for Libysha. For Reltux. For everything." He ducked his head, his voice thicker. "I need to go. Let me know if you need anything." He bolted from the room.

  Shon glared after Matthu, wounded by his brother's words. What made it worse was that some small part of him knew it was true. Taking Amelia away would mean that she wouldn't fulfill her destiny and restore the third Tue-Rah or stop Naatos and his brothers. As a result, they would continue unchecked. They might not succeed in conquering worlds beyond Reltux, Ecekom, and Eiram, but that would only be three worlds rather than all of creation. And surely someone else will find a way to stop them, he thought. Elonumato could raise someone else up.

  Surely. That made complete sense after all. And it wasn't fair for all of this to be on his and Amelia's shoulders. He would talk to the king, and King Theol would help him get Amelia someplace safe. If anyone understood what Amelia was up against, it had to be him.

  Shon staggered from his room. The lavish quarters where he and his family had lived for so long was connected through a series of inner chambers to the palace. But it was faster to take the outside route, which also involved fewer stairs. He made his way as swiftly as he could.

  A servant informed him that the king was in the Great Hall with Vorec. Shon's heart leaped—had he missed Amelia's arrival? He quickened his pace, almost falling and catching himself against a pillar. Dizziness worked along the edges of his vision. Not now, he thought. He imagined how amusing Naatos would think this was. Not only had he killed him, but he had stripped him of his strength and dignity. The responding surge of anger propelled Shon forward.

/>   The Great Hall was much as it had been before the attack. The large painting of Libysha's independence and the fall of Teroth filled the southern wall above the stone fireplace. The fireplace had been built using equal numbers of rocks from each of the cities at the time of Libysha's founding, signifying their equal contribution to the nation. No fire blazed on the hearth this day, making the Hall far drearier. The long wooden tables and exquisitely carved chairs filled the sides of the room, offset from the massive beams that ran the length of the high ceiling. It was less than six months ago that Shon had won the dueling competition the Ayamin hosted. The warriors took turns battling on the suspended beams with swords, daggers, bo staffs, and other weapons. He and Cobez had been the final combatants, and their last duel had taken the longest, filled with stunts, banter, and a good measure of showing off. That had been a happy time.

  Shon slowed his pace when he saw Vorec standing with King Theol beside the eastern wall. How long had Vorec been there? King Theol stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his brow furrowed, and his head tilted forward. Vorec had numerous waxy bandages around his face, neck, and shoulders. His mouth was twisted and bruised, and from the swelling in his shoulder and neck, some of the bruising was deep.

  "Shon," the king said, holding up his hand before Shon could pay the proper respect. "You are standing again." King Theol embraced him. Shon stiffened, startled but honored at the friendly familiarity that the king demonstrated. As Shon tried to give the proper response, King Theol continued, unconcerned. "When your father told me what had happened, I did not know if I could continue to hope."

  Vorec gave a terse nod. "It is good to see you again, commander."

  Shon cleared his throat. He hadn't forgotten his last encounter with Vorec. "Has Amelia arrived yet?"

  "Not yet. Apparently the Vawtrians had not yet succumbed to the huanna. However, Amelia asked that the Temple of Selgooko be evacuated except for a single troop at most. Elder Commander Vorec brought everyone here along with the Para bands and one of the Tue-Rah's crystals."